This sequel to BABY TEETH continues to follow Hanna who, as a very young child, tried to kill her mother. Because she is a psychopath. The afternotes say sociopath, but I don’t know about that. Anyway, now she’s 24, married to Jacob Altman and has a teenage stepdaughter (and that just sounds like a remarkably bad idea.) She’s also a phlebotomist which allows her to fulfill her desire to hurt people.

Then Joelle starts to grow up in some very specific ways that just don’t work for Hanna and, to the surprise of not me, anyway, she begins to lose control. It’s all a big beautiful mess.

I actually enjoyed this more than BABY TEETH, I think. I do quibble with something that Hanna describes as “ethically squishy” as I cannot imagine that category even exists for her, and certainly not for the specific thing she is talking about when she says it, but overall it’s quite fun to read about someone who has no (few?) boundaries. Recommended.

This is a sequel to Baby Teeth, which was about a sociopath and her psychological troubles handling things in the real world.

With Dear Hanna, the author manages to once again freak us out with a deft, reality based psychological horror that creeps under skin.

Hanna meets a man with a twelve year old daughter. They all have a good relationship and eventually they get married and settle down to make a happy life for themselves. Until a few years later and the now sixteen year old daughter finds herself pregnant, determined to keep the baby and marry her boyfriend.

This might sound like the every day issues of many many family units. But Hanna isn't exactly mentally stable. She goes through the motions of normalcy while planning horrible things to "solve" the problems. Murder is not out of the question. In fact, it seems to be the easiest solution.

It's within the mind of Hanna where the disturbing unsettling terrors of this novel reveal themselves. We get an inside look at the thought processes of a sociopath and, through flashbacks, we get to see how her tendencies have affected her life leading to this point. It's chilling because it's not sensationalised and has the feeling of authenticity. This makes for a creepy narrative that gets darker and darker as you read.

There's also the hand written letters between her and her younger brother, Goose. These letters present a sort of twisted bond between siblings. But, of course, there are twists involved there that will raise concerns as well once they're revealed.

You certainly don't need to read Baby Teeth in order to follow and enjoy this one but I still highly recommend both. Zoje Stage continues to be a must read author for me and you'll see why once you pick this up.

Wowowowow - this is probably my favorite of Stage's yet (each release keeps getting better!). I'll admit, I went into this not realizing this was a follow up to Baby Teeth but as soon as it clicked I was GIDDY about it. Fantastic follow up - so interesting to see Hanna all grown up. I feel an odd connection to her (I promise I haven't tried to kill anyone!!) and am curious about her continued adventures in life.

I do believe this can be read as a standalone from Baby Teeth, but I'd highly encourage picking that one up because it's a wild ride as well.

I really loved Baby Teeth and was super excited to see that we got to revisit Hanna, especially now that she’ll all grown up. I enjoyed being able to see where a troubled little girls such as Hanna ended up in the world as a grown up. This is definitely one of those books that I could not put down!

<b> “I wear my darkness like a sweater; it keeps me warm.”</b>

I can see the next book now… Hanna’s next victim(s). Can we just get a bunch of books where Hanna goes from life to life wrecking havoc in her wake. Kind of like Joe Goldberg? PLZ ZOJE?!

Baby Teeth rocked my world. I still think about it all these years later. Idk what it is about it but every thriller I read is held in comparison.

Hanna from Baby Teeth is all grown up now. THE HANNA. My review for Baby Teeth said well, nevermind I don’t want a daughter 😂 and after reading Dear Hanna I still stan that 100%

I love that we got to see inside that depraved little child’s mind as an adult. At first I thought it wasn’t enough compared to her childhood but as time goes on the little alarm bells kept ringing louder and louder.

My favorite part was her Other. Creepy. I only wish we could have seen that more. And I’d also like to hear conversations with her therapist. By the end we see how truly, deeply disturbed Hanna is. See, Zoje?! More books plz!!

***I read another review that said AS IF Suzette would have ever let <b>that</b> happen and I whole heartedly agree. No no no. As much as I enjoyed this, that’s my reason it wasn’t five stars.

Such a good follow up to one of my favorite books, "Baby Teeth"! Definitely could read as a standalone. While I still enjoyed Baby Teeth more, I loved getting to read more about the characters and recommend!

Babyteeth was my favorite book by this author so when I saw that this sequel was coming out I was thrilled to get my hands on this. I may have screamed and jumped with joy.

Hanna is all grown up now and is trying to appear normal and fit into society. She has the perfect job as whenever she wants to she can inflict a little harm on those she is drawing blood from to help with the stress of life. She is now married and has a step daughter and is trying to do everything to protect her family. She has some pretty devious plans and I liked how it showed her struggling within herself on whether to go follow through or not with plans.

I like how the author does a great job of showing you Hanna's dark side. This would work as a stand alone but I think it was creepier knowing what she did in the past to her mother and how she was trying to perfect it second time around.

2.5 stars

This is the long awaited follow up to Baby Teeth. And it’s quite the let down. I’m beginning to think Baby Teeth was a one hit wonder (for me), as that is the only book of Stage’s I actually enjoyed.

This is more than a book - it is a journey both in terms of the plot itself and the psyche of the protagonist. There are enough hints here to see where the story will end, but that doesn’t detract from the impact when things finally come to a head. The author does an amazing job of bringing the characters to life - from the annoyingly entitled stepdaughter to the overbearing mother of the soon to be son in law. I haven’t read Baby Teeth but definitely want to now.

I’ve been waiting literally years for my favorite author Zoje Stage to give her readers a sequel to her first book Baby Teeth. Today I read this novel (to the exclusion of doing anything else). So was this long wait to learn more about the intriguing main character Hannah worth it? A resounding YES! Hannah’s life as a married young woman with a stepdaughter was riveting. I’m already imagining what this complex character would do next in her life. I’m sending huge thanks to Zoje Stage for sharing her wonderful stories with us.

I LOVED Baby Teeth. I think about it all the time, I loved the way it was written, how truly creepy Hanna was, and just the overall vibe of the book. It’s the best psychotic child book I’ve ever read for sure. I was thrilled when I learned about this sequel as the ending of Baby Teeth felt like a cliffhanger and like it left a pretty clear cut path for the story to follow. I have complicated feelings surrounding sequels, if the author doesn’t have a solid vision of where the story is going, it ends up feeling floppy and pointless and sadly, this one did just that.

Jumping 15(ish) years into the future was a weird choice but I stuck with it, hoping I’d be wrong. Hanna lost all of her bite, there wasn’t a very clear plot line, and the ‘twist’ was both predictable and unbelievable. As IF Suzette would have let that happen. As if. It breaks my heart because I so badly wanted to love this book but I am incredibly disappointed.

"Dear Hanna" is a novel that I truly enjoyed from start to finish. From the moment I picked it up, I found myself immersed in the world created by the author. There's something genuinely captivating about the way the story unfolds, drawing you in with its richly developed characters and compelling narrative.

What struck me most about "Dear Hanna" is its authenticity. The emotions portrayed throughout the book feel raw and real, making it easy to empathize with the characters and their struggles. Whether it's love, loss, or the complexities of human relationships, the author handles each theme with sensitivity and depth.

Another aspect of the novel that I appreciated was the way it delved into the complexities of family dynamics. The relationships between the characters are multifaceted, filled with layers of history and emotion that add depth to the story. It's a reminder that our connections to one another can be both our greatest source of strength and our biggest challenge.

Overall, "Dear Hanna" is a heartfelt and genuine read that left a lasting impression on me. It's a story that resonates long after you turn the final page, leaving you with a renewed appreciation for the power of love, forgiveness, and the bonds that tie us