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Weak Teeth
Ellis's life has crumbled without warning. Her boyfriend has fallen in love with someone else, her job's insecure, her bank account's empty and she has a mouthful of unreliable teeth. Forced back to her childhood home, there is little in the way of comfort. Her mum is dating a younger man (a dentist, no less) and is talking of selling the house, her sister, Lana, is furious all the time, and a distant cousin has now arrived from the States to stay with them.
During a long, hot Edinburgh summer, Ellis's world spins out of control. She's dogged by toothache, her ex won't compensate her for the flat and somehow she's found herself stalking his new lover on Facebook.
Will Ellis realise before it's too late that the bite she was born with is worth preserving?
During a long, hot Edinburgh summer, Ellis's world spins out of control. She's dogged by toothache, her ex won't compensate her for the flat and somehow she's found herself stalking his new lover on Facebook.
Will Ellis realise before it's too late that the bite she was born with is worth preserving?
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 63 reviews
May 6, 2023
How many of us have those awful dreams where our teeth are falling out or crumbling in our mouths? It’s a really common dream and is thought to represent anxiety. Poor Ellis certainly had plenty to be anxious about. Her relationship has unexpectedly come to an end, she’s had to go back to live with her mum, she’s concerned about her job and she genuinely does have problems with her teeth. To add insult to injury, her mum is dating a dentist!
Poor Ellis has had some awful experiences with dentists throughout the years, beginning with the school dentist, something many people will relate to. It’s no surprise that she is wary of them while accepting she needs to go to the dentist. Her family are cursed with weak teeth and no matter how Ellis tries to look after hers, she has continual problems. As anyone who has had toothache will know, it’s a pain that consumes you and takes over your thoughts. Ellis knows all about teeth and I also know a lot more than I did before. (Thanks Lynsey for the mention of a paco fish which I’ve looked up and now can’t unsee!) If you have a bit of a phobia of dentists, this might not in all honesty be a book for you as teeth and dentistry play a big part in the book. I am lucky as my dentist is lovely and I never have any fear of going to see her.
Lynsey May has created a very relatable character in Ellis. Her sense of bewilderment at how things have turned out is both believable and funny. How could Adrian be in love with someone else, they’ve just bought new cushions?! The loss of her father at a young age has clearly been significant throughout her life which many people will understand.
To read this book is to watch Ellis make one unwise decision after another as she tries to cope with the changes in her life. You almost want to reach into the book and say ‘don’t do that!’. Like her teeth, Ellis sometimes seems fragile and in need of care and attention.
Weak Teeth is darkly funny, compelling and enjoyable. It’s a great debut from Lynsey May showing she’s got a talent for writing about the dynamics of relationships.
Poor Ellis has had some awful experiences with dentists throughout the years, beginning with the school dentist, something many people will relate to. It’s no surprise that she is wary of them while accepting she needs to go to the dentist. Her family are cursed with weak teeth and no matter how Ellis tries to look after hers, she has continual problems. As anyone who has had toothache will know, it’s a pain that consumes you and takes over your thoughts. Ellis knows all about teeth and I also know a lot more than I did before. (Thanks Lynsey for the mention of a paco fish which I’ve looked up and now can’t unsee!) If you have a bit of a phobia of dentists, this might not in all honesty be a book for you as teeth and dentistry play a big part in the book. I am lucky as my dentist is lovely and I never have any fear of going to see her.
Lynsey May has created a very relatable character in Ellis. Her sense of bewilderment at how things have turned out is both believable and funny. How could Adrian be in love with someone else, they’ve just bought new cushions?! The loss of her father at a young age has clearly been significant throughout her life which many people will understand.
To read this book is to watch Ellis make one unwise decision after another as she tries to cope with the changes in her life. You almost want to reach into the book and say ‘don’t do that!’. Like her teeth, Ellis sometimes seems fragile and in need of care and attention.
Weak Teeth is darkly funny, compelling and enjoyable. It’s a great debut from Lynsey May showing she’s got a talent for writing about the dynamics of relationships.
December 23, 2024
Picked this up on a whim at an adorable bookshop in Edinburg this summer, and it served as a very nice palate-cleanser amid all this litRPG I'm reading for work. It called to me, of course, because I too am in possession of garbage weak teeth, and I found it both illuminating and revolting that most of the chapters begin with a short meditation about the culture, history, and mythology of teeth, not to mention all the main character's awful nightmares about her teeth growing into tusks, regenerating infinitely, falling out of her mouth in droves, and other horrors.
Beyond that it's a good, well-plotted domestic / family drama, though I did find most of the characters pretty hard to love or even root for, including our heroine. I also had that stricken despair, about 30 pages from the end, that there was just no way that May was going to be able to untangle all the difficult plot lines in the time remaining, but I was pleased to see that she did -- not that it's got a sappy sort of happy-ever-after, but it was all resolved to a more or less satisfying degree.
Beyond that it's a good, well-plotted domestic / family drama, though I did find most of the characters pretty hard to love or even root for, including our heroine. I also had that stricken despair, about 30 pages from the end, that there was just no way that May was going to be able to untangle all the difficult plot lines in the time remaining, but I was pleased to see that she did -- not that it's got a sappy sort of happy-ever-after, but it was all resolved to a more or less satisfying degree.
March 26, 2024
A little underwhelming and the teeth bit got old really quick.
May 14, 2023
4.5
I saw this book in a bookstore without ever having heard of it before. The main theme immediately convinced me: teeth. I often have the dream that i am losing my teeth and I had to realise that there are many interpretations of it.
You get to know and love Ellis. This makes it all the more painful when she makes her decisions. The great thing about the book is that no person is perfect, they all have their weak moments. And to all the people who sometimes feel like Ellis (including me lol) you are awesome and it's okay to struggle.
I saw this book in a bookstore without ever having heard of it before. The main theme immediately convinced me: teeth. I often have the dream that i am losing my teeth and I had to realise that there are many interpretations of it.
You get to know and love Ellis. This makes it all the more painful when she makes her decisions. The great thing about the book is that no person is perfect, they all have their weak moments. And to all the people who sometimes feel like Ellis (including me lol) you are awesome and it's okay to struggle.
May 16, 2023
Just brilliant, a great debut novel. Lynsey May deals with everyday interactions between family members, work colleagues and friends with incredible skill. Particularly enjoyable are her 'tooth facts' and the dark humour that runs through the story.
June 12, 2023
Teeth as a metaphor for life: family and relationship drama and a lesson in finding your self through dentistry.
What a mess Ellis is in - decades-long genetic-lottery hell with painful teeth and constant procedures isn't enough. She doesn't really enjoy her job (and HR aren't sympathetic over her regular dentist appointments). But now, her world is rocked when her boyfriend of almost her entire adult life tells her he's fallen for a colleague and wants her to move out of his house.
With unexplained tooth pain that the dentists say isn't real, Ellis has to suffer the 'pain' of moving back into her mum's house, where her permanently-angry sister is also staying, and have to face up to the life she's made for herself (while Facebook stalking her ex's new woman and trying to get him to accept he owes her money for their flat).
If you're the squirmy sort when it comes to tooth problems, you might end up having bad dreams reading this. There's a lot of 'metaphor for life' around Ellis's long-standing tooth problems, and it becomes so desperate she might even consider having her mum's new, younger dentist boyfriend take a look. Oh and she tells HR that it's not her that's been dumped but her sister, much better if it's going to be spread round the office.... hmm.
Watching the spiral of Ellis's life in every direction and how she progresses towards some sort of control and peace hopefully makes for an entertaining family drama. Ellis feels quite young, inexperienced and like so many of us in our twenties, when life becomes complicated and we really are forced to grow up.
I liked the focus on teeth as the basis of Ellis's problems and as the core of 'her', and thoroughly enjoyed the audiobook version which was well narrated and differentiated for the characters.
With thanks to Netgalley for providing a sample audio copy.
What a mess Ellis is in - decades-long genetic-lottery hell with painful teeth and constant procedures isn't enough. She doesn't really enjoy her job (and HR aren't sympathetic over her regular dentist appointments). But now, her world is rocked when her boyfriend of almost her entire adult life tells her he's fallen for a colleague and wants her to move out of his house.
With unexplained tooth pain that the dentists say isn't real, Ellis has to suffer the 'pain' of moving back into her mum's house, where her permanently-angry sister is also staying, and have to face up to the life she's made for herself (while Facebook stalking her ex's new woman and trying to get him to accept he owes her money for their flat).
If you're the squirmy sort when it comes to tooth problems, you might end up having bad dreams reading this. There's a lot of 'metaphor for life' around Ellis's long-standing tooth problems, and it becomes so desperate she might even consider having her mum's new, younger dentist boyfriend take a look. Oh and she tells HR that it's not her that's been dumped but her sister, much better if it's going to be spread round the office.... hmm.
Watching the spiral of Ellis's life in every direction and how she progresses towards some sort of control and peace hopefully makes for an entertaining family drama. Ellis feels quite young, inexperienced and like so many of us in our twenties, when life becomes complicated and we really are forced to grow up.
I liked the focus on teeth as the basis of Ellis's problems and as the core of 'her', and thoroughly enjoyed the audiobook version which was well narrated and differentiated for the characters.
With thanks to Netgalley for providing a sample audio copy.
June 10, 2023
Not the book I hoped for. I hoped this would be relatable and darkly funny. The cover immediately caught my eye, and the blurb sealed it on the spot - if there are two things guaranteed to send me into a massive anxiety spiral, it's my teeth and my family.
But this isn't a book about massive dental trauma or even generational trauma.
Ellis, the protagonist, is 30-something whose boyfriend dumps her (probably because she has absolutely zero personality or emotional register), so she has to move back home. Where she lives with her perfectly lovely and supportive Mum. And has a filling.
I DNfd 80 pages in and that's all that had happened. Her Mum has been nice to her, and she's got a filling.
Other characters in the book are stronger. Ellis' controlling and slightly OTT older sister, and her slightly obivious but well meaning Mum, are credible and more enjoyable voices in the story. (Is there a story?).
I just cannot read another 150 or so pages about a woman having a toothache and going to work 😴 it doesn't help that the writing itself is unpolished - I've had to go back over several sentences because it was unclear who the subject of the sentence was, or timelines / context suddenly skipped from one sentence to the next with no segue.
Unfortunately cannot recommend this one. Most books I DNF, I can at least say positive things about - but are just not to my taste. This is straight up just not worth the time. I think it was going for "no plot, just vibes", but I can't work out what the vibe was meant to be
But this isn't a book about massive dental trauma or even generational trauma.
Ellis, the protagonist, is 30-something whose boyfriend dumps her (probably because she has absolutely zero personality or emotional register), so she has to move back home. Where she lives with her perfectly lovely and supportive Mum. And has a filling.
I DNfd 80 pages in and that's all that had happened. Her Mum has been nice to her, and she's got a filling.
Other characters in the book are stronger. Ellis' controlling and slightly OTT older sister, and her slightly obivious but well meaning Mum, are credible and more enjoyable voices in the story. (Is there a story?).
I just cannot read another 150 or so pages about a woman having a toothache and going to work 😴 it doesn't help that the writing itself is unpolished - I've had to go back over several sentences because it was unclear who the subject of the sentence was, or timelines / context suddenly skipped from one sentence to the next with no segue.
Unfortunately cannot recommend this one. Most books I DNF, I can at least say positive things about - but are just not to my taste. This is straight up just not worth the time. I think it was going for "no plot, just vibes", but I can't work out what the vibe was meant to be
August 21, 2023
Excellent debut novel
I found this novel unique and a fast paced read. It's an excellent debut novel. The way the tooth problems coincides with Ellis' breakdown in her life is a great way to understand and describe Ellis' torment. I thought this was very cleverly done and the last chapter was very well written in particular, tying up the novel nicely. I'm excited to see what else Lynsey will write after such a promising debut.
I found this novel unique and a fast paced read. It's an excellent debut novel. The way the tooth problems coincides with Ellis' breakdown in her life is a great way to understand and describe Ellis' torment. I thought this was very cleverly done and the last chapter was very well written in particular, tying up the novel nicely. I'm excited to see what else Lynsey will write after such a promising debut.
January 15, 2024
Dragged and then got dramatic. Ended meh
June 12, 2024
Weird teeth metaphors scattered through that I’m not sure were all necessary, but enjoyed nonetheless. A nice holiday read
January 15, 2025
4/5 ⭐️: teeth as a metaphor for life! A gentle, slow-paced novel of the messy millennial variety set in Scotland. “Weak Teeth” follows Ellis through a betrayal and breakup, family woes, friendships, work dramas, and most of all, her teeth problems. There’s a lot of chat about teeth, be warned if you’re squeamish! Some of it is literal, some of it is clearly symbolic of the deeper issues Ellis is working through as she continues to spiral. The story does unfold slowly, but it’s gentle and warm-hearted with endearing characters. I liked the Scottish references too!
October 1, 2025
Dnf - und ich hab’s wirklich probiert!
Ich habe mir das Buch in Schottland gekauft auf Empfehlung. Der schreibstil ist ganz schön, die Teilhandlung mit den Zähnen fande ich zu Beginn ganz lustig und mal was anderes. Aber die Hauptcharakterin ist eine sehr weinerliche unsympathisch anstrengende Person. Normalerweise liebe ich solche Premise als Handlung, aber auch nur wenn die Personen wirklich echte Emotionen bringen. Es war mir zu flach, zu langweilig und vor allem zu nichts sagend. Das einzige was ich mir vorstellen konnte, was die Geschichte retten würde, wäre eine gute love Story. Aber die einzige Person die dafür in Frage gekommen wäre, wäre der Cousin gewesen. Und Spoiler: auf ne gewisse Weise war er das auch. Und das wollte und konnte ich mir echt nicht geben.
Ich habe mir das Buch in Schottland gekauft auf Empfehlung. Der schreibstil ist ganz schön, die Teilhandlung mit den Zähnen fande ich zu Beginn ganz lustig und mal was anderes. Aber die Hauptcharakterin ist eine sehr weinerliche unsympathisch anstrengende Person. Normalerweise liebe ich solche Premise als Handlung, aber auch nur wenn die Personen wirklich echte Emotionen bringen. Es war mir zu flach, zu langweilig und vor allem zu nichts sagend. Das einzige was ich mir vorstellen konnte, was die Geschichte retten würde, wäre eine gute love Story. Aber die einzige Person die dafür in Frage gekommen wäre, wäre der Cousin gewesen. Und Spoiler: auf ne gewisse Weise war er das auch. Und das wollte und konnte ich mir echt nicht geben.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 6, 2024
Quite unsettling for those of us with tooth anxiety, but very cathartic for those of us also in a family rage era or with sore hearts
August 22, 2023
I wanted to like this. And I didn't not like it. But it was a bit too miserable for me, maybe that's just a me problem but I found the main character frustratingly miserable, the sister needlessly mean, and the rest of the characters a bit one dimensial. I know the misery and the meanness of the sisters got explained off in the end as grief but it made for a slow read. Also found the descriptions of dental work unnerving but I think it's meant to be.
However, the parallels and metaphors made around teeth and the main characters' lives were really good. The snippets of cultural history of teeth were very interesting. And the writing itself is very good.
However, the parallels and metaphors made around teeth and the main characters' lives were really good. The snippets of cultural history of teeth were very interesting. And the writing itself is very good.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 30, 2023
Not knowing what to expect when I purchased the ebook I was pleasantly surprised by Lynseys Weak Teeth. Set in my old home of Edinburgh and following Ellis (and her teeth) as she deals with relationship woes and annoying families (haven't we all been in the same boat at various times of our lives?). I found her writing to be warm and inviting. Loved the teeth stuff. A great read all round and I look forward to reading her next book. Highly recommended.
April 27, 2023
Loved this - incredibly relatable characters. devoured it!
August 27, 2024
Sorry to be a hater but never mind weak teeth this is weak plot - lots of things I could say here but I will sum it up simply with why did she fancy her own cousin?
July 26, 2024
This is probably more of a 3.5 but i felt more inclined to round down. Love me a flawed narrator but some of Ellis' choices were SO bad it made me cringe. Loved the ending!
May 23, 2023
Ellis's life has crumbled without warning. Her boyfriend has fallen in love with someone else, her job's insecure, her bank account's empty and she has a mouthful of unreliable teeth. Forced back to her childhood home, there is little in the way of comfort. Her mum is dating a younger man (a dentist, no less) and is talking of selling the house, her sister, Lana, is furious all the time, and a distant cousin has now arrived from the States to stay with them.
During a long, hot Edinburgh summer, Ellis's world spins out of control. She's dogged by toothache, her ex won't compensate her for the flat and somehow she's found herself stalking his new lover on Facebook.
Will Ellis realise before it's too late that the bite she was born with is worth preserving?
Dreams of teeth falling out are a relatively universal experience- something most of us experience at some point in our lives, usually during periods of stress or change. Ellis is not only experiencing such dreams, she’s going through the waking nightmares of crumbly teeth as well- both literally and figuratively. As her life crumbles around her, so, it seems, do her teeth. As she rediscovers herself and her confidence, her dental issues seem to find a solution at last as well. Not too hard to see the parallels, but they’re rendered effectively and engagingly in this enjoyable and relatable story.
*This review is based on the audiobook, delightfully narrated by Scarlett Mack and provided by NetGalley and @Bolindaaudio in exchange for an honest review.
During a long, hot Edinburgh summer, Ellis's world spins out of control. She's dogged by toothache, her ex won't compensate her for the flat and somehow she's found herself stalking his new lover on Facebook.
Will Ellis realise before it's too late that the bite she was born with is worth preserving?
Dreams of teeth falling out are a relatively universal experience- something most of us experience at some point in our lives, usually during periods of stress or change. Ellis is not only experiencing such dreams, she’s going through the waking nightmares of crumbly teeth as well- both literally and figuratively. As her life crumbles around her, so, it seems, do her teeth. As she rediscovers herself and her confidence, her dental issues seem to find a solution at last as well. Not too hard to see the parallels, but they’re rendered effectively and engagingly in this enjoyable and relatable story.
*This review is based on the audiobook, delightfully narrated by Scarlett Mack and provided by NetGalley and @Bolindaaudio in exchange for an honest review.
September 27, 2023
Ellis has just been dumped by her boyfriend and asked to move out the home they shared together for ten years. From this point on, her life begins to unravel. A nagging tooth pain accompanies her slow descent into inner turmoil; her confidence crumbles and anguish turns more toxic. The teeth metaphor is dextrously deployed throughout this wonderfully crafted novel. A combination of over- and under- thinking decisions leaves Ellis unsure where to step next and leaves the reader peering at sentences between fingers as we hope that she can get her shit together and get herself a break. It doesn’t help that her sister is a cow. (The characters really do get under your skin.) What starts as awkward becomes quite painful to read and you feel Ellis slowly suffocating. It’s not bleak though, a dark seam of humour runs throughout, but it is psychologically penetrating. The tension builds and is brought to a very satisfying conclusion. I wouldn’t be surprised if this gets adapted for the screen - a perfectly crafted drama and a total triumph!
September 9, 2023
didn’t love this one, but I didn’t not like it either. An easy read but quite a typical chick-lit story. The only difference was the use of teeth as a metaphor for family, stresses, breakups and not being listened to. If you hate the dentist this probably isn’t the book for you! 😂
December 24, 2023
Wow this must be worst book I've read. The main character was awful but her sister was something else never have a met a spiteful so and so. Only gotvthis as set in Edinburgh which was only mentioned a few times
May 25, 2024
perfect use of her dental problems to describe her life and her struggles.
May 29, 2024
What happened to our guy Charlie?
Liked all the cool teeth facts though
Liked all the cool teeth facts though
September 15, 2024
1. I really enjoyed the book though there was one thing I really didn't like, first I want to talk about the things I enjoyed, the writing style is amazing and so captivating, it feels smart and witty probably my favourite writing I've ever seen and I liked the bits and pieces of Scottish/British references. Sometimes I was confused on who the subject of the sentence was, but I'm not sure if that's a problem with the writing or my comprehension skills.
2. I liked the pace of the book, the almost mundane events remind me of the cartoon carol and the end of the world, and Ellis reminds me a lot of Carol. I also liked the constant references to teeth and information given about them, like at the start of a chapter or in a middle of a conversation she would think about teeth, or rather trying not to think about teeth, or the verbs and adjectives used around teeth were also used to describe her life. I don't think the teeth references were overdone, aa it reminds us of her constant pain, she can't stop thinking about teeth, so why should we?
3. I also really liked the representation of how she kept trying to find something wrong with her teeth, that would explain her behaviour, something to justify and understand herself, by going to the dentist and insisting something is wrong then getting her bloods taken. Also the patronising, invalidating and infantilizing feeling you get from not being taken seriously at the doctor's is so real. There are other things I liked, the dynamics between the characters, especially Kenzie and Ellis and how Ellis understands that Kenzie shouldn't have to choose between a parent, I also especially liked the dialogue, there's more but those were the main things.
4. The thing I didn't like was Charlie and Ellis' whole thing, I like Charlie and Ellis as characters but I don't like that Ellis likes him, I don't like the recurring reminder that she likes him, they're cousins, and Ellis reminds herself of that a couple times, it just feels weird, Im glad that Ellis' feelings weren't reciprocated by Charlie and I hope this was just a way to make us see Ellis was messed up and not that the author condones this kind of thing, problematic characters can exist without being a reflection of the creator.
5. I liked the number of characters, the close not very big family, the group of work friends and I liked the ending. I enjoyed the book a lot, the cover attracted me to it and I would like to see Lynsey May write another book, I don't know what it would be about, but I really enjoyed the almost simple pacing? In the sense that it's not this grand adventure with something happening every page so I would like to see that again, as not many books are like that.
2. I liked the pace of the book, the almost mundane events remind me of the cartoon carol and the end of the world, and Ellis reminds me a lot of Carol. I also liked the constant references to teeth and information given about them, like at the start of a chapter or in a middle of a conversation she would think about teeth, or rather trying not to think about teeth, or the verbs and adjectives used around teeth were also used to describe her life. I don't think the teeth references were overdone, aa it reminds us of her constant pain, she can't stop thinking about teeth, so why should we?
3. I also really liked the representation of how she kept trying to find something wrong with her teeth, that would explain her behaviour, something to justify and understand herself, by going to the dentist and insisting something is wrong then getting her bloods taken. Also the patronising, invalidating and infantilizing feeling you get from not being taken seriously at the doctor's is so real. There are other things I liked, the dynamics between the characters, especially Kenzie and Ellis and how Ellis understands that Kenzie shouldn't have to choose between a parent, I also especially liked the dialogue, there's more but those were the main things.
4. The thing I didn't like was Charlie and Ellis' whole thing, I like Charlie and Ellis as characters but I don't like that Ellis likes him, I don't like the recurring reminder that she likes him, they're cousins, and Ellis reminds herself of that a couple times, it just feels weird, Im glad that Ellis' feelings weren't reciprocated by Charlie and I hope this was just a way to make us see Ellis was messed up and not that the author condones this kind of thing, problematic characters can exist without being a reflection of the creator.
5. I liked the number of characters, the close not very big family, the group of work friends and I liked the ending. I enjoyed the book a lot, the cover attracted me to it and I would like to see Lynsey May write another book, I don't know what it would be about, but I really enjoyed the almost simple pacing? In the sense that it's not this grand adventure with something happening every page so I would like to see that again, as not many books are like that.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 27, 2024
𝐖𝐄𝐀𝐊 𝐓𝐄𝐄𝐓𝐇 - 𝐋𝐘𝐍𝐒𝐄𝐘 𝐌𝐀𝐘 🍎 🦷
“Like her teeth, Ellis sometimes seems fragile and in need of care and attention”
REVIEW ⭐️⭐️⭐️.5/5
I picked up this read from Waterstones because 1. It was on the monthly best sellers and 2. It’s based in Edinburgh so obviously I had to 🏴
I started this book about a month ago and I just kept finding myself in the biggest slump ever, I nearly DNF and that’s no one’s fault but my own. I’ve definitely far from my usual genre.
I arrived in Greece 🇬🇷 2 days ago and got this finished pronto - I am SO glad that I did! I feel like Ellis has so many things going on in her life that are relatable to me right now, and boy did I need to see this through! She’s given me another lease of life & hope! I feel for her, she’s not had it easy between work, family & relationships. Not as “funny” as some reviews have mentioned but still a really enjoyable read.
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#bookstagram #books #bookstack #reading#lovetoread #readwithcherise #scottishreader #growingmycollection #healingjourney #doingthisforthemind #bookaholic #booksandwine #wineandbooks #booklover #gettoknowme #doingitformymentalhealth #booktok #bookblog #safespace #review #bookreview #weakteeth #lynseymay
“Like her teeth, Ellis sometimes seems fragile and in need of care and attention”
REVIEW ⭐️⭐️⭐️.5/5
I picked up this read from Waterstones because 1. It was on the monthly best sellers and 2. It’s based in Edinburgh so obviously I had to 🏴
I started this book about a month ago and I just kept finding myself in the biggest slump ever, I nearly DNF and that’s no one’s fault but my own. I’ve definitely far from my usual genre.
I arrived in Greece 🇬🇷 2 days ago and got this finished pronto - I am SO glad that I did! I feel like Ellis has so many things going on in her life that are relatable to me right now, and boy did I need to see this through! She’s given me another lease of life & hope! I feel for her, she’s not had it easy between work, family & relationships. Not as “funny” as some reviews have mentioned but still a really enjoyable read.
🖤
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#bookstagram #books #bookstack #reading#lovetoread #readwithcherise #scottishreader #growingmycollection #healingjourney #doingthisforthemind #bookaholic #booksandwine #wineandbooks #booklover #gettoknowme #doingitformymentalhealth #booktok #bookblog #safespace #review #bookreview #weakteeth #lynseymay
May 25, 2023
Joyous: Left me utterly enamelled
🧡 There are some books, some characters whose company is pure happiness. I’m thinking of Diary of a Bookseller, The Bookish Life of Nina Hill, The Rosie Project, and this. The characters are endearing, the outlook is positive, the humour dry. All good stuff. Enjoyed every second.
💚 Things I enjoyed in particular were the teeth metaphor for not taking itself too seriously and the sisterly plot. As one of three sisters, it resonated.
Soundbite
🎧 Scarlett Mack’s comedy chops are on full beam throughout. Loved her wit and comic timing and she was a major part of why I enjoyed listening.
🎧 This was a decent length listen for the genre, at almost 9 hours and a very easy listen. Could happily have this on while doing errands without getting lost.
Big thanks to NetGalley and Bolinda Audio for providing me with an ALC in return for an honest review.
Find more bird’s eye view audiobooks reviews at Audiobooks Nest.
April 21, 2024
It’s not often you come across a book that uses teeth as a metaphor for life’s problems but here we have it and I have to be honest I’m not entirely sure on it. I appreciate the uniqueness and it is a clever idea but I found the obsession the character had with teeth a bit off-putting (probably because I am someone with a bit of dentist fear going on).
Weak Teeth tells the story of Ellie who is down on her luck - she’s been dumped, her job is at risk and she’s had to move back home with her mum. It’s a relatable story of someone who is really going through it and every time she thinks she has reached the bottom, something else happens. You can’t help but want to feel for her, we’ve all been there but I found her quite hard to feels sympathy for - some of the choices she makes just made it hard for me to root for her.
It is an entertaining read, the pacing is good, the writing is enjoyable - just didn’t love the main character.
I’ve heard great things about the audiobook for this one too so could be worth checking out in that format.
Weak Teeth tells the story of Ellie who is down on her luck - she’s been dumped, her job is at risk and she’s had to move back home with her mum. It’s a relatable story of someone who is really going through it and every time she thinks she has reached the bottom, something else happens. You can’t help but want to feel for her, we’ve all been there but I found her quite hard to feels sympathy for - some of the choices she makes just made it hard for me to root for her.
It is an entertaining read, the pacing is good, the writing is enjoyable - just didn’t love the main character.
I’ve heard great things about the audiobook for this one too so could be worth checking out in that format.
July 19, 2024
‘She discovers that teeth were once considered totems of protection. A handful can be sprinkled, like salt, to create a protective circle. A single tooth can be burned to ward off a witch’s curse. Scandinavian warriors of yore rose into battle with a string of baby teeth tied around their thick necks. Teeth are something to fear.’
This is not my typical read… I picked it up because the author is from Edinburgh and the book is based in Edinburgh.
I fell in love with the story and Ellis’s life.
I, like many others have a huge fear of the dentist and let’s be honest, if we could start all over again with our teeth, we would!!!
The facts throughout the book were very interesting!
A great debut novel :)
‘How fitting that the patron Saint of dentistry had all her teeth brutally removed. Saint Apollonia, a Christian martyr who died in Egypt in 249 AD, had her pearly whites smashed bout by an Alexandrian mob. She then leapt into the fire they had prepared for her rather than renounce her faith.’
This is not my typical read… I picked it up because the author is from Edinburgh and the book is based in Edinburgh.
I fell in love with the story and Ellis’s life.
I, like many others have a huge fear of the dentist and let’s be honest, if we could start all over again with our teeth, we would!!!
The facts throughout the book were very interesting!
A great debut novel :)
‘How fitting that the patron Saint of dentistry had all her teeth brutally removed. Saint Apollonia, a Christian martyr who died in Egypt in 249 AD, had her pearly whites smashed bout by an Alexandrian mob. She then leapt into the fire they had prepared for her rather than renounce her faith.’
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