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steps's review
dark
emotional
funny
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
catbrigand's review against another edition
4.0
This is one of the most unusual books I've ever read. The beginning doesn't start with a hook so much as a forward lurch. At first, I just skimmed along wondering, "Okay, so there's some magic fish, and supposedly if you stop eating them your ills will return, but they don't even seem to be working for some people-so?"
The brilliance of this book lies in its subtlety.
I think that for a lot of people, especially those who are not queer or know any queer people, they think that realizing one's sexual identity is a traumatic or at least red letter event that involves a lot of dramatics and the ubiquitous coming out party. That certainly can be the cause. But for so many people, realizing one's sexual identity lies in what isn't said or done. The bond between Teeth and Rudy (such as it is) pulled at my gut because its understated realism was so very poignant and real. More than that, their bond didn't define every aspect of their characters; it wasn't the most interesting thing about either of them.
There were several aspects of this book that had me scratching my head. I'm willing to suspend belief for magical realism to a degree, but the story of Teeth's conception and the heavy implications of both how the fishermen treated Teeth and the fact that he probably could have gotten away left me feeling disappointed. The longer I sit on the Teeth vs. Fishermen subplot, the more annoyed I feel by it. Yes, Teeth is naive and not human and may not have realized the extent of his own victimization, but even Rudy's vocal point of "you could have gotten away" sounds victim-shaming to the audience, even if it doesn't to Teeth.
The end of the book left me feeling vaguely sad, as if there were no real winners. That said, I smiled as I finished the book, even if the ending is far from fairytale.
The brilliance of this book lies in its subtlety.
I think that for a lot of people, especially those who are not queer or know any queer people, they think that realizing one's sexual identity is a traumatic or at least red letter event that involves a lot of dramatics and the ubiquitous coming out party. That certainly can be the cause. But for so many people, realizing one's sexual identity lies in what isn't said or done. The bond between Teeth and Rudy (such as it is) pulled at my gut because its understated realism was so very poignant and real. More than that, their bond didn't define every aspect of their characters; it wasn't the most interesting thing about either of them.
There were several aspects of this book that had me scratching my head. I'm willing to suspend belief for magical realism to a degree, but the story of Teeth's conception and the heavy implications of both how the fishermen treated Teeth and the fact that he probably could have gotten away left me feeling disappointed. The longer I sit on the Teeth vs. Fishermen subplot, the more annoyed I feel by it. Yes, Teeth is naive and not human and may not have realized the extent of his own victimization, but even Rudy's vocal point of "you could have gotten away" sounds victim-shaming to the audience, even if it doesn't to Teeth.
The end of the book left me feeling vaguely sad, as if there were no real winners. That said, I smiled as I finished the book, even if the ending is far from fairytale.
roannasylver's review against another edition
4.0
“If this were a fairy tale, this would be the part where the fishy appears and Diana shoots him through the heart. Because he is a tragic hero, he’s our fucking Gatsby, and he lived for his fish and he has to die for his fish.”
* * *
Gloriously dark and disturbing. Hauntingly atmospheric; the isolation and despair is palpable, as is the cold, both metaphorical and literal. As are the darker realities of being someone mainstream (ha) society doesn’t understand or have any interest in protecting. Literally the only thing I didn’t love is... that ending was really fucking sad, and I went into this expecting more of a romance. Not the book’s fault, more of a perception/word-of-mouth disconnect, but. Damn, that hurt.
Still super good and recommended, especially if you like richly palpable locations that are almost characters in themselves. And pain.
* * *
Gloriously dark and disturbing. Hauntingly atmospheric; the isolation and despair is palpable, as is the cold, both metaphorical and literal. As are the darker realities of being someone mainstream (ha) society doesn’t understand or have any interest in protecting. Literally the only thing I didn’t love is... that ending was really fucking sad, and I went into this expecting more of a romance. Not the book’s fault, more of a perception/word-of-mouth disconnect, but. Damn, that hurt.
Still super good and recommended, especially if you like richly palpable locations that are almost characters in themselves. And pain.
emrodav's review against another edition
5.0
I can't even explain how much I loved every single thing about this book, even the ending. I love it so much, but it hurt so much that I think it'll be hard to read again because I just cried so much. That amount of emotion condensed is hard to go through more than once.
Two things make this book amazing: the writing and the characters. Hannah Moskowitz has such a way with words. She crafted this beautiful world, full of magic and blood, and makes it feel completely real. It moves the book into the realm of magical realism while leaving you connected to the reality of the character's lives.
The characters are amazingly developed in such a short novel. The way the family handles Dylan's illness feels completely genuine. This is especially true for me, because I lived with a family member (my father) slowly dying for years. Everything Rudy feels makes sense, even when Rudy doesn't understand it. His parents don't get much page time, but they're also real characters. And the snapshots you see of Dylan from Rudy's point of view make him real and you understand and feel the love that Rudy has for him.
Diana and her mother were both complicated characters. I definitely wouldn't say I would like them as people or anything but that's not the point of reading this book. They're layered and fully realized even though they don't show up often.
And Teeth. I have so many feelings about Teeth. He's so tragic and experienced, but so naive at times that whenever anything bad happens (and it happens often) that it tore me to pieces. Rudy wanted to protect him, and so did I.
We can't forget the love story, because at it's core, this story is about how Rudy and Teeth fall in love. They don't ever say it explicitly, but the reader and the characters know.
Don't go into this book, which in the GR description says is a fairytale, expecting a fairytale ending. You won't get it, but you don't need it. It wouldn't feel genuine if everything ended "perfectly," wrapped up in a neat bow. That's not the story Moskowitz was telling. The story she did write is full of tragedy and love, and the result is amazing.
Two things make this book amazing: the writing and the characters. Hannah Moskowitz has such a way with words. She crafted this beautiful world, full of magic and blood, and makes it feel completely real. It moves the book into the realm of magical realism while leaving you connected to the reality of the character's lives.
The characters are amazingly developed in such a short novel. The way the family handles Dylan's illness feels completely genuine. This is especially true for me, because I lived with a family member (my father) slowly dying for years. Everything Rudy feels makes sense, even when Rudy doesn't understand it. His parents don't get much page time, but they're also real characters. And the snapshots you see of Dylan from Rudy's point of view make him real and you understand and feel the love that Rudy has for him.
Diana and her mother were both complicated characters. I definitely wouldn't say I would like them as people or anything but that's not the point of reading this book. They're layered and fully realized even though they don't show up often.
And Teeth. I have so many feelings about Teeth. He's so tragic and experienced, but so naive at times that whenever anything bad happens (and it happens often) that it tore me to pieces. Rudy wanted to protect him, and so did I.
We can't forget the love story, because at it's core, this story is about how Rudy and Teeth fall in love. They don't ever say it explicitly, but the reader and the characters know.
Spoiler
Like just before Teeth leaves, when he starts to say "I hate humans," but Rudy is expecting him to say "those three words" and even when Teeth doesn't, he knows that's what he means.Don't go into this book, which in the GR description says is a fairytale, expecting a fairytale ending. You won't get it, but you don't need it. It wouldn't feel genuine if everything ended "perfectly," wrapped up in a neat bow. That's not the story Moskowitz was telling. The story she did write is full of tragedy and love, and the result is amazing.
stuckinafictionaluniverse's review against another edition
4.0
3.5
Teeth is a difficult book to summarize. It’s about an island with magical fish, a family desperate to cure their son’s disease… and a fish boy.
And it’s bloody sad.
It’s been so long since I read this novel that I can't write a proper review.
If you want to know more about this, go read Anna's review (who recommended the book to me). It sums up my feelings pretty well, except that I didn't love it quite as much.
Gorgeous writing, real characters and a very compelling story. I should give it a re-read sometime.
Recommended for those who enjoy magical realism and all things weird.
Teeth is a difficult book to summarize. It’s about an island with magical fish, a family desperate to cure their son’s disease… and a fish boy.
And it’s bloody sad.
It’s been so long since I read this novel that I can't write a proper review.
If you want to know more about this, go read Anna's review (who recommended the book to me). It sums up my feelings pretty well, except that I didn't love it quite as much.
Gorgeous writing, real characters and a very compelling story. I should give it a re-read sometime.
Recommended for those who enjoy magical realism and all things weird.
conifers's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
- Were there errors in the writing? Y/N
- Was the writing form original/fresh, or immersive? Y/N
- Were the characters believable? Y/N
- Did the novel contain diverse characters? Y/N
- Did I care about what happened to them? Y/N
- Was the plot engaging or unputdownable? Y/N
- Did the novel feel complete and satisfying? Y/N
- Was the plot presented in a way that was original/fresh? Y/N
- Were the themes presented in a consistent and novel way? Y/N
- Did the novel say something profound about the human experience? Y/N
theseventhl's review against another edition
4.0
TEETH is the second book by Hannah Moskowitz I have read this year, the first being the utterly superb NOT OTHERWISE SPECIFIED, and in a way, they have similar narratives of a main protagonist who feels isolated and alone who connects to another person through their shared struggles; with NOW, it’s Etta and Bianca’s eating disorders and drive to be successful in theater, while in TEETH, it is Teeth and Rudy’s loneliness and identity crises. Rudy struggles with living in a family with a sick brother and no longer having a life outside of taking care of him; Teeth struggles with his very sense of who he is, a scarred and patchy fish boy with a horrifying origin.
I reviewed TEETH in full at my blog, which you can read here.
I reviewed TEETH in full at my blog, which you can read here.