Baby Teeth

by Meg Grehan

A unique verse novel of queer love, lust, and vampires. From the award-winning author of The Deepest Breath and The Space Between.

The blood
Feeds the hunger
That threatens everything

It starts when Claudia offers her a yellow rose.
Immy has been in love before – many times, across many lifetimes. But never as deeply, as intensely as this.
Claudia has never been in love this before either. But then, this is her first time with a vampire.
The forbidden thirst for blood runs deep in Immy. And within her mind clamour the voices, of all the others she has been, their desires, and their wrongs.


“A fresh, dark take on the vampire myth and desire, Baby Teeth shows vampires haunted by their pasts and memories, where immortality is not one long life but a broken patchwork of different experiences. It will twine around your heart and bite, ever so gently. I adored it.” – Helen Corcoran

Genres: Poetry, Lesbian, Young Adult, Fantasy, Vampires, LGBT, Queer

192 pages, Paperback

First published September 2, 2021

About the author

Meg Grehan is a young writer hiding away in Donegal in the northwest of Ireland, with a very ginger girlfriend, an even more ginger dog and an undisclosed number of cats (none of whom is ginger).

Her first book The Space Between won the Eilis Dillon Award at the 2017 Children’s Books Ireland Awards. The Deepest Breath won the Judges Special Award at the 2020 KPMG Children's Books Ireland Awards. It was also shortlisted for the Waterstones Children's Book Award 2020.

Reviews

[Steph · Rating 4 out of 5]

what do you do with love like this
what do I do with love like this
how do I hold it
how do I keep it
how do I stop it

🖤

i did not realize this was going to be a heartbreak story 🥺

this sapphic vampire novel-in-verse is soft and sweet, tender and dark, and helplessly sad. the desire-filled romance evokes a specific type of fresh, earthy, heartfelt sapphic wonder which i absolutely adore.

often novels-in-verse are puzzling to me. for some stories it can be hard to see why author chose the format over prose. but for this story, it fits. baby teeth isn't so much about the vaguely-drawn characters or the barely-there plot. it's about the vibes and the imagery. it's about the rainy walk to the flower shop, the warm mug of blood, the ribbon holding the braid together, the long gray afternoon in the woods, the bite-bruised neck, the warmth of the cabin fireplace, the yellow rose in bloom.

i will say that the poetic style is quite repetitious. some phrases are sometimes repeated like a chant, like a prayer. i could appreciate this because i think it matches the narrator's emotionally-loaded state of mind, but the repetition might bother some people.

anyway. i'd recommend reading this for the vibes and for the gay emotions. it's short and sweet and sad.

Thank you to NetGalley and Little Island Books for providing me with a copy of this book in return for an honest review. Quote is from the ARC and is subject to change upon publication.

[jay · Rating 3 out of 5]

i have come to the realisation that while i do like poetry, i don't like books written in prose

'twas alright.. my main praise is that it was a quick read, other than that i didn't really feel anything


read as part of 202-Queer 🌈✨

[Jan Agaton · Rating 3 out of 5]

angst of twilight but a little more tasteful and make it sapphic

[Althea · Rating 5 out of 5]

I picked this book up on a whim at my local Waterstones because 1. I thought the cover looked gay and 2. it's a novel written in verse which is one of my favourite things to read - but I was completely blown away by this book. I was, in fact, right about being gay - it's a gorgeous sapphic story with, what I read as, genderfluid main characters - but I was not expecting it to be about vampires and I was so pleasantly surprised! Additionally, this book features a super interesting and unique take on vampires - instead of them living one long, immortal life, a vampire lives many different lives as different people and keeps their past voices and feelings deep inside them. Immy as a main character was so wonderful to read about as she is struggling with her identity as a vampire as well as her moral compass, and I saw so much of myself in her story. Claudia was such a sweet and kind soul and I dare you not to fall at least a little bit in love with her while you read this, too. I also adored the side characters who form Immy's queer vampire found family (and I am very hopeful that the story mentioned in the interview at the end of the book is released at some point, because I'd love to read more about them!).

Of course, I have to mention Grehan's writing - the choice of verse in telling this story was absolutely perfect and the rhythm and cadence of it worked so well with Immy's inner monologue. I cannot wait to go back through the book and annotate it, but I fear I'll be highlighting almost the whole book! It's safe to say that I cannot recommend this book enough and I can't wait to pick up Grehan's other works!

Want more sapphic books? You can find me here: Book Blog | Twitter | Instagram

[Anniek · Rating 5 out of 5]

This sapphic vampire verse novel is just PERFECT, I have no other words for it. I had to reread certain parts and read them aloud because they were just too beautiful to keep in

[kate · Rating 4 out of 5]

came for the vampires, stayed for the lyrical prose, unique take on vampires and the beautiful exploration of identity, love, loneliness, desire and sense of self.

[Stay Fetters · Rating 2 out of 5]

"I walk through the house
I walk through the city
I walk through life
Eyes down
Bones heavy
I walk."

My vampire loving heart started to race when I saw this book because all things vampires are my thing. Well, except those sparkly ones which I will not name. Plus I love when current authors take something classic like vampires and put their own twists on things. I was bouncing with excitement.

Sadly, my excitement was a lot better than the actual book. It was an okay read but nothing that blew my mind. I’m sad that I got nothing from this. It sounded really promising and everyone seems to love it... except for me. The cover is super adorable though 🥰

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really really enjoyed that! I’m gonna need a book about Freddie and Henry asap please and thanks

4.5/5 stars

[Emma · Rating 3 out of 5]

ADORABLE

[roosmarijn · Rating 4 out of 5]

SO GOOD WOW.

Sapphic vampire romance written as poetry overflowing with desire and lust and tears and bloody kisses. Truly a dream of a book.

”What do you do with love like this, what do I do with love like this, how do I hold it, how do I keep it, how do I stop it.”

[exlibrisjessica · Rating 4 out of 5]

“The Blood feeds the hunger that threatens everything.”

Little Island Books has sent me a copy of Baby Teeth in return for this honest review.
————————————————————————————

Baby Teeth is a sapphic novel written in verse as an inner-monologue of a vampire who is falling in love with a human in a new way.

This book has the most lyrical writing and the flow is absolutely perfect; I felt it reflected Immy’s emotions and thoughts so well.

Through her lives she has been many people and it’s written like they’re all still partly in her mind, all guiding her, warning her and influencing her.

She falls for Claudia who works at a local florist and this love story is messy, beautiful, comforting, confusing… there are so many emotions but the writing puts them across in the best way.

There are parts when the words would repeat and it was like I could hear the voices screaming and chanting in my own head. Luckily there was the right amount of balance for me in pace and plot but I could see why this type of verse may annoy others.

The best part of this book for me was the imagery though. The cabin in the woods with trees that whisper, the museum where Immy can walk endlessly discovering new art, the home where Izzy and her unconventional ‘family’ have their safe space. All of these places are still vivid in my head. Highly recommend if you’re a fan of vampires but want a new take on them.

[LONELY TOURIST · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC!
I didn't know what to expect from this book, really, but I'm definitely someone won over easily by a pretty cover and, well, lesbians and vampirism. All three together? Yeah, count me in. This is a book in verse, told from the perspective of Immy, who's a vampire, coming to terms with her feelings for Claudia, who's a florist (or works in a flower shop, at least? I'm not sure on the terms here, really, but that's beside the point) and who offers her a yellow rose, saying it suits her, and --- the introspective aspect of it is just so infinitely relatable, I think. It says a lot about how we have to kind of give ourselves permission to be happy, or to enjoy parts of our lives and ourselves, and it's a pretty short book, but you really find yourself invested in the characters and their lives together and how they intersect, and the kind of patchwork little family they make.

[Jena · Rating 5 out of 5]

So, I picked this up on a whim and it's become an unexpected favourite of mine. I love the author's writing style and the poetry's form. I liked how the whole collection of poetry told one collective story and the romance was really genuine. The author never had to spell anything out and yet everything was very clear. They also did a great job exploring what it means to be human through the vampire MC. Overall this was super good. I'd recommend it to fans of modern poetry who are maybe a little worn out of the typical poetry style popularized in the last few years by Rupi Kaur. This book is just as understandable and uses modern language, but has a really unique story and style.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

[Gabbie Pop · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was one of the most unique takes on vampires, where existence is a haunted house and every ghost inside is a spectre of yourself, an incessant whispered conversation you can catch a hint of without ever fully tuning in; Immy's journey into making peace with these ghosts (and thus with herself) stole my heart. Her relationship with Claudia was so tender and tentative, a careful negotiation of allowing softness in a world made of edges.
I also have to highlight the stunning use of found family, and the heartwarming way these people accept each version of one another with open arms and no judgement.
Also have to point out how stunning the use of art in this was - I can't stop thinking about Immy's relationship with art as a way of seeking connection with the world around her and making peace with her own immortality.
Grehan's writing is as stunning and lyrical as ever.

[Connor Moon]

I don’t think I’m going to give this book a star rating, because it’s not really comparable to a lot of the other novels that I read, but it was deeply emotional and a really great read. The format of verse storytelling really emphasised a lot of the struggles main character was facing, and it had such an interesting take on vampires. It was a really easy read, and I will definitely be revisiting it again someday soon!

[akacya ❦ · Rating 4 out of 5]

2024 reads: 220/250

this novel-in-verse follows a vampire currently known as immy. immy has lived many lives and been in love many times, but nothing compares to what she feels for claudia.

i somehow didn’t realize the form of this book was poetry, not prose, when i borrowed it from libby. this was a very nice surprise, and i think the lyrical poetry matched the haunting love story at hand. i’d recommend this to anyone who likes vampires and poetry!

[Natasja · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was so so so good. I already want to reread and reread it and just so many times over again

[Sam Bolton · Rating 4 out of 5]

(4.5 maybe 5 on some reflection)

This was so beautiful 🥺🥺🥺🥺

[Eve · Rating 4 out of 5]

More of a 3.5 but 4⭐️ makes more sense than 3 :)

[Alex Nonymous · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thanks to the publisher for providing an eARC of Baby Teeth in exchange for an honest review.

I've been putting off reviewing this for weeks now because I truly do not understand the grip it had on me and was hoping it'd somehow pop into my brain but alas, brain still empty. Very weirdly uniquely wonderful book though.

[emma · Rating 2 out of 5]

this book isn’t bad at all - i just feel nothing for it. i picked this up because i heard it was super moving and makes you cry etc etc. but when i finished it i felt nothing. maybe it’s a me problem, but i was waiting for the sad part and then it… never came?

brownie points for the representation but unfortunately this just wasn’t my cup of tea

[Michaela Aisling · Rating 4 out of 5]

rounding up as this was definitely more of a 3.5!

meg grehan is very good. this wasn’t my favourite of hers as i felt it lacked a little something and i often found myself struggling to warm to the mc/more intrigued by henry and freddy but it had some wonderful moments and truly just the way that meg writes and emotes is something very special to behold

[Lucrezia Gaion · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5*
I read this for Teen Titles. It's a good book, just not my personal favourite genre.

[Marcella · Rating 4 out of 5]

"When she looks at me
I don't feel seen
I feel known."

[Yente · Rating 2 out of 5]

Leuk geprobeerd

[Lyss · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was gifted a copy of this from NetGalley and Little Island Books publishing in exchange for an honest review.

I don’t know how to begin this review in any other way besides saying you have to read this book! Meg Grehan wove a story of love, grief and self acknowledgement in a way that left me speechless for a matter of minutes after I finished.

I’ve never read a story in the form of verse before and at first it felt a little hard to keep up with but I pushed through and I’m glad I did because the plot was well worth the extra time it took to read it. Typically I’m a speed reader, going through books in one go without stopping but the story being written in verse forced me to slow down and truly take in what I was reading which made it that much more special.

Sapphic love, vampires, stunning imagery and an oddly nostalgic feeling put this book quite high on my list of recommendations. If you’re like me and are thrown off by reading verse I suggest sticking it out and trying to read it slowly, this isn’t a story I think anyone should miss out on simply because the format is daunting at first.

[Helen Corcoran · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was lucky enough to read this one early, and loved it so much that I blurbed it. I think anyone who has followed me for a while on Twitter, especially, knows that I’m a fan of vampires and of sapphic stories (no, really?). Combining the two is a story that feels tailor-made for me.

Anyone who decides to write about vampires also knows they must acknowledge the existence of a lot of mythology and lore: most of it post-Dracula, which has eclipsed the mythology—and even Stoker’s own novel—in the public imagination.

Meg does interesting, clever things with her vampires, which is extremely difficult to do! I loved Immy, and the weight of her many lives buried inside her current existence, a mess of wisdom and emotions—good and bad—that she struggles against compared to others like her.

I’m always so impressed with verse novels, which convey so much through few words and white space, and this is no different. The core of the vampire is here: blood, and desire, and otherness, but it’s also about falling in love, something that Immy has done before, but it focuses on the crux of all love stories (platonic and romantic):

You.
Why are YOU so special? Why are you making me hesitant?
Why are you so important to me?
.
“A fresh, dark take on the vampire myth and desire, Baby Teeth shows vampires haunted by their pasts and memories, where immortality is not one long life but a broken patchwork of different experiences. It will twine around your heart and bite, ever so gently. I adored it.”

[Briar Page · Rating 3 out of 5]

The premise is a good one-- lesbian vampire romance, with the added wrinkle that vampire immortality in this story works more like reincarnation, with vampires periodically changing bodies and personalities-- but I didn't really jive with the verse style in which the book is written. At its best, it has a compelling rhythm to it and feels well-suited to evoking a passion-and-instinct-driven character's state of mind. But at its worst, it feels like the uninspired effort of a middle/high schooler working through their first crush or breakup: someone whose idea of poetry is that it has lots of line breaks and repetition, and not much else.

[Marie · Rating 1 out of 5]

ma ei ütle et see oli halb raamat, armumise osa oli ekstreemselt armas. Mis kurat toimus ülejäänud raamatus ma- fuck see vampiorichickita ta oli toxic. Lõpp oli kurb aga mitte sedasorti kurb et ma nutaks.

[Savanna Sobieski · Rating 5 out of 5]

Baby Teeth has and I think always will have a special place in my heart. <3