Baby Teeth by Zoje Stage Published by St. Martin's Press on July 17 2018
Genres: Adult, Horror, Psychological thriller
Pages: 304
Format: Finished paperback
Source: Purchased
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The nitty-gritty: A family slowly loses control of their extremely disturbed daughter in this scary, creepy domestic thriller.
“Her happiness and high energy were abnormal. Mommy had turned into a balloon, and she wanted to pop her with a pin and watch her fizzle-fuzzle into nothingness.”
I have finally read Zoja Stage’s debut, Baby Teeth, and I’m so glad I did! This is a beautifully written, taut domestic thriller with tinges of such stories as The Omen or The Bad Seed, and while there isn’t anything overtly supernatural about this story, Stage keeps readers wondering just what the hell is wrong with young Hanna Jensen.
Suzette and Alex are worried about their seven-year-old daughter Hanna. She refuses to speak (or can’t), and so Suzette insists on all sorts of tests to pinpoint the cause of her silence. Doctors can’t seem to find anything wrong with her, but Suzette knows something isn’t quite right with her daughter. Whenever Hanna and Suzette are together, Hanna misbehaves and refuses to listen to her mother. But when Alex is around, Hanna is the perfect child, sweet and playful and loving. Suzette needs a break and wants to put Hanna in school, but so far she’s been kicked out of every one they’ve tried.
Suzette is at her wits’ end and things are only getting worse. And then Hanna speaks—but it’s not what Suzette expected to hear at all.
The story alternates between Suzette’s and Hanna’s points of view, so the reader gets to experience what each character is thinking. This format worked great, and I liked how Stage made their voices so different. For whatever reason, Hanna hates her mother and is jealous of the close relationship she has with Alex. Hanna wants Daddy all to herself and Mommy is only getting in the way. So Hanna comes up with various plans to get Mommy out of the picture for good, and it’s truly horrifying to see such premeditation in a seven-year-old child. There are a few scenes that made me cringe, and I was waiting for Hanna to finally get what she deserves.
Suzette was such a well drawn character, and she’s the perfect foil for psychopathic Hanna. Suzette has Crohn’s disease and has had it since she was a teenager, and Stage doesn’t flinch when it comes to the details of her illness, including various surgeries, scars, and the day to day trails of the disease. Because her own mother didn’t take her seriously when she got sick, she’s had to deal with it by herself, and this is one reason she’s determined to be a better mother to Hanna and help her through whatever is wrong. Stage does a great job of portraying Suzette as a woman who strives to be perfect but is having a mental breakdown as Hanna’s actions become more and more troubling. Her character reminded me a lot of Rosemary in Rosemary’s Baby, who was also going through something terrible but no one would believe her.
For some reason I can see Baby Teeth as a Swedish horror film, set in Sweden with English subtitles. The story takes place in the United States, but it would be easy to switch it over to another country. Alex is Swedish, and Swedish words are sprinkled throughout the story, usually when Alex is speaking to Hanna. Seriously, somebody make this into a movie, I’ll be the first in line to see it!
Readers who like solid answers by the end of a book might be disappointed that Stage never really explains what’s wrong with Hanna. As I mentioned before, there are hints that she might be possessed, and I thought that would have been an interesting direction to take. Instead, the author leaves it up to the reader to decide for themselves, although I was a bit frustrated at the open-ended conclusion. The author is publishing a sequel this year (or rather, a stand-alone story that revolves around the same characters), so perhaps she’ll finally explain everything.
This was a lot of fun and a quick, fast-paced read. Recommended for readers who enjoy well crafted domestic thrillers, especially those with evil children!
**shudder**
There is nothing more frightening, IMHO, than evil children – no matter the reason for their behavior: the sense of lost innocence, or of the joys of childhood, is something that cuts deeply. But also certainly makes for an engrossing read 🙂
Thanks for sharing!
Maddalena@spaceandsorcery recently posted…AN EDUCATION IN MALICE, by S.T. Gibson
It’s very disturbing to be in Hanna’s head…
Evil children always freak me out in fiction and sounds like this story does its job quite well. I don’t like open-ended conclusions at all but I do like that there are hints that Hanna might be possessed even though it doesn’t get fully explained. Sounds intriguing for sure!
Stephanie @ Bookfever recently posted…Book Blitz: The Belle of London by Nicola Italia + Amazon GC Giveaway! (INT)
That was my only complaint about the book, that we don’t get very clear answers. Or maybe I just wanted it to be a possession story so I psyched myself up for it, lol.
The end was a bit of a fizzle for me but I really enjoyed that evil little kid.
Laurie | Bark recently posted…Black Sheep by Rachel Harrison | Horror Fiction Review
Yep, that ending was sort of a let down. But still, a very solid story.
Oh, I’m so glad I read this review! This has been on my “maybe… eventually” list for quite a while. I think I’m convinced that I need to give it a try!
I’m really curious to read the sequel now. I’d love to know what you think if you read it!
Damn that sounds terrifying!!!
Yes, for some reason creepy evil children are the worst!
wow, it does sound creepy. Glad you enjoyed it, lol
Emma @ Words And Peace recently posted…Sunday Post #104 – Last minutes reviews!
It was a lot of fun. Also, now I think I’ve read all the author’s books:-)
This sounds really good and definitely something that should adapt well – and I see your point about making a Swedish movie.
I’m also trying to read some backlist books and have just picked up one for this month – I failed in January, mainly as I had too many other commitments but this month I’m determined.
Lynn 😀
I can literally see the movie in my head, lol. This is the first time I’ve been successful reading backlist books, so I can’t fail now!
Evil children are so damn scary!! I don’t think I would ever read this, but it sounds intriguing (and scary scary scary!) and I am glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for sharing!
They are!! This was more disturbing than scary, but yeah, I’m glad my kids are grown;-)
It certainly does sound cringe worthy, as well as one that would make a great movie. And you wouldn’t be alone in that line. 🙂
Ooh, creepy children give me the shivers! I need to read this. My sister enjoyed it too.
Laura Thomas recently posted…Murder Under A Honey Moon ~ A 1930s Mona Moon Historical Cozy Mystery by Abigail Keam
I would probably be disappointed because I like to get some solid answers usually. But it does sound creepy. Great review!
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