Queen of Teeth by Hailey Piper
Content Warnings: Body horror, medical rape, gore
In the near future, Alpha Beta Pharmaceuticals accidentally unleashes the 00 virus. The virus has varied effects, but in some cases, it causes multiple children to be conceived. Then one zygote consumes the others before birth. These are Chimeras. And one half of their genetic code is property of ABP. ABP monitors them closely, waiting for the time when one part of the genetic code violently attacks the other, tearing the Chimera apart.
Yaya is one such Chimera, but rather than her body destroying itself, it grows a new consciousness. And teeth. The vagina dentata transforms Yaya’s body and forces her to go on the run to avoid becoming an ABP lab rat. Meanwhile, Magenta, her new ‘self’ is becoming hungry.
Queen of Teeth is engaging throughout, balancing tension filled action with tender moments of reflection and interpersonal growth. Artfully concealed plot pieces dropped at the beginning return again in a satisfying manner, like a camouflaged Chekov’s Gun. Piper seamlessly blends elements of science fiction, horror, and romance, creating a multifaceted story that never lets up.
While there was a lot to love about Queen of Teeth, I was disappointed by the ending. There was no real conclusion to the story’s action. While this allowed Piper to end on a hopeful and touching moment, it left something to be desired. I wanted to see the conclusion from the perspective of the outside world.
Piper’s writing is a solid foundation for a fantastic story. She doesn’t fall into too much exposition, despite a complex world. Her dialogue is light and snappy. There are moments of poetic description. But her best writing is really saved for the scenes of action and body horror. Be warned, the descriptions are graphic and disturbing, so if you are squeamish, you may want to steer clear.
Very rarely in horror do I encounter a world as well-crafted as the one in Queen of Teeth. Piper’s vision of the future United States is haunting entirely for its realism. What do we get if the most toxic parts of our society were to have their way? Corporations run amok, personal rights trampled, a complete disregard for the environment we live in, and a terrifying police state to enforce the status quo. Piper’s attention to detail in creating a devastating dystopia is a horror all its own, even before the vagina dentata emerge.
Piper crafts a delicious cast of characters, bringing excellent LGBTQ representation to horror.
Yaya, with her sardonic attitude and self-destructive behaviors, leads the story. Her issues with identity and autonomy are the driving forces for the plot, leading her down a path of dark and desperate decisions. As the story progresses, she accepts that
Doc, a strait-laced agent of ABP, is haunted by her past actions. She decided long ago to outsource her decisions to her superiors, let the guilt wash over her by believing she is just following orders. Until she meets Yaya and must choose whether to play it safe or risk is all for the woman (and monster?) that she loves.
Then there’s Magenta, the burgeoning life inside of Yaya. What exactly called her into being isn’t fully addressed—ABP tampering, an environmental exposure, a genetic quirk?—but regardless, she bursts onto the scene (quite literally) and changes the landscape of Yaya’s life forever. Her curious naivete contrasts sharply with her single-minded hunger and violent tendencies. She represents the basest parts of Yaya, doing the things that Yaya would never allow herself to do and becoming what Yaya could never be on her own.
It’s hard to overstate how compelling I found the themes of Queen of Teeth to be.
Central to the plot is the concept of bodily autonomy. Yaya’s body is partly owned (literally) by ABP. When she begins to change, all of her rights are forfeit and she becomes just another asset for the company to recover. Not only that, but a new part of her body now has a mind and demands of its own. In a post-Roe world, it is a powerful storyline.
But there is another theme running through the novel that is just as important: Rage. Yaya has spent her whole life being oppressed. As a woman, as a lesbian, and as a genetic minority. The rage that builds from her helplessness finally has an outlet when Magenta comes into her own. To the outside world, Yaya’s actions are senseless violence, but to us who are privy to Yaya’s plight, they are the last, desperate act of retribution. When faced with a relentlessly cruel and unjust world, it’s understandable to want to burn it down.
Overall, Queen of Teeth is a fantastic book, an incredible debut novel from Hailey Piper, and well deserving of its Bram Stoker award (Superior Achievement in a First Novel). If you like body horror, tragic romance, and political commentary in your reads, this is the book for you.
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Reviewed in the United States on September 3, 2021
Reviewed in the United States on November 6, 2021
So I really love this book. <3<3<3
… I don’t want to say it’s an easy read as in you can read it without any effort. But I was in a reading slump over the summer and the book was a very hyperfocus experience so I could just sit down and get through the whole story in an afternoon. There aren’t a lot of frills here and the stakes are raised very quickly. The characters are real and likable but in situations where easy choices aren’t possible.
Plus, I am fascinated with chimeras – those stories where someone finds out they don’t share any DNA with their own children? Not being related to yourself is super weird. And it’s a great metaphor for feeling alienated from your body – the dissociative state felt by everyone in medical situations but which is worse for persons who are already marginalized.
I also felt – but maybe this is just me – such an affinity with the concept of having an inner voice telling you what it needs as I think many of us just ignore all those cues. And personally, I would like to have an inner voice that is at least somewhat invested in my well being and doesn’t just yell at me for procrastinating and not trying hard enough at life.
I also wanted to add that if there’s ever a graphic novel version, I will buy it immediately.
… I don’t want to say it’s an easy read as in you can read it without any effort. But I was in a reading slump over the summer and the book was a very hyperfocus experience so I could just sit down and get through the whole story in an afternoon. There aren’t a lot of frills here and the stakes are raised very quickly. The characters are real and likable but in situations where easy choices aren’t possible.
Plus, I am fascinated with chimeras – those stories where someone finds out they don’t share any DNA with their own children? Not being related to yourself is super weird. And it’s a great metaphor for feeling alienated from your body – the dissociative state felt by everyone in medical situations but which is worse for persons who are already marginalized.
I also felt – but maybe this is just me – such an affinity with the concept of having an inner voice telling you what it needs as I think many of us just ignore all those cues. And personally, I would like to have an inner voice that is at least somewhat invested in my well being and doesn’t just yell at me for procrastinating and not trying hard enough at life.
I also wanted to add that if there’s ever a graphic novel version, I will buy it immediately.
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Kindle Customer
Body horror goodness!
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on September 19, 2021
