Teeth

by Hannah Moskowitz

A gritty, romantic modern fairy tale from the author of Break and Gone, Gone, Gone.

Be careful what you believe in.

Rudy’s life is flipped upside-down when his family moves to a remote island in a last attempt to save his sick younger brother. With nothing to do but worry, Rudy sinks deeper and deeper into loneliness and lies awake at night listening to the screams of the ocean beneath his family’s rickety house.

Then he meets Diana, who makes him wonder what he even knows about love, and Teeth, who makes him question what he knows about anything. Rudy can’t remember the last time he felt so connected to someone, but being friends with Teeth is more than a little bit complicated. He soon learns that Teeth has terrible secrets. Violent secrets. Secrets that will force Rudy to choose between his own happiness and his brother’s life.

Genres: Young Adult, Fantasy, LGBT, Paranormal, Mermaids, Contemporary, Magical Realism

288 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2013

About the author

Hannah Moskowitz wrote her first story, about a kitten named Lilly on the run from cat hunters, for a contest when she was seven years old. It was disqualified for violence. Her first book, BREAK, was on the ALA's 2010 list of Popular Paperbacks for Young Adults, and in 2013, GONE, GONE, GONE received a Stonewall Honor. 2015's NOT OTHERWISE SPECIFIED was named the YA Bisexual Book of the Year. SICK KIDS IN LOVE was a Sydney Taylor Honoree, a Junior Library Guild Selection, and one of both Kirkus and Tablet Magazine's Best Books of the year. She lives in Maryland with several cats, none of whom are violent.

Reviews

[Hannah]

I wrote this book. I like its playlist the best.

I totally support your right to refer to it as magicgayfish forever and ever.

1) The Island--The Decemberists
2) A Sea Chanty of Sorts--Margot and the Nuclear So and So's
3) Human--The Killers
4) I Like You So Much Better When You're Naked--Ida Maria
5) Soul Meets Body--Death Cab for Cutie
6) Boys Keep Swinging--David Bowie
7) Skin and Bones--Motion City Soundtrack
8) You Must Be Out of Your Mind--The Magnetic Fields
9) History Lesson--Motion City Soundtrack
10) The General--Dispatch
11) When I Was a Boy--Dar Williams
12) Stop Breathing--Pavement
13) The Ocean--Dar Williams
14) Same Old Stuff--The Feeling
15) You Are My Joy--The Reindeer Section
16) Firefly--Breaking Benjamin
17) Bring It Back--Kris Allen
18) The Professor--Damien Rice
19) Land Locked Blues--Bright Eyes
20) Virgin Mountain--Loch Lomond
21) The Blower's Daughter--Damien Rice
22) Black Bird--Evan Rachel Wood
23) White Horse--Taylor Swift
24) Cold Water--Damien Rice

[Kat Kennedy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I make no secret of the fact that I love Moskowitz’s work with the power of a thousand Beiber fans except I don’t need to suspend my disbelief in Moskowitz’s ability.

Teeth is a heartbreaking novel about a lonely boy and an even lonelier magic fish boy. On an island there is a secret. The fish there are magic and they can keep you alive from even the most serious illness. Rudy moves there with his family for is brother’s sake, but things aren’t as simple as they seem when he meets Teeth.

As I’ve come to expect from Moskowitz, the writing is nothing short of spectacular and the characterization, Oh! The characterization! Here is a quote from my review of her book Gone, Gone, Gone about her characterization:

“Well and truly it is the intense char­ac­ter­i­za­tion of Craig and Lio that make this novel. Clearly Moskowitz doesn’t just do char­ac­ter­i­za­tion. She DOES char­ac­ter­i­za­tion. You know. Like, when she writes a char­ac­ter – that char­ac­ter has been writ­ten. That character KNOWS it’s been written. That character will probably tell all it’s friends about that time it was written really well. Then it will compare all other writings to the writing that Moskowitz gave it. Thoroughly.”

That is as true in Teeth as it was in Gone, Gone, Gone. Teeth and Rudy are incredibly complex characters – amazingly flawed and dysfunctional. Lonely, desperate, passionate, broken and utterly charming.

But the themes in Teeth are significantly darker than they were in Gone, Gone, Gone, making me hesitant to recommend it to those unable to cope with issues of serious and repetitive sexual abuse. Teeth is dark. Teeth is very, very gothic and depressing and sad. Sometimes I wondered if it was too sad, too dark, too emotive. There’s very little cheer and fun to be had in it. But it turns out it’s just the right amount of dark, sad and emotive for me because I still loved it.

And if you love Moskowitz, it is likely that her ability to make you feel, to illicit a remarkable amount of empathy for her characters, to bare their soul to you – is one of the biggest attractions. That is what you consistently get with Moskowitz – so if you’re up for another beautifully written tale with a fresh bunch of characters waiting to make your heart bleed, then this is for you. If you’re in the mood for something that will make you laugh and feel good, then maybe you’re better off moving along.

And, people, when you do make it to the end of this book, just remember, I’m here for you.



*An ARC was provided to me by the publisher. No gifts, favours or money was exchanged for this review.

This review also appears on my blog, Cuddlebuggery Book Blog.

[Alienor ✘ French Frowner ✘ · Rating 5 out of 5]

▒ MY THOUGHTS AFTER REREAD : January 2016 ▒

I wish I could explain why Teeth felt every bit as wonderful this second time around by a mesmerizing world or an action-packed plot. But I can't. This is still the weirdest story I ever read, the hardest book to recommend, but never before was the sensation of being trapped so gut-wrenching. I will always have a little part of my heart left on Magic Island, until it drowns in that fucking ocean, I guess. I'm kinda proud of myself for having written a review when I first read it in April, because fuck me, I wouldn't be able to do it now.

▒ ORIGINAL REVIEW : April 2015 ▒



► My thoughts exactly. Do you know the kind of book which has the power to affect you so much that you spend your night tossing and turning in your bed? Well, welcome to my last night.

TRIGGER WARNING : GRAPHIC abuse. I would not recommend it to any reader who can't cope with it (and I completely understand why)

▧ What a powerful read, really. Teeth belongs to the stories that you need to discover for yourself, where nothing is better than starting almost blind, that's why this review is going to be short, plot wise, at least.



✐ Before starting Teeth, I knew that Hannah Moskowitz's writing was either loved or hated among readers. However, what I didn't know is in which clan I will end. Verdict? I fell in love with it from page one. Indeed it's raw, to the point, powerful, full of repetitions sometimes. If short sentences are often used, the contrary is also right, and we find metaphors sometimes but so rarely that they create a distortion absolutely fantastic. To be frank, I'm not usually a big fan of present tense and metaphors but here? That's majestic. That's the poetry of the everyday. That's true, that's real, that's a respiration, my respiration. Don't expect stilted language, though. Indeed they swear. A lot. And frankly, maybe I'm weird but I found this wonderful.

"And something small and insignificant inside me shatters, just like every night, and feelings hit too hard for me to stand. I bend at the waist and cling to the windowsill. I won't scream. I won't throw myself against the walls until the supports give and we fall into the ocean. I won't think about swimming as hard as I can.

▧ Listen carefully because I haven't felt something like this since I read a book from Melina Marchetta : The characterization was perfect. Indeed the characters are so complex, flawed, dynamic and strangely realistic (yes, strangely, because Fishboy, duh) that I couldn't help but fall in love with each and every one of them, couldn't help but care deeply about their family, their struggles, the choices they have to make, their pains - even if Rudy can be such an asshole sometimes. Oh, God. My heart is shattered in a millions pieces but I wouldn't have wanted anyone of them to be different.

"And he opens his mouth, and I'm ready for anger and spit and fire, but instead it's just the smallest voice in the world. "What did you call me?"

[Here's where I was supposed to describe the characters, but I changed my mind. Go meet them. Go fall in love with them. Go suffer for them. Go laugh with them. Just go, dammit, just go.]

▧ The relationships between the characters were so beautiful and endearing that they just ... got to me like few manage. Do we need words to express what we feel? Do we need to put a name on a box? I don't think so. Friendship, guilt, expectations, but love love love. So much love that my heart can't contain it.

"I'm a shaky mess all the time.
My parents have no idea this is all my fault, that they should be tying me down and excising me or lancing me like a boil or shooting me full of poison, anything, and then taking my lungs and stuffing them down my brother's throat and watching him turn pink again."

▧ First of all, I honestly think that we need to prepare ourselves to embrace the weirdness in order to enjoy this book. Why? Because it's a fairy tale and yet it's not really a fairy tale. Because there's magic and not always explanations for it. Because some parts seriously grossed me out, and yet the story is so beautiful I don't fucking care.

▧ Moreover, I must warn you that this book is dark. Oh God, so dark and sad and hopeless at times. Indeed it deals with strong subjects like sexual abuse, and it's definitely not for the faint of heart, you've been warned. During my read, I often felt suffocated, lonely, so attached to the characters, enthralled. It reached something inside me, pulling, and pulling and pulling again, until the tears came out - You want to know the truth? It moved me as a Marchetta's book would, suddenly and completely. As it was, the raw loneliness and the absence of choices oozing from the pages were my undoing. Truth being told, this story of a family who moves in a strange island where fishes can heal is the support for so many reflexions about life that it made me think like few books manage to.

• Responsibilities. How to get free? Can we, really?
• Differences. Our place in the world. What for?
• Family and disease. What are we ready to do to save those we love?
• Ethical thinking. What makes us more worthy than other living beings? Are we, really?

I have no damn clue. Have you?

"It doesn't matter what team I'm on, for a minute. For a minute it's just me and that smile."

► To sum up, Teeth is weird, bizarre but so fucking powerful and beautiful that I know I'll reread it over and over again.

"And the fucking ocean, the ocean is so quiet, because I guess the fucking ocean just doesn't know how to act appropriately for anything, goddamn it, the fucking ocean, I am so sick of the fucking ocean and I don't know what to do and I want to dive in and get clean and never have to come back out".

For more of my reviews, please visit:

[☆ Todd · Rating 5 out of 5]

** ONE OF MY ALL-TIME FAVORITES -- READ ME NOW **

This was one of the most fucked up books that I've ever read. And one that I enjoyed more than any other in a very long time.

I loved the 2 fish hooks formed into the shape of a heart on the book cover, with the silver fish scale background. Very fitting for this story, but what the cover pic actually is isn't obvious at first glance. Exactly like the two boys in the story itself.

For 16 year-old Rudy, it was disgust at first sight:

"A fish. A boy. The ugliest thing I have ever seen."

Until Rudy opened his eyes and he wasn't. Not even a little bit. He was exactly what Rudy's lonely existence had so desperately needed.

That's precisely what made this book such a thing of beauty.

First, if you're looking for sex, go somewhere else. Nobody even got felt up here, which was fine. And the only kissing here was either 'boy on girl' or 'mom on the cheek'.

But without a doubt, the story didn't fall short on 'Fishboy' and Rudy's feelings for one another as events progressed.

As dark as this book was, and it definitely was, the way that both 'Fishboy' and Rudy became almost everything to one another kept it from going to a bad place for me.

As the book mentions, it's all about sacrificing for someone else what you would *never* sacrifice for yourself.

And the fact that it wasn't a happily ever after should have pissed me off (as it usually does), but I felt oddly hopeful in the end -- despite how I really shouldn't -- as they were both resigned to their own fates. (Neither MC dies, so you can unclench now.)

Typical line from the book, this one when having to let one another go:

"No getting on the rocks to flirt with human boys, idiot." He rolls his eyes. I want to smile.

And I wanted to cry. (So I did.)

It really was heartbreaking when things couldn't end differently.

So I very highly recommend this read and as for a reunion sequel? Yes, please. That would be a definite pre-buy for me. : )

5 extremely enthusiastic stars.

[Maja (The Nocturnal Library) · Rating 3 out of 5]

With Teeth, you have two choices: you can either read it, or someone can hit you over the head with it. The end result will be the same: you will end up bewildered and wincing in pain.

Rudy’s family just moved to a remote island, hoping the magic fish Enki would cure his little brother of cystic fibrosis. As much as he loves his brother Dylan, Rudy is desperately lonely and bored out of his mind – until he meets Teeth, half-human-half-fish boy with whom he starts a tentative friendship.

This fishboy, Teeth, is not some gorgeous, misunderstood hero. He is monstrous, the ugliest creature Rudy has ever seen, with a mouth full of needle-sharp teeth and a torso covered in nasty scales. He is also insufferable, bratty, stubborn and unreasonable, but over time, he becomes loyal to Rudy, or as loyal as a fishboy can ever be. To Rudy, he is interesting and exotic, but it’s the feeling of loneliness that keeps them together.


His tail is skinny and silver, the same color as Dylan’s fish. All of his scales, especially the ones on his chest, look dry, like they’re about to flake off. His hair is short and uneven. Mermaids in fairy tales were never this ugly. Mermen.


I find it interesting that Moskowitz always manages to work in a mention of the book or author that influenced her. In Invincible Summer, all the characters are quoting Camus and the book itself is influenced by Camus’ existential prose. In Teeth, which is so obviously kafkaesque, Rudy and his friend Diana read and discuss The Metamorphosis. With this, she robs her readers of the chance to recognize these connections and influences for themselves.
There are so many parallels between Teeth and The Metamorphosis that I can’t even begin to count them – from the way people treat (or rather ignore) Teeth, to the grotesque wounds on his body. (Remember Gregor Samsa’s apple?). Even the two fishermen are a metaphor for the government – no one but them knows the right bait for Enki, which makes them the only ones with any kind of power on an otherwise lawless island. Their conflict with Teeth makes the metaphor even stronger. He is the Gregor Samsa of this story, and they are the powers that be that beat him and abuse him in every possible way, while the rest of the world completely ignores his existence

Moskowitz’s writing style has developed into this amazing, quirky thing, with sentences that surprise a laugh out of you not only because they’re funny, but because of how they’re constructed. She has a way of making these sentences seem like a natural thought process of her main character, an ability that gave Rudy a very authentic voice. Even with all the layers and metaphors and connections with Kafka, what truly kept me reading was this lost and lonely teenage boy and his complicated feelings towards his family.


My parents keep him cooped up because they’re afraid that someone will cough on him, but I do it because not everyone is as receptive to endless talk about octopuses and body fluids as we are, you weird kid, come curl up and tell me and leave the normal people out of it.


I’m still convinced that Gone, Gone, Gone is Hannah Moskowtz’s best work because it stemmed from her own experience and not her obsession with another writer. I really hope she’ll go back to relying on herself with her next project. That’s when she truly shines.

[Keertana · Rating 5 out of 5]

Can you hear that? It's the sound of tiny shards of glass blowing away in the wind. You know what those shards of glass used to be before I picked up this book? My heart. Yes, this book destroyed my heart and didn't patch it up, but I would give my heart to Hannah Moskowitz all over again to have it thus broken if it meant I got to read such beautiful books. I am a masochist at times, I know.

Teeth is unlike anything I've read before or am ever likely to read in the future - and I'm glad. I doubt any other author could tackle this story with the amount of beauty and finesse that Moskowitz has.

Our breath-taking tale starts out on an imaginary island. An island with magic fish who can cure sick humans. Rudy and his family move to the island in the hopes that the fish can cure his youngest brother - and slowly, they do. Yet, for an island so devoid of life, it harbors a dark secret: Teeth. Rudy meets Teeth, an ugly fish-boy, soon after moving and before long, the two have struck an unlikely friendship. When Teeth begins to seek Rudy's help to free the magic fish that are captured every day - fish who are the only family that Teeth has - Rudy risks losing his younger brother to his sickness. Suddenly, the lines of friendships between Rudy and Teeth are no longer so clear. Even worse, Rudy meets Diana, the only other teenager on the island with him and a girl who stays locked up in her house all day. A girl whose mother sobs in the bathroom every Tuesday. A girl with a connection to Teeth. In the midst of all these separate, but broken, pieces, Teeth is the only link and with his ever-changing relationship with Rudy, it seems impossible to save the secret that the island so vehemently despises.

Hannah Moskowitz has always been one for the original story lines and Teeth is no different. In fact, it might just be the strangest of all her works, but perhaps it is also the most heart-felt. You see, if I could, I would run onto the tallest building in the world and chuck this book at everyone passing by. It wouldn't hurt so much, especially as it's such a slender volume, but the words and story inside will rip you up and leave you sobbing in a curled up mess for days afterwards. This is the magic of Teeth. It has the ability to suck you into its world, its strange island and its even stranger inhabitants and before you know it, you're no longer sitting in a comfortable chair with a blanket and coffee. You're tasting the salty spray of the sea, you're falling in love with Teeth despite his ugly demeanor, and your heart is breaking, again and again and again.

What stands out to me about Teeth is, first and foremost, the prose. It's beautiful. In fact, I went more than a little highlighter crazy with this novel and I can't say I'm ashamed about it at all. Once you get past the beautiful writing, however, is the characterization. If there's one thing you can expect from a Moskowitz novel, it's for the characters to come alive for you and wedge their way into your heart. Rudy is an instantly likable narrator, bitter about leaving his friends at home and living on a remote island, all because his younger brother is sick. Yet, at the same time, he shares an immense amount of love for his brother, expressing it the only way he knows how. For someone with a younger brother myself, I can already vouch for the genuineness and authenticity of the familial bond portrayed in this novel, one that touches your heart in more ways than one.

With such a strong family bond and attachment to Rudy, his parents, and his younger brother, we now have the dilemma that Teeth brings with him. At first, Teeth is a rather strange character, one that, as the reader, it is impossible to know what to think of. With the progression of the novel, however, Teeth becomes every bit as real to us as Rudy and his bond of friendship - or something a little more - with Rudy is just as compelling as Rudy's bond with his younger brother. With each chapter that we read, layers of Teeth's past and his difficult life are slowly revealed to us, beginning the progression of heart-break throughout the novel. Teeth is such a deep, devastating, and depressed being that it is impossible not to love him, to want to help him and be there for him always. Even better, it is him who is willing to sacrifice his family of magical fish if push comes to shove. For Teeth, who has no family and whose existence itself is a mystery, it is the magical fish of the island that he is related to who make up his life.

Teeth is a story of friendship and courage, of love and bravery, of heart-break and wonder. It is the story of Rudy and Teeth, of their developing relationship and of the obstacles that stand in their way. Of Rudy's unrelentless loyalty to his brother and Teeth's unrelentless loyalty to his brothers. Of the blurred lines in their friendship. Of fishermen who torture Teeth - of an island who hates their secret. Of a girl who knows more about Teeth than anyone else. Of a quest to prolong the lives of magical fish, of sick human beings, and find a place - or a person - to belong to. It is truly impossible for me to express what this book is, what this book means, or the feelings it evokes. I struggle to put my feelings for this book into words, but it's incredible. Just...read it, okay? Read it.

You can read this review and more on my blog, Ivy Book Bindings.

[shady boots · Rating 5 out of 5]

This review is also available over at my blog.

____________________________

Hannah Moskowitz.

You know, I would kill to be able to write like you do. Like, literally. I would partake in the act of murdering another human being, if doing so will allow me to be as talented as you are.

I busted my ass to get this book. I can't even count the times my requests were declined, but I kept on requesting, just so Simon & Schuster could really see how desperate I was to read this damn book. Trust me, after the masterpiece that was Gone, Gone, Gone, I would read anything this woman writes.

I mean, God, her writing . . . That is the number one reason I want to own and devour every one of her books. The two words I can use to describe her writing are raw and real. Even if this book is about magic fish and a boy who happens to have scales and a tail fin, it still felt so real, as if I were reading a contemporary novel.

Another reason is her characters. Everything they say and think just hit me right in the feels. By the last half of the book I was an emotional wreck, because I felt for these characters. I felt for them as if they were real people that I'm close to. But they're fictional, and the fact that that is so, hurts me, because once again, just like with Craig and Lio, I want Rudy and Teeth in my life.

Rudy was kind of hard to figure out at first. He's a boy who lives with his parents and his sick little brother Dylan on an island that's known to have magical fish in their waters, ones that have healing powers. Rudy and his parents are desperate for Dylan to get better. At times I wasn't really sure how Rudy really felt about his little brother, but I definitely knew that he loved him, and there were a few sweet moments between them that made me smile.

Enter Teeth, a.k.a. fishboy. He is a half-teenage boy, half-fish. He swims around the waters of the island, protecting the magic Enki fish. He also can't breathe underwater, and he speaks good English, but sometimes replaces words he doesn't know with "whatever".

This guy . . . I can't even. Sometimes I just wanna slap him multiple times in the face, but other times I just want to snuggle him and keep him with me forever. He was the main reason I became such an emotional wreck reading further into this book. He annoyed me so much at times, but . . . I love him, you guys. I genuinely love him and I can't deny that.

The romance in this book was sort of confusing, at first. Rudy seemed to be straight, since he says that back in his hometown he had a lot of girlfriends, and on the island he eventually meets this girl named Diana. What I loved about this book is that the romance between him and Teeth is very, very subtle. It's not in-your-face, as most YA books are. It's barely shown, but . . . it's there, alright. Some people might not really call it romance─more of a deep friendship, I guess─but I personally think that what they have is romance, albeit not a blatant one. And even if Hannah Moskowitz didn't intend it to be a romance between them, I'd still like to think that it is. Just cuz.

The ending was bittersweet. It was hard for me to fully concentrate, though, because tears were falling onto my iPhone screen and I had to keep brushing them off. By the last page, though, I was tempted to throw my phone across the room and scream into a pillow, because I hate when fantastic books end. Especially if said book is a standalone.

I knew this book wouldn't disappoint, and it didn't. The only thing I'm pissed about right now is that Hannah Moskowitz did it again: made me fall in love with fictional characters. You really have to stop doing that, you know. It hurts. A lot. (No, don't stop. I'm secretly masochistic.)

Read it, guys. Just . . . read it, okay? Plain and simple. Read it. And read Gone, Gone, Gone too, if you haven't. Or, you know, I'll cut you. And stuff. Well, not really, but . . . you get the idea. READ THEM.

Huge thank you's to Edelweiss and Simon & Schuster for sending me this ARC. I had to request a billion times, but I'll let that slide. This book was worth the struggle.

[Kristalia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Final rating: 5/5 stars

I say, “What are you?” too fast for my brain to figure out what a completely shitty thing that is to ask.
But Fishboy just smiles and says, “I’m their dirty secret.”

✍ ☘ ❦ ☕ ❂ ✄ ☸ ⚡ ⚓ ☁ ☂ ✎ ✍ ☘ ❦ ☕ ❂ ✄ ☸ ⚡ ⚓ ☁ ☂ ✎ ☸ ⚡ ⚓

How long are people willing to ignore the things that happen around them, to people around them, before they finally react to it? How long will you let something repeat and repeat before you choose to do something about it, with knowledge you could have stopped it?

I believe this was the point of this story. This book is one wreck of emotions - it really messes up with feelings. But how can something so sad be in the same time funny as well? I swear this book is wonderful. And this book has different view on mermaid story.

Even though this story was labeled as glbt, you could say it was, and it was not. It's just portrays one of those relationships where it is more like a friendship which goes just a bit above the friendship level. Or in other words - it's complicated.

Even though there were some plot holes in the story, i didn't really mind them that much, because I was blinded by characters.
____________________________________________

CHARACTERS:
____________________________________________

Three main characters are Rudy, Diana and Teeth. Rudy and Diana are human, but Teeth, aka, the fishboy - is a merman and he "isn't supposed to exist" - because mermaids are mythological creatures.

♚ Rudy: Rudy is that type of the guy who chooses to ignore, instead of acting, but when he does that, it backfired on him. Still, the writer made his character in a way very understandable. He questions what is right and what is wrong - he tries to help but he doesn't know how. He understands, but in the same time, he doesn't.

♛ Diana: Diana, on the other hand, i really disliked. Maybe it would be best to say that she really seemed, at least in my eyes, the same as all the other humans on the island. If i do say anything else, i would spoil the fun and enjoyment of reading.

♘ Teeth: Teeth, our merman, is the most stubborn creature in the world and instead of moving forward, he always goes back, no matter what happens and what the consequences are. That doesn't mean he is not huggable, because trust me, he is. He is so adorable, funny, protective and "whatever" xD (oh yes, he uses "whatever" for every word he doesn't know, and it makes it somehow funny - but also not funny). He hates humanity, and he has every right to, because what was done to him was inhuman, that he learned not to trust that easily, because no one really wanted to help. Except for Rudy.
____________________________________________

OVERALL:
____________________________________________

A beautiful story nonetheless and a story which makes you think - really think - about what humanity is able to do to things they don't understand. And that there are always others who rise above that level.

✍ ☘ ❦ ☕ ❂ ✄ ☸ ⚡ ⚓ ☁ ☂ ✎ ✍ ☘ ❦ ☕ ❂ ✄ ☸ ⚡ ⚓ ☁ ☂ ✎ ☸ ⚡ ⚓

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Initial reaction after finishing this book:

"They're my reason to be here. They're my battle, you know?" He looks at me with a little smile. "And it's not like they can do anything I can't handle. I always win. I'm the hero."

Three things before I begin:
1)This is the first book I've read by this author. I've heard people praise her and from what I've seen on goodreads, she seems like an awesome human being. So when I saw this on Edelweiss, I decided to request it. I didn't think I'd get approved because I always seem to get denied when it comes to the books I really want. But I got it!

2)I had no idea what this book was about until after I was approved. I was amused by the description but I'm always open-minded about reading different things. A book about a gay fishboy? Yes please!

3)I will admit, I'm not exactly the biggest fan of books with paranormal/fantasy elements. I don't think I hate the genre at all. It's just there are so many bad books in the genre and I'd rather read a bad contemporary than a bad paranormal.

She grins. Her cheeks are getting all flushed. She gets more turned on when we talk about books than when we kiss. I shouldn't be okay with that. I'm beginning to think I'm using this girl as some kind of symbol and that's really not okay with me. I wish I were a different person. I kiss her like that will fix me.

Okay, so I don't even think I'd say this is a fantasy book. It's more like a magical contemporary. I had to bold that because it's fucking awesome. It just made me so so happy. This is one of the most unique books I've read in a while, possibly ever.

It's kind of in it's own special category. There are no books I can really compare to this. It doesn't follow the rules and really, there shouldn't be rules when it comes to fiction! I love this woman for writing this crazy, magical, yummy treat of a book. Thank goodness for your enviable imagination.

Basically, Teeth is about a teenage boy named Rudy who is living on an island with his family. The island has a supply of magic fish that you can't get anywhere else and eating the fish makes sick people well, as long as they keep eating the fish every day. Rudy meets a part boy-part fish who calls himself Teeth. I can't really explain the rest without going on some kind of spiel.

When I was a kid, I always felt like I needed to keep her safe. She was made of marshmallows and candy canes and she knew twenty hundred lullabies.

I love great writing and I love when a book surprises me. Teeth did both of these things. Let me put it this way. I kept highlighting passages that stunned me with how emotional and gorgeous they were and at the end, I'd highlighted about 50 different passages. That's just a bit crazy. I can honestly say this was one of the best written books I've read in a while.



Oh and also, I find I usually can't connect with a male voice but I adored Rudy. I also adored how strong all the other characters were. Teeth, Diana and Dylan, especially.

No. He'll save me. It's his turn. He would never ever miss his turn. I'm smiling just thinking about it. I'm smiling...

More than anything, I love how I can see myself re-reading this in the future and getting something new from it each time.This book is sad, beautiful, magical and heartbreaking. The ending tore me up a little because I didn't feel like I had closure but that's my issue, I think. I became completely invested in these spellbinding, loveable characters and I didn't want to let them go.

And then Teeth screams really hideously, and Dylan has his face buried in my neck, and I start crying, so hard that I can't even believe it, and my fucking five-year-old brother is holding me and telling me don't cry, it's okay, it was just a dream, you're awake now.
And I can't stop crying for anything in the world right then. And I can't let go of him. Nothing could make me let go of that kid. The house could fall into the sea and crush everybody and we could go underwater and I would hold him the whole time.

Fishboy. Oh Teeth. You made me laugh, you made me angry, you were frustrating and inspiring and so full of personality and you made me worry and I found your actions to be reckless but oh how I fell in love with your character. Teeth just makes me whatever.

I love the banter between Teeth and Rudy. I love the friendship between them and the deeper feelings that develop slowly throughout the novel. I love that it's very tumultuous and there is no insta-love at all. Refreshing!

"I'm so strong! Nobody hurts me. Nobody can hurt me. This is my game and I didn't do anything wrong and I'm just trying to help and it's not my fault, I didn't do anything, they hurt me, and I hate this."

What don't I love about this book? I can't really name anything. I guess the worst thing is that it made me think about ALL THE THINGS. Which isn't a bad thing at all, is it?

My final thoughts on Teeth:



I completely recommend this! It's like a boss.

[Eugenia · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 Stars.................DIVINE!
Loved it. YA. Beautiful prose. Never knew what was coming next. Dark. Fish rape. Mermen. Secrets. Balance of life & death & all that jazz. Magicgayfish. Nearly heartbreaking. An HFN of sorts, but not for whom you would expect.

I would definitely read more by this author. This story reminded me of one I read some while back where fish off the coast of some tiny village iforgetwhere were considered healing.

Had some kissing MF scenes. No sex between the MCs, although one gets brutally raped night after night off the page. The emotion, however is between the two male MCs...one a 16 year old boy and the other an 19 year old “fish boy” named Teeth.

Magical, really.

[Brooke · Rating 3 out of 5]

Similar to A.S. King, Moskowitz is an author to watch for YA "eccentric" novels filled with substance. Taking on heavy topics such as sexual abuse, TEETH is a semi-quiet read that leaves an intense impact.

Rudy lives on an island with his family due to their belief of the magic fish that helps his younger brother, Dylan, survive. Dylan has cystic fibrosis & unfortunately these fish are basically his last resort. Feeling isolated from his friends/past life & torn at wanting to help Dylan, Rudy begins to form a bond with Diana & Teeth (the fishboy). Throughout the novel, Rudy grapples with his feelings towards Teeth as well as trying to figure out his own life plans.

Teeth is just as much of a complex character as Rudy. Being abandoned by his mother at four years old because he turned into a fishboy, Teeth now hates humans. He hates the fishermen that come to kill his siblings & he hates the humans that attempt to bond with him- only to push him away. Teeth's emotional damage is intensified when he reveals he has been repeatably raped. Desperate to get out off the island, but harboring his own feelings of guilt & shame, there's nothing left to do but find some sort of solace in the companionship of Rudy.

Besides the dynamic of Teeth & Rudy's relationship, there's a really big question here of what would you do if someone you loved was sick? At what cost would you put yourself in harm's way to help them- but perhaps more importantly, at what cost would you destroy someone else for the benefit of another? Moskowitz tackles these questions with a knife, but never close enough to the jugular. It's all very bittersweet.

If you're into more gritty YA contemporaries, I'd say this one is definitely looking into (as well as any of her other titles). 3.5 stars.

[Giselle · Rating 4 out of 5]

This has to be one of the oddest books I've ever read, ever! Having read Gone Gone Gone by Hannah, I knew her writing was brilliant, her words are some that will enrapture you one hundred percent, and her stories are filled with genuine emotion. Teeth is no exception. We embark on an extraordinary tale of love and loneliness, with characters that are both fantastically bizarre, and incredibly charismatic.

Having moved on this island to help heal his brother's illness, Rudy is being crushed by the isolation, eventually finding solace in a new friend he meets at the beach. This new friend is quite… strange, and in more ways that what's made immediately obvious. His character and personality reflect his unorthodox upbringing and lack of education, but his heart is as big as ever. These two develop a connection that is the heart and soul of this story. Their friendship truly radiates as something very unique and special. Though like in real life, it's not always easy, it's sometimes frustrating, it's also something of a need more than anything. I thought this was especially well written; from their conversations to their confusing feelings, it would flow so freely off the pages like something you could touch. This wasn't only manifested between these two, but also between Rudy and his family--especially his little brother who is only trying to get well enough to enjoy his life. The family dynamics emit the emotional consequence of having to struggle every single day with death around the corner. I found this as equally poignant as the Rudy/Teeth story, throwing my emotions around at every turn. I found myself caring so very deeply for this family's well-being, praying for his brother to get better, and missing his energy during outbreaks. It's safe to say the character development here is commendable.

The plot surrounds mostly Rudy's friendship with Teeth, as well as his acceptance of the whole isolated island situation. Being one of the only teenagers, he's struggling with loneliness and missing his friends from back home, craving normality, even the slightest human touch. When he finds Teeth, his whole way of thinking completely changes, and for many reasons. This is one of those books that are especially hard to review as its plot contains spoilers from very early on. So for fear of revealing any, I will only comment on my promise that it's like nothing you've read before. It's weird, it's bizarre, it's eccentric… it's unique! Its originality is unreal, with secrets that will leave you stunned, a little sad, sometimes even grossed out; if it is anything, fascinating is what it is. I was a big fan of its ambiguity as well. Not a lot of reason is given other than it simply existing. This is not a book that contains detailed history or even deep speculation of its "magic", it's just something you have to accept without question. You may be thinking this is something you're sure you would dislike--I would be too upon reading this--however, never did I wish anything more. It was perfect for what the story is trying to be. I might even say more specifics might have ruined the book's enchantment.

If you're already a fan of Hannah Moskowitz, you know her way of writing is one that will compel you deeper at every word. If you're new to this author, especially fans of contemporary fiction, I urge you to jump on this exquisite, emotion-filled bandwagon, you will not regret it!

--
An advance copy was provided by the publisher for review.

For more of my reviews, visit my blog at Xpresso Reads

[Mai · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is so hard to review.

I believe that some books should be written just to be an exercise to the brain. Teeth is one of these books that constantly makes you think and analyze.

Rudy, the main character, is a teenage boy who moved with his family into a remote island for it holds Enki, a kind of fish that's believed to be a cure to many diseases, and they needed this fish for his brother. He struggles throughout the book with how bored he was until he meets Teeth, a half-human, half-fish boy, an ugly monstrous creature who is also stubborn and cheeky as sin, and so he develops a friendship with Teeth that puts him in a tough situation where he has to choose between his sick brother and his friend Teeth.

There are these times when I hate how my brain works, how I'm suddenly dumb and really sick, really aspie. This book was so hard to understand for me, but I somehow managed to grasp the idea that nobody will ever analyze this book correctly, you can think of this book however you like. It's full of metaphors for bigger aspects in life around us, and I've built this whole different world that hopefully this book has been trying to tell me.

Rudy -our narrator- is so loud, and talkative. This book is written directly from Rudy's heart and mind, every word is filed to the brim with emotions that you have to remind yourself that Rudy isn't real, and that he is just a fictional character, but the writing style makes you believe his voice, hear it and feel it deep down it actually makes you wince.
His mind is so complicated and how he's dying to discover his identity is one of the most confusing things ever, this is not regarding just his sexuality but it goes to extremes like his existence. I *ucking loved this book. Although I didn't fully understand it and I blame it on my sick brain

Teeth, the ugly monster who lives in the ocean, can't swim, can't breath underwater and can't walk, because he has no legs, because he is a mermaid or is it merman? Teeth is stubborn, cheeky and adorable. How Rudy's described him, he isn't the most beautiful thing, no, he is the ugliest thing ever, he is no hero, and he is no brains. Although Teeth can be the biggest metaphor for Queers, it's still can be a metaphor for power, revolution, art, creativity or even you. He can be anything and I salute the author for the brilliant writing.

The one thing that was annoying me is how thensidr characters felt flat somehow, they couldn't touch me as much as Rudy did, maybe because the author only allowed us into Rudy's mind? Maybe.

Other than that, I'm glad I got introduced to this author because this is one book that left me in pain and thinking. I recommend it because you're probably gonna understand it better than I did.

[Thomas · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

Rudy's younger brother, Dylan, has cystic fibrosis. In a last-ditch effort to save Dylan's life, Rudy and his family move to a remote island where the fish are known to have healing qualities. Rudy suffers his angst alone until he meets Diana, the only other human adolescent on the island, and Teeth, the only non-human adolescent he's encountered... ever. Rudy and Teeth develop a strange and electric bond, but Rudy soon learns that all miracles come at a price - especially the one involving his little brother eating magical fish.

This book was really, really weird. Just look at that synopsis. An island with fish that save people from cancer? A half-human, half-fish boy named Teeth? In another author's hands Teeth could have spiraled out of control, but as with her novel Gone, Gone, Gone Hannah Moskowitz creates an insightful story, using magical realism to heighten its intensity.

I first loved Moskowitz's writing before I read any of her books. In one of her blog posts she discussed why she reads YA and why YA is just as good, if not better than "adult literary books." Teeth validates YA in an intellectual sense: this novel is filled with metaphors, allusions, and themes that transcend what people might perceive as the "typical" young-adult read. Moskowitz makes the island itself a metaphor and references Kafka's The Metamorphosis throughout the novel, and she incorporates tidbits that add to the story, such as how Teeth's mother was raped and impregnated by a fish, and now Teeth suffers a similar fate at the hands of the fishermen.

But, because it's by Hannah Moskowitz, Teeth packs a severe emotional punch that overshadows its smartness. She characterizes Rudy and Teeth with great depth and precision. By the middle of the book I was rolling in feelings for both of them, and because Moskowitz writes with so much power and finesse, the growth of their bond felt effortless and natural. Teeth is a dark book, and I applaud Moskowitz for tackling issues such as rape, abandonment, and abuse with taste while maintaining the integrity of her characters.

Intellectually I would give this book 5 stars, but it didn't resonate with me all the way, and I'm not sure why. While the relationship between Rudy and Teeth triggered a lot of emotions, I was underwhelmed by other aspects of the book - such as Rudy's family and Diana and her mom - because it appeared that they only served to further the plot while adding to the metaphorical value of the book. I experienced a disconnect between the emotional side of the story and the cerebral side. Despite my mixed feelings, I would recommend Teeth to anyone searching for a gripping young-adult novel with elements of magical realism, and I'm definitely looking forward to reading more of Moskowitz in the future.

[Asghar Abbas · Rating 5 out of 5]

So February, huh? The month of February is about ghost stories for me, I don't know why. And oh boy, do the ghosts got stories to tell. I don't know, don't know, so don't ask me why. That's how we are, La Seine and I. 2013. Gone. Sorry, couldn't resist. Even if that song is not over.

This book is not a ghost story but it haunted me. Certainly, Moskowitz's writing is haunting. I am not really sure what this book is, how to put it but that's not what makes it so haunting. It's the fact the book knows exactly what it is and how you feel about it that is completely up to you. That's what haunts us. All those words, there, not there. Alone. Try to catch the glimpses of them as they flit by. Despite what I said, this book is full of ghosts.

You read so many books, you go through piles and piles of them, all those dead trees. But rarely do we ever come across books that we actually want, or how we need them to be. Because we do need them and they heal us. Exactly how we like some writings. Then sometimes that happens and you are not even surprised.

Picking this up, I knew I was in for a treat, in good hands, that I'd enjoy it.

I read it

annnnnndd we love Hannah Moskowitz.

Safe to say, she is now one of my favorite writers. She can haunt me anytime she wants to. This is how I like storytelling to be. I just wish I wasn't such a ghost myself these days, I might have enjoyed this more, so skewer between now and then, I am skewered between then and before. But maybe, maybe not, not just yet. BOO! haha.

Teeth would fall under the magic realism genre, though it is not as surreal and trippy as Ali Shaw's writing (Shaw, an amazing talent, you should read him) Reading this book, of course, reminded me of Beauty and the Beast and Pigtopia by Kitty Fitzgerald (a must must read).

However, sometimes Moskowitz wasn't very descriptive. I thought the island where the story was set was a part of the US. Then very explicitly we were told it was not. In that too she reminded me of The Man who Rained by Ali Shaw, where he described a place somewhere between the US and Canada, benign nowhere. Except that, Shaw's writing is more decorative. Though Moskwitz's subtle style suits her, it was even magical, bleak, drear, just right, so write away Ms. Moskowitz.

The coming of age story, about trying to cope with continuing tragedy and sibling love, moody and melancholic. Throw in an odd mermaid tale, I am reading it. What's not to like. I like the weird and the strange like me back. Win-Win.

I felt that the MC was believable. His every action, reaction, pain, selfishness, all his thoughts seemed real so that made him real. Though I must point out the profanity felt really excessive here, it felt more like a hindrance than it actually added anything to the authenticity. Maybe I am getting old, haha.

As Chris Cornell would put it: Cover your clocks with your chains and your locks. While the seasons get hotter and colder. Stretch your faces and lie about your ages. And still, we're gonna get older. Something like that.

I'll admit I hated Diana at first but if I was in Rudy's place I'd want her too. Except that he didn't want her. You have to read this book, in other Little Red Lung's words. Please do read it.

You know what? It's so funny. Donald Trump is the reason how I got this book, sort of. See, there is this political writer Jim Wright, he is utterly brilliant, kinda like a much more reasonable Sam Harris though their respective areas of expertise are quite different. Anyway, Moskowitz had written to an elector in Texas politely asking him to reconsider his position on Trump before the formal vote, just that and Wright pointed out it was civic and legal, but she got a rather rude reply, plus emotional name calling, nice adulting there.

Anyway, Wright had posted that link on his page, thus bringing my attention to this young gifted writer. See, already doing so much good. Introducing books, bringing all kinds of people together, making everyone search for something they normally wouldn't, their humanity, while trying to be more humane. More human.

Now here I must quote Civil Twilight; What comes first, the courage or the fall? Is that a savior outside my window? Or is that a reflection of me?

Um. Just do your part; the only monsters that have Teeth are the ones you bring with you. That's all I know. Don't let anyone bite you.

I couldn't give this book a five-star rating fast enough.

February is for Ghosts. I have said goodbyes way too many times for it to be anything other than the inside of my skull. I have said plenty, I'll say even more so. The birth of the night happened in this month and it will end here too. Oh, I know. I had loved you and you still love me. Don't speak. I'll say hello and you'd say stay. How are those stars any different from the ones I showed you. But thank you for showing me all the stars on your body. I have said it before and I'll say it again. This is not a goodbye, but a thank you. February. You were good. What happened to your kingdom?

Carrie Fisher was great, I admire her and she was a great person, but I feel as if though she's wrong about the broken hearts in a way.

Not all broken hearts can be turned into art.

Some broken things should remain broken.

Why are you looking at me like that? What makes you want to stay?

The song is at an end.

[Rose · Rating 5 out of 5]

Initial thoughts: It's really a rare treat when you come across a book whose characters leap from the page and find their way into your brain and heart at the same time. For me, Rudy and Teeth became so much more than mere characters in my experience reading Hannah Mosokowitz's "Teeth". They became personalities whom I wanted to know, whom I laughed thoroughly at their respective quirks and actually cried when they were faced with some immeasurable tragedies. The bond between the boys, to me, was one of the strongest relationships I've read in YA this year, let alone for a contemporary paranormal that has elements of magical realism, and I was completely engrossed in this work from beginning to end until the wee hours of the morning.

This was my first read from Hannah Moskowitz's work and I loved every moment of it.

Full review

I've said it many times in previous reviews of books that I loved, but I think it bears repeating - a book that can evoke multiple emotions from me and give dimensions to the characters within the story to where they leap from the page and become something in and of themselves usually rank among my favorite stories. Hannah Moskowitz's "Teeth" did that for me and then some. I wasn't prepared to grasp what this book was going to throw at me - not just in the strength of the narrative, but also with respect to the novel's unfolding events. Sure, I understood this was a bit of a modern day fairytale of sorts, and yes, I knew it would tackle some tough subjects, but I've devoured read my ARC copy twice. Both times elicited similar reactions - it had me up until the wee hours of the morning (5 AM-ish) when I knew I needed to get work done the next day AND it made me cry (laughing and sobbing with melancholy). In retrospect, I am so NOT sorry because I enjoyed both read-throughs.

The story centers from the perspective of Rudy, a teen who moves to a town in a last hope effort for a cure for his 5-year old brother Dylan, who has cystic fibrosis. The fish on this "magic island" as Rudy recounts, are said to cure ailments of many kinds, and for a time, eating the fish is actually improving the health of Rudy's little brother.

But there's a cost of sorts. Enter Fishboy, a.k.a. Teeth - most charming merboy of a peculiar, f-bomb dropping sort I've ever had the pleasure of reading about. He also uses the term "whatever" for words he can't define. He's got sharp teeth, webbed fingers, silver scaly tail, scrawny, and in Rudy's words "The ugliest thing I have ever seen."

That told me ahead of time that Teeth would turn out to be a very interesting character.

Teeth has quite a tragic history though, and it won't take the reader long to realize that Teeth's not happy with people eating up his fish comrades (Quoted: "But stay the fuck away from my fish.") nor with what the fishermen do to him just because he's different and notably weaker. He's an endearing character, much like Rudy - whose strong narrative exudes pain in spurts with his respective trials. But the two actually have wonderfully rich dialogues that are funny in some measures, and others that are painfully resonant with the conflict that occurs between and around them. I'm in awe that the story flows so well with the overarching relationship and ultimate conflicts that come to be in the novel as it moves forward. Rudy and Teeth are, without a doubt, characters that have the best camaraderie of any in a YA novel I've read this year. I wouldn't say this is a romance read per se, but with respect to their relationship and how intertwined their narrative becomes, it's very close and certainly romantic. That part of the story I enjoyed the most.

I did have maybe one or two qualms in the overarching read. I probably could've gone without the vivid detail of knowing how merpeople are made (I will have nightmares forever...), but it does fit the narrative lore and adds to the story strand - makes it even more tragic considering how Teeth came to be and the stigma he faces with being who he is and the prejudices against him. That broke my heart in the aftermath. The other had to do with Diana's character, but that was probably more of a minor nitpick than anything else because of the role she plays, and I think her character was shown enough and in detail that you get an idea of her actions/reactions to things, as well as the role she comes to play in the overarching conflict.

I'm not going to spoil it for events, but it's the kind of story that has a number of endearing moments between the characters, both in Rudy and Teeth's relationship as well as Rudy's relationship with his family - which was very well done. Yet at the same time - it's rather dark (on the thematic side of things). The ending satisfied me even with the nature of it, and I thought it was touching for what the events before it led up to. Overall, this story definitely earns a place on my shelf and I will certainly come back to it to read and look into Moskowitz's other works.

Overall score: 4.5/5

Note: I received this as an ARC from Edelweiss, from the publisher Simon Pulse.

[Heidi · Rating 2 out of 5]

Two stars: A strange book that is full of metaphorical ideas.

Rudy runs to the market, bare footed through the cold wet sand. He is uncertain as to why he refuses to wear shoes, he just does not want them on his feet. His shoeless attire probably is a reflection of the major changes that he has undergone over the last few months. Rudy and his family moved to this small secluded island looking for a magical cure for his five year old brother, Dylan, who suffers from cystic fibrosis. Living in the ocean off the shores of this island, are unique fish that have magical healing properties when eaten. No one knows how or why nor do they seem to care for as long as they eat the fish they are better. Torn from his friends and former life, Rudy tries hard not to be resentful. He does adore his brother and he is willing to make certain sacrifices, but it is awful lonely on this island as there are no other teenagers his age. That is until the day he meets the mysterious fish boy, Teeth. Teeth is half human, half boy and he guards the fish at a terrible price. Will Rudy be able to save his brother's life once he learns Teeth's secrets?

What I Liked:
*This is one of those books that left me completely perplexed. It is a book that I could see literature teachers loving as there are so many metaphorical inferences in this one. You could spend hours analyzing it. If you are someone that likes book with complicated themes and inferences, you should read this one.
*I liked the gritty, in your face writing style that Ms. Moskowitz uses for this book. I have said this before, I am a big fan of stream of consciousness narration and this book incorporates this style. Rudy is a teenage boy and he narrates this book. His emotions and thoughts are in line with a normal teenage boy in that he thinks about sex, and he struggles to find his identity as well as his future. His narrative is full of angst and it is edgy, meaning he curses quite a bit, again this is realistic of a typical teen. Be warned, if you do not like swearing and narration that is all over the place as it covers all of Rudy's random thoughts, you will not like this book. I certainly appreciated that Rudy's voice was raw and real. I applaud Ms. Moskowitz for being able to write such a brilliant character. She seemed to capture the voice of teenage boy perfectly. The writing is also beautiful and interesting. I would recommend this book for the writing!
*This is one of those reads where the reader is left to interpret all of the author's messages. Again, this is a book I can see literature connoisseur's dissecting and discussing at length. There are major themes on the environment and man's willingness to destroy everything. What if there was a magical cure for diseases, is the cost worth the ultimate destruction of the environment? Is it right to rape and pillage the Earth's resources without regard? Does man have the right to harm those who seek to protect the Earth's resources? There are so many moral questions that are raised with this book, it really got me thinking.
*I liked that this book ended on a hopeful note, and it seemed that Rudy managed to find the right balance as he did the right thing for Teeth and his brother. It gives me hope that there is a chance that man might someday get the bigger picture and find the optimum relationship between ourselves and our environment.

And The Not So Much:
*I struggled with so many aspects of this book, while I wanted to love it, I couldn't because it felt to me like the author was trying too hard. I know the reviews are all over for this one. Either people love it, or they don't. This book is going to appeal to a certain audience. Though I appreciate great literature and metaphorical parallels and complexity, I just didn't feel this one. Perhaps I just wasn't in the right reading mood, or my shoes where too tight, or the day was too cold and cloudy... who knows....I might feel differently about this on another day. I can tell you this, if you are picking this up expecting a straightforward story you will be left disappointed because it is anything but that. If you are the type of reader who enjoys challenging reads and like to spend time picking through all the metaphors to determine the author's deeper hidden meaning definitely pick this one up. I don't know if this is being marketed as a YA title, but I can say that this book will likely not appeal to the average teenage reader.
*This novel lacked detail. I am a reader that wants as much information, without dumping, as possible and this book was sorely lacking in that aspect. I had so many questions and little answers. I kept expecting some dramatic revelation as to why the fisherman were hurting Teeth every night, and there was all this buildup for a weak pay out. I know the author was trying to make a metaphorical point with how the fisherman, who could be interpreted as greedy corporations, or the government, or anyone who seeks to gain wealth by pillaging natural resources, continually harm anything and anyone who stand in their way. But in the storyline it was a bit ridiculous that Teeth would continually be abused in such a horrific way.
*The secondary characters, aside from Dylan the sick brother, all felt like cardboard cutouts. There was little detail on any of them and they just drifted in and out of the story and I never got to know any of them. Diane was particularly confusing. I was expecting so much more from her character, and what was the deal with her mother? She is a histrionic mess, spending hours each week crying in her bathroom, but there is absolutely no development or movement with her character.
*I have to admit I rolled my eyes when I found out how Teeth came to be. Seriously? I won't spill it here but it was beyond ludicrous. I am sure there was probably some big hidden inference, but I failed to grasp it and it was just nasty.

Teeth is one of those books that is incredibly hard to review. I know that there are plenty of reviewers out there who liked this book, but for me it was a novel that I just could not connect with at this time. It is full of deep metaphorical situations that you could spend hours ruminating over. It is complex and beautiful with amazing writing, but in the end it isn't one of those books that blew me away. If you are in the mood for a dark, gritty read that is brimming with moral questions read this. If you are looking for an interesting and entertaining story, I cannot say I would recommend this one.

Favorite Quotations:
"We are a groan away from a watery death, and we'll all drown without even waking up. because we're so used to sleeping through unrelenting noise."
"It's just hat ever since we've moved here it's like we became different people. And it's not like we've changed, or gotten better, or worse, it's just that....we stopped being who we really are and started being who we expected each other to be."
"We're like... caricatures, compared to how we were."

I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own and I was not compensated for this review.
Posted @Rainy Day Ramblings.

[Ele · Rating 4 out of 5]

“You're absolved," I tell him.
He brings his eyes back up to mine. There's no fucking way he knows what that word means. That's a word I dream someone will say to me.
So I put it in his language.

"You're free.”

Holy amazing writing Batman! I was tricked into reading this book. Sometimes it needs to be that way because I'd never go for it on my own. It's not a book I'd read again or a subgenre I prefer, but it's a book that I enjoyed and won't forget.

[luce (cry bebè's back from hiatus) · Rating 5 out of 5]

This.Book.
I can't even..
I feel like someone crashed my heart into pieces.
I started crying halfway through it and I haven't stopped.

There aren't enough emotional gifs or words to describe what I'm feeling now.

[Anna (Bananas) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don't even know what to rate this. I hate it and love it at the same time. It's unconventional. Unique. Special. Funny. Annoying. Sweet. Poignant. Silly. Horrifying. Touching.

The ending wasn't at all what I expected, somehow completely undramatic and heartbreaking at the same time. I feel...frustrated. I want to scream at this book but it wouldn't listen.

I have to give it four stars. Any book that has me this twisted up deserves at least four, but I am not happy with you, Hannah Moskowitz. This is not what I wanted for Teeth and Rudy, and this part, this explanation to the reader - "If this were a fairy tale, this would be the part where the fishboy 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. He would never let my fake authority, condoning his abandonment, making up rules about what's okay just to save his life, convince him to give up his family. He would never leave. He would know that without him, none of us will be as good. Me, without a friend; and the fish, without a brother; and the island, without a story; and Diana, without her something real, we will all be a little bit less than we were before we knew him." - doesn't make me feel better at all right now.

I might need a breather. Note to self: don't write reviews in the middle of book passion.

I think I love this book, but it's an unhealthy love.

[Tijana]

"Zubi" (ili možda pre Zuba ili Zubati, šta znam) je omladinska fantastika koja prilično naginje hororu. Na nekom zabačenom ostrvu žive uglavnom pridošlice koje su tu stigle jer im je neko blizak teško bolestan, a u moru oko ostrva žive čarobne ribe koje vam daju zdravlje pod uslovom da ih jedete svakodnevno. Propovedač je šesnaestogodišnji Rudi koji je tu s roditeljima i mnogo mlađim bratom bolesnim od cistične fibroze. Rudiju je beskrajno dosadno i jedva će dočekati pustolovinu u vidu...

dečaka-sirenka koji je pola čovek pola čarobna riba, sa šiljatim ribljim zubima i sa ozbiljnim problemom.
Zubati, naime, svake noći oslobađa ribe iz mreža ili ih prosto rasteruje od ribarskih čamaca. Ribari ga skoro svake noći hvataju, prebijaju i, kao što ćemo saznati, siluju (ne pitajte kako jer ćete, nažalost, saznati. Saznaćete i da je sirenko dete ribe koja je silovala ljudsku ženu, ni za to ne pitajte kako jer, pogađate, saznaćete).
Do kraja ovog kratkog romana, Rudi će sve više osećati rastrzanost između želje da pomogne bratu i želje da spasi Zubatog njegove užasne sudbine (i sve veću privlačnost prema njemu), a događaji će se sve više ubrzavati ka sunovratnom kraju.
Treba imati u vidu da je ovo autorka objavila sa dvadeset dve godine ali i da joj je to četvrti (!) objavljeni roman (otada ih je izašlo još nekoliko, poštujem radnu etiku); to znači istovremeno da nema početničkih slabosti ali i da je ona po uzrastu dovoljno blizu svojim likovima da deluju vrlo životno i prirodno. Ali takođe znači da su emocije sve vreme, ali sve vreme, odvrnute na najjače, i da za vreme pisanja Hana Moskovic apsolutno nije imala nikakve inhibicije ili moralističke impulse koje bi sigurno imao neko stariji ko bi se poduhvatio pisanja o seksu i nasilju (manje seksa, više nasilja) za tinejdžere. I to je super, ali nije za svakoga ko je prošao tinejdžerski uzrast.

[Scarlet · Rating 3 out of 5]

-----Immediate Reaction-----

Teeth is brilliant in many ways. I know, because I'm struggling to hold back tears even as I write this, and a part of me wishes this were a fairy-tale so that everyone could ride off or sail away into the sunset together.

But Teeth is not a fairy-tale. And while I see the brilliance of this book, I simply couldn't connect with it enough to actually let the awesomeness sink in.

I guess this is one of those it's-not-you-it's-me incidents. Maybe Teeth is the kind of book that gets better upon a re-read.

I need to think this over.


-----Full Review-----

I’m pretty sure there’s never been a book like Teeth in YA, and I say that not only for the strangeness of its vision, but also for its unusual maturity. Enveloped in magic, Teeth is a story about love, responsibility and sexual identity, where even seemingly innocent things (like magic healing fish) have a dark underside to them.

Rudy, a lonely boy on a mysterious island, strikes up an unusual friendship (or something more) with a merboy called Teeth, who’s just as lonely and lost as Rudy. It’s a relationship that’s precariously balanced on the cliff-edge of responsibility, because each must risk the others’ family to save his own. Rudy needs the healing Enki Fish to cure his sick brother Dylan; Teeth wants to save his fellow fish brethren from death at the hands of fishermen.

You don’t have to read the book to see the potential in that concept. It’s amazing, original, full of promise – and having read Gone, Gone, Gone, I believed Moskowitz could pull it off. She does actually, for the most part. Teeth and Rudy’s relationship forms the crux of the story and while it may take some getting used to, I don’t think Moskowitz could have done it any better. It’s understated, subtle and as real as any human-fish bond could possibly get.

"It’s not fair, you know?”
“I know.”
“You’ve saved me way more times than I’ve saved you.”
Oh. “You tend to get yourself in more shit than I do.”
“Not a good friendship.”
“Well. We’re not exactly friends.”

As much as I loved the central idea of the book, there were times when I completely disconnected from it. Like when you’re talking on the phone and the network’s down so the voice at the other end keeps breaking now and again. Something like that. The whole picture was brilliant-weird and I loved it, but there were all these tiny details or ‘um, what?’ moments in between that were just weird-weird and lost on me.

Teeth’s back-story was a major ‘um, what?’ moment for me. I realize that magic realism is a genre that often requires you to suspend logic and reason but the woman-raped-by-a-fish story was too whacked-out to get my head around. Another ‘um, what?’ situation was the one concerning Teeth and the fishermen. I’m not even sure what I feel about that – I’m utterly conflicted. Is humans-raping-a-fish meant to be a metaphor for something?? Rape is a serious issue even if the thing in question is a mythical half-fish person. Teeth could have gotten away but he didn’t, and I can’t quite swallow the explanation for that. The more I think about it, the more confused I get.

Coming to characters, Rudy and Teeth were brilliant but I wish some of the secondary characters had a bigger role to play – especially Fiona and Ms. Delaney. Judging from the way things were in the first half, I thought these characters were all leading somewhere but they’re mainly absent in the second half.

The writing is unstructured and effortless. The word-phrasing feels almost accidental and this lack of technical precision works very well in the context of the book.

Overall, I feel Teeth is a very brave attempt on Moskowitz' part. Not many YA authors would dare tread on such a delicate and dark territory. My problems with this book don't have anything to do with what Moskowitz did or didn't do right - it's just that I don't love the genius of it even though I recognize it.

3.5

[❤Ninja Bunneh❤ · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love The Twilight Zone. The stories are always twisty and border on the bizarre. Well, Teeth is like The Twilight Zone on crack and a cocktail of hallucinogenic drugs.

Teeth may seem like a fairy tale, but that's a disguise. We meet Rudy, a teenage boy, who has recently moved with his family to a small island. Rudy's brother, Dylan, is very sick with cystic fibrosis and his only hope is this island. See, the water surrounding this island is the home to magical fish. Anyone who consumes these fish is cured of their illness. There's a catch, however. One may never leave. Stop eating the fish and the illness returns.

Rudy is stuck. He's left behind his friends and his socially active lifestyle. He's pretty alone. Until he meets Teeth. Teeth is a half fish and half boy. No, don't imagine Ariel. Teeth is more of a scary looking variety merperson. Hence, the name he gave himself.

I'm just going to come right out and say it. Very few books make me twitchy and squirmy. This one did.



What transpires is the relationship that develops between Rudy and Teeth. And I don't mean a bromance. Add to that a bunch of really weird fucked up stuff. I don't even know how to mention it without spoiling, so I won't. I'll just say it defies the logic of the brain.

It's funny that at times when I read Stephen King, I wonder how his brain comes up with some of the things he writes. I've never come upon another writer where I've questioned their imagination, until now. Coming from me, that's a compliment.

Looking for a nice mermaid bedtime story? Don't look at Teeth. If you what a twisted, freaky, macabre take on a tale, look no further.

4 Ninja-Bunnehs-With-Fish-Tails

[aru · Rating 5 out of 5]

Holy fucking shit, this book is awful.

No, please, I need one moment. One moment of silence, please, I need to clean up the mess that is my heart and my mind.

Okay.

Okay, I'm good now. *exhales loudly*

First of all, Miss Hannah, why did you even think that it was a great idea to write this book? I HATE THIS BOOK, IT RUINED ME. WRECKED ME. SHATTERED ME INTO PIECES.

And the worst part of it all is the fact that I like it. A lot. I hate myself. I keep doing this to myself, I hate myself. No, please, let me hate myself.

Gruesome, graphic, violent, gripping, depressing, lonely, hilarious, witty, raw, painfully sad, sad, sad, this book has everything that is poisonous and totally not good for me but I gobble everything up like I'm one of the dying in the book craving for magical fish. It's so bad, this book is so bad for me because it provides us questions about humanity, about sacrifices, about what it means to find home in someone and what it means to let go, about taking risks, about forgiving, about second chances, about hard choices, about morality, about weird unfortunate circumstances we sometimes will not be able to prevent.

I hate the fact that this book is weird, but the points you can get from all the metaphors and symbols are just too damned real. That sometimes we have no control of our lives no matter how much we think we do, no matter how much we fight for it so we can become the actual hero of the story, but no, no the reality doesn't effing work that way. Something shitty will always comes out. It's given. It's life. Most of the time you can't control what's going to happen to you but you can control how you're going to act on it.

The relationship between Teeth and Rudy, God, it is so messed up. They're extremely flawed, people who are so real they keep making mistakes because of their way of thinking, and they're trying to fix it. They're lonely, they can't connect to other people all their lives until they finally find each other, and even after that their meeting is not something to celebrate. Everything is just so messed up, so out of control that from the very first page I find myself gripping hard on my seat, gritting my teeth at how much anger I am feeling it surprises me still, wishing, praying, wanting for things to be better for them because God, everything is so awful, I want them to be happy. For once. For once.

But, see, one happiness is often the cost from another.

And it's sick how real that is. That we usually need to sacrifice something to gain happiness. That's fucking bullshit but it's how it is in reality and I hate it. I hate this book so much. It makes me cry, it makes me laugh out loud with Rudy and Teeth, it makes me sad, it makes me feel all warm inside, then the rest is just tremendous pain.

Like, actual physical pain somewhere in my chest.

God, Teeth, my poor lovely fishboy.

By the end of the book, I'm shocked, because I don't want it to end, not like that, I'm not ready yet. I want more. More, please, I'm begging. I can't carry this sadness around with me all the time. I need to let the sadness go but I can't. Please, please, please, don't end it this way. Please. Magic word and all that.

But it ends.

I don't know if I'm ever going to recommend this book to anyone. Probably not. Seriously, I'm sparing you from so much heartache. I'm in an awe as to why I can still breathe and whatever. It's just, the thing about this book is that the characters and the setting and everything feels so real that I get attached right from the first page. And it sucks. I hate when books do that to me because I don't know how to let go when I'm attached. I hate it. Yet I still do it anyway. Which makes it worse. This book is bad. So bad. I hate it. Hate it so much.

But I love it just as much, all the beautiful wreck that it is.

I still wish I didn't read that damned last page.

[Lottie Eve · Rating 5 out of 5]

Teeth is a novel that lingers in one’s mind. A novel with sincere emotion that will grip your heart and never let go. This makes is a very brutal read. It made my heart feel heavy with sadness and longing. I wouldn’t call this a romantic story like the synopsis says but I would call it a gritty story that is filled with emotion and memorable characters.

Teeth is a story about a lonely boy’s discovery of a lonely fishboy on a remote island that is rumored to be the place where life-giving fish lurk. At first the boy (called Rudy) is happy to have a strange friend to spend the days with. But then Rudy starts to learn secrets. And with those secrets come choices.

The atmosphere of Teeth is quite gothic and dreary. With screaming winds and mysterious fish, this novel establishes a beautiful yet eerie feel almost immediately. I often had to tear my eyes away from the pages and look around my room to make sure that I was safe in my cozy home. The great world building of the remote island that is home to the Enki only adds to the atmosphere.

Moskowitz has a talent for characters, I believe. They are depressing, sad, flawed, and filled with inner darkness. She made me feel a lot of empathy for both Rudy and Teeth. These two characters are layered with many layers.

Rudy was a very authentic male character. His narrative is riddled with many curse words, but I could clearly feel his emotions and conflict over his family and friendship with Teeth. He is a very flawed character. He lets his loneliness rule his decisions which often leads him to making the wrong choice. He does grow as a person (and as a brother and as a friend) and starts making decisions that might be hard but are the best. He felt truly tangible to me and I won’t forget about him for a long time.

Teeth is the title character of this story. He is the lonely creature that is half-human and half-fish. I don’t remember ever feeling this sad for a character. Teeth’s entire existance is just sad. I cried buckets of tears because of him. Teeth can be an asshole (Rudy’s words not mine) and unreasonable and impulsive, but behind all that he is just a scared, lonely fishboy. I wanted to take his hand and lead him somewhere safe where he can be happy. Teeth will be forever swimming in the depth of my mind.

Moskowitz’s prose is raw. The writing captures the utter gloominess and sadness of this novel perfectly. It isn’t flowery but it is beautiful and clear. I savored each and every of Moskowitz’s words. I even reread passages when I finished the novel.

The ending was agonizing to my poor heart. I don’t think I have ever felt so…empty over an ending. I felt like a rain that will never stop was pouring over the earth.


Do you need a hug? I know I do.

I believe that Teeth is a special novel. The kind of special that only rarely comes into the world. Does that sound over dramatic? Maybe. But this is how I truly feel about this book. Now please just go read this book so you can experience the ugly beauty of it yourself. Don’tet your fear of the strangeness this novel has keep you away from it. I doubt you will regret it.
*******************************************
This book was brutal. Every single page grabbed my heart and tore it into a million tiny pieces. And of course since I have masochistic tendencies I read it all in one day. T_T

[Bookwatcher · Rating 5 out of 5]

OMG!!!!!!!!!!!! *shout from the rooftops*
I loved this book
NO I HATE IT
No I loved it
NO I HATE IT

Can't write review now... DAMMIT. I want to cry :(

[Suki Fleet · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is beautiful and poignant and I want to drown in the writing but god that ending killed me...and all I can think is nooooooo Rudy, go get the damn fishboy!

[Rabbit {Paint me like one of your 19th century gothic heroines!} · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm sobbing.



The feels. THE FEELS. Better review coming later today.

Review (2/1/16):

This story is just a tragic and weird story that made me feel a lot of sad things. But I loved it. Just a story about a queer teen boy and his love for Teeth, a merman (for lack of better term). There is some heavy shit. Don't read this book expecting happy times. Bring lots of tissues too.

[Alia · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 Stars.

Woah, this book is not what I expected it to be. I've never read anything like it.

Teeth is my first book by Hannah Moskowitz and I loved it so much. It's different, sad and intense. I was trying to find a good book to read when I found this one. I read the first page and then, I couldn't stop reading until I was done with it. I'm happy I found this book, I have a feeling that I won't forget about Teeth for a while.

[Claudie ☾ · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was so weird. I liked it well enough, I guess, but there were moments when I really struggled with it and had to force myself to focus — especially during the first ~50%, before the plot picked up speed. This read like a YA stream of consciousness more than anything else, and I feel like a lot of the metaphors went right over my head. Overall, it wasn’t all bad, just a case of “it’s not the book, it’s me.”