Reviews

Dark Water by Kōji Suzuki

lauraborkpower's review against another edition

3.0

An overly themed collection of short stories by the author behind the Ring trilogy. Each story incorporates (you guessed it!) water, though by the third/fourth story, I'd gotten a little tired of the gag. But there's some creepiness in here that might be worth a quick read.

hyliansaiyan's review against another edition

mysterious reflective slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.0

mint_julippe's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious 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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death and Death of parent

Moderate: Child death, Emotional abuse, Murder, Child abuse, and Physical abuse

trin's review against another edition

3.0

A collection of horror short stories by the author whose work was adapted to make The Ring and, well, Dark Water. The story that was the basis for the latter opens this collection and sets the tone for it as well. All of these stories involve creepiness in, on, or related to water in some way, and if you had to pick a single theme most likely to scare the crap out of me, water would be it. This is why I can’t put any stock in astrological signs: I’m a Pisces, and nothing skeeves me out more than a body of water I can’t see to the bottom of. The idea of something lurking beneath the surface…brr.

Does Suzuki take advantage of this fantastic set-up? Yes and no. In at least half the stories, he manages to create a lingering image, something that truly defines horror: endless clumps of human hair working their way free from a clogged drain in a deserted bathroom; the head wound of a dead spelunker becoming crystallized to the rock as his feet dangle into the cavern below; a little girl slowly rotting in the water tank that feeds an entire building. But like a lot of horror writers, he fumbles the dismount. In many of these stories, there’s fantastic atmosphere that just…goes nowhere, or goes exactly where you knew it would, without any last twist or final scare to take you over the top. These stories are still creepy and effective, but with the potential there for Suzuki to dive deep, I felt the collection stayed disappointingly shallow.

sylvestra's review against another edition

dark tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? N/A
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

lulu_mizuno's review against another edition

dark mysterious reflective tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? N/A
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

owlmacabre's review against another edition

dark mysterious reflective medium-paced

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

3.0

A mixed bag from the acclaimed author of The Ring series, Koji Suzuki's Dark Water collection has some high points and some low points. 

Ranking by the individual stories as follows:

1. Floating Water - 5 Stars
2. Solitary Isle - 2 Stars
3. The Hold - 4 Stars
4. Dream Cruise - 2 Stars
5. Adrift - 3 Stars
6. Watercolors - 3 Stars
7. Forest Under the Sea - 5 Stars

The prologue and epilogue were a nice touch in that they tied into one another, and it's not often you see these in a short story collection, so that's pretty cool. 

Otherwise a fairly average bag of "water" bases horror short stories, with 2 notable stand-outs. 

brownbear5's review against another edition

mysterious reflective tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

2.75

anyajulchen's review against another edition

4.0

Cuentos de terror que se centran en el tema del agua, cada uno demuestra un único sentido del miedo que esta produce en el ser humano, así como el misterio natural del mar y el respeto natural que se le tiene.
Me ha encantado esta antología. Solo me gustaría que fuera más larga.

riv447's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? N/A
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated

3.25