I really enjoyed this creepy, atmosphere read. I listened to the audiobook and the narrator did a great job. This is my second book by this author and it just keeps getting better and better. Childhood, outcast friends return home to Black Mouth, a town filled with terrible memories to confront the evil that still haunts them. It gave me Stephen King It vibes. What could be better than that?

What are your favorite Ronald Malfi books?

Black Mouth is available July 26,2022

Thank you to Netgalley and Tantor Audio for this arc in exchange for my honest review.

The blurb for Titan Books’ newest release, Black Mouth, says that it’s ‘perfect for fans of Stephen King‘s IT‘, and this might be one of the most accurate book comparisons I’ve ever seen, as Black Mouth gave me a ton of Stephen King vibes whilst reading it.

Black Mouth tells the story of four childhood friends: Mia, Clay, Jamie, and Jamie’s brother Dennis. The story begins in the modern day, with Jamie as a man in his mid thirties who’s just been through ninety days of rehab and is working through his first week of Alcoholics Anonymous. Jamie has been using drink to work through his pain and his demons, but finally feels like perhaps he can put much of that behind him and get on with his life. However, that new start is interrupted when he gets a phone call from the police back in his home town of Suttons Quay. It turns out that his mother has lost her life to suicide, and his younger brother Dennis, who is mentally disabled, was found walking down the highway in his underwear in a daze.

Jamie returns home to help his brother, but the pressure of returning to the place that haunted his dreams for many years pushes him to start drinking again. At the same time, their childhood friend Mia arrives with a photograph of a man she wants them both to look at. It seems like Mia has found a figure from their childhoods, a man called the Magician, who helped to ruin their lives, and believes that they can finally track him down. When it turns out that the man may have had a hand in a series of recent child murders, Clay joins them, and together the four of them set out to put their lifelong demons to rest, and to stop more atrocities from being committed.

Very shortly into Black Mouth it becomes clear why the book is compared to IT. The book is split into multiple narratives. The main one is Jamie in the present. Jamie is our lead character and the one through which we get to experience the book in a first person perspective. We also spend some time with Mia and Clay, as they get to split off and do their own things. But we also jump backwards in time and begin to learn what happened to these four kids in the ’90s. As the story unfolds in the present we get more flashbacks to the past, more pieces of the puzzle, and we occasionally see the two almost bleeding into each other. The structure instantly reminds me of IT, but it isn’t as weighed down as the King book, and moves with a much better pace.

Black Mouth is a chunky book, but it’s not overly long; it doesn’t feel the need to wallow in nostalgia for the past, nor does it go off on long tangents that add little to the story. It does spend time every now and then giving us more information on the characters’ lives, their histories, and how they’ve been shaped into the people we see here, and whilst this does feel like the style King uses it also feels so much more efficient. I never minded spending a few paragraphs learning more about these people because I knew it was going to be interesting and not a handful of pages that meant nothing. So yes, the book is like IT, but I also thought that it was honestly a lot better too.

The book manages to walk a very fine line, where you’re never sure whether or not there’s anything odd happening. Is the Magician, the figure from their childhood that they’re hunting now as adults, more than he appears? Can he actually perform real magic, or was it all tricks? Did Jamie see his face change into that of a monster, or was it a trick in the dark, and Jamie’s fears doing it? The book wants you to wonder about that, to question whether or not you can trust the memories of a child. Even in the present, when Jamie is haunted by the spirits of the past you begin to question if perhaps they’re part of his drunken delusions. The book kept me guessing whether or not we were going to get a big reveal that there were real monsters, or if it would all have been fake, and that ambiguity made it much more interesting than if we’d have been given answers straight away.

The book doesn’t just rely on the mystery to keep you interested though, and the main four characters make for engaging leads. Whilst we spend the most time with Jamie he’s probably the least likeable of the four, and his struggles with his addiction make up a big part of his story here. He makes some mistakes, acts questionably at times, but for the most part you can tell his heart is in the right place. Mia makes for a strong female presence, and has a no-nonsense attitude that I enjoyed.

Clay is the more complex of the four, and it was wonderful to spend time with him in his chapters. A Black man who’s grow up with vitiligo, he has a unique outlook on life, and he has a passion for helping kids that stems from his own experiences. Out of the four of them I’d most like to spend more time with Clay, and would love to see the author write more for him. And then there’s Dennis, who is just the sweetest guy. Dennis is disabled, and is very child-like. He loves the Ninja Turtles, cares deeply for his brother, and is kind and caring to everyone he meets. Dennis is the heart of the group, the one that the others all love, and are loved by, unconditionally, and I’d fight anyone who dared harm Dennis.

There are some warnings that should be given for Black Mouth, as the book deals with some heavy issues. Addiction and alcoholism are a big part of it, as is child death, murder, physical abuse, mental abuse, child abuse, and suicide. Despite this, it never feels too dark, too depressing to prevent you from reading on. But please be aware before picking it up, the book does deal with some tough topics.

Overall I had a lot of enjoyment reading Black Mouth. I think it was a great mystery story with some horror elements that kept you guessing what was real and was was fabricated, with a superb central cast of characters that you come to care a lot about. It’s a book that I’m definitely going to recommend to people, and one that I’m certainly going to be picking up again at some point. And going back to that original quote, I’d say it’s not just for fans of IT, I’d say it’s better than IT.

"The mind possessed an uncanny way of selecting which cards we keep and which cards we shuffle back in the deck." Ronald Malfi has made a huge fan out of me with this book! I have never read anything else by him, but I will absolutely scramble to read his other books. Black Mouth reads like a Stephen King book, without the girth or mass of a King book (this one was shorter). This would definitely interest fans of IT, Stranger Things, The Black Phone, Slenderman, and horror in a similar vein. The Magician's character was ominous and chilling. I really appreciated the portrayals of Dennis as a disabled person, and Clay, someone living with vitiligo. You don't often hear of people with disabilities or auto immune disorders in fiction, let alone horror fiction, so the educational aspect of this was great! The character development all around was just amazing. In my head, I was casting each of the roles for a film or television show. I have visited West Virginia a few times (I live in TN), and there is definitely something about Appalachian paranormal stories that resonates with people from the south. The dark forest (and mining culture) manifests many lively stories told from generation to generation, so that made this book even more relatable. This book is definitely in my top 3 best fiction picks of 2022!

EXCERPT: In the summer of my eleventh year, a monster came to Black Mouth. It came in the night, slinking below the sightline of normal folks, destined to arrive at the threshold of my youth. Perhaps it sought me out the way a bloodhound tracks a scent. Or perhaps it was sheer happenstance, a flip of a coin, a flutter of distant butterfly wings. Events in our lives often have meaning because we choose to give them meaning. Whatever the case, it arrived in the way monsters sometimes do; as a creature in need.

A clash of thunder, a deluge of rain. Some indistinct sense of wrongness roused me from a fitful sleep. I rolled over in a bed damp with sweat just as a flash of lightning pulsed against the bedroom window. Briefly, Dennis's silhouette stood in sharp relief against the dazzle of a storm-churned sky. It was the hottest summer in a hundred years, or so the old-timers at the Quay attested, and Dennis and I had taken to sleeping with our bedroom window open because the old farmhouse's HVAC unit was on the fritz. Again.

'Dennis,' I said, sitting up in bed. My sheets were soggy with dream-sweat, and the breeze coming through the open window on the storm felt good against my hot, sticky flesh. 'What are you doing over there? Get back in bed.'

Dennis didn't answer, didn't get back in bed. That was Dennis's way. He only pressed his face against the screen. Rainwater rushed in, sprinkling against his face and chest, raindrops rapping along the windowsill. I climbed out of bed and joined my nine-year-old brother at the window. The floorboards were wet beneath my feet.

'It's just a thunderstorm,' I told him, a half-whisper. Maybe the storm had frightened him. Maybe something else had. 'Go back to bed.'

Dennis was staring out into the yard, across the dark field of dessicated alfalfa toward the edge of our property. It was where the black crest of trees rose up like something massive and prehistoric and deceivingly alive.

I saw it - a flicker of tangerine light dancing between the warped slats of the barn at the edge of our property. Firelight.

Someone was in there.

ABOUT 'BLACK MOUTH': 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: Another book that started out brilliantly, but eventually left me feeling a tad disappointed.

Malfi starts by setting a wonderfully atmospheric scene. The Magician is a delightfully creepy character. So what went wrong?

In a nutshell - Jamie the main character. He is a weak man who repeatedly takes refuge in a bottle of whatever comes to hand. I was fed up with his constant drinking, puking and dodging responsibility. Although he does have one particularly touching moment of redemption. Dennis, his younger Down's Syndrome brother, is the star of this book. He is incredibly perceptive.

I did a read/listen of Black Mouth, and I must admit to much preferring the read to the audiobook. I didn't enjoy the narration by Joe Hempel, finding his delivery very flat.

I have read and really enjoyed other books by this author and was disappointed by this merely okay read. Shivers and chills? Sadly, no.

⭐⭐⭐.3

#BlackMouth #NetGalley

I: @ronaldmalfi @titanbooks @tantoraudio

T: @RonaldMalfi @TitanBooks @TantorAudio

#contemporaryfiction #friendship #horror #mystery #paranormal

THE AUTHOR: Ronald Malfi was born in Brooklyn, New York in 1977, the eldest of four children, and eventually relocated to Maryland, where he and his wife, Debra, currently reside along the Chesapeake Bay with their two daughters.

When he's not writing, he's performing with the rock back VEER.

DISCLOSURE: Thank you to Titan Books and Tantor Audio for respectively providing digital and audio ARCs of Black Mouth by Ronald Malfi for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions.

For an explanation of my rating system please refer to my Goodreads.com profile page or the about page on sandysbookaday.wordpress.com

This review is also published on Twitter, Amazon, Instagram and my webpage

This is a story of three kids, all from Black Mouth, who experienced a summer of horror. Each go their separate ways as they become adults, all with very different lives. Family circumstances brings one of the group back to Black Mouth, though he had vowed never to return; a chance sighting at a funfair leads another of the group to contact the final member. All three then meet up to deal with the horrors of their past.

This was an attention grabber from the start, very reminiscent of Stephen King in its plot and extremely well written. The characters were engaging in the way in which they developed throughout the book. Thrown into the mix of Malfi’s version of the Losers Club was Dennis, a special boy, very Tom Cullen, then the appearance of a mysterious magician, reminiscent of Rose the Hat. Though I have drawn these comparisons, this is very much the author’s story and I loved it. Yes, perhaps overlong as has been commented, but hey, the author was enjoying himself, and the prose excellent.

I haven’t read Ronald Malfi before, but will definitely read more. An author to add to my favourites, Stephen King, Richard Chizmar and C J Tudor, an exalted list!

Definitely recommend.

Thank you NetGalley.

First off.... This is my first taste of Ronald Malfi. Now I am questioning my life. Why have I not read some of his work before?? Thank you NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to experience Malfi for the first time. I freaking loved this book!! Malfi words just flow. This story was so good!! Black Mouth is a place I am not sure I ever want to visit and if I ever see a man with an eye patch offering to show me a magic trick I am turning around and walking in the other direction, This was such a great story. After reading this I am now a Malfi fan!

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 and I get that his derogatory language was used to show his ignorant outlook, however it made me uncomfortable and I don’t think it was necessary as he was unlikable already without it. 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.

This is the creepy story about three friends who experienced something sinister while they were young. Jamie, Mia and Clay grew up in a former mining town. The mines collapsed years ago and killed several miners. So there is an eerie feeling about this area. One day they met a mysterious man who called himself The Magician. He befriended the kids and taught them card tricks. But there was something off about this guy and everything ended in a traumatic event.

Twenty five years later Jamie is still guild ridden and only finds solution at the bottom of a bottle. Then he gets notice from Mia. She snapped a picture of a man at a carnival who looked exactly like The Magician. But that is not possible. Or is it?

I was intrigued by the blurb and was drawn into the story quite easily. It was a creepy story which played with the idea that maybe something supernatural may be going on. I love that kind of stuff but I love it even more when there is a reasonable explanation with the hint that there could be something else at work. So I loved how this book seems to end. But then there was more to the ending and that was a bit too much for my taste. For some reasons I am not a fast reader at the moment and this book did nothing for me to change that. It dragged a bit for me and I found myself doing something else instead of reading it.

This was my second book from the author and I would read another one. This one will not appear in my top reading list but I still enjoyed it and loved the idea and the eerie atmosphere.

Another stellar read from Ronald Malfi, Black Mouth centres around a group of kids that are lured into the woods by a mysterious one eyed magician to teach them magic tricks, which lead to grave and life changing consequences.
Fast forward to present day when the kids are now all adults in their 30s, a random sighting of what seems to be the same magician draws them together again to face their past and present demons. and their immediate future.

First off, I`m a huge Malfi fan. I really like how he creates atmosphere in his books and takes his time. This one is no different. There is definitely a Stephen King vibe to this book(I`m not sure if it is a homage to him or not)in subject matter, narration and story structure. We get the story told from both past and present and it works really well as we slowly begin to understand(or not!)whats going on.

At its heart its a story of good vs evil, be that internal or external, a story of fate and faith. Its an excellent read overall.

My only gripe is that it was a little long for what it was. The final act dragged a little too long even though it was action packed. Overall though this was a fantastic read. Malfi really does have a magic touch(see what I did there) with the pen.

Thanks to publisher for the ARC through Netgalley.

Ronald Malfi is nothing short of a horror genius. This is the second book of his I've read and absolutely loved. The villain of the story, an evil magician, is deliciously sinister, and kids, don't talk to strangers! Great plot, prose, and characterization. Mr. Malfi's future books will definitely be auto-buys.

Thank you, Netgalley, for supplying me with the ARC.

Ronald Malfi has crafted a story filled with horror, addiction, and love. Black Mouth is a place filled with people who are damaged by the darkness of abuse. After the events that plagued Jamie, Dennis, Clay and Mia during their childhood, each has come out of Black Mouth trying to find ways of coping. Malfi illustrates how childhood trauma can haunt a person well into adulthood. Ultimately, the reader is taken through the ugliness of addiction.

There are several mysteries at play, here, and Malfi is a master at leading the reader through them. There are several twists that are deftly revealed. While the whole book is filled with horrors, the final ten chapters are fast paced and terrifying. Black Mouth is a book that forces the reader to bear witness to the horrors that can corrupt a person. It is an exhilarating read.

Black Mouth by Ronald Malfi brings about instant comparisons to Stephen King. The story of kids who find themselves involved in something sinister and possible supernatural barely escape with their lives only to have to face that again when they are adults. The are bound by their shared experience but also avoided each other to avoid their shared trauma. And someone has to come home. I found myself making those comparisons. I am a constant reader. I realize that I’m not being fair. When I compare this to King I only see what he did better and that is not what I should be doing.

So, I waited few days to see how much the story stayed with me. It did. In it’s own way. I could picture the Magician and the tricks he taught. And the tricks he pulled. And, on it’s own, this story worked,. The characters were fairly well developed, though I would have liked to see more. Again I go to King. There are reasons his books are so long and yet so popular. You know those characters by the time you are through. I don’t know these characters that well and some stuff just seemed to get thrown in when the time seemed right.

So, maybe I can’t complete separate this work. I think it stands on its own. It was good. It had the small town creepy. It had the woods. It had the carnival. It had children out in the world on their own. It had a lot of things going for it. Just don’t place the works of others in comparison.

Black Mouth by Ronald Malfi is a small town horror story that will make you want to lock your doors at night. With a narrative set in the past and present, a traveling carnival and an otherworldly monster, what more could you ask for?!

“𝘐𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘶𝘮𝘮𝘦𝘳 𝘰𝘧 𝘮𝘺 𝘦𝘭𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘩 𝘺𝘦𝘢𝘳, 𝘢 𝘮𝘰𝘯𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘤𝘢𝘮𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘉𝘭𝘢𝘤𝘬 𝘔𝘰𝘶𝘵𝘩. 𝘐𝘵 𝘤𝘢𝘮𝘦 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘯𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵, 𝘴𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘣𝘦𝘭𝘰𝘸 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘯𝘰𝘳𝘮𝘢𝘭 𝘧𝘰𝘭𝘬𝘴, 𝘥𝘦𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘢𝘳𝘳𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘢𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘩𝘰𝘭𝘥 𝘰𝘧 𝘮𝘺 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘵𝘩.”

—-

The story is set in the small town of Suttons Quay, an old mining community that befell a terrible accident many years ago. 4 outcast friends spend their summers playing in the woods adjacent to the old mine location, now called Black Mouth, when one day they run into a strange man claiming to be a magician. They soon befriend the man and he starts teaching them Magic tricks, becoming his apprentices.

2 decades later, fate brings the friends back to Black Mouth to confront their past, and the monster that has been living in their shadows for all these years.

—-

There are few writers I have come across in my time that have blown me away with their character development and Ronald Malfi is one of them. This is one of my favorite books this year, along with Come With Me, another Malfi I absolutely demolished earlier this year. The writing flows so well and the story was built to perfection. I’m not sure that if you asked me if there is anything I would change about this book, that I could give you an answer….

Now to patiently await Ghostwritten… 🤩

Black Mouth by @ronaldmalfi was super good. I really enjoyed Come With Me so I was excited for this. Malfi really brings the “literary” to “literary horror.” It’s not just a spooky story, but it’s really well written prose. That really struck me in Come With Me and it continues here.

One man returns to his home town after his mom dies to bring his brother to live with him, but he ends up staying and being joined by his two childhood best friends to confront some serious demons. Reminiscent of IT and of the Wisconsin Slenderman Stabbing (I’m in Wi so this was and is big news), this one is not to be missed!

Black Mouth is out today. Thank you to @netgalley and @titanbooks for the ARC.

In Ronald Malfi’s novel, Black Mouth, childhood friends reunite as adults under the grimmest of circumstances.

Growing up, the group of four were bonded by their reject-status: they were either bullied by the other kids in their small West Virginia town or traumatized at home. Together, they become fascinated by a mysterious man who lures them into the woods and under his wing as he teaches them magic and promises to change their lives for the better. Instead, after The Magician’s last and final trick comes with a high price to pay, their bond of friendship transforms into one of survival and guilt, and they are separated for the remainder of their childhood.

Now, years later, the trauma that still haunts each of them internally seems to have reemerged in the flesh. The foursome reunite to confront their traumatizing past and to hunt down and stop the evil that forever changed the course of their lives.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Titan Books for this ARC. This novel is a true gem for anyone who enjoys creepy reads! The characters are very well-developed and likable, and the storyline is well-written and engaging.

Black Mouth
Ronald Malfi
Genre: Horror
Grade: A- / 91% / ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Out today!!

Ronald Malfi has been on my radar for some time. When I saw his newest novel Black Mouth available on NetGalley, I decided to request it, with little intention of reading it immediately. After completing a book that left me wanting, I randomly decided to sample the first few pages of this novel late one night. An hour and 15% later, I knew I was in for something good.

Black Mouth is familiar in its basic premise: a group of adults that were friends as children return to their hometown where, when they were young, a great evil changed their lives forever. The book is being compared to It by Stephen King, and while you may be quick to make that assumption, I think this book differs greatly thematically. These characters are struggling with guilt, trauma, identity, and belonging. Each of them carries the weight of their past in different ways; none of them quite able to shake it. Our four main characters were exceptionally crafted, each with motivations both obvious and subconscious, individual character arcs that are fully fleshed out, and satisfying. Even the villains of this story have great backstories, which I was pleasantly surprised by.

The prose of this book is really what grabbed my attention. Malfi is a master craftsman when it comes to weaving a story that is equal parts digestible and hearty. The themes are well-executed, and his words flow from the page like music. I was thrilled, I was moved, I was entertained, what else is there to say?

My only complaint is that the final confrontation of this story could have stuck the landing a little bit more, in my opinion. There is a lot of buildup in this novel, but the actual climax of the story seemed to rush by. There is also a somewhat ambiguous nature to some aspects of the plot, and I craved more definition in these moments. That being said, I greatly enjoyed my time with this novel, and cannot wait to pick up another book by this author soon!

There’s just something about a Malfi novel that just sucks me in. His writing tempo matches my reading tempo so well, and I just fly through his novels. I wasn’t sure if I’d finish Black Mouth in time for pub date but I read the second half last night, and here we are.

Black Mouth feels like a new horror classic. Reminiscent of the big 80s coming of age novels that we all know and love and compare everything else to.

The set up you know: fate brings old friends back to their small town to try and defeat the evil that shaped their childhoods. But it’s still so fresh and new. We know the tracks but we haven’t been in this tunnel.

It’s an emotional read, and if you’re looking for a carnival horror with lots of magic and ritual murder, this one may be for you.

Thank you to @titanbooks and @netgalley for an ARC of this title which came out today!

"𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐡𝐮𝐦𝐚𝐧 𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐝 𝐡𝐚𝐬 𝐚 𝐭𝐚𝐥𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐦𝐢𝐬𝐝𝐢𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧."

Brought back together by a past darkness that appears to have reawakened, childhood friends Jamie, Mia, Clay & Dennis must return to their hometown to track down & defeat an evil that has haunted them ever since they left.

This was my first Malfi and boy did it deliver!

I loved the friendships in this novel between Jamie, Mia, Clay & Dennis. Treated like outcasts by the other residents of Sutton's Quay, their sole and shared childhood traumas living on the outskirts of town near a collapsed mine known as Black Mouth, solidifies their bond.

The characters are so nuanced and well-developed. The depth of their bond, their love & loyalty for one another, it was all so palpable. The relationship between the Warren brothers, Jamie & Dennis, was especially touching.

"...𝐟𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩 𝐭𝐨𝐨, 𝐢𝐬 𝐚 𝐜𝐞𝐫𝐭𝐚𝐢𝐧 𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐝 𝐨𝐟 𝐦𝐚𝐠𝐢𝐜."

This novel had so many things that I love:
Small town horror
Band of misfit friends
Creepy & atmospheric
Melding of the past & present
Questions of what is real and what's not

Also Malfi doesn't shy away from bringing us along into dark places and I loved that.

My only criticisms are that I think the novel could have been edited down a bit & there was a scene with animal cruelty that I could have done without.

A huge thanks to Titan Books & NetGalley for this ARC. I cannot wait to read more from this author!

I give Black Mouth by Ronald Malfi 4.5 stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐💫 (rounded up to 5 stars for NetGalley)

In the summer of 1998, in the mysterious and haunted mountain area known as Black Mouth, a group of misfit kids discover a man in the woods. The man is known only as the Magician, and he takes the ragtag gang under his wing, teaching them magic tricks. At first they're just simple card tricks but soon he begins to enchant them with tales of a place he calls the Well, a place where they can discover true magic powers, if they're brave enough to do what it takes to travel there.

When the moment of truth comes, the price the Magician demands of them is far too high. The kids, in their fear and confusion, kick off events which will rock their small town, earn them each a trip to juvie, and cause them nightmares for the rest of their lives.

Now adults, the group must come together once more as reports surface of a man living in the woods and enticing children with magic tricks before convincing them to do unspeakable acts. They must find the Magician and stop him before he ruins another child's life, before anyone else dies.

Jamie Warren is the main protagonist here, and much of the book is told in his first-person POV, with shorter sections in third-person showing us what his friends Mia and Clay are doing. About halfway through the book we are also introduced to another character, a man named Stull, a man who also found himself under the tutelage of the Magician as a child but who chose a very different path when faced with the sacrifice required to find the Well.

My favorite character, however, is Dennis Warren. Dennis is Jamie's younger brother, and though he's a great lumbering hulk of a man, he retains the mind of a child yet manages to be the wisest and most perceptive of the group.

With definite shades of King's IT and even Joe Hill's NOS4A2, this is a book which encompasses small-town horror, carnival horror, and the psychological struggles of a group of adults who were collectively traumatized as children. There are plenty of moments which, while not necessarily scary, are definitely disturbing and creepy. You will find yourself holding your breath, cheering for the good guys, and maybe even shedding a tear over the long-ignored but re-blooming relationship between the brothers Warren.

I was pulled right into this story from the beginning and loved it straight through to the end. Dark and troubling but also full of those all-important coming-of-age themes of friendship, loyalty, and bravery born of love, this story is both horrific and heartbreaking, and definitely worth reading.

Any day that includes me being able to say that I’ve found a new favourite author is a good day. Today is a good day!

I’m a tad embarrassed to admit that this is my first Ronald Malfi read. On the flip side, because I’m late to the party, I’ve got so many books to catch up on and new favourites to find. Did I mention today is a very good day?

Black Mouth is essentially a big melting pot of the types of characters and themes I will always want to read about. You’ve got your group of outcasts who experienced something scary, traumatic and potentially supernatural when they were kids. The ghosts of the past, possibly even the literal kind, haunt said kids well into adulthood. Adults who have been trying to outrun their childhood trauma can’t run anymore, and it just keeps getting better and better.

“The things that happened down in the heart of Black Mouth that summer had been inexplicable, magical, and ultimately deadly things - things I still can’t fully comprehend or even care to dwell on.”

There’s a carnival. Magic. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. A group of friends I want to join. And best of all? There’s Dennis, who is now one of my all time favourite characters. I adore Dennis!

I loved this book so much! The characters, the location, the atmosphere, the way the past bled into the present, even the surprise misty eyed moment. I loved it all!

I can’t wait to read more books by this author.

As usual, I sent test emails to the email addresses listed for two characters in this book. As usual, they were undeliverable. Yes, I’m going to keep sending random emails to book characters until one finally responds.

“Do you want to see a magic trick?”

Content warnings include abuse of animals, alcoholism, bullying, child abuse, death by suicide (including method used), domestic abuse, sexual assault and a suicide attempt. Readers with emetophobia, beware. There are also a bunch of cringeworthy slurs that I won’t be repeating here; although I hated reading the words, it made complete sense that those characters would be saying them.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Titan Books for the opportunity to read this book.