Dear Hanna

Hanna Jensen is a sociopath. But she is not a serial killer. She was born without empathy or remorse and with virtually no conscience. She struggled as a child to cope in a world she didn’t understand. Years of therapy at the Marshes facility helped her develop skills to recognize and “read” people’s emotions and actions, as well as control her “stew of boiling emotions.”

She learned to be less reckless and impulsive, and mastered the art of flirting and seduction. She lived according to the logic of her misaligned moral compass, forged by her childhood difficulties and parental upbringing.

We first visited Hanna during her early childhood in Stage’s debut novel, Baby Teeth. This is somewhat of a sequel, revisiting Hanna as a married woman and stepmother to Joelle. She originally met her husband, Jacob, while drawing blood samples for testing. Hanna immediately recognized this as her chance to establish a solid family unit and extricate herself from her parents’ stifling house. She easily attracted Jacob’s interest with her coquettish charm, soon started dating him, and eventually married him. She was an excellent phlebotomist and forged a good reputation. Sometimes, she used her needle as a tiny weapon to hurt people—just a little—to vent her frustrations.

Jacob was a somewhat attractive man, financially stable, and a widower. His wife Rachel had died in an auto accident three years ago, unfortunately swerving into an oncoming bus while intoxicated. This is a tense psychological mystery that can be enjoyed as a standalone, as Stage expertly provides any necessary backstory. Incidentally, as a child, Hanna tried multiple times and in various ways to murder her mother. Now twenty-four years old, she is living an ordinary domestic life with Jacob, a real estate agent, and his daughter Joelle. She manages to cook, clean the house routinely, work as a phlebotomist, and still find time to pursue her artistic talent of drawing in graphite. They eat together and nightly watch an indie or foreign movie—usually suggested by Hanna. She has managed to maintain a nurturing and responsible front. She frequently posts her drawings on TikTok, usually receiving positive feedback. Her followers typically describe them as “creepy and hilarious” or “diabolically whimsical.”

Zoje Stage masterfully weaves a convoluted tale through a combination of first-person internal dialogue, flashbacks, and a series of “letters” to and from “Goose,” her brother, who apparently still resides in a boarding school. These letters provide marvelous insight into motivations and circumstances from both the present and past, incrementally ratcheting up suspense and intrigue as the story progresses.

Hanna’s life appears almost idyllic until sixteen-year-old Joelle announces she’s pregnant. Her previous supportive role as confidant, and almost a “big-sister,” is shattered. Despite Hanna’s suggestion of an abortion, Joelle stands firm on her decision to “make this work.” Hanna is thrown into a frenzy at the prospect of a new life upending her present situation. She certainly does not relish the idea of becoming a nurturing grandmother. In fact, she fears the presence of a “fragile” baby invading their household. Her thoughts and emotions begin to spiral out of control. How can she stop this untenable situation from coming to fruition?

In this dark and disturbing tale, Zoje Stage explores gender inequalities and motherhood in a gritty intrusion into the mind of a “functioning” sociopath, leaving the reader with no choice but to root for her success. This compelling and emotional story will certainly elicit an array of weird and disturbing thoughts that will persist long after the last page is turned.

Thanks to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for providing an uncorrected proof in exchange for an honest review. I wonder where Hanna’s life goes from here?