I tried to get into this book and found myself not being able to. This is not a subject that I find myself reading. It may be for others, but not me.

I love a good killer kid story, so when this showed up in a NetGalley email, I was immediately interested.

Hanna is a 6-year-old mute (by choice) who is in a psychological tug-of-war with her mother over her father's love. She puts on a good face when her father is around, but basically spends her time mentally and physically torturing her mother.

It's a pretty straight up killer kid storyline, but I did like that there was a reason she was so fixated on hurting her mother (besides being your average sociopath). She wanted her dad to herself. It's easy to fall back on the trope of just being "born evil". Although having some sort of severe mental disorder is obviously a part of it, I thought it was more realistic for Hanna to have some sort of twisted 6-year-old reasoning for targeting her mother.

The book alternated between Hanna's view and her mother's view so you could see the thought process behind both. Hanna's mother wasn't a saint (she more than once instigated Hanna) but I actually started to not blame her. Especially since Hanna's mother has to deal with her chronic illness as well. As someone who also suffers from an autoimmune disease, I know that it takes a lot to manage. I can only imagine how hard it would be to not only raise a child as well, but one who is hell bent on destroying you. Also, points to the author for obviously knowing her stuff. I have a different autoimmune disease, but treatment is similar, and I thought the author was spot on with her depiction.

I really liked the ending. No spoilers, but I've read a lot of horror and it wasn't what I was expecting. It was refreshing and still chilling without resorting to cliches or crazy twists.

Overall, I loved it. Sure it was a little over the top at times, but it's horror. It's supposed to be.

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2302894197

Are you kidding me? This is a DEBUT novel? Really? I am absolutely blown away and can’t believe that this is the author’s first work. It was so polished, so well done, and so brilliantly written. What a page turner. I absolutely couldn’t put it down, didnt want to go to bed - wanted to just keep reading. I’m an avid reader, last year read over 80 books - and I know that this year, this will be one I will remember. The author wrung emotions out of you, twisted your gut, and had you thinking about the book and the characters, even when you had to put the book down and get back to real life. I’m truly amazed at how well written this was for a new author. I will definitely be waiting for her next book. Incredibly good read. Well done Ms. Stage. Well done - your father was right. Congratulations on a job amazingly accomplished.

What will little miss Hanna do next??!! Great book. Crazy and disturbing, but great! Read it!

I would like to thank Netgalley for an early read of this book in exchange for an honest review........ Wow. This book literally scared me a little. Honestly gave me chills reading it. Even though it completely unnerved me, I found myself reading this book in one seating, I really strugged to put it down. It was superbly written and I am definitely looking forward to more books from this author. The only complaint I have is that I felt that the reasoning behind it all didn't quite live up to the extreme circumstances. Don't think there was enough reasoning to fully explain Hanna's actions. This made the book quite unbelieveable. However I still rather enjoyed this book. Highly recommend!

Told from the viewpoints of both Mom and Daughter, this was a riveting tale about a young girl who never speaks, but oh, what's going on in her head about dear old Mom will give you nightmares! Kept my interest right to the very end, and I'm worried - sequel???

Wow, I don't know how a seven year old could be so creepy, but little Hannah certainly is! Is a child born a psychopath or is a psychopath made and what exactly should a mother do if she thinks she may have given birth to one?

Despite or maybe in spite of her unhappy childhood with her mother Suzette vows to be a good mother to her only daughter Hannah, even though just by being pregnant with Hannah, Suzette is risking her health and further damage to her body from the Chron's disease from which she suffers. An artist, Suzette dreams on coloring and drawing with her daughter as they spend lazy days at home together. But Hannah, who has never spoken to her parents, despite may other indicators that she is exceptionally bright, would rather use her artistic skills to make collages of dead women that all eerily resemble her mommy. To Hannah her Daddy is all good and her Mommy is all bad and she won't be happy until Mommy is out of the way and she has Daddy all to herself.

My husband is not usually interested in the books that I read, but when I read him parts of Baby Teeth about things Hannah was doing, he was so intrigued, he kept asking me to read more to him and wanted me to call him at work and let him know how the book ended.

This book is definitely dark and definitely creepy. I really felt sympathy and concern for the character of Suzette and what she was going trying to do the best for her daughter, but having Hannah fight her every step of the way. It was frustrating how apparently little her husband saw about what was going on at home and school with Hannah when he was not around.

Stories with evil children always get me. Why are they evil-were they born that way, possessed by a demon, or are they mentally ill? Hannah's reason for being is to inflict pain on her mother and to finally get rid of her so she can have her loving Daddy all to herself. We don't quite find out the cause of Hannah's psychotic and sociopathic behavior and that is why I did not rate this book 5 stars. In addition, the ending was left open for a sequel and I wish it had more of a bow tying up all the loose ends--but, it didn't. . So many things are just not explained and the book could have been so much better because the writing was sharp. The pages flowed quickly and I think the author is really good at telling a story. There are some seriously creepy scenes that I won't go into detail about because they really are strange... If you are easily disturbed by evil children acting out I would stay away from this one. Otherwise, get ready for a very bumpy ride on a witchy roller coaster.

This was really well
Written but it scared me too much to read! The fact that the young daughter was so evil...it was really upsetting!

This book was compared to We Need to Talk About Kevin, a book I loved. That book has haunted me and is one I often mention when talking about books that linger. Baby Teeth will also be a book lingers with me long after it's been read.
Hannah is quite a disturbing child. The book is told in alternating chapters, with Hannah and her mom narrating. Like the mother in WNTTAK, Hannah's mom has not truly bonded with her. Hannah is selectively mute and is on a path to get rid of her mother.
Some of the book was a little far fetched for me, but overall I really enjoyed reading it. I was disappointed that it ended so abruptly. I thought perhaps my copy was defective, but realized it wasn't. The author said she wanted us to draw our own conclusions as to what happens next. I'd much prefer she tied up the story.

I COULDN'T PUT THE FIRST HALF OF THIS BOOK DOWN. A COMBINATION OF "THE BAD SEED' THROWN IN WITH THE BITE OF "THE EXORCIST". IT STARTED TO LOSE INTEREST WHEN THE AUTHOR WENT DOWN THE WITCHES PATH, LOOKING AT HER 7 YEAR OLD DAUGHTER AS SOME SORT OF MODERN DAY WITCH. STILL VERY FASCINATING IN TELLING THE STORY, CHAPTER BY CHAPTER, FROM THE DAUGHTER'S POV AND THEN THE MOTHER'S. I THINK THE NOVEL WOULD STILL BE AS POWERFUL IT THE AUTHOR HADN'T EXPLAINED IT IN WITCHCRAFT TERMINOLOGY. THE DAUGHTER WANTED HER FATHER ALL TO HERSELF AND HER MOTHER WAS IN THE WAY AND HAD TO BE ELIMINATED.

I can’t give this book a star rating. It was very well written but intensely disturbing. I don’t know if I loved it or hated it or would recommend it. I guess read at your own peril? Especially if you have little children. Maybe don’t read it if you have little children.

Baby Teeth by Zoje Stage

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Zoje Stage hits a home run with her debut novel, "Baby Teeth", on sale July 17, 2018. A psychological thriller told from alternating perspectives of seven year old Hanna and her mother Suzette.

FIRST SENTENCE: "Maybe the machine could see the words she never spoke."

THE STORY: Hanna does not talk but she is not stupid. She loves her Daddy, but not her Mommy. Daddy thinks she is perfect. Mommy knows there is something wrong.

WHAT I THOUGHT: When I was a teenager in the 50s, I remember reading and being shocked by The Bad Seed. It was the story of a perfect little girl named Rhoda, who got whatever she wanted one way or another. Her Daddy thought she was perfect but her mother started to suspect things. It became a popular play and then a movie. The other scary book I remember from that time is Ira Levin's Rosemary's Baby. It came out in in the 60s and I read it in the middle of the night while I was breast feeding my first child. Some memories haunt you. I've added Baby Teeth to my unforgettable list.

I enjoyed the fact that the book was set in Pittsburgh and recognized locations and allusions. Suzette has Crohn's disease, which complicates her ability to deal with Hanna. She doesn't have the energy and feels guilty for not being perfect.

BOTTOM LINE: Not everyone will appreciate this story. It is disturbing but so well done that the reader keeps turning pages to see what will happen. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.

Hardcover: 320 pages
Publisher: St. Martin's Press (July 17, 2018)
ISBN-10: 12501707
ISBN-13: 978-1250170750

DISCLAIMER: I received a free e-copy of Baby Teeth by Zoje Stage from NetGalley/St. Martin's for my honest review.

ZOJE STAGE is a writer and former filmmaker. She was a 2008 Fellow in Screenwriting from the New York Foundation of the Arts and a 2012 Emerging Storytellers Fellow from the Independent Filmmaker Project. She lives in Pittsburgh, PA. Baby Teeth is her first novel.(from AMAZON)

I gave this book 3 stars only because I had a difficult time connecting to the characters. The idea was a good one but for me it was a bit slow.

This book was well written, but a little too disturbing for my taste. Was the child in the book simply mentally ill, or genuinely evil? What about the mother? I’m not sure I would recommend it to others without a disclaimer.

i've pretty much never really wanted children, although i have at times entertained the idea of perhaps doing so at some unforeseeable point in the future. i've occasionally thought about what it would be like to have a kid, and feel all the joy that comes with it.

and then i read this book.

most of the genius of the novel is in the slow escalation of hanna's behaviour - at first you think, oh, she's non-verbal, okay, whatever. then you think, oh, acting up a bit, guess most kids do that.

and then - oh! she's an actual goddamn psychopath!

this was a really suspenseful novel that i read in one sitting on the train and i'd definitely recommend it if you like psychological thriller/horror.

2.5*
Tough call on this one. Enjoyed the author - well written. With that said, the over-the-top subject matter was so shocking to me it was difficult to keep my perspective. For that reason alone, it just wasn’t for me. Thou I’m definitely in the minority here.

Mothers are daughters....

Hanna is 7 years old and Daddy’s little girl. Her world revolves around her love for dear daddy.
Now her mother...well, that’s another matter. If only mommy wasn’t around...if only she didn’t have to share daddy with her.

Suzette loves her husband more than anything in this world. They have a daughter, Hanna, who she desperately wants to love too. But she just can’t get there. No connection or bond whatsoever. No, this isn’t just your typical riff between a parent and a teenager. Hanna is only seven. So who’s to blame for this total disconnect? Sweet little Hanna, or emotionally exhausted Suzette?

As the hurtful acts between mother and daughter escalate, reading this book became more difficult. So hard to imagine a seven year old child plotting and carrying out the despicable acts that she committed. It was really just too dark and depressing for me. (Even though my inner-voice kept trying to remind me…it’s just a book!) Perhaps if the child was portrayed as older, capable of higher level of thought it might have been more palatable for me.

Many other readers and reviewers really enjoyed this book, so I hope if you do pick it up, it works for you too!!

Thank you to NetGalley, St Martin’s Press and Zoje Stage for an ARC to review in exchange for an honest review.

This was dark dark and more dark. A thriller about a 7 year old girl, Hanna, who does not speak but manages to find ways to communicate. She loves her Daddy but her and mommy struggle to get along. Mommy knows that there is something very disturbing about her daughter while daddy does not want to believe it.

Many thanks to netgalley and St Martins Press for this advanced readers copy.

Hmm.... Thank you NetGalley for letting me read an early release of this book for an honest review.

This is a book about a 7 year old mute girl named Hanna that wants her mom dead so she can have her father all to herself and marry him. Her mother, Suzette has Crohn's disease which we hear a great deal about. Suzette knows her daughters behavior is getting worse and she knows it isn't going to get any better. Dad, Alex is in denial about pretty much everything, he just goes to works and loves his sweet Hanna. There is also a lot of political correctness in this book which was a huge negative for me, if I wanted to watch the news I wouldn't have picked up a book. There is talk about being gluten-free, special fragrance-free & dye-free soaps, the balmy aroma of chamomile tea, Alex, under his company name makes donations every year to support 91.3 & the local PBS TV station, and way too much information about Crohn's disease.

There is a very serious problem in this family. Hanna is disturbed, she is not mentally stable, she is 7 years old and this behavior has been going on since birth, she doesn't speak, she is trying to kill her mother. The entire family is dysfunctional in regards to the mental health of their only child.

My real issue with this book is I found it unbelievable that a 7 year old and at many times in the book a 3 and a 5 year old would have the ability to think so logically about ways to kill her mother and act on it in the ways that she did. How physically strong is a 7 year old? Strong enough to hit someone in the head but not strong enough to cut up thick slices of a banana. Maybe if Hanna was 12 this story would have been more believable. I do think it is any interesting concept that a child from birth is a sociopath or a psychopath. The old question - are they born that way, nature vs nurture? I wish there had been much more conversation about that subject. This book just didn't ring true to me, but there is much to think about on the subject of mental illness.

Baby Teeth is unlike any book I've read. It's both mesmerizing and horrifying. The story is told in alternating chapters by Hanna, the daughter, and Suzette, the mother. They both love Alex, the father, husband. They spend a lot of time together as Hanna is homeschooled. Hanna is nonverbal most of the time. She started speaking to her mom for the first time and she says, "I am not Hanna." Her eyes are rolled back so far only the whites are visible. Suzette knows there is something seriously wrong with Hanna and wonders what she did wrong in raising Hanna. Suzette struggles to understand her daughter's behavior and becomes afraid for her own safety when Hanna begins to threaten her. Hanna is clever and never shows her father anything but sweetness and light.. This is a brilliant character study of a dysfunctional family. It is difficult to read at times but once I started reading I had to see how it developed. There is some strong language toward the end of the story. I recommend this writer and book.