Rose Szabo

I received an advance copy via NetGalley.

This unabashedly queer fantasy book is in a modern setting--a city that has lost its magic, and exists in a neither here nor there within the real world--and neatly twists around tropes about the Chosen One. Frankly put, the last Chosen Ones failed. They are why magic is down to dregs. However, a new generation is drawn to River City, tugged by the tight, strangling lines of fate, and the night of Carnival looms near...

The writing is fabulous. The show more characters--wow. Nuanced to the max. This book does need a bunch of trigger warnings up front, though. It is dark and brutally honest about racism, homophobia, and police brutality. As the first book of a duology, there are some major cliffhangers. I hope the next book comes out soon, because I really want to know what happens next! show less

After an incident at her boarding school, Eleanor Zarrin flees back to her family home in the small town of Winterport, Maine. Eleanor doesn't know quite what to expect upon her arrival after being sent away years earlier for being too dangerous. Eleanor can't remember the exact reason that her grandmother Persephone wanted her gone. Upon her return Eleanor is the one frightened of her sister Luma, cousin Rhys and grandfather Miklos' untamed wolf forms, her mother's half coral body and her show more Aunt Margaret's silent acceptance. As Eleanor tries to figure out her place within her strange family, her Grandmother Persephone dies, leaving her an ominous warning that she must now take care of the family. To do this, Eleanor seeks out her other grandmother and unknowingly unleashes an even larger monster upon the family.

What Big Teeth is a unique young adult fantasy horror that kept me on the edge of my seat as Eleanor unraveled the many strange elements of her family. The writing is immediately engaging, leaving the reading with a constant sense of wanting to know more and needing to dig deeper into the secrets of the Zarrin family. The Zarrin family is filled with many different types of monsters, yet they seem very familiar as they deal with family drama. Every aspect of the Zarrin family pulled me in and left me in a suspenseful state from Persephone's death, to Miklos' and Rhys' wild habits and the oddities of their family friend, Arthur who seems ageless, can only drink Margaret's special coffee blend and may be controlled by Persephone. The addition of Eleanor's other grandmother created yet another mystery and wreaked havoc on every member of the Zarrin family. With her other grandmother, Eleanor learns that she may be the most dangerous monster of them all; and yet, she may be the only one who can save what is left of her family. What Big Teeth is an unexpected gothic tale with many surprising twists and turns.

This book was received for free in return for an honest review. show less

By lurkykitty

Eleanor is sent away to boarding school at a young age by her grandmother. What Big Teeth starts when teenage Eleanor flees home to her strange family after an incident at school. Eleanor is mystified and frightened by her creepy, savage family members and their weird dynamic. The reader shares her fear and confusion. When her paternal grandmother dies Eleanor is entrusted by her to protect the family. The story follows Eleanor as she discovers more about her family history and show more the odd man called Arthur who does their bidding. Eleanor, feeling lonely and excluded, invites her maternal grandmother to visit from France. Her Grandmere initially seems warm and supportive, but Eleanor comes to realize she is not all she appears to be. Eleanor must stand up to unite and protect her family and follow her own moral compass. The haunting, isolated setting of a huge gothic mansion on the outskirts of a small village in Maine creates an ominous foreboding atmosphere. The author skillfully builds tension, fear and a pervasive unsettling feeling of constant threat. There are deeper themes of family, identity and controlling the monster in others and within. I could not put this creepy yet triumphant book down and flew through the pages. An astonishing and highly recommended debut. show less

Eleanor Zarrin comes from a family of monsters, and after an incident at her boarding school, she's not sure if she's the scariest or the weakest. She flees the school to hide at home, where she no longer seems to fit in with her bloodthirsty family.

Eleanor arrives at a menacing castle that the Zarrins built a generation ago, where the woods aren't safe, filled with giant hunting wolves that she once called cousin, sister and grandfather. Her grandmother's convinced that the tarot cards show show more Eleanor's facing a choice: she can ruin or save them all. The only problem is, Eleanor has no idea what she's talking about. And no one seems to want to tell her the truth about anything.

This story will swallow you whole. The fabulously gothic setting, the monstrous characters, the cleverly layered mysteries - all perfection. It's both stunningly sinister and gloriously gruesome. A masterpiece of horror, where the true monsters are not who we expect them to be. show less