My thanks to Tracy at Compulsive Readers for my blog tour invite and oublishers Orion for my gifted review copy of 'Baby Teeth'  by Celia Silvani, her debut novel which is out in e-book and paperback format from all good bookshops!

Praying that my ancient laptop stays alive long enough to complete this review...thoughts and prayers please!

Between 1993-96 I trained as a midwife, based in South Shields for placement, and Newcastle for theory classes . I saw first hand, as a very naive 18 -21 year old, the way women who came in with birth plans were sniggered at, the way doctors dismissed requests for natural childbirth and how, at the opposite end of the spectrum, medical advances made it possible for both mother and baby to survive against impossible odds.

It's a tale as old as time...as soon as you hit a certain age, it's the question of 'when are you starting a family then?'

A) it's actually no one's business but your own and B) it's far more complicated and difficult to do this than people may believe.

Plus your feelings, thoughts and expectations are no longer your own, everyone seems to have a vested interest in your lady parts and an opinion to offer, whether you wanted it or not.

And then there are the feelings of your partner to consider-all of this is framed within a patriarchal expectation to propagate the species and there seem to be certain ways of doing this that are 'better' than others.

Combine societal expectation, social media filters on presenting childbirth and pregnancy as the apotheosis of woman hood as well as the lure of the internet to find a  sense of community and you begin to see Claire and James' journey to parenthood as littered with landmines.

Claire's dislocation from her family to support her husband's career dovetails with her overwhelming desire to be a parent. Played off against her best friend from her uni days, Sally, her career driven boss , Helen, fellow runner, Taya , this is a very difficult balance to maintain especially when she carries her own trauma from hospital experiences as a child, when her father died.

James seems to be doing well, actively social and out going, Claire...not so much. Desperate to fit in, she spends endless hours researching on pregnancy forums and blogs, tracing Instagram footprints of followable people and counting the days till she can take another pregnancy test.

Each negative result feels like a failure, so when eventually it shows up positive, she can scarcely believe it.

However, this closely curated cocoon of a pregnancy and childbirth turns out to be rather more suffocating than liberating.

New friend , Taya, doesn't seem to be overwhelmed with happiness. Sally is not exactly invested having made her own transition to motherhood some years earlier. And the less said about unsympathetic boss , Helen, the better. So Claire is very much ripe for the picking when she ventures online and tries to work out just how much control over her pregnancy she will hand over to the medical profession....the Goddesses online have very set opinions about this.

Aiming for nothing less than a complete 'off grid' experience, muddling through with an absolute ban on any negative posts or  mothers who decide to involve professionals at any step of their childbearing journey, in the name of feminist regaining of bodily autonomy, my alarm bells started ringing very early on. One of the mums, Flora, spends a lot of time discussing the way her past pregnancy made her feel and how it has informed her decision to make sure everything is natural this time around.

As Claire navigates the intense physical and mental steps around pregnancy, she leans so heavily on these women who could, in fact, be anyone hiding behind a monitor, she starts shutting out the real people in her life to listen to the narrative peddlers who claim their methods are safe.

For both Claire and Flora, the horrifying truth is so far removed from what they have been sold that it genuinely takes your breath away...

As the plot tightens its hold, the first person narration from Claire makes you feel like her confessional, her confidante, you want nothing but the best for her in the face of seemingly insurmountable odds. Her pregnancy represented safety and being wanted and quickly becomes alarming and dangerous. Her experiences, like Flora's , with medical professionals (bar 1 very wonderful midwife) support her decision to back away from the least bit of medicalisation of what is, in most cases, a very natural event.

Celia does a terrific job in getting inside of Claire's head, and explores, very cleverly and sensitively, the way women feel so conflicted about who they are and what they want from the childbearing experience. No on comes across as 'evil' or ' malicicious' however, the road to hell is paved with good intentions and some of these goddesses are abundant with them.

Terrifying, timely and deeply unnerving, I absolutely loved this book and am so grateful to have had the chance to read it!

Claire has been desperate for a baby and is finally pregnant. She is happy with this news but very anxious so turns to an online group for natural motherhood, where they do not believe in medical intervention. She finds herself being sucked into this group of destructive influence and conformity.

Having read a lot of books around expectant mothers it was refreshing to read something slightly different within this subject. Although I found the exportation of the free birthing uncomfortable and highly frustrating, it was fascinating to read and gave me a real insight into this area. The character’s passions and obsessions are expertly shown, however I did not find any of them likeable. There are also a few tough scenes to process. This was a thought provoking debut overall, with an interesting look at online cult forums and how you can be easily influenced. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this copy in return for an honest review.

Let me tell you- this book did not disappoint! I was so hooked from the beginning, I couldn't put it down as I just needed to know what happened next. I found this so fascinating and unlike anything I've ever read. The conversations happening around free birthing and the hospital route were so interesting to me as it's something I've never had to consider, but I imagine the overload of information is overwhelming, especially when you feel so isolated and alone like Claire. Onto the subject of Claire, I actually felt so heartbroken for her and I found her such a complex and well written character. James just infuriated me, like what do you mean you're swanning off to Singapore, get back here. I think Flora was deeply misunderstood too and that particularly stood out in the few chapters we saw from her POV, it's easy to villainise her based off what happened (I'm trying not to say too much as spoilers) but if you read it, I think you'll understand!

I would maybe look up content warnings for this book as there is talk of infertility, IVF and child loss.

Thank you Orion & Netgalley for the arc!

For Claire, finally being pregnant is everything she has dreamt of, but she feels more isolated and lonely than ever.

Silvani transports you to Claire’s world and while I found a few of her decisions awful, I can understand that if you were hugely overwhelmed as she is, bad decisions aren’t too hard to imagine.

Claire finds a rather radical freebirth forum where medical intervention is seen as a failure and their toxic views will seep in to every part of your maternity journey, and Claire finds what she needs from them. She no longer feels alone but the danger she is putting herself in may change her life.

The writing is a pleasure and the story is paced perfectly with excellent storytelling, it feels like a speedy race to the bottom.
I really enjoyed the characterization in this novel, family aren’t perfect and partners don’t know the best way. All in all a brilliant absorbing read and I look forward to reading more by this author..

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this eARC which I received in return for an honest review, which this is.

'Baby Teeth' is an exemplary debut novel; it grabs you from the beginning and doesn't let go, focussing on one woman's desperation for a family of her own and her willingness to risk everything to achieve her wish.

There's nothing Claire wants more than to be pregnant and have a baby; she's been dreaming of being a mother for years and spends every spare minute in online support groups of women trying to conceive, scouring the internet for stories of success after years of trying for a baby - anything to give her hope.

When she finally falls pregnant, her fixation intensifies; she'll do anything to keep her baby safe and protected. She's had negative experiences of hospitals before, and hopes that she'll be able to have a home birth.

Claire is invited to join a free birthing support group, where they eschew any intervention, not even attending scans or talking to midwives, trusting that their bodies will know what to do. The women in the group are constantly in contact, supporting each other in their decisions and reassuring one another that they are doing the right thing for their babies.

It is really intense reading: you can feel the women's passion for freebirthing flying off the page, sure that they are making the right decisions and that they know best. They are dogmatic and convinced that medical intervention is an unnecessary construct, When tragedy hits the group, the effects ripple out in a multitude of ways, each more devastating than the last.

Its hard hitting writing with definite trigger warnings about pregnancy and baby loss that will mean that this won't be suitable for everyone but highly recommended.

This was linked well to the realities for alot of people. Particularly vulnerable. Particularly mothers.
They are wanting reassurance. All the asmwers. To be told how to or what to do. To be able.to just get it right. Be the best mum. And the comparison need is great.
This book was so worrying. But also worry more because you.cam see the realities of this actually palying out into he current climate.
Social media or toxic people and places can be seemingly allowed to carry on
And they certainly know how to aim there toxic rhetoric.
I felt so badly for our main character. And so angry at those around her.
This is such a anxiety laiden and making plot. But brilliant. Just brilliant.

Loved this one! Really makes you think, and I couldn't put it down. I found the types of conversations Claire was exposed to so scary, and the way she reacted to them. I felt so, so sorry for her because of how her loneliness made her feel.

4.5 stars

Thankyou so much to the author and publisher for the chance to read this book ahead of its release. This book was very haunting and at times very harrowing. I was hooked from page 1 and this was one of those books that I couldn't stop thinking about when I wasn't reading it. I was so frustrated with Claire throughout the majority of this book and the more she was drawn into the online spaces she was in, the more anxious I became, wondering how this would end. Overall I was gripped by this and I think its an absolutely brilliant debut. I can't wait to see what Celia writes next!

I really loved this one. The author approached me on instagram and told me that she thought I’d enjoy it, and she was right. It was a deeply unsettling look at how women can be swayed into toxic mindsets around pregnancy and childbirth. I wanted to shake the protagonist so many times during the book, and my sense of dread built and built throughout. It’s definitely a sensitive topic but it was handled really well. I read it in one session.

Baby Teeth is dark and intense literary thriller about a woman struggling with infertility and becoming obsessed with dangerous online forums. When Claire finally conceives after years of trying, the supportive online pregnancy network she’s part of takes a concerning turn, leading to her being influenced by a group of anti-medical/anti-NHS mothers.

This was such an interesting look at pregnancy and motherhood, with insightful commentary around the struggle to get things right as a parent, even in the very early stages. It examines the gap between personal excitement at being pregnant and the more relaxed attitudes of those around you, showing how isolating this can feel, especially when it’s something you’ve built up for years. There was also a compelling focus on internet culture and influence, illustrating how false and potentially dangerous information can be shared, and believed, by anyone.

I found Claire’s perspective infuriating at times, but that’s what made the novel so wholly engrossing, with her decisions being swayed by those she’d never met and her husband’s opinions being ignored in favour of these strangers. Loneliness and vulnerability were prevalent themes, as Claire searched for acceptance online due to feeling distanced from friends and co-workers. Despite her sometimes exasperating choices, I really felt for Claire, and thought that Silvani created a detailed and nuanced portrait of someone craving connection.

A captivating page-turner offering a fresh and relevant perspective on pregnancy and motherhood. Thank you so much to Orion Books for gifting me a copy 😊

*I was gifted a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.*

I LOVE a book that is so compelling it forces me to read it under 24 hours, and I also love a book that examines online culture, and as a chronically online person myself I really did relate to the main characters social media addiction. That was the extent of the personal connection here as the most prominent theme is the desperate desire to have a child, luckily I am someone who has no desire to procreate so I could really sink into the story without getting too upset.

A couple of years ago I ended up down a reddit rabbit hole about free birthing so I was a little bit familiar with the concept so I was very intrigued to see this explored more. Celia really built the tension and slowly revealed the insanity beyond an online group (with strong cult vibes) throughout the story and I was gripped! An excellent portrayal of how vulnerable women trying to conceive can be and how easy it is to fall into these dark online spaces when going through one of the most stressful periods of most women lives.

There was some very distressing scenes. Please pay attention to the trigger warnings for this one and if you are trying to conceive or have suffered a loss may not be the right time to pick it up!! But I think it would be a fab one to zoom through on a sun lounger somewhere hot!

First of all, I would just like to thank NetGalley, Celia Silvani and Orion Fiction for an ARC of “Baby Teeth” in exchange for an honest review.

I just want to preface this by saying that I don’t think this was a good book for me at all. The subject matter is not something that I enjoy reading about and so that made this book extremely difficult to read, and virtually impossible to enjoy. I should have been more considerate about this before going into it- that’s on me.

The writing in this book is solid and interesting. We follow Claire as she becomes overwhelmed by her own naivety, knowing nothing about something she has always longed for and overcome with worries, she eventually finds herself being drawn into the toxic (and frankly shocking) world of opinionated online support groups.

It was an interesting and invaluable look at how much social media and other’s opinions can influence your own, especially when you’re in a vulnerable state, like Claire was throughout this book. I felt very sorry for her, despite wanting to shake her all the time.

There is such a sinister undertone to this book that I think is included very subtly from the beginning, and I think that was a very smart way of doing it. It built the tension up over the course of the book, as we uncover just how disillusioned these women are and just how far they are willing to go for what the believe in- which ultimately leads to some catastrophic and cyclical consequences.

Despite this, the plot doesn’t really seem to go anywhere? It’s almost as though the stakes were lost at about 70% in and then from then on there’s not really much point in the story continuing (at least in my opinion).

There were also a few things that were never addressed; such as James’ mysterious work trips with his boss, Helen. They seemed to be introduced to cause tension, but then ultimately resulted in being irrelevant or forgotten as plot points.

I recommend this to readers who enjoy fairly dark books, like Lucinda Berry’s, but I also wouldn’t consider this to be a thriller, so please just bear that in mind. Also, please check TW’s before going into this, I cannot stress enough how important that is.

Please check trigger warnings for this book before reading!

Claire has been desperate to be a mother for as long as she can remember; when she falls pregnant, she finds herself turning to an online forum full of women who want to take the ‘free birthing’ route. No doctors, no checkups, no interventions.

Mothers know best… don’t they?

I found this book incredibly thought provoking and, at times, incredibly frustrating! It captures a scarily realistic insight into how the internet can do more harm than good, as well as how people are so consumed with their phones and what others have to say.

Unfortunately, I couldn’t gel with certain aspects such as the female main character and there were plot aspects that didn’t make a lot of sense to me. This does not take away from the fact that is a gripping, very well written book.

Oh Claire, what a poor character you are. So sad and disillusioned and tragic. Claire has trouble conceiving, and no support from anyone, and joins some an online chat room to help herself feel better and try to make things better for herself. What we see happening is the lengths some people go to to get what they want and once they have it, to keep it. The shunning of modern medical help and intervention, and the cult like behaviour that drives these 'Goddesses'.
I didn't particularly enjoy the story, it was moving and also creepy, but it was a bit depressing for most of the time and I didn't really want that.

Written very well, plot was a bit extreme for me, personal opinion due to the subject matter. I'd read this author again, but not the book.

A dark,twisty look at pregnancy and motherhood and the many varied emotions it brings
Worth saying the book does cover all aspects of this including detailing a traumatic birth and other sensitive subjects
Claire is at last expecting,she is joyful,its the best news ever but she is also prettified and paranoid and her ‘Motherhood friends ‘ via an online group are not helping,in fact she gets so involved with them and their ‘advice’ it is turning into toxic hinderance,interesting to see just how an online group can have such influence and can prey on peoples vulnerabilities
Claire as a character was at times annoyed with her choices and who she believed but when someone has been waiting for something and then it happens it’s easy to get swept along with other people and their advice,however misjudged it is
This is a well written ‘fresh approached to a subject’ book that will intrigue and cause discussion amongst readers,and would without hesitation read more of this authors work

First I want to say that Claire is a very unlikable character. After she has trouble conceiving she joins an online forum to help her cope. As Claire spends more time on these forums, she seems to go a little off the deep end. Some sad parts to this book but overall I just couldn’t get into it.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author and publisher for sending me an ARC of Baby Teeth, my first book by this author.

I absolutely LOVED this book. I could feel Claire’s desperation as it progressed, and how she felt torn between turning to medical interventions and not.

Claire was definitely a bit needy on the friend and relationship front however. She hung onto flora’s every word and message, getting herself deeper and deeper into something she didn’t really believe was right. But this showed how easy it can be to get yourself mixed up in things that aren’t necessarily the correct path to take.

Anyway, I really enjoyed this, couldn’t put it down! 5 stars and highly recommended!

Trigger warnings: baby loss, wild pregnancy, infertility

In "Baby Teeth" by Celia Silvani, readers meet Claire, a soon-to-be mother going through a period that should be marked by excitement and anticipation. Instead, her experience is overshadowed by a lack of support from those close to her. This sense of isolation drives her towards an online community centered around 'natural motherhood,' where she discovers a newfound sense of acceptance amongst others sharing her beliefs. At first, the welcoming nature of this sisterhood seems comforting, but as Claire immerses herself further into their world, she's faced with disconcerting demands that clash with her instincts.

Claire's character is beautifully drawn, her vulnerability and yearning for connection resonating deeply with the reader. As she struggles with the group's strict adherence to natural childbirth and their aversion to medical intervention, her internal conflict becomes palpable. The portrayal of the other group members is an intriguing blend of allure and intimidation, creating an ambiance that feels both enticing and oppressive. Silvani skillfully explores the complexity of these relationships, highlighting how communal support can also foster unhealthy conformity.

The story maintains a tense and claustrophobic atmosphere, reflecting Claire's mounting anxiety as her due date nears. As she grapples with the expectations thrust upon her by the group, the suspense builds, keeping the reader thoroughly engaged. Silvani's writing strikes a fine balance between rich descriptions and crisp dialogue, ensuring the narrative remains brisk and accessible.

Central to the story are themes of motherhood, identity, and the risks of unquestioning allegiance. With Claire's growing awareness of the potential repercussions of her choices, readers are encouraged to ponder the role societal expectations play in shaping personal decisions. The emotional intensity of the story is high, with Silvani rendering Claire's dilemma both relatable and compelling.

While "Baby Teeth" provides a fascinating examination of its themes, some readers may find certain plot points predictable. Moreover, although the group dynamics are engaging, a deeper exploration of individual characters beyond Claire's viewpoint would have enhanced the narrative. Despite these minor shortcomings, the novel adeptly probes critical questions surrounding autonomy in motherhood and the sway of communal influence.

Ultimately, "Baby Teeth" is an absorbing and provocative read, balancing emotional resonance with page-turning tension. It invites readers to contemplate their own attitudes toward motherhood while keeping them hooked through its riveting storytelling.

A story about a couples' journey of trying to realise their greatest dream of conceiving a baby.
Interwound with friends and family too.
Extremely well written and inciteful.
Would appeal to adults of all ages .

Wow, I have been completely gripped and absorbed by this book over the last few hours, I finished it in two sittings!

Following the lives of Claire and her partner James, a couple who have struggled to get pregnant, Silvani portrays the intensity of modern pregnancies, as Claire becomes dependent on online support groups to guide her.

Claire as a character could be seen as completely unlikeable, but elements of her fears and concerns feel so real and powerful that I couldn’t help but be invested in her.

Silvani portrays grief and anxiety perfectly, and i enjoyed every element of this book.