All of these elements are tied up together by a gorgeous writing style that almost turns prose into poetry.

This is magnificently unapologetic and offers the minimal explanation of terms and cultural references, so there is a gorgeous array of Japanese imagery and folklore for the unknowing reader to research and discover. A remarkable aspect of this novella is that its cultural references are not watered down to fit into the constrains of Western horror. Body horror, psychological horror, gore, lore, monsters, ghosts, and haunted houses, this is an absolute funhouse for the horror junkies. combines a hundred forms of horror in its 128 pages. Thoroughly immersed in Japanese folklore, Nothing but Blackened Teeth is not only a ghost story, but also a fascinatingly illustrative dive into the Japanese literary tradition of the kaidan, as well as its myths, legends, and supernatural spirits. brilliant novella full of psychological horror, guts, and teeth. Nothing But Blackened Teeth will linger with you. We're haunted by our histories, by the ugly things we want to keep buried, by the things we just can't let go. As in the best ghost stories, the house is full of ghosts, but it's the people who are the houses. This is a creepy, meticulously-crafted tragedy and frankly, one of the most beautifully written haunted stories I've ever read. Don't get me wrong, the climax has oof, is plenty gut-wrenching, but it might have been a little keener.

If we knew this character better, the climax would have had just a little more oof. That said, one character remained a bit of a question mark in a way which might have gone unnoticed if how the others related to or felt about each other wasn't so clear. One of Khaw's strengths is their ability to show fully realized, nuanced social dynamics. Readers will get frustrated with one person's choices and say 'Why are you being so stupid?' or 'Don't do that!' - but so will another character. They form a unit more because of shared history than because they would be friends in the present, which serves this particular type of story very well. You feel like you just might be able to notice what's wrong, or where the wrongness is springing from, before anybody else. Atmosphere seeps from every page, and you really feel like you too are exploring this house, like this house is closing around you, too. Of course, a novella is just words but Khaw's command of language in service of an image - their brilliance when it comes to wedding image with emotion - is sheer perfection here, with gorgeous turns of phrase that deepen our understanding of the characters and their responses to one another.

Book nothing but blackened teeth