A creepy title that looks deeply at the mother/daughter relationship Hannah loves Dad. Dad loves Mom. Hannah does not love Mom. Mom doesn't know what to do. Especially when Hannah wants her out of the way! Suzette is a stay at home mom, very pretty but sickly. She feels like she is in over her head, staying home with Hannah- especially after Hannah has been expelled from 2 different schools for "behavior" issues. Suzette witnesses these behaviors at home- directed towards her- nastiness and anger. But when Dad arrives home, Hannah is all smiles and cuddles. Dad thinks Suzette is lying- or at least exaggerating. Sweet Hannah would never behave the way Suzette and the schools describe. So what do you do when your 7 year old daughter tries to kill you? An intense look at family dynamics.

Baby Teeth is a psychological thriller focusing on a family and their child who doesn't speak and seems to want her daddy all to herself. Alex, the father, does not want to see or believe that his daughter has behavioral problems. Hannah is perfectly behaved around him, she is loving and, although she does not speak, she has her own way of communicating with him. Suzette, the mother, is homeschooling her daughter while dealing with the symptoms of her Crohn's disease. Suzette is the target of Hanna’s "bad" behaviors that continue to escalate to the point she is afraid for her life.

I wasn't sure what to think of this story when I started but the writing was very good and really drew me in. Hanna is creepy, and the story is a fast read. I definitely felt Suzette's frustration and fear throughout. And then the ending... could definitely be a second book to continue Hannah's story.

I received an advance copy from the publisher via Netgalley.

Anyone remember the 90s movie The Good Son? You have no idea how fitting this reference is, but if you read Baby Teeth you will soon find out.

Long story short: Suzette thinks her 7 year-old daughter, Hanna, is straight up trying to kill her. Only thing is her husband, Alex, has a hard time believing her. Hanna is only her creepy, demonic self when with her mother - or strangers - but never Daddy. Suzette isn't Mother Teresa - you will wonder about her a bit - but no one can hold a candle to Hanna.

This isn't your typical slasher horror book, but it certainly will give you nightmares. If I imagined what Hanna looks like its a cross between Wednesday Adams and the Girl from Poltergeist.

Each chapter alternated between Suzette and Hanna: a style I really enjoyed. When it wasn't freaking me out it offered examples of how two perspectives could easily misinterpret each other: you will wonder where it all went wrong? Was Hanna's behavior Suzette's fault or was Hanna inherently a sociopath?

A master manipulator. Am I talking about Hanna or Suzette, or both?

I had permanent clenched teeth grin throughout most of this book; my fellow passengers on the Path train must have wondered what was up with me the past few days. It was downright creepy (and I am talking about the book, although you could also argue my facial expressions could also be considered as such).

Baby Teeth is author Zoje Stage's first novel. There has been a lot of buzz around this book: the PR was A+. If you enjoy suspense, thriller, horror, I recommend reading so I have someone to talk about it with. Whether you like it or hate it, you will not be able to stop talking or thinking about it.

I received an arc of this ebook from NetGalley for my honest review, as well as print copy from St. Martin's Press.

This book was so difficult to read. It is about a child named Hannah, who is seven and her mother, Zuzette who suffers from Crohn’s disease. Hannah is a very disturbed child who plots her mother’s demise throughout this book. Alex, the father loves his wife and daughter but initially doesn’t see or want to see or believe how mentally unhinged his daughter really is. Eventually towards the middle of or a little further into the book he sees how sick his daughter his. Hannah puts thumbtacks in her mother.s feet and she can’t walk That is Alex’s breaking point. Hannah only wants her father’s love and to do away with her mother, Suzette. Basically, I would almost say this was a horror novel. I will not go further with my review because I do not want to give away any spoilers. If you read this book, just know it is a very difficult read. Also, Hannah loves her father and wants to truly do away with her mother.

Ho. Leee. Cow!! THIS was definitely a delightfully creepy read that pulled you right on in! There might’ve been a little bit that seemed far fetched to buy a kid if that age doing but not bad enough that belief couldn’t be suspended.
I truly enjoyed this unique & original tale & appreciate Netgalley & the publisher for allowing me to read..... definitely looking forward to more from this author!!

A psychopathic 7-year-old plots to kill her mother in this chilling domestic suspense.

With BABY TEETH, Zoje Stage pens an unsettling story of a deteriorating mother-daughter relationship. We meet Hannah Jensen, who is selectively mute. Her parents, Suzette and Alex, have put her through a litany of tests to ensure there is no physical disability. But Hannah is disarmingly sharp even at seven, and chooses not to speak. Instead, she expresses herself through violent outbursts including feral barking.

She’s been kicked out of multiple schools, forcing Suzette to home school her, even as she battles chronic Crohn’s disease.

“Hannah kept her words to herself because they gave her power. Inside her, they retained their purity. She scrutinized Mommy and other adults, studied them. Their words fell like dead bugs from their mouths. A rare person, like Daddy, spoke in butterflies, whispering colors that made her gasp.”

Hannah adores her dad, but feels her mother is in the way, manipulating her father, detracting from the total love and attention her fantasy life requires. She delights in every torment, every way she can make her mother suffer, waging a dangerous war at home—bloodshed she hides from her father.

“She needed… to step up her game against Mommy.”

But Suzette’s frustration morphs into fear as Hannah’s machinations escalate. Her husband Alex doesn’t believe Hannah’s nefariousness and Suzette is torn between beating Hannah at her own game and figuring out a way to be the mother Hannah needs.

When Hannah takes on the personality of a 17th century French witch, however, all gloves are off when a new, more permanent plan takes shape.

With alternating chapters between daughter and mother, Zoje severalizes Suzette’s mounting fear and unease, with Hannah’s unsettling calm and effervescent (but evil) determination. Hannah’s chapters paint a deeply disturbing picture, offering insight into her twisted fantasy.

What will likely unsettle and hit home with parents is how Zoje deftly explores Suzette’s struggles as a mother to a psychopathic child, and further, how that dynamic affects the frayed marriage between Suzette and Alex.

I’ve never read a book quite like this before—the equivalent of a movie you see through slit fingers, wincing along the way and chilling to the core. Don’t miss this one… it’s summertime’s most delicious fodder for book clubs and book junkies.

“Save Daddy. Even if it didn’t go the easy way, even if she had to look Mommy in the eye and hit her again and again, she had to save Daddy.”

Baby Teeth: Pretty great yet pretty blah

I have mixed feelings about Zoje Stage’s Baby Teeth. It was amazing, thrilling, kept me on the edge of my seat, and made me cringe in utter dismay. Unfortunately, it also felt engineered to purpose and lackluster in completion. I am not sure if I finished it because I wanted the ending, or if it was due to just morbidity. I would definitely suggest this to others, but would be careful as to who would receive the recommendation.

Baby Teeth tells the stories of Suzette (mother) and Hanna (daughter) in alternating chapters. Hanna is seven years old and highly intelligent, but when she tries to speak her words just refuse to emerge. Suzette is perpetually ill with intestinal troubles and terribly afraid of recurring health issues/ pleasing her seemingly volatile husband. Hanna percieves her mothers constant pain and irritation as a lack of love for her, a dismissal of daughter and a preoccupation with self. Seven year old Hanna tortures her mother through various acts- the latest being a pretend supernatural posession by a dead French witch she found on the internet.

So was it morbidity or attachment to the plot that kept me through the end? I don’t know yet.

The chapters from Hanna’s perspective were difficult to read. She was vengeful and hateful, but her fear, sadness, and anger were at odds with the methodic sociopathy of her internal monologue. It felt as if she were written from a far extreme to shock readers instead of leaving some plot to the shadows. For example, knowing she was faking demon posession was a shame. There could have been more disguise and less spotlighting.

Similarly, the characterization of Suzette was left wanting. She is so concerned that she will be gaslighted that she never takes any action as her daughter unravels. Hanna just continues to react to the further detachment and limited reaction by ramping up the deviousness. Suzette’s self esteem is so low that she walks on eggshells rather than busts heads.

In the end, the plot culminated in a plateau, then valley that was satisfying but lackluster. I enjoyed it but also wished I had read something else..

Wow. What. A. Book!
Suzette has a lot of concerns about her 6 year old daughter Hanna. She has been violent practically since birth and wow is this kid the queen of manipulation! But Suzette is the only one who sees Hanna’s behavioral issues. All her husband sees is daddy perfect little girl 😳 but she def isn’t that 😳😳😳

This book was WOW! Like lost of words wow. As a parent reading this book in the middle of the night was uber creepy. Like omg could my child do that?

Zoje Stag did an amazing job with this book! I was so scared yet couldn’t put my kindle down! I look forward to reading more from Zoje!

Hmm.

Suzette is a woman who has suffered her entire life. Her mother who didn't didn't show affection and only took care of her out of necessity, while she struggled with unbearable pain and embarrassment due to an autoimmune disease. She is married to Alex, and he looks past her scars and pain and saw her...the woman, the artist. They have an intense relationship and artistic partnership.

Hannah is her daughter. Imagine...Rhoda from The Bad Seed and Damien from The Omen...all wrapped up into a little 7 year old mute girl. Hannah is highly intelligent and imaginative...and she completely hates her mother. Baby Mommy is trying to take Daddy away from Hannah.

Baby Teeth is the story of Hannah and Suzette, a mother and daughter locked in a battle to survive. This is written so well and full of tension. Every chapter, I was waiting...waiting for the other shoe to drop, for the next twist, for something to happen. And then it did.

This is sure to be high on many 'to read' lists and it well should be. This is a story of a little girl who loves her father...too much.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this book.

You might expect there to be a little competition between mother and daughter when it comes to daddy’s attention and affection, but when the daughter is only seven years old, devious as the devil and wants mommy permanently out of the way things become a little unnerving.

Daughter Hanna is a real little manipulator, refusing to speak unless she chooses and resorting to making animal sounds to taunt her mother Suzette, a stay at home mom who is suffering from Crohns disease and is slowly losing her grip as she tries to home school her daughter who was expelled from kindergarten.

Father Alex is totally oblivious to Hanna’s game and spends an inordinate amount of time with her and not his wife.

Told from the perspective of the two female characters, this is a tale where no one is quite “right in the head”. Each has fantasies concerning the potential demise of the other and Hanna’s machinations are a little hard to swallow since they are those of a much older person. Fact of the matter is that Hanna makes Patty McCormick’s BAD SEED Rhoda look almost normal by comparison.

This is one of those horror stories that presents a good case for celibacy.

I was really excited to read this book based on the description, but sadly, it was a drag to get through. The first 60% or so was so slow and I often found myself rereading entire paragraphs because I drifted off. I didn't feel connected to any of the characters which is extremely unusual for me so that was really disappointing. The last 40% though did get better, but then the ending was super abrupt. I'm curious if there will be a second book because it didn't feel like a good ending to me at all.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to read an advanced reader copy in exchange for my honest review.

Hanna seems so perfect in her fathers eyes. And Hanna loves her father to pieces....maybe too much. Hanna is convinced that the only way for her father and herself to be happy, is to get rid of Mommy. Mommy may be in more danger than she even realizes. This book explores motherhood, trials and tribulations, feelings of inadequacy, helplessness, and many other feelings that first time parents have felt. But, this time it’s not all in Mommy’s head. Hannah has concocted a plan to rid her life of Mommy once and for all. Will she success?? Will Daddy finally see Hanna for who she really is, or will Hannah win Daddy’s heart and forever be rid of Mommy?

This book is full of twists and turns that will keep you guessing.

Terrifyingly creepy page-turner about a mother and her daughter. Kept me going until the very end. Unlike others I'm not sure whether I loved it or hated it. At time both, but I can't stop thinking about this book.

Baby Teeth is a deliciously disturbing story! I finished in one sitting because I couldn’t put it down...kind of like a car accident...you want to look away but you can’t help looking!

Baby Teeth by Zoje Stage is a recommended horror novel.

Alex and Suzette Jensen are parents to seven-year-old Hanna and don't know what is wrong with their daughter. Hanna is mute. Tests show that there is nothing that is preventing her from speaking. It seems that she just refuses to speak. Hanna acts out and has been asked to leave preschools and schools, leaving Suzette to homeschool her. Suzette is also suffering from Crohn's disease, and the stress of dealing with Hanna is not helping. Alex is oblivious to Hanna's darker nature.

Suzette knows that Hanna loves her father, Hanna never acts out in front of him and will do anything to make him happy, but Suzette also knows that Hanna hates her and is becoming more aggressive toward her. Hanna growls and barks like a dog in front of Suzette, but never Alex. When Hanna decides to speak only in front of Suzette, she claims (in a French accent), that she is Marie-Anne Dufosset, a 17th-century girl who was suspected to be a witch. But, Hanna only speaks in front of Suzette and it is only to let her mother know that they are adversaries. It is decidedly ominous and creepy.

Baby Teeth is undoubtedly well written. The narrative is tightly plotted and bursting with tension, so the novel moves along quite swiftly. The chapters alternate between the viewpoint of Suzette and Hanna. You need to know before you read Baby Teeth that this is a dark, disturbing psychological horror novel and Hanna is a budding psychopath (not a sociopath - there is a difference).

My qualms are with how disturbing and unsettling the novel was for me. I had to set it aside and read something else before finishing it, a rare event. It is tense. It is also more than just psychological suspense. It should be classified as a horror novel. You have to be prepared to read a novel where a young girl wants to seriously hurt her mother. You may also have to overlook Hanna's age and wonder if she would be truly capable of everything she does at age seven, including the computer research and her advanced ability to read and comprehend the information she seeks. You also need to be prepared to learn a lot about Crohn's disease. (Now, does it compare favorably to Lionel Shriver's We Need to Talk About Kevin? Perhaps, marginally, although it is not quite as well written and plotted as Shriver's novel.)

Disclosure: My review copy was courtesy of St. Martin's Press.
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Wow. Diabolical. Maniacal. Cunning. Deranged. Manipulative. Intelligent. All of these words describe one of the creepiest children of the literary world. Baby Teeth is a masterpiece, full of suspense and horror. It is an amazingly gripping book that drew me in from the first page. Easily one of the best books I’ve read so far in 2018.

I'm all for pushing boundaries and making the reader squirm, for being dark and finding light in the oh so dark moments. But honestly, this book made me feel uncomfortable. At times I didn't want to finish it, but at the same time, I couldn't stop turning the pages. It was well written and the characters and their situation was almost believable even in the very fiction setting.

Hanna is the 7 year old daughter to Alex and Suzette. She doesn't talk and Suzette is the stay at home mother trying to find answers for her daughter. Is it because of a disease? Is it because of her parenting? Is it because of Suzette's health? Suzette wants nothing more than to help her daughter.

"Society's so quick to find a pill for something, never mind the side effects. But if it's not a disability....An organic solution..."

But her daughter only wants her father. A father that works and for all intended purposes isn't around much except for at night. For the "easy part" of the parenting. But she still has more of a connection with her father that she doesn't have with her mother. And because of that, she doesn't want her mother in the picture. AT ALL. And she will stop at nothing to have her gone.

This story is told in Hanna and Suzette's POVs and the story centers around them. Around Suzette's quest for perfection in a home and family life. She wants to be the parent her mother never was. And Hanna? She is the girl that seems quiet and perfect on the outside, until you see the ugliness on the inside and the actions she shows in public. She is a very disturbed girl. So what is wrong with her and how far will she go to get her dreams to come true?

I could see this playing out as a horror film. A disturbing horror film. One where the kid turns their home life on it's head.
If you don't mind disturbing books with a very questionable child that pushes each and every boundary, then this book is for you. It won't be for everyone and it won't appeal to all, but through all that, it's still a well written thriller.

Overall, I did enjoy this read & sped through it. It was definitely creepy & had an interesting story line. I expected this book to be disturbing, and it was, but I felt that it lacked a little bit of depth in that - meaning, it could have been more disturbing. Hanna was a great character, as a child who hates/wants to harm her mother, but there were points that I felt she was a bit much. She is portrayed as incredibly intelligent, but it just felt a little bit weird to me in specific scenarios where she is acting out (although I don't want to spoil anything).

The dynamic of their family relationship was really interesting, as Hanna & her mom have this huge battle going on, but dad doesn't see any of it. I think that this was a great portrayal, as this could be describing a lot of families (especially ones where the child is manipulative).

The end was odd for me. I thought that we would get more about Hanna & what she goes through, but it just kind of ended. Once again, I don't want to spoil anything, but I felt that the way the author left it between her & her parents was weird. I don't think it needed anything more, length-wise, but I guess I was hoping for some big exciting ending (a la Gillian Flynn).

If you like thrillers & are fine with disturbing children, this would probably be a good choice for you. It was easy to read & overall enjoyable!

Baby Teeth is a twisty, twisted, terrifying book about a mother and child.
My family lived through this and worse from a child we adopted so I was especially hooked. The things that happen aren't so far fetched which makes it even more terrifying.

Thank you to NetGalley and St Martin’s Press for a digital ARC of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

Imagine having a daughter who wants you DEAD. That’s exactly how Suzette Jensen’s life is ... her seven-year-old mute daughter is trying to kill her. Suzette is about to lose her mind because she can’t convince her husband Alex that there is something seriously wrong with their daughter Hanna. All he sees is a sweet little girl who loves her daddy. Which Hanna does ... it’s her mommy that she hates. As Hanna is expelled from school after school, and unfortunate “accidents” keep happening to those around her, Suzette knows she is running out of time. Will she be able to get Hanna some help before she seriously hurts someone?

Be prepared to be horrified when you pick up Baby Teeth by Zoje Stage. Stage holds nothing back as she brings to life the terror of living with a child who might very well be psychotic. Reminiscent of the brilliant, but risqué, novel, Broadway play, and film of the 50’s, The Bad Seed, Baby Teeth dares to make people uncomfortable. Readers should not enter this story expecting redemption or saving grace to take the reins and rescue the Jensen family. If you’re looking for a book that scares you a little, but then reels it all back in, then this novel is not for you. On the other hand, if you are interested in reading a horrific, yet savagely fascinating story that goes into the mind of a psychopathic child, then by all means do not hesitate to read this novel.