Baby Teeth

This book precedes With Teeth by about three years so I will forgive it for being a much less interesting version of it. I will not, however, forgive it for also copying We Need to Talk About Kevin without really offering anything near as interesting, thrilling, nor complex. The first half is just very flat and stereotypical portrayal of a white upper-middle-class American family while the second ascends to unbelievable heights of melodrama. Couldn't stand it. Superficial, unoriginal, and boring.

DNF. The writing is boring and, which I'll explain in my notes and highlights. A few examples of writing were Freudian and ableist. One passage suggested Hannah may have "caught a case" of Autism or something? And yet she knew to call the other kids abled? I don't know, dude. I was getting close to the 100 page mark and another book I wanted to read became available. So, bye!

I'd forgotten I read this book until I read the latest version of this bad seed (or is it the terrible mother?) story - The Push. It's always difficult for me to finish reading a story without a single character that I find likeable, interesting, wise, witty, funny, knowledgable, or appealing; the story or the writing better be very good. I didn't find those things here.

This book is about two parents who shouldn't have had a child of in the first place. Hannah is a psychopath who does nothing gut manipulate her parents. Suzette is a self centered mother who obviously hates her child, because all she really cares about is how pretty she looks for her husband. She doesn't ever want him to know what their daughter Hannah does because he won't believe a bit of any of it. Hannah also manipulates him by being the perfect child in front of him. Suzette never really takes a picture of anything Hannah does almost like she wants to keep everything from her husband.
The author made it seem a whole lot like Hannah was smarter than her parents. The book doesn't even get into why Hannah is the way she is. I thought there was going to be this startlx revelation as to why Hannah is the way she is, but it didn't happen. Oh, and the big not twisty thing? She could talk the whole time.

Alex and Suzette are madly in love, the perfect couple, a match made in heaven. What a blessing a baby could be to this union. How lucky a child would be to have such loving and devoted parents. Suzette is especially determined to be a better parent than she had, to be the mother she wished she had instead of the neglectful and uncaring mother who was too wrapped up in herself to even notice that Suzette needed medical care. Sadly, no amount of love and attention seems to please Hanna unless it comes from her father. Suzette's days are spent taking Hanna to appointment after appointment in search of a reason for her lack of speech. Home schooling Hanna as best she can since she can't fit in at school, and being the object of Hanna's hatred. When Alex is home Hanna is all smiles. the perfect little silent angel. But Alex can't always be there, and when he is he prefers to bury his head in the sand. Meanwhile Hanna's hatred for her mother is escalating into something dangerous. Does Hanna have reason to hate her mother or is she just a born psycho? You be the judge.
I received an advance copy for review