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Pocket Full of Teeth

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The police have some questions for Eddy Sparrow. Questions about a body found at the bottom of a well. As she answers the officer' s questions, she mentions a mysterious manuscript hidden in her recently deceased mother's desk drawer. The manuscript is about a young girl named Cat who returns home after her own mother' s death to find her house haunted. As Eddy reads Cat' s story, her own secrets emerge, and she begins to experience strange wet footprints, phantom phone calls, and nightmares. But a book couldn' t be haunted. At least that' s what Eddy tells herself. As her life slowly unravels, Eddy realizes that her life is inextricably connected to Cat' s story, but can she save Cat and come to terms with the secrets haunting her or will they consume her until there is nothing left?

315 pages, Paperback

Published September 13, 2024

46 people are currently reading
532 people want to read

About the author

Aimee Hardy

1 book23 followers
Aimee Hardy is a writer in Birmingham, Alabama. Aimee is the author of Pocket Full of Teeth (2024) and has various short stories published with Running Wild Press, Stonecoast Review, and other literary collections. She received a Pushcart nomination in 2019 for her short story "Paper" and is dedicated to telling stories in unique ways. Aimee is married with two kids and loves to get lost in nature or disappear into a good book with a warm cup of tea.

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5 stars
28 (23%)
4 stars
31 (26%)
3 stars
38 (31%)
2 stars
15 (12%)
1 star
7 (5%)
Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews
Profile Image for Nina The Wandering Reader.
453 reviews467 followers
October 16, 2024
“Mama always told me that secrets come out after sundown. She said that when the darkness of night crept into the corners of my room oily shadows would unfurl themselves from under my bed, while the crows sleeping in the tree outside my window would flutter to the pane’s sharp edge to tap at the cracks in the casement, and the monster in my closet would sigh, opening its eyes before it scratched at the closet door. I’d only have to be quiet and listen.”

After her locket is found deep in a well near a crime scene, the police have some questions for Eddy Sparrow. And she’s happy to enlighten them. Via transcripts, Eddy explains that she has discovered a seemingly cursed manuscript annotated by her late mother that details the life of Cat, a young girl who returns to her small-town, childhood home after the death of her own mother, Sarah. Readers learn much about Sarah through diary entries and letters. And it’s through the perspectives of these three women that a story of matrilineal curses and family secrets unfold.

Considered by some readers to be slightly reminiscent of Mark Z. Danielewski’s House of Leaves —if you enjoy a story within a story within a story—this book is found-media fiction as the story is told via police transcripts, manuscripts, letters, and diary entries. Pocket Full of Teeth is one of those stories where you want to push through to the end to see how all the mysterious puzzle pieces connect.

There were a few timeline issues that I’m not sure were intentional, as well as a few typos, and the pacing might not be for everyone. But debut novels often start out on bumpy roads and I believe readers will still find the story enjoyable! Complex, haunting, and even a bit witchy, this debut southern gothic novel by author Aimee Hardy is perfect for the spooky season!

(Thank you to the author for this lovely review copy!)
Profile Image for Rob.
805 reviews110 followers
December 24, 2024
3.5 stars

Like pineapple on pizza or the over/under orientation of the toilet paper roll, the artistic slow burn is one of those weirdly contentious issues that sees people usually taking an intractable stand in one specific camp with no room in the middle for compromise.

Opponents to the slow burn usually complain that nothing’s happening, or at least that it’s not happening quickly enough. Fans of the slow burn (and I count myself in this camp) enjoy the careful world-building and character development, trusting the author to deliver a satisfying payoff without needing a lot of bells and whistles along the way.

Neither side is “right” (although I personally think there’s value in patience and delayed gratification), but how you feel about the slow burn is going to dictate – for better or worse – how you feel about certain books.

You can probably figure out where I’m going with this.

Aimee Hardy’s Pocket Full of Teeth boasts a title that sounds like it’ll bludgeon you into submission, delivering some hard-boiled noir that rockets along on sheer adrenaline and attitude.

You’d think that, but you’d be wrong.

Because what it really is, is a Southern gothic ghost story that sneaks up behind you and delicately lays a hand on your shoulder before slipping the garotte around your throat.

I’m taking a little time to set this up – a slow burn review, if you will – precisely because I know how some readers feel about books that unspool slowly. And I want to establish up front that this is what you’re getting, but also reassure you that the payoff is real and substantial.

The complexity of what Hardy has done in this book – essentially telling two complementary narratives that eventually slot into alignment with a nearly audible CLICK – is kind of astonishing. Narrative 1 begins with a transcript. We know that Eddy Sparrow is being interviewed by someone, presumably the police. She talks about a body, a troubled girl, and a mysterious manuscript. We know there’s been a murder, but not much else. And then Eddy proceeds to read from the manuscript.

Narrative 2, then, is the manuscript. 17-year-old Cat returns to her small Alabama home after a stay in a psychiatric hospital following her mother’s death. Ray, her mother’s abusive boyfriend, has been assigned by the court to take care of her until she turns 18. The townspeople look at her suspiciously. Rumors abound. Did Cat play a role in her mother’s death?

Once in her childhood home, eerie things start occurring. Phantom phone calls. Half-glimpsed figures in the window. Wet footprints where no one else has walked. But Cat is resolute in making it through the year and leaving for college. She gets a job at a cafe and starts a halting relationship with Liz, its manager. She avoids Ray. If life isn’t good, it’s at least comfortable.

But, to crib a line from the movie Magnolia, Cat soon learns that we may be through with the past, but the past isn’t through with us.

For the rest of the novel, the book’s chapters alternate between Eddy’s interview transcript and Cat’s story. But rather than simply using the transcript as a framing device – which is how I initially interpreted it – Hardy is doing something much more sophisticated and satisfying in telling Eddy’s story at the same time as Cat’s. How these two narratives speak to one another is one of the book’s great pleasures, and it’s a feat that I’m still not sure how Hardy pulled off.

There’s a lot going on, much more than I can describe here. It’s a ghost story, it’s a romance, it’s a family history, and it’s also a clever exercise in meta-narrative. But by placing a romantic heart at the center of the book, Hardy’s story deftly manages to avoid coming across like a clinical intellectual exercise in storytelling mechanics.

But, to return to my introduction, what Hardy has accomplished wouldn’t be possible unless she took her time. The complexity of the novel practically demands it. Even if you’re a reader averse to the slow burn, I still recommend this one enthusiastically. It’s just that good.

So pick it up. Slow down.

Enjoy.
Profile Image for Dana.
397 reviews15 followers
September 13, 2025
This was a complex maze of a read. I thoroughly enjoyed the story, and I am impressed this was a debut.

It wasn't an easy read, though. Keeping track of the shifting timelines and perspectives was a task. But I was happy with the book overall.
Profile Image for JJ Pedigo.
11 reviews
September 29, 2024
I had to DNF this book. I’ve never DNF’d a book, but I knew I could not get into this book when on the 5th day or reading, I opted just to not read at all. It’s sooo slow to get into, it’s 3 separate stories happening at once and half way through the book it just feels like there’s hardly a plot. Not to mention there are SO MANY typos. This book is riddled with misspelled words and punctuation errors.
Profile Image for April.
102 reviews18 followers
October 6, 2024
I honestly don’t know what happened here. The timelines. The typos. The missing words. I’m sure it was an attempt to be clever and maybe I’m just missing something but meh.
Profile Image for Hannah | Reading Under Covers.
1,276 reviews127 followers
September 13, 2024
When the police show up on Eddy’s doorstep after finding a body at the bottom of the well, she reveals that her late mother was writing a multi-generational manuscript about a girl named Cat, which may lead to some answers for the police.

Huge thanks to the author, Aimee Hardy, for sending me an ARC of her upcoming debut POCKET FULL OF TEETH (out SEPTEMBER 13!)

This story was complex, intricately woven, and eerie to say the least.

In just over 300 pages, Hardy details the lives of three women through a written manuscript, journal entries, and a police transcript, creating a maze much like the one surrounding the manor house that is central to the story - but much more complicated to get to the center of!

This book is spooky, yet loaded with grief and imperfect humans, making it one that I will be unpacking for much time to come.
Profile Image for Josh Argo.
49 reviews3 followers
November 11, 2024
This was an interesting read that wasn’t my normal cup of tea (see what I did there?) but I’m not sure anyone normally reads books like this, because it was so unique.

This is one that I think re-reading would open up more things about the characters and story and I very well may do that in the future.

The book was very well written and the author did a phenomenal job building the environment of the house, the town and describing the characters and their struggles.
Profile Image for Phoebe.
35 reviews2 followers
April 7, 2025
did this book not have an editor? the typos, the incorrect character names, the timelines that just did not make sense...i loved a frame story as much as the next person, but it has to be done well and these all took me right out of the story.

there's definitely potential here, but this was just a little too messy.
Profile Image for Christine HorrorReaderWeekend.
424 reviews47 followers
June 15, 2024
This book opens with the transcript of a police interview with Eddy Sparrow.

Eddy is being questioned because her locket was found near a body discovered in an abandoned estate.

And thus begins a multigenerational, multiple POV perfect gem of a southern gothic novel. Told through interview transcripts, a diary and a “cursed manuscript,” fairy tales, footnotes and newspaper articles. I was immersed in the interwoven lives of Eddy and Beatrix, Cat and Sarah, Helen and Eleanor Saunders. Southern women drinking tea and seeking love but finding grief, tortured by obsession and mental illness, secrets and abuse, haunted by ghosts and southern witchery.

Hardy skillfully creates a type of MUCH MORE approachable House of Leaves (by Danielewski) with current and past voices speaking to each others experiences.

An incredibly engrossing read, with mesmerizing characters that know heartache and joy. I am always fascinated by stories of mothers and daughters, the dysfunction and overwhelming NEED of the relationship. Hardy captures it, exposes it and ultimately polishes it to a shine that brought me to tears.

I read this as an ARC, shared by Aimee and I am GRATEFUL. I loved it.
Profile Image for Drew.
4 reviews20 followers
October 9, 2025
Pocket Full of Teeth is a chilling tale set in the Deep South where nightmares lurk around every corner. Readers will not find goblins and zombies on its pages. The monsters retreat deeper into dark corners where ghosts whisper and evil waits for its chance to pounce.

The book reads like a folder found on the desk of a private investigator or a journalist working nights at a tabloid. It’s as if we have stumbled onto something we should not have seen and have started turning pages, reading by the light of the desk lamp. It combines archived interviews, journal entries, a found manuscript, and the footnotes of a dead historian. Myths, fairy tales, and ghost stories are woven throughout these sources. Hardy deftly combines these elements into a coherent story. The documentary style gives the reader a sense that this could have happened somewhere in a real small town in the foothills of Appalachia.

The cast of characters is as intricately interwoven as the sources that shape the story. There’s Cat, the author of the manuscript; her mother, Sarah, who left behind a journal filled with her most intimate thoughts; Eddy, a young woman questioned by police after a body is discovered at the bottom of a well; and Eddy’s mother—the chronicler—who appears only in the footnotes of Cat’s manuscript. Together, these women and the others who orbit their lives draw us deeper into their tangled, haunting story.

Hardy is a good writer. At times, her prose flows like the best poetry. Her descriptive powers are impressive and decorate an already gripping tale in such a way it keeps the reader turning pages.

If you’re looking for a good story set in the South or a haunting tale with strange twist and turns, this book is for you!
Profile Image for Daisy .
48 reviews2 followers
September 12, 2024
This is the perfect book to read this spooky season grab this book, a cup of tea, a throw blanket, and maybe some little rain outside and the vibes would be immaculate. Here we have a gothic horror told as a police interview with 3 different pov's all in different timelines. The first pov would be Eddy the one telling the story, the second pov is Cat and her life, and the third pov is Cat's mom's journal. There are footnotes in this and it explains why in the book so I don't recommend you skip those because some of the footnotes relate to the story that's being told. I really liked seeing how all 3 pov's come together in the end and how they all relate to the initial murder that's being investigated. Another important thing to mention is there are Tw's in the beginning if you need them. I was expecting just a straight up horror with slight gore and what not but I got a gothic horror which is, in my opinion, way better the eeriness and the sense of dread was right up my alley. If you like gothic horror with some mystery and supernatural elements thrown in I highly recommend this one. (There's also some lgbtq rep in here as well !)

Thank you to the author for reaching out and sending me an Arc for an honest review 🦷
Profile Image for Maddi Hoffman.
159 reviews17 followers
September 13, 2024
I loved this story!! Aimee Hardy uses journal entries, a written manuscript, and a police manuscript to tell the story of 3 beautifully sad women.

I would definitely classify this as a slow burn horror, but as you read through the story and start making connections, you can’t stop. Between the beautifully written prose and the eerie backdrop of the house. You have to know what’s coming next.

While this book does have creepy elements, to me, it’s really the story of a girl working through the grief of losing her mother and learning how to walk through life without her.

I would definitely suggest this if you like:
🏚️ Creepy old houses
📖 A story within a story
👏🏻 People getting what they deserve
👻 Ghosts in the walls
💕 Very small, very slow burn romance

This is definitely a good fall read to add to the tbr! 👏🏻👏🏻

Thank you so much to Aimee Hardy for the copy to review! Such a great story! 🦷🖤✨
9 reviews
September 8, 2025
based schizo-story that i honestly liked a lot more than i thought i would. I liked it so much that i read it instantly. I wish i had a frontal lobe to actually understand this book. A few typos here and there but thats made up for with how connected everything is. Lots of notes and references to itself and whatnot.

I know Eddy's schizophrenic storytelling and how it was actually Stephen in the well means I'm supposed to not take her story about Maggie and Ginny at face value, but I will because I also agree with the concept of "bending stories to your will," and I want Cat and Liz to live happily ever after, just like the princess. Maybe I missed the point.

Overall, I bought this book hoping for blood and guts horror, and came out wondering why I was so entranced in the romance, horror, and worldbuilding of it all. Also the horror is like slow burn ghost shit which is pretty cool. Love unreliable narrators (basically everyone in this story).
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
2 reviews
March 12, 2025
Hardy clearly has a story she wants to tell, but I don’t know that a novel is the best medium to tell it. The plot itself is engaging, but is difficult to keep track of admist the perspective changes. At times it was stressful reading through the diary entries and remembering that this was a story within a story within a story. Alas, the diary entries provided essential context for the story. However something I would consider unnecessary would be the footnotes. They made sense from a narrative standpoint, but does the word library really need a footnote???

In conclusion, I hope Hardy makes a deal with a game developer because I think that would be a better medium to tell the story she wants to tell.
58 reviews1 follower
September 16, 2024
loved this slow burn southern gothic! felt like you are putting the pieces of this puzzle together with every page. being from the south, i feel this book does a great job of portraying the unraveling of stories and rumors passed down through generations and southern small towns. the perfect suspenseful spooky season read!
Profile Image for j e s s i c a.
5 reviews1 follower
October 17, 2024
I enjoyed the story and the format it was written in. As someone who loses focus easily, hopping back and forth to the different points of view kept me engaged. That said, I had a really, really hard time with the typos and missing words. Numerous misspelled words (“saw” instead of “was” really got me). It was distracting to say the least. However, despite that, I really liked the actual story and presentation. I’d love to see how the author evolves over time.
8 reviews
October 15, 2024
Beautifully written, A Pocket Full of Teeth sucked me in from the beginning and kept me glued to the page. Spooky and sometimes disturbing, this story was pure southern gothic horror. Each character felt authentic and I'm still thinking about this story days after I finished it.
Profile Image for Kristina.
233 reviews10 followers
December 3, 2024
Challenging as an audio book to always remember which of the narratives I was inside at the time (but I suspect the same for the text?). A little convoluted for me to follow, I feel like I need a summary of what happened, didn’t happen, and who people were.
560 reviews4 followers
December 31, 2024
Strange and bizarre tale of a simple police interview related to a potential found body. Or is it? Really this is a story about several generations of women and their daughters. Or is it? Mysterious, twists and turns with so much more. Enjoy. Oh, and stay away from the maze.
Profile Image for Liz.
21 reviews
October 1, 2024
I enjoyed the story but there were a lot of timeline discrepancies that seemed unintentional.
Profile Image for Crystal E..
15 reviews2 followers
November 6, 2024
So bizarre

Good premise, but then the last half... Meh. Not believable. Too confusing. The writing was okay but holy cow EDIT... So many typos and words left out of sentences.
Profile Image for Morgan.
453 reviews
November 10, 2024
The poor editing led me to quickly lose interest in this tale. I'd be curious to know what this would have been like with a bigger publishing house.
Profile Image for Anna M..
227 reviews
November 25, 2024
Interesting writing devices, but it dud not make sense at the end of the book. She develops these interesting characters and then doesn’t take them anywhere at the end.
Profile Image for Kathy.
490 reviews
January 4, 2025
I love a good gothic. This was not that. Typos, timeline, and a couple POV issues. Love the title.
Profile Image for Matt.
17 reviews1 follower
February 14, 2025
Awesome read! There are so many twists and turns throughout and until the very end. There are a couple of grammatical errors, but nothing major. Overall, it's a fantastic read!
Profile Image for Bailey Weeks.
209 reviews5 followers
November 16, 2025
A little confusing. It was an interesting plot, but there was just too much going on and too many plot lines.
1 review
November 24, 2025
Beautiful composed! What an amazing story. I felt like I was watching the entire story unfold from inside the story. Captivating!
Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews

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