The Omen | Musings of the Monster Librarian

Baby Teeth by Zoje Stage.

St. Martin’s Press, 2018

ISBN-13: 978-1250170750

Available: Hardcover, paperback, mass market paperback, Kindle edition, audiobook

Stage enters the collection of novels about creepy kids with a solid entry that is tough to categorize. Some might call it horror, others a thriller, but many would consider it to be a family drama– all depending on what the reader discerns is the true dilemma facing the family between the covers of this engrossing book.

While it may be compared to The Bad Seed and The Omen, Baby Teeth doesn’t attempt to mimic either story. It is content to narrate its own tale, that gradually and organically grows from something trite and familiar, into a final product that will either have readers scratching their heads, or shaking them with disbelief. Both could be a good thing– or utterly frustrating.

The Jensens are a normal family, at least until little Hanna comes along. Suzette and Alex have no idea what’s in store for them when this little seven-year-old unleashes her terror on them– well, just on Suzette. Hanna worships her daddy and shows him only the sunshine in her damaged soul. She saves the darkness for mommy.

The alternating point of view between Hanna and Suzette might recall shades of Gone Girl, but the story is not as complex. It is, however, almost as twisted. Stage constructs a story that takes the reader on a mind-bending journey that flits between reality and something that might be just a little into the realm of horror. Is little Hanna possessed by the spirit of a witch who was burned at the stake in the 17th century? Is she pure evil? Or is she something different?

When the Jensens’ home situation dissolves into pure hell, Hanna targets her mother, but in a subtle manner, choosing to remain mute, except for in a special instance. Suzette and Alex send her off to a special school, only to have her return soon afterwards, for reasons that remain mysterious.

Readers who are seeking pat answers and conclusions that will cross every T and dot every I might find some issue with Baby Teeth in its construction, yet that’s also what makes the novel work so well. While it has more in common with Gone Girl and domestic suspense than horror or supernatural stories, that isn’t a bad thing. Stage’s writing renders the plot lean, and the characters strong. He takes chances with styles and pulls off more hits than misses. This novel breathes new life into a sub-genre that has long needed a book to spin a new angle. Recommended.

Reviewed by Dave Simms

Editor’s note: Baby Teeth is a nominee on the final ballot of the 2018 Bram Stoker Awards in the category of Superior Achievment in a First Novel.

Book Review: Ararat by Christopher Golden

Ararat by Christopher Golden

St. Martin’s Press, 2017

ISBN-13: 978-1250117052

Available: Hardcover, paperback, Kindle edition. Audible, audio CD.

It has been several years since a novel truly unsettled this reviewer enough to produce repeated nightmares. Ararat, though, is a read that nestles under the skin.

In Ararat, a team of explorers, scientists, and scholars have discovered something embedded into the rock of Mount Ararat that may be Noah’s Ark. However, instead of animals two by two, they find a handful of human corpses… and one mummified being with horns. Something on the mountain is not quite dead, but is waiting until the time is right for it to show itself. The expedition’s members struggle to figure out the dark puzzle, as a blizzard threatens to make the mountain cave their tomb.

Golden’s characters breathe, live, and fear on every page. Adam and Meryam, who spearhead the Ararat expedition, drive the story, along with Ben Walker, sent from DARPA to assist in ascertaining the true nature of the find. Secondary characters become fully fleshed beings, with nearly everyone turning a bit part into something crucial.

Christopher Golden has penned some great tales in the past– most recently, the disturbing Dead Ringers– but Ararat just might be his best. In this novel, Golden takes advantage of tropes common to the thriller and horror genres, while stepping deftly around the typical pitfalls. Golden tears perceptions and twists the plot in unexpected directions throughout. Is it a thriller with horror, or horror in a thriller format? Doesn’t matter– labels will soon be forgotten once the pages whiz by.

Ararat calls to mind classics like The Thing, The Exorcist, and The Omen, but it stands on its own. Golden’s knack for intertwining sympathetic characters and the horrific with suspense ensures that this unsettling story will be read in just a few sittings. This is a story that begs for a blockbuster-style movie, but it’s one that this reviewer won’t be viewing. The nightmares aren’t worth it. Readers of thrillers and horror will be talking about this one for year.

Reviewed by Dave Simms