Synopsis
Screenwriter Joshua Hull (Glorious) makes his longform prose debut!
After a stranger leaves him a secluded property, drifter Rusty finds himself the caretaker of a massive, tooth-filled mouth in the ground…and it’s hungry.
His situation is complicated by Abigail, a wannabe filmmaker who stumbles on the secret. Together, the odd pair set out to discover the origins of Mouth and the hidden history of its former owner, setting in motion an outlandish scheme that could endanger them all.
Review
A huge thank you to the author for a copy of the eARC!
Joshua Hull’s debut novella, Mouth, accomplishes an interesting feat: marrying two lovable tropes of horror, creature features and horror with heart, in such a memorable way. Gifted a piece of property and an older house by a stranger, Rusty gets more than he bargained for when he finds his new pet, Mouth. Not a dog, not a cat, not any animal he’s seen before, Mouth is a large, toothy hole in the ground that requires an interesting diet. Despite his efforts to keep Mouth a secret, Rusty is joined by Abigal, a quirky, nosey young woman enamored with movies and righting wrongs. This unlikely partnership sets out to answer the larger question of “What do we do with Mouth?”
“The world revolved around hope and who you could give it to.”
Such an idea of hope thriving in the strangest of situations delivers a greater feeling of optimism through Rusty’s unconventional burden. Found families and uncommon pairings are tropes that, if done correctly, add a whole new dimension to a plot. Rusty and Abigail are brought together through this living hole in the ground and in a time that feels rather pivotal for both of them. In their plight to understand Mouth and decide how best to handle this situation, they each learn more about themselves and find healing in their own odd way. Hull’s character arcs were captivating in their own right thanks to a giant, carnivorous hole in the ground.
Of course, the obvious way to categorize Mouth is to label it as a monster, a suggestion Hull relies on quite cleverly. Through Abigail’s cinematic worldview, every monster has lore, an origin story that must be unearthed. However, in a quite lovely way, we see that it’s not Mouth’s history we need to examine in order to move forward, but our own. I know this may sound quite cheesy, but it ultimately works so well in this, dare I say, sweet story. The discovery of monsters outside of Mouth and the decisions we make following such a discovery are touching, a true shining point for Hull.
Additionally, Mouth reads as a love letter to cinema, good and bad movies alike. It’s a strange, weird little tale that has wormed its way into my heart for just how damn endearing it really is. Hull’s own admiration for film making is palpable on the page, adding another layer of charm to this monster story fueled by heart. Instances of humor are doted throughout making this such an enjoyable read, one that’s easily consumed (pun fully intended) in one sitting. For a story allegedly about monsters, there’s a larger thread of humanity, kindness, redemption, and growth that prevails.
Joshua Hull’s debut novella has stolen my heart and attention in a mere one hundred twenty-eight pages. Mouth sells itself as a creature-feature, a seemingly problematic entity in the ground that requires bloody sustenance. However, Mouth’s existence manages to bring some unlikely folks together in the spirit of comradery and hope. Horror and heart have long been my favorite brand of horror making Mouth a new favorite novella I won’t stop talking about anytime soon.
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