Black Mouth - Magical and Traumatic Coming of Age Horror
Ronald Malfi so graciously sent me a signed copy of Black Mouth to add my to collection of amazing Malfi books.
I adore that every book I’ve read by him has immediately pulled me in, without exception. His writing is incredible, relatable, and touching. This particular novel is in the vein of coming of age horror, so it also adds nostalgia into the mix.
It involves a group of children who grew up in a town called Sutton’s Quay that has a collapsed mine at its heart, which people call “Black Mouth.” The mine is something of a local legend, as miners were trapped down there during the collapse. One night, the group of friends go to visit a travelling carnival (Something Wicked This Way Comes, anybody?), but the night turns into a confrontation with bullies that sends the kids packing. On their way home, they pass by the mine and meet a man who lures them in with magic tricks and requests they come back secretly to keep advancing their magical knowledge. Flash forward to the future and the kids are all grown up with very dark memories about their time in Sutton’s Quay. It appears that the magician they met has resurfaced and has continued affecting the lives of others in equally insidious ways.
The story is about broken families, addiction (which Malfi writes about exceptionally), mental illness, insecurity, dark magic, human monsters, the supernatural, and the bonds that tie people together through it all. I loved it.
As a horror reader, I believe this book has a place on your shelf… next to all the other books written by Ronald Malfi.
