Review: Baby Teeth by Zoje Stage

Baby Teeth by Zoje Stage
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Published: July 2018

Hanna is seven years old and the apple of her father's eye. In his mind, she is his perfect little girl, his "lilla gumman". Suzette is Hanna's mother and she does all she can for Hanna, by home schooling her. But Hanna refuses to speak and has gotten kicked out of a few schools for her bad behavior. Is she not speaking because something is wrong or because she chooses not to? After countless doctor's visits, Suzette and Alex are at their wits end to find out what is wrong with their daughter. Hanna does not like her mother and will stop at nothing until it's just her and Daddy.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martins Press for the opportunity to read and review this book.

First, I want to say that I enjoyed this book and the story was very interesting. So, I don't know if it was me in a slump or the layout of the ARC, but I didn't find myself wanting to grab this book as soon as I could. Instead I found myself crushing candies and binge watching The Big Bang Theory.

What would you do if you had a non-verbal child who hated you? Her not speaking can not be explained by doctors, therapists or teachers. You know she has sound cause he makes weird noises and hums. But Hanna is determined to get her point across one way or another and that point is, Mommy must go. Her father is blinded by all her bad behavior since Hanna turns into an angel when he is around. When a series of events seriously harms Suzette, Alex can no longer be blinded by his daughter's niceness. Will they be able to get Hanna the help she needs or will Suzette live in fear of her own daughter for the rest of her life?  


I really enjoyed this book. I don't think I have read anything quite like this about kids and their relationship with their parents. I'm thankful I don't have a child with behavioral problems, cause this book would have me watching my back all of the time. I think everyone who reads this will be able to sympathize with Suzette. Most mothers always try to do their best for their kids and at times it's seems it's never enough. But trying to survive your kid is a whole other story. I hope you will pick up this book and enjoy it like I did.

I'd like to extend a special thank you to Zoje Stage, for taking a few minutes out of her day to answer a few questions for this review.

WCR: Where is your favorite place to write?
ZS:   I am a creature of habit and I always write at my desk - which also doubles as my kitchen table (which is convenient, you know, for snacks).
WCR: What from your life inspired Baby Teeth?
ZS: Many things really: Seeing how my women friends, once they became mothers, were subject to society's harsh judgments about everything they did or didn't do; feeling as a child like I could never make myself understood; and of course, Suzette's chronic illness is based on some of my own experiences.
WCR: What is your favorite book?
ZS: I'm going with a three-way tie because these were all influential at the moment I read them: My Antonia (by Willa Cather); The Dispossessed (by Ursula Le Guin); The Road (by Cormac McCarthy)


I have a few Advanced Reader's Copies of this book to giveaway until midnight tonight. Names will be drawn on Friday, May 11th. Use the link below to enter.

Baby Teeth Giveaway

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To pre-order a copy of Baby Teeth or any of Zoje Stage's favorite books, click the book covers below: