Baby Teeth by Zoje Stage

Publication Date: 7/16/19

Publisher: St. Martin’s Press

Disclaimer: I received a free finished book from St. Martin’s Press in exchange for my honest in exchange for my honest opinion. This has no effect on my opinion, review or rating.

GoodReads Synopsis: 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 is Zoje Stage’s debut novel. When I originally got this book, I thought it was a thriller, but about quarter of the way through, I realized it was a horror book. I love thrillers and typically avoid horrors so this was definitely new waters for me. This horror book is told by alternating perspectives from the 7-year-old daughter, Hanna, and her mother, Suzette. I found all the characters in the novel to be extremely unlikable and selfish in their own ways. I couldn’t understand that if Hanna was mute this whole time and she’s super intelligent, why didn’t they teach her sign language to communicate? On the other hand, I found Zoje’s writing style to be intriguing. There were some scenes in the book that totally creeped me out or instances where I couldn’t read the book at night. Without spoiling too much, I found the ending to be very lackluster and I ended up skimming the last couple of chapters. Overall, I wouldn’t recommend this book.

Rating: 2/5