Title: Such Sharp Teeth
Author: Rachel Harrison
Pages: 325
Genre: Horror, Fantasy, Romance
A young woman in need of a transformations finds herself in touch with the animal inside in this gripping, incisive novel from the author of Cackle and The Return.
Rory Morris isn’t thrilled to be moving back to her hometown, even if it’s only temporary. There are bad memories there. But her twin sister, Scarlett, is pregnant, estranged from the baby’s father, and needs support, so Rory returns to the place she thought she’d put in her rearview. After a night out at a bar where she runs into an old almost-flame, she hits a large animal with her car. And when she gets out to investigate, she’s attacked.
Rory survives, miraculously, but life begins to look and feel different. She’s unnaturally strong, with an aversion to silver – and suddenly the moon has her in its thrall. She’s changing into someone else – something else, maybe even a monster. But does that mean she’s putting those close to her in danger? Or is embracing the wildness inside her the key to acceptance?
This dark, comedic love story is a brilliantly layered portrait of trauma, rage and vulnerability.
Hey Brave Bookworms!
This novel caught me by surprise because it’s more then meets the eye. At it’s heart it’s a werewolf story wrapped in real human experience and life crisis. The author does a brilliant job with the writing; combining humor, body horror and emotional introspection and growth.
The novel follows our protagonist Aurora “Rory” Morris, a sarcastic and emotionally guarded woman who returns to her small town to help her pregnant twin sister, Scarlett. However, one night while driving on a dark rural road coming home from the bar, Rory hits what she thinks is an animal….a very large animal. When she goes to see what she’s hit, well…things take a turn for the worst and she finds herself in the woods being attacked by something.
She survives, clearly! But something is very different, wrong even.
Soon Rory begins to experience strange symptoms she can’t explain. Yes, you guessed it, she’s turning into a werewolf.
Instead of the novel focusing on the sheer monstrous horror of the classic werewolf tale, the story leans into personal transformation. Rory has to deal with her strained family dynamics, an unexpected romance, and the terrifying realization that she may be dangerous to not only strangers, but those she truly loves.
The horror is real, bloody and visceral, but it’s also deeply emotional.
Ahh Rory, well I’ll be completely honest, I had a love/hate relationship for this character. At times I loved the fact that she was imperfect, real, funny, sarcastic, but has a strength that is undeniable. But she was frustrating due to being so extremely guarded, defensive, self-sabotaging and emotionally distant. It was clear that she is used to running from problems and people that make her emotionally uncomfortable. For good reason, I do have to admit.
However, her messiness makes her feel real and authentic.
She has a complicated relationship with her sister Scarlett. They are close in the way twins often are, but their childhood holds a lot of baggage. Scarlett’s life is completely different then Rory’s; she is expecting a baby, more settled down and trying to main some semblance of family stability. All foreign to Rory and her life back in the city.
The tension between them adds emotional depth and weight to the novel, almost like a static in the air. There relationship definitely has it’s ups and downs, but between them both, their love trumps all the negative in the end.
Then there is Ian Pedretti, who is Rory’s blast from the past and a emotional turning point for her. He is patient, kind, and surprisingly understanding. The romance between them doesn’t feel forced due to their history, but instead provides moments of warmth, affection and humanity in a very chaotic situation.
I actually really loved Ian as a “leading man” because he wasn’t this cookie cutter bad boy. He was sweet and caring, but pushed her emotional buttons. Challenged her to stop pushing those she cares for away, which I thought was a wonderful addition. He ultimately became her emotional grounding point when nothing else made sense.
Her transformation ultimately forces her to confront suppressed emotions and memories: anger, grief, fear and extremely vulnerability. Her strength and resilience isn’t born from the suffering she experienced, but the choice to rise beyond it.
Her transformation also isn’t just a physical one, but shows her that it’s okay to stop hiding from who she is and who she truly wants to be now. It causes her to find a balance in her life with the creature she is becoming and her humanity.
Such Sharp Teeth is certainly not your average werewolf novel, though it has some classic tropes about it.
This is not your nonstop creature horror, and by the end of the novel it felt less like a werewolf story, but instead focusing on romance and a reflection on what is means to live life, even when things are messy.
So, if you are looking for an action-packed, blood-soaked werewolf horror, this one may not be for you. However, if you are looking for a bit of comedy and emotional growth wrapped in some classic werewolf tropes, this one should be thrown onto your TBR list.
Just a word of advice, whenever you are diving into werewolf fiction, please keep silver nearby. It’s basic book safety!
Hope you enjoyed the review and until next time…
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