Hi all. Long time no talk. Reeeeally long time. To be honest, I’ve been in a little of a reading slump. I’ve read a fair amount of books, but they’ve all hovered between the 2.5-3 star range. I enjoyed them, but nothing to write home about. I am so happy to say that I’ve broken the rut.

Holy CRAP, this book.

The 411: Alex, Suzette, and their daughter, Hanna, live a normal, domestic suburban life.  Hanna has selective mutism, but uses her few words to scare the living daylights out of her mother, who is convinced that Hanna is out to get her. And, spoiler alert, she is. Hanna goes out of her way to ruin her mother’s life and undermine her, all the while remaining the image of absolute innocence with her father. And Alex doesn’t believe Suzette that Hanna is a little different.

This book alternates perspectives between Suzette and Hanna. Hanna’s chapters are chilling and creepy and there were several times where I actually said out loud, “What the fuck?!?!” Suzette’s chapter are equally hard to read but in a completely different way. Suzette is a mother just desperately trying to connect with her daughter. And her daughter is a budding psychopath.

Feels very Rosemary’s Baby, right? Well, here’s the thing. Hanna’s not possessed. She’s just a sadistic kid. And quite honestly, that makes it even the more scarier for me. At the moment, I have no interest in kids, and quite frankly, I’ve never been the biggest fan of kids. Especially babies. But thanks to Damien and now, Hanna, I am more than happy to prolong the time before I am a mother. Because this book encapsulates one of my worst nightmares: What if I’m not a bad parent, but my kid just doesn’t like me?

This is going to a polarizing book, I can feel it. It’s going to be a 5-star or a 1-star read for you. I’m a horror junkie, so I highly enjoyed this book. My knowledge of psychopathy ended in freshman year Psychology I in college, but Hanna’s thought-process seemed very realistic and well-researched to me. I would definitely categorize BABY TEETH as a horror novel. And it’s hands down the best horror novel I’ve read in a long time. Thank you for the nightmares, Zoje. Dark and twisty just like I like it.

MY RATING:  ✰✰✰✰1/2
RECOMMENDED FOR: fans of Nick Cutter and Stephen King

Thank you St. Martin’s Press for my e-galley! Baby Teeth is available July 12.