Nothing But Blackened Teeth

What in the world did I jut listen to? A group of people on a book Facebook page were talking about this book so I decided to try to find it on Libby since my local library didn't have it. The audiobook was readily available while the ebook book had a several month wait so I listened to and from a doctors appointment today in another town. A good sign right... nope. While the story line was ok, it was a little crass with a whole lot of crazy. The story was rushed with no real development until the last chapter and then it was like the author was just ready for it to end. I really wanted to like it as I wanted a good creepy read for October, but I guess I should have just stuck with my original plan of reading House of Furies by Madeleine Roux since I love her writing (I'll probably still be reading it this month as I like to try to read as many creepy/spooky reads in October that I can).

I don’t think I’ve read a book where 99% of the characters don’t like each other and have to save the one character that sucks the most.

Great concept, but the execution was just “Meh”. Too many metaphors and descriptions of things that were unnecessary and so much of this novella just didn’t make sense.

I absolutely LOVED this one!! My only complaint is it’s very short and I wish there was more! Khaw’s writing is phenomenal and she uses it well to create this atmosphere of terror and horror that grips you and won’t let go. Even though the book is only a few 100 pages I still felt attached to the characters because they felt so real! I went into this book knowing nothing except that it’s set in a haunted Heian era mansion in Japan where friends have gathered for a pre-wedding weekend that very quickly turns sour. I’d suggest going in with very little background as well so you can enjoy the twists and the immersion into Japanese lore, ghosts, yokai, and dark history. I can’t wait to read Khaw’s other novels and hope she gives supernatural horror another go in the future because this book is everything!

The only reason I gave this a 3 star rating was because I do like the authors writing and story telling. It also made me want to research more about Asian folklore. However, this book just seemed lacking in the scary. Maybe it is because I watched Shutter so many times? The book reminds me of that movie. It probably would have been scary had I not watched that movie.