Nothing But Blackened Teeth

I waited a while for this from my library, I was so excited because I quite enjoyed her short story “These Deathless Bones” and I love Japanese culture.
I thought the characterizations and descriptions were fantastic BUT it was hard to read in that the transitions were few and poor. I often had to go back and reread, usually without gaining any additional clarity. I often thought where am I, how did I get here?
So the setting was talked about in gorgeous detail and I thought the characters were rich, but it felt awkward in that these story elements seems disjointed. I was so confused about how the characters moved through the space/story.

I enjoyed the part when Cat and Lin discussed how they needed to be careful because Cat was bisexual and Lin was the ‘comic relief' or something like that and that's who usually dies first in horror stories. I tried to go back and find it, but couldn't because that's how muddled the book is for me. I'm also a bit disappointed and annoyed. Cat is bisexual, but we are only told of her experiences with men; she speaks favorably, admiringly of female bodies, but that's it. It felt disingenuous.

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