Japanese Gothic by Kylie Lee BakerMy rating: 4 of 5 stars
I was provided both an ALC and ARC via Netgalley, all opinions are my own.
This is told in alternating points of view and alternating timelines interwoven with tales of ghost stories and Japanese lore. Lee lives in the present and has cone to visit his father in Japan after taking a break from NYU. He knows something happened with his roommate, but he's in a haze of pills and can't quite remember what happened. He's hoping for a respite in his father's home in Japan, a chance to detox and remember what happened with the comforting meals that his dad's girlfriend cooks. Instead Lee finds that the house is strange and a strange woman walks around at night brandishing a katana.
Sen lives in 1877 and her father is one of the last remaining samurai after their excile in Japan. He came back from war a changed man, but is determined to keep samurai traditions and teachings alive. Sen is desperate for his approval and will do anything to be considered a samurai in his eyes. She too sees a strange white man from time to time walking around her home and grounds.
As the story unfolds, you get the feeling that something is amiss but you aren't quite sure what it is. The story takes on the air of an unreliable narrator at some point but the telling is so well crafted you don't even notice that it happened. Both Sen and Lee are connected by a strange door in a house that that carries history and memories. He is trying to figure out the trauma that occurred in his past, while she is awaiting the trauma in her future. The slower pace worked well here as the story unfolds and the characters move between time to uncover what happened in each of their timelines. Terrible things happen in both of their lives, which Baker describes with atmospheric and vivid detail.
This is full of twists and turns and takes you on a wild ride. I loved the horror elements and the historical elements. This was excellent!
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