Wow! Wow! Wow! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

If you enjoy thrillers and don’t mind that the child is a psychopath you’ll love this book. The story is told from two alternating perspectives, Hanna (daughter) and Suzette (mother). Hanna views her mom as an obstacle that stands in her way of having all of daddy’s love and attention. Suzette is a mother who tries her best most days to take care of Hanna and only she sees the tricks Hanna plays. .
Be forewarned some scenes may be difficult for some to read. I literally found myself grimacing and saying “Oh my God!”

While some may say they found Suzette to not be relatable I would disagree and argue that any parent has found them self wondering if they are doing the parenting thing right. Is there something that could be done differently or better? How does a parent’s choices effect their children?

I REALLY hope there is a sequel because the ending certainly lends itself to it.

2 stars.

*

Baby Teeth is a shocking and uncomfortable novel that might have worked better with a Horror bent. The fast pace gives room to lots of terribleness that is mostly done due to shock value, while forgetting to develop the characters. The story is difficult to connect with because of that — when you don’t care about the characters, it’s hard to care about all the awful things that happen to them.

Zoje Stage’s writing is engaging. The thriller set up is mostly well done; there is a lot of tension from one chapter to the next. The shifts of POV from Suzette to Hanna flow smoothly and work very well with the overall plot, yet Alex’s obliviousness drags some interesting bits down. Still a quick and easy read.

The premise for this is really intriguing, but the execution failed me a bit. The lack of character development and Hanna’s overall behavior hit a little too hard for this to be all around enjoyable to me. Some scenes are really gripping, but there is no denying the escalating behavior from all characters in this book are done purely to shock readers.

The novel is mostly a collection of how many terrible things Hanna can do before anyone believes Suzette, and Suzette then trying to smooth it all over as it not being as terrible as it all was. There is a lot of conflicting emotions and downright bad behavior from everyone, but it falls a bit flat when the characters are two-dimensional.

Alex’s refusal to believe what is happening drags it all even more, even with this being a dysfunctional family. And when he does admit to himself that Hanna isn’t his little angel, it all seems very rushed.

In the end, Baby Teeth is just not for me. The writing is good, but the twisted behavior from Hanna seems downright unrealistic and done purely to get a reaction. This is a quick read, though, as the fast pace and shifts in POV bring it all together rather nicely. Just really not for me.

I gave this book 3 stars because I am not sure how I feel about it. It kept me reading to find out how it ended but it was a disturbing and depressing book. It left me with the feeling I had at the end of The Omen, an I’ll be back”creepy feeling. The book is about Hanna and her mother Suzette. It is never clear how old Hanna is but she has been expelled from several schools. She is mute but one doctor finally tells Suzette that “can’t talk” and “won’t talk” are two different things. Hanna loves her daddy and he sees a totally different side of her than Suzette does. I can relate a little to that because my oldest daughter did things in my presence that she didn’t do in front of daddy. But she never tried to kill me! Suzette had a lousy childhood and is trying too hard to be the perfect mom. Daddy thinks there must be something physically wrong with Hanna. She sees one doctor after another for test after test until the above mentioned doctor recommends a child psychologist. At her wit’s end Suzette finally convinces Alex to go. Hanna finally begins talking in front of Suzette only as Marie-Anne Dufosset, the last witch burned alive in France. This is when things begin taking a creepy turn and Hanna begins trying to kill Suzette in earnest.
In this book we see to the extreme that the mother-daughter relationship can be trying and the father-daughter relationship can be unhealthy without being sexual or abusive. It underscores the need to seek help early. We also see an apparently very bright little girl being given complete access to her daddy’s computer(he gave her the password and let her use it unattended.) Parents, pay attention to what your kids are watching. It also deals well with a chronic disease, Crohn’s Disease, and its effect on Suzette’s life.
I received an ARC from Netgalley and the publisher and I wish to thank them.

Not to be Missed! I myself love this book. Hanna is a sweet girl when her Daddy is around but when alone with Mommy she is a whole Another child . I do not want to give a bunch of spoilers away so this is one you will need to read for yourself if you like this type of book. I love these type of books. I would love more on little Hanna . Yes I recommend.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martins press for an ARC of Baby Teeth by Zoje Stage for an honest review.

Hands down a five ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Thriller! This book is fantastic it was creepy, and very disturbing that that seven year old Hanna dispises her mother so much that she wants her dead. She wants her daddy Alex all to herself! The story is told from both Suzette mother and daughter Hanna’s POV. I couldn’t stop reading and when I did I kept going over the book in my head. If you love a good Thriller you won’t be sorry with Baby Teeth it’s excellent and by far the best I’ve read.

This was an interesting book in that I didn't like any of the characters but still found myself rooting for Suzette anyway. Hanna was a totally unlikeable character but I guess the author wanted it that way. I was so satisfied with the ending because I had fears it was going to be different. I will recommend.

What a creepy yet satisfying book. As a mother of a child the same age as the main character this gave me extra chills.

As a parent, Suzette always questioned if she is the best parent she could be and when she noticed that her child was "different from the norm" she questioned herself even more. Her daughter Hanna is mute but clearly makes her wishes know by her behavior. She is a daddy's girl, all the way, but is a nightmare to her mother. Hanna will stop at nothing to get what she wants.

Oh, man! I loved having the two narrators, this gave me a full view of what each person saw and thought. Being inside of Hanna's head was super creepy because she justified all her actions and makes you want to cheer for her but then you realize how messed up that is. You can feel the desperation of Suzette as she fights that line of love and fear for her own child. It is so intense. The writing made me feel so attached to both of the characters.

I highly recommend this book.

I have to admit, I had a hard time with this book- it swings love/hate it very easily, and you can change your mind, many times through out the book, if you keep with it. The story is told from alternating viewpoints of both Hanna and Suzette, so the reader has a clearer picture of what is happening. Can a 7 yr old be this manipulative? Yes, indeedy! In my line of work I have seen it, but it will come as a complete shock to most readers. But unlike other books who deal with a similar dysfunction, this one doesn't seem to try to find the reason, and that's probably where most of my hate came in. I'm sure it will be the talk of the Summer, but not sure if it's for everyone.

I must admit, this book was very creepy and I almost put it down multiple times because it was so disturbing but I couldn't look away.

This book, told in alternating chapters of Hanna and her mother means you easily get wrapped up in the story and how absurd but intriguing the situation is.

Through Hanna's increasing disturbing nature and her parents struggle to understand you are led through a journey in this book, one not for the faint of heart

This book wasn't as great as I expected. The portions in the child's voice didn't correlate because of the back and forth vocabulary. Either she is beyond intelligent and using words even and avid reader doesn't on a typical day OR she thinks things like "favouritest." Also, no seven year old, no matter her intelligence, would think of at least one of the actions done during the book. It all just felt too off. As for the mother's voice, can someone explain to me why sex is always her answer?! I felt like she never loved Hanna, even if Hanna had been normal. She loved the idea of a child, but children never turn out the way you picture, and I don't think she would have been happy with what she gave up. The ending was weirdly perfect. I was worried they would try and wrap things up in a little bow, and I'm glad they didn't. Overall, the concept was interesting, but execution was lacking. Hope you all are on the edge of your seat more than I was while reading. Enjoy!

Going in, I was nervous. The premise totally reminded me of There's Something About Kevin, and I hated that book. However--- while the creepy kid was there, it was different this time because you know things are off going in. Hanna is mute, and hates her mother. She wants to kill her so that she can have her father to herself. The father seems oblivious to all of this. The mother has an chronic illness, and I genuinely felt bad for her. There's nothing supernatural here- Hanna is just a very disturbed kid. I think the realness is what's really the most troubling. I'm having some trouble wrangling my thoughts around this one- I can't say that I liked it, but I sure as heck was entertained. It skims the line of believability... and I found that I didn't care. It had my attention!

Alex can’t believe how lucky he is to have a wonderful job, a loving wife, and a perfect daughter. Suzette can’t believe nobody else has noticed that their daughter is a psychopath. Hannah can’t believe nobody else has noticed mommy is a witch. What can Suzette and Hannah do when Hannah doesn’t speak, and Alex believes she can do no wrong? As events escalate both Suzette and Hannah become more desperate to prove the other is the enemy, and Alex doesn’t know who to believe.

The first word that comes to mind when I think about this book is “primal”. It’s a primal look at the rivalry between mother and daughter, the tension of that relationship, and the development of the Electra Complex – the daughter’s rivalry with the mother for possession of her father. I don’t usually like books that alternate points of view, but it was well used in Baby Teeth to show us both Suzette and Hannah as their rivalry grew more tense and violent. That’s not to say the book is a gore-fest. It absolutely isn’t. Every act of violence is carefully planned and tastefully described. Alex and Suzette are artists, and though she may resist expressing herself Hannah can’t hide the artist in herself. It comes out in her body language and her thoughts, her acts are creative.

One thing I loved, actually, was getting to see the thought process behind everything. So much media paints psychopaths, sociopaths, and others with mental differences as pure evil. There’s not much thought behind the actions. Baby Teeth shows the connections of logic that Hannah makes to see what she sees, what makes her decide to do what she does, and while some of her reactions are taken to an extreme you can even understand why she would behave the way she did. In the end you’re left feeling sympathy and empathy for everyone, desiring to know more about what happens to this exhausted and beaten down family.

I truly hope Baby Teeth has a sequel, one that shows us how Hannah fares at her new school, how Alex and Suzette prepare to have her back, and what plans Hannah develops for her parents. This is a must read for anyone who loves true crime style books, family drama, mysteries, thrillers, or reading about troubled youth.

I just finished reading "Baby Teeth" by Zoe Stage. WOW, talk about a creepy book that stays with you! This was the first time I read a book like this. The story is about 7 year old Hannah, and her parents Alex & Suzzane. Seems ordinary enough? Nope...Hannah suffers from mutism, but finds her voice with the help of a not-so-nice friend in her head. Although her dad, Alex, is never shown that side of Hannah, she saves the creepy side for her mother. Hannah loves her dad, but has real issues with her mother. She becomes more dangerous, cannot seem to stay in any school without causing a problem.

The characters are well developed, I really enjoyed the storyline. It was very different, and I'm still shocked over the creepy level a 7 year old can achieve.

I was not happy with the ending. That's my reason for only 3 stars. Maybe it was left open for a 2nd installment of this book, but if not, I feel like the reader was left hanging with many unanswered questions.

Enjoyable read overall, I would like to thank Netgalley for the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I loved this book! Hanna is a very creepy and scary child that is an angel for dad and more of a devil for mom. I am not sure everyone will appreciate the villain being a child but that made it more interesting for me. The story goes back and forth between Hanna and the mom’s POV. Some things may have been a bit far fetched but given the story as presented to us I could understand a lot of the motivation from the parents. That being said, I am not a parent. Creepy as hell, totally engaging and awesome. I would love a sequel!

I'm going to need to sit on this a bit. Super torn about what to say, but I can say this: I didn't entirely like this book. It had potential.

Ok. After sitting for a bit, I have come to the conclusion I am just disappointed.

I went into this book thinking it was going to be great. It was a domestic thriller, which is something I love. It's psychological, which is, again, something I love. It has a child who is mute, which is something I had yet to read. Baby Teeth had the potential to hit every single mark I wanted, and need, in a thriller.

This book is super disturbing; but, if y'all know my reading tastes, disturbing is not something I shy away from. If anything, it made me want to pick up the book that much more. There were times when I honestly thought, 'wow. that is super creepy for a seven-year-old.' Then I would go give my kid a big hug! Like Hanna was just beyond creepy and disturbing. Those words don't even cover it. But mostly, she was just weird.

I was hooked for the first few chapters. I had to know what was going on. After about 40 pages, my captivity dwindled. I was no longer hooked. Boredom took over. The chapters went back and forth between Hanna (let's kill mommy) and Suzette (woe is me). (Duel POV for the win!) However, most of the information from Suzette was the backstory of her childhood, which really had no relevance to the issue at hand. The book became overloaded with weird stuff, things that did not belong.

As I got further along, I kept wondering where was the suspense? where was the thrill? Baby Teeth had none: no suspense, no thrill, no tension, no anything to make me believe this was a thriller. I became super bored and heavily debated DNF'ing the book.

But alas. I did finish it. When I closed the book after the last page, I was delighted because it was over. I definitely bought into the hype with this one, and let me tell you... It was NOT worth it.

Side note -- the title has absolutely nothing to do with the story. It's deceptive. Ughhhh.

Baby Teeth by Zoje Stage depicts a parent’s worst nightmare. It’s The Bad Seed on steroids.
Hanna is a seven year old girl who refuses to speak. Her parents are mystified and do all they can to find a cause, a treatment. Nothing works. However, there is indeed something very wrong with Hanna, something for which there is no cure.

The prose is beautifully written, smooth, and engaging. Readers will visualize the settings and might very well be able to recognize the characters if they ran into them on the street. The read is pleasant and the pacing guarantees that readers will not be skipping ahead to avoid meaningless details with only one exception. In addition, the editing is pristine. Perhaps best of all, the level of tell is low.

The point of view is third person split between two characters. The mother and daughter take turns with paired chapters. Readers get to see into the heads of the two most interesting characters. The daughter plots, and the mother tries to understand to survive. The back and forth viewpoints serve to increase interest and tension.

The plot is well structured and thought-provoking. The action begins subtly, then rises to meet multiple turning points that ultimately lead to a satisfying conclusion that includes a hint of more to come. Detailed episodes of backstory set the stage for understanding Suzette’s mind. Not only did she suffer serious health issues, but she had something less than a supportive relationship with her mother. The health conditions continue throughout the story. Understanding a character’s background challenges is important in any story, but in this instance, the time spent on backstory becomes excessive and repetitive, thus possibility distracting a reader’s concentration from the trajectory of the plot.

The only weak spot in the narrative is the character development. All three characters are hard to believe. Hanna, though interesting, is unrealistic. She is only seven, but plots with the mind of a teen. The husband is bland and is drawn as the perennial super husband and father. Except, when his wife tells him what Hanna is up to, he never ever believes her. He always betrays Suzette by taking the side of the child. Suzette is constantly blaming herself for everything and never thinks to pull out her phone to document Hanna’s aberrant behavior, as if she wants to be punished. Yet, this supposedly genteel, timid woman contradicts her persona by using foul language when referring to her physical condition and her personal relationship with her husband. It may be hard for rational readers to care about these characters.

Overall, the author’s above-average ability to paint with language will win over readers who will enjoy the novel. The ideal reader will be one who is interested in family issues.

A definite wild ride of a book creating a "can't put down" title filled with unexpected twists and turns on every page. Totally engrossed from the beginning to the end, I found myself wanting to speak with others about this book--but also wondering about the rules of parenthood, marriage and love A definite must read and thank you for allowing me to read this prior to publication.

first, big thanks to Net Galley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review.



One sentence plot summary: Hanna, the seven year old daughter of Alex and Suzette, is not as sweet as she appears.



I don't even know how I feel about this one.



On one hand, it was not boring, which is a huge plus. I don't like it when I have to force myself to read something or when I feel like it's lagging in a pretty major way, and that didn't really happen in Baby Teeth. It was horrifying and kept me turning the pages most of the time (the only piece of the plot that did kind of slow the read down was Suzette's struggle with Crohns Disease; I totally get that it was supposed to serve as character development because it showed how the neglect from her mother intensified some of her selfish tendencies. I get it. It just didn't always work and it felt like the replay of the whole fistula situation and the repetitive shit oozing from the stomach commentary were both a little dull at a certain point).



On the other hand, the characters often sucked. And I don't mean I didn't like them as people and didn't want to be friends with them--in the debate on whether fictional characters should be likable, I fall strongly on Mohsin Hamid's side of the argument (and if you don't know what argument I'm talking about, I encourage you to read this: https://www.nytimes.com/2013/09/29/books/review/are-we-too-concerned-that-characters-be-likable.html). I'm not auditioning a new best friend when I read fiction.



No, what I mean is that the characters just don't strike me as completely believable, especially Suzette and Hanna.



With Hanna, aka this chick:







it's hard to describe the way I view her character because I'm so ambivalent about Stage's creation of this tormented little soul. In one way, she's done very well. She is complicated. Her inner monologue is incredibly insightful at times and incredibly innocent at other times. This works for me as a reader because I think most young kids share this combination of behavior. Sometimes, though, it felt forced. One specific instance was when Hanna watches her parents having sex and her inner monologue is supposed to be very childlike and confused (referring to genitalia as a "thing," for example, which I doubt she would do; these parents DEFINITELY seem like the proper names for parts type of parents), but then the metaphors used to describe the sexual acts, while in Hanna's perspective, are metaphors commonly used by adults. I won't get into specifics here, but think riding, thrusting language in a seven year old's voice. Yeesh. Similarly, when Hanna tries to terrify her mother by simulating a sex act and she talks about the Devil having sex with her, the language does not sound realistic coming from a sheltered, homeschooled seven year old.



Another issue I have with this book is that it's a little problematic. Yeah, yeah, don't hate me for using Millenial speak, I'm just not sure we need another gay character described as speaking with a lilting voice or non-Neurotypical Kid in a red helmet that hits his head against the wall. Not that it doesn't happen with certain special needs, but come on. It's a bit played out.



Still, I liked reading it. It was really interesting, kept me engaged, made it hard for me to go to sleep because I wanted to see what was going to happen next. Overall, it's one to read, but I don't know that it would be on the top of my list, especially with all the really stellar stuff out there right now.



3/5

http://bibwithblog.blogspot.com/2018/06/review-of-zoje-stages-baby-teeth.html

"Baby Teeth" was a rough book to read, the content was very disturbing. A 7 year old child has decided that her mother must die and plots out various ways to kill her. In the meantime, she finds it fun to terrorize teachers and innocent children. In the beginning of the story I was intrigued by this child who chose at a young age not to speak. As I continued to read the story I found myself rolling my eyes and cringing. I felt that the author was trying too hard to shock and repulse readers. While the shock factor is high there really isn't much else to the story. The plot is - what horrible thing can Hanna do next without her parents appropriately reacting. The father was a frustrating character. No matter what his daughter did or his wife told him he still saw Hanna as sweet and innocent. The mother was also a frustrating character. She often came off as self-centered but then would be so hurt by her daughter's unhappiness. The family dynamics were odd and never fully dissected. When Hanna acts out her parents get upset, then proceed to act normal and treat her like a sweet innocent girl. I just didn't buy it. This book was more about horrifying the reader and less about the plot/characters. If you're looking for a creepy book go read Stephen King, don't bother with this book.

Because NetGalley and Goodreads gave me the ecopy for my Kindle, I finished this book. IF I had only borrowed it from a friend or check it out from a library, I would have not finished it.
This is a very disturbing book about a 7 yr. old child wanting to kill her mother. Even though I had hoped there was some "hope" for the child, I'm sorry to say that the ending doesn't give the reader much hope.