Nothing But Blackened Teeth

i wanted so much to like this more than i did :/ the characters being terrible people is something i can handle but there was just Something about how this teetered between overwritten and not written well enough that's really offputting

I waited a while for this from my library, I was so excited because I quite enjoyed her short story “These Deathless Bones” and I love Japanese culture.
I thought the characterizations and descriptions were fantastic BUT it was hard to read in that the transitions were few and poor. I often had to go back and reread, usually without gaining any additional clarity. I often thought where am I, how did I get here?
So the setting was talked about in gorgeous detail and I thought the characters were rich, but it felt awkward in that these story elements seems disjointed. I was so confused about how the characters moved through the space/story.

I enjoyed the part when Cat and Lin discussed how they needed to be careful because Cat was bisexual and Lin was the ‘comic relief' or something like that and that's who usually dies first in horror stories. I tried to go back and find it, but couldn't because that's how muddled the book is for me. I'm also a bit disappointed and annoyed. Cat is bisexual, but we are only told of her experiences with men; she speaks favorably, admiringly of female bodies, but that's it. It felt disingenuous.

Final thoughts from notes:
Rating: 2.5

While the cultural aspects (how the inside of the manor was laid out, inclusion of yokais and other Japanese folklore) were rich and made it compelling, the story fell flat. The ending felt rushed and I didn't really care about the characters. I enjoyed the drama between them but I found myself not really caring and getting tired of it after a while.

The focus of the story around Japanese folklore and environment gives the rating an extra .5 bc I felt those were the best and most compelling parts of the novel.

I also didn't care for the commentary on horror tropes — I felt like it added nothing to the story, especially after the story would still follow some of those tropes. I get that it's supposed to be ironic, but I didn't find it too amusing; it came across as annoying to me.

And the worst part is that they could have left at any point during the story because the doors were unlocked.

Also, the epilogue?? You're telling me Faiz literally guts Phillip and gets away scotch free? I'm all for make believe, but c'mon.