You know those books that tick so many of your favourite trope boxes? Well, this one did that for me. I went into it expecting a creepy story about twins, grief, and a sinister imaginary friend but ended up getting so much more than that!
I feel like we see the unsettling twins and imaginary friend trope a lot in horror, however, it can still creep me out when it's done right, and it was in this one! There were a number of moments in this that put me on edge and genuinely gave me a little spook. I also really like grief as a topic in horror, I feel like it adds an element of unreliability to the characters, which is another thing I enjoyed in this.
However, not only were these parts of the story excellent, we quickly come to realise that there is a second storyline based around the mother's family. We are given glimpses into their mother and aunt's childhood and we start to see a pattern emerging. This second storyline is where we got some more of my favourite horror tropes pop up so I was really excited to see how the stories were going to come together. It's safe to say, this did not disappoint!
I will say the pacing felt a little off in places. I couldn't always quite work out the timeline of events. I don't think this necessarily had a huge negative impact on the plot in any way, it just gave me that feeling of being lost a few times. Also to note, the ending (which I absolutely adored) is one that's ambiguous, and I know this is something a lot of readers don't enjoy, so it's worth pointing out!
Overall, I was pleasantly surprised by Black Mamba. I feel like horror is one of the most subjective genres so it always feels that little more rewarding when you love it. I had such a fun time reading this fast-paced novel, and I will definitely be checking out future releases from William Friend.
I feel like we see the unsettling twins and imaginary friend trope a lot in horror, however, it can still creep me out when it's done right, and it was in this one! There were a number of moments in this that put me on edge and genuinely gave me a little spook. I also really like grief as a topic in horror, I feel like it adds an element of unreliability to the characters, which is another thing I enjoyed in this.
However, not only were these parts of the story excellent, we quickly come to realise that there is a second storyline based around the mother's family. We are given glimpses into their mother and aunt's childhood and we start to see a pattern emerging. This second storyline is where we got some more of my favourite horror tropes pop up so I was really excited to see how the stories were going to come together. It's safe to say, this did not disappoint!
I will say the pacing felt a little off in places. I couldn't always quite work out the timeline of events. I don't think this necessarily had a huge negative impact on the plot in any way, it just gave me that feeling of being lost a few times. Also to note, the ending (which I absolutely adored) is one that's ambiguous, and I know this is something a lot of readers don't enjoy, so it's worth pointing out!
Overall, I was pleasantly surprised by Black Mamba. I feel like horror is one of the most subjective genres so it always feels that little more rewarding when you love it. I had such a fun time reading this fast-paced novel, and I will definitely be checking out future releases from William Friend.