Book Review - The Mouth of the Dark by Tim Waggoner
Title: The Mouth of the Dark
Author: Tim Waggoner
Publication Date: September 6th, 2018
Genre: Horror
Pages: 256 pages
Rating: 4/5 stars
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My Thoughts:
I'm a simple woman; I see a book blurb that mentions homicidal sex toys, I pick it up. Seriously though, this novel has a solid premise that just keeps giving. Jayce Lewis is a middle-aged, divorced insurance salesman. He leads a mostly normal life, though he does tend to be a bit paranoid. At least that's what he believes when he sets out to find his missing 20-year-old daughter, whom he hasn't heard from in weeks. His search quickly leads him into Shadow, a world where things are far more sinister than they might appear at first glance.
This book is completely and utterly insane, in the best way. Half the time, I had no idea what I was reading, but I loved it. You've got creepy insta-pregnancy, freaks who eat dogs, jars that contain lovely mementos like the screams of the dying...and that's in the first chapter. This novel kind of teeters on the edge of going full bizarro, and instead strikes right at that sweet spot where horror can make the reader feel so, so very uncomfortable even when then content isn't particularly graphic. Hell, this book makes napkins scary, no easy feat! The book only spans about 48 hours, though there are also some brief flashbacks, so the pace is insane and there's always something crazy happening. There were a few points that I felt were a little bit predictable, but on the whole this novel succeeded in catching me off guard on nearly every page, so I can forgive it a few obvious twists.
I really don't want to say too much about the plot, because it really is best to just immerse yourself in the weirdness without knowing *quite* what you're getting yourself into. This novel is fast-paced, and the batshit crazy rollercoaster never lets up until the very end. I highly recommend that you buckle yourselves in and enjoy the ride; it's well worth the price of admission.
**Thank you to Flame Tree Press and NetGalley for providing a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.**
(note: this is an affiliate link)
My Thoughts:
I'm a simple woman; I see a book blurb that mentions homicidal sex toys, I pick it up. Seriously though, this novel has a solid premise that just keeps giving. Jayce Lewis is a middle-aged, divorced insurance salesman. He leads a mostly normal life, though he does tend to be a bit paranoid. At least that's what he believes when he sets out to find his missing 20-year-old daughter, whom he hasn't heard from in weeks. His search quickly leads him into Shadow, a world where things are far more sinister than they might appear at first glance.
This book is completely and utterly insane, in the best way. Half the time, I had no idea what I was reading, but I loved it. You've got creepy insta-pregnancy, freaks who eat dogs, jars that contain lovely mementos like the screams of the dying...and that's in the first chapter. This novel kind of teeters on the edge of going full bizarro, and instead strikes right at that sweet spot where horror can make the reader feel so, so very uncomfortable even when then content isn't particularly graphic. Hell, this book makes napkins scary, no easy feat! The book only spans about 48 hours, though there are also some brief flashbacks, so the pace is insane and there's always something crazy happening. There were a few points that I felt were a little bit predictable, but on the whole this novel succeeded in catching me off guard on nearly every page, so I can forgive it a few obvious twists.
I really don't want to say too much about the plot, because it really is best to just immerse yourself in the weirdness without knowing *quite* what you're getting yourself into. This novel is fast-paced, and the batshit crazy rollercoaster never lets up until the very end. I highly recommend that you buckle yourselves in and enjoy the ride; it's well worth the price of admission.
**Thank you to Flame Tree Press and NetGalley for providing a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.**
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