From the cover and blurb, I was originally expecting a very different book. Described as a ‘horror-comedy,’ the realisation of what that meant dawned on me as I read on. It turned out to be one of the most horrific stories I’ve ever read but written in a way that felt almost calm. Ko-eun has a beautiful way of writing. One particular section describing the colour of sands found in the desert really stuck with me throughout. I also enjoyed how they primarily referred to characters by their job/role as it really fit with the theme of the book. Given the nature of the story, having few chapters is understandable but as someone who prefers more it affected how readable I found it personally. Overall a truly captivating book and really one that should not be judged by its cover.