I found this book to be quite mediocre. There weren't any great moments and I found it to be very predictable. This book was almost painful to read and it took me a coupling weeks to finish it. Unfortunately, it never really grabbed me. I would be willing to give another book from this offer a try though bc I liked the subject matter. I guess I just wanted more.

3.5 stars

This review is based on an ARC of Baby Teeth which I received courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher (St. Martin’s Press). 

Okay, I know that Baby Teeth deserves a higher rating, but after thinking on it for a little while I just did not enjoy the anticlimactic finale. Don’t misunderstand here, I did like the ending, and I felt that it was sewn in nicely to the plot overall, but I had been hoping for a real kicker of an ending—something super gory and disturbing. I feel a little letdown with such lack of a climax. 

Despite this disappointment, the first ninety percent of Baby Teeth was gripping and phenomenal. Stage’s prose—especially in Hanna’s point of view—is breathtaking. I don’t think I have ever read such a well-written debut novel. I was continually blown away by how good of a first novel this is throughout. 

Zoje Stage presents amazing talent with words and character development. The Jensen family felt like real people, all with believable personalities and struggles, augmenting a storyline that will stick with me for a long, long while. I really believe that this book will be a bestseller. 

One last little thought: overall Baby Teeth (to me) reads more like heavy General Fiction or Adult Fiction than Thriller. I don’t know exactly how books are categorized though, so this remains an uninformed opinion. 

Baby Teeth is a novel that I am glad I got the opportunity to read as an ARC, and I am really looking forward to more of Zoje Stage’s future writing!

Baby Teeth gets an extra star for being super creepy and really, really weird. Basically a daughter hates her mother and wants her to disappear so it will just be her and her daddy. It's a great birth control book, since it makes you re-think having children, because what if you child hates you and wants to kill you?! 

I enjoyed how the novel goes back and forth between the mother and the daughter and how they each feel about each other. The author did a great job writing a creepy tone as the daughter. I wasn't too much a fan of the ending, I was hoping for something that was a bit more. 

I don't understand the comparisons between Baby Teeth, We Need to Talk about Kevin and the Dinner. I haven't read We Need to Talk about Kevin, but I would never recommend Baby Teeth to someone who liked the Dinner.

I received this book free of charge from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

This is one twisted book. And I liked it. From the outside they look like a perfect family but little Hanna is not so perfect. She is trying to hurt her mother so that she can have her father all to herself. 

This book kept me intrigued and I couldn't stop reading it. At times, I had a hard time believing that Hanna was supposed to be a 7 year old. Her thoughts are pretty mature and twisted. This book may not be for everyone as some of the scenes are pretty intense. I could feel the raw emotion from Suzette and how she feared for her life

I liked how the author left the ending. I sense a sequel in the works.

This book was an absolutely amazing read. Creepy and suspenseful, my attention was captured throughout the entire story. 



Hanna is a child that I would never want to encounter. Even if it was in the middle of a busy street, especially if it was in the middle of a busy street. A very intelligent child that is hell bent on getting her mother out of the picture. 



Suzette constantly struggles with being a mother. The fact that Hanna's quirks aren't easy to deal with doesn't help her any. Her husband is blind to his daughter's antics, mostly because he's never home and when he is only wants to concentrate on good times. 



A very engaging and riveting story. Would love the author to write a book taking place a year after the end of the book. I'd love to see where the characters are at and what has developed since.

3.5 stars

Here’s a psychological thriller that will make you very uncomfortable. What are Suzette and Alex to do when life with their demonic 7-year-old daughter gets dangerous? Try to understand? Rationalize? Maintain a normal façade? What’s their breaking point?

Hanna is an adorable little girl, on the surface. But she refuses to talk and plays her parents against each other. No school will have her, so Suzette has tabled her art career to home school Hanna while Alex builds his new Scandinavian design business in Pittsburgh. Mommy is the bad parent. Daddy can do no wrong. And when Daddy’s away, Hanna’s evil deeds become more and more alarming.

When Hanna finally speaks, it’s in the chilling voice of an alter ego.

Zoje Stage’s debut thriller poses an interesting dilemma and her characters shoulder additional complex problems. Suzette comes from an unhappy childhood and struggles with Crohn’s disease. Alex wants the perfect family and misses many signs that their life is in trouble. Hanna is, well, we don’t know. The reader can only try to understand her and see what happens.

In addition to the uncomfortable subjects, readers should brace themselves for graphic language and ideas. Stage’s rough descriptions and dialogue can be very jarring. I found some of this excessive and much of it did not seem to fit her characters, who are portrayed as smooth and sophisticated. Perhaps that’s the point however, their façade is nothing like who they really are.

Alex and Suzette ultimately seek professional help which gives the reader better insight into Hanna’s problem, or maybe it doesn’t.

Themes of unconditional love, marriage, family, careers, and self-preservation run through Baby Teeth, making it a relatable story for all readers.

This is the kind of book that demands you read it straight through. Stage has created a powerful momentum and I couldn’t rest until I finished.

Baby Teeth is an intense, disturbing read that will not appeal to everyone. It starts out worrisome. Why won't Hanna speak? Baby Teeth quickly turns creepy. The creepiness escalates throughout the book. I don't often read horror or psychological thrillers, but I like books that make me think.  I thought about nature versus nurture in the case of psychopaths. I wondered if some individuals are just born evil. Then I wondered why/how that could happen. I think Baby Teeth would make a great movie.

Not rating this because I can’t read any further!  I love St. Martin’s Press, they bring us fabulous books to read, but ... this one.... terrible.. I’m sorry, I should have done some research on this book before I accepted the widget!

I'm not entirely sure how I feel about this book. Hanna was definitely creepy and troubled but a lot of the time she just seemed like a confused little girl. And the parents drove me nuts. Clueless father and mother way too concerned what everyone thought. Still a good read though, with a very good ending.

This book was so creepy and disturbing on so many levels, I did not finish it because it was so strange and bizarre.  I may revisit it in the future, but it was not one that really hooked me.   Maybe others may be interested in reading about this topic, but I found it too disturbing as I have two young children.  Thank you for the opportunity to review!

I really liked the writing style of Zoje Stage, liked how each person was telling you the story and what they were thinking in their own chapters. All in all I thought this was a really good read, kept my interest throughout and I liked knowing what each character was thinking and feeling. After reading this story I'm so glad my own children are grown and out on their own! What a compelling read in my opinion but some people don't like to read about evil, disturbed children me, I don't mind:) Thank you Netgalley and St. Martin's press for allowing me an ARC, and more thanks to the author Zoje Stage for writing such an interesting and disturbing book hoping for a sequel!

I really enjoyed this book.  It was so interesting to observe the similarities between  the relationship that Suzette and her daughter Hanna have compared to those of Suzette and her uncommunicative mother.  I couldn't put it down and highly recommend it.  I hope there is a sequel - "The Best Girl Ever"

Sorry, this just wasn't for me. I kept reading because I wanted an interesting ending, but really I wanted to quit twice along the way. It's your basic story of evil child vs. mother and clueless dad. I kept reading because all the great reviews had me thinking there would be more to it, some kind of twist, but there wasn't. There was also the MC's Crohn's disease. The depth and amount of details felt a bit gratuitous - I know it's a horrible disease as I have a friend that died from complications of it - I just felt the extreme details in this book were out of place for the mystery/thriller genre. Additionally the daughter's character felt off to me. I believe she is seven years old but the chapters told from her POV felt like a much younger child, yet her actions were that of a much older psychopathic personality. They didn't mesh for me. On the other hand I did love the character of the father. From my POV he seemed very real in his words and actions, defending his daughter steadfastly as fathers should but clearly being able to understand when lines had been crossed.

Twisted.
Jaw-dropping. 
Unputdownable. 
Those are just some of the words that describe Zoje Stage's explosive debut. 

When Baby Teeth first appeared on my radar, I wasn't too sure about it. It sounded unique and interesting, but a book about a young girl wanting to kill her mother? It definitely wasn't my typical read. However, the other week I decided to read a chapter to get a feel for it. Luckily, that chapter turned into two, and before I knew it, it was 2 am and not only was I finished but also completely and utterly shook. That last scene? I reread it twice, because I couldn't believe my own eyes! 

Baby Teeth contains two POVs - Suzette's as well as Hannah's. Zoje did a fantastic job of bringing the two voices together. It was also incredibly worthwhile as well as eye-opening to see from both of their perspectives. The interesting thing here, however, is that I could never exactly pinpoint a villain. Instead, Suzette and Hannah are both victims as well as instigators, in my opinion. In their minds, they both believe they are doing the "right" thing. Suzette is attempting to save her marriage, daughter, and health through her occasional tough-love yet mostly understandable actions while Hannah believes the only way to be happy is to get rid of her mother. While Hannah's reasoning is a bit more wild, I felt bad for the girl. Yes, she did some truly evil things in this book; however, at the end of the day, she was a little girl who needed help. The only problem was that no one seemed to know what that help should be. 

At its core, Baby Teeth is a game of cat-and-mouse. The majority of the book focuses on the back-and-forth between Hannah and Suzette, their constant need to one-up each other as well as win. I was always on the edge of my seat, dying to know what would happen next. Would Hannah finally succeed in killing her mother? Would Suzette find help that would work? Those were just some of the questions swirling around in my head. As the book progressed, things only became crazier. I couldn't believe some of what I was reading. Gosh, if I was Suzette, I would've been running from that house screaming. I also enjoyed the conflict Suzette's husband/Hannah's father brought to the table. In a way, he played a Switzerland type role. He refused to believe that his little angle could be so evil but he also couldn't believe his wife could be lying about such things. For the majority of the book, he tries to play the middle man, sometimes making things better but sometimes making them even worse... 

In addition to the conflict/dynamic between Hannah and Suzette, the book also includes Suzette's struggles with Crohn's disease. I appreciated the fact that Zoje included this and addressed the everyday issues that arise with the disease. Several people close to me have suffered from Chron's, and I thought Zoje did a fantastic job of giving it a realistic, honest feel. 

Overall, Baby Teeth by Zoje Stage is an edge-of-your-seat thriller. While I don't think this book will be for everyone, I think it will definitely find its audience within those craving a dark, mind-bending thriller. I look forward to reading more by Zoje in the future.

*This review will be published on Lauren's Crammed Bookshelf on July 9, 2018. A direct link will be added on that day.*

See link to goodreads review

I loved the writing style of this author.  At times the story was a bit slow and none of the characters were particularly likable but for some reason I just couldn’t put it down. The ending was a bit anticlimactic but overall an enjoyable read.

I gave this book four stars due to its uniqueness. I was all set to give it five stars but it was anticlimactic.

Alex and Suzette Jensen have a seven-year-old daughter named Hanna. Despite her age, Hanna doesn't speak a word, which concerns her parents a great deal. They have had test after test done on Hanna, but there is nothing physically wrong with her. She simply chooses not to speak. Behavioral issues have resulted in Suzette home-schooling her daughter, and being with her 24/7 is extremely difficult because Hanna—who adores her father and is eager to please him—doesn't like her mother at all. In Hanna's mind, life would be perfect if Mommy was gone... permanently. She just had to figure out a way to do it.

Baby Teeth is an addictive, chilling novel that's so good, you can't help but stay up all night reading it. I literally read until I couldn't keep my eyes open anymore, and became absorbed in reading it again as soon as possible the next day.

Hanna is a seriously creepy little girl. Whether she was terrorizing her mother or manipulating her father, that's the one thought that kept repeating in the back of my mind. Her character is terrifyingly twisted, and reading her thoughts constantly left me in a state of dread about what she was plotting to do to her mother.

I felt an enormous amount of empathy for Suzette. Not only was she having to deal with a debilitating illness (Crohn's Disease), she was faced with the problem of handling a disturbed child by herself, and a husband who couldn't—wouldn't—believe his beloved Hanna was hurting her mother. Suzette felt alone, and had an incredible amount of guilt, wondering what she did wrong with her daughter to cause this. The conflicting feelings she had towards Hanna were believable and appropriate to the situation. I was constantly aware of Suzette's sorrow and feelings of failure as a mother, and it was heartbreaking.

As for Alex? There were times I wanted to jump into the book and shake him for being so (deliberately?) obtuse about what was happening at home. I felt sorry for him at times (especially near the end) but I was frustrated with him a lot.

The ending... WOW. It left me with my jaw on the floor, and desperately wanting more, more, more! Don't get me wrong. I think the ending was perfect, and worked beautifully... but I hated for the story to come to an end.

Zoje Stage has written an impressive debut novel, and I'm very much looking forward to reading more books from her in the future.

I'm giving this book my highest recommendation: this is a book worth reading. You don't want to miss out on this one, folks!

I was able to read Baby Teeth by Zoje Stage for free from Netgalley, the publisher and the author for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review. 
Hanna at six years old become a master manipulator, violent and disruptive.  Suzette becomes afraid of her own child.  Suzette doesn't understand why her husband cannot see what is wrong with their daughter.
This was a difficult story to read.

kay okay okay... Let me ask you this. Do you have kids? Has your child ever freaked out in a restaurant or in a store? If you don’t have kids I bet you’ve thought “lady, get this kid out of here!” And I do! Because 👏🏼 mama 👏🏼 don’t 👏🏼 play 👏🏼! Now, a little tantrum every now and then is normal (believe me, my 5 year old still speaks whinese 🙄) BUT in Baby Teeth by Zoje Stage you get way more than a little tantrum!! Like, dayuum!!

Dennis asked me how I was feeling this story. My answer = “it’s nuts, weird, strange but I love it”. For real, this was one wild story and I ate it all up! It made me FEEL so many feels. I was pissed, grossed out, felt creeped out and had me looking at my own child like, huh🤔. 

So, maybe I should get to the review. Sweet little Hanna is 7 years old and is silent. She loves her daddy, Alex, so much. Mommy, Suzette, is awful and she needs to go. Hanna wants daddy’s attention all to herself. This is told in alternating POV between Hanna and Suzette. 

Suzette has to homeschool Hanna because she is mute and has been kicked out of multiple schools. She is starting to notice more and more that sweet little Hanna may not be so sweet after all. Her behavior is disturbing in and outside the home. Hanna’s manipulative enough to never let Daddy see her evil schemes. 

Once Suzette starts mentioning to Alex about their daughter’s behavior he doesn’t believe it. How can his sweet little girl do any of the creepy things that are being described. Even when the schools tell the parents about Hanna’s schemes, Alex isn’t willing to consider it. 

After reading the final chapter I was smiling. I was like, yassss, Suzette get it! To be honest, if I were Suzette I have no idea what I would do! Your child after you? Creepy AF. I would have set up a camera though and have her set up, but that’s just me and I’m all about that evidence!

All in all, I loved it. I like messed up books. Creepy child? Sign me up! Thank you St. Martin’s for sending me a widget of Baby Teeth for an honest review! I recommend! 4.5 stars! Out in July!