Take a photo of a barcode or cover
2.72 AVERAGE
2.72 AVERAGE
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
"I hope the house eats you." I wanted everyone to die, but only the billionaire dies. Everyone hates each other, the narrator is unsympathetic and unlikable, the cast is very genre-aware of haunted houses, and the ghosts do... very little. It ends abruptly, and everyone just goes about their daily lives. No one experiences any character development and the epilogue made it worse.
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
emotional
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Gore, Blood
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
CAWPILE score: 5.43
Ehhhh it was okay? I loved the atmospheric writing, but I found it to be confusing at times. The characters weren’t all that fleshed out, and the logic for their motivations seemed non-existent. It felt more like a short story than a novella, and I wish we could get more. However, the atmosphere really was done well, hence the (low) three stars.
Ehhhh it was okay? I loved the atmospheric writing, but I found it to be confusing at times. The characters weren’t all that fleshed out, and the logic for their motivations seemed non-existent. It felt more like a short story than a novella, and I wish we could get more. However, the atmosphere really was done well, hence the (low) three stars.
dark
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
1 star.
2 out of 10.
This book sucks big time for me. I was expecting suspenseful and poetic meditation on humanity with a true bit of exploration in Japanese culture. Instead, it seems as if the Japanese parts of this story are a filter to try to make it look avant-garde. Japanese terms, as well as the different yokai of folklore, are just spewed at the reader with no description or relevance to the plot or characters. It seems as if we are just expected to know what a kitsune or a jūnihitoe are. Furthermore the word choice, often borderline pretentious, and prose of the author make for an extremely frustrating, if not completely nonsensical comprehension experience. I believe the plot about crumbling friendship could have been better served with a longer narrative, allowing time for the reader to truly feel the tension between these characters. However, that would be well and good if there were a plot to speak of. Most of this story seems to be the confusing, disjointed observances/hallucinations of the main character “Cat” who is terminally and conveniently distracted by the walls melting while story beats are happening. Nevertheless, I give a point for some rather cool moments of imagery (the few moments that weren’t superfluously edgy) and a point for a poignant ending in which Cat, who has had no growth as a character, realizes that the ohaguro bettari in the mirror is herself. Would not recommend to anyone.
2 out of 10.
This book sucks big time for me. I was expecting suspenseful and poetic meditation on humanity with a true bit of exploration in Japanese culture. Instead, it seems as if the Japanese parts of this story are a filter to try to make it look avant-garde. Japanese terms, as well as the different yokai of folklore, are just spewed at the reader with no description or relevance to the plot or characters. It seems as if we are just expected to know what a kitsune or a jūnihitoe are. Furthermore the word choice, often borderline pretentious, and prose of the author make for an extremely frustrating, if not completely nonsensical comprehension experience. I believe the plot about crumbling friendship could have been better served with a longer narrative, allowing time for the reader to truly feel the tension between these characters. However, that would be well and good if there were a plot to speak of. Most of this story seems to be the confusing, disjointed observances/hallucinations of the main character “Cat” who is terminally and conveniently distracted by the walls melting while story beats are happening. Nevertheless, I give a point for some rather cool moments of imagery (the few moments that weren’t superfluously edgy) and a point for a poignant ending in which Cat, who has had no growth as a character, realizes that the ohaguro bettari in the mirror is herself. Would not recommend to anyone.
TW: Mentions of psychiatric holds, suicide attempts, gore
So incredibly disappointing. Especially considering this was tailor made to fit my interests. Horror? Heian palaces? Yokai? Sign me up.
But I ended up finished this out of spite and only spite. A mess of the purplest prose with bad metaphors (A Dante reference? The Sword of Damocles? Couldn't Khaw even find one allusion to Japanese literature in the course of its 1000-year history, it just seemed so goddamn lazy), nonsensical characters whose "traumatic" backstories were but a thin veneer for them to act like assholes for no real reason, petty girl drama, and the most horrible horror cliches you could think of to wrap it all up in a bow that wasted about 2 hours of my life I will never get back. And just to add that cherry on top (see, Khaw? I can do it too, and by it, I mean just stack metaphors on top of metaphors on top of metaphors), the most self-serious 4th-wall breaking "the queer characters die first" bullshit speeches tossed in, and for what? For what? The kind of horror that proudly declares that it is "different" and "not like all those othergirls horror books." Blegh.
So incredibly disappointing. Especially considering this was tailor made to fit my interests. Horror? Heian palaces? Yokai? Sign me up.
But I ended up finished this out of spite and only spite. A mess of the purplest prose with bad metaphors (A Dante reference? The Sword of Damocles? Couldn't Khaw even find one allusion to Japanese literature in the course of its 1000-year history, it just seemed so goddamn lazy), nonsensical characters whose "traumatic" backstories were but a thin veneer for them to act like assholes for no real reason, petty girl drama, and the most horrible horror cliches you could think of to wrap it all up in a bow that wasted about 2 hours of my life I will never get back. And just to add that cherry on top (see, Khaw? I can do it too, and by it, I mean just stack metaphors on top of metaphors on top of metaphors), the most self-serious 4th-wall breaking "the queer characters die first" bullshit speeches tossed in, and for what? For what? The kind of horror that proudly declares that it is "different" and "not like all those other
dark
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated