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A review by maryleong
Baby Teeth by Zoje Stage
2.0
"Psychopathic children" is one of my favourite tropes, and I was really looking forward to reading this in advance of the upcoming sequel. The contrast between a seemingly helpless child who is dependent on their caregivers and their ability to do horrific things is so compelling.
That being said, I enjoyed this far less than I was expecting. For such a divisive novel, I actually didn't find the plot particularly shocking or even especially engaging. Hanna hates her mother and acts out, trying to do all she can to terrorize her and ultimately get rid of her. Is part of the horror that Hanna is a little girl, her father's little angel, and people find that shocking? Because for me the story almost plodded along – Hanna does something, to mixed success, she escalates her behaviour, rinse and repeat. The ending was so abrupt and definitive – I would have preferred a more ambiguous ending with Hanna's machinations and manipulation.
Overall, this novel was pretty dull and not actually particularly unsettling – mostly just frustrating with annoying characters. It's a quick read, but it's not one that will linger in my mind.
That being said, I enjoyed this far less than I was expecting. For such a divisive novel, I actually didn't find the plot particularly shocking or even especially engaging. Hanna hates her mother and acts out, trying to do all she can to terrorize her and ultimately get rid of her. Is part of the horror that Hanna is a little girl, her father's little angel, and people find that shocking? Because for me the story almost plodded along – Hanna does something, to mixed success, she escalates her behaviour, rinse and repeat. The ending was so abrupt and definitive – I would have preferred a more ambiguous ending with Hanna's machinations and manipulation.
Overall, this novel was pretty dull and not actually particularly unsettling – mostly just frustrating with annoying characters. It's a quick read, but it's not one that will linger in my mind.