What Big Teeth is a moody, atmospheric horror mystery that grabbed me immediately.

I really enjoyed the creepiness of this book, even when I was confused and pretty irritated at a lot of the characters, the mood of this book kept me reading. I really liked Eleanor as the lead, and understood her frustrations as she felt like she didn't fit in anywhere, not even with her monstrous family.

As for her family, I was hoping for an Adams Family but was a bit disappointed. Her siblings, parents, and grandparents are terrifying and mystical, but I was sad their relationships were not delved into more. I especially felt that she could have told her sister the truth about the letters she had sent, and it would have cleared up a lot. I wanted this story to be about Eleanor connecting with her family, but it felt like Eleanor finding herself, which was nice in its own way I guess.

Overall this was a bit too mysterious for be as it just become confusing and bitter, but I still kept reading for the gloomy mood this book dripped of. I feel like the plot could have been better defined, and I needed more talking between the family members.
3.5/5

Thank you Netgalley for this ebook arc in exchange for an honest review.

This was one of my most anticipated 2021 releases and I have to say... it really didn't live up to the expectations its synopsis set. I'm not sure if there's meant to be a sequel to this, but there's not a whole lot that makes much sense in this story(the plot holes are really plot wells). I usually could overlook that-- this is a bizarre story, not making sense is to be expected-- but there was a whole lot of unchecked homophobia and ableism in this story that definitely just killed the whole vibe of the book.

What Big Teeth is a creepy and eerie young adult read. It gave me 'The Addams Family' vibes while adding a bit more horror and a more troubled family.

Eleanor is returning home to see a family that she hasn't seen since they sent her off to boarding school years ago. She doesn't know what to expect but she assumes it will be awkward. She and her family are special and unique as they all have features of 'monsters'. Eleanor never really understood what she really is and hopes that now that she is older her grandmother will explain the truth.

As Eleanor spends more time with her family, she begins to see who and what they really are and even learns more about herself. As she is just beginning to connect more with her grandmother Persephone death strikes and shakes up everything.

When a relative, Grandmere, comes to the family house it seems like everyone is thrown off-kilter except for Eleanor. What is with everyone? Why don't they like Grandmere?

I give What Big Teeth 4 stars. This is such a dark and alluring YA read. I liked the family aspect of the story and how the author added mystery and intrigue. If you enjoy dark reads with fantasy elements, then I would recommend this to you.

"Listen carefully. I'm dying. You have to take over for me. Don't let any strangers in this house after I'm gone."

I appreciated the perspective of the main character in this book: an outsider with untapped potential and trust issues surrounded by a dangerous family. But I had issues understanding and empathizing with the characters' motivations - I don't understand why the main character would hear the above quote, and immediately host not only a community funeral in the house, but also invite an estranged family member to stay. I don't know if this was a stylistic decision to keep Eleanor and the reader in suspense, but it read like some of the characters were deliberately being obtuse or even downright vindictive by NOT COMMUNICATING with each other. It could be that the family was trying to protect each other by keeping secrets, but it sure did cause a mess.

There were many plot points that seemed forgotten as the story got told (Luma's immunity, Eleanor's connection to the sea, the logistics of the family business). I understand there's supposed to be a certain amount of secrecy in a book centered around a mystery, but it was hard to keep up motivation to get to the climax with so little resolution in the interim. And even reaching the end of the book, several items never were adequately addressed. It may mean there's a sequel in store? But I'm not sure I'll pick it up.

When she was a child, Eleanor Zarrin was exiled from her family and sent to an all girls Catholic school. After a violent encounter with a school bully, Eleanor flees from her school to return to her family home. It's been eight years since she's seen her family, eight years since she's heard from any of them except for her aloof and sometimes cruel grandmother. Eleanor's memories of her childhood with her monstrous family are muddled, particularly the incident that caused her to be sent away. Now she's back with her shapeshifting grandfather, father, sister, and cousin, as well as her equally strange aunt, mother, and grandmother. Fitting back in with her family is not easy, especially when Eleanor is continually confronted with their mysteries, including the biggest mystery of all, the ever present and alluring family friend, Arthur Knox.

A sudden death in the family has Eleanor stepping up to help lead, but with various family members hindering her progress, Eleanor turns to her other grandmother for help. Eleanor's Grandmere arrives from France and soon has the unwilling family members falling into line. However, Eleanor senses that something is deeply wrong and starts to investigate the family's dark past and secrets, starting with the mysterious and charming Arthur. What she discovers could mean the end of the Zarrin family... or a new beginning.

This book is perfect for fans of dark fantasy and horror! From the beginning I was hooked by the mysteries surrounding Eleanor and her family and wanted to know all about them. The monstrous Zarrin family have a past steeped in tragedy and loss and, viewed from Eleanor's perspective as something of an outsider, her family members are frightening. Eleanor is also frightening and just as confused about herself and her abilities. Each chapter is brimming with unease and tension and the ultimate revelations about Eleanor and her family are truly shocking! It's rare that I read a book that takes me totally by surprise but this one definitely did. It's well paced and plotted and I'm going to be thinking about it for a long time.

While this book draws comparisons with Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children - and rightly so - it's much darker, both in subject matter and tone. The secrets at the core of the house rival something from Greek tragedy and I'm still wrapping my mind about them. It should be noted that this story is set in an ambiguous time period, sometime "after the war" with radios and two-piece swimsuits and period typical social mores and homophobia. The family lives in an even stranger timelessness, creating an insular world that is cut off from most of modern life and culture.

Reading this book is like wandering through a haunted house with a guide who sometimes turns into a monster, and each room is full of strangeness and secrets. It's an altogether uncanny, unique read where anything can happen (and often does)!

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan for the opportunity to read and review What Big Teeth in exchange for an honest review. I'm not sure what I was expecting from this book but it certainly took me on a weirder and wilder ride than I was expecting! What Big Teeth is definitely a unique and very original tale filled with mayhem, bloodshed, mystery and quite a few interesting characters. I personally didn't love any of the characters but I did love the house and the coastal Maine setting... It was described so well and definitely added to the storyline. The story itself focuses on Eleanor and her strange family and all they have been through and done... Then things take a turn for the weird when Grandma Persephone arrives from Paris... This book was filled with weird and original content and I definitely think readers are going to love it!

"A dangerous combination, to want something so badly and also be so afraid."

When I saw the cover of What Big Teeth I knew I needed to read it. Reading the synopsis confirmed that. And then I read the first few chapters on Bookish First and became absolutely obsessed with getting my hands on a copy. So I wrote to the publisher (twice) and the author (once) and was given a digital arc because stalkers are scary.

Lately it seems like the books I've really been looking forward to reading have been falling short. This is NOT the case here. What Big Teeth is gorgeously written, has well-written, multi-dimensional characters and an engaging storyline that borders on fantasy, mystery and coming-of-age. If you were coming-of-age in the Addams Family that is.

Eleanor is returning home after having spent the last eight years at boarding school. Her departure from home was abrupt and her return home is just as rash. In that time she has not seen or spoken to her family at all, and so she comes back to a house full of people she barely recognizes. A place where her mother spends most of her time in a tub, her sister, cousin and grandfather are most comfortable prowling the woods as wolves, and her grandmother is mysterious in her powerful role as the head of the household. Mysteries unfold as Eleanor attempts to find her place among the Zarrins, all while she navigates family hierarchies and power dynamics, love and adulthood.

I started this book with my heart pounding and finished it with tears in my eyes. I simply adored everything about this one and I'm glad that in this case at least, being a stalker paid off.

"My love is a haunted house. a ghost possessing his own body, a fire that burns itself alive. A light almost too bright to look at, but I forced myself to look as long as I could."

* Please note I am quoting from an uncorrected arc. Changes may be made in the final version.

This book sadly wasn't for me. I was blown away by the wonderful cover art and the synopsis sounded like something I would enjoy. However, I felt disconnected with the world and the characters. I didn't become invested in the book until the last 20% and by that time I had already grown to resent this book. Nothing seemed to have happened until then and I just couldn't connect with the family. I did enjoy the overall aesthetic though. 2.5 stars.

This book was bizarre, twisty, dark, and so atmospheric. It really took me on a journey.

My main criticism was the second half once Grandmere came into the book seemed too strange. I felt something off but I couldn’t really put my finger on it. The book seemed to take a strange turn and not in the best way. I just wish there was more explained about what Grandmere was to help me understand what was going on.

WHAT BIG TEETH by Rose Szabo is sooo good! Haunting, fantastical, and breathtaking, Szabo weaves together a gothic world of family secrets, monsters that don't hide under the bed, and one girl who just wants her family back.

Rose Szabo’s story, What Big Teeth, is driven by it’s quirky characters. This is because at it’s heart, it is a story about a supernatural, dysfunctional family. The black sheep of the Zarrin family, Eleanor, decides to return to home after a horrifying event at her boarding school. Eleanor has been away for quite a few years, so she then spends the bulk of the novel trying to find where she belongs within the existing family dynamics. Like any other person, Eleanor just wants her family to accept her - quirks and all. Her situation, however, is further complicated by the fact that she is not like the other members of her family.

The plot is slow-paced, with subtle foreshadowing and gradual reveals. Some moments are predictable, but the story is still a good read. The action-packed ending especially makes up for the story’s slow start. Fans of The Addams Family or Dark Shadows will most likely enjoy reading this book.

Many thanks to Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group and NetGalley for the e-ARC! All opinions are my own.

Advanced Reader’s Copy provided by NetGalley and Macmillan Children's Publishing Group in exchange for an honest review.

What an absolutely weird novel! And I mean this in the best way possible. Like Addams Family weird. I'm not entirely sure what I just read and I'm finding it hard to describe what this book is about, other than that it's delightfully odd and that everyone needs to read it. WHAT BIG TEETH is a gothic novel about a young girl returning home after being banished from her family in Maine without any memory of WHY she was sent away in the first place. Some family members can turn into wolves, others are witches, one is covered in polyps and needs to live in water, and well, Eleanor is... something else.

Set in a small town in Maine after the war, this novel has a timeless quality seeped in the stories of all those who fled the dangers of their home countries to search for a new life someplace else. Szabo skillfully creates the perfect atmosphere to let their characters shine. I was hooked by the time Eleanor walks back into the creepy house she grew up in, and was on the edge of my seat while waiting to find out who Arthur was and how things would end for Eleanor.

The cover art is stunning too and pairs perfectly with the story.

Give WHAT BIG TEETH a shot, I don't think you'll regret it. But you might lose out on sleep because you won't be able to put this book down.

What Big Teeth was a book that captivated me with its dangerous and simmering atmosphere. It's a world of death and betrayal and the necessity to be strong, because the weak don't have a tendency to survive. From the very beginning, Eleanor threatens to unravel a family history that will test what she will do to protect herself and the family to the brink. What does it mean when we return home? When we have to reconcile why we left. What Big Teeth is populated with characters who have an edge to them. But just because they might be dangerous, does that mean they're a danger to the family?

What Big Teeth explores our ideas of loyalty, family, and control. It's hard to trust anyone in the book because even the reader can sense in their gut that no one is who they seem. That there are secrets lurking around corners, beneath the ground, and in the air. Sometimes we don't want to question what we cannot believe is true. But other times the only way we will ever find closure, peace, or our future is to probe those sore spots. The theme that I enjoyed the most in What Big Teeth is the intersection between love and control.

Thank you Macmillan and Yall West for gifting me a copy to read.

I expected to read a creepy, gothic story about a family. I got a creepy, I got gothic and there is indeed a family but this story might be one of the weirdest stories I have read in a long time. I think it's up to the individual to decide if that's something that appeals to them. I will definitely say it's unique.

The setting, an old creepy house near the ocean and the woods is perfection. I loved the descriptions and could feel the cold, the salt spray and smell the musty old wood. It completely added to the appeal of the plot.

As far as characters and storyline I felt less enthusiastic but still satisfied. They are interesting and complex but I felt like I didn't really understand any of their motivations. The 1st half of the book feels like a long drawn out introduction and while I did enjoy their interactions with each other, the constant behavior shifts confused me.

The 2nd half of the book was more enjoyable and interesting to me. I loved seeing our lead Eleanor more proactive and not so one dimensional. I thought the ending was great, although a bit abrupt and I wish we saw more in the epilogue.

I would recommend this book for horror or gothic mystery lovers. If gore grosses you out you might want to pass as there are several scenes that get a bit bloody. This story with themes of family, forgiveness, faith and fear was very enjoyable to me and I would be interested to see a sequel with more story for the other members of the family.

Content warnings: blood and gore, death of a child

This book was something else. I don't normally read books in the horror genre so this book was a pleasant change to my normal fantasy reads.

Eleanor was sent at a young age to a boarding school by her grandmother. Over the course of her stay she has had no contact with her family at all. But then she did something horrible to one of the students that was bullying her and flees her boarding school to return to her childhood home. When she arrives she discovers that her grandma knew she was coming after a tarot reading and prepared a family dinner in order to welcome her home.

We are then introduced to the STRANGEST family ever. Her mother lives in a wash basin and looks like she is half sea creature, her cousin and sister act really weird and their grandfather is half wolf. Then there is a family friend that everyone in the family loves way too much... Then Eleanors grandma dies and asks her to take care of the family. A family that she has known for two seconds and is super strange.

There are alot of twists in this book and enough craziness that you will be kept on the edge of your seat through the whole book.

It might say more about me than anything else, but I didn't find What Big Teeth to be weird or gruesome in any sort of way, but I did find it unconventional. That's because this story seems to be missing a moral center and has little to no resolution, part of which is because there's no real-world consequence for any of the characters actions, certainly not in a societal sense.

In fact, the crude and mostly ignorant outside world, while is perhaps responsible for the way things are, doesn't play a huge role in what happens on these pages. No, this is primarily a personal more family squabble which takes place inside their house of horrors, with the odd trip or two into town. And while I realize that part of this journey is accepting that even monsters are deserving of dignity and respect, I'm not sure these are the ones to offer up as examples.

And while What Big Teeth is certainly enjoyable enough, when your premise rests on spending a fair amount of time in a confined space, the characters have to be strong. For me, in the end, my affinity towards any of them was completely missing. I'm not easily shaken or turned off by abhorrent behavior in a character, but I do have to care about them, and I didn't care about this family with one exception, the mother. In a house full of abnormalities, hers was the most intriguing to me probably because hers warranted the most sympathy, and I wanted more from her.

Another issue is the plotting as the first 2/3 of this book tended to meander at times, and when certain truths begin to be revealed, opening up the story in important ways, the book ends with a thud. So, by the end, even though I had a somewhat of an understanding of their motivations and answers to most of my questions, I was left with a sense banality, not fulfillment. The "a-ha" moments felt like a mix of incomplete thoughts that didn't get explored enough, or shoulder shrugs.

Here's the thing, Rose's creativity is off the charts good and I enjoyed their slant on the macabre. And I want to read more stories from them, but in a lot of ways, I feel like there was a better story to tell that takes place either just before this one, or after.

"She never told me, and I was just a child. Maybe I did something, but I can't remember."

Firstly, great name. Let that name sink in. That name and the cover delivered. What if you came home and didn't know anyone in your family? They were strangers and you didn't even remember why they sent you away to begin with? On top of that: you're all monsters. Like, real monsters.

That's just the beginning. Creating a new mythos including more than just werewolves, this small-town story is more about this strange family's past and their weird secrets than any kind of tale of love. That's in there, too, but it's not the focus. The more I think about it, the more I liked it.

I really couldn’t get into this story. The plot sounded right up my alley but I just couldn’t connect with the characters.

I did not finish this book. It was not for me.
I feel like teens who are fresh in to horror/the grotesque would probably like this book quite a lot, but I felt like it was trying too hard to make me uncomfortable and that just put me off...

'What Big Teeth' is strange, creepy and spellbinding, and it is an enthralling read. It wraps you up in a world that is familiar and unfamiliar all at once, full of strange creatures and lonely people. Eleanor is a complicated main character. She's headstrong and fierce, yet fragile too, and full of mysteries that even she doesn't know. She's frustrating at times, as the reader senses the dangers ahead before she herself does, but the author does a brilliant job of keeping Eleanor on her path, letting her grow bit by bit until she finally understands who she is. This is a story about family, about love, and about ultimately embracing yourself and the monster within. It's a stunning, genre-bending book and it hooked me entirely. I really enjoyed it.