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2.72 AVERAGE
2.72 AVERAGE
2.5⭐️
I finished this book 3 weeks ago and I don’t remember anything about it. I’m not sure if that says more about ~me~ or the book itself, but I will say it’s rare that for this to happen for me. I finished the book feeling underwhelmed. The cover art left a larger impression than the characters or the plot in my opinion.
Because of its short length, I recommend trying it if the synopsis sounds interesting to you!! I don’t want to say it was bad, but it was just very forgettable for me personally.
I finished this book 3 weeks ago and I don’t remember anything about it. I’m not sure if that says more about ~me~ or the book itself, but I will say it’s rare that for this to happen for me. I finished the book feeling underwhelmed. The cover art left a larger impression than the characters or the plot in my opinion.
Because of its short length, I recommend trying it if the synopsis sounds interesting to you!! I don’t want to say it was bad, but it was just very forgettable for me personally.
I kept waiting for this to be scary and it so wasn't? Very overhyped. The author clearly is skilled but her flowery prose is overused in a book like this (also, would it have killed her to put a glossary of the Japanese terms in the back? Some of us are not weebs). Too much foreshadowing that something-doesn't-feel-right-oh-no, not enough action.
challenging
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Simply not enough. The prose is nice and there are nice turns of phrase but with nothing but annoying characters, no real arcs, and a thin plot there’s not much to be seen here. It isn’t even scary, just gory for brief moments. And the flow of everything is a chore sometimes, ironically on the writing front less is more but the story needed a lot
my only knowledge of japanese folklore comes from season 3 of teen wolf.
challenging
dark
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Disclaimer: I received an ARC from Tor Nightfire in exchange for an honest review.
I really wanted to like this. Malaysians, exploring a haunted Japanese mansion? Sounds freakily cool! Unfortunately, the execution fell a bit short for me. Firstly, the prose is great, and I think Khaw has an amazing grasp of evoking macabre imagery through her words. But over time, it felt like every other sentence was devoted to describing the feel of the setting, and while that's important in a horror story, it left very little room for plot — or characterization.
And the latter in particular is a huge shame, because there was potential there! I loved that the group weren't the best of friends, but people with dysfunctional relationships to each other, trying to keep up a facade of civility and friendliness. That was something that needed more exploration, and between the overuse of prose, and Nothing But Blackened Teeth being a novella, it left very little room to build on the premise of the story.
I also want to nitpick a little at some choices I found odd. Like Cassandra Khaw, I am Malaysian. But some decisions they made feel a little... odd. For example, there is a character named Faiz. This is fine, it's not an uncommon name amongst people of Malay ethnicity. But Faiz has no Malay ancestry, as evidenced by this quote:
“I guess it is cultural,” said Faiz, full of knowing. His mother was Japanese, small-framed and smileless. “Makes sense.”
And this:
“What the fuck is it saying?” Faiz whispered hoarsely.
“Dude, seriously. We’re both Chinese. Don’t know what Phillip is.” Lin jerked a thumb at the other man, voice thinned by hysteria. “But you’re the only one with a Japanese parent.”
So we've established that Faiz is Malaysian Chinese, and also half-Japanese from his mother's side. This leaves the question: How did Faiz get named Faiz? The Malaysian Chinese naming convention tends to be something like [Surname] [Chinese name]. I'll use the author's birth name for this purpose: Khaw Joo Ee, with Khaw being the surname, and Joo Ee their Chinese name. For younger people, there's also an increasing tendency to use Western first names in front of the surname. In Khaw's case, this would be Zoe, so Zoe Khaw Joo Ee. That's a pretty standard Malaysian Chinese name.
But Faiz is not a Malaysian Chinese name — it is a Malaysian Malay name. So this doesn't really make sense, given that we are told Faiz's ancestry. It is of course, possible that Faiz's Chinese side of the family converted to Islam and thus, took on more suitable names, but it feels like a huge stretch, and if that were the case I feel they'd be more likely to identify as Malay, given the often complicated relationship between Malay ethnicity and being Muslim in Malaysia (suffice to say it would take a drinking session to explain).
Also, the two quotes reveal a certain lack of continuity; we're told that Faiz has a Japanese parent, but later on, it is the protagonist who is explicitly stated to be the only one with a Japanese parent. Is this simply an editing mistake that was overlooked? I'm not sure, but as it stands, this is a weird contradiction that doesn't hold up in any way. Plus, I feel that there was no need to make anyone there of Japanese heritage; the story would have been fine (better, even) if it'd depicted them all as ignorant foreigners traipsing into a historical, haunted location without any real understanding.
Honestly, what frustrates me the most is that this has clear potential. Khaw is good with prose and imagery, and the character dynamics were tantalizing. But none of it really came together in a really satisfying way, and the length of the novella didn't help matters. This feels like a first draft, and I think it really does need a rework, because it could be so much more if done right.
I really wanted to like this. Malaysians, exploring a haunted Japanese mansion? Sounds freakily cool! Unfortunately, the execution fell a bit short for me. Firstly, the prose is great, and I think Khaw has an amazing grasp of evoking macabre imagery through her words. But over time, it felt like every other sentence was devoted to describing the feel of the setting, and while that's important in a horror story, it left very little room for plot — or characterization.
And the latter in particular is a huge shame, because there was potential there! I loved that the group weren't the best of friends, but people with dysfunctional relationships to each other, trying to keep up a facade of civility and friendliness. That was something that needed more exploration, and between the overuse of prose, and Nothing But Blackened Teeth being a novella, it left very little room to build on the premise of the story.
I also want to nitpick a little at some choices I found odd. Like Cassandra Khaw, I am Malaysian. But some decisions they made feel a little... odd. For example, there is a character named Faiz. This is fine, it's not an uncommon name amongst people of Malay ethnicity. But Faiz has no Malay ancestry, as evidenced by this quote:
“I guess it is cultural,” said Faiz, full of knowing. His mother was Japanese, small-framed and smileless. “Makes sense.”
And this:
“What the fuck is it saying?” Faiz whispered hoarsely.
“Dude, seriously. We’re both Chinese. Don’t know what Phillip is.” Lin jerked a thumb at the other man, voice thinned by hysteria. “But you’re the only one with a Japanese parent.”
So we've established that Faiz is Malaysian Chinese, and also half-Japanese from his mother's side. This leaves the question: How did Faiz get named Faiz? The Malaysian Chinese naming convention tends to be something like [Surname] [Chinese name]. I'll use the author's birth name for this purpose: Khaw Joo Ee, with Khaw being the surname, and Joo Ee their Chinese name. For younger people, there's also an increasing tendency to use Western first names in front of the surname. In Khaw's case, this would be Zoe, so Zoe Khaw Joo Ee. That's a pretty standard Malaysian Chinese name.
But Faiz is not a Malaysian Chinese name — it is a Malaysian Malay name. So this doesn't really make sense, given that we are told Faiz's ancestry. It is of course, possible that Faiz's Chinese side of the family converted to Islam and thus, took on more suitable names, but it feels like a huge stretch, and if that were the case I feel they'd be more likely to identify as Malay, given the often complicated relationship between Malay ethnicity and being Muslim in Malaysia (suffice to say it would take a drinking session to explain).
Also, the two quotes reveal a certain lack of continuity; we're told that Faiz has a Japanese parent, but later on, it is the protagonist who is explicitly stated to be the only one with a Japanese parent. Is this simply an editing mistake that was overlooked? I'm not sure, but as it stands, this is a weird contradiction that doesn't hold up in any way. Plus, I feel that there was no need to make anyone there of Japanese heritage; the story would have been fine (better, even) if it'd depicted them all as ignorant foreigners traipsing into a historical, haunted location without any real understanding.
Honestly, what frustrates me the most is that this has clear potential. Khaw is good with prose and imagery, and the character dynamics were tantalizing. But none of it really came together in a really satisfying way, and the length of the novella didn't help matters. This feels like a first draft, and I think it really does need a rework, because it could be so much more if done right.
Nothing but Blackened Teeth by Cassandra Khaw
This review is for the audiobook edition.
A group of young adults basks in the horror of a Japanese haunted mansion. The tale is told through the eyes of Cat, who is celebrating her best friend Faiz’s wedding. Ever the thrill seekers, this group has sought out a creepy environment to get their collective adrenaline going. Talia, Cat’s constant enemy and Faiz’s love, is consumed with creating incessant tension with Cat. The animosity grows to an unbearable pitch as Talia accuses Cat of trying to break up her and Faiz. Our next partygoer is Phillip, who has everything: looks, brains, and charisma. Seemingly the nicest of the bunch, however, he has issues with Lin. Lin the proverbial class clown, whose straightforward answers and sarcastic tones blast the eardrums of the others on a constant basis. The house is flooded with mysterious folklore; one in particular involving a woman who was a bride in waiting, seemingly haunting the home. The book pirouettes through mysteriousness, filling the reader’s mind with grimy descriptions depicting the gravity of the situation. Will they escape the clutches of the past?
I am conflicted. I want to throw this novel under the bus, yet there were some positives to be had. The narration was decent; I wouldn’t say it detracted from my enjoyment. Khaw can write in an extremely poetic manner when she wants to. Her descriptions are evocative and eerie, and occasionally her portrayals of her characters were simply captivating. My issue is with the characters themselves. Compared to her excellent and atmospheric writing style, the people in this book are flat, immature, and boring. In fact, I would say that at some point the story almost took a backseat to my enjoyment of hearing the next witty portrayal of an object or action. For example, there was a part where she was describing eyes, saying something to the extent of, “They were using the whites of their eyes like collars.” Pure brilliance that had me thinking. Numerous times I sat and listened to Khaw write amazing passages only to be offset by the obnoxious banter of the group.
Unfortunately, this book was middle of the road for me. The personalities of the characters heavily induced my dislike of this book, and to be fair, could I have been influenced by the narration? Most certainly. The dialog between characters was written in such a blasé manner, the f-bomb being the pulse of each sentence, that it became grating to listen to the party talk. I am giving this 2.5 stars and rounding up to 3 stars. An average read. I would like to read something else from this author because there is some real genius there. I just need a more consistent effort.
This review is for the audiobook edition.
A group of young adults basks in the horror of a Japanese haunted mansion. The tale is told through the eyes of Cat, who is celebrating her best friend Faiz’s wedding. Ever the thrill seekers, this group has sought out a creepy environment to get their collective adrenaline going. Talia, Cat’s constant enemy and Faiz’s love, is consumed with creating incessant tension with Cat. The animosity grows to an unbearable pitch as Talia accuses Cat of trying to break up her and Faiz. Our next partygoer is Phillip, who has everything: looks, brains, and charisma. Seemingly the nicest of the bunch, however, he has issues with Lin. Lin the proverbial class clown, whose straightforward answers and sarcastic tones blast the eardrums of the others on a constant basis. The house is flooded with mysterious folklore; one in particular involving a woman who was a bride in waiting, seemingly haunting the home. The book pirouettes through mysteriousness, filling the reader’s mind with grimy descriptions depicting the gravity of the situation. Will they escape the clutches of the past?
I am conflicted. I want to throw this novel under the bus, yet there were some positives to be had. The narration was decent; I wouldn’t say it detracted from my enjoyment. Khaw can write in an extremely poetic manner when she wants to. Her descriptions are evocative and eerie, and occasionally her portrayals of her characters were simply captivating. My issue is with the characters themselves. Compared to her excellent and atmospheric writing style, the people in this book are flat, immature, and boring. In fact, I would say that at some point the story almost took a backseat to my enjoyment of hearing the next witty portrayal of an object or action. For example, there was a part where she was describing eyes, saying something to the extent of, “They were using the whites of their eyes like collars.” Pure brilliance that had me thinking. Numerous times I sat and listened to Khaw write amazing passages only to be offset by the obnoxious banter of the group.
Unfortunately, this book was middle of the road for me. The personalities of the characters heavily induced my dislike of this book, and to be fair, could I have been influenced by the narration? Most certainly. The dialog between characters was written in such a blasé manner, the f-bomb being the pulse of each sentence, that it became grating to listen to the party talk. I am giving this 2.5 stars and rounding up to 3 stars. An average read. I would like to read something else from this author because there is some real genius there. I just need a more consistent effort.
fast-paced
fast-paced