I was given a free ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Wow! This book scared the crap out of me! I don't usually get literally scared from reading books but this one did it for me. This is the story of a little girl, Hanna, and her parents. Hanna loves her Daddy. She's his little angel. But when Daddy isn't around Hanna is completely different for her Mom. It amazed me how clever and dark little Hanna is. I would definitely recommend this book.

I did not enjoy this book. I had a hard time believing a child could be that cold and calculating. The mother was too self absorbed.

Bone chilling! When evil comes from an unexpected source it is always scarier, and this novel gets a ton of mileage out of that concept. Suspend your disbelief and plunge into this one with both feet. Some situations are a bit absurd, but overall it's a very enjoyable read.

This was an exciting book with a great premise. Seven year old girl who is mute, loves her father and plotting to kill her mother. I think the author did a great job delving into the thought process of someone who is mentally ill as well as their caregivers. Yes it’s a thriller, but it’s also very realistic. Great character development. I just with there was more. More education about why Hanna was so driven, more on her early development, more on the treatment process. I don’t know if the author purposely left the story open for a sequel, but I was so angry at the ending! I feel there is so much more story to tell!

I LOVE reading about evil children. Why? I don't know. I think they're probably the creepiest around. And there's the argument between nurture versus nature and no one ever really knows for sure as arguments to both make sense ... some of the time. I used to SCOUR true crime and the kids section were always the most fascinating to me. So when presented with this book, YES PLEASE!

Have you ever seen the movies Bad Seed and the Good Son? No? You should! Especially if you like stories such as these. Meet Hanna - phew, this precocious 7 year old is SMART, DEVIOUS, MANIPULATIVE and MUTE. As this book goes back and forth between her mind and the mind of her mother, Suzette, we really get right into the psychology of Hanna's mind and how she sees the world and it is FASCINATING.

Now, I'll admit, I was a bit into the book and was hemming and hawing. Like, ok, she's evil clearly, but when is she going to really do something BAD? I was a bit bored and .. just... waiting for it. Like, DO SOMETHING already. I could see what the author was doing though - building her mental state and her progression as her ideas and plans become more and more convoluted. So when I put aside the want of more action on her part, I found the psychological aspect intriguing and needed to know what was going to happen.

I can see this being a bit divisive in readers. As someone who loves the psychological mind, I appreciated where the author took this at the end and how the parents reacted. Not being a parent myself (and certainly not wanting to be after this read....), I can only imagine how hard it is to deal with loving your child simultaneously while being afraid of her.

This dark thriller is a page-turner. Suzette is a stay-at-home mother trying to connect with her mute daughter, Hanna. Initially, it seems that Hanna prefers her father, and perhaps Suzette is merely overreacting to a naturally mischievous child who behaves better for her preferred parent. However, as the story progresses and Hanna's manipulation of her parents becomes more apparent, it is clear that there is a darkness to her. Will her father Alex ever see the Hanna that Suzette has to live with day after day? How far will Hanna go to get what she wants?
The characters are fleshed out, and although the reader can benefit from having the whole story they can also see the dysfunctional reasoning behind Hanna's actions. Suzette's self-doubt is affected by the fact that she alone sees Hanna's different personalities, and as a parent she cannot merely walk away from the broken relationship she has with her daughter. The complicated psychological factors of the story are compelling and intriguing, and I think the author handles them with enough sensitivity that it does not come across as an indictment of all people with maladaptive personalities or other disorders.

It's not my usual genre but I was curious to try something out of my comfort zone, I've read mixed reviews, sadly I only managed one chapter I just couldn't connect with this book. I found the characters unlikable and just couldn't connect with the characters, thank you to netgalley for my copy in exchange for my honest opinions,

If you liked We Need to Talk About Kevin but thought, “gee, I wish I could be inside this kid’s head,” this book is perfect for you. It really freaked me out in the best possible way.

Hanna is not your typical seven year old girl. She does not speak but can write notes in French, Swedish, and very colorful English, can imagine creating a friend that lives under her bed, is home-schooled by her mother, and is completely devoted to her daddy, so much so that she wants to get rid of mommy. By any means necessary.

I really did not know what I was getting myself into when I started reading this novel. At first I thought it might be a story about a family's struggles to understand their daughter's behavior, but as Hanna's behavior became more creepy, more sinister, more manipulative, and downright violent, the tension tightened, and I could not stop reading. Maybe it is because I have my own little mischievous daughter that I was so wrapped up in this story (hopefully mine does not grow up to be anything close to Hanna.) I also found the mother, Suzanne, interesting because she has Crohn's disease, and this is not something that I have experienced in a main character. Stage does a really good job depicting the battles a person with Crohn's fights on a daily basis, and I think that for this angle alone, "Baby Teeth" is worthy of a wider amount of attention. I wouldn't wish Crohn's disease on my worst enemy, and I find it refreshing that a main character has something that not everyone knows about and Stage uses her novel really as a way to educate people while telling a tense, thrilling story. This will be the novel that I recommend to everyone this year.

I received an ARC of this novel from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review. I will however be picking up a hard copy for my personal collection.

*I received this book from NetGally in exchange for an honest review.

Holy Moly! Stage writes a gripping psychological thriller that will leave you wondering “Is this really happening??” Seven year old Hanna, to her father (Alex), seems to be a normal mischievous little girl. To her mother (Suzette), she’s anything but. Go out and get this book! I thought I could see what the twist was, but Stage had me fooled in the best way! You won’t be disappointed if you like mystery, horror, thrillers, or fast reads! It even has a touch of romance-esque between Suzette (the mom) and her husband Alex.

Your child doesn't talk. She won't talk to you or anyone else. Until the day she does....and it's terrifying. Would you rather you child remain silent or tell you she's possessed? This book was slightly creepy in a very good way!

Thank you Netgalley for the opportunity to read Baby Teetch by Zoje Stage. This book is an introspective look at mother/daughter dynamics at an early stage of a child's life. But this takes it to a new level - is Suzette's child a little demon or just the normal actings out of a child.. The child, Hanna, loves her Daddy and he only see the lovely child he and his wife have brought into the world.
BUT>>>>things are not likely to be as they seem to Daddy, and Suzette believes Hanna is just not normal and maybe EVIL. What's a mother to do.
Good read.

I really thought this book would be right up my alley and that I would fall in love and recommend it to all my "weird" friends. Boy was I wrong.

This "physiological" thriller is about a highly dysfunctional family and their disturbing child named Hanna. Hanna acts like an angel around her father, leading him to believe there is nothing wrong mentally or emotionally with his daughter. Hanna's behavior, when around her mother, is another story.

Suzette, Hanna's mom, is homeschooling her daughter while also dealing with her own health issues. She is also the target of Hanna's disturbing mental issues that cause bad behaviors, mostly aimed at her mother.

This story is told in the alternating perspectives of Hanna and Suzette. As a reader it was interesting to get into the mind of each character.

This book seemed to be more about "shock value" in the actions and thought of a deranged Hanna than about character building. Hanna is 7 years old but acts like a much older child, which I just couldn't believe. I was also very appalled at the way Suzette spoke to her child. As a special needs mother myself, I can't imagine saying such things to my son. The lack of connection between Suzette and her husband on "what is wrong" with Hannah was also a stretch. Two parents living in the same house raising a child cannot possibly be that disconnected in how they view the child's behaviors and needs.

Overall this book was a bust for me. From other reviews I have seen, there seems to be a mixed consensus of how readers felt about the book. While I appreciate the "hard topic" nature of the book, I just found it all so unbelievable I couldn't full immerse myself in the story being told. Very quickly I ended up hating every single character and simply read to see how it ends.

"Baby Teeth" is due to be released July 17, 2018 here in the USA. Pre-order it now if the premise sounds like a book you'd like. I am interested to see what everyone thinks, as I said before there have been such mixed reviews!

Thanks to Netgalley and St Martin's Press for allowing me the egalley to read and give my honest review.

This was a 2 star read for me.

Happy Reading!

I liked the plot twist , I was trying to finish the book in my own mind . Trying to come up with all the wicked and devious ways she would be able to get rid on mommy. Then the story abruptly ends , so it's unclear if we will seeing a second book continuing the story line . Or if it's just a big fail, stay tuned ?

Suzette's seven year old daughter Hannah can't (or won't) speak. Suzette has brought her to doctor after doctor to find out if there is something physically wrong that is preventing her from speaking. Hannah adores her daddy, but hates her mother and only Suzette sees this side of Hannah. Hannah, in fact, wants to kill mommy so she and daddy can be together, just the two of them. The book alternates from Suzette's to Hannah's perspective as we see the tension and battle building between the two of them. Deliciously creepy!

If your worst fear is your child turning on you, you might find your pulse skyrocketing reading this book. I almost had a struggle picking it back up any time I was forced to put it down. The plotline is just that intense! Very cool read that chilled me to the bone.

I can definitely picture this in many beach bags over the summer. A new thriller writer to watch for sure!

To be honest, I’ve been in a little of a reading slump. I’ve read a fair amount of books, but they’ve all hovered between the 2.5-3 star range. I enjoyed them, but nothing to write home about. I am so happy to say that I’ve broken the rut.

Holy CRAP, this book.

The 411: Alex, Suzette, and their daughter, Hanna, live a normal, domestic suburban life. Hanna has selective mutism, but uses her few words to scare the living daylights out of her mother, who is convinced that Hanna is out to get her. And, spoiler alert, she is. Hanna goes out of her way to ruin her mother’s life and undermine her, all the while remaining the image of absolute innocence with her father. And Alex doesn’t believe Suzette that Hanna is a little different.

This book alternates perspectives between Suzette and Hanna. Hanna’s chapters are chilling and creepy and there were several times where I actually said out loud, “What the fuck?!?!” Suzette’s chapter are equally hard to read but in a completely different way. Suzette is a mother just desperately trying to connect with her daughter. And her daughter is a budding psychopath.

Feels very Rosemary’s Baby, right? Well, here’s the thing. Hanna’s not possessed. She’s just a sadistic kid. And quite honestly, that makes it even the more scarier for me. At the moment, I have no interest in kids, and quite frankly, I’ve never been the biggest fan of kids. Especially babies. But thanks to Damien and now, Hanna, I am more than happy to prolong the time before I am a mother. Because this book encapsulates one of my worst nightmares: What if I’m not a bad parent, but my kid just doesn’t like me?

This is going to a polarizing book, I can feel it. It’s going to be a 5-star or a 1-star read for you. I’m a horror junkie, so I highly enjoyed this book. My knowledge of psychopathy ended in freshman year Psychology I in college, but Hanna’s thought-process seemed very realistic and well-researched to me. I would definitely categorize BABY TEETH as a horror novel. And it’s hands down the best horror novel I’ve read in a long time. Thank you for the nightmares, Zoje. Dark and twisty just like I like it.

MY RATING: ✰✰✰✰1/2
RECOMMENDED FOR: fans of Nick Cutter and Stephen King

Thank you St. Martin’s Press for my e-galley! Baby Teeth is available July 12.

Spine tingling , creepy book! That book was great!!!! You have a beautiful, perfect daughter or so it seems? This is the story of little psychopath Hannah the is the apple of her daddy's eye or is Suzette a very jealous mom? You have to read to find out . SOOOO different then anything I have read in awhile and it kept me reading into the night. I will definitely keep watch for anything this author writes in the future. LOVED!

Wow.

I found myself genuinely enjoying this book. What a fantastic debut book for Zoje Stage! The main characters were written incredibly well and the depth that Zoje went into was great. You truly understood each main character's feelings and thoughts. You were also given insight into both Suzette's and Alex's backgrounds. (I love the Swedish influence!) Not to mention, the suspense is wonderfully written with what I felt was the right amount information given. The time line that the book covered made complete sense as did all of the character's actions. Lastly, the entire plot was nerve-wrackingly believable. Like, chills down your spine and goosebumps on your skin believable. More than once I found myself inching towards the edge of my seat and unable to put the book down. In fact, every spare moment I had at work I would pick the book up to read more.

As a mom, I honestly began to understand and relate to the paranoia that Suzette felt. This is even though my sweet son is absolutely nothing like Hanna! To have a child so intent on harming you or removing you from the picture is rather frightening. Suzette's feelings, of both wanting to be rid of her daughter and do all she could for her, were what I would have felt as well in that situation.

I feel that Zoje did amazing research into mental health and psychiatry and put just enough into the book to give the reader good information on that specific situation. I think that readers will either love this book, or not. I definitely do and I really look forward to reading more books by this author!