Not the werewolf story I was expecting
When I read the synopsis for What Big Teeth by Rose Szabo, I was so excited! I love werewolf stories, and the idea of coming home from boarding school to a strange family sounds like a great plot to me. The opening chapters of the book were intriguing and made me want to know more. Here is an excerpt from Chapter One, after Eleanor arrives home and sees her family for the first time in a long time:
“What’s for dinner?” Father asked Rhys. “Show me what you
caught.”
Rhys grabbed the sack and pulled out a brace of young rabbits by the ears. Their heads lolled limply from their broken
necks. Their white throats were pink with blood.
Maybe my eyes were adjusting, I thought, since everything
seemed to be getting darker around me. And then I fainted.
Such a horrifying scene! After I read the first chapter, I was pumped and ready to go wherever this story would take me. Unfortunately, it didn't really take anywhere. I soon lost interest, and I felt like nothing was happening. It's true that the family members say strange things and do strange things, but it's not very exciting. There was some love drama, a new villain was introduced, a character's secret is revealed, and Eleanor explores her powers. However, the plot didn't really maintain my interest. At the climax of the book, I was thinking, "That's it?" The book is marketed as "horror" and "thrilling," but I really didn't get that sense from the book. Overall, What Big Teeth is a tame, YA fantasy with gothic undertones. It wasn't the werewolf story I was expecting, but I'm sure some readers of YA fantasy will appreciate its weirdness.
“What’s for dinner?” Father asked Rhys. “Show me what you
caught.”
Rhys grabbed the sack and pulled out a brace of young rabbits by the ears. Their heads lolled limply from their broken
necks. Their white throats were pink with blood.
Maybe my eyes were adjusting, I thought, since everything
seemed to be getting darker around me. And then I fainted.
Such a horrifying scene! After I read the first chapter, I was pumped and ready to go wherever this story would take me. Unfortunately, it didn't really take anywhere. I soon lost interest, and I felt like nothing was happening. It's true that the family members say strange things and do strange things, but it's not very exciting. There was some love drama, a new villain was introduced, a character's secret is revealed, and Eleanor explores her powers. However, the plot didn't really maintain my interest. At the climax of the book, I was thinking, "That's it?" The book is marketed as "horror" and "thrilling," but I really didn't get that sense from the book. Overall, What Big Teeth is a tame, YA fantasy with gothic undertones. It wasn't the werewolf story I was expecting, but I'm sure some readers of YA fantasy will appreciate its weirdness.