Kristen arnett with teeth

The plot moves rather slowly because of her tendency toward constant, repetitive introspection about her domestic issues and sex life-or the lack of it-yet the characters themselves were intriguing enough to make the novel a fast read. These short segments offer refreshing perspective, particularly because Sammie is an unreliable and often unlikable narrator. Set in Central Florida, most of the story is told from Sammie’s point of view, with occasional page-long chapters told by other incidental characters who encounter Sammie and her family. Or if some children with mental and emotional issues, like Sammie’s son Sampson, might exceed a mother’s ability to love. It left me wondering if some women, like the protagonist Sammie, might be born without mothering instincts. From the first scenes, it sinks its teeth in and refuses to let go. Kristen Arnett’s novel With Teeth (Riverhead Books, 2021) is a literary novel that bites.