A review by andrewhatesham
A Small Charred Face by Kazuki Sakuraba

dark emotional funny reflective sad medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? N/A
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

A Small Charred Face is a collection of three interconnected short stories, about love in it's many forms – disguised as a dark fantasy/horror about vampires.
Yes, it's dark, sometimes gory, and there's a lot of (interesting) "grass monster" vampire lore that builds up the fantasy elements, but at its core, this book is about love and companionship, and the lengths you will go for the sake of the person you care about. More sad than it is scary. 

The plot instantly pulled me in. It took me a while to fully warm up to it, as I rarely read dark fantasy, but the main plot began right away, and the descriptive yet snappy writing style, with quirky dialogue, kept me interested. Fast forward a few days: I was reading the end and nearly tearing up. 

All that being said, I think it's a bit dark for a YA book. I suggest checking the content warnings.
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