Whisper House Press

Book: Such Sharp Teeth

Author: Rachel Harrison

Publisher: Berkley

ISBN: 9780593545829

Publication: 2022

Capone’s Rating: 4 of 5 ⭐s

I’d categorize Such Sharp Teeth by Rachel Harrison as a romance book wearing horror flair. Or an extended metaphor with horror overtones. Either way, the book was enjoyable.

Arora “Rory” Morris has been bitten by a werewolf (whodunnit vibes) and finds that every month, according to a lunar cycle, she wants to burst out of her skin with all the discomfort the change brings—she in fact does so. She becomes a literal monster, and controlling her impulses at those times is tough. At the same time, she’s got a love interest (because of course) who doesn’t know she’s a werewolf (though she drops hints—“I’m a monster”) and might find out if she’s not careful. She’s got a frenemy who knows her heart—a lot of emotional baggage, and that wound (an emotional wound from abuse / trauma) makes it tough for her to trust potential romantic partners. She has an awful relationship with her mother and a loving but pained relationship with her sister, with whom she lives throughout this story’s timeline. In Such Sharp Teeth, these factors intermingle to captivating (and somewhat sexy) results.

I’m not a woman (obvs?) but felt increasing empathy (dare I say understanding?) in reading this novel, as the werewolf changes the protagonist endures coincide with the pregnancy changes her sister experiences—and the werewolf stuff is more familiar to me than the pregnancy stuff, so I’m learning by analogy. Sparing no description in either accounting real-life body changes and imaginary skin-bursting wolf stuff, Harrison is successful in plotting a careful novel with emotional turns that kept me engaged through the entirety of the story. Four stars.