Rating: 1⭐️

Thank you to the publisher for gifting me and arc via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Unfortunately I could not finish this book as it was not for me. I found it to be very gruesome and horrid, while also being very confusing. I did not know what was going on at all. The chapters are very long so I feel like a lot of the information got lost in the chapter transitions. I found myself forgetting things that seemed to be important because of all the unnecessary detail.
It’s set in an old world but still felt very current which was also confusing. I didn’t like the family’s relationship with Arthur. It was weird and it felt like they were almost holding him hostage in their everyday relations. The cousins all felt very young even though I assumed them to be about high school age. They would go “play” on their downtime which made them sound like children. I didn’t really like the writing style either.
Unfortunately this was not for me but hopefully some else who reads it enjoys it.

What Big Teeth seemed like a plot line predictable to everyone except the author. The book begins with a type of flashback scene that provides no context as a prologue and yet spoils the novel within the first chapter. The prologue is suppose to serve as a full circle explanation only clear towards the end of the novel. Yet, it is clear to EVERYONE BUT ELEANOR her role in the family and the dangers of her second grandmother. I understand the main character does not begin the story with all of her memories but, the author depends on this amnesia to lengthen the book when there is evidently other problems that require explanation. At one point it is impossible to blame the main characters faults on her lack of memory and she emanates the actions of an unlikeable female character too dense to grasp the clear instructions and clues handed directly to her. The plot diverges from the typical werewolf tropes but, it is not reflected in the cover. I went into this book with the expectation of a werewolf based story, but there are so many magic-based elements that the story is lost in confusion. It was a book that was difficult to finish and would have been abandoned if I did not have to write this review.

I received a digital ARC through NetGalley from Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group. Eleanor returns home after 8 years away to her family of wolves, witches and mer creatures that live in a mansion beside a quiet town. What makes her so odd that she was the one that was banished? Upon her return her grandma passes and she must oversee the family and their safety. She invites her grandmere to visit, but what type of monster is she?

This book can be described as The Addams Family meets Frankenstein (complete with lit torches). I prefer world building in fantasy over character based stories. I think the point is that these monsters didn’t have a world to live in, they were “trying” to live in our world. Dark and creative, this was a 4 star book till I hit the last 15 pages and wanted a bit more ending for the characters..

This book was strange but very entertaining! I really enjoyed the different kinds of supernatural creatures in Eleanor's family. It took me a while to figure out how the book was going to go and it definitely kept me guessing for a while! I was satisfied with the ending and I would definitely read more from Rose Szabo. I would recommend this book to anyone that enjoys mysterious families, supernatural creatures, or weird family drama!

What Big Teeth is a book in its own category. At turns creepy, mysterious, magical, and a little romantic, I couldn't put it down. Eleanor Zarrin is on the run, fleeing boarding school after a horrifying accident. She returns to the home where she was rejected years before. Her mother is covered in polyps and must stay in a tub or barrel to survive. Dad, Grandpa, cousin Rhys,and sister Luma can all shift into wolves. Grandma is the matriarch of the family, doing what she has to to keep the rest of them out of trouble, and a psychic witch as well. It was she who sent Eleanor away years ago without explanation. Tragedy strikes the family, leaving Eleanor in charge. She will have to face the monsters in her past as well as in her family before she can untangle the mess that is their lives. This was an interesting read - unlike anything I've read in a long while. It is meant for young adults - who will love the dark, gothic feel of the book, but anyone who wants to read something unique and entertaining should pick this up and dive in. I read an ARC of this book through Net Galley and I'm grateful for the opportunity!!

* I received an e-ARC for an honest review.*
I was drawn in by the cover to What Big Teeth and then the synopsis hooked me. Eleanor Zarrin has been away from her family for years. She was always different from them and never felt like she fit in. After an incident at her boarding school, she runs back home to be reunited with them.

She is scared to return since she’s not sure if they will welcome her back. With nowhere else to turn, she finds herself back with her family but everything is not as she remembered. Her family scares her now. Especially her grandfather with his sharp teeth, her mom with her strange appearance, and she thinks her aunt wants to kill her.

Not long after Eleanor arrives, tragedy strikes. She soon finds herself having to take care of everyone. Not sure that she can handle it on her own she contacts her other grandmother to come help her. The only problem is her Grandmere may be more than she bargained for.

This is a really interesting book. It’s not scary, but definitely has a gothic feel to it. The book is set during the 50’s which to me adds to the atmospheric tone. It wasn’t the book I was expecting, but I did enjoy the story.

This is a book I really wanted to love and there were parts of it that I really, really did. A house full of monsters who speak with teeth and claw, who want fiercely and take and protect and grin with all their teeth. A lonely girl who doesn't fit in, who feels both too monstrous and not monstrous enough, who just wants to find stable ground. And oh man the writing at the sentence level... There were phrases that could make you bleed. There were a few that literally raised goosebumps on my arms.

But alas, I spent the entire book confused. I felt like I walked into the wrong house where a party was going on: everyone knows each other and the rules except me. I was so wrong-footed (I think in part because Eleanor didn't seem to remember a lot of things? Which was weird? Like... Why did she have amnesia?) that I spent the whole book grasping for something to ground me. I couldn't get a handle on the time period (50s or 60s? Maybe?), I have no idea how old Eleanor was (she'd been gone for 8 years but was she 16? 18?), I feel like I was left with so many questions (namely about Eleanor's mom, honestly. She was a total mystery to me).

But damn if the images and the writing weren't stellar in pieces. Szabo is going to be an author to watch and I can't wait to see where she takes us next.

This is what the Aadams Family would be like if they were not just spooky but also werewolves. Eleanor comes home from boarding school under rather mysterious circumstances. Her entire family is a tangled mystery and even if she’s not aware of it so is she. When her grandmother Persephone dies she writes to her mother’s mother her other grandmother to help her as she tries to hold her strange family together. There’s magic, a tangle of mysteries and of course warewolves. This book was very atmospheric and you could feel the rain and cold, you can see the stormy seas, you can feel the settled old house and the mysteries therein. This book is a fantastic read.

This wasn't quite what I was expecting after being hooked by that absolutely incredibly cover and then, very quickly after, by the pitch.

I honestly don't quite know what this was. It's such a hodge podge of so many things, and almost feels like twelve different stories in one -- a bizarre mix of everything in the pantry plus the kitchen sink -- and so sometimes I would love a taste, other times I would wonder who thought to mix such things together and why, and then even still I would just be hunting for the other shoe before it could drop.. even though I thought I was already wearing both shoes. Does any of this make sense? Likely not. Probably because of so many mixed metaphors. But it feels fitting.

I was tempted to leave this unrated because I truly don't know how to feel about this but ultimately even considering the bits I liked, it all just feels like.. not cohesive? Weirdly stitched together? Better yet.. you know that feeling you get when your long sleeved shirt is bunched up high on your arm under your hoodie? The shirt is comfortable, the sweatshirt even moreso, but you are highly uncomfortable anyway. That's maybe the best I can do. Separately everything about this, on its own, and maybe even in some combinations, are things I like. All together? Bizarre. Strange. Weird. Pick a synonym.

Having said that, there is definitely going to be an audience for this. I read this two months early and I already see a lot of advance praise for it. So take this review, as always, with a grain o'salt.

2.5 stars

I really enjoyed the surreal vibe of this book. It was captivating from the start as Eleanor tries to remember her past and find her place in her family. The setting was well done, I really liked their house and how it added to the surreal feel of the book. The characters were all well done and I particularly liked her sister Luma. The magic system of the book was mysterious and at times I did wish it was more well defined, but it fit well with Eleanor’s understanding of the events and people around her. I would really like to see more of these characters and their world to gain more understanding. That said it is a great story by itself and had a very satisfying ending. All around it was a very enjoyable book.

This is a story about a witch among the wolves.

This was an absolute fever dream of a book. If Darren Aronofsky ever decides he wants to make a domestic creature feature horror film, I’ve found the perfect source material. This is the kind of surreal, atmospheric story that leaves the reader feeling vaguely unsettled for hours after- I’m almost certain I’m going to have strange nightmares. I also appreciated the absolutely bizarre setting & characters, juxtaposed with relatable emotions... like the desire for belonging & love.

⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

Thank you so much Netgalley & Macmillan for this e-Arc!

This started off so strong, and then just got weird. I had to stop because the conversations were choppy and I couldn't get into the story. Do not recommend.

I was a big fan of werewolf, magic, vampires, etc. stories back in the day when they were insanely popular. This one was just vicious in a way I didn't like. I didn't really like any of the characters, they're all just monsters, which I know, but not in a way that I enjoy.

I was so excited to receive an ARC of this book! I loved the summary and the cover is fantastic. Unfortunately, while I really liked the story that was told, I felt like the writing wasn’t that strong and the book dragged for the most part, up until the end where we finally got some answers to our questions.

I felt detached from the characters and like there wasn’t enough description to get a good picture of them. I was thrown off by Arthur’s character and the family member’s attraction to him, I kept picturing him as being old, but the main character was only 16 (I think?) so it was weird.

I couldn’t figure out why Eleanor didn’t remember her family, I thought that would somehow come up. From what I understood she was 8 when she was sent off to school, so while that’s young, I feel it’s not young enough to completely forget her life and her family? At least some of the things she said she couldn’t remember, I felt like they were things you wouldn’t forget.

I just didn’t get the connection with the family members, they really didn’t act like they were that close, or that they cared about each other, even though the authors SAYS they do. I just needed more emotion in the characters. The book was short, but I just felt like it took a long time to get to the end.

I did LOVE the story though. I think it’s a really great idea. I loved the house, the little town, and the mystery, Grandmere was a great character. Some of the scenes were really weird, but a fun/disturbing weird which was great? However, the rest just sort of fell flat for me and the story needs the characters to be stronger. I would recommend for the story itself, but just get ready to have to wait to the very, very end for answers!

A gothic fairytale mixed in with monsters, family secrets, and one girl left to unravel not only her family secrets, but what she really is. The story follows Eleanor who has been sent to a boarding school and cast out by her family, only to return to them after an extremely horrific incident at school. Once home, she is once again re-emmersed in the monstrous beings that are her family, not only their odd ways and manners, but in the monsters that they are. Eleanor is left in charge of her entire family after her grandmother dies, and now she is struggling to control them but to maintain the finances, and the all too tempting family friend that everyone in her family just can’t seem to get enough of. This is a story about family, about twisted and complicated love, about the different types of love there are, and about learning to accept the monster within and embracing yourself. This story was really interesting and definitely had me hooked from the get go. I was so intrigued by Eleanor and why she was outcast and why in a family of misfits she was still the most left out. The dynamic in her family, and all their dark secrets was so interesting to uncover and don’t even get me started on the entire weird and complicated relationship that is Arthur to the family. Overall, if you like weird monstrous families, Addams family-esque stories, or just overall gothic mysteries, then this book would be right up your alley. I had a fun time learning more about each family member and their histories, and learning about Eleanor and seeing her be more confidence and reassured in herself and her place in the family. It’s a great read and I would definitely recommend it!

Sometimes the monster under the bed…may be you.

When she was little, Eleanor Zarrin was sent away from her violent, monstrous family to live in a boarding school. She doesn’t remember why she was sent away – she only knows that her letters have gone unanswered for years. However, when a very bad thing happens at school, she runs home to the family who may have abandoned her – a family of teeth and claws and a lust for all things flesh.

I loved this story.

I loved it so much that, when I went to bed at 10pm and 85% of the way through the book, I literally woke a little after midnight and new I had to finish it. And I did. And you know what? This is that book that I’ll read again.

The author tells a story that resonates. It urges you to recognize and love the monster deep inside yourself, and in the ones you love. The story is full of love and lust and heartbreak and despair and a desire for belonging so big it can swallow the world.

5 well deserved stars!

*ARC via Net Galley.

Estranged from her very unusual family (They’re creepy and they’re kooky….) Eleanor has been living for years at a boarding school. However, after a horrific event, she flees the school to return to the only safe place she has known. Once she is back home, though, she finds it impossible to fit in with her monstrous family. It seems they have all moved on without her. At best she is an outcast and at worst she is despised. After a tragic death in the family, Eleanor’s life only gets worse and the family falls even further apart. Eventually, Eleanor seeks help from a mysterious figure to try and hold the family together and tame her own inner darkness.

So, this was one of the weirdest books I have ever read and I mean that in the very best sense of the word. This book has all the strange things I love: Victorian gothic vibes, witches, tarot cards, werewolves and then throws in some bonus half-human/half sea monster creatures, menacing mute family members and a ghost or two. While I can see the comparisons to The Addams Family or a quirky Tim Burton film but there is so much more going on than that. These aren’t cardboard characters with cutesy lines that will be featured on Hot Topic clothing. Tim Burton characters don’t really frighten me but some of Eleanor’s family members did! This was the first book I have read in years that actually gave me a nightmare. Kudos to Szabo for that!

While this book frightened me at times, it also moved me so deeply! The way Szabo wrote on themes of love and grief moved me to tears more than once. There were times I stopped reading just to sit and really absorb a beautifully written sentence. I empathized so much with our main character, Eleanor, as she struggled to understand who her family was, why some of them seemed to hate her so much and what her place in the family was-- if there even was one. The family’s rejection of her was so painful to read but as her character brilliantly evolved, I cheered her on! She soldiered on and I was just so proud of the person she became.

There’s so much more I would love to share about this story but it would be doing future readers of this book a disservice by spoiling absolutely everything. I highly recommend this book--in fact, I put it up in my Top 5 Reads this year--and look forward to reading everything this author writes!

Special thanks to NetGalley and Macmillian Children Publishing Group/Farrar, Straus and Giroux for sharing this uncorrected digital reviewer copy with me in exchange for my honest opinion.

In its heart this book is all about family. The people may be different but the tone of the story is still the same. It will weave a tail that will draw you in and keep you.

I had such high hopes for this novel and for the great cover but sadly, I didn't get 100 pages in before I DNF. I struggled with the writing style and prose throughout those first 100 pages that I inevitably marked as a DNF.

This was one weird book.

We follow Eleanor as she returns to her family after having been away at boarding for several years.
Immediately we know something is off.
Her family is very strange and the way they interact with one another is also very odd.
After an unprecedented death, Eleanor is left to look after this scary group, but in order to do so she must first unravel the secrets everyone seems to be hiding.
She quickly learns some things are better left alone.
In the story we encounter magic, shape shifting, ghosts, witches, possessions, affairs, monsters... you name it.

I don’t know if I really loved this or if I really didn’t.
It was unsettling and confusing but in the best way.

*I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book on NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own*