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Arthur is Currently Reading

Arthur Howell is currently reading

Japanese Gothic

by Kylie Lee Baker (Goodreads Author)

bookshelves: 2026-books, netgalley-arc, january-2026-books, horror, dysfunctional-family, thriller, mystery, gothic-horror, historical-fiction, currently-reading, 2-cents-critic-reads, rereads

Reading for the 2nd time

read in January 2026

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Arthur Howell said: " Many thanks to NetGalley and Hanover Square Press for providing me with an eARC of Japanese Gothic in exchange for my honest review!

Bat Eater and Other Names for Cora Zeng had landed as my favorite book of 2025, so I was ready for more enthralling su Many thanks to NetGalley and Hanover Square Press for providing me with an eARC of Japanese Gothic in exchange for my honest review!

Bat Eater and Other Names for Cora Zeng had landed as my favorite book of 2025, so I was ready for more enthralling substance from Kylie Lee Baker. And thankfully, Japanese Gothic has done its job of captivating me with its grisly, terrifying, and heartbreaking tale. There's such a deeply psychological mood pulling me into both Sen and Lee's sides of the overarching narrative. For Sen, it's especially unnerving to watch the dysfunctional dynamic between her and her ruthlessly controlling father, who's locked her up in a relationship where she's been trained to reach out for his love and respect. These are things that she very much needs in order to fulfill herself, and it's chilling to watch how much that distorts this into a stark power imbalance. As for Lee, he regards his world with a cold and confused detachment that leaves him unsure of what's truly happening, and it creates an intriguing POV that has me thinking there must be plenty of darkness underneath the surface for us to navigate. But what is this darkness exactly? How far will it take Lee? It's a core part of his character that forms an intense and riveting tether between him and Sen.

It's gripping to see how Bat Eater and Other Names for Cora Zeng had given KLB room to dish out some of the most visceral and gory material, because while Japanese Gothic doesn't necessarily rise up to that exact same level (at least, in my eyes), it still strikes at quite the palpable level that puts me in a place where I simply have to go, "Holy fucking shit!" I'll admit that the very ending is an element that I don't fully click with, and I wonder if we could have set up the pieces more effectively earlier in order to give stronger support for this specific facet of the conclusion. But overall, I'm officially rating Japanese Gothic 4.25 out of 5 stars, which I'm rounding down to 4 stars. It's a tale with plenty of paranormal atmosphere for you to chew on, and it keeps me excited to read more of KLB's writing. ...more "

Jan 09, 2026 09:41PM · see review