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Nothing But Blackened Teeth is a Japanese ghost story horror by Cassandra Khaw. Nothing But Blackened Teeth was released by the publisher Titan Books on the 19th of October, 2021. 

Have your friends ever dragged you to a supposedly haunted mansion in a Japanese forest? Oh, by the way, the said “haunting” is told to be the ghost of a woman who was set to marry in this mansion but was left at the altar. So, naturally, she now demands men be put on the walls so she can reunite with her groom. 

No? Well, here is your opportunity!

EVALUATION 

Genre

Nothing But Blackened Teeth did well in the horror genre. There were certain parts where the descriptions drew me in so much that I could feel myself stuck to the page but also checking that nothing was watching me. 

I thoroughly enjoyed the mythology side of the genre. It became so rich at certain points. As I’m a huge fan of mythologies, adding so many beings from Japanese mythology was amazing to see. Personally, I wanted to see more of them, delving into them. However, there was just the right amount of them there and any more probably would have ruined them and the story.

Prose

Unfortunately, the prose is where it lost me. Don’t get me wrong, there were points where the writing was brilliant and pulled me into that world. However, there were other points that I was grateful that I was reading Nothing But Blackened Teeth on my Kindle in the house connected to wifi. 

At several points during the story, there was unnecessary use of medical jargon to give sensory descriptions. In addition, there was the use of words that seemed too academic for pleasure reading. That might sound silly, but I’m so accustomed to reading a certain way for university readings that reading Nothing But Blackened Teeth felt like it sometimes delved into a more sophisticated language style (like academic and peer-reviewed literature) rather than the traditional, more simplistic writing style used in modern fiction.

Ultimately, this brought the rating down more. It became a tedious read at some points, but for a short story, it recovered well. 

Characters

The characters were well-developed and quickly established. It was amazing how quickly each character was established and easily identifiable. Even before things started to go wrong for the characters a thorough understanding of each character was well developed. By the end, it felt like I had known the characters for much longer than I had. 

Worldbuilding

Again, similar to the characters, the worldbuilding was brilliant. Quickly established, and I enjoyed the richness it provided. From the very start, the world was formed, creating and building on a strong foundation with a need for more questions about the world. It was full and rich enough for what the story needed but contained enough that, if desired, it could be built on many more stories.

Pacing

The pacing was good. There wasn’t really a moment where the piece felt like it was dragging its feet. Each part of the story moved well and kept itself moving. It had a good, bouncy, rollercoaster feel that horrors need. 

Plot & Theme

The plot was good. From the moment I heard the ghost story I needed to inhale this story. It was such an interesting ghost story that felt like obvious fiction until I thought about it a bit more, then the horrifying realisation hit of “this actually could happen.” Obviously, I would see BBC news reporting that the ghost of the bride forced people to do such things, but I could imagine a BBC article about a strange psychological phenomenon happening at a decrepit building where people did awful things that were out of character. Plus, the mythology is always a bonus!

Story’s Impact

Upon finishing the book, I had a mixture of relief and contentedness. I was contented with the fact that the story was rounded off very well and that loose ends were tied up. I was also relieved as the writing style was a bit iffy for me in places.

RECOMMENDATION 

Ultimately, I recommend this book to anyone who would like a wee dabble of horror and mythologies. There was just the right amount. However, if you are looking for an easy read to soothe an overworked mind (especially if you’re a tired English and Journalism student) then maybe skip this one until your mind is a bit less heavy stuff.

Information & Rating

Rating: 5/7

5-Star Rating: 5/5

Book: Nothing But Blackened Teeth (Waterstones Link)

Author(s): Cassandra Khaw

Series Name: Standalone | Short Story

Pages:  128

Genres: Horror, Ghost, Paranormal, Fantasy, Dark Fantasy, Japanese Folklore,

Format: Kindle

ISBN/ASIN: 

Publication Date: 978-1803363660

Publisher: Titan

Reading Speeds

(Based on Kindle/How Long To Read)

Average Estimated Reading Speed: 1 hour and 27 minutes

Based on the average of 300WPM

My Estimated Reading Speed: 1 hour and 55 minutes

Based on my calculated speed of 228WPM

Calculated by How Long To Read’s test

Goodreads Blurb

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.