Mini-Reviews: Baby Teeth and Mr. and Mrs. American Pie

Hooray for mini-reviews!  Here are a few brief thoughts on a couple of adult books I’ve just finished reading. Mini Reviews: Baby Teeth and Mr. and Mrs. American Pie

Mini-Reviews: Baby Teeth and Mr. and Mrs. American Pie

Mr. and Mrs. American Pie by Juliet McDaniel

To be published on August 7, 2018 by Inkshares

Source: eARC from publisher

Synopsis (adapted from Goodreads): The year is 1969. Dick Nixon was just sworn in as the thirty-seventh President. Neil Armstrong just took one small step for man and one giant leap for mankind. And notable Palm Springs socialite Maxine Simmons finds herself not only divorced, but exiled to Scottsdale, Arizona. The former beauty queen sets her eyes on a new crown: that of the Mrs. American Pie pageant, awarded to the nation’s best wife and mother. Maxine only has one problem: to win the crown she’ll need to find―or build―a family of her own.

Mini-Reviews: Mr. And Mrs. American Pie

My (mini) take: When some unexpected bad news sends Maxine into a tailspin, she’s suddenly down on her luck in Arizona. All she has to fall back on is her beauty pageant past, so she cobbles together a makeshift family and enters the Mr. and Mrs. American Pie contest.

This isn’t the kind of book I typically read, but was actually a lot of fun. Maxine was a force of nature –though not always the most likable character. The book was narrated by Maxine; Robert, the bartender who mixes Maxine’s cocktails when she’s down and out, and Charles, a little boy who’s Maxine’s new neighbor. And a fun look into 1960s culture!

I went in expecting Little Miss Sunshine, and was not disappointed.

Baby Teeth by Zoje Stage

To be published on July 17, 2018 by St. Martin’s Press

Source: ARC from publisher

Synopsis adapted from Goodreads: Sweetness can be deceptive. Hanna’s the sweet-but-silent angel in the adoring eyes of her Daddy. He’s the only person who understands her, and all Hanna wants is to live happily ever after with him.

But Mommy stands in her way, and she’ll try any trick she can think of to get rid of her. Ideally for good. Suzette loves her daughter, really, but after years of expulsions and strained home schooling, her precarious health and sanity are weakening day by day.

As Hanna’s tricks become increasingly sophisticated, and Suzette’s husband remains blind to the failing family dynamics, Suzette starts to fear that there’s something seriously wrong, and that maybe home isn’t the best place for their baby girl after all.

Mini-Reviews: Baby Teeth

My (mini) take: On the plus side, this was definitely creepy. I liked the writing, and I thought the weird family dynamics of this strange little mom-dad-child triangle were well-portrayed.

On the negative side, the plot didn’t really go anywhere and the tone of the book seemed to veer unsteadily between a issue book about managing a child with a serious mental illness and a crazy paranormal horror story. (You can seem more details under spoilers in my Goodreads review.) I wish the book had picked a lane and really hit the gas. I was also disappointed in the ending.

I went in expecting a reworking of The Exorcist or The Bad Seed, and I wish this book had really gone for it. This is a divisive book on Goodreads, but I come out somewhere in the middle….

Have you read either of these? I’ll be giving away a copy of Baby Teeth on Freebie Friday tomorrow, so if you’re interested in trying it out, please stop by!