So, so delightfully creepy. I raced through this, dreading each subsequent chapter and character missteps with glee.

This story excels where other 'bad seed' stories fail by balancing Hanna's childish perspective and language with a more sophisticated narration. This helps to ground us in Hanna's POV while also keeping the overall tone consistent - thankfully, there's no jarring transition into kiddie-speak.

The consistency in tone is key as it keeps the tension taut and palpable; any reprieve is short lived as Suzette's POV chapters increasingly reflect her desperation as it expands, pressing out all the air in her life. Which is why it's impressive that she's able to make logic-based decisions instead of purely emotional ones, while clearly struggling with the love she still feels for her daughter. I was rooting for her hard, even through some of her less than stellar moments.

I could NOT put this book down. I was immersed in the story, scared for the characters in the story, and had no choice but to devour it in one day. This book is going to make so many people cringe.. But in such a good way. I can't wait until it's published so I can share it with others.

Recommended.

Let's meet sweet little mute Hanna, the apple of her Dad's eye, her mother's worst nemesis. She really, really loves her Daddy but mean old Mom is constantly getting in their way. Hanna needs to execute a plan. A plan to get rid of mean old Mom for good and she has so many clever ideas on just how to do it.

Poor Suzette is at her wit's end. She's relegated to homeschooling her daughter because her daughter get's kicked out of every school she goes to. Hanna has never uttered a word. They have had every sort of test possible to figure out why to no avail. Until one day when Hanna does speak to her and this is when things start to get pretty freaking creepy.

Dad isn't much help here. He works long hours and he is never witness to his daughters disturbing behavior. Little Hanna makes sure he NEVER see's her naughty side. When Suzette starts explaining to him what Hanna is like during the day he usually just brushes it off as her over reacting. His little angel is not some psychopath....or is she?

Whoa! This is a freaky little story about a seriously creepy little girl and I enjoyed it tremendously. I think this is going to be a very popular book in 2018!

Thank you to Katie Bassel & Jordan Hanley @ St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to get my greedy little hands on this ARC early!

Will post review to Amazon 7/17/18

To say this was a very interesting and creepy read is putting it mildly... shocking at times and yet very intriguing! There ARE evil children out there in this world and so reading about Hanna was very eye opening! Just what would you do if it happened to you?!

Hanna does not like her mommy and doesn't want her interfering in her relationship with her daddy and therefore tries to do things to torture her mommy and get her to go away. Of course she only does this when her daddy isn't around, can't have daddy seeing that evil manipulative side of her. Daddy has a hard time seeing the evil in Hanna because she is always sweet and loving to him, and he finds his wife's stories a bit exaggerated. I wanted to shake him at times! I must say I love how the author didn't sugar coat the mom in her reaction to the evil brat. She told it like it was, exactly as I would have reacted! Does that make us bad parents? Not sure. Some may not agree with it, I did.

The only thing that bothered me is Suzette seemed a bit sex craved.. If they had sex one more time, I might have had to put the book down for a little. They did actually but thankfully it was at the very end of the book. The whole thing about Suzette not getting enough of her husband's "cock" was a bit much for me and I definitely could have done without it. For that alone, I made it a 4 star rating opposed to a 5. I enjoyed this book and the subject of medical illness. Can an evil child get better with treatment? hmmm.. 🤔 I look forward to seeing what this author comes up with next! This was a very impressive debut!

Thank you so much to St. Martin's Press, the author and NetGalley for allowing me an advanced copy of this book!

I have such mixed feelings on this book. It had some really strong tense moments, but overall it seemed a bit anticlimactic. At times this was a bit redundant and turned in to a chore. It was still a solid read and I would recommend it for any fan of the evil children category.

"From blazing new talent Zoje Stage, Baby Teeth is a story about a perfect-looking family, and a darling little girl who wants nothing more than to kill her mother."

I LOVED this book. So much so that I was up until 2:00 a.m. one night so I could finish it in one sitting.

Book Description
Meet Hanna.
She’s the sweet-but-silent angel in the adoring eyes of her Daddy. He’s the only person who understands her, and all Hanna wants is to live happily ever after with him. But Mommy stands in her way, and she’ll try any trick she can think of to get rid of her. Ideally for good.
Meet Suzette.
She loves her daughter, really, but after years of expulsions and strained home schooling, her precarious health and sanity are weakening day by day. As Hanna’s tricks become increasingly sophisticated, and Suzette's husband remains blind to the failing family dynamics, Suzette starts to fear that there’s something seriously wrong, and that maybe home isn’t the best place for their baby girl after all.
From blazing new talent Zoje Stage, Baby Teeth is a story about a perfect-looking family, and a darling little girl who wants nothing more than to kill her mother.

My Thoughts
I don't know about other book lovers, but when I finish a really great book in a particular genre, I find myself choosing something to read next in a different genre. Call me superstitious or just someone who has been disappointed by that follow-up book. It might not have been bad, in fact, it might have been quite good, but it just couldn't compare to the prior book. In all honesty, if things like Buzz Books and other recommendations didn't guarantee that my TBR pile wouldn't grow on a daily basis, I might go back and re-read the “follow up” book and be pleasantly surprised by my reaction.
So I am not quite sure what happened, but a finished a terrific suspenseful thriller and then received Baby Teeth. I had my next non-thriller picked out and purchased and then I read the Baby Teeth description. It sounded so good that I threw my book rules out the window and dove right in. Why would I spend a cold Saturday night curled up under the covers, when the couch, a warm fire, and Baby Teeth were right there waiting for me?
When it comes to Hanna, to me it was a nature versus nurture type dilemma. We see mentally ill or just plain bad and evil characters often in books, but we rarely get to view them as children. Honestly, I think I see most children as works in progress and barring an unhealthy environment or abusive parents, I've never really thought about mental illness in the very young. So what about Hanna? Is there something going on in her home life causing her to act out? Is she mentally ill or just plain evil? I think I have gone as far as I can down this specific path since I don't want to spoil any details not already mentioned in the book blurb. I can tell you Hanna is a character that you won't soon forget and the family's story is dark, disturbing, twisted and scary good believable.
Several things really made this a compelling read. It grabbed my full attention from the first page( actually, from the description), the author's words made me feel like I was right there in the house with the family and I couldn't stop flipping my virtual Kindle pages. This was a 5-star book to me and I am hoping the author participates in Q&A interviews so I might discover where her idea for this book came from.
Thank you Zoje Stage, St. Martin's Press, and NetGalley for the digital ARC to read and review. Highly recommended.

This is a novel about a 7 year old girl who refuses to speak and her Mother, who is suffering from Crohn’s disease. Each chapter is written from the viewpoint of one of them. Each is working very hard to be the sole object of the husband’s interest and affection. Hanna, the child, is also exceptionally bright and wants to rid herself of her Mother and the competition. Suzanne, the Mother, is homeschooling Hanna and spends all her time with her. She has also tried to get her in various schools but Hanna was, after starting, expelled from each, once for setting a fire. The novel deals with Hanna’s attempts to eliminate her Mother and the terror and guilt with which the Mother reacts. A psychological thriller that will leave you wondering. Thanks to Net Galley and St. Martin’s Press for an ARC for an honest review.

I do not know what to say about this book. I was sick with the flu so I decided to do some reading. I am so glad I chose this book. This book is outstanding!!! The story is about a little girl who will not speak. She has been tested and there is nothing on why she does not speak. When her father is around, Hanna is a perfect angel, but when arund her stay at home mom who also home schools her, she is anything but an angel. The story of what this little girl puts her mom through is crazy. When she does decide to speak, she speaks a name to her mother. Who is this person whom name she speaks? What happens to this family as it starts to splinter due to the behavior of Hannah? Who will the husband believe,his wife or daughter? Will they every find out what is wrong with Hannah? You must read this book to find out. Do not sleep on this book. It will stay with you once you finish the last page. Thanks to NetGalley, the author and the publisher for the ARC of this book in return for my honest review.

Idgie Says:

You know right away that there is something seriously off with Hanna. She may be mute, but appears to be by choice. You soon see that while she and her mother fail to communicate on many levels, so while Hanna might have given her mother the opportunity to love, this lack of communication has now made her decide she's a detriment instead.


Mommy and Daddy also have a hidden but strained relationship which doesn't help the situation and Suzette seems mentally fragile to start with.


This book is filled with tension from page 1... and you have no idea who will come out winning in the end.


I will add that the cover is fantastic, it really grabs.
Review will go live on my site on release date, but I've posted it here now. http://dewonthekudzu.com

The horror is just beginning.

This brilliant debut grabbed me from the beginning and kept me flipping pages until I finally closed my kindle with a satisfied sigh. It's been a while since I've read such a well written, original, keep-me-going thriller/horror novel.

The Jensen family has it all. Or so it seems. Yes, they have money and looks. They are all talented and smart. But, mom has Crohn's and 7 year old Hanna doesn't talk. And Hanna wants to kill mom and marry her dad.

Did I mention that Hanna wants to kill mom? Yeah.

This is one hell of a not to be missed story. St Martin's Press will be publishing it in July 2018. I can't thank them enough for offering me an advance copy.

This novel is a compelling tale about the tug of war between a mother and daughter. Told from each of their perspectives, it’s hard to believe if either one is a reliable narrator. The mother, Suzette, had her own problems growing up with an inattentive mother. She suffers from Crohn’s Disease, and has had a difficult journey controlling her health. Suzette clearly tries to love her daughter, Hanna, but we learn early on that they are both dealing with troubling emotional mother-daughter issues. The daughter, Hanna, is a 7-year old Daddy’s girl, who hates her mother in such a hostile manner that it’s hard to comprehend why she never established any kind of bond with her mother.

I also had a problem with Hanna’s voice during her chapters. Her perspective is far too mature for a 7-year-old - her plotting and reasoning, expert knowledge of Internet research, sexual awareness - are just a few issues that made me believe this child was indeed possessed by an older entity.

I understand this was an uncorrected ARC, but there were a few instances where the scenes stopped and changed abruptly with no sense of a segue. It was like sentences or paragraphs were missing. I hope the editors have these areas corrected before publication.

I would like to ask the author why she chose Crohn’s Disease as Suzette’s health nemesis. Does someone near and dear to her have the disease and is she trying to bring awareness to the affliction? I am just curious because I read a lot of books and as an IBS sufferer myself, such bodily dysfunction is rarely addressed in fiction.

As for the ending, without revealing any spoilers, I sense a sequel. Hanna’s story does not end and I am interested to see Hanna at later stages of growth, how her troubling behavior evolves and what the future holds for the family. Thanks to St. Martin's Press for sending me the widget to read this book.

I found this book really hard to read. All of the characters were pretty monstrous in their own ways. It was very obvious that Suzette and Alex never should've had a child - neither was prepared to be a decent parent. I finished the book, but didn't get any joy from reading it.

Sitting here eating my breakfast and thinking, “There is nothing better than reading about a diabolical demon-Child on a Monday morning”. I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It was both creepy and funny at the same time, as you get to listen to the internal dialogue of the Mom and child. Al I can say is that Hannah better be glad that I am not her mama...lol

I was really interested in this one by the description but I really struggled to finish. The plot just seemed so outrageous, and all the characters were loathsome. There was no one I felt I could root for.

Baby Teeth by Soje Stage is a shocking look into the life and mental health of a 7 year old determined to harm her mother.

Rating: 4/5 stars

Baby Teeth by Zoje Stage follows a family whose seven year old daughter wants her mother dead in order to have her father's love all to herself.
Okay, so this book was a ride I'll say that. I'm a sucker for 'evil children' type books, and there isn't very many unfortunately. If you've ever seen the film Orphan, I got some serious Orphan vibes from this novel.

Anyways, let's start with the plot. So the plot is pretty straightforward, nothing very complex, but I feel they succeeded in presenting a well driven plot. I feel the main plot was to help Hanna or rather find out what is wrong with her to begin with. However, the progression with Hanna's behavior sort of sky rocketed too quickly for my tastes, which is one reason why it was knocked down to 4 stars.

Now my favorite, characters and their development. This book is pretty character heavy, it relies on two perspectives: Hanna and Suzette. Then the father, Alex, being also a main character but with no POV.
The mother Suzette, suffered a pretty rough childhood with an emotional absent mother and her long undiagnosed Crohn's disease. She vowed to be a better mother than she had. Suzette really tried to be a "perfect" mother, in my opinion, but in doing so she burned herself out once she realized Hanna could not or would not speak and began acting out in worse and worse ways. Once she was burned out, we saw a harsher side to her and one that was much more callous. Her character development was pretty decent but nothing to really write home about. It was more like her character remained stagnant but her true nature was slowly revealed as the plot drove on.
The daughter Hanna, her POV was interesting as not only a seven year old but as a mentally disturbed seven year old. She's very smart and she knows she is, the way she calculates her plans and even other things she does to keep things secret is incredible. Hanna hates her mother because she believes her mother is stealing her father away from her, so she in turn wants her mother to die. Hanna's character development is pretty strange due to the fact that she's a very unreliable narrator, but interesting nonetheless. Her outbursts and "plans" go from mischievous to murderous very quickly, as does her train of thought.
The father Alex, is completely blind to his daughter's state of mind and believe Suzette to be exaggerating Hanna's behaviors to be worse than they are. His character development is more growth and realization than anything and it's a pretty dramatic shift for him. He is a successful Swedish architect and believes his family to be perfect despite Hanna's inability or unwillingness to speak. Alex is very rarely around during the beginning of the novel due to work and his non-belief of Suzette. But as the plot goes on, his character is around more often and is an important part of the narrative towards the end.
The other characters remained stagnant with no development or any kind of progression towards anything. Which was due to the fact that the plot is driven around the family of three.

The writing style did not stand out as anything too special, it was nicely written and flowed together fantastically. I enjoyed the Swedish words, terms and phrases that the author placed in there; as well as the holiday of Walpurgisnacht/Walpurgis Night (Witches' Night), a Swedish ceremony to bring in the Spring season. It was a nice dash of culture in a thriller, which I cannot say I see very often.

Baby Teeth is a creepy and disturbing novel surrounding a child that may be a sociopath or a psychopath. It's about a family's drive to survive and try to stay strong with bad things are happening inside the home and nothing seems to stop or help the things happening. I thoroughly enjoyed this novel and find myself wanting more from this author. I absolutely am going to pick up a physical copy on July 17th!

I love a good creepy child story, so there was a lot I liked about this book--the fascinating horror of seeing inside Hanna's mind, and her mother's desperation at being left alone with her daily, unable to make her husband see what Hanna is really like. But in a lot of ways, the reading experience was not really very pleasant for me--it just made me feel so damn anxious, to the point where I had to peek at the end to see whether it would get as bad as I feared. I do like books that evoke feelings of anxiety, fear, etc in me, but this one crossed a line into an unpleasant experience at certain points. I did enjoy it enough to give it 3 stars, despite the things I didn't like. I would recommend it to anyone who is fascinated by reading about creepy/evil children.

First, I want to thank Zoje Stage, St. Martin’s New York and NetGalley for providing me with this book so I may bring you this review.
Baby Teeth by Zoje Stage had me very interested in this for many different reasons. First off the author mentioned she worked part time at the Monroe County Library in Rochester, NY where she started writing novels. I used to live in Rochester, NY and frequented that library. Learning this about the author made me more intrigued to read the book.
Hannah was a very unique character one which I had never experienced before in any other book. At first you feel sorry for the sweet girl because she mute. But as the story goes on she is not that sweet and innocent girl you think she is.
Suzette the Mom pulled on my heart strings a little bit. Hannah did not give her Mom the easiest time when she would homeschool her. Plus, the stress was not good on Suzette’s Chrohns disorder.
Alex the father was caught in the middle of both his wife and his daughter whom he loved dearly.
If you like mystery, thrillers, twists and turns this is the book for you!!

Woooooow. That was so freaking disturbing but in all the right ways. There were times that I almost felt like I needed to put the book down because it was messing with my head so badly but at the same time I couldn’t stop reading.