Nothing But Blackened Teeth

Final thoughts from notes:
Rating: 2.5

While the cultural aspects (how the inside of the manor was laid out, inclusion of yokais and other Japanese folklore) were rich and made it compelling, the story fell flat. The ending felt rushed and I didn't really care about the characters. I enjoyed the drama between them but I found myself not really caring and getting tired of it after a while.

The focus of the story around Japanese folklore and environment gives the rating an extra .5 bc I felt those were the best and most compelling parts of the novel.

I also didn't care for the commentary on horror tropes — I felt like it added nothing to the story, especially after the story would still follow some of those tropes. I get that it's supposed to be ironic, but I didn't find it too amusing; it came across as annoying to me.

And the worst part is that they could have left at any point during the story because the doors were unlocked.

Also, the epilogue?? You're telling me Faiz literally guts Phillip and gets away scotch free? I'm all for make believe, but c'mon.

I feel sad - this is the only 1-star book I've read this year. I suppose it did have two key virtues: the premise (reinforced by that cover!) is irresistible, and it was so short I could still finish it despite not liking it.

I picked this up with high hopes. A group of friends who once styled themselves ghost hunters rent a venerable Japanese mansion steeped in ghostly legend? Sounds both right up my alley and refreshingly different from standard Western haunting tales.

However, beyond that general idea, this fails on every element of storytelling.

Atmosphere is weirdly lacking. Perhaps because the setting isn't well established (is this supposed to be a crumbling pile, a preserved historical landmark, something in between? If it's explained at the outset, I quickly lost the thread as petty arguments and weird vocabulary choices distracted me!). This isn't scary, creepy, or even unsettling. And the elements of Japanese folklore needed a lot more explanation and description to sustain the focus placed on them.

Plot barely exists. It could be summarized in 2-3 sentences.

The insistence on obscure words and the constant, strained metaphors make me think Khaw forgot the primary purpose of language is communication! The ostentatious prose was distracting and pulled me out of the story. For example:

I wanted badly to tell her again that the past was so sepulchered in poor choices, you couldn't get Faiz and me back together for bourbon enough to brine New Orleans.

boring

This book was one of my most anticipated releases of this year, but it turned out to be not what I expected. It wasn't creepy or surprising. I didn't care about the characters, and the supernatural entities didn't have the main role I was hoping for. I really wanted to enjoy this one, but I felt like it felt short in some parts. All in all, others seemed to have enjoyed it, so I guess it's still worth a try.