Such Sharp Teeth

I’ve seen so many positive reviews for the author this year that I finally grabbed one of their books. I did the audio, and Kristen Sieh did a fantastic job with it.

On the surface, this is the quintessential werewolf story. A mysterious attack that ends in a bite. Strange healing, new appetite, an aversion to silver, and then of course, that first full moon, incredible pain, fur, and waking up bloody. But what the author has layered here is anything but typical. What could virtually function as a familial contemporary drama has been layered within this werewolf horror. Rory has returned home for a few months to help her twin sister out with the end of her pregnancy. She’s in need of something new, a change, a transformation, but the one she gets is anything but what she had in mind. And as she begins to work through the past she thought she had left behind, old friends and even old flings begin to make themselves known.

An additional layer that I thoroughly enjoyed throughout was the novel’s humor. The author has imbued this story, and even some of its more serious moments with some really great, tongue-in-cheek turns. From Rory’s dark, sarcastic millennial attitude, to her almost entirely meat driven diet, there is a sense of comic relief even when the beats turn emotional. I think as a novel taking on the werewolf trope that was a really wise and well done choice.

And while there are some darker notes here, especially those around sexual assault and compounded family trauma, the novel in essence is about bodily autonomy and choice. The mirroring of Rory losing her choice and freedom to this monstrous change to her sister’s fear and loss as she’s about to give birth and virtually have to completely relearn the idea of “self” really can’t be understated. The fact that they are twins, one with a past of trauma and the other without, really drives home that closeness as well. And together they learn that they can forgive and grow, to move forward.

The romantic side story in this did move a bit fast, but when you keep in mind their past together, it’s pretty understandable. His ability to see past her imperfections, including the monthly side with fangs, ties back into choice and the ability to move on. I will definitely read more from the author!