LoveReading Says
LoveReading Says
Lynsey May throws you straight into Ellis’ grief, shame, and shock from her break-up, and the reader roots (can I make some kind of root canal pun there?) for her immediately. Lynsey May has an eye for shiny details and polished turns of phrase: in the devastation of rooting through her shared laundry basket with her sudden ex: ‘she’s been so stupid, mistaking proximity for intimacy all this time’; describing toddlers as ‘such hatred contained in such tiny bodies, it’s amazing they function at all’; or the new dentists’ which has ‘a giant cuddly tooth called Mr Shine’.
Weak Teeth is a debut novel that feels very cleanly considered; it’s aesthetically and structurally cohesive, and I enjoyed the attention to detail – like starting chapters with obliquely relevant teeth facts. If you are a fan of Reasons to be Cheerful by Nina Stibbe you might enjoy this adjacent witty dentist-themed novel, though May’s humour is more wry and aching than Stibbe’s jollity. Delicate, tense, concentrated, with a burning pain at its core.
Lily Lindon
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Weak Teeth Synopsis
Ellis’s life has crumbled without warning. Her boyfriend has fallen in love with someone else, her job’s insecure, her bank account’s empty and she has a mouthful of unreliable teeth. Forced back to her childhood home, there is little in the way of comfort. Her mum is dating a younger man (a dentist, no less) and is talking of selling the house, her sister, Lana, is furious all the time, and a distant cousin has now arrived from the States to stay with them.
During a long, hot Edinburgh summer, Ellis’s world spins out of control. She’s dogged by toothache, her ex won’t compensate her for the flat and somehow she’s found herself stalking his new lover on Facebook.
Will Ellis realise before it’s too late that the bite she was born with is worth preserving?
About This Edition
| ISBN: |
9781846976308 |
| Publication date: |
4th May 2023 |
| Author: |
Lynsey May |
| Publisher: |
Birlinn Ltd an imprint of Birlinn General |
| Format: |
Hardback |
| Pagination: |
272 pages |
| Primary Genre |
Humorous Fiction
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| Other Genres: |
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| Recommendations: |
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Press Reviews
Lynsey May Press Reviews
'In her debut fiction novel Weak Teeth, Lynsey May pulls up the roots of trauma, both in relationships and the body. It probes what can happen when life confronts you in unmistakeable ways that force you to take back control' -- Jenni Fagan
'Instantly gripping with details that place you right there, in Ellis's disintegrating life. Weak Teeth is an emotional exploration of the aftermath of a breakup, and how grief can linger on for years, shaping everyday decisions. A beautiful, compelling story that will stay with me.' -- Rachel Greenlaw, author
'Full of pin-sharp observations about human nature and shot through with May's pitch black, glorious sense of humour - as well as compassion for her flawed characters - May uses the fragility of our teeth to craft a tender metaphor for the human heart. I was blindsided by the wisdom, savagery and tenderness in it' -- Lucy Ribchester, author of The Hourglass Factory
'Weak Teeth is a warm and witty exploration of our hidden vulnerabilities, our unspoken disappointments, the embarrassing subtext of our lives. Sharply observed and hugely enjoyable' -- Catherine Simpson
