Baby Teeth by Zoje Stage Published by St. Martin's Press on July 17, 2018
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Afflicted with a chronic debilitating condition, Suzette Jensen knew having children would wreak havoc on her already fragile body. Nevertheless, she brought Hanna into the world, pleased and proud to start a family with her husband Alex. Estranged from her own mother, Suzette is determined to raise her beautiful daughter with the love, care, and support she was denied.
But Hanna proves to be a difficult child. Now seven-years-old, she has yet to utter a word, despite being able to read and write. Defiant and anti-social, she refuses to behave in kindergarten classes, forcing Suzette to homeschool her. Resentful of her mother’s rules and attentions, Hanna lashes out in anger, becoming more aggressive every day. The only time Hanna is truly happy is when she’s with her father. To Alex, she’s willful and precocious but otherwise the perfect little girl, doing what she’s told.
Suzette knows her clever and manipulative daughter doesn’t love her. She can see the hatred and jealousy in her eyes. And as Hanna’s subtle acts of cruelty threaten to tear her and Alex apart, Suzette fears her very life may be in grave danger…
You’re in for a wild ride! The gist of this story is extraordinary, and the underlying ideas could have made for a really powerful story … however, the writing style left a bad taste in my mouth. I’m all for writing an illness into a story to get awareness or to make it feel more real and to give it something you can sink your teeth into as you read, but I really did not need the candid details over and over of what bodily functions occurred. The story has a bite to it and is filled with torment, but be prepared to be grossed out a bit as well.
Suzette Jensen has suffered through illness the majority of her life, but she’s trudged along taking joy when she can and settling into life. She’s married to the man of her dreams, loved her work, and when she became pregnant was a bit hesitant of how her body might react to it, but was thrilled to see the joy this baby brought to her husband’s face. Now, seven years later, she’s having second thoughts. Her daughter Hanna has never spoken even though she’s brilliant and can read and write without a problem. She misbehaves when it suits her, making it impossible to find a school that will keep her enrolled. All that Suzette wants is for a semblance of life to go back to what it was before when she enjoyed getting out of the house and working … but Hanna has other ideas, and as she progressively gets worse and the hatred in her eyes increases, she starts to fear for her life!
Alex Jensen adores his daughter. She’s the ray of sunshine in his life before he leaves for work and a delight to tuck into bed when he gets home. Reading together is one of their favorite past times. He knows she has a mind of her own and gives his wife a bit of a hard time, but he never in a million years believes she does the things that Suzette says she does. She’s his little angel. His wife is just tired and exaggerating everything … isn’t she?
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