So the marketing for this book sounds AMAZING!

The writing is so disappointing. Here are some choice phrases in the first 10% of the book that resulted in me DNFing (Did Not Finish-ing) this text:

"Philip [...] palmed the back of his neck, looking sheepish." - Khaw shows us with P's body language how he is feeling, but doesn't trust us to understand emotions, so she tells us the emotion he's feeling immediately after.

"Poster boy perfect: everyone craved him like a vice" -- Just awkward phrasing. It feels like beating a dead horse. Philip is so desirable he's like a vice OR he's so addictive people crave him. Both feels sloppy.

"A door thumped shut and we both jumped, turned like cogs." -- what even is this sentence? Does this mean they turned towards each other with their arms outstretched interlocking awkwardly... like cog work? How does their coggy-ness add to the reader's mental image here? It just makes it really weird if you try and picture people turning like cogs. Not an effective use of language.

"The stutter of a girl's voice, sweet despite its coarseness, like a square of fabric worn RAGGED, like a sound carried on the last RAGGED breath of a failing record player" -- First: the over-writing -- ouch. Second: the sentence below indicates the author has a larger vocabulary than this. Why?!

"Philip's expression *cragged* with the guilt he'd held for years like a *reliquary*" -- "cragged", as in a "crag" as in a rock face? So his face is creased or lumpy or jagged? This doesn't help with description really. And a reliquary is a holy container. He's holding onto his guilt like one would hold onto a holy container. With reverence? With awe? With the fear of god? I can't -- this is the sentence that ended all desire to continue with this text.

I know this is an "uncorrected proof" (and I'm not sharing this to Goodreads, just internally to NetGalley) but in my experience with ARCs they are usually pretty close to their final form by the time they are going out to reviewers. And while I selected some of my most pet peeve sentences, I also flicked ahead through the ARC and can spot these on any page I stop on. This is a writing style I cannot get on with.

Nothing But Blackened Teeth is definitely not a book for everyone, but Khaw does a fantastic job creating an entrancing atmosphere and delivering some genuinely haunting moments in this short read. The book throws you into the story immediately and never really gives the reader a chance to get on firm footing, which is great for those who enjoy when horror is more amorphous and ambiguous. However, this does make it difficult to connect with or understand the motivations of the main characters, which ultimately does undermine some of the twisted scenarios Khaw conjures up. In addition, Khaw’s excessive use of metaphors, similes, and flowery adjectives often becomes distracting, rather than adding to the worldbuilding and characterization. While it’s likely Nothing But Blackened Teeth will be a polarizing release, it also further establishes Khaw as a writer to watch, and I can’t wait to see what she comes up with next.

Cassandra Khaw's Nothing But Blackened Teeth is short but it packs a punch.

We follow a group of friends who are celebrating a wedding at a Heian era mansion and things go from tense to downright horrific as the group decides to tell ghost stories.

This book is tense. The relationships are tense and though you don't necessarily get a full explanation on the friends' interlocked past, what you do get makes you ask "how could this night ever go right?" The atmospheric writing left me dreading the inevitable and when the action begins, it does not stop.

Since it's short we don't really get to know the characters all that well, but I found myself enthralled with their dramas. Khaw's writing did take me a minute to get into. There were points where multiple places where the author clearly valued underused synonyms and it was a bit distracting, but I quickly got over it and really fell into the story.

A perfect quick horror read that had me racing towards the end. This is by no means a perfect book, but if you're into horror and can handle some gore, I'd definitely recommend.

Nothing But Blackened Teeth
by Cassandra Khaw
Macmillan-Tor/Forge

First, thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for letting me read this book. I liked the Japanese folktale.
Second, I am sure some people will really like this book, especially those that don't normally read horror.

This was "friends", some hated each other, going to a Japanese mansion to have a wedding. They argued full time until they tangled with a ghost with teeth that were, you guessed it, black. The ghost was suppose to be there due to a Japanese myth.

This was so predictable, corny, and so laughable at times that I started to believe it was satire. I really started to wonder. None of the characters were well fleshed out, pun intended. Dialogue unrealistic. Nothing even creepy. If you are a true horror fan you will probably be disappointed. The saving grace is it was short.

Nothing But Blackened Teeth, the newest addition to Cassandra Khaw’s (she/they) ever-growing repertoire, is a novella very much centered within the tradition of the ‘haunted house’ narrative. It’s got the labyrinthine, Belasco-style dwelling, the sinister, Jackson-esque shadows that lurk just beyond the point of perception, and a knife-edge tension almost too palpable to bear. But this slim volume is anything but a run-of-the-mill residential horror.

Set in modern-day Japan, the story’s premise follows a group of thrill-seeking young adults who, having travelled together for a destination wedding of a lifetime, find themselves plunged into a Gothic nightmare where they are forced to navigate the horrors of a Heian-era mansion haunted by a living-dead bride seeking human sacrifices. The storyline unfolds to reveal a cast of conflicting characters, each of whom are, in turn, isolated, cornered, and put to the test by the malevolent spirit that wants them dead. Khaw even manages to work in a deeply unsettling portrayal of demonic possession which, in many ways, feeds into a much larger discussion around Western colonialism, and the physical and psychological boundaries that are often compromised in toxic relationships.

Though Khaw’s tale is, at times, warped by the overuse of senseless similes and ill-placed humor that doesn’t quite hit the mark, the Malaysian-born writer still manages to achieve something truly wonderful with their intelligent use of rich, descriptive imagery and a plotline convincingly fused with Japanese legends and folklore. The novel capitalizes on a veritable parade of ghostly apparitions called yōkai. These mischievous and often hostile creatures are given many forms, from the brush-painted, fish-like ningyo who crawl from the mansion’s towering ceilings, to the amphibious kappa murals who ominously sift through the walls of its ancient, abandoned ruins. The faceless figure of the Ohaguro-Betarri also features to harrowing effect. Dressed in a white bridal kimono, this shape-shifting female yōkai (recognizable from the book’s stunning front cover) permeates each page with a poetic musicality. Her presence is articulate, multidimensional, and firmly reflects Khaw’s background in video game development, most specifically their position as senior scriptwriter for Ubisoft, the French video game studio responsible for successful franchises like Far Cry, Watch Dogs, and Assassin’s Creed. Sentences are gun-fire quick, and across nine highly cinematic and viciously bite-sized chapters, Khaw’s blunted style delivers an unputdownable, fast-paced chiller with survival horror vibes similar to Keiichiro Toyama’s claustrophobic Siren (PlayStation 2, 2003) and Tecmo’s original installment of the Fatal Frame series.

Nothing But Blackened Teeth is, to say the least, a delightfully unusual novel. It’s dark, it’s gritty, it’s addictive, and somehow it manages to linger on, quite threateningly, in the subconscious long after you’ve turned out the lights. A solid five-star read.

A word of thanks to the author, and the team over at Tor Nightfire, for providing me with an advanced reader’s copy of this title in exchange for an open and honest review.

When I first saw the cover of this one, I knew I wanted to read it. I was sold on the premise and the setting. I grew up watching Asian horror (which I really shouldn’t have, given my young age). So this sounded right up my alley. Unfortunately, I didn’t enjoy it as much as I wanted to. There were quite a few things that didn’t work for me:

- The writing style wasn’t my cup of tea.

- The group dynamic was awkward. I couldn’t understand why 4 friends who clearly don’t like each other, would go on a destination wedding together.

- A large chunk of the story is spent listening to these characters bicker, which drew my focus away.

What I liked:

-The cultural diversity. Cat is from Malaysia. Nadia is half Bengali & part Telugu. Faiz is half Japanese, and Phillip is White.

- The horror aspects and creepy setting were done well. I just wish this was the main focal point, and not the high school drama.

Overall, there are many who loved this one and would still encourage others to check it out. .

This was a good, quick read. A group of friends, with all sorts of emotional baggage, get together at an abandoned home for a wedding. They decide to stay in the haunted house the night before the wedding and it goes about as well as you think it will...

4.5 Stars
Normally, haunted house stories don't work particularly well for me, but this was a wonderful exception. This story successfully balanced a creepy atmosphere with an exciting climax.

I really loved the incorporation of so much Japanese language and culture in this story. The inclusion of mythological Japanese creatures really added to the story.

In many ways, this was a very simple, traditional horror narrative. This book is filled with horror tropes, yet the diverse setting made the story feel fresh. Personally, I never tire of the breakdown of a group of friends.

Overall, I really enjoyed this novella and would absolutely recommend it to any horror reader.

Disclaimer I received a copy of this book from the publisher.

To be honest I did not like this book at all. To begin with I had a really hard time giving a crap about any of the characters. Nadia was such a cliche. The "You breathed near my boyfriend one time so now I hate you forever and am going to be a mega bitch to you throughout the story" jealous girl really? Hasn't this been done to death. This whole book I was wondering why these "friends" even bothered to travel together as they seem to hate each other's guts for petty childish reasons. Don't even get me started on Cat. Secondly, I didn't find it scary at all. Finally, it seemed like Khaw really loves Japanese culture so much that she peppered her story with an overabundance of Japanese words that people who don't know anything about Japan or who have never studied Japanese probably wouldn't know. I'm not talking about words like "sushi" and "kimono" that are commonly known. I'm talking about words like "kitsune" and "fusuma" and "yokai". I've studied Japanese and know a lot about Japanese culture, but this really got annoying after a while.

Nothing But Blackened Teeth is a stylishly creepy exploration of how humans haunt each other, told through the lens of a Japanese ghost story. Great building of suspense and examination of the small things that can break relationships apart. My only complaint was that the story development felt a bit rushed, and if it was fleshed out into a full length novel that most likely would not have been an issue.

How is it possible for a story to be this good? Khaw has made a true masterpiece with Nothing But Blackened Teeth. Every element comes together perfectly to make an undeniable treasure for anyone who loves mythology, horror, thriller, or any story that will keep you questioning, "What could possibly happen next?"

An atmospheric and creepy Japanese folk horror ghost story. Khaw does an excellent job at balancing a large cast for a novella where all the characters' shared past is relevant. A quick read that doesn't feel rushed and maintains the building aura of dread for ghost stories like this.

I think this was a “It’s me, not you.” I couldn’t connect with the characters, the pacing felt off and overall, I just didn’t jam with the writing style.

So creepy! Short - just 123 pages - with the story kept taut and the atmosphere stifling (in a good way).

It's books like this that remind me why I never want to get married. Follow the rules of horror and you get out alive. I loved the atmosphere of crumbling and rotting history. Spooky.

“Nothing But Blackened Teeth”, by Cassandra Khaw is one of the most anticipated horror releases of 2021 (with one of the best covers I have ever laid eyes on, if I may add!). A Malaysian horror novella, set in present day Japan, “Nothing But Blackened Teeth” follows a group of old college friends on their stay at a Heian-era mansion. Despite being there to celebrate a wedding, it becomes apparent early on that there is a lot of tension between the different people in the group, and a lot of history behind that tension. While a lot of things are left unsaid, the little glimpses of the past that the reader is allowed to have, along with the present events, are enough to create a very engaging story and keep the reader on the edge of their seat throughout the whole thing.

In the space of less than 150 pages, the writer manages to create well-rounded characters and a compelling mystery. The writing is very poetic, perhaps too poetic at times. For the most part, it creates beautiful and creepy imagery, but at times, personally, it felt a bit over the top. I really loved all the aspects of Japanese legend and folklore, and how they intertwined with the classic “friends in a haunted house” theme. If you are a fan of creepy things and/ or Japanese folklore, I definitely recommend putting this on your radar for October, when it comes out in time for the spooky season. Thank you to NetGalley and Tor/Forge for the e-arc in exchange for my honest review.

The prose was so extra, almost every word was gilded, that it was difficult to read.
The characters were so unlikable that I found it hard to want to keep reading this short book.
This is not one I will review for The Scariest Things

I really enjoyed the creepiness of this one! The undertones of dread were throughout the whole thing and I felt like I was holding my breath for the entirety of this one. Will def recommend!

Short and creepy, a tight novella packed full of mythology and lore, a great blend of Japanese yokai stories and western haunted house tropes with twists that actually gave me the creeps. Having read and watched TRESE recently, I loved the unquestioning acceptance of the supernatural and the lack of conflict between Cat having spent time in a psych hospital and seeing the supernatural - it adds depth to the story and actually makes it scarier; if one accepts the supernatural then you're forced to accept what it can do TO you and that opens a whole new world of terror because there's no looking AWAY from it or explaining it away.

I also love the multiple survivor but dead to one another twist. There's a additional horror in knowing there are people out there who saw the worst moments of your life, who could "out" you or remind you or make you relive them. The only thing worse than going through trauma is going through it again without the buffer your psyche gives you.

So good. Definitely time to delve into Khaw's back catalog.

4 friends go to a haunted house *on purpose* because a bride-to-be wants to elope in one. The connective tissue in this is without a doubt, tenuous. Their past history comprised of various dalliances and lives cut short and diverted stokes their inner turmoil, and when they decide to try and wake up the house, marital problems and past history become the least of their worries.

Let’s start with what didn’t work so I can end happily.

It is very meta and self-aware, which is a stylistic thing. It’s not for me. The whole, people who know they’re in a horror movie thing but actions have their own momentum so being aware that you’re acting out a kind of play doesn’t help whatsoever. Coupled with thin connective tissue though, this feels more contrived than an effective device.

Eventually, after the 6th Why Are We Here?, We’re in a movie, and What We Are Doing Doesn’t Make Any Sense, I tended to agree. I think this would have been loads better without the meta component and a more effective lead-up than them just being in the house.

However, there’s plenty I did like about it, too.

Atmospherically and outside of the meta component this shows really fine craftwork. Diction, specificity, verbiage, and simile use are all so good. Some of the most evocative prose around, especially when revealing character, and I include the house here as well.

Plot-wise, it’s… unconventional I’ll say. Sometimes it conforms to even the meta-perspective of how a horror story goes, sometimes it doesn’t. It’s effective at keeping you guessing but fulfilling tropes genre seekers will want. I particularly liked the third act and how it closed out.

As a sum of its parts it comes out ahead, and just to underline how great the prose work is, I boosted it up. I really loved that aspect of it. Had it ended poorly, just from the pleasure of reading it, I might have decided on 3 stars anyways. That’s how consistently good it was.

Definitely worth picking up when it drops and thanks to Netgalley for sending it to me.