I have to say I really enjoyed this story. It was different; it was not your typical werewolf story. Rory has come back to help her pregnant sister, and so after an accident, her life changes. Rory has no clue what is going on with her body, but it is not normal. We see how Rory handles her body changing but not in a horrible way but more of a way of, I guess, this is how it is going to be. To helping her sister with her pregnancy to learning how to be in a relationship. As we got towards the end, I was totally wrong about who I thought was the cause of everything Rory was going through. So I did like that little surprise. If you are looking for a nontraditional werewolf story, this is it. I liked the way everything just came together and the way the characters were. I loved the sibling dynamics and the romance between Rory and Ian. I think this is one of my favorite books for Halloween!

I finally dove into a Rachel Harrison novel, and I'm so happy it was this one. There's a bit of everything: romance, body horror, family issues, second coming of age...I loved watching this woman work with the effects of her recent traumatic event while confronting the scars from her childhood trauma. This felt very true to life, just with a werewolf aspect added in.

Such Sharp Teeth was everything that I love in supernatural horror/thrillers. Comedic relief, relatable characters, complicated monsters... But Rachel Harrison went deeper with her story, it became an allegory for healing from trauma, for the lack of control during pregnancy, all wrapped up in a clever bundle. Really, how well would any of us handle being turned into a werewolf?

Special thanks to Berkeley Publishing and NetGalley for the ARC of this book.

I liked this book from the start. Rory is leaving hometown, not wanting to ever really come back, but her twin sister is pregnant and needs her. So she returns and after a night out at a local bar, she hits an animal. When she gets out to see, she's attacked.

Rory is okay but soon after, she's seeing more clear, has inhumane strength and sharper teeth than my boyfriends who thinks he's playing when he's really hurting me. He's gotten a few smacks outta me for that, and tell him bite himself, he's got some seriously sharp teeth!

Back to the story.....

Folks this isn't your normal werewolf story. Actually shape shifter, I should say. Its also a brilliantly written love story as well. I thought this book was excellent.

I also loved that Rachel Harrison portrayed a woman for this character because as a woman myself, we have to put all our repressed hormonal rage somewher!!!! Men, will enjoy it to as well as all colors of the rainbow. Bravo. 5 stars!

This just did not work for me for some reason. I wanted horror, I got paranormal romance at best.

There's a lot of relationship building, not much warewolf-ing (I know I know, that's not a word, but you get what I'm saying). I felt, the horror was not there - the MC just accepted for who she became and what she is without any freak out. No actual mauling. And everyone around her were like ok, this is new, but I accept it.

See. Romance.

Relationships, family - these are the theme here, not warewolves.

Not bad writing. It's ok. Just the story line isn't for me.

Thank you to PRH for my ALC. All thoughts are my own.

This book is another refreshing take on horror with commentary on female rage wrapped in a wonderful story of love and werewolves. Shifters are often written as male characters processing their own innate anger, and is portrayed as a hinderance. Harrison changes this up in a statement about women's emotional inner demons as well as those imposed upon us against our will. The love story presents a male counterpart that is ready to meet her where she's at, and ready to embrace all the stinky, messy aspects of who she always was and who she has become. Such a wonderful read!

In this novel about a young woman dealing with trauma and change, Rachel Harrison has created a narrative that is gripping and incisive. The voice of Rory is compelling, both tough and vulnerable at the same time, a fighter and survivor. But that survival instinct also makes it hard for her to trust and allow herself love. And it is in exploring, through the medium of her changes and Scarlett’s as a soon to be mother, that the author builds something unique and insightful as she explores the changes in both and how that correlates with trauma and abuse. 

Rory is far from perfect. She is flawed and angry but she also had to deal with her changes, whether she likes it or not. She also must learn to embrace vulnerability, trust, and love. From someone who doesn’t do well with those myself, I found the character particularly compelling and the voice of Rory resonated with me. 

If you’ve ever dealt with trauma, change, or pain, then this novel is worth checking, especially with the inventive way it addresses those themes and concepts. The novel is gripping and incisive. It resonates and breathes life into an old concept, werewolves, in new ways. I loved every moment of the story.

Loved this book so much. The characters were deeply relatable, it was sharp and I loved the pacing. I couldn’t put it down and it was the most fun I’ve had in a long time reading a book. Please write a Texas road trip follow up, I don’t want to be done with this family!

This is the second book I've read by Rachel Harrison, and so far I think her books are great for readers who want to read paranormal books that aren't so incredibly troupey or cheesy. I myself enjoy a good paranormal romance book (for some reason it seems most paranormal books are also romance), but I don't read a lot because they get to be really repetitive. Mrs. Harrison manages to create something different. It has a contemporary style that makes it easy to read, but really focuses on the inner thoughts and development of the main character. Here we have Rory as she learns to deal with becoming a werewolf, which of course sucks but it's her new life now. She's back in her hometown to help take care of her sister who recently became pregnant and her partner walked out on her. She has to balance her own problems with that of her family. Rory is a free spirit who is honestly the opposite of me in many ways, but Mrs. Harrison does a great job in getting me to relate to her on some level, and to sympathize with her situation.

There is a romantic sub-plot, but it's not so strongly there that makes me label this a paranormal romance book. Again, Rory has a lot of issues to deal with and overcome, so she's not necessarily open to a steady relationship. How much will the werewolf stuff affect her life?

Fair warning: The graphic descriptions of the werewolf transformation and hunting can be fairly graphic. I think this is also what adds to the book to make it different-- it doesn't romanticize the fact that one is transforming into a bloodthirsty beast who would eat humans. Why do we romanticize so many Halloween creatures? Anyway, I would love a vampire story from Mrs. Harrison next!

Rory Morris has a perfect life. She is the youngest VP at her company ever, she has flings every week with a different D-list celebrity, and most importantly, she escaped her tiny little backwoods town. Until her twin sister, Scarlett begs her to come back. Scarlett is pregnant and the daddy seems to have split. Being a good sister Rory packs up everything to stay with Scarlett. But it’s only temporary, she is going back to Manhattan as soon as she can.

Then she hits something with her car. Something big. And it's not happy about being hit. The creature attacks her and Rory is sure she’s dead. But she wakes up in the hospital with only minor cuts and scrapes. Everyone says she’s so lucky after her bear attack. Rory isn’t so sure she is lucky though, and she isn’t sure it was a bear either.

Come along with Rory as she deals with her quickly changing life in Such Sharp Teeth: A Werewolf Novel by Rachel Harrison.

[Note: While I am reviewing this novel independently and honestly, it should be noted that it has been provided to me by Berkley, an imprint of Penguin House, for the purpose of this review. Warning: My review of Such Sharp Teeth: A Werewolf Novel contains some spoilers!]

Our heroine hits an unexpected obstacle in Such Sharp Teeth

Rory is happy with her life. She worked hard, went to college, and got out of her small town. She lives in Manhattan, has a great job, and has zero attachments. And that's how she likes it. But when her twin sister calls her and says she needs her, Rory takes a leave of absence from work, sublets her apartment, and high-tails it back to her hometown. 

A couple of weeks after she arrives Rory heads out to the bar for a few drinks. She runs into an old friend, Ian. Ian always had a crush on her but Rory never returned the feelings. But now Ian is looking good. He's cute and funny and Rory starts thinking maybe. But no, she is leaving town as soon as she can so she leaves the bar and heads home. 
As Rory is driving home she checks her phone for a split second and slam! She hits something and loses control. When the car stops she makes her first big mistake. She gets out to check what she hit and is attacked by a huge, furry, gruesome creature. In her shock and panic, she refuses to name it. She feels it rip chunks of flesh from her body and knows she's dead as she passes out.

Amazingly she wakes up in the hospital with only minor bumps and bruises. She tells them a bear attacked her because what else could it have been? But then she starts noticing things aren't quite right. After some hard denial, the full moon comes back around and there's no denying it anymore, that wasn't a bear that attacked her. 

Major changes (It's not called "A Werewolf Novel" for nothing)

Now everything is changing fast for Rory and she can't quite get her feet under her. At first, she hopes she can go back to her old life in the city but it quickly becomes apparent that isn't happening.

Making things worse is Ian. Rory slowly comes to the realization that she cares about Ian a lot more than she cares to admit. She even starts thinking they could have a life together in the sleepy little town she tried so hard to escape. But the timing couldn't be worse. She can't have a healthy relationship with Ian while hiding such a big secret and if she tells him the truth he'll never want to see her again. Plus, She can't control herself when she changes and she doesn't want to hurt Ian or anyone else. How can she possibly live a normal life now?

As her sister gets closer to giving birth more secrets come out about why and how she and her husband split. This causes strong tension between the sisters. Then their mother comes to visit before the baby is born. Rory and her mother have a strained relationship, to say the least.

Rory finds out just who is responsible for turning her and she feels even more betrayed. All of the compounding stress nearly undoes Rory. She searches feverishly for a cure or at least a way to hold on to herself during the change. One thing keeps tickling the back of her mind "there's usually a little truth to those legends" and silver is supposed to kill werewolves. Maybe, maybe there's something there. Maybe she can find a way to have everything she wants, once she decides what it is she wants. 

A different kind of love story in Such Sharp Teeth: A Werewolf Novel

Such Sharp Teeth has a traditional love story where the girl goes off with big city dreams only to find that love was waiting for her back home the whole time. It's cute and wholesome. But it also has a better love story. The real love story, arguably what the whole story is about, is Rory learning to love herself. 

Rory goes through something really awful as a kid. The initial event was traumatic enough but it's made worse when neither her twin sister nor her mother believes her. In an attempt to cope she tries to be perfect at everything and she puts up walls to keep everyone at arm's length. She appears to be happy and confident but inside she's lonely and hollow.

After she gets bit, she starts facing all those emotions she hid away because the wolf won't let them hide. She comes to terms with what happened and her feelings about it and all the people around her. She looks close enough at herself to realize what she wants and she comes to love herself enough to get it. It really is some great character growth and development wrapped up in a monster story.

All important humor

Rory's story could have been really heavy to read through. There is a lot of trauma and growth and that can weigh down a story and a reader. Thankfully Harrison uses humor to help combat that dangerous pitfall. There are a lot of rapid-fire quips between the different characters that keep the mood elevated throughout the story. When Rory and Scarlett get to bounce off each other it's hilarious. Rory and Ian have a similar interaction style most of the time.

Such Sharp Teeth is a great monster read

Such Sharp Teeth is a great book to put on your read list this October. Harrison's monster story will give you chills, and Rory's story of growth and change will warm you right up. I think pretty much anybody will enjoy Such Sharp Teeth. I definitely recommend it for this spooky season or any time of year.

My rating for this book: 7/10

Rory returns to her hometown to help out her pregnant twin sister, Scarlett. One night she goes out for a drink and is attacked in the woods on her way home by what everyone thinks is a bear. Spoiler: it's not a bear.

I loved Cackle, and am officially a Rachel Harrison super fan after reading Such Sharp Teeth. This is the feminist dark comedy werewolf book I didn't even know I needed. I loved the way Harrison mirrored the pain and horror of Rory's werewolf transformation with Scarlett's pregnancy (being pregnant is truly like being taken over by an uncontrollable outside force) and how she discusses the invisible scars of trauma. AAGH so good. And it's funny AF - Rory's banter with her sister and love interest was hilarious, snarky perfection. Highly, highly recommend!

"But I don't have any evidence. Nothing to prove what I really went through or how it felt. Nothing visible, nothing tangible. I can feel it. The damage is there, but it's ghost damage, haunting my body like it's a goddamn Victorian manor. No one can see it but me. No one knows it's there except for me."

"My eyes close, and it's here. The transcendent knowledge that nothing can touch me. That I'm not in danger, because I am danger."

(Quotes taken from an uncorrected proof and may change prior to publication, but I hope they don't because they are perfect.)

Thanks to Berittalksbooks, Berkley and Netgalley for the early copy in exchange for a review.

This was a great original story! I have come to enjoy Rachel Harrison's odd stories and this was the perfect read for the fall. I haven't seen a story about a werewolf since probably Stephen King's a long time ago. This was a fun and quick read.

Such Sharp Teeth, by author Rachel Harrison, is her follow up to Cackle and The Return. The story is set in the Catskill Mountains of New York State. Aurora "Rory" Morris isn’t thrilled to be moving back to her hometown, even if it is temporary. There are bad memories here that soured her relationship with her mother. But her twin sister, Scarlett, is pregnant, estranged from the baby’s father, Matty, and needs support; so Rory returns to the place she thought she’d put in her rear view after a horrible past.

After a night out at a bar where she runs into an old almost-flame, Ian Pedretti, she hits a large animal with her car. And when she gets out to investigate, she’s attacked. It wasn't a bear or wild dog or any other creature you might imagine; it was a werewolf. Rory survives, miraculously, but life begins to look and feel different. She’s unnaturally strong, with an aversion to silver—and suddenly the moon has her in its thrall and she has a mad cravings for any kind of meat. She’s changing into someone else—something else, maybe even a monster.

But does that mean she’s putting those close to her in danger? Or is embracing the wildness inside of her the key to acceptance? Rory already had, shall we say anger issues, and becoming a werewolf is not any kind of recommended therapy to calm down. Her transformation parallels to her sisters pregnancy, with Scarlett less than thrilled to be taken over by her growing monster inside. She's less thrilled to find out that she can't push Ian aside while dealing with her internal struggle. Scarlett and Rory may be twins but their personalities are like night and day.

Scarlett remained in their hometown while Rory loved living and working in NYC. Scarlett never really understood why Rory was so angry at their mother who seemed to have a different man around when they grew up. So, while Rory is dealing with her own transformation, her relationship with Ian, she also has to decide whether or not to forgive her mother for ignoring her pleas for help that caused Rory to pretty much run away, and later made a pretty decent life for herself in New York City. A life that could all but be over once that full moon hits, and she becomes something else.

This has been labeled as a darkly comedic love story, and a brilliantly layered portrait of trauma, rage, and vulnerability that is supposed to appeal to feminists. Yet, one has to ask, where are the feminists when women all over this country are being physically assaulted on the street, in restaurants, on the subway, or other places that are supposed to be safe, or being replaced entirely by men? Where are the feminists when their attackers are freed almost immediately so that they can attack yet another woman, or an elderly person who has done nothing to deserve being assaulted?

Weird, disturbing, creepy, and wonderful, Such Sharp Teeth is the perfect book for spooky season. Rory Morris is moving back to her childhood hometown to help out her pregnant twin sister Scarlett. As soon as she is back in town, two things happen almost at the same time. The first is she reconnects with Ian, an old high school friend who could have been so much more. The second is that she hits a large animal with her car and ends up in the hospital after being bit.

Now, strange things are happening. Rory is starting to become much stronger than she was before. Her blood looks silver and she is constantly craving meat. She is changing into something new, a monster with uncontrollable urges. In conflict with her unnerving situation, Rory is trying to prepare her home for a baby and start a new relationship.

Thoughts: Rachel Harrison is one of my favorite authors to read near Halloween. Her writing is hilarious and relatable and the dark comedy is perfect for the subjects she chooses. Harrison is the master of pairing a horrific plot with fun and witty writing. She layers the deeper subjects of vulnerability and trauma and rage within the story in a way that is stunning to read. I felt myself having a range of emotions while reading a book that should have been a simple scary story.

The romance in the book served to show a power dynamic that was so different in other characters' relationships. I loved the characters in this book and it was easy to imagine their looks and voices. The character development in this book was particularly enjoyable and if you’re looking for a dark comedic horror with powerful feminine themes, this is the book for you! 5-stars!

A great addition to my #spookyseason reads! Rory isn’t thrilled to return to her hometown but when her twin needs her she
begrudgingly returns.
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This is a werewolf story and it’s a blast. Harrison somehow creates a love story in the midst of this horror with great dark comedy. I’m not sure what’s more scary werewolves or her poor sister giving birth, but I was cracking up over Rory’s sweatshirt at the hospital.
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This was a fun one and this book is out now!
Huge thank you to @berkleypub @berittalksbooks @thephdivabooks @dg_reads @prhaudio and @netgalley for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

I love a good werewolf story and Harrison definitely delivers on adding something new to the lore. She also nails the gore and body horror of this one making it the perfect spooky season read!

Rory is a hilarious main character, and you can’t help but love her as she tries to navigate her new life as a werewolf.

I hate scary books and movies. I get nightmares like a little kid. But, I went out of my comfort zone for a buddy read Such Sharp Teeth and I loved it. It is the story of Rory, a young woman who is bit by a werewolf and begins the transformation into one . Yup. A werewolf story. But it is so much more than the terror of the werewolf, it is the story of Rory returning home to help her pregnant twin sister and falling in love with a childhood friend. There is dry humor, there is romance, there is love and family bonding, there is witty banter and there is every possible emotion from rage to fear to happiness. And I love the strong female protagonist. I am so glad I tried something new and it is perfect for Spooktober.

Rory is back in her hometown to be there for her twin sister in the final months of pregnancy, when she is attacked by a bear.. or was it? She begins to notice changes and soon realizes she needs to scour the web for werewolf bite remedies.

I’ve never read anything like this, and I definitely enjoyed it! Rachel Harrison does a great job of weaving gore, horror, dark humor, and love! I really liked the witty back and forth comment from Rory and her sister and friends! It is a fun, easy read that is perfect for something a little different this spooky season!

When Rory returns to her hometown, she’s not thrilled about it but her twin sister is pregnant and needs support. After a night out at the bar, she hits something with her car. When she goes to investigate, she is attacked. After the attack, her senses change.. she’s changes.

This is my third Rachel Harrison book and it did not disappoint. Her books are just perfect for the Halloween season. They are creepy, but not too creepy. They are funny, but in a subtle and unexpected way. I loved the main character and how everything that happens is just.. happening. It’s part of the story and seems normal, but it’s really not. What are you gonna do when you get bit by a werewolf though? You keep living your life!

“In all the fairy tales, the world is big and bad and dangerous. A predator. Devious and evil. Something to be feared. But fairy tales are bullshit. Maybe wolves just get a bad edit. There are worse things to be. I know because I’ve faced those monsters.”

Such Sharp Teeth is available now.

This book is wildly fun to read, while still being an exploration of trauma, pain, and true strength. It's about the monsters that change us, the loss of control of ourselves, and how we get ourselves back despite what's happened, not because of it.