What Big Teeth
In Rose Szabo’s debut What Big Teeth, 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. To save them all, Eleanor must learn to embrace her family of monsters and tame the darkness inside her.
I love when authors create characters out of inanimate objects. In the case of What Big Teeth, I feel like Eleanor’s family manor is its own character. It’s such a vital part of her family; protecting them from outside dangers, acting as a safe haven for the monstrous family – and it’s clear that although Eleanor was sent away, the house embraces her as one of the family, even if she’s not sure of her place in it after so long spent at boarding school. It was sad to see it burn down, but by then the home had served its purpose; Eleanor and her remaining family had to move forward and make a new home together.
Eleanor’s relationships with her grandmothers were one of my favourite parts of this story. Her relationships with both were very different, yet equally important to Eleanor’s character development. She had a strained relationship with her father’s mother, as it was her decision to send Eleanor away, afraid of the dark magic lying inside her youngest grandchild. She didn’t exactly welcome Eleanor back when she fled boarding school, but as she haunted the house as a ghost, she did find ways to help Eleanor save her family. They seemed to come to a kind of understanding.
On the other side of the spectrum, Eleanor’s mother’s mother was much more accepting of Eleanor. She loved Eleanor before she even met her, and although her outside sweetness hid darker intentions, it did seem as though she truly cared about Eleanor’s wellbeing. It was such a struggle for Eleanor to understand that the one person who seemed to love her the most was trying to destroy the rest of her family.
What Big Teeth is a terrifying, fiercely gothic read that will send shivers down your spine.
What Big Teeth Rating: ★★★★★
I love when authors create characters out of inanimate objects. In the case of What Big Teeth, I feel like Eleanor’s family manor is its own character. It’s such a vital part of her family; protecting them from outside dangers, acting as a safe haven for the monstrous family – and it’s clear that although Eleanor was sent away, the house embraces her as one of the family, even if she’s not sure of her place in it after so long spent at boarding school. It was sad to see it burn down, but by then the home had served its purpose; Eleanor and her remaining family had to move forward and make a new home together.
Eleanor’s relationships with her grandmothers were one of my favourite parts of this story. Her relationships with both were very different, yet equally important to Eleanor’s character development. She had a strained relationship with her father’s mother, as it was her decision to send Eleanor away, afraid of the dark magic lying inside her youngest grandchild. She didn’t exactly welcome Eleanor back when she fled boarding school, but as she haunted the house as a ghost, she did find ways to help Eleanor save her family. They seemed to come to a kind of understanding.
On the other side of the spectrum, Eleanor’s mother’s mother was much more accepting of Eleanor. She loved Eleanor before she even met her, and although her outside sweetness hid darker intentions, it did seem as though she truly cared about Eleanor’s wellbeing. It was such a struggle for Eleanor to understand that the one person who seemed to love her the most was trying to destroy the rest of her family.
What Big Teeth is a terrifying, fiercely gothic read that will send shivers down your spine.
What Big Teeth Rating: ★★★★★