Thank you Net Galley and St. Martin's Press for this early copy of Baby Teeth. I like horror/thriller stories. I'm not sure I liked this one, except for the fact that I couldn't put it down. I don't think that the story being about the beginning of a sociopathic or maybe a psychopath bothered me, everyone has a beginning. I think it was more how the story unfolded. We are treated to the inner thoughts of Hanna as she plots against her mommy, vying for the absoluteness of her father's love. On one hand knowing in advance what Hanna was plotting was creepy, having such plots coming from the machinations of 6 year old. On the other it was giving up the suspense of it.

Mostly, I think what bothered me was the laxness of the parents. I get denial, but wonder would it really have gotten this far before they went for a mental health evaluation? Was the Crone's disease excuse a mechanism that allowed the author to get Hanna to an age where all the scheming could be more plausible at her age?
I can't imagine noticing a behavior in a young child that needed modifying and ignoring it. Most parents I think would have jumped on it, with action, attention and follow through, especially well educated parents with means. Also the freedom in which Hanna roamed the house, used the computer, and was unsupervised seemed excessive.
I do have a question on Hanna's character development. It seemed in parts of the books that Hanna felt she was engaged with her mom, them both playing their parts knowingly in this battle of wits. Hanna at the beginning of this I thought was trying to "teach" her mom how to be a better mom. That they lost their way and mom had to pass some tests to be a good mom, and prove to Hanna that she could be in Hanna's twisted methodology. Then I thought that shifted into Hanna just wanting mom out of the picture to have dad all to herself. I think the first premise worked better for me.
So did I enjoy this book? Kinda. Definitely a dysfunctional family story who's ending makes you wonder when Hanna will return to mete out her revenge.

I liked this book by Zoje Stage, but it was just ok. I wanted more from the last half of the book, but never got it. I was disappointed in the ending. It left me disliking everyone in the book.

Perhaps not the best reading material for a new mom. Is this something ELSE I should be worrying about, my daughter trying to kill me in just a few short years?

My new-momness might have added to the tension this novel builds. Or maybe children are just creepier than adults. But what do you do when you’re convinced your own child is trying to harm you, how do you flee from the person you are responsible for?

I don’t know if this story would have been more unsettling if you weren’t inside Hanna’s head too; if you wondered not only if Hanna was trying to cause her mother harm, but if maybe Suzette was imaging it all? But I liked it better this way, knowing Suzette wasn’t imagining it and in fact, maybe should have been more scared.

I’m glad too that Suzette wasn’t perfect. She wasn’t a “why is this happening to me!?” victim. Whereas I don’t think she created the monster in Hanna, she certainly had her own defects that were maybe contributing factors. No one here is innocent, parenting is hard and can be messy. Surely most children don’t end up as psychopaths but it’s easy to wonder about what missteps you can take and how they will shape the tiny person you have to help shape into not a psychopath.

My only complaint is that the tension building doesn’t really reach the crescendo that I thought it was building to. I guess the protagonist can’t really have the kind of showdown I’ve come to expect from thrillers like this, not with a child and still be seen as the good guy (relatively speaking). Things kind of plateau and are easily resolved, which is good, if not a little dull. The very end doesn’t really make up for it, since it doesn’t seem like the kind of story where we’d expect a sequel.

4 stars

This story is told from differing points of view: Hanna’s, the seven-year old daughter and Suzette’s, her mother.

Hanna has something seriously wrong with her. She sees everyone’s words, except her father’s, coming out of their mouths like bugs. Her father’s she sees as butterflies. She has been taken for CAT scans and other diagnostic tools to try to ascertain why she does not speak. It is because she sees her own words come out as bugs too, and then she has to wipe them off of herself.

Hanna wants nothing more than to have her father all to herself. So, she sets about trying to get her mother out of their lives; even to the point of wanting her dead – killing her. She plans and schemes to achieve her aim.

Suzette is Hanna’s mother and is frustrated with her daughter. She never acts out in front of Alex, her husband. Her venom is strictly pointed toward her mother. She feels under attack – which she surely is. Alex is unaware of his daughter’s attacks on her mother. Or, at least not able to believe them.

Hanna has been kicked out of numerous schools, including one that specialized in children with behavior problems. When Hanna’s attacks on her mother get worse and more dangerous, Alex can no longer ignore them. A panicked visit to the emergency room makes brings home to Alex just how serious things are. Something must be done. With the assistance and support of a wonderful therapist named Beatrix, they may have a solution to their problems.

I am not sure how I feel about this book. I read it almost straight through. If I bit my fingernails, I would have been doing that. I needed to know how the story ended.

This book is very well written and the plotting is superb. The tension in the story began immediately as soon as the reader became aware of the deviousness and intent in Hanna’s aims. It continued at a high level as Hanna pulled trick after trick on her mother. It is a riveting novel. I was going to say that I enjoyed it, but am also more than a little horrified by Hanna’s behavior and the working of her mind. Wow. Just wow. I really hope there will be another book, for I would like to know what happens to the family. This is a knockout debut book.

I want to that NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for forwarding to me a copy of this most thought-provoking book for me to read and enjoy.

Let me start by saying, there had better be a book 2 on the way. The ending really leaned that way for me. I kept trying to swipe my ebook to another page, and was like "wow, that's the end???" Ok, cool, but girl, you had better be cranking out another book called The Best Girl Ever. Just sayin.
I couldn't stop reading this book! It was so uncomfortable, as a mom, reading about the things that Hanna was capable of. And then at the end, as a mom, reading what Suzette was capable of! I really liked this one! Thank you for the ARC ebook from NetGalley!

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.

What to say about Baby Teeth....This is a solid 4, maybe 4.5 star book. The premise is something we've all heard before, a "bad seed" child (in this case, Hanna) that no matter how well the child is raised, no matter how wealthy or poor the family, nothing makes a difference. It's well done.

The first 20% or so of this book dragged for me, but once it took off, it really took off and I just wanted to keep reading, mostly to find out if Suzette (Hanna's mom) managed to change Hanna's ways or if Hanna would succeed in her mission in life. It's truly a study in how some parents just don't see or don't believe anything but sweetness and light radiates from their child even while having evidence of the opposite being true.

I've never read a book by this author before, but I'll be checking into what she writes in the future.

Thanks very much to the publisher for offering me an early copy as well as Netgalley and the author.

Fully formatted review available on Goodreads (Spoilery content removed from Netgalley version): https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2229615887?book_show_action=false&from_review_page=1

There's not enough room in the house for both Hanna and her Mommy! Seven-year-old Hanna would be so much happier if Mommy would just disappear so that she and her Daddy could live happily ever after. Through Hanna and Suzette's (Mommy) eyes, we see their daily battles to maintain control in an unpredictable, ever-changing world and what it's like to maneuver through life when no one will hear you. The people in this story are permanently tied together by blood, but have toxic effects on each other. (Warning: After the ARC disclaimer, I get a little spoilery talking about a part of the book that came up in my comment section, though I don't really consider it a true spoiler. The content may be upsetting for some.)

Yet another book for the "What the heck is wrong with me?" pile! I want to emphasize that I say that in jest! I don't actually think there is anything wrong with anyone who reads this book, whether they like it or not. I don't even think it's the most scandalous book to sweep through the Goodreads community (or middle school hallways lol)! However, it's horrific, creepy, and disturbing. I have always found value in disturbing stories. Sometimes it can make us more empathetic. Reading uncomfortable material has helped me avoid danger by exposing me to a wide range of situations and people I couldn't have possibly experienced myself. Sometimes it's more effective or "safer" to explore difficult concepts from a distance or through the filter of absurdity. I think disturbing books have less value to those who have close experience with the topics being addressed. There are certain topics I avoid completely or can only handle in certain formats (fiction over nonfiction, written over visual). This book will not be for everyone. Know your limits!

Baby Teeth is exactly what I expected from reading the description. I'm totally fascinated by terrifying kids: The Bad Seed, The Good Son, even Stewie Griffin from Family Guy! Hanna is a true terror. I live for the "Whaaaaaaat?" moments in horror and she certainly provided plenty of those. I questioned some of Hanna's actions due to her age, but the whole story is so over-the-top that I just accepted it within the context of the story. The controversy comes from Hanna's murderous antics and Suzette treating Hanna like an enemy combatant. I'll leave Hanna's shocking actions for you to discover, but there's actually a ton to analyze beyond her constantly escalating behavior!

THE CHARACTERS 
• Suzette/Mommy - "Too many things in her life were tinged with horror." Suzette has suffered from unpredictable Crohn's Disease since she was a teenager. Not only is Suzette’s own body attacking her, but she’s being attacked by her own child. Motherhood is not measuring up to her expectations. She told herself she would never be like her own inattentive mother, but she's completely blindsided when she's dealt a different version of the same hand.
• Hanna's parents can tick all the boxes on a “Signs that Your Kid Might Be a Sociopath” list. As creepy and devious as Hanna is, I actually developed a soft spot for her! She senses that her mom resents her and has a deep fear of abandonment. Even though many of her perceptions are unfounded, it's all very real to her. She's always reading the behavior of the adults around her, but it's through the distorted lens of her own limited experience. To be fair, the adults aren't so good at reading things either!
• Alex/Daddy is in deep denial. He refuses to listen to his wife or any professional who dares to insinuate that Hanna is anything less than perfect. There's never direct evidence of her worst offenses and he dismisses the minor behavioral problems as the boredom of an extremely intelligent child. His peacekeeping attempts fuel the conflict between mother and daughter.

THE THEMES: 

>>Body Horror
• Suzette's body has betrayed her repeatedly. She is under a doctor's care, but she's constantly worried about the next flare-up. When Suzette becomes pregnant she felt a loss of self. It's like an alien overtook her body! Pregnancy caused her to lose control of her body because she wasn't able to take her medications.
• Hanna expresses discomfort at the idea of her baby teeth falling out. I think aging—and the separation that comes with it—causes distress for her. She also notices Suzette's preoccupation with appearances and it colors the way she sees the world. She frequently attacks Suzette in ways that will disfigure her, in hopes that Daddy will see Suzette the way she does. She thinks if Suzette is unattractive, Daddy will finally see the light and leave. 

>>Masks/Facades/Costumes 
• Hanna frequently describes seeing her Mommy's masks: Good Mommy and Bad Mommy. Everything is black-and-white in her seven-year-old mind and there's no room for complexity. In her mind, Bad Mommy is the real one. Daddy is the consistent parent who loves her unconditionally. Hanna panics when adults put on unexpected masks or act weird because it makes her feel a loss of control.
• Alex's denial of Hanna's behavioral issues is a costume of sorts.
• Born bad? Interestingly enough, Hanna has to conjure up a demonic pal to help her with her worst acts. Hanna feels more comfortable putting herself out there when her friend around. (Hanna's imaginary pal was a victim of self-preservation and other peoples' misinterpretations of the world around them.)

>>Perfection/Desire for Control 
• Suzette's life and body are in constant turmoil, so it's important that she takes care of the things she does have control over. She's obsessed with keeping a sterile house and making sure her family appears well taken care of. She finds comfort in completing mindless tasks. Suzette is tormented by her physical scars and she's terrified that she'll have to get an ileostomy bag.  She thinks that if she lets herself go, Alex might leave her.
• Because of Hanna's need for control, she finds comfort in solitude and math. Hanna knows she's different and not in a good way: "She knew what adults liked and didn’t like: rabbit-like girls who kept still and never raised their voice were good; dragon-like girls who roared and stomped and flew and generated their own fire were bad."  Mommy notices Hanna's failings the most, so she faces the full brunt of Hanna's wrath. The pressure to be something she's not is too much for Hanna. A fear of failure stunts her growth (refusal to talk, refusal to draw). She's terrified of going to school and freaks out at the mention of it. She's drawn to ugly stuffed creatures, relieved to have a friend that is "ugly, broken."

>>Communication/Inability to Communicate:
• Suzette's mother's inattention to Suzette's pain had disastrous consequences for Suzette. When Suzette met Alex, she finally found someone who would listen to her. But when it comes to Hanna, he's completely blind. He gets to be the fun parent, while Suzette has to deal with a defiant child and day-to-day child rearing. Now, it's Alex who's not listening to her. She's ashamed that her own child is rejecting her and is beginning to question her own perceptions. Throughout the story, she’s drawn to authoritative adults who take the time to listen to her and offer to help her take control of the situation.
• Hanna doesn't talk, but she has a vivid imagination. She's frustrated that words don't come out the way she intends. She hears her parents in the bedroom and is upset at this "language" that excludes her. She tried to communicate with them by grunting, but they STILL don't understand her. Hanna experiences overwhelming relief when she meets a person who finally finds a way to communicate with her effectively and takes the time to understand her.

>>THE BIG ONE: How perceptive young children are and how they process the world around them. 
• There's a constant battle of wills between Suzette and Hanna, but they actually have a lot in common. In some ways, Suzette and Hanna's relationship seems like a continuation of Suzette's fraught relationship with her own mother. Suzette's mother was completely unmindful of the psychological and physical damage she was inflicting on Suzette. Like Hanna, Suzette was constantly disappointed by her mother and she wanted her mother to prove herself worthy of her love. Even when she was pushing her mother away, it was important to her that her mother make an effort to reach out: "It was a child’s selfish desire, but mothers were meant to be selfless."
• The pivotal moment in Hannah and Suzette's relationship is when Suzette is inappropriately candid with two-year-old Hanna. She doesn't consider how much Hanna can understand or how a young child with limited experience might process the information. It's a frustrating scene to witness, because of all the miscommunications that ignite the toxic cycle of Hanna and Suzette's relationship: Hannah is stressed out because Mommy is acting weird→Hanna tries to get her Mommy's attention the only way a two-year-old can→ Suzette interprets it as yet another one of her maternal failings, when Hanna is actually just being a normal toddler→The situation spirals out of control.

CONCLUSION 

This is the story of mothers, daughters and the unmet expectations between them. Both Hanna and Suzette struggle with feelings of exclusion and fears of abandonment. Their similarities widen the gap between them. Was Hanna born sick or did her parents exacerbate the situation? Could this be the explosive reaction of nature and nurture? I didn't see any answers, but I couldn't help but wonder if Hanna would've turned out a tad different if her parents were better equipped to handle her.

Making me soften towards Hanna and harden towards Suzette was quite the authorial feat! I really liked this book because there was a lot to analyze and the characters are memorable. It reminded me to be careful when I talk in front of children because they are listening to every word! This book isn't for everyone and it's NOT uplifting! Recommended if you're in the mood to read about a fictional family's train wreck of a life! :)

When I started reading this, I thought it would actually be a three star read. Hanna was more brat than bad seed.

I was wrong. It takes a little reading to appreciate what the author has done here. Not for everyone (it's unrelenting), the author gives us a book where there are no heroes.

Hanna is a mix of unbearably precocious (sometimes unbelievably so) and the immaturity of a six year old - complete with a six year old's perspective on adults. (Okay, maybe a six year old amoral sociopath's perspective.)

Hanna's father is Fun Daddy. He doesn't handle the discipline. He's hugs and kisses and presents and doesn't believe that his angel of a daughter could be so terrible.

And Hanna's mother is...complex. She has severe health problems and, honestly, she's a rather selfish human being. While Hanna is definitely not the child you wish you had, her mother wishes for the days that it was just her and her husband - and sometimes feels that she would do anything to get those days back.

Expect some uncomfortable moments (six year old behavior reminiscent of some incredibly uncomfortable scenes in the book The Exorcist). And expect to be even more disturbed as the author gives the readers a glimpse here and there of what life might have been like if Hanna's parents were less selfish and, in the case of her father, more involved.

All in all, a good book, but a disturbing one.

This is a book I will recommend over and over. Hannah is an incredibly brilliant psychopath child whose goal is to kill her mother. Yet at times you sympathize with her.

An incredible story by an incredible writer. Parenthood is not for the weak and this book explains that quite well. Hannah is such a scary child but there are moments you can see where communication is just misread since Hannah refuses to speak. The writer draws what the child perceives extremely well. I can't imagine being scared of your own child. I liked the realism of a mother who longs for her old life with her husband before children and the realism of a father who only gets the good part of a child. And what mother hasn't felt like she was a bad mom. I can't say I liked the parents at the end though I understood their behaviour. All in all, It's just a fabulous book.

<b>3.5 controversial stars🌟🌟🌟.5</b>

I believe I’m going to bust out my complement sandwich for this review... as a refresher a complement sandwich is good/bad/good.... so in short the bad is sandwiched in between the good..... I also want to make it very clear that I read this with a group and I was in the true minority on this.... so the opinions in this review are absolutely my own and my review should be read with the understanding that this book is unquestionably not for everybody....

This book is about Hannah a seven-year-old who has some pretty major issues.... one of them being the fact that she wants to get rid of her mother.... for good....Suzette is an exhausted mother at the end of her rope, what has she done to deserve this child? As a mother I would love to believe that I would do all the right things in this situation, but next to Hana my children are absolute perfection (just don’t tell them that)..... I felt the author did a good job in the portrayal of the parents the overly stressed out mother and the oblivious father.... and the tension this would put on a relationship when Dad chooses to pretend that daughter is perfectly normal and mom wants to pull her hair out....

Now to the meat of the sandwich, the problems I had with this book.... hannah’s age was probably my biggest problem, I just found it very unbelievable that a child of her age was able to have the thought process and knowledge that she did no matter how gifted she was..... this I believe leads to the real problem if Hannah were 12(The age I believe A character who acted as she did was more apt to be) then she probably would have already been diagnosed and been in some major therapy.... however this also begs the question why was she not in major therapy at seven? Perhaps Alex and Suzette were not parents of the year, but they did take her to see several doctors and I’m not quite sure why more wasn’t done at a younger age? Although if something were done at a younger age we would not have had this book.... so perhaps that is the reason....

This was a quick page turning red that probably would be better classified as horror..... and if this is a genre you stay away from I’d definitely recommend staying away from this book.... this is a book that you can’t say you liked it, but I will say I appreciated it.... it definitely made me think, what would I do if I were this mother? And I believe sometimes it is hard not to judge in this situation, but I am a firm believer that unless you have walked in somebody’s shoes you really have no idea what is going on in their life and that’s kind of how I looked at this book....

So I’m going to take the easy way out and neither recommend this book or not recommend this book.... I’m going to leave it up to you, because this book evoked some pretty seriously strong reactions in people.... so if you choose to read it, read it knowing there is some disturbing content and it is 100% not for everybody....

*** thank you to the publisher and Net Galley for a copy of this book ***

Hanna LOVES her Daddy. Her Mommy?

Not so much….

This first thing I’m going to say about “Baby Teeth” is that it won’t be for everybody. And that’s OKAY! I’m not going to judge anyone for liking it OR not liking it. It’s a fiction book!

It does clearly say in the description:

“From blazing new talent Zoje Stage, Baby Teeth is a story about a perfect-looking family, and a darling little girl who wants nothing more than to kill her mother.”

A book about a child wanting to kill their mother is not going to be light suspense…it’s likely going to be an uncomfortable read. So I knew what I was getting into…. for the most part.

The book opens with Hanna at the hospital having a CT scan. It’s not her first. There have been many tests.

You see….Hanna doesn’t speak.

“Words, ever unreliable, were no one’s friend”

Hanna knows how much Mommy wants her to talk.

“Mommy was failing her tests to prove her motherly love.”

Is Hanna choosing not to talk?

“if it’s a matter of her refusing…WON’T requires a different type of doctor than CAN’T.”

Hanna’s favorite game is “Scare Mommy” and she likes to make special projects for Mommy too. VERY special.

WOW! I have such conflicting emotions about this one!

Imagine having someone who you expect will love you, not love you. And not only do they not love you? They LOATHE you.

They wish you didn’t exist….

The story is told from Hanna and Suzette’s alternating perspectives. There are some terrifying and dysfunctional scenes in this book. I haven’t read “The Dinner” or “We Need to Talk About Kevin” (books that this has been compared to) so I wouldn’t know how it stacks up against them.

“Baby Teeth” seems to be in its own league. However, there are a couple of movies that came to mind for me…“The Omen” and “The Good Son”. All rolled up into a ball of darkness and wickedness that will make you squirm. I couldn’t put this sucker down. I read it in two sittings and honestly, when I wasn’t reading it, I was thinking about it.

I wondered if a seven-year-old was capable of some of the acts committed. Could a child be that diabolical and manipulative? I think this is one of those books that if you look at it closely, yes you will probably see a lot of things that push the believability envelope…right off the table. However, it ended up not mattering if things were all possible or believable…. I was pulled right into the story.

As I said earlier, this book won’t be for everyone. I do wonder if it would fit more into the horror genre. I found it diabolical and creepy and I’m really glad I read it. “Baby Teeth” is definitely a book I won’t soon forget. I’m very curious to see what Zoje Stage is going to come up with next.

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for my honest review.

Baby Teeth by Zoje Stage is a mystery/thriller about a disturbed seven year, Hanna, and her mother, Suzette. Hanna refuses to speak, is abusive, behaves appallingly, and hates her mother. Alex, Hanna's father, is oblivious of Hanna's disturbing behaviour, much of which Suzette has stopped mentioning as it's causing strife in their marriage. Hanna just wants her mother gone... at any cost.

I was enraptured from the first page and could not put it down. It was spooky to see how manipulative, calculating, and shrewd Hanna was in masterminding her plans. Very scary indeed! For a debut novel, I'd say Zoje Stage nailed it and will now be on my radar. I rate this book 4.5 out of 5 stars. Recommended for anyone who loves creepy page-turners.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for providing a copy of this novel in exchange for a fair review. https://moesbookblog.wordpress.com

Reviewed: February 4, 2018. Novel Publish Date: July 17, 2018

This was a quick read for me and though it was a fun novel (I do love creepy kids) it was exasperating too. You know when your watching a horror movie and you keep yelling at the protagonist for their stupid mistakes. Yes. You will be doing the same with this novel.

This book was a disturbing look at a 7 year old girl named Hanna and her relationship with her mother and father. Hanna is mute and homeschooled by her mom. Due to strange and complex reasons, Hanna adores her father and is disgusted by her mom. So she decides her mom needs to die. With her out of the way, Hanna will have her dad all to herself. Hanna is extremely manipulative. She is sweet to her dad and loving. However, when she is alone with her mom, she either ignores her or snarles like an animal. She eventually becomes dangerous. This was a book that kept me up reading late into the night. I received a complimentary ebook from the publisher in exchange for a review.

This was an interesting book that I really enjoyed. A good change from a typical mystery. I gave it a four instead of a five because the flow of time frames was choppy as well as my finding the ending rather flat. From the last page I turned for the next chapter.....but the book was finished.. A book,however, I would recommend.

I read a free digital copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Wow...Creative, fresh, and unique! I have no clue how this idea came to fruition, but it was worth every second! I zipped through in just two days’ time—which was amazing, considering I did not have the luxury to read it from cover to cover in one sitting. This unique novel is unlike anything I have previously read. Vividly described discord in parenting styles set the stage for a perfect storm. I was mesmerized by the development of the climax...I could truly FEEL the mother’s anxiety. Simultaneously, the daughter’s nonchalant attitude and absence of emotion materialized as very plausible and frightening. This book was amazingly realistic. I would like to thank both St. Martin’s Press and Zoje Stage for a fabulous thriller!!

This was a wonderful read, I could not put it down. I was so concerned about the mother and how this was going to end. Great writing. I want to read more about this family.

Are bad children born or made?
This is the real question that gets pulled apart throughout the story, as we come to understand that Hanna is truly a dangerous child, and that her mother Suzette is not without her own issues.

Parents, mothers in particular, are often held up to the kind of standards that require an intense kind of selflessness, that demands that a mother be a mother first and foremost and care for her child above all else. Which is unfair and unrealistic at the most basic level, but what if you were expected to be selfless for another person who truly wanted you dead and no one seemed to see that but you?

With the story told in alternating chapters between Hanna and Suzette’s points of view, you can empathize with both characters, and see the genuine missteps that Suzette makes with her daughter, while also seeing the deft manipulations Hanna carries out to further isolate her mother. It begins to feel like a story of cat and mouse, which feels all the more uncomfortable with the child as the aggressor.

This is one of those books where I kept asking myself “What would I do if it were me?” What would I do if I were being tortured by my daughter and my husband didn’t believe me? Would I just leave out of an act of self preservation? But we learn that Suzette feels crippled without her husband, Alex, to support her, and encourage her- that he was the catalyst that brought her out of the misery of her life with a chronic illness and complicated adolescence.

I felt such strange gratitude for how Suzette’s last chapter came together and an admittedly delicious tingle of fear at the end of Hanna’s. And if you’re like me, you’ll find yourself googling case studies about children like Hanna once you close the pages of this book.

Hanna is seven years old and has yet to speak. She does manage to communicate, though, through malice toward her mother, Suzette. How can Suzette deal with her daughter's psychopathic tendencies when no one believes her?

I got this from Netgalley and the promise of a creepy homicidal kid lured me in. I was a little disappointed.

Like I said in the teaser, Hanna is seven years old, mute, and wishes violence death upon her mother. Suzette is a stay at home mom with Crohn's Disease. Hanna definitely wants mommy out of the way so she can have daddy all to herself. It sounds interesting but I was ultimately bored by most of it.

Alex, the dad, is unbelievably oblivious and I thought Suzette was kind of a doormat. How much shit does one person have to eat before they finally do something? Quite a bit, as it turns out. Hanna was interesting but everything she was planning was told from her point of view before it happened so there were very few surprises. I think it would have worked a lot better if we'd never got a glimpse inside Hanna's head.

It was engaging enough to finish and Zoje Stage's writing was good in a technical sense. The book made me feel very uneasy at times but that was its biggest accomplishment. I didn't find it suspenseful and by the end I was hoping Hanna would somehow kill both of her parents. Two out of five stars.