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ravensandpages 's review for:
Nothing But Blackened Teeth
by Cassandra Khaw
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:
Complicated
arc provided by the publisher via netgalley in exchange for an honest review
I think when it comes down to it, writing novellas and short stories that are compelling in a condensed amount of time is a really difficult skill to acquire and polish. I try to be nice to novellas that miss the mark because I understand how hard it can be, but there's only so much leeway I can give before a book turns out to be not worth the time. (At least novellas aren't much time to begin with!)
Nothing But Blackened Teeth is a book about messy people making stupid decisions and reaping the consequences. Nadia has always dreamed of getting married in a haunted house, so when she and Faiz decide to tie the knot, golden boy Phillip rents a Heian-era mansion with a blood-soaked history of girls being buried alive for their venue. Cat, our main character and narrator, and Lin are invited along as well, but the night turns sour when the bride buried beneath the mansion's walls awakens and begins to stalk the thrill-seekers.
I think when it comes down to it, this is yet another novella that suffered from a lack of development due to page constraints. The characters were one-dimensional and fueled by their messy choices, and sometimes as if we couldn't remember their one (1) personality trait, Cat saw the need to beat these traits over our heads in flowery language. If I can't pick up that Phillip is a ditzy rich white boy at 80%, that's a problem with the writing. In a novella, every word is crucial since you don't have as much room to work with, and I felt a lot of space that could have been used to craft a more spooky atmosphere was wasted on telling instead of showing character traits.
Regarding the writing, I think this book would have benefitted from a consistent writing style and tone. Again, due to the condensed nature of a novella, switching from haunting, poetic descriptions to basically the complete opposite was a constant stream of whiplash. Cat is fresh from a suicide attempt and in-patient hospital stay, so as a dramatic depressed person I gave her a pass, but at some point, you go from Sylvia Plath to a middle grader's notebook when it comes to the level and quality of the prose. I value books where each sentence seems intentional and not a word is wasted, but here I was frequently taken out of scenes by Cat waxing poetic about Phillip's wonderbread behavior. In a horror story, tone and immersion are everything, and I did not end this book properly spooked, which was a disappointment!
If you are a fan of prose that edges towards purple and can overlook character development and quality to appreciate a very spooky setting and plot, you may enjoy this much more than I did! Fans of Japanese folklore will at least get a bit of a kick out of this.
I think when it comes down to it, writing novellas and short stories that are compelling in a condensed amount of time is a really difficult skill to acquire and polish. I try to be nice to novellas that miss the mark because I understand how hard it can be, but there's only so much leeway I can give before a book turns out to be not worth the time. (At least novellas aren't much time to begin with!)
Nothing But Blackened Teeth is a book about messy people making stupid decisions and reaping the consequences. Nadia has always dreamed of getting married in a haunted house, so when she and Faiz decide to tie the knot, golden boy Phillip rents a Heian-era mansion with a blood-soaked history of girls being buried alive for their venue. Cat, our main character and narrator, and Lin are invited along as well, but the night turns sour when the bride buried beneath the mansion's walls awakens and begins to stalk the thrill-seekers.
I think when it comes down to it, this is yet another novella that suffered from a lack of development due to page constraints. The characters were one-dimensional and fueled by their messy choices, and sometimes as if we couldn't remember their one (1) personality trait, Cat saw the need to beat these traits over our heads in flowery language. If I can't pick up that Phillip is a ditzy rich white boy at 80%, that's a problem with the writing. In a novella, every word is crucial since you don't have as much room to work with, and I felt a lot of space that could have been used to craft a more spooky atmosphere was wasted on telling instead of showing character traits.
Regarding the writing, I think this book would have benefitted from a consistent writing style and tone. Again, due to the condensed nature of a novella, switching from haunting, poetic descriptions to basically the complete opposite was a constant stream of whiplash. Cat is fresh from a suicide attempt and in-patient hospital stay, so as a dramatic depressed person I gave her a pass, but at some point, you go from Sylvia Plath to a middle grader's notebook when it comes to the level and quality of the prose. I value books where each sentence seems intentional and not a word is wasted, but here I was frequently taken out of scenes by Cat waxing poetic about Phillip's wonderbread behavior. In a horror story, tone and immersion are everything, and I did not end this book properly spooked, which was a disappointment!
If you are a fan of prose that edges towards purple and can overlook character development and quality to appreciate a very spooky setting and plot, you may enjoy this much more than I did! Fans of Japanese folklore will at least get a bit of a kick out of this.