Szabo’s debut is a rich and wildly entertaining novel. It’s dark, funny, and simply impossible to put down. Szabo has brought together a family of misfits with a dark a twisty history to tell a tale of “heartfelt horror”. Eleanor is a fierce teen that has been estranged from her family for many years. She is returning home with new secrets as she navigates old wounds and resentments. What transpires is a uniquely gothic fairytale of mayhem, the paranormal, and the unmistakable ties we have to family. I would love to read a prequel that dives deeper into their sordid history. Buy this book, make a “dirt cake”, and settle in for night. You’ll be happy you did!

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

What Big Teeth is and enjoyable, atmospheric story with a fascinatingly creepy family at the center. I definitely understand the Addams Family comp title and think the descriptions of the family members, creepy house and gothic setting were the highlight of the story.

While I really loved the atmosphere and would recommend people try the book if only for that, I was also frustrated with other aspects of the story. Eleanor (the main character) feels like an outsider in her family after being away at school for many years, and part of that is that there is some event in the past that no one is telling her about. I wouldn't mind this as much except for the fact that the information was withheld for way too long considering that Eleanor and the reader know that everyone knows this thing in the past for the ENTIRE book. And then when Eleanor is trying to find out the truth because no one will tell her anything, the family gets mad at her for resenting them for not talking to her!

I also found the pacing somewhat weird, with the first 20% feeling rushed and then from 40-70% feeling strangely monotonous with not enough clear ramping up of the tension.

Overall, there were a lot of things to really enjoy about this book in terms of tone, setting and themes, but the story itself may not be for everyone.

What Big Teeth by Rose Szabo is sure to set readers in an eerie mood with its gothic aesthetic, mysterious characters, and gory descriptions. Yet, it’s also a story about relationships and how far one will go to protect others. Not to mention this intriguing book cover that eludes readers once they have read the synopsis!

Written in Eleanor’s perspective, our protagonist returns home from boarding school after eight years. She demands answers as to why Grandma Persephone sent her away all those years ago and why her family treats her like a complete stranger upon her return, as if she’s the freak when they’re all monsters. Grandma Persephone is a witch, Grandpa Miklos is a wolf along with Luma and Rhys, and Elenor’s mother is seen mostly in a bathtub with tentacles, so we can only assume she’s some type of sea creature. There’s also a family friend, Arthur, who lingers in the Zarrin household.

With a family like this, readers are bound to get hooked to the strange things that occur. The descriptive language displayed was vivid enough to imagine each character’s gruesomeness. The writing itself flowed and didn’t drag one bit. The writing about the family history becomes so beautiful yet dark to read—readers will want more. However, be prepared for some lengthy chapters, as there are only about thirteen chapters.

Eleanor was a likeable character who didn’t shy away from her family because she must’ve realised she’s like them, even though she’s been away. From the first chapter, she’s filled with curiosity and ambition to find out what has happened with her family and ways she can reconnect with them. Her character development was enjoyable, as Szabo shows readers how fierce and diligent she’ll become in order to maintain her family. However, she had flaws, which only make her more genuine in the eyes of a reader. Some decisions on her part were inevitable, as told by Grandma Persephone, but the way Eleanor handled it was pretty well done.

This review will remain spoiler free, but touching on the other Zarrin family members and Arthur, Eleanor’s cousin has been chosen as the heir of the family because he resembled Grandma and Grandpa’s eldest child who passed. However, Rhys is a wild creature, Eleanor sees this and doesn’t see him fit to carry the Zarrin name. As readers continue the story, they’ll be able to grasp Grandma Persephone’s intentions, which in turn are tragically wholesome. Luma is Eleanor’s older sister, but since she wasn’t raised like Eleanor, she acts immature and as the younger one who gets what she wants. While Arthur is one big mystery who always shows up at the Zarrin’s and serves their every purpose.

Apart from Eleanor and what she must’ve realised is that her family has been living in their own world. The townspeople have left them alone; they don’t have many outside friends and there aren’t many rules or expectations, apart from Grandma Persephone appearing as the boss of the house.

The mystery is probably what will boost readers to finish this book as soon as possible. As soon as you think you know what’s happening, it takes a drastic turn and all hell breaks loose. There’s more than one thing going on, so keep your eyes peeled for anything suspicious. One thing Eleanor has learned is that you can’t trust anyone in that house.

The family dynamics are interesting to look at. Rhys, Luma and Grandpa Miklos are close because they’re all wolves and go out hunting most of the time, yet when they’re in their human form, Luma and Rhys still have each other’s back. Yet underneath all that, there’s still a sense of insecurity. Grandma Persephone looks out for the family, as a witch she also does fortune-telling, a way to always keep her family safe.

Szabo will leave readers grasping at all ends thinking about this book days after reading it. It’s filled with tragic, wholesome, amusing, suspicious, disturbing moments that will leave you rereading a sentence. A complete ghostly chill that deserves ten stars.

This book was one of the most bizarre things I've ever read. The synopsis is extremely misleading. This is kind of like a weirder, way more evil Addams family situation with a lot of gender bending, stereotype breaking, plot dumpster fire that takes us on some crazy turns. We open up in the middle of a story with Eleanor returning after some unknown reason. The whole premise is the "unknown", Eleanor knows nothing. This John snow like character doesn't know why she left school, why she was made to leave her family and why her family hates her. It was a very slow going first half of the book as we slodge through an attempt at a back story that doesn't explain anything. It took until 60% to gain some traction and by that time the story quickly ends. Akin to John Snow's awakening, Eleanor somehow remembers everything and saves them all. What comes next. who knows. But I gave it two stars for the extraordinary circumstances in the book and also how weird but engrossing it ended up being.

I read this book in one day and I enjoyed it. It was confusing at times and I can understand why people didn’t like that. It did have me hooked from the prologue and I only had breaks to eat. I just wish I had more, more of the characters and plot. I loved how bizarre and ultra disturbing this book was and I think it would make a great horror movie. It has taken me a few minutes after I read the book to get my thoughts right. I can’t wait to read more from Rose Szabo and this was an awesome debut novel. Thank you Negalley and Macmillan Children's Publishing Group for letting me read and review this book.

Thanks to @netgalley and Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group for this book in exchange for my honest review.
Wow, I was basically hooked on What Big Teeth the moment I started it. Eleanor was sent away from her family to a boarding school for a reason she can’t quite remember. Eight years later, Eleanor finally returns home to see her family after an accident at school.

Eleanor’s family is a mix of werewolves and with a dash of magic. Upon her return, Eleanor doesn’t feel very welcome and things start to turn upside down a bit. While uncovering who she is, Eleanor must also discover who these elusive family members of hers really are.

I loved uncovering everyone in this family and their little quirks or abilities. This is a fast read that I could not put down!

Thank you to NetGalley for the arc. Publication date 2/2/2021*

A lot of people have been comparing this to the Addams Family and I definitely see where they are coming from as we follow a family of monsters as one of them comes home after 8 years of being away and her trying to find her place amongst them again. This dark YA had a lot of mystery surrounding the family and this is what kept me going as our main character Eleanor doesn’t know/remember much about her family so it was like we were learning with her while she is also learning about herself and coming to terms with her heritage. While interesting I feel this book didn’t really get its footing as it is a short book and the author tried to do to much and had ,in my opinion, to many characters as they didn’t feel vey fleshed out. I think she either needed less characters or another 100 pages to get the story more fleshed out. I did enjoy the concept and her writing style so I will be picking up more of her books in the future.

Eleanor runs away from boarding school after an incident with another girl, returning to her home (which she was sent away from years before, for reasons she cannot quite remember). Her reception home is mixed, with her Grandmother appearing displeased by her return. As well, there is a stranger there, Arthur, with whom Eleanor begins to slowly develop feelings for.

What a ride this book was! I highly recommend checking it out if you are interested in gothic romance, the occult, body horror, and mythology. There was so much packed into this novel; however, like Eleanor, the reader comes at everything slowly. The pace does not feel slow though, it adds atmosphere, depth, confusion, and dread.

You constantly are right there with Eleanor, questioning everything that is going on around her, the house, her family. However, you begin to realize that with Eleanor knowing so little of what is going on, and her memory being so foggy about the past, she is an unreliable narrator. She leaves out information or thinks some things are unimportant. She also dives head first in to things that she feels are not right. The Zarrin family history (paternal side of the family), who they truly are and their creation, her maternal side of the family, is painstakingly revealed as Eleanor must confront the hard reality of who or what she can become.

The heroin of this novel is often scared, but she is also strong and determined. Her relationships with those around her shape the narrative. This is a novel about familial bonds and what it means to care for your family, even while being regarded and treated as an outsider. Was it better that Eleanor did not know the truth, or would she have never invited her Grandmere if she knew? Was her family wrong for sending her away, or did she learn humility, resilience, patience and kindness because she was not with her close knit family? Eleanor was the most mature of the bunch, and I believe that has a lot to do with being on her own, relying on herself, and being away from her families comfort in wealth. Lack of communication almost destroys this family, and it is only through coming together, trusting each other, and understanding each other that they can adapt and survive.

This novel was at times grotesque, at times magical, but always haunting. It was about finding strength in the deepest part of yourself, how far one will go to protect themselves or their family. It was beautifully imagined and written. I was lost in Eleanor's world, worried for her safety, angry at her family for her being removed from them, for her feeling lost, alone, without a clue as to where she fit in at home. Both her Grandmother's represented a part of Eleanor, one the good inside of herself, the other the evil she could become.

The novel was also a good representation of generational trauma, through both Zarrin grandparents. Eleanor must change how the family deals with their pain, instead of hiding away they must confront their past demons and defeat them. It is also about removing old stigmas in order to heal and to enter into a newer and better world. Quite literally, learning to kill who we used to be and become something else entirely, hopefully something better.

It’s a shame to read a book that has so much hype around it and high expectations, and for it to fall flat on its head. Unfortunately, “What Big Teeth” by Rose Szabo just doesn’t pull through in its expectation for a thrilling, dark debut.

“What Big Teeth” centers around Eleanor Zarrin as she returns to the family she’s been away from at boarding school. Despite tensions being high already, the family is thrown into chaos when her grandmother dies and she invites her Grandmere from France to come and stay. Crazy things get uncovered about the family, and Eleanor learns more about herself and the family she belongs to, which leads to a crazy turn of events.

I believe my description might be hyping the book up more than I mean to, but the idea sounds great in theory. The execution is anything but though and creates a simply boring reading experience.

The dark, kinda goth vibe that Szabor is going for ends up creating a boring experience that made me skip around the book and end up confused throughout it. From other reviews I had read, it seems like there is a clear issue of organization because nobody knows what’s happening in the book. Her family is hard to keep track of and the events jump all over the place that there isn’t a coherent storyline to follow. It feels dark, the author got the tone down quite well, but there needs to be substance where there is little to none.

I also feel that the main questions I had weren’t answered, or if they were, they left me asking more. This is very similar to my reading experience of “Wilder Girls” where the dark vibe is delivered well, but the story is such a mess that it creates an unpleasant reading experience. There is no character to relate to or attach to emotionally. By the end of the book, I was simply relieved it was over and the ending was fairly cheesy.

I wish there was more I could say about this book, but I didn’t understand most of it and lost interest when about halfway through nothing was going on. The cover is gorgeous and is an easy way to draw people in, but the lack of a coherent story isn’t enough to stay around. The YA horror/gothic genre appears to be a very hard one to master, because I am currently 0/2 with it and am left once again feeling dissatisfied.

My final rating: ⅖ stars

I am torn on this book. There were things about it that I really liked and other things... not so much. I feel like the potential was there, but it unfortunately fell short.

"What Big Teeth" is the creepy story of Eleanor Zarrin unexpectedly returning home after 8 years at boarding school and facing her terrifyingly bizarre family. Eleanor was sent away to school after an incident at home and came back home after an incident at school, neither of which is fully explained until later in the book, so it's quite unclear why she was completely cut off from her family for eight years and then just shows back up. There are quite a few other unexplained plot and character elements that were extremely bothersome (no spoilers).

Aaagh. I don't want to pan this book because Rose Szabo is a debut author and I can see what they were going for, and I will absolutely read their next book, but I just didn't love it as much as I wanted to. This is definitely the right book for someone, but that someone is not me.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan for the eARC for review.

Horror is always fun to dive into and this book certainly had the right 'feel' for horror. Creepy house, creatures not quite human but most certainly monsters, and an element of terror in the girl returning to this place she called home. It was though a bit more disjointed than I would hope for and it made it harder to connect with the story for me. I feel this may have just been the author's writing style but it kept the fluidity of it all stifled and therefore the plot fell short with the lack of connection between it and the characters. Still, it's intriguing, it keeps you interested enough, and it has a loose ending which I find always to be the best kind in horror.

Thanks so much to the publisher, Xpresso Tours, and netgalley for an eARC in exchange for my honest review. A good read, just not a terrific read for me. 3/5 cups of coffee and a full review on my blog stop day.

Thanks a bunch to Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group, the Fierce Reads team, and Netgalley for my copy of What Big Teeth!

What immediately drew me to this book was its absolutely stunning cover. A beautiful cover will always grab my attention, and the premise was full of promise that I was sure to enjoy.

But I didn’t.

In fact, this was unfortunately one of the most frustrating books I’ve read in a long time.

Something about Eleanor makes her an outsider in a family of monsters, enough to make some of them fear her. That in itself was fascinating, but because she’s been estranged for years and a major event in her memory has been blocked out, she doesn’t know anything. ANYTHING. For almost the entirety of the book Eleanor is lost, confused, and terrified. Every decision she makes is questionable and her thought process is jumbled from start to finish. Along with that, many of the cast of characters we’re introduced to aren’t greatly explored. Some act like children, some we are given very little on though their impact is lasting in the story, which again, was frustrating, some we never quite learn anything about, some are described but not explained….I know you can’t always look at monstrous characters and expect them to act within a typical human standard, and that's fine! But I needed more than strange, quirky traits. These are characters that surround our protagonist for the entirety of the novel and I can barely tell you anything about them.

Even moments that are supposed to provide clarity can still leave you with a lot of questions because of the way its given to us.

It’s a whole lot of a little bit here, and little bit there, a tiny plot line there, a small memory here…but none of the puzzle pieces really come together in a coherent way.

Frustrating.

Then there was the unwelcome surprise of homophobia that, to me, seemed left mostly unchallenged?? Why? I’m hoping I misread it.

I spent the majority of this book in a cycle of confusion and, you guessed it, frustration. It was a bummer because I was really looking forward to it. I think Rose Szabo is talented and they can create some really unique worlds! Unfortunately, this one was just not for me. Hopefully their next book will be my cup of tea.

*slight spoilers*
The cover of this book pulls people in. Based on the cover alone, I was intrigued by the book. The synopsis made me even more so. However, once I was in the story, I found it hard to follow and I was ultimately disappointed.

The world-building is lacking in the development of the story. As an avid reader of YA fantasy, paranormal, and magical realism, I usually do not have a problem following the author's world, even if it is underdeveloped. This was not the case for this book. The author writes the story as though the reader is aware of each of the characters' natures. Are they werewolves? Are both grandmothers witches? And why is the mother covered in pustules all over one side of her body? There were too many aspects of the story left undeveloped for me to appreciate the book as a whole.

I was really pumped about this book. It had SO much potential with the promise of a wonderfully creepy “Little Red Riding Hood” take, but unfortunately I feel like the execution fell short. The storyline felt like it was all over the place and I couldn’t see past the blatant homophobia. Szabo has so much talent the potential to be a huge name, so here’s to hoping her next novel is a beacon of her talent!

What Big Teeth is a completely atmospheric read. It's creepy and unsettling, but also draws you in so easily that you feel embedded in the Zarrin family. Szabo really knows how to make you uncomfortable and scared along with Eleanor.

This book is kind of indescribable, and I don't think I knew what was happening for like 90% of this book, but I constantly wanted to know more. It definitely gives off Addams Family vibes, but if the family was more dysfunctional. Szabo is a very talented writer, and I loved how we discovered parts of the story at the same time as the characters. My favorite character ended up being Eleanor's grandmother as she wasn't what she seemed at all, and I found her perspective so enlightening to the story.

I would recommend this book if you're a fan of haunting reads, Frankenstein, and secrets that can kill.

Actual rating: 3.5 stars

What Big Teeth is a dark fantasy novel about a teen girl who returns home to her strange, wild family after years of estrangement.

There’s a lot to unpack here:

• Eleanor’s grandfather, cousin, and sister are werewolves.
• Her mother is a hybrid human/something else. She has suckers. That’s all I know.
• I don’t know what her father is.
• Her grandmother is some kind of witch, maybe?
• One aunt may not be a monster. But she’s definitely weird.
• Her other aunt and cousin can make people forget things.
• And then there’s a strange family friend with an intimate connection to the family. Who is Arthur? More importantly, WHAT is Arthur?

And if that is not enough, we are not quite sure what Eleanor is. She also doesn’t know what she is. All we know is that something bad happened when she was about eight years old that got her sent away to boarding school, and then something bad happened at boarding school to send her back home about 8 years later.

So here we are, with this confusing collection of people sharing a rambling, secluded, super-gothic house at the edge of a mistrustful small town.

When Eleanor arrives back home, she’s met with a lukewarm welcome. She struggles to fit in with her monstrous relatives. Not long after, her grandmother tells her on her deathbed that she will be the one to either save or destroy the family. Soon, Eleanor finds herself desperately trying to hold the family together and figure out her place in this family of monsters.

Like I said, there’s a lot going on, but it was not unenjoyable. If you like strange things, this will probably be in your wheelhouse.

Thank you #NetGalley for the #ARC of #WhatBigTeeth in exchange for an honest review. This book is available on February 2.

This was an odd but satisfying read. A bit horror, fantasy, and a lot of kooky. (The author describes her love of her parents introducing her to The Addams Family and Edward Gorey. I see those reflected).
Eleanor leaves her boarding school to come back to her strange family. She still feels like she doesn't belong. She will slowly learn about each member of the strange family and more about herself.
I admit, I was confused for a lot of the story, but I was weirdly a bit fascinated. Even when the truth starts coming out, I was still a bit confused but the Tim Burton-esqe-ness kept me entertained.

A great read. Mystery, suspense, horror. I loved this story, it kept me reading to the very end. I can figure out most “surprises” early on in stories. This book had more than one and I managed to follow the story without getting confused or figuring them all out. Read this for a suspenseful entertaining time!

The awesome cover art and title definitely drew me to this book. And then I read the synopsis and knew it had to be my next read! I love anything involving monsters/creatures and the added theme of family dynamics and the mystery and suspense kept me thinking about what was going to happen or be revealed next in this book all through my work days! It did not disappoint! I will definitely be keeping an eye out for the next book from this author!
Thank you to NetGalley and McMillan Children's Publishing for giving me the opportunity to read an advanced copy of this in exchange for my feedback!

What Big Teeth is a wild ride from start to finish. I don’t know what I was expecting from this book, but I definitely wasn’t prepared for this story in the best way.

The beginning of the book sucked me in and I stayed sucked in because there are so many secrets and mysteries to be uncovered. I love the gothic feel, and the Zarrin family gave me Addams family vibes if the Addams family didn’t have the comedic aspect.

I love that this story is family driven even though the family is dysfunctional and a little odd. Their oddities made them compelling and wanting to know more. I almost feel like I didn’t learn enough about them, and still crave to know all the secrets that weren’t were revealed. My favorite relationship was probably the one between Miklos and Persephone. Their marriage and their love is so interesting, and I loved seeing more of their story at the end.

I was prepared for the werewolves, but I was not prepared for the other paranormal creatures that are in this. I’m still not sure what exactly what particular creature a certain someone was, but it was creepy and weird and I’m glad I met this creature.

I give this book 4 stars maybe 4.5. This is for sure a great read for spooky season or if you’re looking for a werewolf story with a dash of weird. I highly recommend this book and the cover is amazing, so what are you waiting for? Read it!

I won an e-ARC of this book in a giveaway. I’d like to thank Rose Sazbo, Macmillan, and Net Galley for hosting the giveaway and providing the ARC.