Baby Teeth by Zoje Stage
Description: “Sweetness can be deceptive.
Meet Hanna.
She’s the sweet-but-silent angel in the adoring eyes of her Daddy. He’s the only person who understands her, and all Hanna wants is to live happily ever after with him. But Mommy stands in her way, and she’ll try any trick she can think of to get rid of her. Ideally for good.
Meet Suzette.
She loves her daughter, really, but after years of expulsions and strained home schooling, her precarious health and sanity are weakening day by day. As Hanna’s tricks become increasingly sophisticated, and Suzette’s husband remains blind to the failing family dynamics, Suzette starts to fear that there’s something seriously wrong, and that maybe home isn’t the best place for their baby girl after all.”
Review: “Baby Teeth” was a rough book to read, the content was very disturbing. A 7 year old child has decided that her mother must die and plots out various ways to kill her. In the meantime, she finds it fun to terrorize teachers and innocent children. In the beginning of the story I was intrigued by this child who chose at a young age not to speak. As I continued to read the story I found myself rolling my eyes and cringing. I felt that the author was trying too hard to shock and repulse readers. While the shock factor is high there really isn’t much else to the story. The plot is – what horrible thing can Hanna do next without her parents appropriately reacting. The father was a frustrating character. No matter what his daughter did or his wife told him he still saw Hanna as sweet and innocent. The mother was also a frustrating character. She often came off as self-centered but then would be so hurt by her daughter’s unhappiness. The family dynamics were odd and never fully dissected. When Hanna acts out her parents get upset, then proceed to act normal and treat her like a sweet innocent girl. I just didn’t buy it. This book was more about horrifying the reader and less about the plot/characters. If you’re looking for a creepy book go read Stephen King, don’t bother with this book.
*please note that I received an advanced copy of the book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review’