My Thoughts on: What Big Teeth by Rose Szabo

 

What Big Teeth by Rose Szabo

Publication Date: February 2, 2021 by Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR)

Genre: YA Horror

Source: ARC from the publisher via NetGalley for review 

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️✨ 

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.

Szabo’s debut novel, What Big Teeth, is a very strange and unique story. I had fun reading this book, but it was definitely a strange read

The book’s awesome cover caught my eye and made me interested in this one. I love that creepy looking cover. Cover art: 10/10!!

I wasn’t sure what to expect going into this story. I thought it would be a horror story about werewolves, and there are werewolves in this book, but it was focused more on the dysfunctional dynamics of this weird Addams Family type family. 

The main character, Eleanor, returns home after being away at a boarding school. She has questions about her family history and she wants to learn more about her monstrous instincts. Her family is literally a bunch of monsters. They are all creepy and strange. I kept thinking Eleanor would have been better off staying at her boarding school! Another strange character in this book is the family friend, Arthur, who is mysterious and creepy, yet many of the family members seem drawn to him. I thought the relationships between Arthur and the family was very odd and awkward.

I’m still not sure exactly how I feel about this book. I like strange books, but this story was a little too out there for me. I did really like Szabo’s writing and I thought this was an interesting and creepy book. If you’re into strange stories, you might want to read this one.

Thanks for Reading!