A review by ezrajay
With Teeth by Kristen Arnett

1.5

i tried so desperately to like this book. i read it because of the "weird kid" stuff and queer family dynamics are also interesting. i was expecting it, in my mind, to veer into the supernatural. except it didn't, it veered into a land that felt profoundly ableist. i GET that this book is from sammie's pov, and she doesn't understand her son. but it seems, in the book and interviews that i've found, that arnett doesn't understand how she's written samson either. that is to say: samson's portrayal as an autistic child that is seen as evil or creepy Could be a criticism of ableism. but the book refused to criticise or even interact with that, it just puts it out there. and beyond that, the divide that arnett refers to irl is whether samson is actually a monster, or just a normal kid. as if the things that make him "monstrous" aren't traits that real children have and are punished for. 

so yeah, i cried frustrated tears while reading this and then while reading reviews after. because it fucking sucks, and is probably one of my least favorite books ever. i'm so glad to be done with it. 
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