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Like Jagged Teeth
The guys following her home are bad enough, but when Jacalyn’s Poppa comes to the rescue, things only get worse. After all, he’s been dead for six years. There’s no time to be relieved, because when she ends up back at Poppa’s new apartment, nothing feels right. The food here doesn’t taste how food should taste. The doors don’t work how doors are supposed to work. And something’s not right with Poppa. Guilt and sickness spiral Jacalyn into a nightmarish new reality of Lynchian hallucinations and grotesque body horror.
120 pages, Kindle Edition
Published April 4, 2017
5 people are currently reading
191 people want to read
About the author
Betty Rocksteady
28 books84 followersBetty Rocksteady writes cosmic sex horror, cat mythos, and surreal, claustrophobic nightmares.
Her debut novella Arachnophile was part of Eraserhead Press New Bizarro Author Series 2015. Like Jagged Teeth and The Writhing Skies were released by Perpetual Motion Machine Publishing. The Writhing Skies was voted Novella of the Year by This Is Horror Awards 2018.
Her collection In Dreams We Rot from Trepidato Publishing is being released October 2019.
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Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews
August 21, 2017
On her way home from a party late at night, Jacalyn is followed by two unknown men. The person who comes to her aid is very familiar, but may pose more of a threat than Jacalyn can imagine. What follows is nightmarish in scope and hallucinatory in imagery. The unknown landscape that Jacalyn enters is harrowing and not for the squeamish. I had a very hard time putting this book down, and I was in its grips right up until the end. However, the finale is where this macabre journey lost its allure for me. Perhaps it was my dark and skeptical soul that pined for another resolution. Other readers might not agree with my opinion of the outcome. I encourage everyone who loves a scary and disorienting tale to read this book. I will definitely be looking for more of Betty Rocksteady's work. Her name will be easily remembered.
January 15, 2018
The setup is like a fairytale-gone-wrong. After Jacalyn is reunited her dead (presumably) grandfather and brought back to his house, she soon discovers she cannot leave, and things are much more sinister than they seem. It gets dark from there, as this allegorical tale about regret and forgiveness delves into visceral and nightmarish territories. The imagery is often gory and always palpable, and the central metaphor weaves each scene together like a warm quilt, all of this adding up to a creepy but emotionally rewarding read.
May 2, 2017
I sat down fairly late last night to read a few pages of this and stayed up straight through until I finished it, I simply loved this book that much. It is a journey through the dark, disquieting, and disturbing, and ultimately into deliverance. 20-something Jacalyn finds her drunken evening take a turn for the strange when her grandfather picks her up… her grandfather who has been dead for years. What follows is an increasingly eerie and frightening journey through a regretful past and fever-dream present. Reality itself seems to warp in her grandfathers apartment where she is at first guest and then prisoner, held by doors that open to new locations unexpectedly each time they are opened and by a grandfather who begins resembling his old self less and less as he becomes something more and more punitive… what is Jacalyn atoning for? The revelations are haunting and the catharsis meaningful. I highly recommend this story for fans of weird horror with some real depth to it.
September 23, 2019
This short horror story feels like an epic by the time you reach the end, right from the start you're thrown into the madness. Betty starts messing with your mind, giving you an obvious threat to focus on and then side swiping you with the main threat. This knocks you off balance and like the main character you take a long time to catch up with what is going on in the story. You'll also find yourself urging Jacalyn along as she tries to stay focus on what is real and what is not. I did get worried as I was fast running out of pages with no end in sight, luckily the brilliantly name Betty Rocksteady finds a great way of ending things.
I loved how the writing keeps you off-kilter and of course all the gruesomeness helps big time. :-)
Blog review: https://felcherman.wordpress.com/2019...
I loved how the writing keeps you off-kilter and of course all the gruesomeness helps big time. :-)
Blog review: https://felcherman.wordpress.com/2019...
August 21, 2018
"She would always remember that darkness within darkness, her own private pocket of hell."
This small novella has a lot of goodness going on inside of it. Like Jagged Teeth is about a girl who is being harassed while walking home, and her grandpa pulls up to save the day. The only problem is that he's been dead for years. She gets to his apartment, and things are...wrong.
There is more depth to this story than I expected. Part of the horror is dealing with grief, loss, and forgiveness. This book is grim, and if you pick it up, don't expect for it to be a fun read. It's heavy, and it will stick with you.
Like Jagged Teeth is unsettling as hell, and I loved how Betty Rocksteady described the creepiness and nastiness of what was going on. This book may turn your stomach a bit, and it's a solid read. I recommend this book for fans of other dark novellas like Kealan Patrick Burke's. I can't wait to read more from Betty Rocksteady!
This small novella has a lot of goodness going on inside of it. Like Jagged Teeth is about a girl who is being harassed while walking home, and her grandpa pulls up to save the day. The only problem is that he's been dead for years. She gets to his apartment, and things are...wrong.
There is more depth to this story than I expected. Part of the horror is dealing with grief, loss, and forgiveness. This book is grim, and if you pick it up, don't expect for it to be a fun read. It's heavy, and it will stick with you.
Like Jagged Teeth is unsettling as hell, and I loved how Betty Rocksteady described the creepiness and nastiness of what was going on. This book may turn your stomach a bit, and it's a solid read. I recommend this book for fans of other dark novellas like Kealan Patrick Burke's. I can't wait to read more from Betty Rocksteady!
April 28, 2024
Fantastical and nightmarish, a tightly wound tale that is tense and fairly fast paced.
August 8, 2017
Reading Betty Rocksteady's "Like Jagged Teeth" is like sliding down a banister with a pillow filled with razor blades waiting at the bottom to catch you--a terrifying exhilarating ride! I can't wait to read more by her!
February 3, 2018
A living dead story about a young lady coping with a family tragedy but her grief has come back to haunt her literally. I just finished reading a weird fiction anthology called Looming Low which contained a story by Betty Rocksteady and it was one of my favorites. I am a huge fan of PMMP press so when I saw Ms. Rocksteady had a novella out with them it only made sense that I read it.
As I said before this is a ghost/living dead story. Could you imagine if one day you were walking down the street and a dead relative of yours just pulled up and said: "hey I'm back!" How would you react? Would you go with them? I imagine I would assume I was losing my mind. When Jacalyn's dead "Poppa" finds her at takes her back to his apartment she finds out that going back to happier times is too good to be true.
It is a short and easy read. Though not a difficult read it is definitely entertaining and is paced perfectly. There is plenty of violence and terror to make it be considered a horror piece, but like any good piece of lit the overarching themes and characters are what makes it worth reading. I definitely recommend you check Like Jagged Teeth if you are looking for a quick satisfying monster story. I will be checking out more of Rocksteady's work in the future.
As I said before this is a ghost/living dead story. Could you imagine if one day you were walking down the street and a dead relative of yours just pulled up and said: "hey I'm back!" How would you react? Would you go with them? I imagine I would assume I was losing my mind. When Jacalyn's dead "Poppa" finds her at takes her back to his apartment she finds out that going back to happier times is too good to be true.
It is a short and easy read. Though not a difficult read it is definitely entertaining and is paced perfectly. There is plenty of violence and terror to make it be considered a horror piece, but like any good piece of lit the overarching themes and characters are what makes it worth reading. I definitely recommend you check Like Jagged Teeth if you are looking for a quick satisfying monster story. I will be checking out more of Rocksteady's work in the future.
January 8, 2018
"If you want to explore the literary equivalent of a nightmare that slips unassumingly into the brain, that sticks and leaves its nasty residue in the morning, then Betty Rocksteady’s Like Jagged Teeth is the book for you."
Read my full review in Vague Visages.
Read my full review in Vague Visages.
April 4, 2017
Equal parts uncomfortable and unsettling, Like Jagged Teeth is a surreal, nightmarish journey into what is almost certainly the worst week Jacalyn has ever had. A must-read for fans of all things queasy, uneasy, and straight-up horrifying.
August 19, 2017
Excellent novella featuring a believable character facing unbelievable odds. The title refers to the indelible image of a set of stairs. Read in one sitting and wanted more. Highest recommendations.
June 4, 2017
You sink with the book deeper and deeper, down a dark, strange, grimy spiral of sickness and confusion. I loved getting lost in this bizarre story.
May 31, 2017
Betty Rocksteady's LIKE JAGGED TEETH cuts straight to the quick, establishing tension on page one and steadily escalating from there. It's a short, fast read that feels like a fever dream. I highly recommend.
May 1, 2017
Completely unsettling and totally disturbing. Love it!
April 19, 2017
"Like Jagged Teeth" is unlike anything I have ever ready before. One one hand it is a stark and terrifying tale of a young woman trapped in an ever changing apartment with a grotesque and violent version of her beloved grandfather. on the other hand, it is a tale of redemption, deliverance from guilt, and the peace that comes from forgiving yourself,
Poppa's apartment is more than just a setting for the book's characters, it is, in its own way, a character in the story. It is a living, breathing thing of horror. The number of doors in the hallway change at random. The nightmares that live behind the doors change as well. The carpets, the walls, the furnishings all take on a hideous life of their own. Poppa's apartment is an abattoir, a slaughterhouse filled with horrific creatures like spiders who dine on gigantic maggots and shadows that seem to have a life of their own.
i read this entire novella in three hours. i was sucked into the story line and willingly held hostage all the way to the end. This is an amazing read.
Poppa's apartment is more than just a setting for the book's characters, it is, in its own way, a character in the story. It is a living, breathing thing of horror. The number of doors in the hallway change at random. The nightmares that live behind the doors change as well. The carpets, the walls, the furnishings all take on a hideous life of their own. Poppa's apartment is an abattoir, a slaughterhouse filled with horrific creatures like spiders who dine on gigantic maggots and shadows that seem to have a life of their own.
i read this entire novella in three hours. i was sucked into the story line and willingly held hostage all the way to the end. This is an amazing read.
April 6, 2017
Weird and creepy from the very start and throughout, this is the stuff of nightmares. I was instantly gripped by the mood Rocksteady created, unnerving the reader when the protagonist's Poppa arrived to rescue her. Then the creepiness factor goes off the scale as, through the use of the first person narrative, we are gradually drawn into the murky depths of the narrator's worst nightmares. The author's ability to create such dark and disturbing scenes are a joy to behold. But this isn't simply an exercise to see how much Rocksteady can gross us out. I mean, there is plenty of that. But she also examines the idea of what it means to be an outcast, the lengths to which some of us will go to be accepted, and the despair and depression that many young people feel when they fail to feel that acceptance. These scenes offer a momentary moving respite from the sheer horror of the narrator's fight for survival. A thrilling read that will keep you gripped until the very last page.
June 10, 2017
Amazing. Betty takes you to a place that you've never been before but it's all too familiar. Her writing paints such a clear picture. You're immersed. There is no way to read this slowly. It's near impossible to put down. Only reason I did was because my toddler woke up. Vivid imagery and layers of story all packed into 102 pages. If you're looking for something different, fresh, sick, and twisted, look no further. I recommend this to anyone who's had a thrill of a nightmare.
May 7, 2019
Starts promisingly with a disorienting arrival of a long dead grandfather in a young woman's life, then gets into nightmare mode for what is basically a dark redemption tale, a coming of age story with ample gross out and freak out material.
August 2, 2023
“…Poppa was there and he smiled at her and something wasn’t right.”
“Like Jagged Teeth” by Betty Rocksteady gets 3 out of 5 stars.
Jacalyn’s night went from bad to worse until her Poppa came to her rescue. Only issue is, he’s been deceased for 7 years. Jacalyn is shocked be he says he’ll explain everything once they get to his place. She wakes up in a weird apartment surrounded by filth and bizarre things making her question her sanity. Time doesn’t exist in this place and her Poppa only grows furious as she interacts with him. Her past comes to haunt her as she realizes she needs to face it in order to live.
The writing was easy to read and fast paced. The descriptions were mind boggling but brought the effect of the bizarre situation. Overall, this novella was a little weird yet intriguing to know what happens next. Issue is that the ending fell flat.
Please visit my GoodReads or Instagram profile (Ashesandlore) for more reviews. Thank you!
“Like Jagged Teeth” by Betty Rocksteady gets 3 out of 5 stars.
Jacalyn’s night went from bad to worse until her Poppa came to her rescue. Only issue is, he’s been deceased for 7 years. Jacalyn is shocked be he says he’ll explain everything once they get to his place. She wakes up in a weird apartment surrounded by filth and bizarre things making her question her sanity. Time doesn’t exist in this place and her Poppa only grows furious as she interacts with him. Her past comes to haunt her as she realizes she needs to face it in order to live.
The writing was easy to read and fast paced. The descriptions were mind boggling but brought the effect of the bizarre situation. Overall, this novella was a little weird yet intriguing to know what happens next. Issue is that the ending fell flat.
Please visit my GoodReads or Instagram profile (Ashesandlore) for more reviews. Thank you!
January 3, 2020
I picked up a few of Betty Rocksteady's books because Max Booth III just would not shut up about her, and she seemed pretty cool on Twitter as well. I've found terrific writers based on less than that, after all, and this, my first sampling of her work, leaves me frothing to tear into the rest, and, yes, I understand the negative optics of a frothing rat, but nevertheless!
"Like Jagged Teeth" is a vividly tactile nightmare that spirals fractally out of control, pulling you through one person's very personal tormentscape of guilt and regret, one that'll hurt your feels right down to their bones. Is that enough of a review? Tantalizing but not a giveaway? I never know how to finish these things. It's very good! Go buy one, they're quite reasonably priced, fun fact. Am I bad at this? Fuck, I hope I'm not bad at this.
"Like Jagged Teeth" is a vividly tactile nightmare that spirals fractally out of control, pulling you through one person's very personal tormentscape of guilt and regret, one that'll hurt your feels right down to their bones. Is that enough of a review? Tantalizing but not a giveaway? I never know how to finish these things. It's very good! Go buy one, they're quite reasonably priced, fun fact. Am I bad at this? Fuck, I hope I'm not bad at this.
July 21, 2022
A young woman (Jacalyn) leaves a boring party, but sees that's she's being followed by a group of suspicious looking men. It is dark and she feels nervous, but she tries to shrug it off. They seem to keep following her. A car passes by, and a kindly old stranger (who turns out to be Jacalyn's grandfather) offers her a ride. Something is very, very wrong with this situation.
To say anything more, would be to spoil some of the novella. Betty Rocksteady has a real talent for conjuring up nightmarish scenarios, and Jagged Teeth doesn't disappoint. The writing feels eerie and so tense throughout.
The only thing that kept this from a being five star read for me, was the ending. Yes, it was kind of sweet and I liked the slight bit of hope in it (the main character certainly earned it!), but what happened just prior to it (I'm trying not to spoil it here) didn't fully work for me. It was a little too convenient, pieces fell together just a little too quickly,etc,etc.
Still, this little novella is a great read and if you love weird fiction with a VERY surreal nightmare vibe, you'll love this.
To say anything more, would be to spoil some of the novella. Betty Rocksteady has a real talent for conjuring up nightmarish scenarios, and Jagged Teeth doesn't disappoint. The writing feels eerie and so tense throughout.
The only thing that kept this from a being five star read for me, was the ending. Yes, it was kind of sweet and I liked the slight bit of hope in it (the main character certainly earned it!), but what happened just prior to it (I'm trying not to spoil it here) didn't fully work for me. It was a little too convenient, pieces fell together just a little too quickly,etc,etc.
Still, this little novella is a great read and if you love weird fiction with a VERY surreal nightmare vibe, you'll love this.
May 14, 2017
A beautifully haunted story. If you've ever felt guilty about something you did to your grandparents, then hope this thing doesn't find you. Like Jagged Teeth will not let you go, no matter how much you try. I just finished it and I want to read something else to help cleanse the fear, but at the same time I don't think I can yet because I feel like I need to come down from the story. I loved it and would recommend it to anyone that wants a great horror story that will stick with you.
August 2, 2022
This was a disturbing novella. It was pretty creepy and cringe. I loved where it was going and I had a ton of theories, but the ending fell a little flat.
It isn't that it wasn't good but it wasn't explained. The beginning doesn't tie into the end, at least that I noticed, and that is what really brought it down for me.
I loved the message of it and I think it is an important one. But I just wish some things were tied up.
It isn't that it wasn't good but it wasn't explained. The beginning doesn't tie into the end, at least that I noticed, and that is what really brought it down for me.
I loved the message of it and I think it is an important one. But I just wish some things were tied up.
October 28, 2021
Like Jagged Teeth takes you on a guilt trip like no other. I found myself completely immersed in this very dark story. The descriptive writing throughout made for some very disturbing visuals in my mind. At times I felt uncomfortable, disgusted and horrified all at once. This novella definitely took me by surprise. It’s so good! I highly recommend!
October 2, 2022
Amazingly well written - the tension is so well done there were times I swear I couldn't breathe! I was quite glad when it ended so I could relax a tad...will be looking for more of Betty's work for sure :)
June 6, 2023
This is kind of like Coraline (which is one of my favorite books), but for adults.
December 4, 2025
A great little slice of hysteria!
February 7, 2023
I've really enjoyed my pivot toward indie horror and short stories. Like Jagged Teeth is an extremely worthwhile read. There were some parts that stretched a bit too long for me. But otherwise, I really enjoyed this one. The way Betty Rocksteady illustrates feelings of dread, filth, and hope within misery is super impressive!
Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews