When I was first made aware of Baby Teeth, it was being talked about as would gossip. “Did you hear about Baby Teeth?” someone in a reading circle would say. “I still don’t know what to make of it,” says another. Upon reading the first ten chapters, I became convinced I needed to know where this page turner would take me. After finishing this very unique story, without giving a single detail away, I can say “I still don’t know what to make of it,” in the very best way possible. And while I may not know what to make it of it, I do hope Zoje Stage is planning to make more of it.

“Sometimes she struggled with resentment watching her family eat a meal that she prepared. People took eating and shitting for granted, like the continuous beating of their hearts, the inevitable protection of their skin. They didn't think about their intestines doing everything wrong, fucking up the basic process of digestion.”

Baby Teeth was a hard book for me to read, and likewise it is a hard book for me to review. Please do not misunderstand me here, the book was well written and spellbinding. As someone who has lived with Crohn’s Disease for more than half my life, I found the writing hit a bit too close to home and many times I had to walk away from the book due to the reaction it caused in me at my core. Crohn’s is not the point of this book whatsoever, but rather the main character is a Crohn’s patient and discusses the symptoms is vivid and accurate details. When I was about 25% through the book I could not stop myself from reaching out to the author to ask her whether she too has Crohn’s or whether she researched it so well that she was able to write a narrative as if she did. She told me that it is no secret that the path Suzette follows is not unlike her own and was comfortable with me mentioning that here. For the awareness that this book will potentially bring to those struggling with the disease, I am forever grateful to Zoje.

Now onto the story. :-p This book keeps flipping perspectives from Suzette (mentioned previously) and Hanna, her young and troubled daughter. Hanna is HIGHLY intelligent and struggles with the fact that she is non-verbal. She has grown deeply attached to her father, and sees her mother as someone who is taking time away from her special time with him. As the book progresses, the techniques she is willing to try become more serious. Suzette is a very relatable character who is trying her best to stay afloat while being a stay-at-home mom to Hanna and a sometimes interior decorator, although this has mainly taken the backseat due to Hanna’s needs. Hanna’s bad behavior does not manifest itself in front of Suzette’s husband, so she often feels like she is fighting the battle alone. This could lead to disastrous results.

Thank you so much to Netgalley for my review edition of the book and to St Martin's Press for letting me do a giveaway of this book a few months back! All opinions are my own.

If there is any book that needs to be on your summer book club reading list, Baby Teeth is that book. A lot of people will love it, a lot will hate it and a lot will have no idea where they stand but there are so many discussion points possible that there is no way any book club should miss this debut!

I have so many thoughts about this book that I don’t even know where to begin. The main idea I keep coming back to, though, is that this is the kind of book that should be made a movie. I think there is a lot of promise for a creepy kid horror film here and that should be something that gets looked into! I’d pay to see it.

As far as a thriller novel goes, I really didn’t find much thrilling about it. The “Mommy vs. Daughter” idea is great but I think if we would have seen more of Hanna’s diabolical nature come to life or really expanded on Marie Anne, I would feel a little different. I also found Suzette incredible fake. Now, that might have been done purposely to make the reader think she is something she’s not but she really got on my nerves. Not as much as Alex, mind you. That man just drove me nuts. I would have divorced him, left the demon child and had a vacation. Problem solved.

I think the introduction of mental and physical disorders was a real interesting twist. It seems these days that everyone’s child has some type of mental illness or is getting tested for one so it made the book really relatable on that level. The same goes with Suzette’s Crohn’s disease. That was a touch that really brought this family who has everything a bit more down to earth.

The more I think about this book, the more I question my previous thoughts so it is really hard to give it a proper review. Like who is the real villain in this story? Is Hanna really evil? Is Suzette really the distraught mother she appears to be? What is Alex’s deal? To me, this is the kind of book that you really can’t finish and say whether you liked it or hated it. I think you really have to let it sit and ferment in your head a little bit. I finished Baby Teeth three days ago and I am still having a hard time getting my thoughts in order!
I’m going to rate this at about a 3.5 so I’ll up it to 4 because my feelings keep changing. Even though I initially didn’t care much for this book, if I’m still working it out in my head days later…it must have made a lasting impression on me. I also found that this book was incredibly well written and that always adds a few points in my books.

Make sure you add this one in to your book club picks because whether you care for the book or not, who knows what the discussions will bring!

I’d like to thank NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for providing a copy of this book to read and review.

This book was different from what I expected. It was more down to earth than I thought it would be. I think I expected a monster child like you’d see in the movies, not an actual psychopath, so I was pleasantly surprised. The kid was Satan. That’s all I’m going to say because anything else will just give spoilers. It’s a great book and definitely worth reading.


I received this as an advanced reading copy

This book grabbed me from the beginning, even as I had qualms about the premise. Hanna seems very mature for a seven year old, even though she is nonverbal. Not having any experience with precocious children, I wasn’t sure how much of her thought process I could buy into. The evilness, yes. The book sent me scrambling to google how soon psychopathy displays in young children. (The answer - two years).

Suzette, on the other hand, came across as a real person, worried to the point of sickness, isolated, feeling responsible as a mother for Hanna’s issues. She struggles to keep her Crohn’s Disease under control. She tries to maintain the illusion of a happy family for her husband. He is totally oblivious, despite two expulsions of Hanna from school.

The book gives new meaning to the word creepy. Hanna literally sent shivers up and down my spine. I couldn’t imagine dealing with her and keeping my sanity. It also keeps you guessing because I couldn’t begin to imagine how this was going to end. So, set aside your concerns about how believable it all is and just enjoy the horror.

My thanks to netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for an advance copy of this book.

This book kept me up all night. It is what I categorize as an One Night read. Zoje did an amazing job keeping readers interested and intrigued.

I found the premise of this book disturbing and, at times, unbelievable. (I can’t conceive of even the brightest five year old tampering with drug capsules.). It kept me reading, analyzing the characters’ actions/reactions along the way. I had difficulty liking any of the main characters in the book. Having a background in education, with several years spent at a residential school for seriously emotionally disturbed children, I have known students who have issues similar to Hanna’s. I found myself hoping that a school/counselor would be able to connect with her- enter Beatrix and Brown Teeth. Hanna’s phone call home would never have been allowed to happen the way it did. The ending seemed to be setting up a sequel.
Given the controversial events in the book it is not for everyone. Many thanks to Zoje Stage, St. Martins Press, and NetGalley for allowing me to read this ARC.

Suzette lives a seemingly perfect life. Married to a loving and successful man and is a mother to a little girl. But nothing is as it seems since her daughter, Hanna is out to get her and remove her permanently. Talk about scary! I must say this book was something else!!! Hanna was so diabolical and the way she was able to divide the parents in the story was mind blowing. I felt myself getting so frustrated for Suzette when it came to her husband Alex. I get no one wants to admit their child has issues but living in denial isn’t the answer either. Alex had his head in the clouds at times and i wanted to reach in the book and shake him. Suzette needed to have more of a backbone and should have put her foot down WAY sooner when it came to Alex’s denial over Hanna’s behavior. I do have to say Hanna was all types of creepy in this book! The stuff she did and plotted has me thinking twice before I have kids! This book isn’t my usual genre that I read but I’m so happy I took a chance! I was in an HORRIBLE book slump and this book had me glued to the very end. I can’t believe this is the author’s first book either. It was well written, fast paced and definitely one of my favorite reads of 2018.

I went into this book expecting a riveting thriller. Unfortunately, I did not get that from this. Not at all. I am still trying to figure out what exactly the point to this book was.

I don't usually write negative reviews, very rarely. I definitely don't write reviews for books that I one star. However, I was just so disappointed in this book, I needed to get my frustration out.

What really was the point to this book? Sure, Hanna was severely mentally disturbed. I got that. But where was the climax of the book? Why was she so hell bent on torturing her mother? She gives a couple of "reasons", but they made no mistake.

I couldn't stand any of the characters in this book. Not one of them had a redeeming quality that had me on board with them or their role in the book. And the plot? It was painstakingly slow and uneventful. If I am being honest, I had to force myself to finish it. I wanted to give up on it so many times.

I have sat and really thought about this book, trying to find at least one positive thing to say about it. Unfortunately, I couldn't just come up with any.

This book was amazing! It hooked me from the first chapter and did not let up. The writing is excellent and the characters are compelling. I didn't want the story to end. I finished it within two days because I could not put it down. I look forward to reading more by this author. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC.

`This is quite literally the first book ever that wholly and truly creeped me out. After I finished reading it (at like 1 A.M.) I had to put it away and just sit down and think about what I've read. Just as it is described, this book is not easy to read and will keep you on edge.

The author makes the characters so realistic and the situation so horrifying that you can actually feel yourself panicking with the characters. Baby Teeth is definitely one of the most stunning debut novels I have ever come across. I was actually terrified of what Hanna would do next and I flipped through the book as soon as I possibly could. I look forward to reading more from Zoje Stage, she's definitely on my auto-buy authors list.

Thanks to netgalley.com for the ARC.
This book was a bit of a wild ride. At first the parents annoyed me to no end... I couldn't understand how you would wait until a child was 7 to get her help for not speaking. It just seemed very far fetched.
The second half of the book was much more believable and realistic.
It was a fast paced book with alternating narrators (mother and child).
Definitely a choice for people who enjoy thrillers.

This story is so difficult to read that it was almost physically painful. It;s well written and clever but the subject matter was borderline unbearable. I was so angry and horrified that I almost stopped reading about half way through. I wasn’t sure I could take any more, or that I wanted to force myself to continue. I did persist until the end and I’m glad that I did because it did get better. It was never a comfortable or optimistic read but it did turn out to be not completely awful.

I was totally aghast at the parent’s behavior. How could they just let this continue and escalate to such an absolute insane degree. I understand that people always want to think the best of their children may have a hard time believing the worst about them but it was so blatantly obvious that this kid was seriously mentally ill and yet they continued to either ignore the problem (the father) or minimize the psychotic behavior (the mother.) If I were in this situation I would have nanny cams throughout the house so there would be a record to show to the husband, the police, the doctors and the mental health professionals that were so badly needed .

I don’t have children because I don’t really like them (I'm not hateful or anything I just like quiet and am a germaphobe!) and I have to say that Baby Teeth is a great illustration of why kids creep me out. Who knows what terrors they are thinking about and planning? What if your kid is a psychopath in the making? There’s a good reason that so many horror movies feature creepy children. If you need a new horror to add to your nightmares meet Hanna. You won't forget her.

Thank you St. Martin's Press for providing an Electronic Advance Reader Copy via NetGalley for review.

BABY TEETH BY ZOJE STAGE BOOK REVIEW
This was my first venture back into thrillers after trying to branch out into different genres for a little while. What a ride this book was! The characters play wonderfully against each other. Switching perspectives each chapter kept me turning pages late into the night. I enjoyed this book from page one. It was a darker read that kept me guessing the whole way through!

THE VERDICT
I am Really Into This book!

Special thanks to Zoje Stage, St. Martin’s Press & NetGalley for providing our copy in exchange for an honest & fair review.

Baby Teeth tells the story of 7 year old Hanna. Hanna is daddy’s little girl and she wants him all to herself. And she is willing to do whatever is necessary to make that happen, even if it means murdering mommy.

This book did the expected: I had a sick feeling in the pit of my stomach for much of the book and it was a very quick read. However, despite this, it didn't add up to very much...it was just okay. It felt like there was some zip missing to the book, as though it was trying hard to be controversial without being thoughtful about the story. However, I seem to be in the minority because there are a lot of readers who loved it!

For me, the final third of the book was the best part. It was most interesting when Suzette and Alex were finally working together to figure out how they could remain a family and try to help Hanna. This seemed to be a thread that could have been developed into more.

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the opportunity to read an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

"Words, ever unreliable, were no one’s friend."

What a gripping and extremely creepy story!! Reviews seem to be all over the place on this one but I couldn’t put it down. I found this to be a VERY unique and original book.

What would you do if your beautiful child was really very disturbed on almost every level? It's easy to think we would all do the right and most obvious thing but this book shows how difficult and heart-wrenching those choices can be. Suzette and Alex have what seems to be the picture-perfect life: a stunning home, many professional accomplishments and a beautiful child. Except that Hanna is 7 years old and does not speak.

Is it autism? Something more profound? And is it a willful refusal to speak, or an inability to speak? The author paints a fascinating picture of this family told from two POVs: Suzette and Hanna.

"Hanna 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. Inside, she was a kaleidoscope of racing, popping, bursting exclamations, full of wonder and question marks. Patterns swirled, and within every secret pocket she’d stashed a treasure, some stolen, some found."

Suzette stays at home with Hanna and home schools her. It soon becomes very clear that she is dealing with much than just a child with developmental disabilities. Something is very, very wrong with Hanna. But Suzette's husband is in deep denial over Hanna because all he sees is a bubbly, happy and highly intelligent child who just acts out sometimes because she can't use her words.

“She hates me sometimes."

I read this book in almost one sitting. The author does an amazing job of building tension so that I absolutely could not stop reading this very disturbing story. There is a sense of foreboding on almost every single page. This book is not for everyone but I loved the imagery, the plot and the dynamics between Suzette and Alex as a married couple and between Suzette and her daughter Hanna.

'Baby Teeth' was one of my most anticipated books of the summer. And it did not disappoint. Sometimes I felt sympathy toward Hanna because of the depth of her disabilities but mostly I was on the edge of my seat for the beautiful and selfless Suzette. And kudos to the author for shedding light on the difficulties of living with an autoimmune disease! This added an unexpected depth to this book. Zoje Stage is a new voice in fiction and I cannot wait to see what she dreams up next!

"It was hard to pour endless love into someone who wouldn’t love you back. No one could do it forever."

What an amazing debut! I absolutely loved everything about this book. The plot is unique, the characters are intriguing and the writing accomplished. It’s one of my favourites of the year and is definitely worth 5 stars. I’d strongly recommend this book.

Caution: some scenes may be particularly intense for some readers

Baby Teeth, being told in alternating perspectives, offers a unique look into this kind of story. I've heard of tales before where the motives of a child were questioned, where the sanity of a parent is weakening under the strain of care, but to get both sides of the story at the same time and judge them equally was not something I'd had the chance to read before.

It was tough to read this book at times. Hanna could be sympathetic at times. There were periods when I almost saw my own child in her, such as when she was trying to "sign" please to her mother or when she said something along the lines of how eyes could be just as good as ears if adults would just use them. Then there were the terrifying moments when she was calculating, horrifying even. The worst part was, as the book progressed, you could almost see the somewhat bizarre logic behind Hanna's choices.
Suzette was also a sympathetic character for two reasons: she has a child who she doesn't understand and she has her own background that necessitates understanding. She has Crohn's disease, discovered as a teen, and has to handle the effects of this as well as the consequences of Hanna's behaviors, not to mention the results of her own tumultuous upbringing (dead father, possibly depressed "?"/manipulative mother).

Watching these two interact, Suzette trying to be the best mother she is able and Hanna essentially waging war against her mother (in an effort to keep Daddy all to herself), was engaging but also frightening. The longer the book went on, the more wanted to know how things ended, but the more I found that things dragged on. The narrative started to lag in the last third of the book, so I think it suffered a bit there. I thought the ending was rather more satisfying than I was expecting and could actually lead to more of the story, if Zoje Stage so chose. That in and of itself is both intriguing and terrifying because of what it means for the characters in the book.

A psychological thriller for sure, this one will eat at you as you're reading and make you think about the choices you'd make in Suzette and Alex's position. It may seem black and white, but when is anything ever, especially in parenting?

I love a twisted domestic thriller. Especially one that deals with messed up kids. I absolutely loved this book and this author.

7-year-old Hanna is such a good little girl for her father. But things are much different when she’s with her mother. The little girl loves her father and feels he understands her. She wants her mother out of the way – permanently. Hanna has never spoken and though her parents have had many medical tests done, no reason for her muteness has been discovered. Hanna’s mother, Suzette, has had a hard life. Her mother was not the best to her and Suzette has vowed to do better with Hanna. Suzette has also had a lot of medical issues and the stress due to difficulties with Hanna has brought Suzette to the breaking point.

This book is labeled as a thriller and at times I thought it was spreading into the supernatural genre and/or the horror genre. But my take on the book is that the situation this family found themselves in was all too real, which made it all the more frightening. This is a shocking story and at times it felt like it couldn’t possibly happen. The battle of wits between this fragile mother and her young child was truly cringe inducing. There is a scene towards the end of the book that completely brought me to tears. The author does a fabulous job of keeping readers on an emotional seesaw. One chapter had me thinking, oh, the poor little girl, and the next chapter had me thinking oh, the poor mother. This was quite an emotional rollercoaster of an experience.

This isn’t going to be for everyone and at times I wasn’t sure it was for me but then I'd start enjoying it again. There are times when I felt like the young girl’s ability to manipulate and plan was unbelievable and I didn’t care at all for the foul language the mother used. But it certainly kept up the tension and suspense.
Apparently the book has caused quite a bit of controversy and people are talking about it – a lot – so that’s certainly a plus for it.

Recommended.