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A review by akira_outofthegravity
Nothing But Blackened Teeth by Cassandra Khaw
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.5
When this book is good- it’s good. When it’s bad it’s mediocre at best. And unfortunately there is more bad than good.
There’s very little in the way of plot development or character development. And very little in the way of plot. I wanted to like this book so much but I just don’t. It’s not scary, it’s not compelling, the writing is nice but most of the characters are whiny- including our narrator Cat.
She is the epitome of Not Like Other Girls + the pinnacle of Tumblr Depression. Is Talia rude as hell? Yes, but Cat is so judgemental of her it’s insane. Faiz begins as a semi relatable and sweet guy but just becomes unbearable once the story begins to ramp up. Lin is the most bearable but that’s also because he has the least personality of the bunch. While Khaw has a talent for writing it’s wasted on this story. It reads like a first draft which is a shame because it could be really spooky. The “sacrifice” they make is really well written, and I enjoyed the emotions of it. But also it was way too meta. Like we know Cat is bi, and she’s supposed to die first, we know it’ll “subvert our expectations”. The minute a piece of horror work becomes too “clever” I clock out.
Too bad the characters suck, the writing is pretty juvenile, and the pacing is way off.
Edit: after reading a few reviews I have changed my mind. This book is worse than I thought. I think I wanted to love this book with its creepy cover and title, but the ending is so dumb. Everything about this book is dumb. Khaw’s writing although beautiful in parts is so fucking bloated. They have clear skill and talent- so use it!!! Also I hope they fire their editor.
There’s very little in the way of plot development or character development. And very little in the way of plot. I wanted to like this book so much but I just don’t. It’s not scary, it’s not compelling, the writing is nice but most of the characters are whiny- including our narrator Cat.
She is the epitome of Not Like Other Girls + the pinnacle of Tumblr Depression. Is Talia rude as hell? Yes, but Cat is so judgemental of her it’s insane. Faiz begins as a semi relatable and sweet guy but just becomes unbearable once the story begins to ramp up. Lin is the most bearable but that’s also because he has the least personality of the bunch. While Khaw has a talent for writing it’s wasted on this story. It reads like a first draft which is a shame because it could be really spooky. The “sacrifice” they make is really well written, and I enjoyed the emotions of it. But also it was way too meta. Like we know Cat is bi, and she’s supposed to die first, we know it’ll “subvert our expectations”. The minute a piece of horror work becomes too “clever” I clock out.
Too bad the characters suck, the writing is pretty juvenile, and the pacing is way off.
Edit: after reading a few reviews I have changed my mind. This book is worse than I thought. I think I wanted to love this book with its creepy cover and title, but the ending is so dumb. Everything about this book is dumb. Khaw’s writing although beautiful in parts is so fucking bloated. They have clear skill and talent- so use it!!! Also I hope they fire their editor.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Gore, Murder, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Violence, and Vomit
Moderate: Blood, Confinement, and Injury/Injury detail