If we knew this character better, the climax would have had just a little more oof. That said, one character remained a bit of a question mark in a way which might have gone unnoticed if how the others related to or felt about each other wasn't so clear. One of Khaw's strengths is their ability to show fully realized, nuanced social dynamics. Readers will get frustrated with one person's choices and say 'Why are you being so stupid?' or 'Don't do that!' - but so will another character. They form a unit more because of shared history than because they would be friends in the present, which serves this particular type of story very well. You feel like you just might be able to notice what's wrong, or where the wrongness is springing from, before anybody else. Atmosphere seeps from every page, and you really feel like you too are exploring this house, like this house is closing around you, too. Of course, a novella is just words but Khaw's command of language in service of an image - their brilliance when it comes to wedding image with emotion - is sheer perfection here, with gorgeous turns of phrase that deepen our understanding of the characters and their responses to one another.
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