After such a strong start, the majority of this story just didn’t feel authentic enough to me. I felt "Baby Teeth" tried so hard to be a light version of “The Omen” and it horribly failed. I would not consider this a true horror novel at all. It simply wasn’t scary enough but the potential was undoubtedly there at the beginning. I won’t spoil anything for you but I was expecting this story to go in an entirely different direction but all I got was way too much dialogue, repetitiveness, and difficult-to-believe fluff from the 20% mark on.

There is something missing with this book, there is nothing there to hold your interest. I feel like Hanna should have been written with more of a horror bent, at least it would have spiced up the plot a bit. I spent the first half of the book wishing I could chalk it up as mindless entertainment, but it's missing the entertainment part. I found myself skimming out of boredom. No plot twist. No thriller. I didn’t feel tension or suspense. Dull as dishwater. 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. What a book! This one has been on my TBR list for a very long time and I can't believe it's taken me this long to read it.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.) Starred Review. Stage fuses horror with domestic suspense to paint an unflinching portrait of childhood psychopathy and maternal regret." - Kirkus She never liked me. No, that’s not true. When she was a baby…Suzette knew she was oversharing, but the words spelled out. But at some point the war began. And I’m losing. I’m losing it. And I can’t tell my husband, I try but…He doesn’t see it. And where would I be? I’m supposed to be a good mom, the mom I never had, that’s what I wanted. That’s what I promised him, what I promised myself”. Hanna is an intelligent, precocious seven-year-old. She has her daddy wrapped around her little finger. She has difficulty being understood as she does not talk. Hanna loves her daddy. Loves him so much she wants to marry him when she grows up and live with him forever. Come on, we have heard that before. Nothing unusual. However, Hanna wants her mother out of the way – permanently. This child wants to kill her mother.

As Hanna grew stronger she could take it advantage of Mommy’s weakness. Could mommy die if cleaning too much – – could she scrubbed to death? And Her debut novel, Baby Teeth, has been optioned for film by Village Roadshow and Valparaiso Pictures. [3] Bibliography [ edit ] Novels [ edit ] Brace yourself, folks! St. Martin's Press is amping up for a full-on publicity assault to promote their summer baby. BABY TEETH (UK title: BAD APPLE) is set to be released in July 2018. We are only human and you may become curious about all the hype on social media, DON'T BUY INTO IT!!! Okay 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!!

See a Problem?

I have a problem with the pacing. I was bored sometimes and to my mind, the book was overwritten. It has some unnecessary scenes. If I cut it off nobody would notice. I don't like that Suzette has Crohn's disease. It was useless. I also don't like when the author collects the problem. Less is sometimes more. Hannah was just enough. When my book bestie and fellow weirdo found the synopsis for this book, we knew we had found one that our little shriveled hearts would adore. So I'm deeply thankful for her begging on my part to get my grubby hands on a copy of this one.

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."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. First and foremost, a large thank you to NetGalley, Zoje Stage, and St. Martin’s Press for providing me with a copy of this publication, which allows me to provide you with an unbiased review. She didn't have the greatest relationship with her own Mum and feels this is her chance to do better by her daughter. 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.... In her debut novel, Zoje Stage has made quite a name for herself. Exploring some dark and disturbing areas of the parent-child relationship, the reader is forced to see a seemingly calm little girl turn against her own mother. Hanna Jensen appears to be quite the average four-year-old girl, with one glaring exception; she does not speak and never has. Countless tests and examinations have left her parents, Alex and Suzette, baffled, as there is nothing physical wrong with her. With her muteness comes the added issue that she is unable to acclimate into any scholastic situation, leaving Suzette to homeschool Hanna. While there is no verbal communication, Hanna’s comprehension and written word is advanced for her young age. What no one has been able to see is that Hanna has another side, a darker side that is focussed on tearing Suzette down in a well-planned manner. Hanna internalises her struggle, but is happy to show her mother an evil side and purposely sabotage any progress that is being made. What begins as simple defecating on the floor turns to barking and, eventually, full-on violence in a school setting. While Suzette tries to come to terms with this, Alex is oblivious and sees only the princess-like girl that Hanna presents on a nightly basis. After Hanna tips her hand and shows off an alter-ego, Suzette is no longer prepared to go at this alone, but Alex remains uncertain that Hanna is to blame for anything. Hanna sets out her own plan to get rid of Suzette once and for all, allowing her to have Alex’s attention forevermore. While Suzette knows it is coming, she is helpless to slay the monster before her, seeing it has taken the form of sweet Hanna Jensen. Stage weaves together quite the disturbing tale here, pitting parental instinct against base survival. Fans who enjoy a diluted psychological thriller may enjoy this one, as its presentation has rounded edges and light spine tingles.