Dear Hanna is the unexpected follow-up to Zoje Stage's 2018-debut Horror novel, Baby Teeth, which I adored. It leaned into the creepy kid trope, which I'm always here for, and it did it in such a toe-curling way.

I never expected we would get more of this story and though I don't feel it was necessary, it was interesting. I went on a journey with this. We had our ups-and-downs, but I'm glad I stuck with it for the satisfying conclusion. It's important to note that you don't really need to read Baby Teeth before you read this. In fact, there could be a solid argument for reading this one first, learning about adult Hanna, and then going back and visiting her childhood, so you can see where all this came from.

Hanna is a foul human. Let me just get that out there. She's a true sociopath from the moment we first meet her. Stage is so convincing with her characterization of Hanna, that there were times when it was making me angry; her thoughts. I would have to set it down and walk away for a moment. Then I would remind myself, it's just Hanna being Hanna. I will admit though, there were times when it wasn't enjoyable to read, particularly through the middle bits and the parts involving Hanna's step-daughter.

I also didn't like Hanna's husband, Jacob, at all, so any scene with him had the strong possibility of annoying me.

It's funny, as I write this, the more I think about it and process it, the more impressed I am with just how convincing this story was. It left a bad taste in my mouth, it certainly did, but I think that was the intention, so I definitely need to give Stage props for that. I feel like it's important to go into this one in the right headspace though, and perhaps, I wasn't quite in the right space when I picked this up. Maybe I would have enjoyed it more at another time.

Unfortunately, we'll never know. I walk away happy I made it through, but knowing I'll never pick it up again. Although, Baby Teeth I would def be interested in revisiting now.

Thank you to the publisher, Thomas & Mercer, for providing me with a copy to read and review. Zoje Stage has such creative and compelling ideas. I look forward to seeing what she comes up with next!

I grabbed this, thinking it was a sequel to another book but it's a sequel to Baby Teeth. Since I haven't read that one, I can safely say that this one can be read alone but I bet you'd love it so much more if you'd read book 1.

As it was, I found Hanna to be a shocking and dark character. You are in her POV this time and get to see the inner workings. She's married now, and seems to be succeeding at life. But when the Hanna, the stepmom, and Jacob, her husband, get shocking news from their teenage daughter - you can see the cracks in Hanna's carefully created facade.

I didn't find the ultimate twist shocking but I did love how deliciously dark all the references to Daddy and Mommy were - definitely a nod to book 1. This one was entertaining and I enjoyed the audiobook!

A huge thank you to the author and publisher for providing an e-ARC via Netgalley. This does not affect my opinion regarding the book.

Oh Hanna, what are you going to get yourself into this time? This book is the sequel to “Baby Teeth”, which I absolutely loved! When I saw there was another, I just had to read it. The 1st book was about Hanna as a child, this one is about her life as an adult. It CAN be read as a standalone, as there are flashbacks and references to when she was a child, but it is certainly better to read both. Although Hanna is not as “nutty” as she was in the original book, she is still has dark thoughts, impulses, and tendencies. On the outside, Hanna appears to have it all, but her sociopathic tendencies are still there, lurking just under the surface, waiting to see the light of day. Hanna continues to have 'issues' but strives to be seen as having a handle on everything. She is organized, poised, a touch of OCD she will admit. She has a professional job as a phlebotomist, one that she enjoys and is quite proud of. She takes pride in her ability to draw blood ‘oh so gently’, but every once and a while (if the patient is difficult), oops, she just can’t find a vein and inflicts some pain. Witnessing Hanna have an awareness of her abnormal thoughts and therefore adjusting her behavior to hide in plain sight was super interesting! Her ability to “pull the wool over the eyes” of her husband, step-daughter, boss and those in her life is amazing. She has a ritual of writing letters to her little brother “Goose”, catching up on life, and asking for advice, it is super sweet and gave me some good laughs. Watching her life unravel, through her eyes, is heartbreaking. Shedding light on what Mental Illness sounds like from inside the mind person going through it. Although I liked the 1st book better, we all know the sequel is 2nd best, this was a good follow up.

I devoured Baby Teeth by Zoje Stage. At the time, there was nothing else like it. An entire book centered around an evil child? I loved it. So when I saw that Zoje Stage was coming out with a sequel, of course, I had to read it.

Dear Hannah is about Hannah as an adult. She’s 24 years old and dealing with her 16-year-old stepdaughter, as well as a husband and work. She is a responsible adult with a job as a phlebotomist. What a change compared to Baby Teeth.

Hannah is still a dark character with troubling thoughts and impulses but she tries really hard to be good. This was a solid read and Hannah was not as evil and creepy as she was as a child. I thought it was a good book, a solid read, and hope there is a third book in this series.

Hanna is no stranger to dark thoughts: as a young child, she tried to murder her own mother. But that was more than sixteen years ago. And extensive therapy — and writing letters to her younger brother — has since curbed those nasty tendencies.

Now twenty-four, Hanna is living an outwardly normal life of domestic content. Married to real estate agent Jacob, she’s also stepmother to his teenage daughter Joelle. They live in a beautiful home, and Hanna loves her career as a phlebotomist — a job perfectly suited to her occasional need to hurt people.

But when Joelle begins to change in ways that don’t suit Hanna’s purposes, her carefully planned existence threatens to come apart. With life slipping out of her control, Hanna reverts to old habits, determined to manipulate the events and people around her. And the only thing worse than a baby sociopath is a fully grown one.

I can't forget the story of "Baby Teeth," which introduced us to the chilling world of Hanna's childhood. Although I might not recall every detail, I vividly remember the terrifying impression she left. So, when "Dear Hanna" caught my eye, I knew I had to get my hands on it. This standalone novel shows Hanna as a grown, self-sufficient adult with a successful career. Like "Baby Teeth," both books have simple yet eerily captivating covers that draw you in.

One of the most intriguing aspects of 'Dear Hanna' is the transformation of the protagonist into a likable sociopath who has mastered the art of controlling her dark thoughts. Despite her ongoing struggle, years of therapy have equipped her with the tools to manage her condition. I am fascinated by the opportunity to delve into the minds of atypical characters like sociopaths and explore their unique perspectives. Zoje Stage, with her effortless portrayal of such characters, is an author I deeply admire.

Hanna's life is planned, from the type of husband she desires to her firm decision to have no babies. Enter Jacob - he checks all the boxes, and they swiftly build a life together. However, their idyllic existence is shattered when unexpected family circumstances throw a wrench into Hanna's need for control, creating a suspenseful twist in the narrative.

I couldn't help but fall in love with Hanna. I found myself getting into her mindset and rooting for her as she made terrible decisions.

Thank you to Thomas & Mercer for providing this eARC via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

#DearHanna #ZojeStage #ThomasandMercer #AmazonPub

⭐️4
Antisocial and disturbed young Hanna is now an adult woman.
***This is the sequel to Baby
Teeth.

Main POV of 24 year old Hanna. She has changed. She is a good wife and a good mom. She is living an ordinary married life to Jacob and stepmom to 16 year old good-natured Joelle.

When a single event upsets the delicate balance of this family of three, thus begins the emerging of a long hidden past.

Here’s what I liked most: Hanna’s character was portrayed in such a way, that the subtle unraveling was so casual-until it wasn’t and everything was NOT fine.

You will like this if you like psychological thrillers mixed with the disturbing.

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6742493318

Pub date: August 13, 2024

Thank you NetGalley and Thomas and Mercer for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This was a very interesting look at the manipulative, sociopath little girl Hanna from Baby Teeth, all grown up.

It is quite a journey into her marriage, work life, and life as a young stepmother. While she has grown in some areas, some sociopathic tendencies have only grown stronger as well.

I had a couple of difficulties in the last 25% of the story. Some things were skimmed over too easily. But, all in all, I really enjoyed this one.

Also, I can see how the author's writing talent has grown from book to book as well.

I gave this 4 solid ⭐️

As always, I would like to thank Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to have an advanced ebook copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I go into nearly all my books blind, so when I saw Zoje Stage had a new book coming out, all I knew was that I was going to read it. Imagine my excitement when it dawns on me as I’m reading it, that this is a sequel to Baby Teeth! 😱

The letters between Hanna and her brother were so absurdly insane, but really pulled me into it. I don’t know what I would consider this, maybe psychological horror? Either way, it was a lot of fun. I was a little let down by the end though. It was like a really slow ascent that was continually building up, so I expected a lot more and I really didn’t get that big explosion I was hoping for. I do have to mention that I did like the end revelation, it made it more interesting. All in all it was still a solid 4⭐️ read for me. Many thanks to the publisher, Thomas and Mercer, for my eARC. Dear Hanna published this week.

I really enjoyed Baby Teeth, so I was excited to receive a NetGalley eARC of Dear Hanna. This psychological thriller was a gripping read, centered around an unhinged woman named Hanna with a deeply questionable moral compass. What I found particularly intriguing was the opportunity to explore the mind of a sociopath. Despite Hanna's terrible actions, the author managed to evoke a sense of sympathy for the character, making the story even more engaging.I guessed the twist, but it didn't change my enjoyment of the book.

I really enjoyed this sequel to Baby Teeth by @zoje.stage_author. Hanna is really such an interesting character! I loved how she masked all of her impulses and tried to create a normal life for herself (but failed). I haven’t read the first book for a few years but I feel like Dear Hanna provides enough context clues and reminders that I didn’t have to. In fact, not remembering everything from the first book made it even more twisty! I think this could be read as a standalone book, but would recommend Baby Teeth as well just because it was so good!

Many thanks to NetGalley, Amazon Publishing Thomas & Mercer for gifting me a digital ARC of the sequel to Baby Teeth by Zoje Stage. All opinions expressed in this review are my own - 4.5 stars!

Hanna is all grown up now, but how far removed is she from that young girl who tried to kill her own mother? She's now married to an older man and stepmother to Joelle, a teenager. Hanna has found ways to curtail her dark thoughts - purposefully hurting a few patients here and there in her job as a phlebotomist, both she rationalizes that she only does it to those who deserve it. She also writes letters to her younger brother, Goose. But when Joelle surprises everyone with a big announcement, it sets off Hanna in even more disturbing ways.

I really enjoyed Baby Teeth (and Mothered even more!), but this can easily be read as a stand alone. I loved the creepy feeling, the dark humor, and the episolatory technique of reading the correspondence between her and Goose. I also appreciated how dark and twisted Hanna's thoughts and actions were, but nothing veered towards the gruesome. Sign me up for whatever creepy story Zoje Stage comes up with next!

Rounded up from 4.5
Hanna met a good man, a bit older, with a teenage daughter and money, when she was 20. Thanks to Hanna's careful planning, they were living together and then married very fast. Hanna knows what she wants. And what she wants, she gets.
I was so excited to see that Baby Teeth had a sequel! This psychological thriller follows a grown-up Hanna, who used to be a psychopath child who repeatedly tried to kill her mother. But after years of extensive therapy, she's cured, right? I despise characters (and people!) who are that calculating and manipulative, but it was fun to see Hanna make her way through the world. There was not a lot of dialogue (which I'm not a fan of), but I was still very intrigued about where this was going. Although the story was dragging a bit for a while and got very repetitive with the dealings with Joelle's predicament. I liked Hanna's letter exchanges with her younger brother, they were a fun way to see a different side of her, but also somewhat disconcerting. The more you read, the more unsettling it gets and then in the end, we understand why (although I was expecting something so much more twisted). Also, the ending is very unsatisfying, I'm under the impression (and am hoping) that this story is not finished. Will there be a third book? I don't know how to explain it other then I loved to hate Hanna.
I received an advance review copy of this book for free and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

I loved Baby Teeth, and Dear Hanna was just as satisfying.
Hanna’s story left off in Baby Teeth, and she still has a dark side, but is doing ok. But can a person really change? Or do circumstances cause them to go back to their old ways?

I loved Baby Teeth and really enjoyed Mothered, but I could not keep going with Dear Hanna. There was something missing with respect to the Hanna character — she was not reminiscent of Hanna from the past at all other than her writing letters to her younger brother. I made it to 25 percent where the plot took me somewhere that did not interest me at all and sort of turned me off in a way that I didn’t care what happened next.

Thank you NetGalley for this ARC.

PSA: I did not read the first book, Baby Teeth, in which our FMC, Hanna, is sociopathic child. I do not feel you need to read "Baby Teeth" before Dear Hanna, but it may provide some background on Hanna herself. Stage did an excellent job though tying back to Hanna's childhood and how it relates to Hanna today, in the present.

I thought the sociopathic, psychopathic, mentally ill layout and details was done wonderfully, especially as a true crime junkie, I appreciate the details and insight.

The plot had some parts that did drag on, but the ending was exactly what I had hoped for! The twists and surprises were enough to keep me focused and excited to read more.

Thanks Netgalley for an ARC of this novel. This is a stand alone follow up to Baby Teeth. Basically the premise is, what happens when a sociopath grows up & has a husband and stepdaughter. I liked the writing but didn’t think the story was great. I would still definitely read anything this author writes

🚘 B O O K T O U R review 🚘 featuring “Dear Hanna” by Zoje Stage!

Rating: 🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤/5

Happy Tuesday everyone! Today is my stop on the book tour for “Dear Hanna” which releases today!!

Hanna is a sociopath who is grown up and doing her best to navigate a “normal” life of working full time, running a household and being a wife and step mother. On the outside she seems to have her life together and she gives off a happy go lucky vibe … meanwhile the darkness is bubbling just below the surface. Hanna must keep it together before reverting to old habits and manipulating those around her when things don’t go her way.

When Hanna’s stepdaughter drops a huge bomb that threatens their family’s dynamic to fully change, Hanna finds herself slipping and giving away to the sociopath hiding inside her.

OMG!!! THIS BOOK 🤯!!! I literally could not put it down! Hanna’s story is deeply disturbing, troubling and twisted and her actions gave me the chills throughout! If you love a thriller with dark humour peppered throughout then you must read this! I cannot recommend it more!

Thank you kindly to Zoje Stage, OTR PR and Amazon Publishing for my gifted copy in exchange for my honest review and a spot on this book tour! I LOVED IT 👏!

I am a big fan of Zoje Stage and I adored Baby Teeth, so when I got the eARC of this sequel, I swear I squealed with excitement!

It follows Hanna in her now 20’s and examines her a bit more in depth than what we get in Baby Teeth. We see her relationship with her little brother and her new-found relationship, her artwork, as well as the career she loves.

I think the mother-daughter dynamic was what made Baby Teeth so intriguing, and this book is missing that (almost completely). The power struggle really just wasn’t there at all. It just wasn’t a great follow up, in my opinion.

Sure, Hanna’s character is interesting and different, but it’s not the same feel as Baby Teeth, and it just didn’t do it for me. I had really high expectations, and maybe that’s why it fell short. It was interesting, but not the follow up I was looking forward to reading.

Zoje Stage has said that while Baby Teeth was written before Dear Hanna, she designed them to be read in any order. If you read Baby Teeth before this, then maybe you will get where I'm coming from. If you haven't read Baby Teeth, READ IT. Because it's worth it whether or not you ever read this book.

Bet let's focus on Dear Hanna, which I was so excited to read because, hello sequel! Hanna as an adult? Hanna with her own family?! I needed deets as if it were a reality show I was hopelessly addicted to. But the deets were slow to come and not very exciting. Hanna thinks she lured herself a man but he asked her out first. Hanna thinks she the glue that holds the family together, but when the drama starts, it's obvious Hanna is playing mostly from the sidelines, so she must devise a way to make herself the center of attention. That she does in spectacular Hanna fashion, but to me it was too little. The big twist at the end? You've already figured it out.

I'm sad this wasn't a great read for me, three stars, but I am glad I read it.

Dear Hanna is everything I could have wanted out of a re-visit to one of my favourite sociopathic characters of all time - drama, crazy twists and more of Hanna's utterly fascinating internal decision making which never fails to entertain.

Give me exceedingly complicated characters ANY DAY - Hanna is just so interesting to read because she is so entirely immersed in a moral grey area. She logically has learned how to navigate the world appearing as a "normal" person, and yet she still has totally human missteps, misreads situations and people, and makes daily decisions that appeal to satisfying her inner bad urges. Which makes her incredibly fun to read, and makes each chapter incredibly intense as you wait on edge to see if and when she will get caught out for her worst impulses.

I absolutely love that Zoje plopped Hanna in the middle of domestic life for this book. The change in pace of Hanna now being an adult and having to navigate a marriage and a stepdaughter was perfect. I kept thinking I was going to guess how the drama was going to play out and I was wrong every single time.

No spoilers - but definitely get this one on your TBR, because it's just really deliciously fun, diabolical, juicy summer reading entertainment that you don't want to miss. It can absolutely be read as a stand alone, but if you read Baby Teeth, you will love the sequel-esq feel to the throwbacks to the first book.

Many thanks to the publisher for my copy!