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michelareads 's review for:
Black Mouth
by Ronald Malfi
Haunted by the memories of a traumatic childhood, Jamie ran away from his hometown leaving his brother Dennis and his friends Clay and Mia behind. But no matter where he goes or how much time passes, the nightmares never end and he turns to alcohol to find some relief. When he receives a call from the police, informing him that his mother passed away and his brother is now alone, he knows he has to go back for him. Around the same time, Clay and Mia are also drawn back to Black Mouth: the four of them share a horrible memory about their last summer together, about a mysterious man who used magic tricks to manipulate them into doing something terrible... and twenty years later, he is back.
In Black Mouth, Ronald Malfi creates a little world filled with well written characters to root for, a creepy and scary villain, lots of horror moments and emotional punches that will leave you in tears.
The settings of this story are incredible: not just Black Mouth, the area where a mine collapsed suffocating the workers trapped inside, but also Jamie's house, the carnival, the motel where they stop... Wherever the characters are, you can feel the supernatural and the dread invading their space.
The real strength of the book though are its characters: Malfi dedicates some chapters to properly introduce them one by one and, by the time they reunite, you feel like you've known them all your life too. Really well written, I found myself caring for them (I even cried a couple of times!). And the villain, "the Magician", is truly a charming one, dark and compelling, just like this atmospheric novel which I absolutely recommend to all horror lovers. This is my first Malfi, but it won't certainly be my last. 5 stars.
* I'd like to thank Ronald Malfi, Titan Books and NetGalley for providing this ARC in exchange for my honest review.
In Black Mouth, Ronald Malfi creates a little world filled with well written characters to root for, a creepy and scary villain, lots of horror moments and emotional punches that will leave you in tears.
The settings of this story are incredible: not just Black Mouth, the area where a mine collapsed suffocating the workers trapped inside, but also Jamie's house, the carnival, the motel where they stop... Wherever the characters are, you can feel the supernatural and the dread invading their space.
The real strength of the book though are its characters: Malfi dedicates some chapters to properly introduce them one by one and, by the time they reunite, you feel like you've known them all your life too. Really well written, I found myself caring for them (I even cried a couple of times!). And the villain, "the Magician", is truly a charming one, dark and compelling, just like this atmospheric novel which I absolutely recommend to all horror lovers. This is my first Malfi, but it won't certainly be my last. 5 stars.
* I'd like to thank Ronald Malfi, Titan Books and NetGalley for providing this ARC in exchange for my honest review.