• The title story was captivating! It's told in second person; narrated by a three-year-old who's speaking to her new stepmother as they settle in their new living arrangement. The tension buildup was slow but sure and the ending was unsettling.

• "What Shoko Forgets" and "Minute Fears," though.... They fell flat to me. The resolution felt very abrupt and lacked clarity.

• Lastly, the translation felt very lively and fluid. it captures the claustrophobic feeling very well (at least for the title story).

(3.5 stars rounded up)

Nail and Eyes uses the unconventional narration style of a young daughter talking to the new girlfriend of her father as we follow a story of her youth. It creates a strange but very characteristic of separation between our narrator and her own story she is telling as tragedy in her youth leads her to move in with her dad and his new girlfriend, neither of whom seem to pay her much mind at any point. The lack of consideration for the child as she watches life unfold around her, and her lack of discussion about her feelings, creates a question of how much children feel and understand that they aren’t given credit for and the ending of the book definitely brings this feeling full circle with a vengeance.

The absence of the father figure from so much of the story itself also serves as a sort of cultural critique, whether intentional or not I’m not sure, of the different expectations of women and men in raising a child as we watch the girlfriend be handed much of the responsibility for the child and feel her gave much of the blame for ignoring her, while the dad is absent without being villanized as clearly for his absence. The connection between the girlfriend's house decorating and the child's mother also raises an interesting relationship question, though I’m not entirely clear to what end and to what extent this was purposeful.

**Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review**

Really enjoyed this one! The horror is subtle but extremely tense and atmospheric. The stories had an unsettling and interesting approach and I really liked the writing style and flow.

I finished this in one day and one breath. Immaculate, fluid narration, so tense and atmospheric, I couldn’t put it down.

The titular novella is told in second person by a child to her stepmother. The details of her life are laid out in eerie detail, and we get a masterful exploration of themes of power and gender roles that concludes in a way that’ll give you whiplash. I’m still reeling from this story.

The following two short stories, “What Shoko Forgets” and “Minute Fears” I actually didn’t realize were included, so I spent some time trying to figure out how “What Shoko Forgets” ties in with the characters from “Nails and Eyes”. Nevertheless, the narration lost nothing of its brilliance and I was left absolutely obsessed with this author.

The translation by Kendall Heitzmann flowed very well and I hope to see more of it.

Thank you to Pushkin Press and NetGalley for providing this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

Firstly, thank you to NetGalley and Pushkin Press for the advanced copy.

I really enjoyed the story, however, overall I found it difficult to really engage with, having to read over multiple sittings when I would usually finish a book this length in a couple of hours. However, I did choose to read this one on my phone so that possibly contributed to that.

3.5 / 5

"Nails and Eyes" was my first book of this wonderful diverse selection. I really liked it but I also realized that I am not able to get a grip on every level of story telling. One reason more to get more into japanese and asian horror and other literature!

The main story was from the start very creepy. Kaori Fujino has a soft way of transporting the things that are a little bit ... off. And this is the main reason for the horror in this stories. Everything is slightly off and if you are a women (or at least not a cis male) you will get a totally different level of horror: that of a child that may have seen and might be responsible for the death of her mother. Kaori Fujino is a master of those litte details that give the story its strangeness. I really loved it and at the same time I felt so sick for the situation and the child and how her step-mother got a unhealthy obsession with the diseased mother.
With the subject of nails and eyes Kaori Fujino chose body parts were I am really sensible with descriptions of pain and so that story was really unsettling for me.
The end of the story was very brutal and that is the only point were it lost me a little bit because it was in such a contrast to the rest of the story.

The other two stories were also good. Reading about Shokos experiences was gut wrenching because ugh, nobody wants to get assaulted. It is really well done how that kind of horror unravelled. The third one was the least strong for me but I will definitely keep an eye out for other literature by Kaori Fujino!

Good small novella with three unnerving stories. I liked them all, though the last one is my favourite, the ending simply sent shivers down my spine.

Nails and Eyes is the collection of short horror stories ('Nails and Eyes', 'What Shoko Forgets', and 'Minute Fears'). The titular novella narrates in second person the story of Hina and her recollection of her childhood, with specific focus on the presence of her stepmother. This story uses intense imagery to almost probe the thoughts and behaviours of the stepmother through detailed scrutiny. It culminates in a detail of image of the two that ends with a chilling bang.

The next story follows an elder by the name Shoko who resides within a rehabilitation center after suffering a stroke. She receives visits from multiple individuals but the intentions of their visits are muddled because Shoko's short term memory has been affected. The uncertainty and confusion of this story is well conveyed, possibly representing Shoko's uncertainty and confusion throughout.

Minute Fears contains the most horror out of the three stories. It collocates the desires of a mother to have a night off to her terrified child's nightmare of a playground experience. The themes of maternal obligation were apparent here but personally could have used a bit more refining, especially with respect to the note of parental indifference. However, on the level of horror, it did an amazing job.

Overall, 'Nails and Eyes' achieves the goal of unsettling readers, to the point of eliciting similar feelings experienced by the characters. I'm interested to see if Fujino delves into something like this again.

Japanese literature blows my mind. I cannot believe how they are either super lovey dovey and cats everywhere or they are evil AF. There is no in between. This book was the prime example of the latter especially the first story that gave the name to this book. Anything with eyes (and contact lenses as a wearer) makes me nauseous.

Nails and Eyes makes children scarier and more naïve than they should be. I don't know how to explain how shocking the end of this story without giving away any spoilers. The possibility of a child think what she did, the power of their observations skills, and the amount of grudge they could hold could be university classes on their own.

This is fast but disturbing read for anyone who is interested in Japanese literature. I was pleasantly surprised with how all three stories ended. They were all unexpected, all punchy, and all thought provoking. Give it a try!

Three stories: one novella and two short stories. Literary horror. Although this is not classic horror, it is a very subtle horror. While reading, we experience uneasiness, and we have this unsettling feeling. My favorite, Nails and Eyes is narrated by a child speaking about her stepmother. The death of her own mother is surrounded in some mystery but since the child was barely three when her mother died, she remembers little details. The stepmother starts as quite a separate figure who barely engages with the child but after a time, she becomes more domestic, enjoying her new life as wife and mother. The other two stories also read very well: quite suspenseful and with a touch of horror. #netgalley #nailsandeyes

💅"Nails and Eyes" is the title of the main novella in this book, telling a story of family tension with a dark twist. Told through the eyes of a young girl, the book is mostly in the second person directed towards her father's lover, who moves into the family house after the death of the girl's mother. Nothing ever feels right, however, with the new woman showing complete indifference to the girl whilst trying to replicate the clean, immaculate world that the mother left behind. The unease builds, as it's clear that our narrator is not completely as she seems, and things take a creepy and horrifying turn. No spoilers, but the clue is in the title...

🔎 I'm not usually a horror fan, but went into it unaware of the genre and came away with a good impression. It's a well-plotted, psychological story full of tension and disquieting moments. It reminded me in many ways of Ryu Murakami's "Audition", or the film at least.

🛝 What's more, the book also comes with two similarly unsettling short stories, of which I preferred the latter, "Minute Fears", a tale of motherly protection and fears warped into an almost fairy tale like story.

💜 Very quick, dark read, like everything I'm reviewing right now! Well worth a look if you're into dark, mysterious fiction bordering on body horror.

Subtle horror and very good representation of daily living in Japan with the emphasis on motherhood.

The main novella Nails and Eyes is a story told in a second person by child narrator, the narration slowly progress into anticipation that something bad is going to happen. I am not a huge fan of a second person narration, but as the story progressed, I caught the rhythm and I could feel the resentment of the main child protagonist. I feel, that the reveal, which was set almost at the end of the story, could be longer and in that way more exhilarating.

Regarding other two short stories in this collection, the last one Minute Fears was OK and not so memorable for me, but the middle one What Shoko Forgets was quite disturbing for me and due to unnerving feelings I wish I could forget it. In this story is shown the real, and not fiction, horror, It is a story of old weak women who could not defend herself and is a victim of regular sexual assaults. What I didn’t like is the fact, that there is no redemption and you as a reader are a witness of this horrific act and victim’s despair and the writer just leaves you with that.

I gave this book 3 stars, because I’m not a horror story girl and this collection was out of my comfort zone, but I recognize the talent and therefore recommend this book!

These stories creep and crawl beneath your skin, settling within and worming their way into your brain long after you've finished them. They teem with malice and dread, but there's a delicate restraint in the writing which saves it from veering into gorehound melodrama. Highly reccomended.

Horror short stories seem to hit me the hardest rather than full length novels. I really really enjoyed this and can't wait to buy a physical copy of it.

Nails and Eyes is a slow-burning, atmospheric work of literary horror. The story is told from Hina's perspective, and her unreliable narration adds to the sense of unease. Fujino does an excellent job of creating a sense of dread and suspense, and the story builds to a shocking and disturbing conclusion.

The novella is also notable for its exploration of themes of grief, loss, and female identity. Hina's mother's death is a central event in the story, and her grief is palpable. She also struggles to come to terms with her father's remarriage and her new stepmother's presence in her life. As Hina grows older, she begins to question her own identity and place in the world.

Nails and Eyes is a well-written and unsettling novella that will stay with you long after you finish reading it. It is a must-read for fans of literary horror and psychological suspense.

This is my first Kaori Fujino read and now I have high expectations for this author’s other work. What amazed me the most wasn’t even the story, but the storytelling. Mind blowing. The words used in each scenario was carefully chosen. I guess another literary motive was nail polish.

The cover of the book is so calming and attention grabbing too. I am convinced that this will be a good english release of the book.

This is a truly unique collection of stories. The namesake story of the book itself is a clear standout, but the final tale in the collection 'Minute Fears' is also one that was so creepy I know it will stick with me for some time.
The writing style and point of view of 'Nails and Eyes' is interesting, at first I found it hard to follow, but once I'd acclimatised to the style I found Hina's voice and insight to be unsettling.
Unfortunately, the story in the middle 'What Shoko Forgets' left me feeling a little confused. All three of these stories have endings that I would call open to interpretation, so if that's not your thing then might be best to give it a miss.
I, however, am very glad to have read it and think it hit the perfect balance between downright creepy and tantalisingly mysterious.

This collection of three stories was okay but not great.

The first story was by far the best of the bunch. It had the most developed and effective narrative and was unsettling, though the POV didn’t really work for me. I honestly had no idea what was happening in the second story. I have theories but I was very confused to the point of not really enjoying the reading experience. The third story had a few creepy moments but felt unfinished. Overall, I probably wouldn’t recommend this particular book but I would be willing to give this author another try.

Possible trigger warnings: I THINK there was sexual assault in the second story but I’m honestly not sure.

“Nails and Eyes" by Kaori Fujino is a translated Japanese horror collection, set for release on September 12, 2023. The atmospheric and slightly eerie short stories captivate with their vivid imagery make the reader sit with a feeling of unease. While the three included stories are a treat for fans of translated Japanese horror, the lack of clear endings or resolutions might not suit everyone's taste. Overall, it's a good read for those who enjoy this genre, earning a rating of 3.75/5.

Thank you to the publisher for providing me a copy of the eARC in exchange for an honest review!

3/5 stars

I kiiiiiind of understand why the book is being marketed for fans of <i>The Vegetarian</i> by Han Kang, but I think it was a little bit of a reach. The titular <i>Nails and Eyes</i> novella was by far the best work in this collection, and I actually found it pretty interesting. It was nothing to write home about, but it wasn’t bad and I found it worth reading. The other two short stories, however, left a lot to be desired (and not in a good way).

In my opinion, a short story should never overstay its welcome. It doesn’t need to have extensive expository details, and it doesn’t have to have a definitive ending. All I look for in a short story is that it sets up an interesting premise, keeps me intrigued, and has a satisfactory ending for what story’s being told—whether that means it has a concrete ending or an ambiguous one. I think short stories with ambiguous endings are some of the best kinds, as they can make you think a lot about potential outcomes. A really good short story writer is a master of style and world building, and the best feeling I can have after reading a well-crafted short story is that I <i>need</i> more, either more stories set in this created world or just more pieces of writing from the author. The two short stories included in <i>Nails and Eyes</i>, “What Shoko Forgets” and “Minute Fears,” in my opinion, didn’t have much to say. Their storytelling was only mildly interesting and there wasn’t anything new or engaging with their writing styles. I feel that “Minute Fears” was a bit more fully realized than “What Shoko Forgets,” but both stories only tiptoed around the parts of the prose that made them interesting.

The titular <i>Nails and Eyes</i> novella had an extremely unique POV and Hina’s eerie attention to detail was fascinating. Also, while the ending was by no means a “happy” one, it felt justified for the character and her arc. It wasn’t the best novella I’ve ever read, but it kept me interested.

Would I recommend this to a lot of people? Probably not. I’d direct someone towards Ling Ma’s <i>Bliss Montage</i> first, or Sayaka Murata’s <i>Life Ceremony</i> if they were looking for a collection that’s translated from Japanese (like <i>Nails and Eyes</i>). However, I still think this could be an interesting read for those interested in works in translation, especially during Women in Translation month!