Let Him in

"I very much loved this book. It left me feeling yucky inside. It was kind of slow but but in a deliberate, haunting way. I would put it down and and find myself thinking about the story, the characters, black mamba, but in my periphery. This got to me in a way that wasn’t all consuming but just slightly there, making me question shadows and do double takes during the day. The ending had my heart racing and my skin crawling. Friend did an excellent job of disturbing me but it wasn’t “in your face” like other horror novels. I guess my overall review would be “😳” "

"Loving this so far "

"This book really ****** me in the head because even now with the lines blurred with reality and delusions/grief and how the ending wrapped everything up left me with so many questions. It truly left me hanging! I wanted to know more.. so basically this book was pretty good in my opinion!"

"I've given this book a 4 star rating as it had a great premise and the ending pulled everything together. <br/>This is a good start for debut author William Friend Really enjoyed his writing style and would definitely read another story by him. He is British and there were some new words that pertained to the country he was from, so I did have to look a few words up for clarification. <br/>The book is written from two perspectives, Julia and Alfie, and bounces between the now time and the past building a foundation for what is going on in the present. The characters all engage in very detailed and repetitive dreams. The first 70% of the book is really a slow burn and the last part brings the story together <br/>Was this book scary - no, creepy -no. Mind you I have a very high tolerance to scary, but honestly I did not find it as a true horror. The story is based on the premise of grief and how each character deals with the grief of losing a wife, mother, twin sister and daughter. Alfie and his twin daughters, Cassia and Sylvia, had recently lost their mom, Pippa, to anaphylactic shock. They are all dealing with their grief in different ways including Pippas twin sister, Julia. The twins begin seeing a person they call Black Mamba that can turn into any form of animal and take them to faraway places. To their fathers and Julia’s bewilderment at this revelation, the two make an attempt to dissuade the twins from their vivid illusions of Black Mamba, and specially when it begins to have negative affects on everyone. <br/>The story is steeped in religious undertones pertaining to spirits and demons but not to the point of being distracting from the story. It’s based on the parents of the older characters beliefs, but not the beliefs of the older children. Matter of fact Pippa had discouraged any contact with her twins by her mom due to the stories she would tell the twins. If the religious aspect was over the top, I would not have finished this book as I do not enjoy any book that is reaped in religion. <br/>All in all it is a good ghost story by an author who clearly has a flare for words and story telling <br/>Thank you Netgalley and Poisoned Pen Press for an ARC copy in exchange for my honest review"

"If you’re looking for a good psychological gothic horror novel, then look no further than this book. I was blown away by this story and the way the darkness creeps in. On the surface you have a gothic tale wrapped around this contemporary story of grief and family. Below the surface is Black Mamba… I found myself twisted up in the narrative desperately trying to figure things out before the big reveal but still didn’t see the end coming. The story is written from dual points of view of a Grieving husband and his dead wife’s twin, Julia. The husband, Alfie, is trying to make sense of his life without his wife but he is plagued by nightmares and the presence of his twin daughter’s imaginary friend. Julia is called in to help with the twins, as she is a psychiatrist, but she too is haunted by the secrets of the past. Secrets will be revealed, and the past will have to be reckoned with, but I cannot (and will not) attempt to describe more about this story, when William Friend did such an amazing job of writing it. The tension and creepiness will make you glad that you must have lights on just to read the book.<br/><br/>Thank you to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for giving me the opportunity to read an advanced copy of this book. This book will be released October 3, 2023 so add it to your spooky season TBR or pre-order a copy from your local independent bookstore now!"

"Thank you netgalley for this arc in exchange for an honest review. <br/><br/>"Let Him In" by William Friend follows Widowed father Alfie of his twin daughters who become obsessed with their imaginary friend. <br/><br/>I would give "Let Him In" by William Friend a 2-star review because, while I liked the idea of the plot the execution of the novel just didn't work out."