Book Review: With Teeth by Kristen Arnett
Kristen Arnett’s debut novel—Mostly Dead Things (Tin House, 2020)—situated her as a writer devoted to the weird. Her prose is highly specific, unabashedly chaotic, and a delight to read. Her latest novel, With Teeth (Riverhead Books, 2021), remains married to these qualities while painting readers a new picture: one of teetering love, mental instability, and the complexities bound up in queer marriage.
Our protagonist, Sammie Lucas, is unhinged. She and her wife, Monika, have a child, of which Sammie carried herself and is now the predominant caretaker. The reader watches as their lives post-child unfold—and they can’t look away, much like when you pass a fatal car crash on the highway. Sammie believes the catalyst of her dissatisfaction was the birth of their son, Samson.
But, one of the main questions this novel asks us to contemplate is whether or not children are reflections of ourselves. Throughout the story, we wonder: Is Samson a bad kid? Sammie certainly thinks so. In fact, she seems to harbor a level of disgust for her son. And, some of his actions are questionable. But Sammie is disgusted with herself, too. If we’re to believe that children are indeed reflections of ourselves, then we must decide whether Sammie’s disgust for Samson is more directed at herself. It’s worth noting that Sammie also has profound moments of love for her son, where she recognizes how similar they actually are.
Then, there’s Monika. She strives to make their lives seem progressive on the surface: two married women raising a son and defeating the odds. Yet this image quickly crumbles. While Sammie acts as Samson’s predominant caregiver, Monika assumes a more patriarchal role. She works all the time, is largely absent from Samson’s life, and doesn’t cook or clean. It’s a classic case of queer characters assimilating into heteronormativity. Sammie can’t stand it, but she also makes decisions (bad decisions) that keep her from ever solving this problem. Their marriage is on the brink, constantly, and they both fail to realize how this instability affects Samson throughout the story.
We see all of these themes from Sammie’s perspective. But the third-person limited narration sometimes dips into the perspective of secondary characters. This shows us a different side of Sammie. Slowly—through these secondary characters and Sammie’s own slip-ups—we learn that Sammie is woefully unreliable. Her perspective on life is obsessively skewed in a way that hinders her development from beginning to end. Therefore, the truths of queer marriage and motherhood are explored in a very untruthful way.
So, yes, Kristen Arnett has given us a novel predicated on chaos. And, she also happens to be based in Florida. With Teeth ensures that the oppressive Florida heat is present in all the right moments. It suffocates Sammie, encouraging the idea that she feels trapped in her life. And, it makes the reader sweat, too, much like the condensation that trails down Sammie’s ever-present beer cans.
This novel is written with a precise hand that evokes shock, disgust, doubt, and so many other emotions. Yet, Sammie’s story is disturbingly true. Outside of the weird, there is a loss of identity that stems from motherhood. It leads to so many of the events that take place in the novel. The sheer emotion of Sammie’s unhealthy habits will have you reeling until the very last page.
If you enjoyed this book, you’ll also enjoy:
Milk Fed by Melissa Broder
What Was She Thinking? [Notes on a Scandal] by Zoë Heller
Dept. of Speculation by Jenny Offill
Enjoy with:
A porch pounder: something light, easy, refreshing. It will cool you down from this book’s hectic heat.
