Never before have I read such a gripping, psychological thriller centered on a young psychopath.

Brilliant literary execution.

The Electra complex on Steroids! Seven year old Hanna, mute by choice, wants her mommy, Suzette, to disappear or better yet,be dead. She wants daddy, Alex, all for herself. Alex is unobservant and oblivious to the family dynamics. He sees nothing at all wrong with his sweet little baby girl.
The intriguing , yet disturbing story unfolds in alternating narratives of Hanna and Suzette - much of the story takes place in the internal musings of both. We learn of Suzette's developmental bonding issues with her own mother, as well as her continuous battles to deal with the ravages of crohn's disease. She gives up a great deal of autonomy to stay home to nurture and home school her child.
Hanna is continually plotting to get rid of mommy. In her nonchalant narrative... she reveals her innermost callous and unremorseful face , as well as her delusional interpretations of actions around her.
Hanna observes a group of peacocks strutting around. She considers them very arrogant and wants to wrap her fist around their delicate necks and squeeze . She wonders if their heads would crack open like an egg. One of her many attempts at making mommy "disappear" involved placing as slew of tacks next to her bed while she was asleep. Hanna then made a loud ruckus outside her door.... the plan was for mommy to suddenly awake in a startled condition and jump up quickly while impaling herself on the tacks .... "she would then burst into the room and whack away with the hammer until her brains started to ooze out"
Confrontations continue to escalate resulting in more drastic measures to control the ever deteriorating and dangerous situation. Hanna's callous and unemotional traits and violent behavior raises the question if she is a sociopath or psychopath or combination of both. Is she a sociopath who lies to manipulate or a psychopath poised to continue her vicious attacks.
The narrative successfully and quickly drives forward to an unusual but satisfying conclusion. I certainly intend on seeking out further novels of Zoje Stage ... this will not be my first and last taste of her skills. Thanks to both Netgalley and St Martin's Press books for providing an Uncorrected Proof of this most unusual and enjoyable book, in exchange for an honest review. #St Martins' Press .








































































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This book was a fun ride! It kept me guessing as to where it was going. Just when I thought I knew what would happen next, it took a left turn.

As a mother of three very intelligent children, this concept intrigued me. I love the idea of a child being manipulative and controlling of it's parents. This book was interesting & a fast read. I found myself rushing to learn what happened next. Then, in some areas, the story went off the rails. I didn't like the descriptions of sex & nudity of the parents. It wasn't necessary. Any parent would flip out about a child taking a nude photo of them for a project. That part was not believable. This book was well written, just not my cup of tea.

If you like a dash of horror mixed in with your daily domestic family life Baby Teeth delivers. An eye-opening and disturbing suspense that begins with a mother, a father, and Hanna who doesn't and won't speak.
Suzette, a stay at home mom is at her wit's end. Hanna has seen all the doctors, been tested endlessly but no one has any answers as to why she will not speak. Her husband dotes on his daughter and thinks she will talk when she wants to. He also doesn't see how she manipulates Suzette or why she keeps getting kicked out of school after school. Suzette's starting to see it though, she sees so much more too.
Poppy, sweet little Poppy. The daughter of her Daddy's eye. Oh how she loves her Daddy. Poppy is just a child.
From the very beginning you will wonder, what's behind the true Suzette and Poppy?

I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This book is like if Stephen King and Lisa Genova had a baby. It's creepy, it's cerebral, it focuses on how a tiny brain misfiring can wreak havoc on everything in a person's life. In short: it was great.

I'm a huge fan of the horror/thriller genre but I love a good science nonfiction book as well so this one was right up my alley. Zoje Stage's debut novel focuses on a family that has it all -- or at least they appear that way to the outside. However, inside their pristine home, life is a nightmare. Hanna is 7-year-old and has yet to speak. Suzette struggles with the pain of raising a disabled child while she herself is also quite ill. Alex rounds out the family as the handsome bread-winner, the prize possession of both his wife and daughter. Then one day, it all falls apart. Hanna speaks but what comes out of her mouth is devastating and terrifying. From there, things only get worse as Hanna invents dangerous ways to get back at her mother and Alex refuses to see the trouble his daughter creates. Everything comes to a head one fateful evening and nothing is ever the same after that.

The entire book had me on the edge of my seat as I waited for Hanna to concoct her next plan of attack. I felt Suzette's fear, Alex's anguish, and Hanna's confusion. As the parent of an occasionally violent, mostly mute child, I know what it's like to wonder what the day will bring. Luckily, I've never been in fear for my life but I could totally sympathize with Suzette the whole way through. Great read!

I had to write this review as soon as I finished reading the book. Not because it was good but because this was the most anticlimatic book I have ever read.

I struggled to sink my teeth in and at the mid way point I was relieved because the story was finally picking up. I was excited to see what Hanna would bring to the table, what exactly she would inflict upon her mother.

However, the book fell flat. I was left feeling unsatisfied since this book is clearly a set up for a sequel. If another book does get released, I would say skip this one.

I'm sorry, I wanted to like this but it just never really did it for me. The writing is good but I wasn't crazy about the story at all.

I appreciate the ARC I was given from Netgalley as I am always willing to try new authors and new kinds of stories but I am not really digging this one.

Sorry but I couldn't get into the book at all. I tried though, I'm so sorry for my ADD brain.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This book kept me on my toes. The alternating points of view between Suzette and Hanna kept the book interesting. Hanna's POV was terrifying at times! If you're looking for a quick read that will keep you guessing, this book is for you!

This book was very good and very well written. Following the search for answers about their daughter Hannah as Suzanne and Alex fought to regain their home, health and happiness was heartbreaking and yet inspirational at the same time. Realizing that your 7 year old daughter is mentally ill as she tries to get rid of her mother...it’s hard to think about, but I’m sure many people are dealing with these issues every day. I highly recommend giving this book a chance.

This is a solid take on the mom-in-danger trope with a truly creepy little kid. Perfect for fans of MY SISTER ROSA and THE GOOD SON.

This started off strong. Hanna, the daughter of two doting parents, seems absolutely perfect whenever her Daddy's at home - but for Suzette, her stay-at-home mom, Hanna seems to be a different person entirely: cold, calculating, and even violent. Hanna, for most of her life, has refused to speak, despite being able to hear perfectly well. Hanna begins to talk to Suzette - but only Suzette - and the things she says are not kind.

Suzette can't get her husband to believe her until evidence of Hanna's deceit and subterfuge begins to take a physical toll, and finally the two are forced to try and find a solution to the girl's escalating violence.

The book is told in alternating perspectives, shifting from Hanna to Suzette, which gives some insight into Hanna's motivations and Suzette's struggles. I'm not usually averse to coarse sexual language, but some of the descriptions of Suzette and her husband's intimacy are really jarring when juxtaposed against the childish language used in Hanna's passages.

By the book's end, the parents have found a facility that promises to help Hanna overcome her violent tendencies and might even get her speaking.

The book's ending would be far more chilling if I wasn't a regular reader of thrillers or viewer of horror films, but since I am, it was pretty disappointing. I was really hooked right up until that ending, though.

I received access to this title via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

3:5 Stars

Well, I’m in the middle with this book. It’s disturbing how incredibly crazy Hanna’s behavior is. I was surprised at every turn when she would conjure something more crazy each time she tried to hurt her mother...she’s only 7. Where does one learn this behavior? Which leads me to the ending where we never get a definite answer to what is making Hanna act this way. I need more, the ending just wants enough for me. I have so many questions that aren’t answered. Ugh!

I noticed several reviews that said they weren’t crazy about the writing, I liked Zoje’s writing style. And also the utter craziness of the entire book. If I could change one thing, it would be the ending, it’s way too open.

I am having a hard time deciding if I liked this book or not.

First of all, I hate Hanna. Hate, hate, super hate. This kid is flat-out evil. However, after reading for a while about her twisted thoughts on how much she hates her mother and wants her dead, she just becomes boring. It becomes almost cartoonish, to the point that you just don't care what happens.

Second, the dad in this story is an idiot. He is so blind to Hanna's evil nature, and always believes Hanna over her mother. You want Suzette just to walk out on this moron and the evil kid.

Finally, Suzette... oh Suzette, I love you and I hate you in equal measure. She often acts like a typical mom: trying to do the best for her child despite the hardship, trying to please both her child, and her husband. But she is sometimes so naive and whiny that I find myself rooting for Hanna and her crazy plans. The big thing that drove me nuts was the constant referrals to her Crohn's disease. Ok, we get it, she's sick -- you don't have to keep beating us over the head with that.

In all, I was just "meh" about this book. I was hoping for a really good psychological thriller, but was left with just another reason why I don't want kids.

"Baby Teeth", by Zoje Stage, was intriguing from start to finish. I was thrown off guard on a number of occasions. My anticipated ending was dead wrong! The character development of Mommy, Daddy and Hanna was superb. As the reader, I got to know each of them well. Did they surprise me? Yes. Did they disappoint me? At times, yes. Were they predictable? No, although at the midway point of the book I thought they were too predictable.

In general, I liked this book very much. The ending was not as strong as I'd have liked, but the storytelling was superb. Good job, Zoje!

I did not finish this book at 25%. I am a fan of Chelsea Cain and Jennifer Hillier, but the way this book was written - the language at times - did nothing but confuse me and make me re-read passages to try and comprehend. I did not finish at 25%. Thank you for the chance, and I hope to try more books by this author in the future.

Can children be born evil? In "Baby Teeth", Hanna is manipulative, mute, and showing signs of disturbing behavior. She's still very young despite that. While the family looks perfect on the outside, Hanna wants to kill her mother and her mother wants to help her daughter.

"Baby Teeth" will definitely not be everyone's cup of tea. However, as someone who has read "We Need To Talk About Kevin" and "The Dinner", I was definitely interested in reading this admittedly strange sounding story. It's definitely a well written novel. I found some parts of it to be a little... iffy, for me atleast.

It's a good sized read that's entertaining but it didn't really manage to grip me in the way "We Need To Talk About Kevin" or "The Dinner" did. It's a pretty good debut novel but I found some parts of the plot to be boring and at some points, the different POVS just didn't connect for me. Overall, I'd say this a 3.5 out of 5 stars.

A thank you to NetGalley for the ARC copy.

Everything I've been looking for in thriller/suspense novels.

All mothers and daughters have somewhat of a rivalry in their relationship at some point but.....This is nowhere near your typical mother/daughter relationship.

Suzette is a stay at home mom to Hannah which she finds to be very stressful. Hannah is the only child to her parents, she's mute and she LOVES her daddy NOT her mom. She despises her mother and secretly wishes that it could just be her and daddy.

Every single day, daddy leaves for work and his wife and daughter are home basically trying to tolerate each other. They both are at their wits end with each other. Someone has to go. Only one will be left standing - holding daddy's heart.

I had no expectations for this book. When I opened it, it was pretty much because of the cover. I happened to be very intrigued by it.

Anyway.. I loved it! I enjoyed getting to know all of these characters. This book is written in a way that the reader sees what the characters are doing but are also able to get to understand WHY they do some of these things. I feel like this made it really easy for me to empathize with them.

As a mom, I felt for Suzette's frustrations at times but then sometimes I felt she was being completely irrational. There were times I wanted to cry for Hannah... and there were several times I felt she was way out of hand. I found myself going back and forth a lot reading this. I didn't know which side to take.

This book was exciting, suspenseful, gripping, and at times it was down right frightening... I really enjoyed reading this and I wanted more even after I read the ending.

Don't let the sticky sweet cover of Baby Teeth by Zoje Stage fool you, this book will keep you on the edge of your seat, with chills running up and down your spine. In this dual perspective novel, we get to watch a mother and daughter spin out of control and weave a web of deceit. I have to admit that the storytelling in this book was so good it creeped me out, the chapters that Hanna, the seven year old daughter narrated, gave me instant goosebumps.

Suzette and her family seem to have it all on the outside looking in, they are the perfectly average family. Their house is lovely, Suzette and her husband Alex's marriage is working, and they have an adorable daughter named Hanna. What people can't see is that although Hanna is mute, she's not the innocent little girl that she seems to be. She's in fact a danger to her mother, she wants her out of the picture so that she can have her father, her best friend, all to herself.

Alex doesn't see how evil Hanna can be, she stays home with her mother because she has a hard time fitting in at school, so Suzette gets the brunt of Hanna's terrorizing attitude all on her own. Which means no witnesses. From cutting her mothers hair, taking naked photos, dumping life changing medication down the drain and replacing it with flour, Hanna tries to sabotage her mother by making her sick and ugly- just so maybe she will finally go away.

Watching Suzette crumble under the stress with no one to believe her was enough to make me want to cry for her. I can only imagine the anxiety it would cause to be alone and scared of a person who you are supposed to love and protect. This book will pull you in and suck the life out of you. You'll want to save Suzette and make Hanna go far far away, but you'll also want to pull Hanna in for a big hug because, well, she's just a little girl...

This book was fascinating and frustrating all at the same time. All together it was an incredible story. It was frustrating because I wanted someone to help Suzette. I wanted her and Hanna to get the help that the needed, and felt like they were in this cyclone of despair that they couldn't get out of. All in all, I couldn't get these characters out of my head and that tells me this book was great. Getting to be inside Hanna's mind when she was explaining what she was doing and why was both terrifying and intriguing all at once. I definitely recommend this book for those who love thrillers, it's suspenseful and dramatic all in the right spots. I give this book 4 out of 5 stars. The only reason it didn't get that last star was because the ending wasn't that great, it left me wanting more. Thank you to Netgalley for allowing me to read an early copy of this book.