Mouth, by Joshua Hull
The Book
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.
Cover art by Halil Karasu.
Interior illustrations by Kristofor Harris.
My Review
Mouth is a weird horror novella, the longform debut of the screenwriter Joshua Hill, and the first book coming from Tenebrous Press this 2024. A comedic horror story that plays with the monster theme (paying an incredible homage to B-series monsters films) and found family, seasoned with some violence, about a literal big hole in the ground.
When Rusty is left a secluded property by an enigmatic stranger, he takes it as an opportunity to start from zero; however, there are some things attached to this property, including taking care of the called Mouth. What Rusty didn't expect is that Mouth is literally a sentient hole in the ground, which resembles a literal mouth; and feeding him is going to become a problem. Getting so many mice gets the attention of Abigail, the pet shop keeper, a cinema lover, that decides that following Rusty is a good idea; finding Mouth is definitely a shock for her, but also marks the start of something new for our weird characters.
A story which becomes more hilarious the more we advance in it, especially after Abigail is introduced into the equation; you can also see the touches where horror cinema gets an homage, from the trashy b-series monster films to the sort of found footage that became popular as the "low budget" option. Hull's prose is really descriptive, and manages to create a really distinctive voice for the monster, humanizing it in some ways.
Rusty and Abigail form an interesting pair, two weirdos that don't really fit into the society, and who find the obscure secret behind the former proprietary of Mouth; their influence in each other is probably not the best, but still leads to hilarious and gory situations. A pair that ends creating a sort of found family with Mouth.
Mouth is a great debut, a hilarious novella that is perfect for those that are looking for not so serious horror that is also plagued by easter eggs; Hull has an interesting voice, worth to keep an eye on.
