Eight stars
First and foremost, a large thank you to NetGalley, William Friend, and Dreamscape Media for providing me with a copy of this publication, which allows me to provide you with an unbiased review.
William Friend marches onto the scene with a chilling debut novel that had me taking notice from the opening pages. Dark and haunting, Friend tells the story of a recently widowed father and his twin girls. While the girls appear outwardly normal, they possess an eerie best friend who is imaginary and directs them to do things. When the line between imaginary and real blurs, trouble follows soon thereafter.
When Alfie wakes one night to the pleas of his twin daughters, he is shaken to the core. Both assert that there is a man in their room, which causes Alfie to investigate. While he expects someone lurking in the shadows, all he finds is a room as he would expect it. Alfie is left to presume this is some nightmare or odd joke the girls have created for their own amusement.
All this seems normal, to a degree. The girls' mother, Pippa, died suddenly nine months ago and one could only presume this is a fitful means of coping. However, Alfie begins to see things becoming even more troubling when the imaginary friend, Black Mamba, has a place setting for dinner, whispers to the girls, and apparently plans to take them away.
When Alfie seeks professional help in the form of the girls' Aunt Julia, he hopes that it will bring some resolution to the situation. However, Alfie soon begins to feel some of the same ominous senses and wonders if this is grief in high-gear, haunting the entire household. Black Mamba is imaginary, but his presence lingers far past anything life could expect. It will be up to Alfie to rid the house of this 'friend' and keep his girls safe. A great thriller by William Friend that keeps the reader completely engaged.
I enjoy a thriller as much as the next person, particularly when it does not follow the cookie-cutter style of the genre's writing. William Friend does well with this piece, gathering all the essential elements in a strong narrative. He builds from there and keeps the reader on the edge of their seat, as the story morphs from simple storytelling into a spirit hunting, told through the eyes of Alfie and Julia.
The character development is strong and ever-evolving, which keeps the reader wondering what awaits them. Both Alfie and Julia have their own secrets and sordid pasts, though these bleed into the present, rather than be compartmentalised. There is something about this eerie discovery that shapes all the characters in the piece.
Plot lines develop and are enriched by the writing style that Friend develops. There is a ghoulish sense of Black Mambo at times, though it is more the lingering effect that this imaginary friend has over the twins keeping the reader wondering where things are headed. I liked the twists and unpredictable turns, without things getting too graphic or out of place.
A great debut novel and I can only hope William Friend will return with more horror, thriller, or something in the same vein.
Kudos, Mr. Friend, for a standout debut!
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