A review by ldipkin
Nothing But Blackened Teeth by Cassandra Khaw

dark tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

2.0

There were some descriptive passages in this that were genuinely great, but the characterisation of the group did not endear them to me, the solution to the haunted house issue seemed rushed and like it came out of nowhere, and the numerous meta references to horror media didn't really add anything to me. I do thin Khaw has what it takes to be a good horror writer but I really felt disappointed by this one because I didn't find it scary at all, and their characters were so intolerable it made me root for the ghost/house. That being said, the paragraphs focusing on the setting and sense of place were lush and wonderful, and I liked the focus on Japanese yokai and folklore - in that it was a fresh take on monsters/ghosts, one that we don't see much in horror writing.
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