A review by minimicropup
Dear Hanna by Zoje Stage

challenging dark emotional funny mysterious tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

I was skeptical of how well Hanna’s kid thoughts would translate to adulthood, but I really enjoyed this! It took me a bit to get into it (~10%), but then I couldn’t look away. Even for predictable moments, I was invested in the story, and there were surprising reveals. 
 
Energy: Calamitous. Possessive. Diabolical.   
Scene: 🇺🇸 Set in an upper-middle-class neighbourhood of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. 
Perspective: We’re following a 24-year-old phlebotomist who has been struggling with homicidal traits and a lack of empathy since childhood. They aim to do better as they find a new family in their husband and his 16-year-old daughter. We also read mailed letters between the 24-year-old and their younger brother. 
 
🐩 Tail Wags: The horrific moments and how Hanna handles or creates them. Hanna’s inner monologue. The plotting and scheming. All the characters and how wacky but real they feel. Nuanced commentary (almost points out how we all are a little unhinged sometimes). Show-not-tell style for Hanna’s true character and the consequences/complexity of treating her condition.  
 
🤔 Random Thoughts:
  • We aren’t told if Hanna has been diagnosed with anything specific, but we know that since childhood, she’s had these traits. Like many, she finds it difficult to set boundaries in relationships. So, there are relatable or sympathetic moments she just handles them…differently. Some of her actions are horrifying, and others are kinda cathartic in the darkest way.  
  •  This book can be read as a standalone or companion to Baby Teeth. If you choose to read Baby Teeth after this, you’ll gain a deeper understanding of the childhood and parents Hanna alludes to. If you read it before, your feelings toward child Hanna could influence how much you like or dislike her now.  
  •  Whether you root for or against Hanna (or both), this could still be a fun read. We aren’t required to like her, but she felt human, not over-the-top villainous. It is a character study, though, so it could feel like not much happens if you aren’t a fan of those. 
 
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🎬 Tale-Telling: Straightforward and unflinchingly honest with reflective, intimate and ironic moments. 
👥 Characters: Unhinged but forthright. Peripheral characters range from idealistic and sweet to unlikeable and infuriating. 
🤓 Reader Role: Sitting on Hanna’s shoulder, overseeing her schemes, motives, hopes, fears, and justifications. 
🗺️ World-Building: Eerie and foreboding through subtle, unsettling details and the characters' psychological states. 
🔥 Fuel: A mix of character evolution, emotional investment, and moral quandaries. What will Hanna do? Will she go through with her plan? What will happen next? 
📖 Cred: I almost want to say hyper-realistic in that our main character’s way of thinking mirror that of some perpetrators in true crime stories. 
🚙 Journey: Mess of a disaster in the best way. Most of it was me thinking, ‘Hanna, you aren’t wrong, you should say/do something about this. Wait, what? THAT’S your plan? What’s wrong with you?!” with escalating tension and stakes as the story unfolds.  
 
Mood Reading Match-Up:
  • TV in the background. Coffee in the morning. Pencil on paper. Carlock chirps. Gently closed doors. Keys tossed. Glasses clinking. Distant vacuum. Disinfectant.   
  • Character study of a young adult who thinks she’s found her perfect system for fitting in
  • Blended family drama and feels
 
Content Heads-Up: Personality disorder/psychopathy. Abortion (attempted; discussion). Attempted murder. Drugging. Pregnancy. Miscarriage (topic/discussed). Loss of a parent. Alcohol use. Malingering.
 
Rep: Cisgender. Heterosexual. White and ambiguous Americans. 
 
📚 Format: Advance Reader's Copy from Thomas & Mercer and NetGalley
 
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