I liked this. Wait. Maybe “like” isn’t the right term. But whatever. This book made me feel incredibly uncomfortable. Stayed up reading until 2 am - I have an infant, so sleep is a prized commodity. I couldn’t stop reading though, alternating back and forth between, “this can’t be happening” and “eeeeeeeeeeeee.” I think art is supposed to make you feel uncomfortable, and push your boundaries. That’s what makes it unique and powerful. I didn’t love this, I didn’t hate it either. The writing isn’t groundbreaking, you won’t have a spiritual awakening after reading this. Well, unless your kid is a psychopath. Then, I am so sorry, I can’t even imagine. This is art. This is creativity. This is a world flooded with stories that have been told and retold over and over. This is new, and maybe it’s not for you, but appreciate what the author is doing here, and think about the way it makes you feel. Why is that? Dig in. 👊🏼

Baby Teeth was EXCELLENT and unlike anything that I have read previously. Zoje Stage was exceptionally deft at creating a creepy story without it seeming farfetched or like some gruesome horror novel. I loved it! This is definitely an author to watch out for.

Baby Teeth is told from two perspectives, Hanna, the seven year old, mute daughter of Alex and Suzette. Hanna absolutely hates her mother and thinks of many devious ways to rid she and her father of the third member of their family. The second perspective is Suzette, the much hated mother of Hanna. Suzette battles Crohn’s disease and her scary little daughter daily who is always plotting her demise.

I have worked with children for close to 10 years who have various diagnoses and can be quite scary and often cunning, just like Hanna.

I wish the ending had packed more of punch but it was left perfectly for a sequel which I would definitely pick up and devour! Fingers crossed for another helping of Hanna and Suzette.

*** BIG thank you St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for a copy of Baby Teeth in exchange for my honest review.

I guess I fall to nurture in the “nature vs nurture” discussion because I just couldn’t buy into the character of Hanna. We are expected to believe that a 7 year old was prescient enough as an infant to make the decision to never speak because she hated her mother but unhealthily adored her father. I got through about 10% of this novel before calling it quits. I guess I just can’t buy into the premise that a child could be this evil and manipulative at such a young age. It didn’t ring true to me and I quickly tired of page after page of pure hatred.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me this advance copy, but I need to move on.

I enjoy reading thrillers. I love it when a book gets under my skin and I can’t stop thinking about it. When the publisher offered me the book through the widget and I read the synopsis, I thought “Sure, why not“. I figured that the book would be like John Saul’s books. Creepy kids who end up doing horrible things because they were possessed. For the first half of the book, it was that. Then it got creepy and got under my skin (not in a good way).

Baby Teeth’s plot is pretty straightforward. Hanna wants her Daddy to herself in the worse way. But to have that, her Mommy needs to go away. So Hanna starts a campaign to drive Suzette out of the house. When she realizes that isn’t working, Hanna decides that Mommy needs to go.

Suzette is stressed to the max. Taking care of a special needs child is a full-time job. She needs a break. But Hanna will not let that happen.

Alex is oblivious to what Hanna is doing and writes off Suzette’s complaints as petty. That is until something happens. What happened?? Read the book.

Hanna was so evil. The things she did to Suzette was awful. Like taking pictures of a naked, sleeping Suzette and putting that picture next to a dead woman. Or impersonating a long-dead witch. Or messing with Suzette’s Crohn’s medication. I was disturbed that a child could hate her mother that much and at such a young age.

Suzette did bother me for most of the book. I couldn’t understand why she didn’t record Hanna talking or even set up a nanny. It baffled me. Instead, she ranted and raved about how Hanna was doing this and doing that with no evidence. No wonder Alex was oblivious to what was going on. It wasn’t until the tack incident that he finally figured it out. Also, her attitude towards Hanna bothered me. She treated her like she was a burden for most of the book.

I mentioned in the first paragraph that I thought that this book was going to be like John Saul’s books. I did think that Hanna was possessed by the ghost of the witch. There was nothing that suggested otherwise. Until midway through the book. Then my mind was changed.

Like I said in the first paragraph, this book got under my skin. By the end of the book, I was disturbed by it. I have read reviews where people thought this book was fantastic. As a mother, I was disturbed by the lengths that a 7-year-old went through to try to kill her mother. I kept comparing this book to “Rosemary’s Baby” and other horror books that are similar. What made this book stand out from them was that it was raw and gritty and different from any other book in the thriller category.

There was not a happy ending to Baby Teeth. The implication in the last chapter was chilling and kept me up thinking about it the rest of the night.

I am not going to do a Pros/Cons of this book. I can’t do that without giving spoilers.

I would give Baby Teeth an Adult rating. There is sex, language, and violence. I would recommend that no one under the age of 21 read this book.

There are triggers in this book. They are abuse (of a parent by a child), PTSD like symptoms, and Crohn’s disease.

I am on the fence about recommending Baby Teeth to family and friends. I would have to make sure that they like thrillers and can deal with what this book is about. I would also include a warning about the triggers. I am on the fence about rereading this book too.

I would like to thank St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for allowing me to read and review Baby Teeth.

All opinions stated in this review of Baby Teeth are mine.

**I chose to leave this review after reading an advance reader copy**

DNF--What you expect from the blurb is pretty much what you get from the book. Thrillers are usually easy reads for me, but this one was a bit creepy. Creepiness is usually a good characteristic for a thriller, but this was a kind of creepy that I couldn't connect with. Hanna's tone was confusing, and I felt like she was creepy just for the sake of being creepy. I couldn't immerse myself in these characters or the story. What I got from what I read was like The Orphan (2009) 2.0. (I still get creeped out by that film. It took me a lot of courage to type the title out here on the blog. *shiver*)

This book had me in a state of shock...the daughter (Hanna) hates her mother (Suzette) so much that she believes the only way to make herself happy is to kill her...this is a seven year old...so yeah not an easy read but it is on the edge.
Both mother and daughter are vying for daddy's attention. Both manipulate him at their whims, one is more diabolical than the other...he on the other hand is a weak man, not knowing what or whom to believe.
Zoje really delved into the epitome of the family dynamic, where one needs more attention than the other and in the end only one wins. She is a talented writer to write something so dark and taboo but not to let it slip into another realm. So kudos on her for her delving into something many would not.
This book is kinda out there but it is very good. It makes you think, at least you raised a good kid and not as damaged as Hanna.

Suzette, a mother trying the best that she can to help her child. Hannah is seven, she is mute, talented, bright and exceptionally smart. All she wants is her daddy's full attention and his unconditional love. All she has to do to have this happen......is to kill mommy.
A great novel that has creepiness,scariness and psychological terror.
Hold on to your seats, the surprises will haunt you for a lifetime. You'll never view you children in the same.
Recommended!
5 Stars

BABY TEETH was an uncomfortable read. This is a complex book about parenting a child who isn’t normal. A child who does things that strike fear in a parent. It is also the story of a young girl on a mission to remove her mother from the house, by any means necessary.

Hanna is a child that doesn’t talk. She has undergone various tests and they all point to the fact that Hanna is choosing not to talk, not that she can’t. Suzette, Hanna’s mother, is her primary caretaker as she is a stay at home mom. Hanna doesn’t like her mother and does things to make life hard for her. Hanna loves her father, Alex, though and goes to extremes to make sure her father always chooses Hanna over her mother. Hanna is careful not to reveal her true nature to Alex, which further frustrates Suzette. What would you do if your child hated you and wanted to cause you harm?

A few things about BABY TEETH I want to discuss.

Why would anyone read this? Well, as a parent I can relate to some of it. I have been horrified by things my children have done or said, especially when it comes to pitting me against dad. I have not measured up, but I would still do anything for my child. I also think it is eye opening for anyone who has “normal” children. Proof even, that you can do everything “right” and still end up with a “bad” kid.

This book should make you uncomfortable. It is almost unbelievable at some points but it brings up such a hot topic for parenting. How responsible are you for your child’s behavior? When should you really start asking for help? What are the options for a child that wants to literally kill one of her parents?

Hanna is a special needs child. Not only is Hanna a little disturbed, but she doesn’t talk at all. Both Suzette and Alex believed there was something wrong with their child because she doesn’t speak at all. They do everything they can to accommodate her. I think when you have special needs child, with any special need, you throw the parenting books out the window. It doesn’t apply to your child because they have ____. This, along with the fact that this is their only child, really put Suzette and Alex in a unique situation parenting wise.

BABY TEETH is a well written read with fast paced action. It is a dangerous look into the mother-daughter paradox. This story is told in both Suzette and Hanna’s POV. I found Hanna’s POV to be a little far fetched, but I think Suzette’s was spot on. This is a love-hate story that is basically every mother’s nightmare. I found the story gripping and even though it was uncomfortable, I had to see this story through. This was a good psychological thriller!

Hanna Jensen is a seven year girl who is extremely smart, imaginative, and creative. She is the only child of her parents, Alex and Suzette, and despite her intelligence, she is mute. Because of this, and other behavioral issues, Hanna cannot attend a traditional school and is home schooled by her mother. The only problem is that while Hanna loves and idolizes her father, she HATES her mother. Mommy takes too much of daddy’s attention and love from Hanna, so Mommy needs to GO. AWAY. Permanently. What follows is Hanna’s creative ways of making that happen.

I have mixed feelings about this book. I know it is fiction, but I had a hard time believing that a child could come up with these twisted, convoluted, schemes. However this could be because I thought Hanna was much younger than she was, (4 or 5?) and it wasn’t until the the end of the book that it was mentioned that she was 7. Easier to believe a 7-year old having this level of intelligence, but still somewhat of a stretch. And a child THAT smart really needs to be somewhere for the gifted.

Suzette (Mommy) was a bit of a mess. She’s stuck balancing the household, the demon child, and her Crohn’s disease (which I thought was very well described as it is a disease that I don’t know much about). In one scene she’s literally cursing at Hanna and the next she’s offering her orange slices. She was a slightly confusing character, but I probably related to her the most. I couldn’t imagine bringing a child like Hanna into the world and could only imagine how that would rock your sense of self.

Alex (Daddy) was a joke. Completely clueless and oblivious.

All in all, while some of this was far-fetched, it was definitely entertaining. I had a hard time putting it down sometimes because I couldn’t wait to see what Hanna would do. But there was something about this that I found a bit off so I debated between 3 and 4 stars. 3.5 because the ending was kind of a let down. Definitely recommend this to someone who is not squeamish about rough language and criminally insane children.

This is one of the creepiest books I've ever read. But I loved it!!

This is not a review about the book, this is the story of me experiencing this horror. This was the most disturbing book I have ever tried to read. I failed. I don’t consider myself to have a weak stomach for disgusting topics or taboo stories.All the Ugly and Wonderful Things was a beautiful love story to me, if you can imagine that. We Need to Talk About Kevin was a masterpiece, I read horror novels with a smile on my face, I shiver with excitement when I meet a well-written villain. I hate DNF-ing books, I almost never do it if I make it through first 10% of the story. But this one… I hope I will lose this uneasy feeling that has been following me since I first started reading this one MONTH ago. My tactics for conquering books that are difficult to get through is simple - I divide the number of remaining pages with 7, because one week is the most I can lose on them. After that, I soldier through those pages and I get it done. So, imagine my state of mind when I couldn’t get myself to read more than 10 pages every day. I would experience nausea, my stomach would get twisted and some horrible fear would follow me. I had to recover by reading a bunch of romance erotic novels, just to take my mind of this.
The reason why I suffered was this author’s writing. She was so damn good! I love the parent-child psychological struggle story as much as the next person, but they are not always good. I can see that this is the good one, but I simply can’t experience these feelings any second longer.

I can’t remember any villain more terrible than this little girl, the self-made mute who is torturing her mother with mind games. This child just made me want to scream. How this author managed to do this, I wonder if she had some similar experience growing up? Evil children, evil to the core, always make me wonder. I grew up with someone, who I know now as an adult, and let me tell you, those quirks never really go away. This book reminded me of We Need to Talk About Kevin, because they both explore mother’s grief and regret, memories of what-went-wrong and they both leave you pessimistic, you can just tell that things are going to go to hell by the end. What I liked here is that the author portrayed the mother just as I would expect her to be. She was tired of hearing no and letting her daughter always have her way, so when she gives her a reward for basically not being that big of an child asshole, I could understand that. She just doesn’t know what the hell to do anymore. And I appreciated her inner monologue where she hated herself for encouraging disgusting behavior. The father figure, (because he is just a figure here, this is all about the two of the girls), really contributed to the feeling of helplessness that Suzeta had. His inability to see through his daughter’s character, him being unable to listen and see his wife took away some of his better qualities. He was supposed to be caring, but if you listen and don’t believe, that is just as helpful as leaving your family.

So, to me, the best part about this book was my constant struggle how to get inside my Kindle and shake the child, yell at the husband and comfort the mother. Isn’t that good writing here?
I don’t know how this book ends. It is strange and I will probably wonder if this devil of a girl got what she deserved in the end, but I just - can’t!

Baby Teeth was an interesting read for me. Fast-paced and deftly, written, I enjoyed the character motivation and this story really hooked me at the beginning. I read it in two sittings and was engaged. But this is not a true thriller for me. There are really no reversals and it felt a bit predictable and one-note to me at times. Hanna wants to kill her mother and she tries. And tries again. And tries again. The father is so robotic at times. Where is the twist or underlying secret? At the end, there is a hint that all is not what it seems within the parents' motivation but for me to really latch onto that, it needed to be stronger. I needed to see more and I wanted more.
I sympathized with Suzette in this story but some parts did not seem realistic. There is so little scenic variation here. The setting, although personal, becomes bland. I think I am most "meh" about this one because I wanted to be surprised, not only horrified. A faced paced, well-written story - yes. A true thriller, no.

This book was amazing! I am still left wondering what actually happened. It is really a book about how each individual views their world. This book is told in alternating perspectives, however by the end I still didn’t know who the “villain” was. Excellent characters and writing. I highly recommend!

I received a copy of this book for free in exchange for an honest review; all opinions are my own.

I first found this book in a NetGalley email advertising it as Read Now. I immediately logged in and downloaded it. It caught my eye nearly instantly! It looked like such a good book, I knew I had to read it.

And oh my goodness was it so creepy good. I devoured it. I was absolutely enthralled by Hanna and Suzette’s story.

The only reason this one didn’t get a 5 star rating is because I had a little bit of a hard time accepting that a 7 year old could actually be as evil as Hanna. At one point it flashes back to when Hanna was like 2 or 3 and she realized that Mommy was going to fail her “test”? I mean, come on – I have two children, almost 6 and almost 3 years old …. there’s no way at 2/3 a child could think in that manner. And to imagine that at 7 she could be actively plotting to kill her mother? I’m not sure that I buy that either…. And we won’t even talk about the unhealthy obsession Hanna has with her father. Yikes.

The ending (or really lack thereof) was a little disappointing. But I can totally understand why Ms. Stage chose to end it as she did. I can appreciate that, but I would have liked a little more closure than I got. Maybe a teenage Hanna will re-emerge in a few years?! 😉

I’m nearly positive this is going to be one of the most talked about books this summer. It’s definitely buzz worthy. It’s controversial. It’s enthralling. I’m glad that I read it and I’m looking forward to Ms. Stage’s future ventures in writing!

While I can fully appreciate that this book would not be for everyone, it’s definitely a book that I thoroughly enjoyed and will be recommending it to everyone I know!

*Thanks to NetGalley and St Martin's Press for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.* Wow. I am not really sure where to start with reviewing this book. First of all, I feel it is relevant to mention that I read it in 24 hours. Not whilst on holidays, but during a normal working week - I just found time where I could to keep reading it! This is gripping fiction at its best. Suzette and Alex seem to have the perfect life, living in a perfect house with their perfect little girl, Hanna. However, all is not as it seems with this family. With hints of 'We Need to Talk about Kevin' and the 'Bad Seed,' this novel will keep you on your toes.

5 disturbing stars for Baby Teeth. This was a full on psychological character driven story. The reader is introduced to Juliette and her 7-year-old daughter Hannah. The chapters alternate between each of their perspectives. It's a fascinating glimpse into the world of child psychopathy and its effect on family system dynamics.

I will admit I'm a sucker for books that delve into the psychology of psychopaths. This is perhaps one of the reasons I loved this book so much. The author does a wonderful job of bringing the reader into the folds of a family struggling with their young child's abhorrent behaviour. Unfortunately Juliette is the target of Hannah's hurtful pranks and frightening violence while Hannah's father is only exposed to her sweet manipulative side. This divides loyalties and causes chaos among the three of them to the point where Juliette starts losing her ability to cope. Again the psychological damage of abuse is portrayed in this story accurately but interestingly it's Juliette who suffers the symptoms by being bullied by her daughter.

Baby Teeth is incredibly character focused so there are no twists and turns or hidden reveals. Instead we are given a taste of the horror of what it would be like to parent a child with psychpathic characteristics. The author keeps a balanced outlook as we sometimes wonder is Juliette to blame? Could the family have done something different to avoid this from happening? We are also met with the difficult decision of what to do about it?

If you enjoy full on psychological literary fiction this is a riveting read. I burned through it in a day and a half because I couldn't put it down. A gracious thank you to St. Martin's Press for an advanced copy. This was truly an unforgettable book!

I found this to be a great book, overall! A bit more character development would have added another star for me.

Baby Teeth sounds interesting and oh so creepy - maybe it's because I don't have children but the idea of an evil child seems like it'd make for an unnerving, uncomfortable yet entertaining read. To some extent, it is. But just barely.
In the beginning I was hooked. The book alternates between the POV's of Suzette and Hanna. Suzette is a stay-at-home mom suffering from Crohns and Hanna is her mute daughter who HATES her mother and wants her out of the picture. Honestly, I didn't find Hanna's character very believable. She is a smart, devious child but considering her actions...it was all too far-fetched for a child her age.
I've yet to read The Omen but I've seen the movies and I was hoping this would be somewhat similar. Sadly, this just isn't what I expected.
I see many 4 and 5 star ratings for this so if you're interested in reading this, I'd say to give it a try. Everyone's opinion is different and just because I don't like it doesn't mean others won't.

Alex is a happy husband and father. He has the absolute adoration of his 7-year-old daughter, Hanna and the love of his wife Suzette. Life is perfect. Except Hanna is nonverbal and a very disturbed little girl who hates her mommy. Suzette grew up with a cold mother and hoped to do better for her little girl. Unfortunately, her little girl has made it her life's work to get mommy out of the picture permanently.

Told in Suzette and Hanna's alternating points of view, we have a story about a mother struggling to homeschool a little psychopath while dealing with a debilitating illness and a husband that refuses to see his child's issues. It is not her fault that she was expelled from so many schools, it must be the teachers' fault, etc. Suzette is not entirely an innocent victim but you wonder if the over the top reactions are a sign of her own psychosis or PTSD.

This was an interesting book, closer to We Need to Talk About Kevin than Gone Girl. I was expecting a more surprising ending than what we were given. Overall, I would recommend this book and I thank Zoje Stage, NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the opportunity to read it.

4 Disturbingly Good and Twisted Stars to BABY TEETH!

Why I wanted to read this one……This book was a Traveling Sisters Group Read that I missed out on reading and with the so many strong reactions and thoughts towards this book I just knew that I had to read it! I don’t think I have ever been so interested in finding out what my thoughts would be over a book like I was with this one.

So what did I think…….Well, I quite enjoyed it! Now there were a few scenes intended to shock the reader which I think would definitely make this book not an enjoyable read for some but, for this reader to be totally honest once I read those scenes they were totally forgotten. Until, after finishing the book and then discussing it with Brenda then I was like oh right, I forgot all about those scenes. I was just so entertained in how devious and manipulative Hanna was towards her mother, Suzette that I really needed to know how this story would play out. When I wasn’t reading this book, I was thinking about it.

BABY TEETH by ZOJE STAGE is a disturbing, uncomfortable, and downright creepy tale about a 7-year-old girl named Hanna that wants her Daddy all to herself but her Mommy (Suzette) stands in her way of her happily ever after.

ZOJE STAGE delivers quite the chilling tale here that was well-written with an easy to read writing style to make this quite the fast-paced read. The story is told in alternating voices and perspectives between Suzette and Hanna, I enjoyed both of their perspectives equally. The things that Hanna was capable of was downright diabolical and creepy!

What I didn't like…..The only thing that I questioned here though was if a seven-year-old was actually capable of doing some of the acts that she did in this book.

I was totally immersed in this tale and found it quite the entertaining and enjoyable read but I do understand that this book will not be for everyone so with that I recommend with caution. If you love a good horror or a dark psychological thriller you should really enjoy this one though! I know I do and did!

Publication Date: July 17, 2018

Thank you so much to NetGalley, Zoje Stage, and St. Martin’s Press for the opportunity to read an advanced copy of this book.