Review: Black Mouth by Ronald Malfi

Black Mouth

by Ronald Malfi

Release Date: July 19, 2022

2022 Titan Books

Kindle Edition; 448 Pages

ISBN: 978-1789098655

ASIN: B09JVHDJ2M

Audiobook: B0B3NGMJQS

Genre: Fiction / Horror

Source: Review copy from publisher

3 / 5 Stars

Summary

For nearly two decades, Jamie Warren has been running from darkness. He's haunted by a traumatic childhood and the guilt at having disappeared from his disabled brother's life. But then a series of unusual events reunites him with his estranged brother and their childhood friends, and none of them can deny the sense of fate that has seemingly drawn them back together.

Nor can they deny the memories of that summer, so long ago – the strange magic taught to them by an even stranger man, and the terrible act that has followed them all into adulthood. In the light of new danger, they must confront their past by facing their futures, and hunting down a man who may very well be a monster.

 

My Thoughts

Black Mouth had all the elements of a horror novel that I love: creepy house, eerie atmosphere, family secrets, messed up characters, and an unresolved situation from the past.  And yet, this book just didn't click for me. Yes, it definitely had its interesting moments, but so much of this book was character-driven, meaning we got to see the main character fighting with his demons most of the time, rather than focusing on the creepy story line. So much of the suspense was lost because of this and as a result, I had to force myself to go back and finish this book.  I think it took me about a month to get through this one.

 

First of all, I thought this book started out quite well.  The story was interesting, the characters when they were young were fascinating, and I was intrigued by their lives and why they would be attracted to such a figure known as the Magician.  I definitely understood the power of having a secret and how that can empower you to stand up for yourself when you are struggling with so much in your life. The four main characters had some major difficulties going on in their lives, so I liked learning about their struggles and the impact such a person would have on their lives. The Magician was creepy and mysterious and I wanted to learn more about him. So how did it go sideways?

 

First of all, the theme in this book has been done before, so to really make an impact it needs to have something new, something fresh.  Unfortunately, for a book that causes chaos for kids, there should be much more of a horror element and feel and this book just wasn't that scary or horrifying. whether it be psychologically or physically.

 

Furthermore, adult Jamie very quickly got on my nerves.  It's not that I don't understand where he was coming from, and alcoholism is a disease which I understand the author was trying to highlight in this book, but the constant focus on that and how it affects people's lives did take away from the overall suspense of the story, and I think there needed to be more of a balance.  Trust me, I'm not opposed to flawed characters, in fact I prefer them, but not when the book is so character-driven, the overall focus of the story gets lost in a character redemption arc.  The author did a great job with his brother Dennis though, and he was definitely my favourite character in this book.  He was a man of few words, but his perceptions were spot on.   While Clay and Mia were well done, I did wish the author had developed them a bit more and allowed the reader to learn more about them as I found them quite interesting.

Verdict

Black Mouth had all the elements, but something was definitely missing.  For me, there weren't any real moments of dread or tension, and the focus on the main character, and his issues, didn't blend as well into the story line which didn't help the tension or the suspense.  The author is a really good writer however, and this is what kept me returning to the book in the end.  In the end, while there were some strong, interesting parts, the book was too drawn out, and the pacing was very uneven.  I do think fans of the author will enjoy this book.