Reviews tagging 'Fire/Fire injury'

Nothing But Blackened Teeth by Cassandra Khaw

36 reviews

librarymouse's review

dark sad tense fast-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

3.25

This novella is beautifully written and disgusting. It seems I've developed a penchant for finding books that fit that description as of late. Cassandra Khaw's writing style is very immersive. That being said, the story feels like it finishes too quickly and I want to know more of the characters than what we're given. The initial pacing of the novella feels like an introduction to a far longer work, and we are thrown into the story without necessary context. It does well for setting an uncertain tone and pulling the reader's along with the characters in their interpersonal disputes, but the lack of resolution is unsatisfying.
To reiterate though, Cassandra Khaw's writing and the depth of her world building was enrapturing, and I would have happily read 500+ pages of this story.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Vomit, Blood, Excrement, Mental illness, Violence, Death, Murder, Alcohol, Body horror, Gore, Grief, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Suicide attempt, Fire/Fire injury, and Sexual content

ggcd1981's review against another edition

challenging dark sad tense medium-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? It's complicated

3.0

Nothing But Blackened Teeth chamou minha atenção pela capa, em seguida a sinopse despertou meu interesse, pois terror no Japão é um dos meus favoritos. Porém a novela deixou a desejar. Os personagens são desagradáveis. A protagonista em particular julga todos a seu redor, não que as pessoas a seu redor, seus “amigos”, são exatamente pessoas boas. O grupo de personagens é composto de os noivos Nadia e Faiz, Cat (narradora e protagonista), Phillip e Lin. A atmosfera é excelente para um terror, a antiga mansão japonesa no meio do campo, o folclore da região dão ao contexto o clima certo para a história. No entanto a autora fez a escolha de estilo sobre substância, infelizmente, e muito do terror se perde na tentativa da autora de escrever de forma simbólica e rebuscada gerando situações em que eu me perdi no que estava acontecendo e gerando frases que fazem pouco ou nenhum sentido. O enredo era bastante promissor: Uma mansão da era Heian está abandonada no Japão, suas fundações repousando sobre os ossos de uma noiva e suas paredes repletas de restos mortais das meninas sacrificadas para lhe fazer companhia. É o local perfeito para um grupo de amigos em busca de emoção, reunidos para celebrar um casamento. Phillip, um jovem rico conseguiu permissões para que ele e seus amigos passassem a noite na mansão como presente de casamento para Nadia e Faiz.  Uma noite de comida, bebida e jogos rapidamente se transforma em um pesadelo enquanto após um desaparecimento os relacionamentos são testados. E a noiva fica solitária lá embaixo na terra. 

Na teoria a história deveria ser excelente, mas os “relacionamentos testados” são quase não existentes. A impressão é de que os personagens foram forçados juntos e não escolheram estar ali. Existe particular vitriol contra o personagem Phillip, o único branco, bem de vida, com tendência a querer ser certinho.

Em dado momento se levanta a possibilidade de Phillip ter algo com Nadia, noiva de Faiz, mas isso não é confirmado ou negado em texto. Phillip em vários momentos tem impulsos heroicos e quer fazer a coisa certa, mas os personagens ao seu redor, inclusive a narradora, encaram ele e todas as suas ações com descrença e vitriol. Phillip acaba por ter o pior final do grupo (assassinado de forma cruel por Faiz que se encontra alterado devido ao desaparecimento de Nadia e a presença da “Noiva fantasma”) e mesmo assim há pouca empatia no grupo por seu fim. Me pergunto se isso é alguma espécie de metáfora já que Phillip é o estereotipo do personagem irritante por ser a representação de um grupo opressor: branco, heterossexual, metido a herói. A intriga foi boa, apesar de ser diluída pelo texto desnecessariamente complicado. Gostaria que “a noiva fantasma” figurasse mais na obra, assim como os Yōkais que apareceram na casa, eles estavam lá e sim exerceram influência, mas não tiveram grande participação, infelizmente, se limitando em grande parte a observadores da tragédia que o próprio grupo de humanos estava gerando.

  A lógica ficou difusa, mais uma vez devido a escrita desnecessariamente complicada e “floreada”. Ao final houveram elementos que gostei bastante, o clima, a localização, as criaturas do folclore japonês, além de momentos eficientes de terror, mas a escrita e os personagens absolutamente desagradáveis me fizeram não aproveitar a obra em sua totalidade. Dou 3 estrelas. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Toxic friendship, Violence, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Blood, Murder, and Death

Moderate: Alcohol, Mental illness, and Excrement

Minor: Fire/Fire injury and Infidelity

luvey_reads's review

dark mysterious sad slow-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Toxic friendship, and Gore

Moderate: Cursing, Blood, Violence, and Murder

Minor: Fire/Fire injury, Vomit, and Suicide

blacksphinx's review

dark 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? Yes

1.0

There are some nice descriptions in this novella. I feel like the author has potential as a horror writer. But this is the worst character work and dialogue I have read this year. 

These characters are supposed to be adults with histories, many of them having dated in the past, but they came off as hilariously childish and as insubstantial as tissue paper. Why did the author feel the need to describe one of the characters in depth like five times and then only mention a different character wears glasses offhandedly once? No one has a personality they stick to for any length of time. 

The actual horror is a confusing mess that winds up loosing all tension and edge. The novella establishes a rule, and then doubles back on it for no real reason. So many spooky things wind up standing around and hanging out, as if their mere presence is terrifying enough. And then the whole things ends with a whimper. 

I have no idea why it feels like every author I like blurbed this book? Blink twice if you need help!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Violence, Alcohol, Death, and Gore

Moderate: Mental illness

Minor: Suicide attempt, Fire/Fire injury, and Medical content

oddreads_nicolestins's review

funny tense fast-paced

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

3.5

I really enjoyed Cassandra's style of writing overall, aside the seemingly constant barrage of f-bombs from the characters. I honestly disliked all the characters except Lin; he was the least chaotic and the most sensible of everyone involved. I don't want to give away spoilers here, but basically the plot is 90% of the characters bickering and fighting amongst themselves. Lots of hemming and hawing over what they will or won't do. 8% of the book is cringe relationship drama and physical descriptions of Phillip (I'm still wondering, why?). 2% of the book mentions the ghost(s) and their menacing presence. In the end, it was quite the mess, but surprisingly Khaw wrapped it up very neatly (rather rushed if I might add).

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood and Body horror

Moderate: Toxic friendship and Alcohol

Minor: Excrement, Infidelity, Gaslighting, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, and Injury/Injury detail

lynxpardinus's review against another edition

dark tense

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Blood, Toxic friendship, Violence, Gore, Murder, and Self harm

Moderate: Infidelity, Confinement, Fire/Fire injury, Toxic relationship, and Alcohol

Minor: Biphobia

hunkydory's review against another edition

dark tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Blood, and Death

Moderate: Cursing, Alcohol, Violence, and Mental illness

Minor: Fire/Fire injury

vaguely_pink's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious 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? It's complicated

2.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gore, Toxic friendship, Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, Body horror, Death, and Cursing

Moderate: Toxic relationship, Alcohol, Blood, Confinement, Self harm, Violence, Grief, Suicidal thoughts, and Murder

Minor: Body shaming, Vomit, Gaslighting, Excrement, Infidelity, Fire/Fire injury, Fatphobia, Drug use, and Bullying

its2early4this's review

dark tense medium-paced

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

2.0

This book was more disgusting than scary. While the author did a good job of describing the scenes, the prose got so bogged down in said descriptions that the pacing was off. There didn't seem to be much build to the climax, and there was no feeling the the story, despite sad and horrific things happening to the characters. All-in-all, not a fan. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gore, Body horror, Violence, Blood, Death, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Suicidal thoughts, Vomit, Alcohol, and Excrement

Minor: Drug use and Fire/Fire injury

nialiversuch's review

dark emotional mysterious reflective tense fast-paced

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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Vomit, Cursing, Fire/Fire injury, Grief, Infidelity, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Violence, Alcohol, Classism, Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, Body horror, Blood, Death, Gore, and Mental illness

Minor: Sexual content