Baby Teeth

Blurb: Sweetness can be deceptive.
Meet Hanna.
She’s the sweet-but-silent angel in the adoring eyes of her Daddy. He’s the only person who understands her, and all Hanna wants is to live happily ever after with him. But Mommy stands in her way, and she’ll try any trick she can think of to get rid of her. Ideally for good.
Meet Suzette.
She loves her daughter, really, but after years of expulsions and strained home schooling, her precarious health and sanity are weakening day by day. As Hanna’s tricks become increasingly sophisticated, and Suzette’s husband remains blind to the failing family dynamics, Suzette starts to fear that there’s something seriously wrong, and that maybe home isn’t the best place for their baby girl after all.
My Thoughts:
May contain mild spoilers…
Suzette, mother to Hanna, deals with illness on a daily basis. She has an autoimmune disease that makes her sick and causes pain. On top of this, she’s trying to be a good wife to Alex, Hanna’s dad, and all she wants is to have a normal family–a normal daughter. The problem is that Hanna is a complete psycho, doesn’t talk, and behaves so badly, she’s continuously kicked out of school and Suzette has no choice but to home school her. At home, there are even more problems. Hanna want’s to kill her mother, but has a deep love for her father and because of that, nobody believes Suzette when she tries to tell them that something is wrong with Hanna.
“Daddy was the most handsome man in the world. He dressed nicely, in crisp shirts and colorful ties, and his favorites were the ones she picked our for him. When she grew up she’d marry him, and then Mommy wouldn’t be competition anymore.”
The main points of view alternate between Suzette and Hanna throughout the book. As I mentioned, Alex, Hanna’s dad, never sees the disturbing behaviors. The person who deals with Hanna on a daily basis is Suzette and this is what made me so uncomfortable throughout the book. Alex refers to Hanna as his ‘squirrely girl’ or ‘lilla gumman’ and it seems like no matter how much he loves Suzette, he just doesn’t believe that his daughter is a psychopath and consistently makes excuses for her. Hanna exhibits aggressive and violent behaviors that almost go too far for me. It made me very uncomfortable and the constant instigating between Hanna and Suzette made me want to scream. This family is extremely dysfunctional and I kept wondering throughout the book what the real reasons for Hanna’s behaviors were. Surely something had to have happened in the past with Suzette or Alex, right?
“Sshh, lilla gumman…Daddy’s squirrely girl…”He cooed so softly Suzette couldn’t hear everything he said. But Hanna quieted. She looked so tiny in his arms, a rag doll.
I thought the book was written really well and it’s certainly a quick and smooth read. People who like thrillers will more than likely be pleased. Personally, I was on edge and completely thrilled all the way to the ‘not so’ surprising end. I was expecting some major twists toward the end which never really came and made me feel like something was missing, however, the book for the most part kept my interest and I found it dark and very disturbing, so for that, I’ll give this book 4****. I’m looking forward to reading more books by this author.
Find this book on Goodreads and Amazon:
- Hardcover: 320 pages
- Publisher: St. Martin’s Press (July 17, 2018)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 1250170753
- ISBN-13: 978-1250170750
About the Author:
An author of dark and suspenseful novels, Zoje recently moved back to her hometown of Pittsburgh, PA after living in western New York for more than a decade. She has a deep and eclectic background in the arts – as writer, filmmaker, thespian, and all-around dabbler. In her former life as a filmmaker she was a 2008 Fellow in Playwriting/Screenwriting from the New York Foundation for the Arts (NYFA.org), and a 2012 Emerging Narrative Fellow from the Independent Filmmaker Project (IFP.org). Her debut novel BABY TEETH (St. Martin’s Press) will be released 17 July 2018. It will be released in the UK as BAD APPLE (Transworld). –Goodreads
This is book #7 for my Netgalley/Edelweiss Challenge. You can see it HERE.
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Excellent review, Jenn! I have this to read, but I’m saving it for a while until I clear off some other ARCs that release between next week thru April 😉 I’m looking forward to it since I love psychological thrillers and this one sounds extra disturbing (I’m not sure what that says about me, lol)! Kid sounds insane, and I’m glad she is not my daughter!!!
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Thanks, Stephanie! I think you’ll enjoy this one. It’s definitely disturbing and thrilling. ❤ I can't wait to hear your thoughts on it, especially the ending. 🙂 Hope all is well!
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I probably won’t read this so I’m gonna message you later so you can tell me how this ended cause I definitely want to know. The girl wanting to marry her dad is pretty weird… Great review!
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It is totally weird! Message me later. I’ll fill you in on it. It’s a great thriller, I just wasn’t pleased with the ending. ❤😉
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Same here–spoiler me please! My email is laughing dakini music at yahoo . Thanks.
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Haha, okay! 🤣😉
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Fabulous review and I completely agree with you! And those nicknames that Alex called Hannah were truly bizarre!
I guess I wasn’t expecting a huge twist at the end, because the book itself was so twisted, but it definitely kept me on the edge of my seat! Thank you for your review 💕
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Thank you! Loved your review too. 💗 I’m definitely interested in reading more books by this author too. 😉
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Glad you ended up liking it in the end.
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Thank you. 😉
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Whoa, that sounds really, really disturbing! But at the same time, I want to read it to see how I feel about this book. Great review, Jenn!
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It’s very disturbing at times! If you like thrillers I think you’ll enjoy it. ❤ Thank you, Noriko.
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I wonder if I’m off-target thinking the plot reminds me of the Oedipus Complex, only the situation isn’t the love of the opposite-sex parent we’re used to hearing or reading about. Teens are often scary because they react in negative ways to the mass of feelings they have and don’t understand. Throwing something in the brew like the book’s plot and you have an over-boiled pot! So, I can understand if the story is a bit strong because no one wants their child to turn out bad. I’m thankful you reviewed it for us! It seems, as a psychological thriller, it’s done its job!!
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I forgot to mention that Hanna is only 7 years old, but seemed very advanced for her age. Even at the age of 7, she seems to overpower the adults. Scary! I’d hate to think about the teen years lol. This is definitely a thriller and I’d love to hear your thoughts on it! 💙
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I just entered the giveaway.
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Yay! Good luck, David. Thanks! ❤
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I have an ARC of this too! Hoping to read it after my current read!
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Can’t wait to see what you think about it! Enjoy. 💗❤💗
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Thank you! I’m anxious to start it. Seems like a wild ride!
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So scary when you think about the characters living the story, as many times they often do for the reader. For a debut novel makes one wonder what will be next on the authors agenda. Great review! 🙂
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I feel the same and can’t wait to see what else the author writes. ❤ Thanks for checking it out!
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Woah! This sounds crazy!!! (But definitely up my alley.) Great review!
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It totally is! Hope you love it. ❤
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Thanks!
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Great review. I have this one to read as well, it sounds like I will not be disappointed.
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Thank you! I hope you like it, Carla. It’s pretty bizarre. 💖
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Great review! My copy is on its way and I can’t wait!
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Thanks, Ann! I cant wait to hear your thoughts on it and hope you enjoy! 💗😁
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Love your review!!! 😀
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Thank you, Deanna! I enjoyed yours as well. 💙
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Great review!
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Thank you. 😁💖
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I do believe I am alone in not caring for this one: https://books6259.wordpress.com/2018/03/19/baby-teeth-by-zoje-stage/
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I’ll go check out your review! ❤ Thanks for sharing your link.
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wow, this definitely seems like a creepy read… I find even the father’s nicknames for his daughter a little strange! but that cover is gorgeous 😻
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It was totally creepy! That was the weirdest and I couldn’t figure out what was up with these people. If you read it, be prepared to be disturbed! ❤
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I enjoyed your review Mischenko!
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Thank you, Holly! ❤
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Good review but the book was too outre for me.
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Thanks, Bill. I know what you mean! I had issues with parts of it, but still liked it. 😉
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