With Teeth

By: Kristen Arnett

If she's being honest, Sammie Lucas is scared of her son. Working from home in the close quarters of their Florida house, she lives with one wary eye peeled on Samson, a sullen, unknowable boy who resists her every attempt to bond with him. Uncertain of her own maternal instincts, she tries her best--driving, cleaning, cooking, prodding him to finish projects for school--while growing increasingly resentful of Monika, her confident but absent wife. As Samson grows from feral toddler to surly teenager, Sammie's life begins to deteriorate into a mess of unruly behavior, and her struggle to create a picture-perfect queer family unravels. When her son's hostility finally spills over into physical aggression, Sammie must confront her role in the mess--and the possibility that the answers may be beyond her reach.

Blending the warmth and wit of Arnett's breakout hit, Mostly Dead Things, with a candid take on queer parenthood, With Teeth is a provocative portrait of the delicate fabric of family--and the many ways it can be torn apart.