Well I’ve definitely not read a book like this before! Vampire children 😂 it was brilliant haha I really enjoyed it even though it was seriously far out and weird, it was also fantastic!

A young and much loved teacher is found murdered at Little Academy and the only witnesses are ten toddlers. The teacher was found in the stationery cupboard, blood everywhere, and the main clue, a bloody footprint. The police have ten key witnesses, who are not able to tell them what happened, frustrating matters.

It soon comes to light that there had been problems going around the school, with the children biting. The biting escalated to craving blood, and the parents are keeping secrets from the police which could help solve the murder. Are the children witnesses, or suspects?

I went into this book expecting something completely different. I dislike not finishing books, but came close at times on this one. The pace was slow, there was a lot of repetition, and much made continually of the children biting, without much reason for the continual emphasis. I feel overall, rather than it being a thriller, it was intended to be a metaphor about the hardships of parenthood, and how mothers will do anything for their children. It felt preachy at times, making much on the hardship of parenthood, it felt ‘yummy mummy-esque’ at times, when I felt that I was coming into a completely different story. Perhaps my fault for having incorrect expectations. I am sure some will love this story and the theme will resonate strongly with them. This one was not for me.

*I received this book from NetGalley, but all opinions are my own.

really hate not finishing books, but I do feel like I gave this book my all, and unfortunately, I just couldn't finish it. I dnf'd at around 55% because, honestly, I just felt like it was going nowhere. I feel like the murder itself should have been front and centre, but it was the child bitting that dominated the book, and that would have been fine if it wasn't so repetitive. It was continuously being spoken about, and it just wasn't going anywhere, in my opinion. Everything was so long-winded and drawn out, and by 55%, I was just sick of hearing about the child biting, I just wanted to know who killed the teacher... but I just couldn't read any more.
I'm sure the biting is important to the story in some way or another, judging by the name of the book, and how much it's mentioned, but the whole read was just too slow, and incredibly repetitive for me to fully engrossed in the story. It's definitely not a book for me.

Thank you, Netgalley, for allowing me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

Chandler Baker adds a fresh twist to the thriller genre with Cutting Teeth, introducing a fascinating concept: vampire children. But don’t expect the usual tropes—these kids aren’t sleeping all day, sporting fangs, or warding off garlic and holy water. Instead, they suffer from a medical condition that gives them an unusual craving for blood.

While it delivers as a gripping thriller, it also cleverly examines the complexities of motherhood. Baker expertly weaves in themes of maternal inadequacy, the societal pressures mums face, and the constant need to please children, spouses, and everyone else, all within the framework of a thrilling murder mystery. It’s a compelling and thought-provoking read that kept me hooked from start to finish.

3.5/5.

One murder, ten witnesses but no one saw a thing. The ten witnesses are four year old's, soon they are suspects and so is their parents. A good horror mystery thrilling read

DNF - writing is clunky and too descriptive. I just cannot get into this at all. I was pulled in by the Vampire Children as I thought it would be really interesting but after reading other reviews, this is more geared towards how hard it is to be a mum rather than Vampire 4 year olds.

How would you handle it if your 4 year old started biting hard enough to draw blood, in order to drink the blood? Cutting Teeth is the story of the ordinary mums who have that to deal with,on top of everyday life issues and some other, unusual happenings.

I don't know who "came first", but I'm definitely getting Grady Hendrix vibes from this. It's utterly believable and the mums all act like mums do.

It's an engaging read, but easy enough to be a beach read.

Cutting Teeth was my first experience reading a book by Chandler Baker, and while it didn't fully resonate with me, it had some intriguing elements. The novel presents an interesting concept, though I found the pacing slow at times and the plot somewhat disjointed. There were moments where I struggled to differentiate between the characters, as many were referred to simply as "she," which added to the confusion. Some details felt unnecessary and didn't seem to contribute to the main story. If the book was intended as a metaphor about parenthood, the execution could have been better. While this one wasn't quite my style, others might appreciate its unique take on the challenges of parenting.

Thank you to Netgalley for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This one wasn't for me I'm afraid. Well-written but the content is not my genre.

Little Academy is the pre-school to go to. This year the class teacher Ms Erin Ollie is loved by the children although the mothers aren't so sure- maybe because of the increased interest their men have in the children's teacher. Rhea, Derby & Mary Beth all have children in the class. When suddenly an outbreak of biting starts in the class. Four year olds often bite but this time the children crave blood. When Ms Ollie is found dead, having bled to death in a store cupboard & the only clue seems to be a child's footprint-could one of them possibly be responsible.

This was an often amusing, very clever tale. The lives of the families, the vampire children & the yummy mummies kept me interested. I thought the vampire element was a good parallel for how many mothers must feel at times, (I was interested to find this craving for blood is an actual 'syndrome!) I also loved the cover with the bloody stake!

I really enjoyed this book, it was surprising and original and the style of writing kept me hooked!
Sometimes humorous in places but handled well alongside the seriousness of the strange problem affecting the kids.
The parents were well described and I liked the characters even though some were a bit up themselves, the ending was satisfying and everything was tied up nicely!
Great book!

Darkly humorous, entertaining, twisty and intriguing. A mix of domestic thriller, women's fiction and parenting drama that i thoroughly enjoyed
Well plotted, fast paced.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine

This was my first book by Chandler Baker and a bit different to my norm. Good storyline but unfortunately I didn't find it very gripping.

A preschool is going through some problems. the children are biting and then the teacher dies. What on earth is going on there. The children seem to know something but are too young to explain so its down to the parents to figure out the truth but what is it?

Well this was an interesting read. As a parent myself it makes me glad my girls never went through a biting phase. The plot is quite twisted and you're never quite sure until the reveal exactly who is involved. I did figure out some of it but not all. Its a little creepy at times but I enjoyed the murder. The ending was well done if felt a little rushed once past the big reveal. Its hard to like any of the characters as they all have their own issues but it fits with the atmosphere of the story. A dark slightly unsettling thriller.

I get so frustrated when I'm presented with a book that not only has a fantastic synopsis BUT also an amazing cover but when I get into the guts of the book it just doesn't 'do' anything for me.

This was a tale told from multiple POVs which were easy enough to follow apart from Darby and Mary Beth, which for reasons I can't fathom, I struggled to separate.

This is definitely a story that has a hidden meaning (or at least that's how I took it). Small blood thirsty children is exactly what it feels like when your children are toddlers draining the life out of you, believe me, I had 3 children under 3 😅

Whilst it was an easy read, enjoyable enough, it just never seemed to pick up any speed which just left me wanting more, of what I don't know!

2.5⭐️ rounded to 3.

Thanks to Netgalley and Random House UK, Vintage for the ARC.

Hmmmmmm what have I just read?!!

Cutting Teeth by Chandler Baker; sadly I found this book hard to get into and very slow.......it was just so long winded and I lost interest. Sorry, it was not a book for me.
But, I did love the cover -

I really wanted to like this book. From the synopsis it sounded great, however I found it slightly lacking. I found the plot line slow, the characters were not particularly likeable and maybe I just didn’t ’get it’ but this book just wasn’t for me. Thank you to NetGalley, Random House UK, Vintage and the author for the chance to review.

This was very different to any book I’ve read therefore I struggled to give it a rating but settle on 3 star.
It’s about a group of preschool children who took biting to the extreme! Children who crave blood and mothers who supply it to them 😮
The mystery elements did keep me guessing but I felt it was more focused on motherhood which threw it off for me.

Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book.

Motherhood, mini-vampires and murder. Random mixture but it works!

I absolutely devoured this book! So creepy and giving Big Little Lies vibes! I read The Husbands by Chandler Baker and was so excited to read this one.

What wouldn't you do to protect your child and give them the best of everything? Well, that's a question explored in this book alongside a very creepy setting of children developing a taste for blood! Well, okay then! Lol.

Absolutely loved this book and can't wait for Chandler's next one.