Baby Teeth

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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. As the house starts to become increasingly volatile and claustrophobic, Suzette begins to wonder if she will ever feel safe in her own house, alone with her “baby daughter.”

Between this and Alex, Hannah’s father, I just started to get even more frustrated. He was completely useless in this story due to denial and constantly saying “älskling” and “lilla gumman” 39,827 times in this novel was overkill. It completely took me out of the reading experience since his character irritated me and not in a cool or evil way. a book review by Greg Chapman: Baby Teeth: A Novel". NY Journal of Books. Archived from the original on 2020-09-28 . Retrieved 2020-09-23. Suzette is a devoted stay-at-home mother doing everything she can to connect with her seven-year-old daughter, who cannot - or will not - speak. But ever since Hanna was a baby, Suzette couldn't help but feel despised by her. Manipulated. And scared to death. McNary, Dave (15 October 2019). "Eliza Scanlen Drama 'Babyteeth' Lands at IFC for North America". Variety . Retrieved 15 October 2019. It had all turned out so badly. Mommy wasn’t supposed to end up on the bed—how could she tower over her with the hammer? And with a phone to call for help. It was a stupid mistake, and she should have stolen Mommy’s phone when she had the chance. Her feet hadn’t bled as much as she thought they would, but it still scared Hanna a little. Seeing the blood. Knowing she caused it.Baby Teeth (2018): This novel tells the story of Suzette and Alex, a thirty-something married couple who is trying to figure out what's wrong with their 7-year-old daughter, Hanna. Hanna has been mute since she was 3-years-old, but has recently started talking to only Suzette as Marie-Anne Dufosset, a witch who was burned at the stake. Meanwhile, Suzette is growing increasingly more scared of Hanna's violent outbursts and manipulative moments. I received an ARC of this book from the publisher, St. Martin's Press, via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Zoje Stage is an American writer from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, known for her work in the performing arts and literature. She was awarded an Emerging Storytellers Fellowship from the Independent Filmmaker Project for her script "Hands and Knees" and a Fellowship in Screenwriting from the New York Foundation for the Arts in 2012 and 2008, respectively. [1] [2] It remained disappointing that Daddy hadn’t let mommy wither and die when he had a chance”. ( note.. Hanna saw her parents having sex - she was hoping with dad on top of mom, he would kill her). Oh well! But, if she was being honest, there was another reason—a benefit. Her silence was making Mommy crazy. Poor Mommy made it all too clear, over many desperate years, how badly she wanted her to talk. She used to beg.

It is weird, but I like Hanna as a character. She is mad but the author did a fantastic job with her personalities. I wasn't afraid while I was reading, but Hanna's POV gave me a creepy vibe. When she stood in front of her mother with a hammer and her mother Suzette just creeps out, I thought that 'OK Suzette, you are more insane than your daughter. Just call the police PLS.' Through the masterful writing I could feel Suzette’s growing frustration and fear, Hanna’s hatred and determination, and Alex’s baffled reactions. I wondered if a seven-year-old was capable of some of the acts committed. Could a child be that diabolical and manipulative? I think this is one of those books that if you look at it closely, yes you will probably see a lot of things that push the believability envelope…right off the table. However, it ended up not mattering if things were all possible or believable…. I was pulled right into the story. this is the story of a seven-year-old girl named hanna who loves her daddy SO MUCH that she doesn’t want anyone else taking up any of his time or attention. so, obviously, her mom’s gotta go. like, go in a “not be breathing anymore” way.

Tropes:

Sometimes she wished she could remember being in Mommy’s tummy. Were they both really happy then? When their blood was all jumbled up and they shared a mystery? but really, this is all about a tiny monster, the people who love her, and why they totally should not. I had trouble believing with all the medical testing done on Hanna that a psychological evaluation wasn’t performed. The demographics of the parents, despite Alex’s reluctance to believe anything is wrong with his precious little girl made it doubtful. Had they moved around a lot for his career etc, I might have believed it. Suzette grasped at any knowledge professionals would give her. I don’t know maybe the doctors suggested it but the parents refused? Babyteeth". bfi.org.uk. 29 August 2019. Archived from the original on 5 September 2019 . Retrieved 29 August 2019.

Of course any story of this nature is going to be an uncomfortable read and I was very aware of that hurdle from the onset. That said, no doubt I would have found this more unsettling than I did, had I bought into any of it. I did not. Zoje Stage produces a mesmerizing thriller about parental fear". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Archived from the original on 2020-10-02 . Retrieved 2020-09-23.

Adelai, Amina; Farran-Lee, Lydia (25 January 2021). "Charter och Spring Uje spring tog hem de tunga priserna". SVT (in Swedish) . Retrieved 25 January 2021. Trigger Warnings: View Spoiler » Violent scenes, sex with a demonic entity, and the harming of a child at the hands of a child. « Hide Spoiler