I enjoyed reading this, but I didn't want to enjoy it, if that makes sense. The little girl was definitely creepy and I had to find out what was going to happen next, but I also felt bad for enjoying something that seemed written just for shock value. This wasn't an examination of how society should handle sociopaths or mentally ill children but rather just a novel full of awful events. I almost felt guilty for wanting to keep reading. It was definitely well written; there were no problems with the book there. I think this is more of just a personal hang-up than an issue with the actual book.

Thank you to NetGalley for an advance copy of this book.

This book is, well, interesting to say the very least. As you can read in the blurb, this book is about a seven year old girl who is plotting to kill her mother. I did think this book was very well-written however Hanna’s voice didn’t really ring all that true for a 7 year old- she sounded much older. I agree with a lot of other reviewers that the story would have worked a lot better had Hanna been a bit older.

Also, this story requires some suspension of disbelief. The parents really waited this long to seek psychiatric care for Hanna? The father really didn’t ever believe what his wife said? It was a good story and a page turner but not my favorite.

Unfortunately, this ended up being a DNF at 45%, and I never DNF. The writing was brilliantly done, but the subject matter was just not something that I was comfortable reading, especially since I have a 7-year-old daughter of my own. The subject matter was just much more unsettling and horrifying than I anticipated. I do believe as an English Lit professor who has taught creative writing and writing fiction that Zoje Stage has a tremendous talent and will do very well with this book and in the future...I'm likely in the minority with my opinion.

As always, thank you St. Martin's Press for allowing me an ARC in exchange for my fair and honest opinions.

Hanna is a sweet, bubbly girl, but only in the eyes of her father. Her mother, Suzette, sees how Hanna acts all the time. Suzette sees how manipulative her daughter could be and just how problematic things could be for their family.

Baby Teeth is told from two POVs, Hanna's and Suzette's. Throughout Hanna's, we get to see her thought process which was interesting and terrifying at the same time. However, while her POV was my preferred POV, I do think some of the thrill was taken away by getting her thought process. Too much was revealed during her parts that left Suzette's parts a little dull.

Okay, not a little dull. Suzette's parts were just dull. Her POV was not fun and there were some that were really a struggle to get through.

I was also disappointed with the ending. I felt the story was building up to this ending and then there was a climax (not a good one in my opinion) and then there was still a good portion of the book that really caused it to plateau which because left me feeling that this was building up and then left me with absolutely nothing.

Thank you, NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC of this in exchange for an honest review. Unfortunately, this one was not for me.

This story is disturbing and intentionally so--it's written like a horror movie. There's pleasure in the thrill of it, but because of that this book won't suit everyone. Hanna is a little girl who loves her Daddy, and hates her Mother. After Hanna has to be homeschooled, everything unravels from there...

The manipulation Hanna displays over both of her parents is frightening. As the plot unfolds, Hanna gets more and more manipulative, Suzette fears for her life (rightfully so), and Alex aka Daddy is clueless (albeit due to his own ignorance). Perhaps there's some authorial manipulation towards the end as the reader is primed to feel more sympathetic towards Hanna. I was hoping for a little more redemption, for the whole family, not just Hanna, in the end.

It's a tense read, well-written, but just awful subject matter.

Many thanks for the opportunity to read and review this book early.

Thank you NetGalley for this ARC.

This book was really creepy... I thought that I had problems with my kids... nope.. nothing compared to this. People are right ... you cannot put this book down.. I wanted to finish it because I wanted to know where this was going. But the thought process for a seven year old is disturbing. The way that she described as intimate act between 2 people was again disturbing.

The characters were superficial, the story line was alright. but again... it is a page turner.

The first word that comes to mind when I think of this book is CREEPY! Told from alternating points of view, the reader gets insights into Hanna’s mental illness and her mother, Suzette’s, frustration with Hanna and she becomes more and more disturbed.

Hanna wants mommy Suzette out of the way so that she can have daddy Alex all to herself. On the surface, it seems like a normal childhood phase, but Hanna is much more intelligent than she lets on. She researches, schemes, and does whatever she can to get her mother out of the picture, but only when they’re alone. Alex (and everyone else) can’t figure out who the crazy one is!

The reason I found this book to be so creepy is that there are so many illnesses that can remain untreated and put people in danger. Both Suzette and Hanna have experiencedfirst-hand what untreated illness can do to the body and the mind, and when something is happening so deep inside, how hard to you have to work to make sure others know you’re truly suffering? What happens when no one believes you?

So this book is very creepy not in a scary creepy but as in a mind messing way. Hannah is one smart little 7 year old girl. She is also very manipulative and doesn't speak. This child makes me glad I never had children. Suzette I would say also needs help with a therapist. This book is hard to describe without giving so much away. I would say that Alex and Suzette are both selfish people though maybe not to the outside world. Hannah needs to be locked away for all time. I really am interested to see if there will be another book after this one. This book leaves you wanting so much more of this story.

This was OK - pretty predictable and I feel like the story line has been done many times before.

Baby Teeth had a good premise and some good spooky moments but I found that wanted it to be more consistently scarier/creepier with more thrills and chills. I also had a hard time liking all of the main characters--both parents & the 'evil' child. In fact, I wanted to smack all of them most of the time.

The story did keep me intrigued however and it kept turning the pages, I do love books featuring evil or creepy children, and Hanna is certainly creepy and a good example of a bad seed. I liked the way it ended too, so overall it's a like and I'd read more from this author.

This novel is described as a thriller. I think it would be better categorized as horror. It’s told from the point of view of an exasperated stay-at-home mom, Suzette, and her seven-year=old daughter, Hannah. Hannah refuses to speak. When Dad is home, she is smiley and delightful. When he’s at work, she does her best to make her mom’s life a living hell. When Suzette tries to enroll her first in preschool, then kindergarten, then first grade, Hannah snarls at teachers and starts fires and hurts other children. Suzette has no choice but to do her best to home school her. She has battled debilitating health issues of her own since high school and having this out-of-control child is not helping her physical or mental health.

This is not a fun read. It’s gripping, but it’s really hard for me to imagine a child who hates her mother so much. I’ve read stories of kids who are physically and emotionally abused by a parent, and still the kid professes love for his or her parent. So to have a child so young purposely trying to do anything she can to destroy a non-abusive mother is extremely foreign to me.

This book is well written. It’s a tense, disturbing read. So, if you’re in the mood for that, you might enjoy this.
Thanks so much to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the opportunity to review this novel, which RELEASES JULY 17, 2018.

Probably one of the CREEPIEST WTFruit books I have read in years...
There is definite cause to pause and ponder nature verses nurture in helping a child to grow.
Suzette is an adoring wife and mother who also lives with an autoimmune disorder. Alex is her workaholic husband who is blind to what their 7 year old daughter Hanna is doing. How do you explain to your husband your daughter who will not talk is slowly tearing you apart? How as a husband do you NOT try to see and understand more? How as a daughter can you play your parents like that? Soo many questions and soo many creepy weird moments. I

Baby Teeth by Zoje Stage is one of the most magical books I've read in a long time. The author's ability to look at ordinary things in an everyday world with imagination, and from the perspective of a little girl locked in her inner world of elective mutism, is breathtaking. Have you ever wondered what someone was thinking? Be careful what you wish for! The secret life of Hanna, a precocious and seemingly sweet little girl to everyone but her mom and her teachers, is told through chapters that switch between her mother's fearful misgivings, and Hanna's inner dialogue. Without giving away too much, we see Hanna's dad thoroughly manipulated by Hanna as he becomes almost a co-conspirator in what Hanna has planned next. Because the little girl can't (or won't) talk, her thoughts are open to interpretation. Without a doubt, if I was Hanna's mom I would sleep with the lights on and the door firmly locked.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press for the free review copy of this novel. All opinions are my own. 

This book was creepy. It was beyond creepy, and I was perfectly okay with that. I am a huge fan of thrillers, horror, and suspense, so this book was right up my alley. It gave off Orphan vibes but was even more disturbing than that movie. 

Hanna is a scary child. The way in which she thinks and her intelligence makes her much more dangerous than the average child. She knows how to manipulate and connive. Her character left me terrified for Suzette during the entire novel. I also hated (in the best way) how she knew she could pit her parents against each other. 

I am fascinated by children that are different than their average counter parts, and this novel delivered. I enjoyed the entire story and how creepy it was. I don't think I'll stop thinking about this for a while to come. 

I hope you'll consider checking this out on July, 17, when it releases. I do recommend this for people who love horror movies and are use to the content that is in them (language, sexual scenes, violence).

First, let’s talk about Hanna. Seven years old, thinks the sun shines out of her daddy, wants to kill her mommy so she and her daddy can live happily ever after, and has summoned a seventeenth century witch to help with the process.

Suzette. Suffering from Crohn’s disease, has had several surgeries and horrible aftereffects, and is the target of Hanna’s psychopathic behaviors. Very insecure because of her upbringing and her illness, and wants the world to see her as a good mother.

Alex. Loves his “lilla gumman,” but is troubled that Hanna won’t talk. Thinks Suzette is over-reacting to Hanna’s actions because he only sees the sweet Hanna who adores him. Doesn’t believe what’s happening until Hanna makes a blatant homicidal attempt at Suzette.

Hanna is smart, no question. She sabotages every school she’s been sent to, she barks like a dog, she manipulates nearly every situation, and she actively hurts others, with everything leading towards her goal of being able to stay at home with Daddy. Even though she’s selectively non-verbal, she manages to communicate quite well about her likes and dislikes, and her active hatred of Suzette. Alex and Suzette have tried almost everything to get Hanna the help she needs, and she always ends up back at home, tormenting Suzette in one way or another.

This is an interesting story, not scary in the horror sense, but definitely creepy. If you believe seven year olds can be full blown psychopaths, this is a story for you. Otherwise, suspend your disbelief and prepare to be horrified by Hanna’s intelligence and determination to get exactly what she wants from her frightened parents.

4.5 stars.

This debut novel is a story is told in alternating POV chapters switching between mother Suzette and daughter Hanna. After finishing this book, I'm excited to see what the author will come out with next.

The story is so intriguing and gripping- I devoured this book! I had to constantly resist the urge to peek at my kindle while at work, and by peek, I mean read the rest of the book. Hanna is so creepy, and I kept wanting to know and simultaneously dreading what new scheme she would cook up next for her poor mother. It was really disturbing reading the Hanna chapters and seeing the language and disturbing things she would imagine. There were a few times where I felt a bit bad for her and wondered whether Suzette was an unreliable narrator, and I don't want to spoil anything, so that's all I'll say about that. The book is fast-paced; I never got bored and was always curious to find out what would happen next. A real page-turner!

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC!

My oh my! What have we here?! To say this book was creepy is an understatement! This is an unusual psychological suspense story like I've never read before. Kudos to author, Zoje Stage, for tackling a complicated psychological concept and having the creative imagination to turn it into an exciting, page turning, looking over your shoulder and under the bed, story.

When your very young child turns from happy – normal, into a non-verbal, mean child . . . . who only acts out against one parent, while appearing to be loving and innocent to the other parent. . .
Is she really vindictive and evil? , is she possessed? – or are you losing your mind?

This book will keep you turning pages, keep you guessing AND keep you worried for the parents safety and sanity.

Move over Chucky and Annabelle, Baby Teeth is here!

Recommended for 18 years old and older. (maybe mature 16 year old).
(This book is NOT rated G or PG)


Thank you to the author, Zoje Stage, for allowing me to read this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This was a disturbing book about a troubled child. With a family that looked perfect from the outside.

Some things I found interesting, especially the parents. First of all, I know the whole premise of this book feeds on a mother's innate fears- is she a bad parent, does her child not love her as much, are people judging her? This child obviously has some issues. The family dynamic looking closer is odd to me, too, though. They never have visitors, they are pretty isolated. The husband chooses to be blissfully unaware, the wife struggles with her own mental health.

Some moments were more suspenseful or even shocking than others. I do wish the ending were a little something more. But overall, an enjoyable read.

Creepy, psychological thriller about a 7 year girl who loves her daddy; a little too much. And hates her mommy. She wants mommy gone; so she can have daddy all to herself and grow up to marry daddy. The novel is a back and forth tug of war between the Suzette & Hanna; fighting for the attention and love of Alex (the father). Hanna is a perfect little angel whenever Alex is around; making Suzette look crazy and paranoid.
When everything finally comes a head; Alex finally is forced to see what he has been denying all along and see what Suzette has been living for the past few years.
Some of the content in the novel is a little disturbing and even far fetched. To think that a 7 year could think and act that way; be that evil; manipulative and be filled with so much hatred.
Overall it was a fast paced; good read.

Thank you to the publisher & net galley in exchange for a fair review.

Anyone who has ever tangled with a willful child will immediately understand the struggles in this book.  Suzette, the mother, is a perfectionist who maintains a spotless house and strict rules.  Hanna, her child, hates her mother's discipline.  The two of them lock horns constantly.  This would be nothing new - after all, pretty much every parent/child relationship involves a power struggle at times - but Hanna is a psychopath.  Even at age seven, she's plotting to destroy her mother.  As in, completely destroy.

I'll be up front on why I'm only giving this book only two stars.  Although I found the story gripping and the character of Suzette compelling and sympathetic, Hanna was sexualized in such a profound way that I stopped reading and very nearly put the book aside for good.  I understood that she was a bizarre and, honestly, evil child.  I also realize that she was smart beyond her years.  However, she was a child.  Not only was the scene lascivious, it was also completely unnecessary.  The story would have been just fine without it.  I don't like gratuitous sex scenes; especially when children are involved.

I also didn't like the ending.  Although there is an explosive scene between mother and daughter, the climax happens about three-quarters of the way in.  That leaves the final quarter of the book with nothing much happening.  I suppose the very end of the book could be considered a twist.  Or, it could be leading up to a sequel.  In either case, I lost interest in reading and, once again, nearly put it down.

The great cover on this book along with the intriguing blurb made me anxious to read it.  Unfortunately, I walked away with a bad taste in my mouth.