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Nothing But Blackened Teeth
Nothing But Blackened Teeth | Cassandra Khaw
106 posts | 111 read | 1 reading | 62 to read
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. Its 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. At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.
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PuddleJumper
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Second night for #HauntedShelf word search

Team #Flerken

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PuddleJumper
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Creepy for #HauntedShelf word search

Team #Flerken

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PuddleJumper
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Read for #HauntedShelf word search

Team #Flerken

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PuddleJumper
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Panpan

I don't get it. That was boring and not at all scary! I didn't particularly like the writing style but even ignoring that, this book was very dull and weirdly anti climatic

#HauntedShelf #Flerken

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bookwyrm7
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Mehso-so

Not one of her best books but it's a light horror story. Creepy, unsettling and well-written. I'm not a big fan of the petty drama between a group of friends who aren't actually much friends at all, especially when it all boils down to who slept with who, and who's got a crush on who. But that is a personal thing of mine.
It's a light creepy read. If you're also a fan of this genre, I'd definitely give it a try.

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JenniferEgnor
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Pickpick

This is not 124 pages of horror, so don‘t be fooled by the gorgeous and eerie cover. I love Japanese mythology and folklore—it‘s strange and fascinating. The author has a delicious way of describing macabre details but this story had too much of a gap for me. The pages are crawling with various types of Yokai. I wasn‘t familiar with all of them or some of the Japanese words, so I googled them. I recognized some of them when I saw the art and⬇️

JenniferEgnor fell in love with them all over again. While yokai are often thought of as always evil, that isn‘t true. These 5 characters who dislike each other end up at a historical house to fulfill a wedding request, but many yokai are waiting for them inside. Who is the real enemy—is it each other, or the curious yokai? The star of the yokai parade (Hyakki Yagyō) is none other than Ohaguro-bettari, who graces the cover of the book. Blackening teeth is⬇️ 2mo
JenniferEgnor a historical practice in Japan, ‘ohaguro‘, originating between the 9th and 11th centuries. Hitobashira plays a role here in the presence of this yokai. It‘s a gruesome, historical practice which is featured in some horror films today. To summarize: not a scary read, but an educational one. No regrets. (edited) 2mo
See All 7 Comments
JenniferEgnor *Ohaguro was done by using a solution of iron fillings and vinegar. It was primarily practiced by upper class-married women and some men during the Heian and Edo periods. The practice largely disappeared during the Meiji period. The Japanese government officially banned it in 1870. 2mo
JenniferEgnor A safer way to temporarily blacken your teeth for laughs and fun photo shoots: just use charcoal toothpaste 🪥🦷😬 2mo
JenniferEgnor The historical, gruesome practice of burying people alive as a sacrifice and appeasement, for the purpose of strengthening foundations in hopes that such buildings will never fall spans across cultures and continents. Horror movie featuring it here: ‘Walled In‘: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1104006/?ref_=ext_shr_lnk 2mo
14 likes7 comments
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IMASLOWREADER
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another book cover that creeps me out…my #10 on #readyourkindle @CBee #readinglife #readinggoal

CBee I‘ve seen this cover before and it totally creeps me out too 😱 6mo
IMASLOWREADER @CBee it kinda gives me the same creepy vibe as diavola lol 6mo
CBee @IMASLOWREADER ohhhh it does!! 😳😳😳 6mo
15 likes1 stack add3 comments
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hissingpotatoes
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Pickpick

3.5/5⭐ I read this in the middle of the day and got creeped out by the wind making noises outside, so successful horror. I liked the vividness of the descriptive prose and the self-awareness of horror tropes.

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hissingpotatoes
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It wasn‘t charitable but apologies didn‘t exonerate the sinner, only compelled graciousness from its recipient.

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Darklunarose
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Pickpick

A wonderfully creepy short read.

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Darklunarose
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Pickpick

A wonderfully creepy short read.

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Darklunarose
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Downloaded and ready to go for tomorrow

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BC_Dittemore
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Mehso-so

For a book with such a spooky-awesome cover, the story is rather bland. I like Khaw‘s prose (most of the time; half this novella seems devoted to finding new ways to describe a person‘s smile or their breathing), and the atmosphere is right. But I feel like I‘m missing something, like the story is too simple to not be complex.

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thegirlwiththelibrarybag
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Pickpick

When the bride says “I‘ve always wanted to get married in a haunted house” you just know some questionable life choices are about to be made 🤣 add in a toxic - friends from college - friend group, poking a little bit of fun at horror movie tropes and Japanese folklore - and I quite enjoyed myself.

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TracyReadsBooks
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Pickpick

Reviews for this book are mixed, people seem to love it or hate it (and probably more of the latter) but I was entertained by this story about five friends (but not really) who decide to stay overnight in an abandoned mansion notorious for housing the remains of an abandoned bride & the girls buried alongside her to keep her company. If you think that sounds dark…it‘s only the beginning. Horrifying & often grotesque, this is a dark one.

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TracyReadsBooks
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It‘s October and apparently horror is my mood…

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Yuki_Onna
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RaeLovesToRead I'm gonna get this on Kindle at some point... haven't ordered a physical copy cause the cover is scary 🤣🤣🤣 13mo
BookwormAHN The story is good but the cover is fantastic. I read it a while ago 🐈‍⬛️ 13mo
dabbe Yowza! Now that's a cover! 🤩🤩🤩 13mo
17 likes3 comments
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Roary47
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Mehso-so

3✨Friends come together to celebrate an upcoming wedding. Going to a supposedly haunted location has the thrill seekers excited. They are not all friendly with each other so it really shows their character when the ghost they scoffed at turns out to be real. Beautifully creepy and gory. #BatBrigage #Scarathlon @Catsandbooks

Catsandbooks 🖤🦇🙌🏼 14mo
Roary47 #Scarathlon #BatBrigade points- 21 (spooky read), 15 (Photo Word 10-1), Word Search 67 = 103 X 10 = 1030 (edited) 14mo
22 likes2 comments
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Roary47
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For todays #ScarathlonPhotoChallenge “Black” I‘m going to start to read this one right now. 🧟‍♀️🦇 #BatBrigade @Catsandbooks

Catsandbooks 🙌🏼 such a creepy cover! 14mo
17 likes1 comment
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StillLookingForCarmenSanDiego
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Panpan

I really wanted to like this, but I could not. It was so pretentious. The prose was over-the-top, like the author was trying too hard. None of the characters were likable at all. Very disappointing.

Read-y_Picker Agreed! I had the same reaction to 14mo
dabbe OMG to that cover! 😱 14mo
Yuki_Onna @dabbe That is a depiction of Ohaguro Bettari, the yokai/creature that is lending the novel its name. (That translates exactly as 'Nothing but blackened teeth'). Yokai (Japanese monsters/ghosts/supernatural creatures) are my main geeky interest.
I haven't read the book yet but I'm interested in it because I hope Ohaguro Bettari features heavily in it. There is an excellent & extensive site about yokai (yokai.com) in case you'd like to know more.
14mo
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dabbe @Yuki_Onna Thanks for the insight! I'll check it out! 🧡💜💛 14mo
Yuki_Onna @dabbe Sorry for the rambly comment... 😅 But I literally shrieked when I saw that cover and title for the first time. A book about one of my fave yokai? Heck yeah! 😁 (Even if most of the reviews I saw were off-putting) 14mo
Sweetkokoro @Yuki_Onna having read this myself, I‘d like to let you know that the Yokai have very little page time in this book, I wouldn‘t get your hopes up. (edited) 14mo
Sweetkokoro I had an arc for this when it originally came out and was so disappointed with it for the exact same reasons. The cover is fantastic but the story inside is terrible. 14mo
TieDyeDude @Yuki_Onna I'd be interested to hear what you think if you read it. I felt like the author assumed reader knowledge of the lore she used, words and ideas that I didn't know and weren't given context. 14mo
Yuki_Onna @Sweetkokoro @TieDyeDude Ok, it seems I must really try to get my hands on it now (that's not so easy here in Germany, I haven't come across it in any bookstore yet). So far, I've only heard terrible reviews and opinions about it, which scares me quite a bit😬That's what has kept me from ordering it online so far. We shall see... I'll keep you updated!😊 14mo
mom_of_4 I didnt care for this one either. 14mo
82 likes1 stack add10 comments
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NataliePatalie
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Panpan

Picked this up right after finishing the other Cassandra Khaw book (The Salt Grows Heavy) which I enjoyed. Unfortunately this one I did not!! Not enough characters allowed on Litsy to even begin to tell you why. Pan pan pan!

Blueberry So...you didn't like it? LOL 1y
KateReadsYA I want to read some books by her, starting with the salt grows heavy! 1y
NataliePatalie @KateReadsYA I liked Salt much more than this one! 1y
9 likes4 comments
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IamIamIam
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Mehso-so

This feels raw and unfinished. The purple prose was so difficult to wade through. The characters were so flat amidst all these really complicated cultural references. I had to look up something on almost every page for at least half of the book. I'd read this if it was 3 times as long, less pretension, better character development and more description of the Japanese yokai that are casually referenced.

AshleyHoss820 I had to double-check if I wrote this because it was my thoughts exactly! 😂 I really, *really* wanted to like this because the premise was awesome. It just fell a little flat for me. But I agree, more fleshing out and this would‘ve been a 5-star read. ☺️ 1y
IamIamIam @AshleyHoss820 Maybe we need to take the helm & do a "fanfic" rewrite! ?? I use the term loosely because I'm not really a fan but... could it be a mercy rewrite? That tiny novella took me almost a month to read!!! 1y
AshleyHoss820 @IamIamIam 😂I‘d probably end up making it worse. 😂 I feel that frustration! I wanted to love this so much! 1y
22 likes3 comments
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Staci
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Mehso-so

Slow at first but it turned out pretty good!

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she.hearts.horror
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Mehso-so

The cover is the best part for me.

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ChelseaM6010
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#MayMontage
Day 12. 150-225 pages
#150-225Pages
Per the first part of the synopsis on goodreads: “Cassandra Khaw‘s Nothing But Blackened Teeth is a gorgeously creepy haunted house tale, steeped in Japanese folklore and full of devastating twists.”

This was a 3 ⭐️ read for me. I thought it was okay when I first read it back in October 2021. It didn‘t leave a huge impression on me, though. Maybe I‘ll revisit it in the future? I dunno 😅

Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks Looks frightening 😱 2y
Eggs Sounds compelling 🖤 🩸 ❤️ 2y
11 likes1 stack add3 comments
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Jadams89
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Mehso-so

It was ok, but not great.

28 likes1 stack add
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Ladygodiva7
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In the mood for a creepy, haunted house novella.

#snowflake #snowflakes #papersnowflakes

67 likes2 stack adds1 comment
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AshleyHoss820
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Mehso-so

I realize that not every story needs to give me a complete backstory, but being utterly confused the majority of the time isn‘t a good idea either…I *really* wanted to love this. The premise is great, I enjoyed her writing style, it was just a little too silly for me. I dunno. Maybe I‘ll try it again someday when I can appreciate it more?

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CaseyTheCanadianLesbrarian
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Pickpick

This was fucking weird and dark! Quite short, just like a little snapshot of some people who call each other friends but seem to hate each other staying in a haunted Heian mansion in Japan and things going very wrong very quick. Very meta in terms of its use of the horror genre. Sharp writing, particularly the creepy, gross, and/or macabre metaphors, like when Khaw describes someone's words hanging out of their mouth like a body on a noose.

50 likes1 comment
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ericarobynreads
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Pickpick

Nothing But Blackened Teeth by Cassandra Khaw is a dark and twisted tale of friendship, secrets, and resentment that all comes to a head on location of an elopement at a haunted mansion.

This is a book that you could read cover to cover in one sitting, or go slow to really steep in the inky darkness. As I have zero self control, I read right straight through. Phew.

https://www.ericarobynreads.com/book-review-nothing-but-blackened-teeth/

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Jjaxn95
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I am in awe.. this is my first Litsy swap ever and it was so much fun !! Thank you enormously to @HotMessJess for my gorgeous #BWS package!! It made me so giddy! And thank you to @sprainedbrain for organizing the swap! I am so grateful for the thought and effort that was put into this package. Blessed Samhain and Happy Halloween 👻 🧡🖤🔮

sprainedbrain Gorgeous gifts! Samhain blessings to you ❤️ 2y
HotMessJess I was hoping the board made it!! Please enjoy 🖤 2y
Chrissyreadit Checking in about mailing your #WinterWonderlandSwap package- and if you have any questions? 2y
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Chrissyreadit Hi! I have a notification you responded but the comment Is not showing up for me. 2y
Chrissyreadit Checking in- did your WWS package arrive? My tracking says it did but I want to make sure! 2y
Avanders Hi Jess - I could have sworn I posted about this, but apparently I didn‘t?! 🫢 I totally received your package — can‘t wait to open! 💃🏽💃🏽💃🏽 2y
Jjaxn95 Yes my package arrived !! I‘m so excited ! @Chrissyreadit 2y
29 likes7 comments
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eol
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Panpan

Previously, I‘ve only read one short story by this author, These Deathless Bones, which left an impression—I remember it still. In comparison, this one is completely forgettable; this one, with its cliché plot, its whiny characters and their petty little dramas—like a #horor B-Movie that isn‘t even funny—I couldn‘t care less about. Just one more case where the premise and a gorgeous cover had fooled me.

What a disappointment.

1.5/5

4 likes1 comment
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candc320
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Mehso-so

I went into this one with very low expectations (the reviews aren‘t great) and I think that helped me somewhat enjoy it. It definitely was creepy and kind of sad. However it did feel really rushed and could have been really good with some more character development and more attention given to description. 🌟🌟💫 #scarathlon2022 #teamslaughter

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Skygoddess1
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Mehso-so

Listened to this on audio. Was a quick read, but even though it‘s a novella, I still found it to be rushed. #bookspinbingo #scarathlon #TeamMonsterMash #31by31 #littenlisten #spookoween2022

Skygoddess1 Forgot to add the points, lol +115 pts 2y
TheAromaofBooks Great progress!! 2y
TheSpineView Great job 2y
Catsandbooks 🙌🏼🦇💜 2y
17 likes4 comments
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StellarDoc
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Just a Saturday in October at Barnes and Noble!

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Linsy
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Short and frightening -- I mean, just look at that cover! 😱

#scream #scarathlondailyprompts #teamslaughter

Meshell1313 Eek. Terrifying cover. 😱 2y
57 likes1 stack add1 comment
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Lin3han
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Panpan

I wanted to like this book so badly. The characters were so annoying I was hoping they‘d all die. There‘s 4th wall breaks that were supposed to be funny or quirky but they were just awkward and weird. Wouldn‘t recommend at all. #TeamMonsterMash #Scarathlon

MsRadioSilence If you want funny fourth wall breaks I hope you‘re loving 2y
Lin3han @MsRadioSilence tis next on the list!! 2y
TheHungryBookworms I didn't care for this one ether. I was really disappointed because of all the hyped around it😩 2y
Lin3han @TheHungryBookworms I‘m glad someone else feels this way because I was sooooo disappointed 2y
5 likes4 comments
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DHill
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Luna says “what even is that?”

Nothing for Day 2 #Scarathlondailyprompts so posting another from Day 1.

#Scarathlon #Black #TeamSlaughter

@Clwojick

Roary47 I just got that book too. 🤣 2y
Clwojick 🖤🖤🖤 2y
39 likes2 comments
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rachelsbrittain
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Pickpick

A quick haunted house horror novel about five friends staying in a Japanese mansion rumored to be the final resting place of a lonely, jilted bride who longs for company. Perfect for October.

Kappadeemom Law that cover 😳😳 2y
42 likes3 stack adds1 comment
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HotMessJess
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Happy spooky season y‘all 🎃

26 likes1 stack add
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rachelk
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Pickpick

This horror story mixed with Japanese folklore is so eerily evocative and beautifully written it feels like poetry, but after awhile it‘s almost too much alliteration, individually excellent but taken together it‘s a lot. That said, I did enjoy this creepy novella with the premise of a small destination wedding in a haunted mansion.

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snapsnarlgrowl
Pickpick

This is a gorgeous, quick read with decadent prose. I‘m a bit ambivalent about the ending, but honestly I‘m never quite satisfied with how horror stories end so that‘s probably a personal problem.

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CharismaRaven13
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Almost DNF‘ed this book. 5 friends want to celebrate a wedding in a haunted mansion. It‘s foundation rests on bones of a bride who is waiting for her groom. The walls are full of remains from sacrificed girls to keep her company. What could go wrong?
Not scary, story is jumpy, and keep google close by. Lots of Japanese words with no translations or footnotes to explain their meanings.

6 likes1 stack add
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DHill
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Strategically placed on-sale-with-cafe-purchase at the B&N Starbucks register. Why yes. Yes I will.

rachelk Yep, bought it for $5 with my coffee! 2y
65 likes1 stack add1 comment
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TLuvs
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Starting off my spooky season reads with this quick tale!

7 likes1 stack add
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WriterAtHeart
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Mehso-so

Just a quick read before Spooky season!

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Eggbeater
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Pickpick

I was glad I read this novella on my Kindle so that I could quickly look up Japanese words I was unfamiliar with. I enjoyed going down the research rabbit hole into fascinating history and legends. I found this book to be genuinely scary and I appreciate the fact that most of the characters were likeably unlikeable. I liked the author's writing style a lot and I hope she writes more.

#20in4 2nd book read @Andrew65

Andrew65 Brilliant 👏👏👏 2y
Ruthiella I love unlikable characters when they are interesting to read about! 2y
54 likes2 comments
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VeraNyx
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Panpan

Needed something short at the time.. and boy was this cringey and predictable

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TamTracy
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Mehso-so

The story itself was good, the characters were all horrible, the ending was ok, but the cover was amazing. I feel like this could have been a great atmospheric horror book but fell flat as a novella. ⭐️⭐️⭐️

LoverOfLearning Uhm this cover is SCARY. Ha don't want that in my nightmares. 2y
DimeryRene The cover is the best part! I liked the story okay! 2y
57 likes2 comments