Mouth

by Joshua Hull

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.

Genres: Horror, Novella, Fiction, Adult, Speculative Fiction, Book Club

128 pages, Paperback

Published March 15, 2024

About the author

Joshua Hull is an author, screenwriter (GLORIOUS), and filmmaker living in Central Indiana. His books include:

Underexposed! The 50 Greatest Movies Never Made (2021, Abrams Books)

Bedtime for Bobby (2021)

Mouth (2024, Tenebrous Press)

8114 (2025, CLASH Books)

Reviews

[thevampireslibrary · Rating 5 out of 5]

"You got to love a hole with a personality!"
.
Rusty went from vagrant drifter to inheriting a house and having an extra Mouth to feed..literally.. from a man he met just once and we as a reader get to navigate that rather odd journey with him, how to describe this? A friendly creature feature horror? This wasn't what I was expecting at all but I absolutley loved it,
Joshua has a fantastic story telling voice, there is a fluidity to the prose that sweeps you along, sharply drawn likeable characters that have charm and wit, the story is told in different POVs, and in just a few short pages Joshua has created a fully fleshed out cast that felt authentic, Rusty and Mouth made quite a cute pairing and seeing their friendship develop was rather endearing, same with Abigail and Rusty, their banter was amusing and fun, theres lots of movie references/trivia too which fellow nerds will appreciate, I'm a sucker for a serial killer in horror so loved this spooky addition to the story, ultimatley I think this was a sweet story about friendship, found family, fresh starts and that sometimes the monsters aren't necessarily who we think they are, poor Mouth, he's just a lil poor misunderstood subterranean monster 🥺 I love him! Really looking forward to reading anything this author writes in future! Highly recommend this to all my horror fans, and anyone actually, it's a cool and rather touching story!

[Laurel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Unexpected, insane and so very human. Loved this book

[Rebecca · Rating 5 out of 5]

Never could I have imagined that a writer could make a teethed hole in the earth sympathetic, but damn, did Joshua Hull make me fall in love with Mouth. If you’re looking for horror with heart, this is it. Very nice work.

[Neil McRobert · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was so charmed by Mouth - both the book and the toothy monstrosity for which it is named. Joshua Hull has a pedigree in genre filmmaking (Glorious) and his love for the medium shines through. This is an ode to the monster B-movies and trash cinema of the 60s to the 80s, complete with hysterical one-liners and horrid violence. It’s a breezy, delightful read that keeps you on your toes with sudden darts into darkness. I really enjoyed it. Like the hungry hole at its centre - it’s deeper than it seems.

[Llorona De Luna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mouth is a beautiful comedic horror story about found family, starting over, and a giant (kinda cute?) pet monster hole in the ground that I want my own of! Joshua, you are so unbelievably talented and I am so grateful that I met you! I will be passing this book around the same way I’ve been passing around my Glorious DVD! Thank you for gracing us with your story telling skills and u can’t wait to see what you get into next!

[Mother Suspiria]

MOUTH by Joshua Hull is a toothy tale of horror, hijinks, and heart. This entertaining, affectionate love letter to movies is filled with memorable, quirky characters and is wonderfully, delightfully weird. Go get swallowed up by the story and its helpful reminder that being monstrous is a path we choose.

[David Swisher · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's about a giant hole in the ground with teeth and feelings. It's also about movies, friendship, and fresh starts.

It's new, weird, funny, and touching. Read it.

[Jamedi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Review originally on JamReads

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.

[Roberto Carrasco · Rating 5 out of 5]

Pues me he hinchado de llorar al final y eso para mí es ya un 5 estrellas.

[Paul Preston · Rating 5 out of 5]

“he was getting closer to a new beginning. One where the taste of failure and lies didn’t exist. Just blood and teeth in the ground.”

MOUTH is a blast filled with slicing shrapnel. You stand frozen in place as you are cut up with humor, abhorrence, and even a few touching moments. Who would think that a story about a mouth living in the ground could be so deep? Joshua Hull has crafted a story that has no right to be as great as it is. (Did I mention that it is about a mouth in the ground?)
Tenebrous has once again provided us with a gem of weird horror. You are handed what could be a repulsive rock but as you are reading you find that the rock is being cut, shaped, and cracked open. You realize this book/rock is actually a geode filled, not with shining purple crystals, but with razor sharp teeth, ready to cut you and drink you up. This book/rock is nothing like what you expected when you started, it has transformed into something awe inspiring.
“Be the best version of yourself and everything else will fall into place. And you’ll finally be able to be who you’re meant to be.” She choked up. “A gift to the world.”

[Naz Taghaddosi · Rating 2 out of 5]

This one’s a 2.5 for me.

I don't know what to say, man. This book is a weird, chaotic mess. It throws gross-out horror, dark humor, and emotional trauma into a blender and just hits go. There’s a cute talking pit, a runaway horror nerd, a sad drifter, and somehow... actual feelings? I wasn’t sure if I was supposed to laugh, cringe, or cry, so I just gave up and enjoyed the ride. It’s ridiculous from start to finish, and while it wasn’t totally my vibe, I gotta respect how unapologetically bizarre it is.

[Carson Winter · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic novella that’s a love letter to cinema, while also being about a big, hungry hole-in-the-ground. What’s not to love?

Hull’s MOUTH moves quickly, with appropriately cinematic pacing, short chapters, and vivid characters. Recommended for fans of quirky horror with heart.

[Matty · Rating 5 out of 5]

Quick fun creature horror with odes to the old classic horror movies. Mouth, Rusty, and Abigail were all great characters and was fun to read from the switching POVs. Little bit of gore and some tears at the same time.

[Ben Young · Rating 5 out of 5]

A quick and fun read, with an admirable balance between the bizarre and the heartfelt.

[Michael Allen Rose · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great fun, and filled with personality and blood. I love a good, giant-mouth-in-the-ground story

[Leo Otherland · Rating 5 out of 5]

Special thanks to Tenebrous Press for the ARC copy they provided.

An ode to classic horror films from cover to cover? Oh yes, yes indeed.

I walked into Mouth expecting monster horror and the unfortunate characters to die at the hands, I mean teeth, of the mouth in the ground. What I found instead was a love letter to the very best creature features and the horror genre as a whole.

Did Mouth defy my expectations? Yes. Am I sorry about that? No. Mouth trashed every preconceived notion I had going into this book in the best possible way, and I have no regrets at all.

Don’t get me wrong, people got dead, several living things got eaten in slow, painful, horrifying manners, but Mouth left me feeling fuzzy inside on the way out. Think of your favorite comfort horror flicks and you’ll know what I mean. (Looking at you John Carpenter’s The Thing.) The show might be scary, but the familiarity will make you feel right at home.

That Mouth also makes you identify with the monster in the ground is exceptional. The first time I met the playful and excitable mouth in the ground, I hoped it’d have a happy ending. And Joshua Hull delivered on that front, right along with some blood and gore and… dental work? Yeah, that was a thing in this book, too.

I don’t want to give too terribly much away (especially since I’ve spoiled the happy ending), so I’ll hold off on details, but if you’re a fan of horror, and in particular the classic, comfortable, and sometimes ridiculous films predating CGI, you’re going to love this book. Mouth has the feel of a well loved VHS tape, and if that isn’t something you want to put on your bookshelf, I don’t know what is.

[Mike Ybarra · Rating 5 out of 5]

A story that grabbed me almost from the first page- Rusty, Abigail, and titular Mouth are all so well fleshed out that they felt like friends. Chock full of movie references without overdoing it, I was constantly wondering what direction things would go next, and the ending is more satisfying than anything I could have come up with myself. Will recommend this to all of my friends!

[Curtis · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wanted to judge this guy for his stupid decisions, but then again, his name was Rusty, so what more can I expect from him? How come there's never a Rusty who's, like, a Harvard graduate? Instead they're always alcoholic drifters or wife beating mechanics.

[Christopher Louderback · Rating 5 out of 5]

Delightful! Taps into all the gooey goodness of classic horror! Think “The Blob” but with a ton of heart!

[Khris Sellin · Rating 3 out of 5]

weird little book about, you guessed it, a mouth, in the ground, called Mouth.

[Alicia Toothman · Rating 5 out of 5]

I actually went into this book blind. I bought it because it’s horror and the cover is badass. I also wanted to support as many authors as possible at the Scarelastic Book Fair.

I’m not generally a huge fan of third person writing. Frankly, third person is easy to screw up. It’s a delicate balance between monotonous narration of oblivious characters and creating an epic movie in your reader’s head.

The latter is Mouth. Mouth is written in a fun, “you don’t want to miss a second of this shit!” kind of way.

Joshua Hull fucking nailed it! I devoured this book like Mouth does anything close enough.

I loved the characters and saw a lot of myself in Abigail. The bouncing, babbling teen hiding her trauma and pain behind a curtain of sarcasm and hyper-fixation. She and Rusty are polar opposites which make them the perfect partners in crime.

Though Mouth may not be the mean, snarling, chained up dog he envisioned, he was the perfect “pet” for this odd pair.

Speaking of dogs, as a Pitbull owner, I appreciated that Joshua didn’t use a Pitbull as an example of what Ol’ Rusty was anticipating Mouth to be.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

While a quick read, Mouth was a great book! No fluff for the sake of length, perfectly executed, and phenomenal writing. I want to re-read it just to highlight my favorite quotes.

With all that said, I’ll leave you with my favorite:

“The world had in fact not eaten her like he had hoped. It had only made her stronger. Scarier.”

[David Washburn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Psst, kid, hey…you wanna read something weird?

Well, this is the book! Although it’s short in pages it’s a complete story that hits all of the major beats and did everything to win me over. I had no idea what to expect with a story that’s about a hole in the ground with teeth but I’m so glad it shaped up to be what it is.

Rusty inherits a property but the condition that he just feed “Mouth”. Rusty is of course surprised when he finds out what Mouth is and what follows in the story is beautiful chaos and somehow heartfelt. How the hell did you pull that off Joshua Hull? Hats off to you for a magical story.

Speaking of magic, Abigail talking about why movies are magical might have been my favorite part of the book because…of course movies are magic.

Perfectly weird, witty, wholesomely gruesome, and leaving me with an appetite to devour more of this authors writing, similar to Mouth in this story.

[Spooky Little Book Nerd · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rusty’s life has changed dramatically. Suddenly he has a home and a literal mouth to feed. He likes his peace. Then comes along Abigail. She’s this talkative, sarcastic, kinda chaotic 19-year-old filmmaker. They strike up an unlikely friendship while trying to figure out Mouth’s history. There’s also this whole mystery of Mouth’s previous owner.

This is perfect for fans of classic horror films. There are so many horror movie references and some I hadn’t heard of. I especially loved the references to Frankenstein.

There’s found family, fresh starts, friendship, and lots of monsters in various forms. While there is plenty of gore and violence, this somehow manages to be heartwarming. It’s original, sweet, funny, inspiring, and super weird.

The author created a layered and interesting plot with lovable characters. I have so much more to say but don’t want to spoil it. Just know that I was transfixed from page one. Highly recommend!

[Lexi Denee · Rating 5 out of 5]

This novella was every bit as whacky as it sounds, but I absolutely adored it. I didn’t expect that a 128 page story about a sentient(?) hole in the ground would be packed with so much reflection on the human condition.

Mouth is, at its core, about a mouth - but it’s also about the monsters that make us and the things that consume us. Riddled with lots of movie Easter eggs and a healthy dose of B-Movie vibes - I will be thinking about this one for a while.

This novella made me laugh out loud at one point (don’t ask,) and was the perfect weird little horror book to read in one sitting. Check this one out if you like weird horror, monsters, b-movies, and zany characters!

A note on ordering direct from Tenebrous Press - they include digital copies with all of their physical books and their packaging is impeccable! Mouth was my March preorder (even though I ordered it at 11:55pm the day before it released) and so far I have stuck with not buying any books besides preorders this year.

[Rick · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mouth was a lot of fun. It is an interesting and original concept. The writing felt a little unrefined, but it works for the story being told. I enjoyed the characters and the setting. It was fun to imagine the different events, especially the flossing scene. The length and pace of this novella really works in its favor. There is not a lot of filler and it is over before you even know it. I read it in a single sitting and enjoyed it a lot. I would definitely read more from Hull in the future. Another win from Tenebrous Press!

[Psyche · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am so glad that I saw this book on the new books shelf at my library. I didn't know that one of the cowriters of one of my favorite horror movies of all time, Glorious (2022) wrote this book. This was fantastic! So weird, funny, sad and uplifting. Definitely a must read for all that love weird fiction and Lovecraftian creatures.

[Farin · Rating 3 out of 5]

overall 3.5 ⭐️

I liked Mouth. It was fun and had some interesting moments, but it wasn’t a mind-blowing masterpiece. The real MVP? Mouth himself. he was bold and entertaining and really stood out in the story. Honestly, I stayed for him.

[Bert_Does_Horror · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fun short story about a found family with teeth and a rumbly tummy. A little love letter to horror and b-films. Troma with heart.

No notes
‘Nough said.

[Jacs Rodriguez · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh it's so good! So fun, so clever, surprisingly tender, and just the perfect amount of gruesome. Lots to say in a small package and I think this book accomplishes a lot, very beautifully. We love Mouth!!!! That's my friend!!!!

[Kevin Mei · Rating 2 out of 5]

Fun concept but lacked a bit of depth for me