NOTHING BUT BLACKENED TEETH by Cassandra Khaw
Publisher: Macmillan Audio
Publication Date: January 1, 2021
Genre: Horror, Novella
READ THE SYNOPSIS
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.
My Thoughts
Who else loves a good haunted house book? Raise your hand!
Haunted houses are probably my favourite thing – to read about. I’m not so sure I’d actually want to live in a haunted house unless it was a friendly ghost. Maybe one who left money or books on my bedside table.
This book, by Malaysian author Cassandra Khaw, was one I’d had my eye on for some time because of that creepy cover! I never actually knew what the story was about, but when I was looking for a short audiobook to listen to during the day, I saw this one was just under three hours, it fit the bill, and I borrowed it from Libby right away.
If you love Shirley Jackson’s The Haunting of Hill House, you’ll probably enjoy this book. It reminded me so much of Jackson’s novel, with the group of people going to stay at this creepy house (in this book, it’s for a wedding) and then proceeding in banter and arguments as they proceed on their journey inside.
I started to listen to this during a rainy morning near summer, so it was gloriously dark inside, and I could listen to the rain through the window and it made for the perfect listening ambience for this audiobook. I wish I had the physical book next to me because there were a few Japanese terms said throughout the story that I would try and Google while listening, but if I didn’t know the spelling and Google couldn’t anticipate what I was writing, I was out of luck.
There’s a lot of talk of Japanese spirits and folklore, and the whole store was beautifully creepy and delicious. It is a book you MUST read or listen to in one sitting. I don’t think the horror part would translate well while reading over a few days.
Suehyla El-Attar does a fantastic job of narrating this story, and I can’t wait to see what Cassandra Khaw writes next. It looks like she has a few books and stories out, so I’ll be sure to check them out in the future.
What other readers think:
- Lisa’s review over at Read Between The Spines
- Review from Book, Bones & Buffy
- Anne’s review over at I’ve Read This
- Kal’s review at Reader Voracious
Do you like spooky books? Check out this post: My Exciting Adventure Reading Stephen King.
Have you read Nothing But Blackened Teeth? What were your thoughts? Did you enjoy it? Let me know in the comments below!
