Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for my free digital ARC in exchange for a review!

A delightfully creepy little Japanese horror novella (+ two short stories!) that would be a good pick if you’re looking to include some women in translation in your October TBR! 👻

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The titular novella really steals the show here. It’s about a young woman who becomes a stepmother to a little girl who is decidedly unnerving. There was an incident with the girl’s mother which she may or may not, accidentally or intentionally, had a hand in, resulting in her death. I loved how Kaori Fujino explored these timorous dynamics - the woman never knowing how much authority she has, how much she should discipline the child, where the boundaries lie. This becomes all the more complicated when she becomes obsessed with the deceased mother’s interiors blog. There are also themes of infidelity and revenge explored, with some scenes that will definitely make you squirm!

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I did have some questions about the ending though. The child is supposed to be three years old, and based on my own niece when she was three, I’m not sure she’d have had the fine motor skills to pull that off?? 😂 But either way it was creepy and made me cringe in a good psychological-horror-y way!

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The two short stories were also pretty good. One features an old woman in physical therapy who’s convinced she’s being harassed by a malevolent spirit, and the other has more of an urban legend vibe, where a young boy is traumatised by the ‘curse’ supposedly placed on him by the ghost of a playground he visits 👻

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Quick read, good thrills, interesting themes, would recommend!

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Translated by Kendall Heitzman