I didn't enjoy this book. The cover made me feel like it would be a cool scary novel but it actually wasn't at all.

Great book! It had all the fears of growing up. Make a choice. Turn the page or close the book. Enter the darkness if you wish!

This had promise but it kind of drug on for a little while. It just wasn’t my type of book. I think others will enjoy it though.

1.5⭐️ (rounded up to 2⭐️ for rating purposes)

I was expecting way more from this book, and it left me underwhelmed. It was much too long, often boring & repetitive, and lacked the creepy gothic vibes it promised to deliver. I didn't find the ending satisfying at all.

Ultimately, I felt as though this was really just a long-winded story about grief and how it changes people. The cover, blurb, and title feel misleading, and I certainly don't agree with it being labeled as horror (or even horror-adjacent).

The cover of this book grabbed my attention immediately and the overall premise of the story was an interesting way to display how grief effects people differently. However, I was not a huge fan of the writing style and the pacing.

i did enjoy this book a very decent amount but at the same time i feel like this book was not for me. i feel like i found it flat at points and had a very hard time staying consistent with reading it, wanting to read it and staying immersed.

Let Him In by William Friend is a haunting blend of psychological horror and supernatural suspense that lingers long after the final page. Friend crafts tension with an eerie atmosphere, unsettling twists, and a creeping dread that keeps you questioning what is real. This is a must-read for fans of slow-burning, psychological horror that gets under your skin. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy, in exchange for an honest review.

Okay yes. This is it my horror friends. Please pick this up but fair warning - don’t read at night.

Spectacularly creepy, vividly depicted this is absolutely one for the books.

Alfie Marvell is a newly single parent, as his wife Pippa died about a year earlier of a mysterious allergic reaction. He now has to raise seven-year-old twins Cassia and Sylvie by himself. He has little help between his mother-in-law Marian who brings only religious fervor to the house, and his sister-in-law Julia, who has separated herself from the family in her own grief.

I really wanted to like this book. It had a nice gothic premise, along with grief, which I usually love. The novel flips back and forth between Alfie and Julia's perspectives on what's happening with the twins. Alfie seems not really lost in his own grief, but numb to the entire situation, while Julia loses herself in her own work as a family psychologist. This seems like it would make for a good story, but I really couldn't connect with Alfie nor Julia. The girls were the only characters I was really interested in, and they didn't get as much page time as I would have hoped.

There's also this conspiracy around the house that I don't think was fully explained. There's a big reveal at the end of the book, but because there weren't really any stakes involved, it didn't feel like it meant anything. The girls had an imaginary friend called Black Mamba, and other than the house possibly being haunted or used for black magic, there's no real reason for Black Mamba. It's also brought up a few times that Black Mamba could be fake, a figment of their imagination, or he could actually be real. This is never really cleared up, along with a lot of loose ends in the story.

As this is a debut, I won't completely put this author out of my rotation, but I would like to see an improvement on how the story evolves.

Thank you to NetGalley for the chance to read this advanced review copy. All opinions are my own.

Let Him In by William Friend is a compelling, edge-of-your-seat thriller that delivers a punch without overdoing it. The premise is deceptively simple: a stranger arrives at the door, and as you might guess, nothing good can come from that. But what sets this book apart is its ability to keep you questioning every character’s intentions and motives, all while building tension so thick, you could cut it with a knife.

The writing is tight and atmospheric, with Friend expertly crafting a sense of unease that grows with every chapter. The pacing is spot-on, never dragging, but also never rushing into the big reveal too early. And while you may see a twist or two coming, there’s enough mystery in the way everything unfolds to make it feel fresh.

The characters are as layered as the suspense itself, with each one carrying their own secrets and skeletons. There’s a little bit of a "who can you trust?" game happening here, and if you enjoy peeling back the layers of human complexity, you’ll find plenty to sink your teeth into.

That said, there are moments when the story feels just a smidge familiar, like a well-worn thriller template, and the ending may leave some with more questions than answers (though I personally appreciated the open-ended approach). But overall, it’s a gripping ride, and you’ll be turning pages faster than you can say “why did I let him in?”

Four stars for Let Him In—a deliciously dark read that will have you second-guessing every knock at your door.

This wasn't what I was expecting. I struggled connecting with the characters. It was a good read. I would try this author again.

Talk about an absolute creep fest! For a debut book, this one was awesome! I love anything to do with creepy houses, weird kids, and, well, men who show up in rooms of the house? The ending was pretty jaw-dropping, too! I absolutely loved this!

A very effective slow-burn Gothic meditation on grief, parenting, and the relationships between twins. Ratchets up the tension at the perfect pace.

Black Mamba, how scary is that. No it’s not Kobe (rip). This book was fun but so scary with the kids being tied to Black Mamba. It’ll keep you feeling uneasy and it’s a roller coaster ride for sure.

Let Him In by William Friend is a creepy, slow-burn horror novel that’s perfect for anyone who loves a good, unsettling mystery. The story follows a guy named Jacob, who’s struggling with his own dark past, and then he meets this mysterious stranger who might be hiding something... or someone. As Jacob’s life starts to spiral out of control, you can’t help but wonder if he’s just losing his mind or if something much darker is at play.

What I really liked about this book is how tense it is. The atmosphere is seriously eerie, and Friend does an amazing job of building suspense. It’s not full of jump scares, but the tension slowly creeps up on you until you’re hooked. The mystery keeps you guessing, and you’re constantly trying to figure out what’s really going on.

The pacing is a bit slower at times, but it works because it lets you really get inside Jacob’s head and feel the anxiety and paranoia building up. The ending is pretty satisfying and will definitely leave you thinking.

Thank you so much @poisonpenpress and @netgalley for the copy of this eARC!

Let Him In by William Friend
Pub Date: OUT NOW
231 pages

QOTD: Do you believe in ghosts?

Okay, let me start by saying don't read this book at night. It was very creepy! I have never read anything like this before, but I really enjoyed it. It gave me the chills.

This creepy, chilling horror novel was so good. It starts slow, but once you meet the twins and their dad Alfie, this book will have you turning pages to find out what really happened in the Hart house and who is Black mamba, and why the twins are the only ones who could see him.

I enjoyed that the book was written between two characters, as the narration shifts between their two perspectives. Both Characters have their own secrets and mysteries.

The ending was really good it made me think. Were the twins kidding or is Black Mamba still around?? Who knows!

Definitely recommend it to all the lovers of horror and who like creepy stories based on spooky twins, imaginary friends, and haunted houses. I will definitely be reading more books by William friend. I enjoyed his writing. Don't forget your nightlight when you start reading Let Him In. Thank me later!

Spooky, grief horror with a gothic overtone. Perfect book to curl up with in the fall or winter. Just don’t read it at night!

Thanks to #netgalley for the ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review. Such an eerie read it was hard to put down once I started it. Set within a haunted house harbouring dark secrets within its walls, the sense of foreboding I felt with each page turn was captivating. Alfie is a grieving father. raising his twin daughters after their mother's sudden death. The girls start telling their father they are seeing a scary man in their bedroom at night, he lets the girls sleep in his bed thinking this will help them through their obvious grief. This seems to work and the night visiting man stops visiting the girls. But he is soon replaced by an imaginary friend they call Black Mamba, a man who can transform into any animal he desires. Black Mamba takes them on incredible journeys, from soaring through the city as a shapeshifting black bird to diving into the depths of the sea, where they encounter magnificent creatures. Alfie becomes concerned about his twins and how they are coping with things ands seeks guidance from Julia, Pippa's twin sister and a psychiatrist. Unbeknownst to Alfie, Julia and Pippa also had an imaginary friend similar to the one the girls describe. Julia fears that something sinister may threaten the entire family, connected to their own religious rituals and a dark past. A chilling read that will haunt you long after you have reached the final page. #lethimin #williamfriend #netgalley #tea_sipping_bookworm #goodreads #poisonedpenpress #bookqueen #bookstagram #getlitsy #thestorygraph

It took me a bit to get through this book because I found it a little depressing which I think means I felt connected to the characters. Erie and creepy slow burn grief horror.
Thanks to NetGallery and the author for letting me read it!

This psychological thriller was deliciously creepy. I was spooked and that feeling even carried with me and had me looking over my shoulder. The ending had me shocked and reeling.