Japanese Gothic Book Review: A Dark, Immersive Gothic Horror

In the house behind the sword ferns, there was a man, and a murderer, and a stain. – Japanese Gothic

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There’s something about a story that pulls you in so completely you never even stop to ask where it’s actually taking you. That was my experience with Japanese Gothic by Kylie Lee Baker, and in this Japanese Gothic review, I’m still trying to piece together exactly what it left behind.

From the very beginning, I was locked in, like I am absolutely finishing this in a day locked in. The atmosphere was dark yet so dreamlike for so much of the story. And while this is very much a gothic horror novel filled with violence and gore, there’s something deeper underneath it all. Something more ancient that felt persistently wrong.

This was truly one of those books that completely absorb you.

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Japanese Gothic Synopsis

The novel follows two intertwining timelines: October 2026 Lee and October 1877 Sen. Their individual stories slowly begin to find their ways to overlap in the most unsettling of ways.

As Lee searches for answers about his mother’s disappearance, the story begins to blur between reality and something far more haunting and dreamlike. Basically, a nightmare. Lee’s memories feel unreliable, past experiences feel distorted with details changing, and the deeper Lee digs, the more the past seems to literally bleed into the present.

What ultimately unfolds is a story layered with sadness and grief, heavy and gory violence, and this almost dreamlike horror of not fully understanding what’s real and what’s only going on in Lee’s head.

Japanese Gothic by Kylie Lee Baker Review

This book completely consumed me.

The dual timelines between Lee and Sen worked perfectly. There’s something so effective about the way their stories mirror each other, and yet those reflections don’t always line up. It creates this constant distortion and tension, where you’re always searching for meaning in their overlap.

The atmosphere is so immersive. It felt heavy in the best way, and even when things became confusing I didn’t want to stop. I just kept turning the pages, trying to make some sense of it all.

There were moments, especially toward the end, where it became difficult to fully grasp what was actually happening. The line between reality and hallucinations blurred so much that I found myself questioning everything Lee said.

I don’t mind ambiguity in horror. In fact, I usually love it. I think not having clear answers can make a story even more unsettling.

As for the major reveal surrounding Lee’s mothers disappearance… it didn’t feel shocking AT ALL. The same with Sen’s mother and siblings. No surprise there. But maybe… that was the point?

After everything the story builds toward, it lands on something that is so much more ordinary and (unfortunately) much more expected. Something so disappointingly familiar. Which is absolutely horrifying and why I wasn’t surprised at all.

What did surprise me, though, was Sen’s ending. That moment felt sudden and deeply tragic in a way that stayed with me more than any of the “twists”.

Japanese Gothic by Kylie Lee Baker Audiobook Review

I listened to this on audiobook and felt it actually deepened the experience. With a story that already feels so atmospheric and disorienting, hearing it made it even more immersive. The tone and delivery of the narrator (Natalie Naudus) really helped carry that dreadful sense of unease, especially in the more self-reflective moments of their own thoughts.

I think the audiobook enhances the mood of the story, but it works best if you’re fully tuned in. It was truly an immersive reading experience for me: physical book in hand, audiobook playing.

For me, this wasn’t a passive audiobook you can put on in the background. It demands all your attention.

Japanese Gothic Final Thoughts

Japanese Gothic is the kind of gothic horror book that stays with you long after the final page. It’s taken me a few days to get all my thoughts together. This isn’t a cozy, straightforward read that’s easy to sum up at the end. It’s a dark, heavy read that pulls you in while unraveling your sense of what’s real.

While the ending left me wanting a bit more clarity (because I am still not certain what all was real), I can’t deny how completely it drew me in from start to finish.

If you’re someone who enjoys horror with ambiguous endings that aren’t afraid to leave you sitting with many unanswered questions, this might be one worth reading!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Thank you NetGalley and Harlequin Audio for this ARC!