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What Big Teeth
Rose Szabo's thrilling debut is a dark and thrilling novel about a teen girl who returns home to her strange, wild family after years of estrangement.
Eleanor Zarrin has been estranged from her wild family for years. When she flees boarding school after a horrifying incident, she goes to the only place she thinks is safe: the home she left behind. But when she gets there, she struggles to fit in with her monstrous relatives, who prowl the woods around the family estate and read fortunes in the guts of birds.
Eleanor finds herself desperately trying to hold the family together — in order to save them all, Eleanor must learn to embrace her family of monsters and tame the darkness inside her.
Eleanor Zarrin has been estranged from her wild family for years. When she flees boarding school after a horrifying incident, she goes to the only place she thinks is safe: the home she left behind. But when she gets there, she struggles to fit in with her monstrous relatives, who prowl the woods around the family estate and read fortunes in the guts of birds.
Eleanor finds herself desperately trying to hold the family together — in order to save them all, Eleanor must learn to embrace her family of monsters and tame the darkness inside her.
394 pages, Hardcover
First published February 2, 2021
350 people are currently reading
26730 people want to read
About the author
Rose Szabo
5 books274 followersRose Szabo is a nonbinary writer from Richmond, VA, where they live with an assortment of people and animals and teach writing at VCU. They have an MA in English from the University of Maine and an MFA in creative writing from VCU. Their work has been published in See the Elephant and Quaint magazines. What Big Teeth is their first novel.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,757 reviews
September 6, 2022
This is bizarre, ultra disturbing, mind shattering, shocking!
After seeing this impressively beautiful but also extremely terrifying cover that gives you churning stomach, shaking hands, flabbergasted mental state : you truly expect something evil comes out to haunt you down!
You’re not mistaken my friends, this book froze my blood, I keep trembling since I read the impactful prologue! Somebody has wider teeth to create a true bloody massacre!
This book is creepier than entire Tim Burton movies ( and Helena Bonham Carter’s entire wardrobe) It’s like triple scarier version of Dark Shadows meets Addams Family with a little Beetlejuice Vibes ( unfortunately the villain of the story is not like adorable like Mr. Keaton- my one and only Batman-)
Let’s take a quick look to the synopsis for giving you more juicy details to help you understand why I am still screaming after closing the last page of the book! (And entire neighborhood already witnessed high capacity of my poor vocal cords)
Eleanor has been sent to Saint Brigid Boarding School by her grandmother Persephone, haven’t heard from her family for a long time. With her whiteish hair, pale face and sharp dental structure, she’s a easy target for the bullies of the school but one day she decides to become hunter after being prey for a long time. She did a bad bad thing ( background song: Chris Isaak’s Baby did a bad bad thing ) and ran away from the school, jumping on a train to go back to family house!
As soon as she arrives she finds out her not so sweet grandma already sees her arrival via cards and entire family organized a dinner to welcome her with open arms!
We are introduced to the weirdest and creepiest family members you may hardly imagine! Her mother looks like half sea creature lives in a washtub. His father seems like he isn’t pleased to see her. Her sister acts weird, extra cheerful, keeps wrestling with their bulky, threatening cousin and her grandpa Miklos is half wolf who likes to eat fresh animal inner organs for dinner!
Let’s not forget their family friend tempting Arthur: it seems like everybody likes him way too much ! (Eleanor has to fight with her sister and cousin to earn his attention! )
Weird family, very awkward and dysfunctional relationship patterns and after one of them dies, everything gets out of control!
I’m stopping here but I assure you the things you’ll read from now on is getting crazier, more confusing, frightening! I had at least 100 WTH moments! Expect the unexpected!
I love creative craziness that gives me fidgeting, goose bumps! More anxious I get, feel more connected with the story !
I’m rounding up my 4.5 stars to this unusual, unconventional, dark, bloody, horrifying 5 stars to this nightmarish story!
Especially the last revelations and unexpected twists were well developed. Never ever see that coming!
Special thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan Children Publishing Group/ Farrar, Straus and Giroux for sharing this digital reviewer copy with me in exchange my honest thoughts.
After seeing this impressively beautiful but also extremely terrifying cover that gives you churning stomach, shaking hands, flabbergasted mental state : you truly expect something evil comes out to haunt you down!
You’re not mistaken my friends, this book froze my blood, I keep trembling since I read the impactful prologue! Somebody has wider teeth to create a true bloody massacre!
This book is creepier than entire Tim Burton movies ( and Helena Bonham Carter’s entire wardrobe) It’s like triple scarier version of Dark Shadows meets Addams Family with a little Beetlejuice Vibes ( unfortunately the villain of the story is not like adorable like Mr. Keaton- my one and only Batman-)
Let’s take a quick look to the synopsis for giving you more juicy details to help you understand why I am still screaming after closing the last page of the book! (And entire neighborhood already witnessed high capacity of my poor vocal cords)
Eleanor has been sent to Saint Brigid Boarding School by her grandmother Persephone, haven’t heard from her family for a long time. With her whiteish hair, pale face and sharp dental structure, she’s a easy target for the bullies of the school but one day she decides to become hunter after being prey for a long time. She did a bad bad thing ( background song: Chris Isaak’s Baby did a bad bad thing ) and ran away from the school, jumping on a train to go back to family house!
As soon as she arrives she finds out her not so sweet grandma already sees her arrival via cards and entire family organized a dinner to welcome her with open arms!
We are introduced to the weirdest and creepiest family members you may hardly imagine! Her mother looks like half sea creature lives in a washtub. His father seems like he isn’t pleased to see her. Her sister acts weird, extra cheerful, keeps wrestling with their bulky, threatening cousin and her grandpa Miklos is half wolf who likes to eat fresh animal inner organs for dinner!
Let’s not forget their family friend tempting Arthur: it seems like everybody likes him way too much ! (Eleanor has to fight with her sister and cousin to earn his attention! )
Weird family, very awkward and dysfunctional relationship patterns and after one of them dies, everything gets out of control!
I’m stopping here but I assure you the things you’ll read from now on is getting crazier, more confusing, frightening! I had at least 100 WTH moments! Expect the unexpected!
I love creative craziness that gives me fidgeting, goose bumps! More anxious I get, feel more connected with the story !
I’m rounding up my 4.5 stars to this unusual, unconventional, dark, bloody, horrifying 5 stars to this nightmarish story!
Especially the last revelations and unexpected twists were well developed. Never ever see that coming!
Special thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan Children Publishing Group/ Farrar, Straus and Giroux for sharing this digital reviewer copy with me in exchange my honest thoughts.
February 6, 2022
There’s a unique quality to the writing and the gothic atmosphere the author sets up throughout the story. My favorite part is the grotesque way that certain characters’ powers are depicted during the climax. I wish there had been a stronger direction with the plot and more development with the family members, as the majority of it ended up being overly dependent on one character (Arthur) - this made it feel like it should have been Arthur’s story rather than the protagonist’s or even her family’s. I question why she had to be the main character when she didn’t serve much to the story and was very passive most of the time.
February 12, 2021
It had to happen. 2021 was obviously going too good in terms of my reading. I'd already hit 10 books, two of which were 5 star reads (which I don't give out that frequently). While most of the books were 3 star reads, there was nothing particularly bad. It was looking like a pretty great reading year with not a bad book in sight.
Then I read this.
Let me state this flat out. I. Hate. This. Book. Very few books manage to actively make me mad while reading them, congrats book, you're one of the few.
Plot (using the description from the book as I don't feel like wasting any more time on it):
"Eleanor Zarrin has been estranged from her wild family for years. When she flees boarding school after a horrifying incident, she goes to the only place she thinks is safe: the home she left behind. But when she gets there, she struggles to fit in with her monstrous relatives, who prowl the woods around the family estate and read fortunes in the guts of birds.
Eleanor finds herself desperately trying to hold the family together―in order to save them all, Eleanor must learn to embrace her family of monsters and tame the darkness inside her."
Alright, at first I was completely down with this. It started with a very Adams Family-vibe to it and I was intrigued by the mysterious aspects of the characters. I liked figuring out what they truly were and I loved the grandfather's vague dialogue that said so much while saying so little at times (his stories of his childhood "without words" in particular impressed me). Then we started learning more about the family and everything went to hell.
You know what makes the Adams Family charming? They're a loving family. They may be insane, or monsters and occasionally frightening, but they always show some love toward each-other. Hell, they love other outsiders as well. If someone came up to the Adams' house pretending to be a long lost relative, they would take them in. Not because they believed it (The Adams family take great pride in keeping up with their family tree) but because if you were in need of family, they would take you in. They accepted outsiders. This book... it's the opposite.
There is none of that charm here. I hated every character here. I hated their casual cruelty, their constant doubt, their numerous faults without any charm to make up for it. The characters are either too bland, or they go to great lengths to be terrible. Even the most interesting had done something so horrible that I wondered who I was supposed to cheer for. Before you say "but Tim, maybe that was the point!" Do not give this book that much credit. It is clear we're supposed to like some of these characters. I just see no reason to do so.
Now plenty of good books have been written with unlikable characters. I'm saying this book wasn't good enough to pull it off. What could have been an interesting story is instead just frustrating.
What is the take away from this book? Family is more important than anything? Doesn't matter if they abandon you, fear you, threaten to kill you, hit you and tell you you are unwanted.... to need to always stand by them? To hell with that message. By the end I only felt pity towards our lead and the story she was trapped in.
You know what the worst part is? I actually really liked this at first. After a wonderful opening and the mystery mentioned above, I was open to pretty much loving this. I kept reading because I sat there going "no, you're not going to ruin this. We're going to correct course any page" and yet it didn't. Even when we hit the point that my brain recognized as the point of no return, I still wanted to hope. Correct course? No, the book became a train wreck in slow motion while being on the train. I could see the wreck about to happen, but could nothing in other than stare in disbelief because it had to correct itself.
Well, it didn't. So here I am writing an actively angry review. I guess at least the book made me feel a strong emotion. Most likely not what it was aiming for. 1/5 stars
Then I read this.
Let me state this flat out. I. Hate. This. Book. Very few books manage to actively make me mad while reading them, congrats book, you're one of the few.
Plot (using the description from the book as I don't feel like wasting any more time on it):
"Eleanor Zarrin has been estranged from her wild family for years. When she flees boarding school after a horrifying incident, she goes to the only place she thinks is safe: the home she left behind. But when she gets there, she struggles to fit in with her monstrous relatives, who prowl the woods around the family estate and read fortunes in the guts of birds.
Eleanor finds herself desperately trying to hold the family together―in order to save them all, Eleanor must learn to embrace her family of monsters and tame the darkness inside her."
Alright, at first I was completely down with this. It started with a very Adams Family-vibe to it and I was intrigued by the mysterious aspects of the characters. I liked figuring out what they truly were and I loved the grandfather's vague dialogue that said so much while saying so little at times (his stories of his childhood "without words" in particular impressed me). Then we started learning more about the family and everything went to hell.
You know what makes the Adams Family charming? They're a loving family. They may be insane, or monsters and occasionally frightening, but they always show some love toward each-other. Hell, they love other outsiders as well. If someone came up to the Adams' house pretending to be a long lost relative, they would take them in. Not because they believed it (The Adams family take great pride in keeping up with their family tree) but because if you were in need of family, they would take you in. They accepted outsiders. This book... it's the opposite.
There is none of that charm here. I hated every character here. I hated their casual cruelty, their constant doubt, their numerous faults without any charm to make up for it. The characters are either too bland, or they go to great lengths to be terrible. Even the most interesting had done something so horrible that I wondered who I was supposed to cheer for. Before you say "but Tim, maybe that was the point!" Do not give this book that much credit. It is clear we're supposed to like some of these characters. I just see no reason to do so.
Now plenty of good books have been written with unlikable characters. I'm saying this book wasn't good enough to pull it off. What could have been an interesting story is instead just frustrating.
What is the take away from this book? Family is more important than anything? Doesn't matter if they abandon you, fear you, threaten to kill you, hit you and tell you you are unwanted.... to need to always stand by them? To hell with that message. By the end I only felt pity towards our lead and the story she was trapped in.
You know what the worst part is? I actually really liked this at first. After a wonderful opening and the mystery mentioned above, I was open to pretty much loving this. I kept reading because I sat there going "no, you're not going to ruin this. We're going to correct course any page" and yet it didn't. Even when we hit the point that my brain recognized as the point of no return, I still wanted to hope. Correct course? No, the book became a train wreck in slow motion while being on the train. I could see the wreck about to happen, but could nothing in other than stare in disbelief because it had to correct itself.
Well, it didn't. So here I am writing an actively angry review. I guess at least the book made me feel a strong emotion. Most likely not what it was aiming for. 1/5 stars
December 28, 2023
**2.5-stars rounded up**
Here's the thing, normally when I finish a book, I like to let it stew for a while before I write my review.
Generally, I will rate a book, write a couple of quick thoughts and return at a later time to compose a full review; giving myself permission to alter that initial rating.
It doesn't happen often, but sometimes I will raise or lower the rating depending on how the story has impacted me more long-term.
Unfortunately, What Big Teeth is the type of story that I feel like if I wait any length of time at all, I will remember nothing about this.
Here I am minutes post-turning that final page and I already feel the details of this book flying out of my brain like dust in the wind.
This story follows Eleanor Zarrin, who was sent away from her family home many years ago. She was shipped off to a private school and never even returned to visit.
Now as a teenager, after being the perpetrator of a violent act at her school, Eleanor is forced to flee and return to the unopen arms of her estranged family. The Zarrin Estate is set on the coast of Maine in a little town called Winterport.
Over the course of the story, Eleanor becomes reintroduced to the monstrous relatives she had left behind. She begins to come into her own in this strange place; learning more about herself and her family history than she ever knew before.
And that's really all I've got by way of a summary for this book. I didn't recognize much of a compelling plot for me to sink my teeth into other than learning about the family.
It was just sort of an odd family drama following a Lovecraftian-Addams family. While I understand that the author probably had more in mind when writing this, whatever it was went 100% over my head.
The reason I am rounding this up to three stars, silver linings, is because of the quality of Szabo's writing. It really was beautiful. It was super fluid and I really enjoyed the tone. The point though, yeah, that was completely lost on me.
For this one, these are my full and final thoughts. I am obsessed with this cover. I will keep this on my shelves and I will definitely pick-up Szabo's future works!
Here's the thing, normally when I finish a book, I like to let it stew for a while before I write my review.
Generally, I will rate a book, write a couple of quick thoughts and return at a later time to compose a full review; giving myself permission to alter that initial rating.
It doesn't happen often, but sometimes I will raise or lower the rating depending on how the story has impacted me more long-term.
Unfortunately, What Big Teeth is the type of story that I feel like if I wait any length of time at all, I will remember nothing about this.
Here I am minutes post-turning that final page and I already feel the details of this book flying out of my brain like dust in the wind.
This story follows Eleanor Zarrin, who was sent away from her family home many years ago. She was shipped off to a private school and never even returned to visit.
Now as a teenager, after being the perpetrator of a violent act at her school, Eleanor is forced to flee and return to the unopen arms of her estranged family. The Zarrin Estate is set on the coast of Maine in a little town called Winterport.
Over the course of the story, Eleanor becomes reintroduced to the monstrous relatives she had left behind. She begins to come into her own in this strange place; learning more about herself and her family history than she ever knew before.
And that's really all I've got by way of a summary for this book. I didn't recognize much of a compelling plot for me to sink my teeth into other than learning about the family.
It was just sort of an odd family drama following a Lovecraftian-Addams family. While I understand that the author probably had more in mind when writing this, whatever it was went 100% over my head.
The reason I am rounding this up to three stars, silver linings, is because of the quality of Szabo's writing. It really was beautiful. It was super fluid and I really enjoyed the tone. The point though, yeah, that was completely lost on me.
For this one, these are my full and final thoughts. I am obsessed with this cover. I will keep this on my shelves and I will definitely pick-up Szabo's future works!
May 5, 2021
I don’t freaking know!!
I don’t buy very many books any more that I haven’t read through the library first. Once in a blue moon and I’m even skipping book boxes until I stop all together. BUT, this was one of those beautiful covers with an awesome synopsis.
And I’m not saying the book was bad! I loved the hell out of the characters and the weirdassness, but I don’t half know what was going on. Plus, I finally just wanted it to end, when before I was very intrigued.
I don’t think I’m going to ever read it again so I’m unhauling the hardback, another beautiful cover to go 🙄
I have a feeling a lot of my physical copies of books are going to go upon rereading. I just don’t want all the things, I can’t remember half of all the things and I want to be surrounded by things I love love. The hell this all has to do with anything is beyond me 🤨
Sighhhhhhhhhhhhh............
Mel 🖤🐶🐺🐾
I don’t buy very many books any more that I haven’t read through the library first. Once in a blue moon and I’m even skipping book boxes until I stop all together. BUT, this was one of those beautiful covers with an awesome synopsis.
And I’m not saying the book was bad! I loved the hell out of the characters and the weirdassness, but I don’t half know what was going on. Plus, I finally just wanted it to end, when before I was very intrigued.
I don’t think I’m going to ever read it again so I’m unhauling the hardback, another beautiful cover to go 🙄
I have a feeling a lot of my physical copies of books are going to go upon rereading. I just don’t want all the things, I can’t remember half of all the things and I want to be surrounded by things I love love. The hell this all has to do with anything is beyond me 🤨
Sighhhhhhhhhhhhh............
Mel 🖤🐶🐺🐾
May 22, 2021
**3.5**
What a weirdo. Hecka Addams Family vibes. And you KNOW we love some Addams Family in this house.
It reads like a fairytale of a family where some of them can turn into wolves, one is basically a bog person, some can make people do things with their minds/words. It is all quite odd and honestly a pretty great time.
I didn't end up thinking about it after it was over because none of the characters really stuck with me. But the premise and oddities of the over all story were so cool that I had to give it a 4 star.
What a weirdo. Hecka Addams Family vibes. And you KNOW we love some Addams Family in this house.
It reads like a fairytale of a family where some of them can turn into wolves, one is basically a bog person, some can make people do things with their minds/words. It is all quite odd and honestly a pretty great time.
I didn't end up thinking about it after it was over because none of the characters really stuck with me. But the premise and oddities of the over all story were so cool that I had to give it a 4 star.
June 29, 2021
3.5 stars
This debut is filled with teeth, ominous undertones, and horror-set vibes. A very interesting debut, even if it didn't jive for me personally.
Concepts: ★★★★★
Writing style ★★
Use of speculative elements: ★★★ 1/2
Pacing: ★★★
Overall Enjoyment: ★★★ 1/2
Eleanor Zarrin has been away at boarding school for many, many years. But it's time to come home—she has no choice. What greets her at home is her family...shapeshifters, eldritch horrors mixed with human features, the family friend who eats nothing and gleams in the moonlight, and her fortune-telling grandmother holding it all together.
But when Eleanor's grandmother dies violently over the tarot card deck while reading Eleanor's fortune, things start to turn sour in the Zarrin household.
With no where to turn to and feeling trapped by her family's suspicions and distanced aloofness, Eleanor finds a letter from her other grandmother locked in a chest. She decides to invite her to come to the Zarrin house. It would be nice to meet her other grandmother...
But no one in the Zarrin household—whether they have teeth, sea-skin, or blackened maws—is ready for the Other Grandmother. Least of all Eleanor.
"You take after your other grandmother, Eleanor," they said. They never meant it as a compliment.
My thoughts:
So for those who know my reading tastes, this seems like the perfect read. Right? That makes it extra painful to share that I really... didn't mesh with this story at all. It might the case of it's me, not the book. Definitely take all of the below with a grain of salt.
In particular, I found it extremely hard to get into the groove with the way the story was told. Basic plot facts were purposefully dangled and never explained, and yet we spent a lot of time on physical descriptions and internal thought processes, so the lack of plot depth became frustrating as opposed to interesting. It left me with a very uneven sense of what was even happening—and NOT in a good way like a typical mysterious horror set-up. If we'd been vague in all things, it would have made sense as a style choice, but with way too much time spent with Eleanor's thoughts on mundane teenage romance feelings and descriptions of the settings the lack of plot knowledge felt like a lack of building.
I also thought that the pacing seemed off, but that could be tied to my frustrations with the way the story unfolded. The first half felt like we were in a holding pattern, and while the vague, horror "What's happening??" atmosphere worked for the first 100 pages... I got bored waiting for the shoe to drop and the plot to begin. And when it did begin, then I was frustrated that we veered away from that and decided to focus on a romantic subplot that didn't seem to make sense in the story. Without spoilers I can't say much, but if you'd just snipped out the romance it would have been a lot stronger. It was a distraction, for me, and an added frustration when combined with the rest of this (vagueness, lack of plot action, etc).
But I did find the ending worked out well. It was worth the wait, and even though it became easy to predict the further you read, that lack of surprise did not take away from the satisfaction of the moment.
Overall, definitely check this one out if the cover appeals to you and you're a fan of horror and speculative fiction.
Thank you to the publisher via NetGalley for an ARC of this title in exchange for an honest review.
Blog | Instagram
This debut is filled with teeth, ominous undertones, and horror-set vibes. A very interesting debut, even if it didn't jive for me personally.
Concepts: ★★★★★
Writing style ★★
Use of speculative elements: ★★★ 1/2
Pacing: ★★★
Overall Enjoyment: ★★★ 1/2
Eleanor Zarrin has been away at boarding school for many, many years. But it's time to come home—she has no choice. What greets her at home is her family...shapeshifters, eldritch horrors mixed with human features, the family friend who eats nothing and gleams in the moonlight, and her fortune-telling grandmother holding it all together.
But when Eleanor's grandmother dies violently over the tarot card deck while reading Eleanor's fortune, things start to turn sour in the Zarrin household.
With no where to turn to and feeling trapped by her family's suspicions and distanced aloofness, Eleanor finds a letter from her other grandmother locked in a chest. She decides to invite her to come to the Zarrin house. It would be nice to meet her other grandmother...
But no one in the Zarrin household—whether they have teeth, sea-skin, or blackened maws—is ready for the Other Grandmother. Least of all Eleanor.
"You take after your other grandmother, Eleanor," they said. They never meant it as a compliment.
My thoughts:
So for those who know my reading tastes, this seems like the perfect read. Right? That makes it extra painful to share that I really... didn't mesh with this story at all. It might the case of it's me, not the book. Definitely take all of the below with a grain of salt.
In particular, I found it extremely hard to get into the groove with the way the story was told. Basic plot facts were purposefully dangled and never explained, and yet we spent a lot of time on physical descriptions and internal thought processes, so the lack of plot depth became frustrating as opposed to interesting. It left me with a very uneven sense of what was even happening—and NOT in a good way like a typical mysterious horror set-up. If we'd been vague in all things, it would have made sense as a style choice, but with way too much time spent with Eleanor's thoughts on mundane teenage romance feelings and descriptions of the settings the lack of plot knowledge felt like a lack of building.
I also thought that the pacing seemed off, but that could be tied to my frustrations with the way the story unfolded. The first half felt like we were in a holding pattern, and while the vague, horror "What's happening??" atmosphere worked for the first 100 pages... I got bored waiting for the shoe to drop and the plot to begin. And when it did begin, then I was frustrated that we veered away from that and decided to focus on a romantic subplot that didn't seem to make sense in the story. Without spoilers I can't say much, but if you'd just snipped out the romance it would have been a lot stronger. It was a distraction, for me, and an added frustration when combined with the rest of this (vagueness, lack of plot action, etc).
But I did find the ending worked out well. It was worth the wait, and even though it became easy to predict the further you read, that lack of surprise did not take away from the satisfaction of the moment.
Overall, definitely check this one out if the cover appeals to you and you're a fan of horror and speculative fiction.
Thank you to the publisher via NetGalley for an ARC of this title in exchange for an honest review.
Blog | Instagram
April 10, 2021
This wasn't quite what I was expecting after being hooked by that absolutely incredible cover and then, very quickly after, by the pitch.
I honestly don't quite know what this was. It's such a hodge podge of so many things, and almost feels like twelve different stories in one -- a bizarre mix of everything in the pantry plus the kitchen sink -- and so sometimes I would love a taste, other times I would wonder who thought to mix such things together and why, and then even still I would just be hunting for the other shoe before it could drop.. even though I thought I was already wearing both shoes. Does any of this make sense? Likely not. Probably because of so many mixed metaphors. But it feels fitting.
I was tempted to leave this unrated because I truly don't know how to feel about this but ultimately even considering the bits I liked, it all just feels like.. not cohesive? Weirdly stitched together? Better yet.. you know that feeling you get when your long sleeved shirt is bunched up high on your arm under your hoodie? The shirt is comfortable, the sweatshirt even moreso, but you are highly uncomfortable anyway. That's maybe the best I can do. Separately everything about this, on its own, and maybe even in some combinations, are things I like. All together? Bizarre. Strange. Weird. Pick a synonym.
Having said that, there is definitely going to be an audience for this. I read this two months early and I already see a lot of advance praise for it. So take this review, as always, with a grain o'salt.
2.5 stars
** I received an ARC from the publisher (thank you!) in exchange for an honest review. **
----
This review can also be found at A Take From Two Cities.
I honestly don't quite know what this was. It's such a hodge podge of so many things, and almost feels like twelve different stories in one -- a bizarre mix of everything in the pantry plus the kitchen sink -- and so sometimes I would love a taste, other times I would wonder who thought to mix such things together and why, and then even still I would just be hunting for the other shoe before it could drop.. even though I thought I was already wearing both shoes. Does any of this make sense? Likely not. Probably because of so many mixed metaphors. But it feels fitting.
I was tempted to leave this unrated because I truly don't know how to feel about this but ultimately even considering the bits I liked, it all just feels like.. not cohesive? Weirdly stitched together? Better yet.. you know that feeling you get when your long sleeved shirt is bunched up high on your arm under your hoodie? The shirt is comfortable, the sweatshirt even moreso, but you are highly uncomfortable anyway. That's maybe the best I can do. Separately everything about this, on its own, and maybe even in some combinations, are things I like. All together? Bizarre. Strange. Weird. Pick a synonym.
Having said that, there is definitely going to be an audience for this. I read this two months early and I already see a lot of advance praise for it. So take this review, as always, with a grain o'salt.
2.5 stars
** I received an ARC from the publisher (thank you!) in exchange for an honest review. **
----
This review can also be found at A Take From Two Cities.
August 24, 2020
I should read more horror, because I really enjoy it. And this one was fabulous! Don’t miss it when it releases next year!
dnf-lost-interest
January 11, 2021DNF @ 39%
I can tell that this one isn't going to be for me, and I don't want to press on just for the purpose of writing a poor review when it could be the perfect read for someone else. My issues mainly lie in the fact that I'm so incredibly confused with what is going on and the purpose behind the story. Hopefully, this gorgeous cover will reel in the reader who will appreciate this book.
*Many thanks to the publisher for providing my review copy.
I can tell that this one isn't going to be for me, and I don't want to press on just for the purpose of writing a poor review when it could be the perfect read for someone else. My issues mainly lie in the fact that I'm so incredibly confused with what is going on and the purpose behind the story. Hopefully, this gorgeous cover will reel in the reader who will appreciate this book.
*Many thanks to the publisher for providing my review copy.
July 3, 2022
A "GOOD" BOOK WITH A DOUBLE PORTION OF UNCHECKED BIGOTRY
On one hand, WhatBig Teeth is an astonishingly good horror novel about intergenerational trauma and family secrets. On the other hand, it’s blatantly homophobic. So although I absolutely loved this book…I feel bad about doing so.
First, what I liked. Rose Szabo’s debut novel is a beautifully written paranormal/horror tale that feels like a YA answer to last year’s Mexican Gothic, and it would be a good readalike for those who enjoy Rory Power. (See, Burn Our Bodies Down , a creepy story about family secrets set among cursed Nebraska cornfields.) The Zarrin family is eerie and weird, and the narrative isn’t too focused on explaining the hows or the whys of their situation. It seems clear that this was inspired, at least partially, by The Addams Family, but the author takes it to a much, much darker place.
I could go on about the atmospheric prose, the clever plot twists, the intricate and perfectly-timed perspective shifts. But I don’t want to bury the lede or spend too much time on things that are ultimately unimportant. I enjoyed What Big Teeth a whole bunch, but at the end of the day, Szabo made a very big miscalculation in their portrayal of male members of the Zarrin family. Protagonist Eleanor’s first cousin, her father, and her grandfather are all gay. This is treated (more or less) as a family curse, and the narrative never resolves the issue of these characters’ sexuality in an affirming or empowering manner.
There is a critical difference between a book portraying bigotry as part of its thematic schema and a book condoning bigotry, either by implicitly reinforcing prejudiced views or by failing to confront the wrong-headed thinking espoused by the characters. Rose Szabo has not grasped this difference. I truly, truly believe that their intentions were good, but this ain’t it, chief. It’s perfectly okay to write about heavy topics in fiction—more than okay, I believe that it is necessary. But with great power comes great responsibility, as they say.
I mean, for one thing, can we talk about the absolute absurdity of having a family full of werewolves and half-coral-polyp ladies and soul-devouring eldritch creatures, but gay men are an abomination, a threat to the family’s reputation and perhaps its very existence? Like…really??? We’ve heard of how the supernatural is used in fiction as a metaphor for queer people (or people of color), but this is something else. The way Szabo had queer people and paranormal monsters appearing side-by-side on the page and then chose to clearly delineate which of those two identities is problematic was clumsy and poorly thought-out. It’s 2021. We are all tired of the hypocrisy displayed by readers who are fine when a romance heroine is fucked in the ass by a tentacled demon, but heaven forbid she kiss another woman. Intentionally or not, WhatBig Teeth sets up a similar dynamic:
Protagonist Eleanor’s cousin Rhys is a bloodthirsty werewolf who likes to play with his food? Sure, no problem. Cousin Rhys has a crush on a (male) family friend? Abso-fucking-lutely not.
So, yeah, hooray. At the end of the book, Eleanor saves her family from the dark creature(s) trying to destroy them. She’s victorious. Meanwhile, her gay grandfather is left an ancient, purposeless husk of his former self; her gay father is killed by the villain; and her gay cousin is in a magical coma. There is no justice for the queer characters, no acknowledgment of the wrongs done to them, nothing but death and/or misery. Actually, strike that—there is justice for one of the queer characters. Eleanor falls in love with her grandfather’s former lover, who her grandmother killed, resurrected, then magically enslaved. Him she frees. (You can probably guess my thoughts on that.)
What Big Teeth is a book is full of rampant, unchecked homophobia. It does not seem to serve a purpose, except as a justification by which certain female characters become vengeful and/or abusive. (Eleanor’s grandmother seduces and then magically enslaves her husband’s lover.) At no point does Szabo indicate either (a) it’s fine to be gay or (b) it’s not fine to manipulate/use others when your romantic overtures are turned down due to incompatible sexuality. Instead, this book’s overriding message appears to be: no matter what, always support your abusive family. At its core, this is a story about how even though Eleanor was abandoned by her family, she risks her life and saves them anyways, even though they’re afraid of her, even though they try to kill her.
And if that isn’t a violently anti-queer theme, I don’t know what is.
It doesn’t matter how gorgeous the writing or how unique the concept. At the end of the day, Rose Szabo purposefully introduced bigotry into their book. In doing so, they had a duty and a responsibility to address the issue in a meaningful way. That didn’t happen. And because it didn’t happen, I don’t think that What Big Teeth is really the sort of book I’d be giving to my (hypothetical) teenager.
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On one hand, WhatBig Teeth is an astonishingly good horror novel about intergenerational trauma and family secrets. On the other hand, it’s blatantly homophobic. So although I absolutely loved this book…I feel bad about doing so.
First, what I liked. Rose Szabo’s debut novel is a beautifully written paranormal/horror tale that feels like a YA answer to last year’s Mexican Gothic, and it would be a good readalike for those who enjoy Rory Power. (See, Burn Our Bodies Down , a creepy story about family secrets set among cursed Nebraska cornfields.) The Zarrin family is eerie and weird, and the narrative isn’t too focused on explaining the hows or the whys of their situation. It seems clear that this was inspired, at least partially, by The Addams Family, but the author takes it to a much, much darker place.
I could go on about the atmospheric prose, the clever plot twists, the intricate and perfectly-timed perspective shifts. But I don’t want to bury the lede or spend too much time on things that are ultimately unimportant. I enjoyed What Big Teeth a whole bunch, but at the end of the day, Szabo made a very big miscalculation in their portrayal of male members of the Zarrin family. Protagonist Eleanor’s first cousin, her father, and her grandfather are all gay. This is treated (more or less) as a family curse, and the narrative never resolves the issue of these characters’ sexuality in an affirming or empowering manner.
There is a critical difference between a book portraying bigotry as part of its thematic schema and a book condoning bigotry, either by implicitly reinforcing prejudiced views or by failing to confront the wrong-headed thinking espoused by the characters. Rose Szabo has not grasped this difference. I truly, truly believe that their intentions were good, but this ain’t it, chief. It’s perfectly okay to write about heavy topics in fiction—more than okay, I believe that it is necessary. But with great power comes great responsibility, as they say.
I mean, for one thing, can we talk about the absolute absurdity of having a family full of werewolves and half-coral-polyp ladies and soul-devouring eldritch creatures, but gay men are an abomination, a threat to the family’s reputation and perhaps its very existence? Like…really??? We’ve heard of how the supernatural is used in fiction as a metaphor for queer people (or people of color), but this is something else. The way Szabo had queer people and paranormal monsters appearing side-by-side on the page and then chose to clearly delineate which of those two identities is problematic was clumsy and poorly thought-out. It’s 2021. We are all tired of the hypocrisy displayed by readers who are fine when a romance heroine is fucked in the ass by a tentacled demon, but heaven forbid she kiss another woman. Intentionally or not, WhatBig Teeth sets up a similar dynamic:
Protagonist Eleanor’s cousin Rhys is a bloodthirsty werewolf who likes to play with his food? Sure, no problem. Cousin Rhys has a crush on a (male) family friend? Abso-fucking-lutely not.
So, yeah, hooray. At the end of the book, Eleanor saves her family from the dark creature(s) trying to destroy them. She’s victorious. Meanwhile, her gay grandfather is left an ancient, purposeless husk of his former self; her gay father is killed by the villain; and her gay cousin is in a magical coma. There is no justice for the queer characters, no acknowledgment of the wrongs done to them, nothing but death and/or misery. Actually, strike that—there is justice for one of the queer characters. Eleanor falls in love with her grandfather’s former lover, who her grandmother killed, resurrected, then magically enslaved. Him she frees. (You can probably guess my thoughts on that.)
What Big Teeth is a book is full of rampant, unchecked homophobia. It does not seem to serve a purpose, except as a justification by which certain female characters become vengeful and/or abusive. (Eleanor’s grandmother seduces and then magically enslaves her husband’s lover.) At no point does Szabo indicate either (a) it’s fine to be gay or (b) it’s not fine to manipulate/use others when your romantic overtures are turned down due to incompatible sexuality. Instead, this book’s overriding message appears to be: no matter what, always support your abusive family. At its core, this is a story about how even though Eleanor was abandoned by her family, she risks her life and saves them anyways, even though they’re afraid of her, even though they try to kill her.
And if that isn’t a violently anti-queer theme, I don’t know what is.
It doesn’t matter how gorgeous the writing or how unique the concept. At the end of the day, Rose Szabo purposefully introduced bigotry into their book. In doing so, they had a duty and a responsibility to address the issue in a meaningful way. That didn’t happen. And because it didn’t happen, I don’t think that What Big Teeth is really the sort of book I’d be giving to my (hypothetical) teenager.
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March 19, 2021
2.5 stars
Since last year, after reading Wilder Girls, I’m always on the lookout for something that sounds sciency and weird on that same level. This book is in fact compared to WG (spoiler alert: that’s a total lie). Plus it sounded like a good time (and it was at first), but in the end it didn’t impress me at all. It leaves you groping in the dark for the majority of it with nothing to grab onto. You don’t even understand half of what is going on in the family, and then when the main conflict is finally presented to you it doesn’t feel satisfying enough. It’s cliché and drawn-out and boring. From my perspective this book was a slow and tortuous journey that seemed interesting till it revealed its lack of an organized plot.
What I liked about this book was the atmosphere and imagery because I thought they were original. The quirky characters are also interesting and unpredictable in a good way. Almost all of them are unapologetically queer, which made things even better. I liked how that played into the family drama. Though I can’t say I have a favorite; I especially didn’t like the main character and how she thinks she is better than anyone else. Her relationship with Arthur is so freaking annoying I couldn’t stop rolling my eyes. I couldn’t stand the fact that he’s much older than the teens but all of them are in love with him even with that age difference. He’s described as adult-looking with a bald head, so that’s where my problems with the romance got bigger and insurmountable. Sometimes with fantasy I can get over the age gap, but in this book it made me very uncomfortable. The main character remembers when as a child she used to play piano with him ffs #nothankyou. But even without this issue the romance is just full-on cringey. It includes “I’m not like other girls” moments (also alluding to her sister there, wooow) and isn’t that just fun.
tl;dr ↴
My love is a haunted house, a ghost possessing his own body, a fire that burns itself alive.
Since last year, after reading Wilder Girls, I’m always on the lookout for something that sounds sciency and weird on that same level. This book is in fact compared to WG (spoiler alert: that’s a total lie). Plus it sounded like a good time (and it was at first), but in the end it didn’t impress me at all. It leaves you groping in the dark for the majority of it with nothing to grab onto. You don’t even understand half of what is going on in the family, and then when the main conflict is finally presented to you it doesn’t feel satisfying enough. It’s cliché and drawn-out and boring. From my perspective this book was a slow and tortuous journey that seemed interesting till it revealed its lack of an organized plot.
What I liked about this book was the atmosphere and imagery because I thought they were original. The quirky characters are also interesting and unpredictable in a good way. Almost all of them are unapologetically queer, which made things even better. I liked how that played into the family drama. Though I can’t say I have a favorite; I especially didn’t like the main character and how she thinks she is better than anyone else. Her relationship with Arthur is so freaking annoying I couldn’t stop rolling my eyes. I couldn’t stand the fact that he’s much older than the teens but all of them are in love with him even with that age difference. He’s described as adult-looking with a bald head, so that’s where my problems with the romance got bigger and insurmountable. Sometimes with fantasy I can get over the age gap, but in this book it made me very uncomfortable. The main character remembers when as a child she used to play piano with him ffs #nothankyou. But even without this issue the romance is just full-on cringey. It includes “I’m not like other girls” moments (also alluding to her sister there, wooow) and isn’t that just fun.
tl;dr ↴
June 24, 2021
This is such a gloriously atmospheric book, complete with old creaking houses perching on towering cliffs over damp seas, squabbling werewolf families and the looming threat of something stranger and older.
Having just run away from boarding school, heroine Eleanor returns home to her strange family and their grand old house tucked away in thick forests on the coast of Maine. Going into the book, I assumed it was a contemporary fantasy, but I believe it's actually historical? It's hard to place, but there are indications that it is set somewhere in the middle of the 20th century.
Eleanor's family are strange, and not always easily understandable or easy to love on the readers' part. They're werewolves (though the word werewolves is never used in the text, they're referred to just as wolves) and do act sometimes more like a squabbling pack of dogs than people. But part of the charm of this book is the strangeness of it all, and how that strangeness translates into something darkly enchanting. Admittedly there are parts of this book that are very ambiguous, and this will be alienating to some readers. But personally, I loved the journey of this one - from the dark gothic atmosphere to the way Eleanor's relatives all joined together over the course of the novel to become something resembling a rough-edged family. It is, in the way of traditional gothic novels, more focused on the humans at it's core than anything else.
Would definitely recommend to fans of novels that are deeply atmospheric, those who like werewolf books, and those who enjoy novels that offer a different perspective of 'monsters'.
> 4.2 stars
(p.s. it's not a red riding hood retelling, as I've seen a few people say)
*
werewolves in maine, huh . . . I'm listening
Having just run away from boarding school, heroine Eleanor returns home to her strange family and their grand old house tucked away in thick forests on the coast of Maine. Going into the book, I assumed it was a contemporary fantasy, but I believe it's actually historical? It's hard to place, but there are indications that it is set somewhere in the middle of the 20th century.
Eleanor's family are strange, and not always easily understandable or easy to love on the readers' part. They're werewolves (though the word werewolves is never used in the text, they're referred to just as wolves) and do act sometimes more like a squabbling pack of dogs than people. But part of the charm of this book is the strangeness of it all, and how that strangeness translates into something darkly enchanting. Admittedly there are parts of this book that are very ambiguous, and this will be alienating to some readers. But personally, I loved the journey of this one - from the dark gothic atmosphere to the way Eleanor's relatives all joined together over the course of the novel to become something resembling a rough-edged family. It is, in the way of traditional gothic novels, more focused on the humans at it's core than anything else.
Would definitely recommend to fans of novels that are deeply atmospheric, those who like werewolf books, and those who enjoy novels that offer a different perspective of 'monsters'.
> 4.2 stars
(p.s. it's not a red riding hood retelling, as I've seen a few people say)
*
werewolves in maine, huh . . . I'm listening
February 16, 2021
Thanks a bunch to Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group, the Fierce Reads team, and Netgalley for my copy of What Big Teeth!
.
What immediately drew me to this book was its absolutely stunning cover. A beautiful cover will always grab my attention, and the premise was full of promise that I was sure to enjoy.
But I didn’t.
In fact, this was unfortunately one of the most frustrating books I’ve read in a long time.
Something about Eleanor makes her an outsider in a family of monsters, enough to make some of them fear her. That in itself was fascinating, but because she’s been estranged for years and a major event in her memory has been blocked out, she doesn’t know anything. ANYTHING. For almost the entirety of the book Eleanor is lost, confused, and terrified. Every decision she makes is questionable and her thought process is jumbled from start to finish. Along with that, many of the cast of characters we’re introduced to aren’t greatly explored. Some act like children, some we are given very little on though their impact is lasting in the story, which again, was frustrating, some we never quite learn anything about, some are described but not explained….I know you can’t always look at monstrous characters and expect them to act within a typical human standard, and that's fine! But I needed more than strange, quirky traits. These are characters that surround our protagonist for the entirety of the novel and I can barely tell you anything about them.
Even moments that are supposed to provide clarity can still leave you with a lot of questions because of the way its given to us.
It’s a whole lot of a little bit here, and little bit there, a tiny plot line there, a small memory here…but none of the puzzle pieces really come together in a coherent way.
Frustrating.
Then there was the unwelcome surprise of homophobia that, to me, seemed left mostly unchallenged?? Why? I’m hoping I misread it.
I spent the majority of this book in a cycle of confusion and, you guessed it, frustration. It was a bummer because I was really looking forward to it. I think Rose Szabo is talented and they can create some really unique worlds! Unfortunately, this one was just not for me. Hopefully their next book will be my cup of tea.
.
What immediately drew me to this book was its absolutely stunning cover. A beautiful cover will always grab my attention, and the premise was full of promise that I was sure to enjoy.
But I didn’t.
In fact, this was unfortunately one of the most frustrating books I’ve read in a long time.
Something about Eleanor makes her an outsider in a family of monsters, enough to make some of them fear her. That in itself was fascinating, but because she’s been estranged for years and a major event in her memory has been blocked out, she doesn’t know anything. ANYTHING. For almost the entirety of the book Eleanor is lost, confused, and terrified. Every decision she makes is questionable and her thought process is jumbled from start to finish. Along with that, many of the cast of characters we’re introduced to aren’t greatly explored. Some act like children, some we are given very little on though their impact is lasting in the story, which again, was frustrating, some we never quite learn anything about, some are described but not explained….I know you can’t always look at monstrous characters and expect them to act within a typical human standard, and that's fine! But I needed more than strange, quirky traits. These are characters that surround our protagonist for the entirety of the novel and I can barely tell you anything about them.
Even moments that are supposed to provide clarity can still leave you with a lot of questions because of the way its given to us.
It’s a whole lot of a little bit here, and little bit there, a tiny plot line there, a small memory here…but none of the puzzle pieces really come together in a coherent way.
Frustrating.
Then there was the unwelcome surprise of homophobia that, to me, seemed left mostly unchallenged?? Why? I’m hoping I misread it.
I spent the majority of this book in a cycle of confusion and, you guessed it, frustration. It was a bummer because I was really looking forward to it. I think Rose Szabo is talented and they can create some really unique worlds! Unfortunately, this one was just not for me. Hopefully their next book will be my cup of tea.
August 8, 2021
The first 75 pages were amazing: creepy, ominous, poetic, intriguing.
Then she started trying to explain the actual plot and it made little sense and I didn't care at all how it turned out.
By the end I was totally confused that the author seemed to think "family sticks together" was a message supported by this hot mess of jerks who are cruel and threatening and physically violent to one another.
Then she started trying to explain the actual plot and it made little sense and I didn't care at all how it turned out.
By the end I was totally confused that the author seemed to think "family sticks together" was a message supported by this hot mess of jerks who are cruel and threatening and physically violent to one another.
August 15, 2024
Succession but it's a fever dream and the men in the family are up to play fetch
.
.
March 26, 2021
2.5 stars
**This is a spoiler-filled review**
Yeah what was this? Full disclosure, it did get progressively better but overall it left me going "huh?". We follow Eleanor Zarrin, who just ran away from her school and is going back to see her old family home in a suburban small-town. The Zarrin family has secrets though, for one, they're werewolves. When due to mysterious circumstances, Eleanor is put in charge of the house, she starts making all the wrong choices and discovers that there is so much more to her family. Something that might tear them all apart.
I'll say this flat out: the first 100p make no sense. Eleanor leaves the school and is afraid of being chased, but that is never brought up again. She apparently goes to her family for refuge, but literally there is no reason for it because no one ever comes after her. Her family hates her and it is so so obvious... until they don't. Especially Grandma Persephone. The second Eleanor says she'll let the grandma read her, then the grandma dies and puts Eleanor in charge of the house. Again, why? Because the plot needed to advance.
The middle gets much better when the second Grandmere arrives. I really enjoyed the mystery around her and how she slowly starts infiltrating and destroying the family. The pay off is very on the nose and he ending suffers from the weird writing choices (which I do forgive to some extent, this is a debut after all). Unfortunately, I didn't care as much as I could have, if the beginning was better, or if I felt more connected with the family.
Even though I said I forgive the writing somewhat, I do wish to discuss it on the offchance the author sees this review. Here is a passage from the book:
This is supposed to be an emotional scene where we get a huge reveal about the grandfather's past. I felt nothing. Personally, I'd have included the dialogue the grandfather says and described the grandfather's reactions. I'd keep the part about Luma stroking his hand, but I would have inserted it in between parts of dialogue (maybe a part that thoroughly was heart-breaking for him). That would make the reader feel right there with the characters and it would be them seem more real. Another weird writing choice that I noticed was that the prologue was written in present tense (with a lot of progressive) and then the rest of the novel is in past tense, and maybe there is some deep reason for why this is like this, but I didn't quite catch it and it disoriented me at first. And the other thing that I must complain about is the telling not showing. There is a lot of it.
The one place where I thought the author had FANTASTIC writing was when they were describing Eleanor. Rose Szabo simultaneously describes the family and points out Eleanor's traits that resemble or differ from theirs. It is exquisite, seamless, and immaculate.
And then a few pages later...
This was so clever and it gives me hope for the author's future writing, which I do think I will check out. These passages give really show their potential and I really do hope that they expand on this and not so much the other aspects of the writing (really the telling-no-showing was annoying and very abundant at the end).
I think this book just didn't live up to my expectations, but I believe the author is going to grow a lot because what they did well, they did very well. Though I didn't love this first book, I'll be eagerly awaiting their next publication.
**This is a spoiler-filled review**
Yeah what was this? Full disclosure, it did get progressively better but overall it left me going "huh?". We follow Eleanor Zarrin, who just ran away from her school and is going back to see her old family home in a suburban small-town. The Zarrin family has secrets though, for one, they're werewolves. When due to mysterious circumstances, Eleanor is put in charge of the house, she starts making all the wrong choices and discovers that there is so much more to her family. Something that might tear them all apart.
I'll say this flat out: the first 100p make no sense. Eleanor leaves the school and is afraid of being chased, but that is never brought up again. She apparently goes to her family for refuge, but literally there is no reason for it because no one ever comes after her. Her family hates her and it is so so obvious... until they don't. Especially Grandma Persephone. The second Eleanor says she'll let the grandma read her, then the grandma dies and puts Eleanor in charge of the house. Again, why? Because the plot needed to advance.
The middle gets much better when the second Grandmere arrives. I really enjoyed the mystery around her and how she slowly starts infiltrating and destroying the family. The pay off is very on the nose and he ending suffers from the weird writing choices (which I do forgive to some extent, this is a debut after all). Unfortunately, I didn't care as much as I could have, if the beginning was better, or if I felt more connected with the family.
Even though I said I forgive the writing somewhat, I do wish to discuss it on the offchance the author sees this review. Here is a passage from the book:
“He told us about the day that he had run, the day he had been late. I sat paralyzed, terrified that he would become the wolf, that he would attack me out of fear. But Luma stroked his hand, and held him by the shoulder, and kept her eyes on him while he told us about being picked up by the crows and carried away.”
This is supposed to be an emotional scene where we get a huge reveal about the grandfather's past. I felt nothing. Personally, I'd have included the dialogue the grandfather says and described the grandfather's reactions. I'd keep the part about Luma stroking his hand, but I would have inserted it in between parts of dialogue (maybe a part that thoroughly was heart-breaking for him). That would make the reader feel right there with the characters and it would be them seem more real. Another weird writing choice that I noticed was that the prologue was written in present tense (with a lot of progressive) and then the rest of the novel is in past tense, and maybe there is some deep reason for why this is like this, but I didn't quite catch it and it disoriented me at first. And the other thing that I must complain about is the telling not showing. There is a lot of it.
The one place where I thought the author had FANTASTIC writing was when they were describing Eleanor. Rose Szabo simultaneously describes the family and points out Eleanor's traits that resemble or differ from theirs. It is exquisite, seamless, and immaculate.
“And there were women here, too, all with sharp cheekbones, olive skin, dark eyes, nothing like my flat, wide-mouthed face. I scanned the whole room and could not find a single photograph of me.”
And then a few pages later...
“Half of her face was just like mine. I recognized my high forehead, my profile. But as she turned to look at me I saw her other side: an eyeless, earless mass of red polyps that ran all the way down her body until they disappeared into the water of the tub.”
This was so clever and it gives me hope for the author's future writing, which I do think I will check out. These passages give really show their potential and I really do hope that they expand on this and not so much the other aspects of the writing (really the telling-no-showing was annoying and very abundant at the end).
I think this book just didn't live up to my expectations, but I believe the author is going to grow a lot because what they did well, they did very well. Though I didn't love this first book, I'll be eagerly awaiting their next publication.
January 31, 2021
Thank you to BookishFirst and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
What Big Teeth has to be the strangest book I’ve ever read. I honestly have never read anything like this, and the dark and bizarre atmosphere had me flipping pages to figure out what was going on. First off, let’s just take a moment to admire one of the creepiest, but most amazing covers out there. The cover is what first drew me in to this book and after the first chapter which was so weird, I knew this was going to be a wild ride.
Eleanor Zarrin, the main character, runs away from boarding school back home to her family in the woods. An incident happened at school, so she did the only thing she could she went back home. Right away we find out her family is not a normal family. She has been gone for years and her family acts like nothing has changed. Oh, and her family? The weirdest, strangest, most bizarre family ever, but I just loved how weird they were. Eleanor’s grandfather, father, sister, and cousin are all wolves, well they shapeshift into wolves. Eleanor’s grandmother is a witch, and her mother spends 90% of her day in a bathtub because she has polyps all over her body. Eleanor’s aunt does not speak at all and spends her days cleaning and cooking for everyone. The strange, but likeable family friend Arthur, always seems to be around and never leaves the property. Her family is a family of monsters. I think the best part about this family is that they are all normal in their eyes, they kind of remind me of the Addam’s family. No one bats an eye when grandfather turns half into a wolf to eat dinner, or that her mother sits in a tub wherever she is.
Shortly after returning home Eleanor’s grandmother dies and her dying words were for Eleanor to keep the family safe and don’t let any strangers in. No one in the family really likes Eleanor, but she wants to do what her grandmother asked so she starts taking control of the household. Her family seems somewhat disappointed in her because she isn’t a wolf like them, but she does have something strange about her. Eight years ago, her grandmother saw her do something and sent her away and to never come back. Since being home, we get to slowly figure out what Eleanor did eight years ago, as well as, what incident occurred at the boarding school.
Honestly, this book was a whirlwind full of just very strange things happening. I think it wasn’t until after fifty percent of the way through that i started to understand where things were going. The story did wrap itself up in a good way and I felt like a lot of my questions were answered. I just had trouble with needing more information throughout the book. I am not kidding when I say so many bizarre things happen in this book, but a lot of it is never in depth. It just occurs and then is never brought up again. I spent the majority of this book confused and frightened, but somehow it worked for me. It was over the top, and I still don’t really know what the point of the story was, but I did enjoy it. If the purpose was to be a completely off the wall book that had me completely intrigued to read it almost entirely in one sitting then it did the job.
I don’t even know if my review made sense, but if you want a totally peculiar book full of crazy and weird characters and an even weirder plot, I would highly suggest What Big Teeth.
3.5 stars rounded up to 4 stars.
What Big Teeth has to be the strangest book I’ve ever read. I honestly have never read anything like this, and the dark and bizarre atmosphere had me flipping pages to figure out what was going on. First off, let’s just take a moment to admire one of the creepiest, but most amazing covers out there. The cover is what first drew me in to this book and after the first chapter which was so weird, I knew this was going to be a wild ride.
Eleanor Zarrin, the main character, runs away from boarding school back home to her family in the woods. An incident happened at school, so she did the only thing she could she went back home. Right away we find out her family is not a normal family. She has been gone for years and her family acts like nothing has changed. Oh, and her family? The weirdest, strangest, most bizarre family ever, but I just loved how weird they were. Eleanor’s grandfather, father, sister, and cousin are all wolves, well they shapeshift into wolves. Eleanor’s grandmother is a witch, and her mother spends 90% of her day in a bathtub because she has polyps all over her body. Eleanor’s aunt does not speak at all and spends her days cleaning and cooking for everyone. The strange, but likeable family friend Arthur, always seems to be around and never leaves the property. Her family is a family of monsters. I think the best part about this family is that they are all normal in their eyes, they kind of remind me of the Addam’s family. No one bats an eye when grandfather turns half into a wolf to eat dinner, or that her mother sits in a tub wherever she is.
Shortly after returning home Eleanor’s grandmother dies and her dying words were for Eleanor to keep the family safe and don’t let any strangers in. No one in the family really likes Eleanor, but she wants to do what her grandmother asked so she starts taking control of the household. Her family seems somewhat disappointed in her because she isn’t a wolf like them, but she does have something strange about her. Eight years ago, her grandmother saw her do something and sent her away and to never come back. Since being home, we get to slowly figure out what Eleanor did eight years ago, as well as, what incident occurred at the boarding school.
Honestly, this book was a whirlwind full of just very strange things happening. I think it wasn’t until after fifty percent of the way through that i started to understand where things were going. The story did wrap itself up in a good way and I felt like a lot of my questions were answered. I just had trouble with needing more information throughout the book. I am not kidding when I say so many bizarre things happen in this book, but a lot of it is never in depth. It just occurs and then is never brought up again. I spent the majority of this book confused and frightened, but somehow it worked for me. It was over the top, and I still don’t really know what the point of the story was, but I did enjoy it. If the purpose was to be a completely off the wall book that had me completely intrigued to read it almost entirely in one sitting then it did the job.
I don’t even know if my review made sense, but if you want a totally peculiar book full of crazy and weird characters and an even weirder plot, I would highly suggest What Big Teeth.
3.5 stars rounded up to 4 stars.
June 27, 2021
Before we get into things, can we just take a second to appreciate how amazing this cover is? I also loved that it was written by a non binary author, I’m always looking to diversify my reading with LGBTQIA+ authors because some of the best damn books I’ve read have come from those voices and they need to be uplifted. That being said, I’m right in the middle with this one, I didn’t love it but I didn’t hate it either. Some parts were incredibly interesting and at times I was thoroughly enjoying this novel and convinced it would be a five star read because there’s nothing I enjoy more than a good werewolf novel! This one had some original and unique ideas that I really did enjoy but then certain elements got thrown in and it threw me off and suddenly made me unsure of what I was reading. There’s some things that happen and elements that get thrown in that I just don’t see why they were necessary or how they advanced the story, it almost seemed they were there just to amp up the crazy factor of the plot and those parts just didn’t work for me and dialed down my enthusiasm for the story. I did enjoy the pure weirdness as well, there was lots of it and I thought it was brilliant. So you see what I mean, I’m just right in the middle with this one!
May 7, 2021
This is one of the weirdest books I've ever read, and not in a good way. I found Eleanor to be an incredibly dull lead and the rest of the family far too underdeveloped to interest me. Arthur's story was really the only one that intrigued me, and even then I didn't really care. The prose was nice though.
August 3, 2024
I know that this book is pretty unpopular on Goodreads, but I can't help but love this monster family of werewolves, fish people (?) and other strange creatures. The weird Addams Family vibes are immaculate.
March 23, 2021
This review can also be found at Carole's Random Life in Books.
I enjoyed this book quite a bit! I marked this book as currently reading weeks ago but it really only took me a few days to read it once I had time to sit down with it. I have to admit that one of the main reasons I wanted to read this book was the fabulous cover. The story sounded promising so I was eager to give it a try. Once I started reading this book, I was hooked and ended up having a fantastic time with it.
Eleanor goes back home to her family after being away at school at the start of the story. It becomes immediately apparent that Eleanor's family isn't your normal family. Her grandfather and several other members of the family turn into wolves and her mother spends most of her time in a tub. I immediately had so many questions that I needed answers to which kept me turning the pages as fast as I could.
The book is told from Eleanor's point of view. Eleanor was an interesting character. I liked her but I wanted to know more than I felt like she was sharing. I wanted to know why Eleanor left the family to go to school in the first place but the big mystery for me was finding out what Eleanor was and what she could do. I had similar questions about some of the other family members and Arthur who was more of a family friend.
This book was rather weird. I like weird books so that worked out well for me but I am not sure that this will be the right book for every reader. I really liked the writing and found myself pulled in the story right away. I liked the fact that anything could happen at any time and I was on the edge of my seat just waiting to see what would happen.
I would recommend this book to readers looking for something different. I had a great time with this book and look forward to reading more of this author's work in the future.
I received a review copy of this book from Macmillan Children's Publishing Group via Bookish First.
Initial Thoughts
I liked this book. It was a little weird but I like weird so it all worked.
I enjoyed this book quite a bit! I marked this book as currently reading weeks ago but it really only took me a few days to read it once I had time to sit down with it. I have to admit that one of the main reasons I wanted to read this book was the fabulous cover. The story sounded promising so I was eager to give it a try. Once I started reading this book, I was hooked and ended up having a fantastic time with it.
Eleanor goes back home to her family after being away at school at the start of the story. It becomes immediately apparent that Eleanor's family isn't your normal family. Her grandfather and several other members of the family turn into wolves and her mother spends most of her time in a tub. I immediately had so many questions that I needed answers to which kept me turning the pages as fast as I could.
The book is told from Eleanor's point of view. Eleanor was an interesting character. I liked her but I wanted to know more than I felt like she was sharing. I wanted to know why Eleanor left the family to go to school in the first place but the big mystery for me was finding out what Eleanor was and what she could do. I had similar questions about some of the other family members and Arthur who was more of a family friend.
This book was rather weird. I like weird books so that worked out well for me but I am not sure that this will be the right book for every reader. I really liked the writing and found myself pulled in the story right away. I liked the fact that anything could happen at any time and I was on the edge of my seat just waiting to see what would happen.
I would recommend this book to readers looking for something different. I had a great time with this book and look forward to reading more of this author's work in the future.
I received a review copy of this book from Macmillan Children's Publishing Group via Bookish First.
Initial Thoughts
I liked this book. It was a little weird but I like weird so it all worked.
December 28, 2020
An eery gothic experience, Szabo weaves an unsettling story of generational evils, grotesque people and actions, and the ones we let in our lives. It's horror, but Lite. There are many reasons to read this, but the atmosphere and setting was the icing on the cake - the Zarrin's secluded house, the surrounding woods, and the family who sent her away. What Big Teeth follows Eleanor returning to her estranged family after a mysterious incident forces her to leave her fancy boarding school. When one of her family members dies, she calls on her mysterious Grandmère to get the family in line. Except, Grandmère may have plans of her own, sinister plans...
I really enjoyed this, even when I was more than a little creeped out. This book felt the good kind of creepy bingeable. Though it is quite slow paced, it makes you want to stay up all night, lights off, with nothing but a flash light illuminating the pages. Szabo’s masterfully creates an atmosphere and town wreaked with the consequences and legacies of the past - those choices follow the Zarrin family until they must reckon with who they are, and what they’ve let into their house. I loved getting to know Eleanor and the Zarrin family.
I think, my only criticism is that I felt that as a reader we were left in the dark a little too long. I think we could have benefited knowing some of the reveals a little earlier.
To recap: Reasons to Read
-a fan of YA gothic literature
-a fun, atmospheric and unsettling, creepy read
-LGBT+ representation
-Slow but steady pacing with great rewards
4/5 Stars
Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for giving me an e-ARC in exchange for my honest review.
________________
So, I got an ARC of this 🤩
I really enjoyed this, even when I was more than a little creeped out. This book felt the good kind of creepy bingeable. Though it is quite slow paced, it makes you want to stay up all night, lights off, with nothing but a flash light illuminating the pages. Szabo’s masterfully creates an atmosphere and town wreaked with the consequences and legacies of the past - those choices follow the Zarrin family until they must reckon with who they are, and what they’ve let into their house. I loved getting to know Eleanor and the Zarrin family.
I think, my only criticism is that I felt that as a reader we were left in the dark a little too long. I think we could have benefited knowing some of the reveals a little earlier.
To recap: Reasons to Read
-a fan of YA gothic literature
-a fun, atmospheric and unsettling, creepy read
-LGBT+ representation
-Slow but steady pacing with great rewards
4/5 Stars
Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for giving me an e-ARC in exchange for my honest review.
________________
So, I got an ARC of this 🤩
February 2, 2021
See this review and more at my blog, The Scribe Owl!
Thank you to Xpresso Book Tours for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!
3.5/5 stars
I've read a lot of books, but let me tell you--this is one of the most bizarre books I've read! And that's not a bad thing. I love books that are so out there that I've never read anything like it before! For someone who can't handle a horror novel, I love a creepy gothic read. This book fulfilled that perfectly! The atmosphere, the urban fantasy worldbuilding...it was perfect!
Eleanor Zarrin has been estranged from her wild family for years. When she flees boarding school after a horrifying incident, she goes to the only place she thinks is safe: the home she left behind. But when she gets there, she struggles to fit in with her monstrous relatives, who prowl the woods around the family estate and read fortunes in the guts of birds. Eleanor finds herself desperately trying to hold the family together — in order to save them all, Eleanor must learn to embrace her family of monsters and tame the darkness inside her. Exquisitely terrifying, beautiful, and strange, this fierce gothic fantasy will sink its teeth into you and never let go.
I'm not sorry, but I requested this book entirely on the stunning cover alone! I read the synopsis afterward, but that brilliant cover is an instant money grab! It conveys the tone and mood of the book in the best possible way. It would be worth getting a physical copy for the cover alone!
The best part of What Big Teeth by far is the gothic atmosphere. As I said, I don't do horror, but I love gothic books! The writing and the setting blend together perfectly to create a dark ambiance that carries through the book and makes it perfectly creepy.
What Big Teeth is the kind of book you go into for the creepiness alone. Although I liked the characters well enough, they weren't one of the best parts. The main romance felt very forced in my opinion, as well as insta-lovey. I loved the family dynamics, though! Not enough YA books have families. Sometimes we'll get a sister or brother or something, but I'm about sick of books on orphans.
Though I loved many elements of What Big Teeth, there were definitely gaps. For instance, when does the book take place? I would have loved to know. It seemed like modern-day, or at least close enough, but they were talking about record players and there seemed to be no internet. I get that they appeared to be in a very isolated place that might not have caught up to the rest of the world, but there were just little details here and there that kept me guessing. This isn't that much of a big deal, but it kept me confused the whole time. My final guess is that it took place sometime in the late 60s, but I would love to know for real!
I assumed from the title that this is a retelling of Little Red Riding Hood, but it definitely isn't. While some of the family are werewolves, there is no Big Bad Wolf. This is neither a bad nor a good thing, but if you're looking for a retelling this isn't it.
I had a great time with this read! It was definitely a solid gothic novel and it'll probably be entering my rotation of spooky books to read in the fall!
Thank you to Xpresso Book Tours for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!
3.5/5 stars
I've read a lot of books, but let me tell you--this is one of the most bizarre books I've read! And that's not a bad thing. I love books that are so out there that I've never read anything like it before! For someone who can't handle a horror novel, I love a creepy gothic read. This book fulfilled that perfectly! The atmosphere, the urban fantasy worldbuilding...it was perfect!
Eleanor Zarrin has been estranged from her wild family for years. When she flees boarding school after a horrifying incident, she goes to the only place she thinks is safe: the home she left behind. But when she gets there, she struggles to fit in with her monstrous relatives, who prowl the woods around the family estate and read fortunes in the guts of birds. Eleanor finds herself desperately trying to hold the family together — in order to save them all, Eleanor must learn to embrace her family of monsters and tame the darkness inside her. Exquisitely terrifying, beautiful, and strange, this fierce gothic fantasy will sink its teeth into you and never let go.
I'm not sorry, but I requested this book entirely on the stunning cover alone! I read the synopsis afterward, but that brilliant cover is an instant money grab! It conveys the tone and mood of the book in the best possible way. It would be worth getting a physical copy for the cover alone!
The best part of What Big Teeth by far is the gothic atmosphere. As I said, I don't do horror, but I love gothic books! The writing and the setting blend together perfectly to create a dark ambiance that carries through the book and makes it perfectly creepy.
What Big Teeth is the kind of book you go into for the creepiness alone. Although I liked the characters well enough, they weren't one of the best parts. The main romance felt very forced in my opinion, as well as insta-lovey. I loved the family dynamics, though! Not enough YA books have families. Sometimes we'll get a sister or brother or something, but I'm about sick of books on orphans.
Though I loved many elements of What Big Teeth, there were definitely gaps. For instance, when does the book take place? I would have loved to know. It seemed like modern-day, or at least close enough, but they were talking about record players and there seemed to be no internet. I get that they appeared to be in a very isolated place that might not have caught up to the rest of the world, but there were just little details here and there that kept me guessing. This isn't that much of a big deal, but it kept me confused the whole time. My final guess is that it took place sometime in the late 60s, but I would love to know for real!
I assumed from the title that this is a retelling of Little Red Riding Hood, but it definitely isn't. While some of the family are werewolves, there is no Big Bad Wolf. This is neither a bad nor a good thing, but if you're looking for a retelling this isn't it.
I had a great time with this read! It was definitely a solid gothic novel and it'll probably be entering my rotation of spooky books to read in the fall!
March 21, 2021
DNF at 30 percent
I simply can't with this book. For three reasons. The plot, characters, and overall flow/writing style
Plot
First off, the plot is so boring.I could predict everything if I wanted to, and it was just so choppy. It was this happened, then that then that. There was no flow, no ease to the writing. It was very unoriginal and I was very excited for this book. Thanks hype, you let me down again. I wanted some dramatic twist that would hook me, keep me reading. And it tried, oh yes it did, but it tried too hard. It just didn't make sense. I could sniff that horrible romance approaching and I closed the book fast. Not in this household.
Characters
Next, the characters. So 2D, static, unchanging pieces of garbage. I felt absolutely nothing for them. To think Below and Edward are bland? Read this book. At least they have more than one or two personality traits. Characters are a big part of books for me, and this one we t way off the target. No thank you. I just didn't get their motives, why they did things, who they cared about. It was just random unneeded drama a that turned my bookish loving heart down.
Writing Style
Now, the writing style. It tried so hard to be poetic and dramatic it failed miserably. I just wish I had never read this book, because my 2021 reading was going so well!! I just was cinging left and right. And in a quote there was agreeing to traditional gender rolls and toxic masculinity.
No ❤
Final Thoughts
This book isn't the worst I've read, which is why it's not a one, but it came very close to that rating. I think the concept was unoriginal, the characters pathetic, and the writing style is a try-hard. It's just not a good book for me. I do wish I could have enjoyed this book, since it's my first read since Kingdom. Of Ash. While it did get me out of my slump, that was it's only use for me.
Would not recommend.
I simply can't with this book. For three reasons. The plot, characters, and overall flow/writing style
Plot
First off, the plot is so boring.I could predict everything if I wanted to, and it was just so choppy. It was this happened, then that then that. There was no flow, no ease to the writing. It was very unoriginal and I was very excited for this book. Thanks hype, you let me down again. I wanted some dramatic twist that would hook me, keep me reading. And it tried, oh yes it did, but it tried too hard. It just didn't make sense. I could sniff that horrible romance approaching and I closed the book fast. Not in this household.
Characters
Next, the characters. So 2D, static, unchanging pieces of garbage. I felt absolutely nothing for them. To think Below and Edward are bland? Read this book. At least they have more than one or two personality traits. Characters are a big part of books for me, and this one we t way off the target. No thank you. I just didn't get their motives, why they did things, who they cared about. It was just random unneeded drama a that turned my bookish loving heart down.
Writing Style
Now, the writing style. It tried so hard to be poetic and dramatic it failed miserably. I just wish I had never read this book, because my 2021 reading was going so well!! I just was cinging left and right. And in a quote there was agreeing to traditional gender rolls and toxic masculinity.
No ❤
Final Thoughts
This book isn't the worst I've read, which is why it's not a one, but it came very close to that rating. I think the concept was unoriginal, the characters pathetic, and the writing style is a try-hard. It's just not a good book for me. I do wish I could have enjoyed this book, since it's my first read since Kingdom. Of Ash. While it did get me out of my slump, that was it's only use for me.
Would not recommend.
February 22, 2021
🛁🛁🛁🛁🛁 (five stars as rated in Eleanor's mother's bathtub)
What exactly is Eleanor Zarrin? Born into a family of *mostly* werewolves, one would think she'd follow suit. And yet, she has no fur or snout or shape-shifting ability to speak of. She is no witch like her aunt. Nor is she water dweller like her mother. In fact, no one at all seems sure of exactly what Eleanor is, least of all Eleanor herself. But she's about to find out.
And my, oh my,
what big teeth she has...
What's this, a Gothic horror novel with a twist on popular folk monsters?? Be still my beating heart because this is the book of my DREAMS! Y'all, this book really goes places. The premise is completely brilliant and the execution of it was just....*chefs kiss.* When I finally put things together at the end... when I realized WHAT (or should I say whom?) Eleanor is supposed to be I felt so dang foolish for having overlooked it. But the pieces are laid out so brilliantly that the answer just isn't terribly obvious! Bah. I loved it. Also,
Content warnings for this book: physical abuse, absent parent, death of an animal, arson, blood gore, graphic depictions, bullying, murder, death of a child, homophobia, manipulation, toxic relationship, mind control, violence, mob mentality
December 7, 2021
Took me a while to decide what to rate this one. I wasn’t really all that into it in the beginning, but as things slowly started to ramp up and the mysteries took hold, I got more and more into the story.
It’s well written and the audiobook was a good listen. I enjoyed the narrator’s voice more and more as it got exciting closer to the end. There is such an eerie feeling throughout the read and it only becomes creepier as things continue. Honestly, I really got into this once we start exploring the Zarrin’s strange relationship with their accountant. He’s just an intriguing character, whose name totally escapes me now. 🤦🏻♀️🤷🏻♀️
But Eleanor and her family are strange and especially when grandmere shows up, things get really interesting. Last a certain point, I had to just sit and listen to what was going on and couldn’t stop. There are so many mysteries to discover in this read!
So I recommend this to YA lovers who are into gothic mysteries. Don’t worry, there’s a touch of love, a little bit of violence, and some crazy dark things occurring. Quite a read!!
It’s well written and the audiobook was a good listen. I enjoyed the narrator’s voice more and more as it got exciting closer to the end. There is such an eerie feeling throughout the read and it only becomes creepier as things continue. Honestly, I really got into this once we start exploring the Zarrin’s strange relationship with their accountant. He’s just an intriguing character, whose name totally escapes me now. 🤦🏻♀️🤷🏻♀️
But Eleanor and her family are strange and especially when grandmere shows up, things get really interesting. Last a certain point, I had to just sit and listen to what was going on and couldn’t stop. There are so many mysteries to discover in this read!
So I recommend this to YA lovers who are into gothic mysteries. Don’t worry, there’s a touch of love, a little bit of violence, and some crazy dark things occurring. Quite a read!!
February 18, 2021
I almost gave up on What Big Teeth about 30% of the way in. The beginning was confusing, as it made me think I had missed a detail or an explanation of something that needed an explanation, when I hadn't. Half of Eleanor's mother's body is covered in polyps, and she spends all her time in water. This is actually never explained and it's never said why her mother is obviously part-fish. Eleanor seems to have gotten some traits from the fish part of her mother, such as webbed skin between her thumbs and enjoying being in the water, but it's never followed through. More to the point, Eleanor keeps wondering why she's so different from the rest of her family and why she never became a wolf, and it's like... girl, you obviously took after your mother. What is there not to get?
I suppose Szabo wanted to give her readers some credit and assume they were smart enough to put the pieces together themselves, but this doesn't really work. Honestly, the character of the mother could have been cut out entirely and the novel wouldn't have lost anything; her characterization is thin and she has no effect on the plot.
That was a big theme in What Big Teeth, actually: Eleanor never puts the pieces together until well after the reader has. The book is slowly paced and I've read that it's more suited to older readers who have the patience to wait for answers, but I think that Eleanor's inability to put the obvious together would cause older readers to get frustrated quickly. It's very obvious what's going on, but Eleanor doesn't catch on right away, and when she does, she intentionally ignores it so the plot can continue.
Another big theme was introducing things and then just not following through on them. Eleanor's maternal grandmother can force people to do things through verbal commands, such as "Go to your room and stay there". This works on everyone, even Eleanor, but not her older sister Luma. Just like their mother's half-fish background, this is never explained. I suppose some readers will be fine with this, but I personally wasn't.
There's also a reveal at the end that Eleanor is a reincarnation of her paternal grandparent's first child who died young, but that was in no way foreshadowed at all through the novel. There was more support for her being a reincarnation of her maternal grandmother's children than there was for that.
The ending was pretty strong, to the point where I wondered if it was written as a short story first and then Szabo just built a novel around it. I will say it was a relatively fast read because the writing wasn't overly purple-y; it was actually a little sparse, for a Gothic horror.
I might come back for another novel by Szabo, as maybe the weak points here were just because she's a debut author. I'm sad to say What Big Teeth was a miss for me, though.
See more of my reviews at Red Hat Cat Reviews! I received an ARC of this novel through Edelweiss in exchange for a review.
I suppose Szabo wanted to give her readers some credit and assume they were smart enough to put the pieces together themselves, but this doesn't really work. Honestly, the character of the mother could have been cut out entirely and the novel wouldn't have lost anything; her characterization is thin and she has no effect on the plot.
That was a big theme in What Big Teeth, actually: Eleanor never puts the pieces together until well after the reader has. The book is slowly paced and I've read that it's more suited to older readers who have the patience to wait for answers, but I think that Eleanor's inability to put the obvious together would cause older readers to get frustrated quickly. It's very obvious what's going on, but Eleanor doesn't catch on right away, and when she does, she intentionally ignores it so the plot can continue.
Another big theme was introducing things and then just not following through on them. Eleanor's maternal grandmother can force people to do things through verbal commands, such as "Go to your room and stay there". This works on everyone, even Eleanor, but not her older sister Luma. Just like their mother's half-fish background, this is never explained. I suppose some readers will be fine with this, but I personally wasn't.
There's also a reveal at the end that Eleanor is a reincarnation of her paternal grandparent's first child who died young, but that was in no way foreshadowed at all through the novel. There was more support for her being a reincarnation of her maternal grandmother's children than there was for that.
The ending was pretty strong, to the point where I wondered if it was written as a short story first and then Szabo just built a novel around it. I will say it was a relatively fast read because the writing wasn't overly purple-y; it was actually a little sparse, for a Gothic horror.
I might come back for another novel by Szabo, as maybe the weak points here were just because she's a debut author. I'm sad to say What Big Teeth was a miss for me, though.
See more of my reviews at Red Hat Cat Reviews! I received an ARC of this novel through Edelweiss in exchange for a review.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 7, 2021
Rating: 1⭐️
Thank you to the publisher for gifting me and arc via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
Unfortunately I could not finish this book as it was not for me. I found it to be very gruesome and horrid, while also being very confusing. I did not know what was going on at all. The chapters are very long so I feel like a lot of the information got lost in the chapter transitions. I found myself forgetting things that seemed to be important because of all the unnecessary detail.
It’s set in an old world but still felt very current which was also confusing. I didn’t like the family’s relationship with Arthur. It was weird and it felt like they were almost holding him hostage in their everyday relations. The cousins all felt very young even though I assumed them to be about high school age. They would go “play” on their downtime which made them sound like children. I didn’t really like the writing style either.
Unfortunately this was not for me but hopefully some else who reads it enjoys it.
Thank you to the publisher for gifting me and arc via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
Unfortunately I could not finish this book as it was not for me. I found it to be very gruesome and horrid, while also being very confusing. I did not know what was going on at all. The chapters are very long so I feel like a lot of the information got lost in the chapter transitions. I found myself forgetting things that seemed to be important because of all the unnecessary detail.
It’s set in an old world but still felt very current which was also confusing. I didn’t like the family’s relationship with Arthur. It was weird and it felt like they were almost holding him hostage in their everyday relations. The cousins all felt very young even though I assumed them to be about high school age. They would go “play” on their downtime which made them sound like children. I didn’t really like the writing style either.
Unfortunately this was not for me but hopefully some else who reads it enjoys it.
February 28, 2021
i hate being mean, but this reminded me of my first attempt at a novel, just too much of this and too little of that, i could imagine that this author could write really cool books in 5 years or so. no one read this and come crying to me about the things that were bad in here please thank you 😭
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