Black Mouth by Ronald Malfi
Published July 2022 by Titan Books
Horror
Jaimie, Mia, Clay and Dennis grew up in Black Mouth, an eerie little town that harbours something sinister. They encounter a strange man in the woods one summer who impresses them with magic tricks and lures them with an invitation to become his apprentices. The Magician, however, has much darker intentions and what happens over that summer will haunt them long after they move away from their hometown. It will also be the thing that reunites them many years later as they confront their past and an evil that lies at the very core of Black Mouth.
The premise of this story immediately drew me in with the small town setting and adults returning to face a childhood experience that has haunted them ever since. It had a nostalgic feel to it and I love stories like these. The main characters were easy to like and connect with, my favourite being Clay. Their friendship was captured nicely with their interactions and dialogue and the bond between them could be felt without it having to be explained. The Magician is a brilliant villain and you can’t help being lured in, even though you know there is something sinister about him. The town of Black Mouth, its residents and history were well constructed and added to the dark and mysterious tone of the story. I liked how things unfolded with flashbacks and memories woven in with the present. It kept the intrigue and suspense going.
The story builds slowly which I enjoyed, but I thought it dragged at times. The horror seemed to stop and start and a few scenes felt unnecessary. Some of the sentences were a little wordy and at times felt over descriptive. This broke the pace for me and took me out of the story sometimes, but this is my personal experience.
I disliked the character that showed up later in the story. I get that his derogatory comments directed at the character's race/gender was used to show his ignorant outlook, however it made me uncomfortable and took me out of the story. I don’t think it was necessary as he was unlikable without. At times I found myself wondering what was the point of this character coming in. His scenes shifted the tone for me and I had to adjust to the change in intensity and graphic violence, some of which were very unpleasant. His inclusion in the story does come together at the end though.
This was my first introduction to Ronald Malfi and it was an entertaining read. Perfect horror for summer, especially if you like slow burn, psychological and atmospheric stories. There’s various elements of horror within it, which means it’s sure to unsettle you whether you’re into psychological or scenes of a more graphic nature – it’s sure to deliver a few scares.
