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A review by breesbookmark
Baby Teeth by Zoje Stage
4.0
Somewhere between a 4 and a 4.5 star, honestly.
As someone who works extensively with children and has seen all sorts of behavioral issues, but also as someone who struggles with the whole "would I even be a good mother?" question, this book had me on edge the entire time. Throughout the entire book, we see the POVS of two characters: Suzette, the mother, and Hanna, the daughter. Suzette struggles with chronic illness, had a rough relationship with her own mother, and does not cope well with her daughter's behavioral issues. Hanna is a seven-year-old with seemingly no empathy, delusions, and—most startlingly—a desire to hurt her mother.
Throughout the story, I grappled with the question of who the antagonist of the story really is. Is it Hanna, the devious child who tries to physically harm her mother? Is it Suzette, who, despite being overwhelmed and struggling with her daughter's behaviors, seems quick to demonize her child for her tantrums and outbursts? Should parents be demonized for not having the resources or emotional capacity to handle such troubling behavior? How realistic is the question "Don't have kids if you're not prepared to handle any problem that comes up"? And how do we prevent any further mental/emotional harm from coming to children with already-existing mental health struggles when it's becoming a danger to have them at home?
By the end of the book it's clear that there is no good answer, but it's definitely a book that makes you think.
As someone who works extensively with children and has seen all sorts of behavioral issues, but also as someone who struggles with the whole "would I even be a good mother?" question, this book had me on edge the entire time. Throughout the entire book, we see the POVS of two characters: Suzette, the mother, and Hanna, the daughter. Suzette struggles with chronic illness, had a rough relationship with her own mother, and does not cope well with her daughter's behavioral issues. Hanna is a seven-year-old with seemingly no empathy, delusions, and—most startlingly—a desire to hurt her mother.
Throughout the story, I grappled with the question of who the antagonist of the story really is. Is it Hanna, the devious child who tries to physically harm her mother? Is it Suzette, who, despite being overwhelmed and struggling with her daughter's behaviors, seems quick to demonize her child for her tantrums and outbursts? Should parents be demonized for not having the resources or emotional capacity to handle such troubling behavior? How realistic is the question "Don't have kids if you're not prepared to handle any problem that comes up"? And how do we prevent any further mental/emotional harm from coming to children with already-existing mental health struggles when it's becoming a danger to have them at home?
By the end of the book it's clear that there is no good answer, but it's definitely a book that makes you think.