A review by rmnedder
Nothing But Blackened Teeth by Cassandra Khaw

adventurous challenging dark tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.25

I have mixed feelings about this one. Conceptually, this book is fantastic - the folklore is woven into the story so well, the atmosphere is well-crafted, and the ending is strong. Cassandra Khaw’s weird, elegiac prose is actually beautiful; her descriptions are so specific, but they feel very tonally at odds with the stakes of the story - lots of description at moments it’s not necessarily warranted. I feel like we were always kept at arms length from everyone except the narrator (which makes sense, all things considered, but it stripped us of chances to find connection). 

This book is a great quick-and-dirty horror story - conceptually great, even if it left something to be desired in its execution.
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