Wednesday 2 November 2022

Nothing But Blackened Teeth - Book Review

 

Nothing But Blackened Teeth
by Cassandra Khaw

What is it about:
Cassandra Khaw's Nothing But Blackened Teeth is a gorgeously creepy haunted house tale, steeped in Japanese folklore and full of devastating twists.

A Heian-era mansion stands abandoned, its foundations resting on the bones of a bride and its walls packed with the remains of the girls sacrificed to keep her company.

It’s the perfect wedding venue for a group of thrill-seeking friends.

But a night of food, drinks, and games quickly spirals into a nightmare. For lurking in the shadows is the ghost bride with a black smile and a hungry heart.

And she gets lonely down there in the dirt.

What did I think of it:
I very much enjoyed this book, but I didn't find it particularly creepy.

The writing was stunning, the characters interesting, and I liked the mood, but it wasn't the creepy haunted house mood I expected when picking this up.

More than a creepy horror read this is an emotional read in my opinion. It's more about friendship and how it changes through the years, and how each friend in this story handles that differently. The ghostly apparitions are almost a manifestation of the emotions between the five friends.

At a few points in the story I got a bit lost. the characters would do something I couldn't understand why they did it. For example the main character suddenly drank from a fetid pool. Those few things aside I really liked this novella, creepy or not. It will be a keeper.

Why should you read it:
It's an enjoyable atmospheric read.


No comments: