Book: Dear Hannah
Author: Zoje Stage
Publisher: Thomas & Mercer
Estimated Publication Date: Aug 14, 2024
Capone’s Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ of 5⭐

Summary (beware, some potential spoilers, but nothing explicitly spoily): We meet Hannah in her mid-20s. She’s crafted a life for herself based on what she perceives to be the best possible circumstances for living the life she wants. Most importantly, that life is totally separate from contact with her parents. She writes to her brother regularly, and they exchange advice about everything from choices in artistic expression to how to murder an enemy. The main conflict here comes from a drastic shift in family roles, upsetting her perfect arrangement. How will she maintain control, given that most of the changes are totally out of her hands?

Riding along with Hannah as she navigates a world full of humans she doesn’t get (relatable), I found myself rooting for her even when she was planning to do precisely the wrong thing because it seemed the best among terrible options… there’s much to be said for an author who can make a character’s insane choices seem perfectly reasonable.

This novel gets five stars because of the reality of its unreality: at no point during my time spent with the characters did I remember that I was reading a book. I was tickled, of course, that the book was set in Pittsburgh (Yay! Giant Eagle! Beacon Street! And the on-ramp toward Monroeville from Squirrel Hill is a no-go zone for me, too—I will add time to my drive and go through Swissvale or Regent Square to avoid it…). A head-spinner, this story makes me feel at home in an uncomfortable psyche. Although this book is probably promoted as a sequel to Stage’s 2018 Baby Teeth (the book that gave me what I’ve always wanted: a story about a little kid trying to kill their mother), I’m certain you can read Dear Hannah without any familiarity with the earlier title. I recommend both books; like Baby Teeth, Dear Hannah is sure to capture and hold its readers.

WOW, I was so thrilled to read this follow up to Baby Teeth. Zoje Stage is brilliant. This book, like the first, just drew me in immediately. I could not put it down. I highly recommend to thriller lovers!

Stage’s best novel so far, without a doubt. While I loved baby teeth, Dear Hanna was everything and so much more. I loved adult Hanna. I found the way her mind worked so interesting. I want to keep following her around! A trilogy??? Pretty please 🙏🏼

WOAH….it has been a while since I’ve had a book snag me in from the beginning and hold tight until the end!! Thanks to NetGalley for letting me read this in exchange for an honest review!! #NetGalley #DearHanna

If you're ready to dive into the twisted mind of a grown-up sociopath, buckle up because Zoje Stage's "Dear Hanna" is one heck of a ride.

Hanna is no stranger to dark thoughts – she once tried to off her own mother as a kid. But hey, that was ages ago, right? Now, at twenty-four, she's seemingly got her life together. Married to Jacob, a real estate agent, and playing stepmom to his daughter Joelle, Hanna's living the domestic dream. Oh, and she's also a phlebotomist, which, let's be honest, is a tad terrifying given her occasional need to hurt people.

But when Joelle starts acting up, Hanna's carefully constructed facade begins to crumble. And let me tell you, there's nothing scarier than a sociopath losing control. With old habits resurfacing and manipulation tactics in full swing, Hanna's descent into darkness is both chilling and utterly captivating.

What makes "Dear Hanna" so compelling is its dark humor and irresistibly seductive protagonist. Despite her twisted ways, there's something oddly endearing about Hanna. Maybe it's her self-awareness or her troubled past, but you can't help but root for her – even when she's up to no good.

Stage's storytelling is razor-sharp, keeping you on the edge of your seat from start to finish. And while the pacing may lag in places, the meticulous development of Hanna's character more than makes up for it. Plus, Stage's author's note at the end provides some fascinating insight into the relationship between "Dear Hanna" and its predecessor, "Baby Teeth."

So, if you're a fan of psychological thrillers with a side of dark humor, "Dear Hanna" is a must-read. Just be prepared to be completely sucked into Zoje Stage's twisted world – once you start, you won't be able to put it down.

I liked Baby Teeth and was interested to see the direction Dear Hanna was going to go in. Sadly this book fell flat for me. Dear Hanna lacked the creep factor that Baby teeth had, and was paced much slower. Every time something devious was going to happen it just fell apart and I was left disappointed. There was no twist and the ending was very anticlimactic.

Dear Hanna,

How could you? How could you just end and leave me wanting MORE? Rude…..

What can I say about Dear Hanna other than the fact that Zoje Stage has outdone herself this time. Baby Hanna was a force to be reckoned with and now adult Hanna? YIKES!

Dear Hanna was an amazing look into the mind of someone that isn’t as well put together as people would think she is. This novel gave me some You (Carolyn Keynes) vibes and I also could totally see Hanna and Maeve (from CJ Leede’s Maeve Fly), as best friends just tearing up the town.

Stage has not only crafted an amazing stand alone(ish) story, and I challenge you to not wanna read Baby Teeth if you haven’t already), but she also has done something that is unheard of….creating a sequel as if not better than the original.

This story will resonate with me for quite awhile and I know I won’t stop wondering what Is next in the life of our sweet Hanna….

Thank you NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for the opportunity to dive into the kind of Hanna one life time.

Zoje Stage knocked another one out of the park with, “Dear Hanna”. I read “Baby Teeth” when it first came out and it was so deliciously dark and unsettling. Hanna was a very disturbed and dangerous child, attempting several attempts to kill her mother while also manipulating her father into believing she wouldn’t do what she was accused of. Now Hanna is an adult with a career as a phlebotomist and looking to have a family of her own. She meets the type of man she is looking for at her job while drawing his daughter’s blood. As Hanna tries to navigate life as a wife and stepmother, changes within her new family are stressful for her and she takes to writing and sending letters to her younger brother.
Hanna’s past is catching up with her and going along for the ride was exhilarating and wild.
I read a lot of thriller books that tend to not leave an impression for long after. This is not the case with anything written by Zoje Stage.

" Baby Teeth" was a five star review for me but Hannah as an adult is not quite as interesting as Hannah as an evil child. Hannah is now 20 at the beginning of the book and 24 for most of the story. She is married to Jacob who is 40 years old and is a widower with a 12 year old girl. We are never quite sure why Hannah is married to him except for her desire to have a comfortable life. I would say that most of the book is about the everyday problems people have with being a stepmother and trying to navigate being the parent of a teenager. This isn't particularly interesting and repetitive. Hannah works as a phlebotomist, a job she enjoys because it allows her to sometimes hurt people by twisting the needle around and around until they scream. The fact that it takes years of her doing this (not to all patients) for some people to complain makes no sense. In addition to her blood duties, she spends time writing letters to her fifteen year old brother Goose. I think it is pretty obvious what is going on there. She also frequently talks to or mentions her stuffed animal friend that she keeps in a box.

Despite the above things we are supposed to think she and sensible Jacob have a great marriage and the calming tricks she learned from therapy are enough for him not to notice she is not well. Then something happens within the family which cause Hannah to lose her mental health to a larger degree and she starts to spiral into destruction. I like the author's writing style but thought the set-up of this was just not interesting enough compared to the previous novel. The author leaves an afterword calling Hannah a sociopath but Hannah is clearly a psychopath who is very invested in hurting or killing people. I will continue to read Stage's novels because she is very good at storytelling but I wasn't crazy about this one. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this ARC in exchange for a review.

I love Baby Teeth so much! So when Dear Hanna was announced to be coming out, I was excited to step back into Hanna world.
Zoje Stage did not disappoint. An adult version of Hanna is a thing to be reckon with. Hanna mind and control are in constant state of chaos and chess.
Dare I say or hope for 3rd book to tie up the next stage in Hanna life.

Oh, how I have been looking forward to this! I LOVED Baby Teeth and was so excited for a sequel. Hanna, now an adult, is somehow a stable and functioning member of society. At least until her step-daughter is expecting a child and Hanna is re-triggered of childhood memories.

Is Hanna just misunderstood and traumatized, or is she actually a sociopath?

This was such a quick read! I think Baby Teeth was better, but this was definitely the sequel I was looking for.

Dear Hanna follows adult, Hanna, whom we first met in Baby Teeth. This time, we get the POV straight from the unwell mind of Hanna. I wasn’t a huge fan of Baby Teeth but wanted to see what Hanna was like as an adult. It was lackluster and I was mostly bored.

It took me half the book to realize this was a standalone sequel to baby teeth. The story was okay, the ending just fell flat to me.

I was so excited to get my (digital) hands on an early copy of this new book by @zoje.stage_author. The sequel to “Baby Teeth,” this picked up the story of Hanna, a now 24 year old with lingering psychopathic tendencies. Jumping from 7 to 24 is a tough move, but her voice rang true and I think the story was fresh and well told. There were some ✨truly unsettling✨ moments and the twist at the end slapped me in the face, in a way that never happens for me. It maybe isn’t quiet as scary as its predecessor, but still an absolute must read.

This was not what I was expecting as a sequel to Baby Teeth, but I still loved it! This direction that Hanna took and explored stayed true to who she was, though it was slightly unexpected. I really liked this novel, and I raced through it. I would be happy to read about any more of Hanna’s adventures if they’re published!

Wow! I had no idea a sequel to Baby Teeth was coming and I was blown away!

We are back in Hanna's world. You remember the young sociopath who tried to kill her mother. Hanna is all grownup working as a phlebotomist, the perfect job when you need to inflict a bit of pain now and then. She meets and marries Jacob, a widower with a young teenage daughter named Joelle. Hanna is doing her best to be good and keeping her urges under control until unexpected circumstances arise with Joelle. As Hanna tries to figure out what is best for her new family, she starts to revert back to her old ways and the horrors begin.

I didn't realize this was a sequel to Baby Teeth until I started reading. I can honestly say this is one of the best sequels I have read. My only wish is that Baby Teeth was a bit fresher in my mind. The author's writing is addictive and I could feel Hanna's struggles as she tried to determine right from wrong. I actually found myself rooting for Hanna several times. The letters between Hanna and Goose brought a little humor into such dark subjects. I feel this book is a great stand alone novel as well and Baby Teeth doesn't have to be read first but I highly recommend it. I loved the ending as I think I see a possible third Hanna book!?!

What happens when a child sociopath becomes an adult? Zoje Stage's latest novel, Dear Hanna, answers that question and more as she revisits Hanna from her breakout debut Babyteeth. Hanna, now a 24-year old married woman, has created a life for her that works aka that mostly keeps her demons away. A phlebotomist in Pittsburgh, she loves her job (blood is beautiful after all according to Hanna) and it lets her work out her frustrations in what she feels is a more healthy alternative than, say, trying to set her mother on fire. When her carefully orchestrated family life starts to crumble, thanks to her once nearly perfect stepdaughter's challenging teenage years, Hanna's past starts to collide. She will do anything to keep what she has built intact, even if it means someone has to be sacrificed. The novel's tension builds until a startling collision with the past faces Hanna and her husband to face some very disturbing realities. Stage dives into Hanna's psyche and the reader is taking along for the wild ride. This could be read as a standalone or sequel but as an early lover of Babyteeth this is a satisfying return to Hanna's world.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest feedback.

Wow. This is the rare instance where I liked the sequel way better than the book. I actually felt sorry for Hanna in a way I never felt with "Baby Teeth". I found the ending unexpected which never happens with me. I would love a third book to see what else happens to Hanna.

Thanks to Netgalley and Zone Stage for this copy!

Thank you to the publisher and net galley for providing me an ARC of this sequel to 'Baby Teeth' by Zoje Stage. To be completely honest, I have not yet read Baby Teeth. I wanted to go into this novel totally blind, which actually turned out to be a great surprise. In her acknowledgments, Stage wrote that she hoped both novels could be read in either order or Each as a stand alone. I think she did a great job. I didn't feel as if I had needed to read Baby Teeth first, but now I will definitely be going back to read it. I was totally engrossed with the story. I could not put this book down. The only reason it isn't five stars is because the ending seemed.a little abrupt. I also love a good twist but I wasn't entirely surprised by it. I also gave to say I really appreciated the use of true crime. The true crime stories mentioned throughout this book are actual true crime.stories that I am familiar with. I love how that added to the realness of the story. Would recommend with or without reading Baby Teeth first .

4.5 stars

Zoje Stage's mind is a terrifying place to explore, and I really can't get enough of it. This time, readers get a real treat: a glimpse into our little ol' pal Hanna Jensen's life as an adult. Readers who loved _Baby Teeth_ and those who've had it queued forever need to crack this newest update into that riveting (and creepy) kid turned grown-up's existence.

Stage includes a great author's note at the end of the piece in which there's a clear articulation about the relationship between both books. These can be read separately and in any order. I will say that having read _Baby Teeth_ right after it came out made a tremendous impact on my consumption of this one. It's so rare that readers get a fully fleshed out character arc for an extremely troubled child in their adult lives. Typically, the focus is on the survival of whomever can escape their antics, and the text closes with a chilling mystery about what can possibly become of this small monster when they, inevitably, grow into a big monster with more resources.

When readers reconnect with Hanna at the start of this novel, she's 24. She's a phlebotomist, and if you are like me and your body WILL turn grey, sweaty, and ultimately land you unconscious in the middle of the great convo you and your phlebotomist are having to distract you from what's at hand (at vein?), then even the basics of Hanna's workplace will be a lot for you. For me, there couldn't be a scarier setup than the thought of Hanna in that role and her general observations about her workplace. It's while she's at work RIGHT at the beginning of the novel that Hanna makes a big life change: finding her future husband and stepdaughter.

Since Hanna has had ONLY challenging family relationships, the chills should start really fast when readers and characters think about Hanna getting close to new folks...especially young ones. This delicate situation evolves into a, well, delicate condition or two, and Hanna's responses are as terrifying as one might expect...and even wilder.

While I did feel like the pacing around a particular situation with Hanna's stepdaughter, Joelle, could have been speedier at times, I absolutely loved the mindful and effective way Stage developed this sequel. There's always more potential for disappointment than joy in these efforts, and Stage's work here bucks that tradition altogether.

I'm not sure what's next for these characters, but if Stage has something in mind, I'll be among the first in line to read it with enthusiasm!