A review by crackedspines_
What Big Teeth by Harry Szabo

dark mysterious tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
CWs for this review: rape (in PLOT)
OVERALL: I very much did not enjoy this book. Throughout the first half, I only had minor issues, but from there it went steadily downhill. I love the concept and wish I’d been able to enjoy it more.
PLOT: The main/overall plot was really good, and I liked it. But the middle was reeeally slow. Also, the entire Arthur subplot was very disturbing and made me really uncomfortable. The way the Zarrins treated him was shitty (it was addressed at the end, but it still bothered me), and also the fact that practically the entire Zarrin family was either romantically or sexually involved with him was weird. It’s also unclear whether some of those relations were consensual.
For example, towards the end of the book when Arthur explains everything that happened to him, he makes it sound as though he had no choice in being with Persephone just because she wanted it. And when Persephone recounts those same events, she doesn’t seem to have gotten his consent, and she was also physically violent towards him.
I think the homophobia towards Rhys was never properly addressed. And lastly, this is more of a personal preference, but I thought it was ridiculous how much of the plot relied on Eleanor being really oblivious. Most of the events of the book never would’ve happened if Eleanor just stopped consciously ignoring all of the signs in front of her.
STRUCTURE: No major issues with structure, but the long monologues at the end just didn’t work for me. It was hard to stay interested/invested.
THEME: There was an underlying conflation of violence with romance in this book, which is obviously not good.
What really solidified that for me was Persephone telling the story of the time she first went after Arthur to “know what Miklos sees in him”.

CHARACTERS: I liked the queer rep, but I didn’t like the way it was handled. Idk if that makes sense. For the most part it was pretty casual rep, but Eleanor also reacted pretty poorly to finding out that certain characters were queer. And it seemed as if the author/characters were avoiding saying the words “gay” or “queer.” Specifically,
when Eleanor sees Arthur dancing with her father, she thinks “Maybe Rhys meant something to him, something I didn’t. Something I could never mean. Maybe Father had, too, once. Arthur was...I didn’t know what Arthur was.” Now obviously Arthur being attracted to men doesn’t mean he’s GAY, but the phrasing makes it seem like Eleanor is specifically avoiding saying gay <i> or </i> queer <i> or </i> bi, etc.
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