“She was never going to be fundamentally different from who she’d been at seven, when she’d tried to kill her mother.”

Dear Hanna by Zoje Stage
🦊 🦊


I truly had high hopes for this book considering the love I have for baby teeth. But this was a big whomp for me. I didn’t care at all for anything happening in the story. Hanna annoyed me more than anything. Maybe I just had myself too excited for the book and that’s why it was such a let down for me.

I absolutely LOVED Baby Teeth and was excited to dive into this to see how creepy she turned out to be. Not sure if my expectations were too high but it kind of fell flat to me.

A huge thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the eARC!

The follow-up to her striking novel, Baby Teeth, Zoje Stage revisits a truly unforgettable character in the landscape of fiction, Hanna. Not to spoil Baby Teeth for those who have not read it as both it and Dear Hanna can be read as standalones, but prior events have revealed Hanna to be a sociopath of sorts from a very young age. She is a child who is misunderstood and defaults to violence or unconventional thinking to confront the issues before her. Around sixteen years later, we see that some things have changed for Hanna, but others have not. Now married and a stepmother at age twenty-four, Hanna works as a phlebotomist by day and spends her evenings with her “chosen” family or writing letters to her brother, Goose. That is until Jo, Hanna’s stepdaughter, begins to change in ways that Hanna did not account for, ushering in a slew of complications for Hanna. Stage takes us on a dark, tense ride with Hanna as old demons prove to be restless and the truth hard to discern.

Dexter Morgan. Joe Goldberg. Hanna. The idea of relating to these characters who are formed with a strong predilection for violence would seem preposterous at face value. However, what these characters all have in common is the fact that we DO, indeed, willingly (and excitedly) sit passenger to their dark actions. In fact, in the case of Hanna, we are left wanting MORE. Stage’s decision to revisit Hanna after so much time is a bold one, one that had the potential to be a whopping success or a letdown. I’m here to say it’s the former, not the latter.

Hanna’s characterization as a functioning sociopath out in the world reads as compelling fiction. This feels like a character study of the darkest variety and begs the question of whether or not a child like Hanna can be “reformed.” Of course, this is a book built upon suspense so what we see initially proves to be a rather slippery version of Hanna’s reality. Around the 20-30% mark of this novel marks an incredible uptick in intensity, not in an active sense, but in a thrilling psychological one. If you’ve read Baby Teeth, you know what young Hanna would default to in a situation like this. Yet, what would THIS Hanna do?

Dark predilections aside, Stage pulls off what feels like the impossible in making Hanna incredibly relatable. While her navigation of the world marks a lack of innate empathy, Hanna’s ability to recognize things like neglect, disinterest, and mistreatment remains wholly intact, leading to emotional reactions. Stage uses these instances to display gender inequalities, the complexities of motherhood, and to highlight other volatile issues most adults face in today’s world. These hot topics aren’t avoided, rather they’re confronted full-force through Hanna’s viewpoint. It’s tense writing with every possibility left on the table.

Razor sharp and compulsively readable, Dear Hanna by Zoje Stage is a welcome visitation to one of the most memorable sociopaths in modern fiction. This is a book that sinks its claws in deep and doesn’t relent until its final pages. The conclusion left me wanting slightly more, but in a way that feels like an open door, the possibility for a continuation existing on the fringes. In any case, Dear Hanna is gripping, entertaining, and darkly delightful.

I was a big fan of Baby Teeth so when I heard that Zoje Stage wrote a sequel to that I jumped at the chance of scoring an arc and was lucky enough to receive one.

The Hanna in Baby Teeth was one terrifying child.

The Hanna of Dear Hanna was not quite what I was expecting. She's much tamer this time around. On the one hand I was a little disappointed to not be in the mind of a total nut. On the other hand I actually came to understand Hanna a little better and, dare I say, I even started to care about her.

Hanna is 20 years old and makes her living as a phlebotomist when in walks an older man and a young 12 year old girl. The girl is terrified of needles so Hanna speaks calmly and works efficiently to set the child's mind at ease. Once through, the father, a widow, offers to take Hanna out and she's thrilled. He's a kind man and this is just the family she's looking for.

They meet, get married, and everything is peachy until Joelle, now a 16 year old, begins acting out. This sends Hanna spiraling back into her old obsessive and, maybe, even murderous behavior.

As I said this Hanna isn't nearly as deranged as she was as a child. In fact, I often felt sorry for her. She has a husband and step-child that are constantly taking advantage of her and show her little appreciation in return. So, yes, she has some snarky thoughts but don't we all when we think we've been given the short end of the stick? The difference between Hanna and I are that I know the difference between thinking something and doing something. The line remains a little blurry for Hanna.

So this one didn't blow me away like Baby Teeth but I was still thoroughly entertained and never once thought to put this down. I feel like I've gotten to know Hanna a little bit better. Stage also leaves room for a sequel. I'm not sure she will write it or that it's really even necessary but the opportunity is there should she decide to. I'd read it. 4 stars!

Thank you to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for my complimentary copy.

I really need to start reading the synopsis of books I request. I saw the author's name and automatically requested it. I did not realize or pay attention to the face that this is a sequel to Baby Teeth. That books was crazy and Stage hasn't written one I've liked as well as that one until this. Revisiting Hanna as an adult is kind of a scary premise. She was a terrifying child. She tried to kill her mother! But I did not realize the link between the books until she mentions an incident from the first book that made it all click. I would have read this sooner had I known. This was just as crazy and twisty as the first one. Hanna has grown up but still has her demons.

I remember loving Baby Teeth back when I read it in 2018, although I confess that Hanna scared the crap out of me. I've always wondered what would have become of her as an adult though... And Dear Hanna offers you exactly that. This story is all about what little Hanna's life is like when she's all grown up, and I've been excited to discover how her character had evolved over time. While it wasn't quite as creepy as the first book, Dear Hanna still turned out to be a fun and twisted ride.

It is true that technically Dear Hanna is a sequel, but it can quite easily be read as a stand-alone as well. I confess that I didn't remember too much about the plot of Baby Teeth after six years, but I had no issues whatsoever jumping right in. There are some characters that will reappear in Dear Hanna, but most of them are either new or will be explained in such a way that you are not really missing out on any background. The plot itself stands on its own as well, as it focuses on the same main character as an adult.

Like I said before, this story isn't nearly as creepy as the first book and Hanna is actually surprisingly mild during most of the story. I wasn't sure what to think of it at first, but I could quite appreciate the focus on her journey trying to control her urges. There isn't much said about her time sent away as a child or as a teenager, but you do get glimpses every once in a while. The main focus is on her as a 24-year-old, married and a stepmother to a teenager. It is without doubt a fascinating situation, especially since it is basically a miracle she was able to lead such a normal life for so long... At least it feels that way after everything that happened in Baby Teeth.

Instead of in-your-face horror, the suspense and creep-factor is built up slowly as you see Hanna unravel after certain triggering events. One of my favorite parts were the letters written between Hanna and her little brother Goose, as they gave so much insight in Hanna's inner thoughts and how she was affected by those triggering events. The humor used worked very well to balance out some of the more serious topics, and it was interesting to see how Hanna tried to work the situation in her own favor. Were her actions normal or healthy or even legal? Not exactly. But they were definitely fun to read about!

I do have to say that I was a bit disappointed by the ending, as it was simply not plausible AT ALL. I mean, after everything that happened in Baby Teeth, there is just no way that her mother ever would have left her alone with her baby brother... And the solution presented was a bit too convenient to be satisfying. I still did appreciate the letter part of the twist though. The writing itself was engaging and I had a hard time putting the story down... I simply HAD to know how far Hanna would go. And despite the ending and slower beginning, it was still an entertaining ride.

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for this book. I’ve read everything Zoje has written and I could not wait for the follow up to Baby Teeth. Well, Dear Hanna did not disappoint. We are now in Hanna’s world as an adult. She has a job as a phlebotomist where we see some of her tendencies peaking through when she purposely hurts her patients. She writes letters to her brother. I really liked this laser of this book. In the same fashion as Baby Teeth, it had a creepy vibe overall. Can people really change? Can they even improve? Well, you’re about to find out. What a great read this was. It was worth the wait!

Thank you so much to netgalley and the publisher for the arc of this book in exchange for an honest review!

This book is the follow up to Baby Teeth and it shows Hanna all grown up. She is living a normal life but she is a sociopath and things start to unravel in her perfect life.

I did not read the first book in this series but I don't think you really need to in order to read this one.

However, I was not a big fan of this one. I felt like all of the characters were unlikable and I just couldn't connect with anyone. I felt like Hanna was easy to dislike and it was just annoying for me to read.

I know others have liked this one but I can't stand an unlikable main character.

4⭐️

This is a follow up to Baby Teeth, but typically I hadn’t read it first. There are sufficient references to the first book to be a spoiler for me so I doubt I’ll read that now.

Hanna is married and a step mom, now a grown up sociopath. Things in Hanna’s life aren’t going her way so she decides an intervention is in order.

Hanna doesn’t pretend to the reader to be anything that she’s not, but she’s quite convincing with people in her life. I couldn’t like Hanna but that didn’t stop me wondering how far she would go in her quest.
The writing style keeps things quite light which seems to be the trend when writing from female sociopath POV so it’s easy to read. There’s not that much depth plot wise for me, and it’s not as dark as I was expecting. The pace is fairly slow.

For me the letters between Goose and Hannah didn’t really add any significant, although there was a purpose for them. They just felt kind of repetitive.

I have heard such rave reviews about Baby Teeth that I desperately wanted in on this book, I enjoyed it, but didn’t love it. I found that the ending fell flat, I was underwhelmed by it.
Keen to know how others find it in relation to the first book, as I only have half the story.

I have not read Baby Teeth which is the first book about our main character, Hanna. The first one is about Hanna as a child, but Hanna is all grown up now. This book can be read as a standalone and we do get little snippets of Hanna’s life from when she was young. This one includes Hanna corresponding with her younger brother, Goose via written letters and I really like that, it’s no secret that this reader loves epistolary novels.

Stage writes her sociopath well and her dark, disturbing thoughts will shock you, but don’t worry Ms. Stage does not go into over-the-top territory, she writes her cunning female lead perfectly. This one sucked me in and never let me go.

The ending wasn’t a big surprise but for some reason, I really liked this book. It was easy to read, the writing and story flowed well and I hated every single character. Hannah is a bitch of the highest order but the people who enter into her realm uninvited aren’t so great either. What’s wrong with my brain that I was cheering this psychopathic bitch on? Now I want to read Baby Teeth, the first book, and see where it was that Hanna got her start. Will there be a book three? I certainly hope so and that says a lot.

I really enjoyed this book! I have read other books by this author but not Baby Teeth which is the prequel to this. You don't need to read that one to be able to enjoy this, it can easily be read as a stand alone novel.

Hanna is disturbed. As a child she plotted to kill her mother and made a few attempts, landing her in a 'special' school for children like her. Once out she sets her sights on marriage and Jacob seems the perfect partner. There is an age difference but he is a successful real estate agent and even though she enjoys her career as a phlebotomist the financial security is the dream. He does have a daughter, Joelle, who lost her mother, so Hanna will have an instant family.

But, things don't go exactly as planned. While things start out ok, as the book goes on Hanna's world slowly starts to crumble. She writes to her brother Goose, explaining how the intrusive thoughts are coming back and what her plans are to take her life back.

I did guess the plot twists all the way through, but that doesn't take away from the enjoyment I felt while reading it.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️✨(4.5/5)

Trigger Inducing Themes: Manipulation, pregnancy/miscarriage, politics (abortion topics), self harm, suicidal ideation, guns, descriptive menses and blood talk.

This book is the follow up to 𝗕𝗔𝗕𝗬 𝗧𝗘𝗘𝗧𝗛 and this follow up novel is…in a word, 🅳🅰︎🆁🅺! Hanna is now 24 years old, she’s married with a teenage step daughter the she adores (can you believe it!?!) and a career she loves…she’s quite good at it too. It’s an appropriate career for someone like her who can disguise the pain she inflicts on people as an oopsie.

On the surface everything appears to be going smoothly in Hanna’s life, she’s away from her bio family except for her lil teenage bro Goose (Gustav), but her crazy is always on small annoyance away from bubbling back to the surface.

I loved following Hanna’s inner monologue. She’s prob one of my fav crazy villains to read. Omg the way Hanna talks about this little kid at a cookout was so terrible that I had no choice but to laugh out loud, she was calling him “snotface” or “sh!thead” he’s a toddler who is in desperate need of a diaper change. She’s the worst but somehow entertaining at the same time.

It was a good one and I felt like the characters were well developed. I wish there was a bit more pop to the end. However…that leave it open for another book about Hanna and I’m here for it.

If you’re looking for a bloody good time with a demented individual, look no further. It’s Hanna time!

I was so excited to receive the 𝗗𝗲𝗮𝗿 𝗛𝗮𝗻𝗻𝗮 arc after reading and adoring Baby Teeth. Our favorite little sociopath is all grown up now, and Zojie Stage had crafted a solid follow-up to fill in gaps of where we last left her.

Zojie's characters are so well fleshed out, and Hanna's arc from creepy, troubled child to adult life is beyond creative! Her career as a phlebotomist? That is truly creepy, and it gave me a bit of a Dexter vibe!
I especially loved the letters between Hanna and her younger brother. They give quite a bit of insight into her current thought process and, at times, were rather smirk worthy. I love her dark sense of humor.

Mental health, trauma, and the dynamics of family life are explored with sensitivity as we see Hanna try to live a "normal life" while she battles her "other self. " She really tries to suppress her inner demon.

As the story progressed and Hanna unravels more, along with that familiar darkness from childhood still lurking, I couldn't turn the pages fast enough. There were Goldberg vibes from 𝗬𝗢𝗨 as well, and I was completely engaged from start to finish.

Ultimately, Zojie knocked this sequel out of the park, and I do hope we will see more of Hanna in the future!

Highly recommend you read all Zojie Stage's books. No one writes creepy horror better

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for my e-ARC of Dear Hanna!

I was really looking forward to this book. I loved the cover and the synopsis, but I was a bit bored by the slowness of the book. There felt like a lot of unnecessary filler and I absolutely despised the main character, Hanna. While I believe this was the point, she still irritated me too much to want to finish. She was self centered and self serving in every way. I had to DNF this around 50%. I’ve heard great things about Baby Teeth so I’ll definitely be reading that in the future, and I look forward to trying her new works.

Am I the only one who found this book heartbreaking?

I’ve mentioned before my stoner goldfish brain that’s simply incapable of remembering anything that isn’t phone numbers of people I knew 20 years ago, or other completely pointless bits of information. So I was a bit nervous as I couldn’t really remember Baby Teeth very well. Luckily (as the author mentions in the afterword) these books can be read in any order and/or as standalones.

In Dear Hanna we get to see Hanna as a young adult. She seems to be doing well. Successful job, “worthy” husband, good relationship with her step daughter, nice house etc etc. Her only true connection to the past is in the letters she writes to Gustav, her younger brother. I really enjoyed Goose as a character. He’s like a slightly more mellow version of Hanna, but also ride or die like a true gangster. Hanna’s life has grown bit stagnant but a major injection of unexpected life events ends up pushing her back into the old Hanna.

I honestly expected this to be more about an evil sociopath as an adult wreaking havoc everywhere she goes. Hanna has her moments but this book was a much deeper psychological portrait of someone who struggles with love. Not simply how to give but also being on the receiving end.

Stage’s writing is fantastic and I can feel her voice in her words. She does an excellent job with the characterization in the book. I expected the characters to fit into neat stereotypes, but none of them really did that. While I did predict some parts of this book, there were several places the books went that literally made my jaw drop.

All in all I really enjoyed this book. It left a huge lump in my throat, but I’ve found some of my favorite books are the ones that bring out the deepest emotions.

I would recommend this book. It’s not so much horror or thriller, but more a well written portrayal of an individual who struggles to find her place within society and the family unit.

Dear Hanna. A story woven with twists and surprises. I enjoyed the characters and story. Recommend this one. Thank you to Netgalley, Thomas and Mercer and the author for the arc in exchange for my review.

Although the things that Hanna thinks and does are often disturbing (to say the least), this book is written in such a way that the reader can understand and even empathize with her as she tries to navigate her world. I really wanted everything to work out for her! Hanna is a very interesting character, and I’d be interested in seeing where her life goes from here. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Wow...I'm not sure where to begin. First, if you haven't read Baby Teeth I suggest you read it because Dear Hanna is the sequel, however, it can be read as a standalone. Throughout the story there are plenty of references to what happened in Baby Teeth so I don't think the reader would feel lost if they don't read the other book.
Now, the story follows the life of Hanna as an adult. She is married and has a teenaged stepdaughter, Joelle, that she absolutely adores. Hanna appears to really enjoy her day to day life with her husband Jacob and Joelle but something happens with Joelle that starts to change the dynamic of their family. Hanna starts to unravel and resort to how she used to be as a kid. She hasn't been completely honest with her husband about her past and she fears that the worst will happen if she does tell him about it.
You can't help but feel bad for Hanna because she tries so hard to be "normal" and act the way a "normal wife" is supposed to act that you just feel tired for her with her efforts. She genuinely wants to have a simple life but it seems like her past has a way of coming back.
I won't go into detail about the ending but I feel so sad and I really want there to a third book please!!!!

Thank you Netgalley and Thomas & Mercer. All opinions are my own.

I was looking forward to this sequel because I really enjoyed the first novel from this author. I have read a few of their novels and enjoyed them all. However, I did not like this one as much as the first novel in this series. Thank you publisher and netgalley for the chance to check this one out.

This is a sequel to Baby Teeth, which was so creepy that I immediately get pulled back into the story thinking about it. In Baby Teeth, Hanna was an (innocent?) child who just wants her daddy to herself -- so maybe she has to get rid of her mother. In Dear Hanna, we see Hanna as an adult with a husband and a job. Unfortunately, she also has a stepdaughter, and that's where things start to unravel.
This book is creepy too, but it doesn't reach the height of Baby Teeth. I agree with the reviewer who said this needs to be a trilogy, so we can see the inevitable conclusion to Hanna's problems.
Thanks to NetGalley for letting me read this.