Bought for me by Rhinoa, this is not a book that I had come across, nor do I think I would have picked it up. Billed as a book with good vs evil, kung fu and vomiting bats, I was intrigued though more than a little wary.

The Black Tattoo is a highly fantastical tale of friendship, family, epic battles and above all...hell. Jack's best friend Charlie is singled out by a mysterious man in the street and encouraged to take a special test, one that would change his life. After this Test, Charlie finds his body covered in a Black Tattoo, a determination to take up his destiny in the way he chooses with an increased and sometimes violent temper.

Perhaps the most interesting facet of this novel was Enthoven's vision of hell. Not what I expected at all, it managed to embody all the creepiness you would expect from hell, yet with a fair amount of humour. Enthoven's vision certainly is not a typical one, but he manages to maintain the suspense right throughout the book, so even at the end, I was not sure who would prevail.

A highly entertaining if a little odd read!

Reviewed by Randstostipher "tallnlankyrn" Nguyen for TeensReadToo.com

Jack Ferrell wishes he would have listened to his instincts, to have made his friend, Charlie, turn away. But since Charlie was already having a bad time, what with his dad leaving, he went along with it.

He met Nick, a guy who just casually asked if the boys wanted to take a test that they supposedly were fit for. Without hesitation, Charlie accepted, making Nick lead them to the beautiful Esme. Turns out Nick is part of a brotherhood that had to look after a demon that was captured, making sure that it didn't escape. Unfortunately, they weren't successful, since one of their members betrayed them and let the demon take over his body.

Which means Charlie and Jack were their new recruits.

Even though Charlie was showing great progress, developing powers, and getting close to defeating the demon, something unexpected happens and he lands himself in Hell.

Jack then finds himself in Hell, too, even though he would rather be somewhere, anywhere else. It is the perfect opportunity to save his friend. At least he has Esme by his side, but can he save Charlie before the demon fully controls him -- or will this be a battle both boys will lose?

THE BLACK TATTOO isn't only creative but also adventurous and gripping. Every page is full of detail, causing the reader to feel like they are on the adventure with Jack, which is a scary thought. Sam Enthoven is in a league of his own, and definitely knows how to create a thriller that would be a blockbuster hit. ( )

A good, if flawed dark fantasy story. There are constant changes of point-of-view, which could become confusing to some readers. The author really should have pared it down by quite a bit. The climactic battle goes on so long that you are constantly turning the page thinking that it's going to end, but it doesn't. Also, the language gets repetitive in certain descriptions, like the way that a demon's voice causes a strange sensation behind a human's eyes.

That said, it's certainly a good time, a romp. Suggest this for teens who like their fantasy with a fair bit of dark humor, though they will need to have at least some appreciation of British humor to fully enjoy the laughs. It's also a good choice for folks who like fantasy with a real world setting and are not fans of gallant knights, charming elves, adorable fairies, etc. ( )

Definitely a fun read. I picked it up because I liked the way it sounded and I loved the central idea behind it. Probably the single most original book I've ever read.

It was a little too colloquial and at times tended to veer a little younger than the intended audience but overall a wonderful start from a first time author. ( )

this book was RAD! i love this author. authors from the U.K. are interesting to me i don't know why. i love the different types of monsters and the plot. i heard about this book from a friend she didn't like it so much. but i think that if you are into fantasy and characters like monsters and a boy dropping into hell then i think that you would enjoy this book. ( )