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A review by beau_reads_books
Nothing But Blackened Teeth by Cassandra Khaw
3.0
Saying less, this was a fine, quick read.
Saying more would address the mixed bag of emotions I had about “Nothing But Blackened Teeth.” Horror novellas require a certain stamina and wallop; I think the author worked really hard to get her readers there, but I left the book feeling rather flat about it. I didn’t care so much about the characters or their redemption, which I feel is really tough to flesh out in 124 pages. The text was hyperbolic and jagged, but I did stay involved.
A saving grace was the beautiful, articulate, horrifying imagery. The descriptions of scent, gore, and mania were enthralling and full. Also, while the characters felt a bit two dimensional, there was still enough dialogue and description to keep me entertained and connected to the story.
You can read this book in an afternoon and feel good about finishing it. It’s a good window to open for beginner curiosity about Japanese horror lore. It’ll stay in my collection and I’ll think of it again.
Saying more would address the mixed bag of emotions I had about “Nothing But Blackened Teeth.” Horror novellas require a certain stamina and wallop; I think the author worked really hard to get her readers there, but I left the book feeling rather flat about it. I didn’t care so much about the characters or their redemption, which I feel is really tough to flesh out in 124 pages. The text was hyperbolic and jagged, but I did stay involved.
A saving grace was the beautiful, articulate, horrifying imagery. The descriptions of scent, gore, and mania were enthralling and full. Also, while the characters felt a bit two dimensional, there was still enough dialogue and description to keep me entertained and connected to the story.
You can read this book in an afternoon and feel good about finishing it. It’s a good window to open for beginner curiosity about Japanese horror lore. It’ll stay in my collection and I’ll think of it again.