Special thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a free, electronic ARC of this novel received in exchange for an honest review.
Expected publication date: Aug. 13, 2024
Zoje Stage hit it out of the park with “Baby Teeth”, one of my favourite novels from a few years ago. I’ve followed her career religiously since then, adoring “Mothered” and “Getaway” (although they didn’t strike the same chord as “Baby Teeth”). So, imagine my surprise in 2024, when Stage delivers “Dear Hanna”, a SEQUEL to “Baby Teeth”?! Could it be TRUE? Well, I couldn’t read this novel fast enough.
Hanna is now twenty-four years old, wife to real estate agent, Jacob, and stepmother to his daughter, Joelle. After years of residential treatment and intensive therapy, Hanna knows just how to act so that she appears “normal” to other people. In fact, Hanna even admits to loving her stepdaughter and living a content, satisfying life, reaching out to her brother when she needs reassurance and comfort. But when her stepdaughter falls pregnant, Hanna knows that the life she built for herself is about to change forever. As a result of her past, Hanna knows she cannot be trusted around young children, and definitely not fragile babies, but her husband and stepdaughter do not know the secrets of Hanna’s upbringing so how can she return things to the way they were before, without completely uprooting the life she worked to hard to build?
“Dear Hanna” is a sequel, yes, but it can absolutely be read separately. The author herself states that both “Baby Teeth” and “Dear Hanna” do not need to be read together, or in any particular order, and I wholeheartedly agree. “Hanna” has the same characters as “Teeth”, obviously, but this novel takes place decades later so almost everything about Hanna’s circumstances have changed.
Hanna narrates, although each chapter begins with letters between Hanna and her brother (affectionately nicknamed, Goose), where Hanna shares her true thoughts and talks out her plans and schemes without fear of judgment. These letters are crucial to understanding Hanna’s adult character, whether you’ve read “Teeth” or not.
Right away, I guessed the truth about Hanna’s brother. I don’t know if this is because I’ve read “Teeth”, or because I read this genre almost exclusively, but either way, this knowledge did nothing to damper my enjoyment of the plot. I loved every minute of Hanna’s dark and twisted mind and was invested in the outcome from the first page.
This novel is the perfect follow up to “Baby Teeth” and although I find childhood sociopaths slightly more interesting, I can honestly say that I was happy to see Hanna resurface as an adult. Thank you, Stage, for bringing Hanna back into my life!

This was my most anticipated sequel for the year.
Baby Teeth was so creepy and I loved it.
To be back with Hanna as an adult?! Yes please.

Hanna is all grown up and found herself a man with a teenage daughter. She finds little ways to enact some of her darker tendencies until some news of change makes her feel out of control and “Other Self” (Marie-Ann Dufosset)demands to come out to play.

It definitely had a different vibe than Baby Teeth but it worked. The writing is still smart with an edge of suspense, making it very hard to put down.

Thanks to netgalley and Thomas & Mercer for an eARC.

Well, OMG. I am not one that really likes sequels, usually. This is amazing! Zoje has an amazing and unique way of writing. I'm sure I'll read every single thing writes.
Even if you didn't read Baby Teeth, I think you will find this book awesome. Her writing style is so different from most books.
Thanks to netgalley, the publisher and mostly Zoje Stage for the chance to read this advanced copy.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the chance to read an early copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Dear Hanna by Zoje Stage will be released on August 13th, 2024.

I really wanted to like this book. I adored Baby Teeth, I devoured it in only a few hours, but Dear Hanna does not even attempt to hold a candle to the first book. I struggled a lot to get through this book - so much so that I had to keep going back to it between other books I was reading.

DEAR HANNA was a creepy thriller that delivered on the twists and turns that Zoje Stage is known for. There were a few plot points that were almost too out of left field, even knowing the mental mindset of the characters. The ending was a little rushed, which was disappointing given the setup. Overall still enjoyable and will keep an eye out for future Zoje Stage novels.

Thanks to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for the opportunity to read and review DEAR HANNA.

Dear Hanna is a sequel to Baby Teeth, which features Hanna, the murderous manipulative child, now all grown up. I actually haven’t read Baby Teeth (I didn’t realise this was a sequel until after I requested to read it!) but Dear Hanna can be read as a stand-alone as the book does touch on her background story so you get an idea of her past behaviour.

Hanna now has a family of her own - a husband Jacob, and a teenage stepdaughter Joelle who is expecting a child. As all the attention is shifted to Joelle, Hanna returns to her manipulative ways and puts not only others but also herself in danger.

A few chapters throughout the book are presented as letters between Hanna and her brother Goose, hence why the novel is titled “Dear Hanna” which I think is cute.

I did zone out about halfway throughout the book as it kind of got repetitive and the main plot was just about Hanna worrying about Joelle’s pregnancy.

Thank you to netgalley and Thomas & Mercer for the ARC! ✨

Having just finished the sequel to "Baby Teeth," I found myself both impressed and a little disappointed. Hanna’s character is expertly written in terms of development; she manages to be both open and mysterious, which kept me engaged. The slow pace didn't bother me because the events never felt stagnant. There's a sense of looming doubt and tension in every sentence that keeps the plot moving forward and interesting.

However, while this story continues Hanna's life from where "Baby Teeth" left off, it feels like something essential has changed. Hanna is no longer the terrifying child she once was, which is a bit of a letdown. Her character has developed, but her natural essence from when she was seven is different, and that shift took away some of the edge that made the original so compelling.

I highly recommend reading "Baby Teeth" first and then diving into this sequel to compare the two versions of Hanna. It’s fascinating to see how she’s evolved, but I couldn’t help but miss the unsettling presence she once had. Despite this, the book remains an intriguing read, especially for those who appreciate deep character development.


I would like to express my deep gratitude to Thomas & Mercer and NetGalley for their generosity in allowing me to read this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

One of the best follow up stories I could imagine. I’d love to read a book on every stage of Hanna’s life. Can’t wait to get a physical copy and reread both books with the knowledge I gained after that last page. Zoje has an amazing writing style and I’ve read other books, I fully think Zoje is going to be a big name in thriller mysteries. When this book officially drops, everyone is going to read it. I’ve been pumping them up to get ready.

This is a more than worthy follow up to such a massive success as Baby Teeth. Hanna has grown and has a new idea of what the perfect life is. I love this continuation into the life of a troubled, but somehow very lovable, person. I'd read a new Hanna any time!

Dear Hanna by Zoje Stage is a thrilling and captivating sequel to Baby Teeth. As a fan of Baby Teeth, I was excited to dive back into Hanna's twisted world and discover what had happened to her since the events of the first book. Although there is a significant time gap between the two books, Dear Hanna can still be enjoyed as a standalone novel.

In this book, we find Hanna married, with a stepdaughter and a successful career. At first, she appears to be leading a relatively normal life, but it doesn't take long for her true nature to emerge. If you've read Baby Teeth, you'll recognize the familiar darkness that lurks within Hanna's character.

One of the things I enjoyed about Dear Hanna was the gradual unraveling of the plot. While I did figure out part of the twist at the end, it was still a satisfying journey to reach that conclusion. Zoje Stage's writing is excellent, and she knows how to keep readers engaged and on the edge of their seats.

I highly recommend reading Baby Teeth before diving into Dear Hanna. It will provide valuable context and enhance your understanding of Hanna's character and her journey. Zoje Stage has once again proven herself as a talented author, and I can't wait to see what she has in store for us next.

I loved Baby Teeth the first book featuring Hannah, something about the diabolical child and the mother daughter relationship really fascinated and grabbed me. In Dear Hanna I was excited to see what Hanna is doing as an adult but I really missed the mother in this one and found Hanna on her own a tad boring.

The twist was quite obvious because nothing really exciting happened in the book so it felt inevitable.

Happy I read it but it was no Baby Teeth.

Tense and addictive! Hanna was the star of Baby Teeth and she is back as a high functioning adult. She has a successful job as a phlebotomist and has snagged herself a husband with a teenage daughter not much younger than herself. Hanna finds peace in her domestic duties as wife and mother, but as life becomes more complicated and messy, she starts to unravel.

I did not read Baby Teeth and had no trouble catching up and reading this as a stand alone. The author expertly weaves enough broad strokes from Hanna’s past that I was able to understand the full story. I am easily entertained by stories containing sociopaths who are trying to fit into the world. Hanna’s story started out pretty tame but she becomes much more diabolical as her world starts to spin out of her control.
And I did not guess the ending, quite the twist!

Thank you Netgalley, Thomas & Mercer, and the author for this eARC in exchange for my honest review. This book will be available for purchase on August 13, 2024

👀 uhhh 😳 OMG

If Zoje Stage has perfected just one thing, it's making me insanely uncomfortable. But, like, so uncomfortable that I can't stop—I need to know what happens so I can move on with my life.

Baby Teeth, I hated Hanna, and I think most readers of that book would agree, but damn, I felt for her hard in this book. The letters back and forth, I kinda had a feeling something was fishy there because Hanna couldn't be fully 'fixed,' no way. So, so, so close Hanna 😔

I read this in one sitting because, like I stated earlier, I can't stop until I know.

I was a fan of Baby Teeth, so I wanted to see what became of Hanna once she grew up. Well, what happened was that she became boring. The start of this book was just plain old dull. At age 20, Hanna is still living at home with her parents and is now a phlebotomist. She meets Jacob, twenty years her senior and his 12 year old daughter, Joelle. Jacob is a widower and they quickly marry and become the perfect family. Hanna has learned to act normal. Four years pass and Joelle has become a typical teenager with an all too familiar problem.
To be honest, I could sympathize with Hanna’s predicament. I would have been pushing for the same resolution. In the beginning, I kept thinking, if Hanna is a sociopath, then I guess I am, too. And I found Jacob to be a total jerk. His total disregard for Hanna was sickening. Both he and Joelle totally took her for granted.
But then… Hanna starts going to some pretty desperate lengths trying to rectify the situation and return their home life to what it has been before. As the book moves along, it becomes more and more apparent how wacko she is. But the big reveal was so obvious it was like one big thud.
Be sure to read the Acknowledgments. I liked that Stage was able to (initially) make Hanna quite sympathetic.
This can be read as a stand-alone and it’s not at all necessary to have read Baby Teeth. But that book was much more interesting than this one.
My thanks to Netgalley and Thomas & Mercer for an advance copy of this book.

I kept thinking something was going to happen and I felt that this is really all this book was in the end. It was almost like the author did not know what she wanted to happen, or wanted to stretch this out to keep people guessing. This was disappointing. This is the the third book I have read from this author and am just thinking that there is just no skill of execution, although the build up seems promising. Thanks for the ARC, NetGalley.

3.5⭐️

Let me start off by saying I loved Baby Teeth and was dying to find out how Hanna’s life turned out. And maybe it was because I listened to the audio for that one and it was just so well done and who doesn’t love a book with a creepy kid!

Dear Hanna starts off when Hanna is in her early twenties after going away to a school for peculiar children (also all I could picture was Mrs. Peregrine’s school for peculiar children every time they talked about the school!). She has a career as a phlebotomist, is married and has a step daughter. Everything seems to be going well in her life until it takes an unexpected turn.

I’m glad this can be read as a stand alone as I always struggle with sequels and unfortunately this wasn’t an exception. Perhaps if I’d listened to the audio it would have had the same feel as Baby Teeth but I found Dear Hanna to be very predictable and slow.

Thank you to NetGalley and Thomas and Mercer for the advanced copy.

Thank you to NetGalley, Zoje Stage and Thomas and Mercer for the free ebook in exchange for an honest review.

Really enjoyed the follow up from baby teeth, especially with Hanna as an adult. It was twisty and messed up in the best way possible. Very well done.

I loved Baby Teeth and was thrilled to read this sequel, but, unfortunately, it didn't quite live up to its predecessor. Baby Teeth actually had some wickedly shocking moments, whereas this dragged at times and there wasn't much of an impact on me. Though it was not terrible, I found this to be boring at times. I feel like the author could've thrown in a few scenes that made Baby Teeth so appealing.

Dear Hanna was a brilliant page-turner, the perfect sequel to Baby Teeth.

With a number of plot twists, and Hanna trying so hard to be the perfect wife, stepmother and phlebotomist - she quickly drags you into her world where everything is as terrifying as her thoughts.

4 stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Special thanks to Netgalley for providing me with this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

Thank you to NetGalley, Thomas & Mercer, and to Zoje Stage for the opportunity to read this arc in exchange for an honest review.

@zoje.stage_author
@netgalley

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This book is the sequel to Baby Teeth which is amazing and you should read as well. The sequel can be read as a standalone and you can read them in either order. Well, after reading Baby Teeth Zoje made a fan out of me!! I was left wanting more Hanna and she gave it to us in this book. From beginning to end it made me feel so many emotions! The twists and unexpected situations, I didn’t see coming at first left me very surprised. I feel like this book will really stay with me for a while. I loved how it focused on Hanna being older and delved more into her psyche. Her letter correspondence with Goose just had me.

Zoje, I want you to know what an incredible writer you are and can’t wait to read more of your work in the future. I will be reading Wonderland soon! Also, thank you sincerely for such a great reading experience!!!

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