*I received an ARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Thanks for the free book*

"Greenteeth" features Jenny Greenteeth, a creature from folklore, as the protagonist, which I already liked. Jenny's life is turned upside down when she rescues a witch from drowning and then bands up with a peddler hobgoblin to save the witch's family and hamlet from the Erl King. I liked the Arthurian setting and awareness for the Celtic heritage of the British Isles, but it also annoyed me because it felt a bit like a mix-tape. Some parts of the world seemed fleshed out better than others, but I would've liked to see more depth. The book felt partly like it had been written for teenagers but was also pretty violent and featured adult characters only, so I'm not sure who the real target audience is. But overall enjoyable and short. 3.5 stars

Greenteeth is an interesting take on the folktale of Jenny Greenteeth. I found the friendship that grows between Jenny and Temperance touching, especially as through this friendship Jenny is able to heal from a deep loss of her own. The trials the characters have to go through with the Earl King were interesting and the perfect amount of dark and twisty as is necessary with a folktale retelling, one that deals with the real nature of the Fae. Overall I enjoyed this one.

I found this story to be a bit lacking in rythm, sadly not what I expected it to be. Although I loved the setting and the characters the pace was too slow and never pulled me in completely, so I am dnf-ing for now.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an e-ARC.

“Beneath calm waters, a sharp-toothed creature watches... waiting patiently for the perfect moment...”

This delightful story introduces us to Jenny Greenteeth, a lake monster who makes an unexpected choice when a witch named Temperance is thrown into her waters by villagers. Despite their differences, these two form an unlikely alliance, embarking on a magical journey to confront the malevolent pastor who threatens Temperance's family, Jenny's home, and perhaps all of Britain.

What you'll adore:
✨ Enchanting fairytale atmosphere
✨ Perfect for those who enjoy fantasy adventures and quests (who doesn't love those?)
✨ Heartwarming found family moments ✨ Low stakes

Consider before diving in:
✨ The storytelling takes its time and does drag a little now and then - it’s definitely not for those seeking a fast-paced plot.
✨ Characters could have used more development here and there imo.

Overall, Greenteeth is a charming story that offers the perfect escape for fans of cozy fairytale fantasies. Ideal for a weekend read with your favorite cup of coffee or tea!

I am sad to say that this book didn’t work so well for me. I am not saying that this is a bad book, because it is not, but I was hoping to love it, and… the spark was missing.
It started pretty great, because I was fascinated by Jenny and the story was nice, but… but then things cooled off and we didn’t really click.
In part is because this book is strongly structured as a fairy tale, and I am not so fond of them. Once upon a time, I loved them, but I think I overindulged, and now I am not their biggest fan. But usually, if the writing is modern and smooth and readable, I am not so bothered (and here the writing is like that, so I was quite hopeful). And I am not saying that this is the main reason I didn’t love this one, but it’s a factor that didn’t help.
I think that my biggest problem here was the characters. I loved Jenny but I grew out of fondness for Temperance pretty soon, and Brackus was nice but… nothing special (and I think that my expectations here didn’t help, because I was expecting more from this group of people once they hit the road, and I didn’t get what I was expecting, so, yep, my expectations didn’t help, either!).

But even if this one didn’t really work so well for me, there are a lot of good things going on in there (and I also think that if you enjoyed Someone You Can Build A Nest In, you will love this one. They have some similar vibes).
I think that the best feature of this book is Jenny. I loved her as a character, and I loved to learn more about her folklore. I knew that they existed, but that was it. So I found this part fascinating, and she is a great character in her own right. She is sweet, she is understanding, and she is more human than more human beings, even if she is not human, and the author managed to keep this balance pretty well.
Another character I really enjoyed is Cavall. How can I not?!? He is the goodest boy ever! Also, it was quite fun because cavallo in Italian means horse. And we use it for big dogs in a sort of humorous way (when you see a big dog around, you say something like “oh, that’s a horse!”), and this became hilarious at the end of the story (we have a sweet moment, and for me it was also quite funny because of this double meaning, and a tad atrocious, but mostly fun. And nope, I cannot say more. If you know, you know. If you don’t, you know what you have to do).

Another thing that I appreciated is that we met a lot of different beings from the myths. Sure, we could have maybe met more of them, but I was pretty satisfied. Every scene with them was good, and I loved to see them around! And there is a scene with some of these magical beings that is pretty moving.
That’s what worked pretty well for me. I am not the biggest fan of fairy tales, as I said before, so the plot wasn’t really so interesting for me, because it is structured like a classical fairy tale, with three quests to complete, and the usual. And even the big reveal at the end, to me, fell flat. I cannot really say why, in part it was because as soon as we discovered why the villain is interested in Jenny and Temperance’s village, all things fell into place immediately, and so the momentum was quite off, but that’s not all. It’s just that I wasn’t so invested in the story as a whole, so I didn’t really mind much about the ending, either.

But, as I said before, this is mostly about personal tastes and preferences. The book is imaginative, it is original, and it has some really good things going on! I am just sorry that I didn’t love it as much as I hoped!

This is beautifully written, and I love the concept. It's infused with folklore, and in particular folklore that I haven't really come across before, which is always fun. I was really hooked in at the start, but as the book continued, I struggled to maintain my interest - I think because I didn't care about Temperance as much as I did Jenny.

So good! I highly recommend this book for fantasy lovers of all kinds.

I loved the character of Jenny and the quest works well. It’s so great to read fantasy characters that aren’t all teenagers realising they are the chosen one, and this book does it in spades. Plus the relationships being built here are solid, realistic friendships which is wonderful to see.

The author brings in hints of various myth and legend which adds to the tapestry of the storytelling.

Thank you NetGalley for providing me with a review copy.

This is a joy. I love Jenny Greenteeth in all her splendid grumpiness. The character is beautifully depicted with all her strengths and vulnerabilities. The pacing is perfect and the scene setting is wonderful. While this is touted as O’Neill’s first book – the author does not write like a newbie, but rather as someone who thoroughly knows her craft to a high standard.

She isn’t the only major character featuring in the adventure that turns into a full-blown quest, with proper tasks set and grim consequences riding on the outcome. In fact, at this point, I’ll raise the issue that this book is promoted as a cosy fantasy, which I don’t think it is. While it isn’t full of gratuitous violence or any kind of sex – there is simply too much danger and the bursts of action often lead to gory conclusions. The denouement, in particular, is both startling and shocking – nothing cosy about that.

I will say this about that episode. There is an interlude which would have worked better if the viewpoint had been in third-person (she), rather than first-person (I). O’Neill could be accused of misleading her readers and it’s the one aspect of the story that has left me feeling a tad uncomfortable – which is why this story has scored a nine, rather than a ten out of ten. But if you love fantasy set within a British setting, featuring three wonderful and sympathetic characters taking part in a gripping adventure – then track down this gem. While I obtained an arc of Greenteeth from the publishers via Netgalley, the opinions I have expressed are unbiased and my own.
9/10

This is a fantastic book based around folklore. If you enjoy quest narratives, then this will be up your street. The characters are all well written and the plot is compelling throughout. The world is an interesting one and I loved exploring it throughout the story. I would highly recommend checking this book out.

A cosy fairy tale with a little bite
—
A cosy fantasy that takes the British folklore character of Jenny Greenteeth—a capricious water sprite that will do more harm than good—and gives her a small quest against a Big Bad. This could be seen as a companion piece to the Emily Wilde books but lacking their subtlety and satisfaction. Greenteeth starts off well, Jenny herself saving a woman accused of witchcraft from drowning, but the lightly picaresque quest takes its time to build to a climax, diverting through hallucinatory lands that will give Jenny and her companions what they need to save the day. That is, until a left of centre development which is poorly telegraphed derails the whole enterprise, and perhaps Jenny won’t be able to be the hero of her own story.

It’s just missing the whole bite. Everything paddles along a little too smoothly, and what might have been revelatory—a fairy tale from the perspective of a British monster—becomes something more plebeian. I can see exactly what O’Neill wants to do but the deus ex machina doesn’t work, sadly. However, I imagine there will be more to come and I’m willing to try.

Greenteeth by Molly O'Neill

3 STARS

I liked the setting and mythology present throughout this book. Fables and mythology from Britain, which are brought to life through memorable and enjoyable characters. A good read.

Greenteeth is a beautiful fairytale full of fun, fae magic and tales of monsters. The links to the old magic and myth were wonderfully written.
I loved the relationship between the three companions. Unlikely companions but brought together on a quest and sharing their skills and fortitude.
Each of the challenges give each individual the opportunity to prove themselves and their support towards eachother so admirable.

Molly O'Neill has such a captivating way with words. Enchanting writing, a magical setting and characters you root for.

Thank you to the publishers and NetGalley for this eARC.

Greenteeth is an extremely fun play of the classic fairytale, and one I would highly recommend to those who enjoy fairytale retellings.
I thoroughly enjoyed the characters and the found family, and the main plot was highly engaging. My only critique is that the pacing felt a little off in spots however the payoff was still enjoyable.

This was such fun! I was instantly sucked into Jenny's story and the folklore from the first chapter, but I didn't realize I'd be getting an adventure book with found family but the family is monsters?? Utterly delightful.

Thank you to the publisher, Orbit, and to NetGalley for the ARC.

I enjoyed this book a lot. The story was fun and the narrator was excellent. It was a good production and one I would listen to again.

I would have liked Jenny to be a bit more feral. She was portrayed with a lot of humanity. I liked the character as she was. With her well-ordered lake, she had her charm, but I just wanted something different out of the book.

I liked the other characters too. I liked the adventure they went on and the quest format of the book. It very much reminded me of a fairy story of old, with them having to fulfil three tasks before they could get the help they needed.

It was a really good book, not what I wanted from it, but I still enjoyed it a lot.

I really loved this, so much so that I bought a physical copy for my shelf as soon as I could.
Full of folklore and reminded me of the darker fairytales my mum used to tell me. Loved it

This was a fabulous folklore inspired fantasy full of heart and charm. At times this felt light hearted and comforting/cozy but it also explored some of the darker elements that are so intrinsic to folklore, especially around the Fae. I absolutely adored Jenny as a protagonist, her narrative voice was fun and engaging and had me chuckling to myself more than once yet she was also flawed and true to her monstrous ‘faeness’, unapologetically so.

Everything about this book felt quirky and the only way I can describe it is that reading the book felt like what I imagine it would be like to be under the effects of a Faerie illusion or Faerie wine… there are darker elements woven between the merriment, you know if you look out of the corner of your eye you will see something sinister, but you don’t want to stop. In fact, if I was still capable of staying awake all night reading or spending a whole day doing nothing but bingeing a book I could have easily read this in one sitting because it really drew me in and pulled me along on Jenny’s quest with Temperance and Brackus (both likeable characters that added to the narrative)

I admit I don’t know a huge amount about folklore from the United Kingdom (criminal really- I’m a Yorkshire girl born and bred 🤦🏼‍♀️) but this did a wonderful job of weaving together lots of different elements to create it’s own story, following the tradition of folklore often being an amalgamation of many different snippets of tales from different places and communities spread orally. There were twists that I didn’t see coming and moments where things clicked in to place and had me exclaiming out loud (to the confusion of my husband) and overall I just found this to be easy to get lost in, charming, enjoyable and uplifting to read.

This was such a fun, warm-hearted cosy fantasy but with a great adventure that kept it difficult to put down! There's a rich source of worldbuilding in British folktales and mythology which O'Neill uses to create an equally and immense rich world here. There's a splendid cast of creatures that you can't help but feel affection towards, particularly our protagonist, Jenny Greenteeth, and I loved how this wasn't about a group of people who sought out a quest but more of those bound by a shared purpose and a shared emotion that they couldn't let things happen! The writing is also exceptional, straightforward and pithy but surprising and emphatic in places you wouldn't expect. It also evokes so much imagery and sensation, particularly around the interplay with nature, which really gave this story an ethereal undertone. I really hope more people pick this book up!

Quality Rating Four Stars
Enjoyment Rating: Four Stars

Greenteeth is a love letter to the folklore, mythology and fairy tales of the British Isles. Taking inspiration from a breadth of sources, a Jenny (river-hag), a witch and a goblin are sent to all corners of the UK on a classic adventure quest done right.

This book was so much fun, with so much heart. Someone please make it into a Dreamworks animated series or film. It marries together wondrous discovery and friendship with real struggles of identify, belonging and activism. I loved that the characters were all fallible, and their conflict often comes from understanding each other as much as the antagonists.

I'm so happy there's a resurgence of retellings of UK myth alongside the Classical and Asian reimagining that have recently come to prominence. And Greenteeth really does tick the box of every beloved cornerstone of our storytelling canon; from Fae to Avalon to unicorns to witches to the Wild Hunt to goblins and more. And it recognises the darker origins of these storytelling traditions; the novel is mostly 'cozy' but respects the primal aspects of old lore. Even as someone who wrote their dissertation on fairy tales (in film specifically), there were new things for me to uncover and devour.

While the hype around this book seems moderate, as a debut novel it really does leave a lasting impression - and for someone who love folklore and myth as much as I do it's a dream. I hope O'Neill does more work in this sort of storytelling.