> if the app made sense and the code was readable, even if in a very different style than what we were used to, we would be up to talking more and asking the applicant about it

Not sure what "style" means here, but this seems strange. Why does the author need to say this / why should style matter?

It sounds like the habit of the candidate about the position of braces had an influence on their hiring process, and after giving it some thought, they decided against it. This is the lowest signal one could possibly imagine.