Weird, Gripping, Oddly Truthful - just a few words to described this page-turning thriller. At times, I considered not finishing this story because certain scenes, freaked me out. In the end, I am glad I did finish. This one will stay with me for awhile.

I did not care for this book. None of the characters were appealing. None of them had any redeeming qualities. Plus, Hanna was much too worldly for a 7 year old who had been never been exposed to anything besides her house and mother's care. And I didn't believe that Suzette would not at least try to record Hanna talking. I finished it to see how the author resolved the mess the characters were in but then the ending seemed to set up the novel for a sequel which was very unsatisfying.

A good read alike for The Fifth Child, We Need to Talk about Kevin, and Defending Jacob.

I want to start by saying that I think this book will be extremely divisive, it’s uncomfortable, bold and full of shocking scenarios, and very over the top. BUT, it worked really well for me and there was an originality to it, I really haven’t read anything like it before and it’s not a book I’ll soon forget.

This alternates between a mother, Suzette, a woman who desperately wants to connect to her daughter, and Hanna, a seven year old girl. While obviously I could relate more to Suzette, Hanna’s point of view was far more compelling to me. She’s a creepy little girl and I wasn’t quite sure if she was a super clever little actress, skilled in sophisticated manipulation or a child with some serious mental issues who needed professional help in the worst way. Many of her chapters were chilling, a glimpse inside the mind of a child who behaves in abhorrent ways is the type of stuff nightmares are made of!

While this was definitely a thriller it almost read like a horror novel at some points, Stage created a really creepy atmosphere in the Jensen home, one full of uneasiness and dread and undercurrents of a dark danger. She’s a gifted writer and her ability to write two distinct narratives was excellent, if you’ve read this I would LOVE to discuss it!

Baby Teeth in three words: Controversial, Twisted and Wicked.

I'm rating this 3.5 stars. For most readers, it may not be your cup of tea. You will not like any of the flawed characters. Keep in mind, this reads more like a horror novel with a touch of family dysfunction. So, if you're not ready for some Oedipus complex, this is not your book. This is a crazy whirlwind of a novel I just could not put down. It's campy, it's fun, it's extremely creepy. I felt that it could have made a really interesting short story, just not a full novel.

Suzette, mother of Hanna, tells of her fears for - and of - her precocious child. Hanna loves the way her father dotes on her, but she harbors darker feelings toward her mother, whom she sees as stealing her father's love for herself. The narrative alternates between Suzette's and Hanna's perspective. Fans of the likes of V.C. Andrews will enjoy this.

I received an advance e-book copy of this novel from Net Galley, in exchange for an honest review. I've always enjoyed books and movies about disturbed children, so I couldn't wait to get started on this one. From the moment I began, I had a difficult time putting it down. I thought the author did a great job keeping it suspenseful, and the creepiness factor was high. The only thing I struggled with were that I felt some of the thoughts and actions were a bit too advanced for Hanna's age of 7 years, despite her mental health issues. Overall, I really enjoyed the writing and thought the characters were well-developed. I found myself completely put off by Hanna, but also questioning some of the mother's actions. I feel like this book played with my mind, just like psychopaths manipulate in real life. It left me feeling thoroughly disturbed!

Great noir psychological domestic suspense title with unique spin. Author does a brilliant job covering two distinct voices which conflict each other brilliantly.

I really liked this book. It's very creepy and disturbing - so if you do not like those kinds of books, I would advise that you avoid it - but if you like creepy books, please read this! I also have to say that a small positive of it for me was that there was a speech therapist who appeared in it, and they got the aspects of that right, even if the speech therapist was only a small character. I found the alternating viewpoints between Suzette (the mother) and Hanna (the daughter) enlightening - I think that this is a book that needs to show the multiple perspectives because otherwise the story would not feel as full as it did. Hanna's father and Suzette's husband, Alex, is mostly oblivious to everything that is going on - something that allows his daughter to continue to torture her mother, and makes him not believe his wife fully when she is trying to tell him just what Hanna is doing. I am fascinated by this sort of subject, and I think that Zoje Stage did a very good job with her research. If you like this book, I would also recommend My Sister Rosa.

This book was good, though parts of its conclusion were not my favorite, but I fully plan on buying this when it is released!

Thank you so much to NetGalley for providing me with an ARC!

What a sinister tale. I agree with other reviewers who put this in the horror rather than thriller category. Baby Teeth is quite simply the Electra Complex fleshed out, with a power struggle between a disturbed/disturbing child and her weak, conventional and somewhat shallow mother. Add in the oblivious father, whose chief contribution to the family culture is denial, and the result is a stew of interlocking neuroses. Yet there wasn't enough depth for me to call it a psychological thriller -- just an ominous, unsettling story.

The premise is that a very bright, nonverbal-by-choice young girl wages a rivalry with her mother (who lives with serious health issues) for her father's attention, affection and love. Actual mayhem ensues. If you need a life-affirming thread in your fiction, I'd avoid this. If you like to be creeped out, go for it. (I received an ARC from NetGalley.)

Really, really disliked this book. Interesting premise but entirely way too creepy..

Hannah is 7 years old, non verbal but very very smart.
She loves her Dad and would love nothing more to spend all her time and energy with him but there's one problem: Her mom is constantly getting in her way. Hannah begins to become creative and resourceful in her plans to ger rid of Mommy so she will have her Daddy all to herself.

This book was insane!!! Creepy physcopathic kid who is getting increasingly sinister and violent with her stay at home mom and keeps getting kicked out of schools. Her poor mother is at her wits end trying to deal with Hannah while also battling a chronic illness that worsens with stress and leaves her exhausted. Hannah torments her all day with her bad behavior then puts on her best good girl act for when Daddy is home so its hard for him to believe that his little girl is acting out. Its a book about a little psycho in the making and the denial, frustration and suffering that comes along with trying to raise her.
I devoured this book in a day in a half because I couldnt get enough of how uncomfortable it made me feel. I love that this book was able to get under my skin and make me feel the horror that poor Suzette was feeling. I could imagine myself in her shoes and it made it all the more intruging, albeit unsettling.
This was a pretty good psychological thriller that I would definately recommend.
Thanks to the publishers for getting me a free copy in exchange for my honest opinion. I really loved it!

I’m not going to lie. This book made me a little scared of my daughter when she came to my room one night that I was reading this and wouldn’t talk to me. She just stared at me. I thought I might not be able to read this book of its going to creep me out this much.

Hanna is a 7-year-old mute that has dark thoughts about wanting her mom gone... for good. She has only loving thoughts for her dad and wants him to herself. I won’t go into the whole synopsis of the book- you can read that in the description. The author did a great job of making you fear a little girl. Think “The Good Son” movie. It’s more than just a creepy book though. Hanna’s mom, Suzette, faces the every day internal struggles of parenting. What am I doing wrong? Did I not do enough of this or too much of that while she was a baby and a toddler? Constant worries of not doing the right thing for your kid as a parent. I think any parent can relate to that feeling of failure. I feel her isolation, but sometimes Suzette’s thoughts are a little out there too - provoked or not. Overall, it’s a great book but won’t cater to everyone’s taste.

CLIFFHANGER!!

I am not a fan of cliffhangers, and this is a BIG one. If, indeed, this is the true end? I should have taken off another star. Speaking of the rating, I was truly torn between 5 Stars and a DNF. I almost quit reading several times, then a sentence or paragraph would pull me back into the story.

Why was I so torn? Suzette. I had such a hard time liking her. Having a sister with Crohn’s Disease, I had sympathy, but it only goes so far. With her self-absorbed worry about her own health, which was understandable, she should have never gone through pregnancy, and raising a perfectly healthy child would have been difficult.

Hanna, was several degrees past difficult. She won’t speak, although she can. She is willfully silent. She’s also mean as a snake and hates her mother. The only one she loves is her daddy, and she wants him to herself. This child is a total mess. She needs help. I didn’t hold anything against her.

As mush as I disliked Suzette, I disliked “daddy” even more. While Hanna wouldn’t speak, “daddy” refused to see or hear anything negative about his precious daughter, ignoring the obvious stress turning his home into a war zone. He could have made things better long before they spiraled out of control, he chose not to.

To be fair and honest, this book is brilliantly written. Even when I was to the point of thinking I couldn’t stand another page of this distraut family, the author drew me right back in. That’s talent. I DO NOT hesitate to close a book that I really don’t like. I have no doubt that there are readers and reviewers who will give this book 5 Stars with enthusiasm, and others who will close it and walk away and never finish the story. This is a sensitive and controversial topic. I think it was handled well without trying to ignore the real possibilities, the danger that exist with a violent child.

WARNING!! If you have a special needs child, you might find this book too disturbing.

2shay

ARC graciously provided by St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for an honest and voluntary review.

this was a good read. Not my absolute favorite, but overall decent

Talk about birth control!

This book is about Suzette and Hanna, mother and daughter who both aren't having the family experience they envisioned. Suzette suffers from Crohn's disease and still remembers the challenges that brought, along with a mother who often felt unloving and left Suzette wanting to give her daughter more. Hanna, however, hasn't proved to want what Suzette wants to give. Hanna hasn't spoken, and at 7 years old still refuses to do so. There's nothing wrong with her - so the doctors say - but Hanna still won't do it. She causes trouble at school so she's been kicked out, and Suzette can barely deal with her days of torture with Hanna. Alex - husband and father - has no idea about these inner workings of the relationship between the two. He comes home to an angelic Hanna, not the one who makes Suzette's life a misery.

The novel switches between Suzette's POV and Hanna's POV, giving insight into Hanna's thoughts. It was a great way to build up her character, since there is no dialogue between her and anyone else. It was also interesting to read about a child who just blatantly wants her mom out of the picture - at whatever cost. It freaked me out and intrigued me all in one.

There were some slow parts in the book, where the action was building but not much was happening. I would have liked some of it to move faster, but overall I did enjoy this book.

https://www.goodreads.com/review/list/6854277-lori?shelf=read

Will review on Amazon on pub date.

Oh my gosh!! So creepy. I read it in two days, couldn't put it down!! I have never read another book like it and was very intrigued. I just kept thinking, what would I do in this situation?! You never know what your child will turn out to be and this book plays on that very well. The author did a fantastic job of pulling the reader in and getting them hooked! You get so excited to get to Hannah's part and see what is next. My only complaint: there waa definitively some usless babble going on. I skipped paragraphs at a time that didn't seem pertinent. She distinguished her illness and her relationship with her mother while but then kept going on and on about it. Regardless, I would definitely recommend this book, in fact...I already have!

I received a copy of this book thanks to the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thanks for the opportunity!

“Baby Teeth” follows the lives of Suzette, Alex, and their daughter Hanna. The book is split into two perspectives: Suzette’s and Hanna’s. With Suzette’s chapters, we learn about the relationship between Suzette and her daughter. With Hanna’s chapters, we see the inner workings of Hanna’s mind, uncovering her desires and plans.

Wow.

“Baby Teeth” was one of the most disturbing books I have read in a long time. Any time an author uses a child to instill fear, the effect is magnified because we know that children are supposed to be innocents. In this case, it’s clear than Hanna is remarkably intelligent, manipulative and dangerous. She’s the anti-child. Through much of the novel, Suzette is reluctant to accept the depth of her child’s depravity, which leaves her open to more torment. Alex is in denial, and Hanna manipulates him at every opportunity. It’s truly frightening to think that a child could be capable of such horrors.

As the book progressed, it became even more apparent that Hanna was going to kill her mother if no one intervened. I was captivated by the dynamics within the family, and I was amazed by how far the story went. When I eventually arrived at the ending, I was left feeling fearful for the future of this family. The threat of future violence and manipulation was tangible.

Zoje Stage truly delivered. I appreciated the author’s treatment of Suzette in respect to her Crohn’s disease. I always enjoy meeting characters that have real-life problems, so getting to know Suzette through her medical pains added an edge to the story, and it also made her a more sympathetic character. Additionally, Stage’s writing drew me in and made me feel fearful and anxious. I loved that she told the story with alternating perspectives that allowed us to really understand the depths of what was happening in this family. For lovers of dark dramas, “Baby Teeth” will satisfy.

For some reason I had a very hard time becoming interested in this book, truth be told I didn't even finish it. The young girl almost scared me a bit honestly. The one positive is that there are very intense characters and you could really go down a rabbit hole trying to figure out what is going on inside of these character's heads. Unfortunately it was just a bit too odd for me and i did not finish. I was not able to connect with the characters and that is one of my biggest reasons why I love books so much, to connect.