“It gets lonely down in the dirt … [ghosts] miss having someone there, someone warm.”

As soon as I saw the cover for this book I screamed and knew I had to read it. It’s absolutely terrifying and looked PERFECT for my spooky heart. If you’re not a fan of haunted houses and paranormal beings, steer clear of this one. But if you’re like me and live for unknown horrors, run to your nearest bookstore and pick up a copy, STAT!

This book follows a group of friends who rent a haunted mansion in Japan, and use it for a weekend getaway to celebrate an upcoming wedding. The bride to be has always wanted to get married in a haunted house👰🖤🤵 but little does she know, there’s another bride waiting for her husband here as well.

Nothing But Blackened Teeth by Cassandra Khaw is beautifully written, with lush, lyrical writing that creates a dark and gritty atmosphere. It’s a short book that packs a ton of action, and a couple jump scares as well. I’d love to see this one adapted for film.

I found myself Googling the names of Japanese creatures, and learning about their place in folklore and myths. The haunted mansion is full of these ghosts and the bones of the deceased. But nothing compares to the ghosts that haunt our main characters.

This book is a masterclass in one of my favorite themes: people haunted by their past actions and selves. This book is full of ghosts, but it’s also full of grief. Our main characters are longing for their past lives and relationships, and will do almost anything to reclaim feelings of happiness and fulfillment.

An easy 5⭐ read for me, and one I think many people would enjoy. It’s a book with a monstrous cover, and a beautifully, devastating story inside.

Thank you so much to Tor Nightfire for sending me a finished copy of this book. Nothing But Blackened Teeth by Cassandra Khaw came out on October 19👻