REVIEW: Baby Teeth by Zoje Stage

***Review first published at the New York Journal of Books***

“Baby Teeth is a very satisfying read. More psychological thriller than horror, it’s a finely crafted exploration of the breakdown of the family unit . . .”

Zoje Stage’s debut novel Baby Teeth is a deliciously creepy tale that pushes the boundaries of the dysfunctional family into very dark territory.

Set in Pittsburg, PA, the plot revolves around young mother Suzette Jensen, her husband Alex and their mute seven-year-old daughter, Hanna. Hanna’s mutism is a cause of great concern to her mother, who sees it as a sign of her bad parenting, but in reality, it’s a sign of something much darker.

As the very tightly woven tale moves along, jumping between the heads of Suzette and Hanna, Stage’s skill comes to the fore. The author forces you to feel sympathy for Suzette one moment and then judge her the next. With Hanna, you wonder at first if she is just an attention-seeking brat—until the bad things start happening.

There’s a definite creep-factor to Hanna; the girl’s malevolent mind-games becoming increasingly more sophisticated. As a reader, you are constantly second-guessing yourself. Is she acting out, or is she truly evil? There are many parallels in the tale to other novels like The Exorcist and Rosemary’s Baby, and occasionally it feels like familiar territory, but what sets Baby Teeth apart is that it goes much deeper into the trials of being a parent and childhood mental illness.

The author’s portrayal of Suzette, this fragile, Crohn’s Disease-afflicted, helpless mother, is very precise. Hanna meanwhile, with her Machiavellian schemes, is almost too clever for her own good, but you can’t help but keep turning the pages to see what she does to her mother next.

Stage pits all three in the Jensen family against each other, and it’s intricately detailed with emotion. Although it does seem to take a long time for the father, Alex to come to his senses and see that something is seriously wrong with his daughter, he acts as an anchor point for the reader, the center-point in the see-saw of doubt.

The supernatural elements are minor, with Stage introducing witches and hints of Walpurgis Night into the mix, but still these are intended to keep the reader wondering what is truly going on with Hanna.

The psychological aspects of the story are well-crafted with Stage confirming the reader’s pre-conceptions, lulling us into a false sense of security. Seeds of doubt are the strongest aspects of the author’s plotting. Her prose is also succinct, and delightfully flecked with some truly creepy aspects of Hanna’s persona:

“While it was very easy to think of ways to harm her, it was very hard—even with Marie-Anne’s help—to think of things that wouldn’t immediately give her away. Mommy would see if she pushed her down the stairs, but Hanna didn’t think the fall would do much more than annoy her. She could stab her in the heart while she slept and then carefully wipe her fingerprints off the knife . . .”

As the novel reaches its crescendo, Stage offers a glimmer of hope, with some tender moments between mother, daughter, and father. The reader can’t help but feel pity and sorrow for Hanna when a tough decision looks to split the family up for good. But this is Stage getting to the heart of the story, ramming home just how tragic family dysfunction can be and the costs it can bring to bear. Is the hope real? The ending, although true to Hanna’s devious character, leaves the prospect of up to the reader.

All in all, Baby Teeth is a very satisfying read. More psychological thriller than horror, it’s a finely crafted exploration of the breakdown of the family unit which not only pulls at the heart-strings but threatens to sever them. I look forward to seeing what dark delights Stage conjures up next.

Buy Baby Teeth here - https://www.amazon.com/Baby-Teeth-Novel-Zoje-Stage/dp/1250170753/

Review: Entertaining Demons by Daniel I. Russell

Daniel I Russell’s latest novel, Entertaining Demons is a perfect blend of brutal horror and delicious satire.

At first glance, it appears to be a novel aimed at teens, with the central character, a girl named Molly, the star of a paranormal television show, but in actual fact, it’s far from it.

Instead, we’re given a glimpse into demonology, but also the evil that is society’s addiction to entertainment. Molly is a reality TV sensation, with her very own film crew filming her every move, just hoping for some sort of paranormal experience.

Without giving too much of the plot away very dangerous paranormal activity starts happening and it soon becomes apparent that something demonic wants Molly’s soul (nothing new here in other books similar to the genre), but things take a very “entertaining” turn when Russell introduces us to just a few of the demons whose sole job, is to damn mankind.

Damnation is, in a word, big business and two particular demons don’t like the idea of a television show exposing their secrets to the world. When this pair step in things get very, very nasty and there is bloodshed and torture aplenty, which is one of the things I love about Russell’s style. There are quite a few flashes of brilliant writing, particularly whenever the demons unmask. You can’t help but feel a chill.

Having said that, the mystery Russell weaves around Molly, her mother and her grandfather are also treated with the same attention to detail. You’re constantly left wondering who she really is and why a demon would want her so badly. There’s clearly something wrong with her mother beyond mental illness and her grandfather seems to be constantly on edge.

Russell also takes the concept of television having a hold over society and being “the root of all evil” literally with great results, but in the end, it is Molly’s story of survival in the midst of diabolical odds that really won me over and the ending is definitely one I never saw coming.

All in all, Entertaining Demons is a very enjoyable escape into darkness. You can pre-order it now through Amazon or via the publisher, Apex Publications.

Four stars.

REVIEW: The Halloween Children by Brian Freeman and Norman Prentiss

Who doesn't love a good Halloween story?

Although Halloween is still some months away, there's no excuse not to get yourself in the mood with a good Halloween tale.

Which is exactly what authors Brian James Freeman and Norman Prentiss have delivered with The Halloween Children - a solid, creepy, tale of horror and paranoia, in the vein of Stephen King's The Shining.

Without giving too much of the plot away, the story focuses on Harris and Lynn and their two children, who live in a community housing estate. The strained relationship between Harris, the estate's caretaker, his wife provides the mechanics for the story, with each chapter bouncing between the two, revealing small details about an apparent tragedy in the estate - and their mistrust of each other.

This is where the comparisons to The Shining can be made, but to the authors' credit, they keep the mystery at the forefront, skillfully pulling the reader along as we are left wondering which character is telling the truth.

As Halloween draws closer in the story, Freeman and Prentiss ramp up the tension and paranoia, building to a dark and open-ended, but still very satisfying climax. The mystery of the story is its greatest asset, as well as its atmosphere of dread.

Overall, this is a really good Halloween story, perfect not just for the evening of October 31, but any night of the year.

I give it 4/5 stars.

The Halloween Children is available for pre-order from Penguin/Random House via this LINK