I really wasn't sure how I felt about this book. There were parts that I loved. Where I was pulled so deeply into the plotline that I didnt move. Other parts seems to lag and leave me bored. I did however manage to get this read in one night.
While the story was extremely unique and unusual, I felt like it was missing something. The beginning pulled me in and kept me turning the pages. Until the sister was brought in and I got bored fast. The drawn out drama with the wives death and no one coping felt stale. It was drawn out for no reason.

This was an early copy provided for review by Netgalley.

William Friend has a great debut in this novel, it had a great psychological suspense. The characters were what I was looking for in this type of book. It was such a great story and I thought it worked well overall. William Friend has a great writing style that I was engaged with and didn't want the story to end. I can't wait to read more from William Friend.

"I closed my eyes, unable to bear the sight of the sea, so vast and empty. But the dream didn’t end there. Instead, I heard another sound, alongside the cry of gulls and the wind. Laughter. I opened my eyes in astonishment to the sight of Pippa, grinning and wading toward me, seaweed and wildflowers streaming in her hair."

My synopsis: Alfie is raising his twin daughters after the death of his wife. Soon after her death, the twin girls become friends with the shadowy figure in their room. Alfie thinks it's an imaginary friend until the twins start asking him to give their friend a treat and setting an extra plate on the table for him. Not knowing what to do with the extremity of the situation, Alfie asks his late wife's sister, Julia, for help but Julia has her own secrets she's keeping from them. In order to get rid of the shadowy friend, Alfie and Julia will have to face some secrets in their lives.

I give this book a 3 star rating. While the writing was good, the style was confusing. There was no differentiate between past and present day which made it confusing to the readers. If it was in audio form, the flow of the writing style can work but in written form, it was very hard to tell the difference.

There seemed to be a lot of words and yet, not much was going on. However, when it did happen, wow! It was creepy and very descriptive. Every time the twins were mentioned, all I could picture were the twins from the movie The Shining. And with that imagery in mind, this was a book I wouldn't read before bed!

I really enjoyed this story. There is a constant feeling of dread and trying to figure out what is really happening. Would recommend for anyone who enjoys psychological thrillers and horror.

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

The cover of this book hooked me before I even read the synopsis. I really liked the idea/concept of this book, so I was a little disappointed that it wasn't carried out as fully as I feel it could have been, but it was still a really good book, and I didn't want to put it down because I wanted to know what was going to happen. I felt like all the questions I asked along the way while reading were answered. All in all, this was worth reading and I'm glad I got a chance to read it early!

Thank you netgalley for this arc in exchange for an honest review.

"Let Him In" by William Friend follows Widowed father Alfie of his twin daughters who become obsessed with their imaginary friend.

I would give "Let Him In" by William Friend a 2-star review because, while I liked the idea of the plot the execution of the novel just didn't work out.

Let Him In by William Friend is a gripping and suspenseful debut that explores the depths of grief, loss, and the power of imagination. The story revolves around Alfie, a newly widowed father of twin daughters who are obsessed with an imaginary friend. As the situation worsens, Alfie enlists the help of his sister-in-law, a psychiatrist, to rid their lives of this malevolent force. But as he delves deeper into the mystery, he finds himself questioning reality and confronting his own secrets. The novel is beautifully written, with intricate character development and a creeping sense of dread that builds with every page. Let Him In is a haunting and unforgettable tale that will leave readers on edge until the very end.

Theres a song that reminds of this book called Creepy Doll. You should look into it. I enjoyed this book and I am so grateful to have read the e arc.

This was a creepy, dark exploration of grief and how it affects us.
The book definitely executed the horror and spookiness well with the creepy twins vibe and the atmosphere described.
The writing was a tad slow for me at times, but still an enjoyable read overall.
I enjoy these kinds of endings that make you think about the book for hours after finishing it.

Thank you for letting me be an ARC reader!

3 stars

The writing style of this book was a bit hard to adjust to, and follow. I pushed myself through as the story was pretty good. It was a fairly creepy story, and it was worth it to push through and finish. If it was a bit easier to read and follow this easily would’ve been 4+ stars

I didn't particularly care for the execution and writing style of this book and confused me at times, however, it was creepy in a spine chilling way. I definitely couldn't read this at night and it was a fun time.

The creep factor was off the charts on this one - I couldn't read it at night 🙃

Grieving widow with young twin girls.. young twin girls who develop an imaginary friend, Black Mamba - a shape shifting man who takes the appearance of a black mamba, a fish, a black bear, a giant crow, a black cat - who takes them on adventures and instigates some nasty behavior.

This was a riot of a read.

I already posted my review on Goodreads and tomorrow I’ll be doing the same on TikTok. I liked the book, the execution was not perfect and sometimes it was hard to follow the character’s train of thoughts. But I was entertained, I was intrigued and I really wanted to know how it would end. The good thing about the book is that it makes you doubt, sometimes you think everything that’s happening is because of Alfie, or Pippa or the twins themselves, others you think there’s actually something paranormal happening in the house. That makes you want to keep reading because you need to know the truth. I was satisfied with the ending, kind of open, maybe for a second book, maybe not. And I liked that it didn’t end bad o good, but both.
Overall it was a good read.