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2.72 AVERAGE
2.72 AVERAGE
dark
fast-paced
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore, Suicidal thoughts, Islamophobia, Murder, Toxic friendship
dark
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This book was awful, the plot didn't make any sense. None of the characters were likable, and I didn't really care about the story because of it. Also it just seemed brutal and gross with no purpose.
This was a hands down spectacular read. It was beautifully written, it had complex characters, it had rich imagery and the sense of dread that comes with a successful horror story.
Khaw has written characters that are brooding but real, big personalities clashing in an atmosphere of quiet dread and crashing chaos.
This story was as tense as it was terrifying. A definite highlight.
Khaw has written characters that are brooding but real, big personalities clashing in an atmosphere of quiet dread and crashing chaos.
This story was as tense as it was terrifying. A definite highlight.
The La Croix of horror novellas, the Jupiter Ascending of the literary world. What a waste.
This novella feels like the author wrote a ten page short story and someone had the bright idea of telling her, “I think you could expand this.” It’s too long for absolutely no action. The only parts that should be descriptive are the action points, and they’re unnecessarily slowed down with details that don’t matter and have no bearing on the story. The way the conflict is written rips readers out of the moment, at the exact moment when the author should be pulling them in.
Every scene feels like it was chopped in half. There’s no bridge from one scene to the next, no explanation for the things that are suddenly happening to the characters, no background on the lore. We get whispers of the characters’ pasts, but not enough for any of their self-proclaimed codependency on one another to make any sense. They’re all horrible in terms of character traits, but they’re so poorly written and developed that I didn’t care what happened to any of them.
The presumed conventions of horror novels and movies that the narrator mentions are dead wrong. The only thing it does well is flip the script on the “split up and die” trope.
This novella could have been set up so well, but it was executed horrendously. The writing style is just bad. The similes and metaphors make no sense. There’s no way to tell if what’s happening is real, metaphorical, or the result of the entire ensemble getting drunk.
Skip it. Skip it, skip it, skip it.
This novella feels like the author wrote a ten page short story and someone had the bright idea of telling her, “I think you could expand this.” It’s too long for absolutely no action. The only parts that should be descriptive are the action points, and they’re unnecessarily slowed down with details that don’t matter and have no bearing on the story. The way the conflict is written rips readers out of the moment, at the exact moment when the author should be pulling them in.
Every scene feels like it was chopped in half. There’s no bridge from one scene to the next, no explanation for the things that are suddenly happening to the characters, no background on the lore. We get whispers of the characters’ pasts, but not enough for any of their self-proclaimed codependency on one another to make any sense. They’re all horrible in terms of character traits, but they’re so poorly written and developed that I didn’t care what happened to any of them.
The presumed conventions of horror novels and movies that the narrator mentions are dead wrong. The only thing it does well is flip the script on the “split up and die” trope.
This novella could have been set up so well, but it was executed horrendously. The writing style is just bad. The similes and metaphors make no sense. There’s no way to tell if what’s happening is real, metaphorical, or the result of the entire ensemble getting drunk.
Skip it. Skip it, skip it, skip it.
This is one of those novellas that I actually think could have benefitted from being at least 200 pages longer. We’re clearly supposed to connect with the characters, but aren’t really given enough time with each of them as individuals to feel like anything that happens to them ultimately matters from a reading perspective. Likewise, there are so many creatures from Japanese lore that start to get thrown into the action in a manner that feels rather sudden, and there isn’t enough build up to really feel the tension of the situation.
That being said, there is absolutely some promise here and I will be giving more of Khaw’s work a read. Some of the lines in here are absolutely lovely, which keeps the book very readable despite its unfortunate pacing.
That being said, there is absolutely some promise here and I will be giving more of Khaw’s work a read. Some of the lines in here are absolutely lovely, which keeps the book very readable despite its unfortunate pacing.
This needs to be longer just based on the depth of inter-relationship drama. Like it’s enough to have a story, but could be better if there was more there
Did not care much for the characters (by design, I think—this is a book filled with detestable assholes), but I very much loved the writing and imagery. It's what carries this book, makes it something a little more than what can at times feel like a dispassionate exercise in horror.
so much potential! some of the writing is just lovely. some of it made me cringe and laugh out loud— neither as intended, I’m afraid. really interesting concept but it just fell flatter than flat for me