Weak Teeth

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?

“'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'”

'There's a huge emotional punch packed into this deceptively light novel ... May's darkly funny take on vulnerability, responsibility and complicated relationships promises more to come'

-- Sally Morris Daily Mail

'An agreeably light novel which is also a serious examination of human relationships ... it treats the everyday world of common experience as serious matter for fiction. This is refreshingly unusual today'

-- Allan Massie The Scotsman

'Compulsively readable, darkly funny... May has a keen eye for the manifestation of emotional complexity in all human interaction and a talent for dramatising it.'

-- Venezia Castro The Skinny

'A truthful, funny, beautifully-written and compulsive read. Lynsey May dissects the everyday traps women manage to set for ourselves with forensic wit and a fine eye for detail.'

-- Kirstin Innes

'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

'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

'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

'Weak Teeth marks the debut of an individual and original new voice in Scottish writing, a book which leaves you wanting more'

-- Alistair Braidwood Scots Whay Hae!

'Comparing a story to toothache might not seem like a compliment, but for this debut coming-of-age novel about finding yourself after heartbreak, it really is'

-- Lily Lindon LoveReading

'The most striking debut of the year, an original and new voice in Scottish writing, a book that leaves you wanting more'

Snack Magazine, Top 10 Books of 2023

'Lynsey May’s debut Weak Teeth comes with a bite that belies its title'

Sunday Post

'Explores themes of grief, family and mental illness with lightness of touch and plenty of warmth'

The Bookseller

'Weak Teeth is a fresh telling of one family's clash with grief. Packed to the neck with little chewable sentences. A wonderful read.’

-- Tish Delaney, author of The Saint of Lost Things

'There are some books, some characters whose company is pure happiness. I’m thinking of Diary of a Bookseller, The Bookish Life of Nina Hill, The Rosie Project, and this. The characters are endearing, the outlook is positive, the humour dry. All good stuff. Enjoyed every second'

Audiobooks Nest Reviews

'an enjoyable and thought-provoking novel that can be read at different levels depending on your preferred approach'

-- Ken Lussey Undiscovered Scotland

'a sharp, witty and warm read'

Bookmark Book Festival, Book of the Month

'an excellent debut... an emotional, darkly humorous tale of a world spinning out of control' 

The List

'[May] scrupulously probes, exploring sensitive areas and occasionally touching a nerve. Weak Teeth has just the right balance for diverting – but not disposable – summer reading with a bit of bite'

-- Alastair Mabbott The Herald

Lynsey May lives, loves and writes in Edinburgh. She won first place in the Fresh Ink novel contest in 2020, a Scottish Book Trust New Writers Award in 2013, a Robert Louis Stevenson Fellowship in 2015 and a spot as Cove Park's Emerging Scottish Writer in 2016. Her short fiction has been published in various journals and anthologies, including The Stinging Fly, Gutter, New Writing Scotland and Banshee. Weak Teeth is her first novel.

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?

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