About the Book:

Lady Death always comes to collect.

Matiu Frankel joined the imperial military to escape his childhood: his father’s wretched creations, his witch-mother’s loyalty to Lady Death, and the haunting voice in his own head. With no choice in assignment, however, he returns home to Song—and to a waiting nightmare. But a revenant attack waylays his mission and Matiu, being part-Songi, is accused of working with native insurgents. To remove the bounty on his head, Matiu must prove his loyalty to the Lyssian Empire by infiltrating the resistance and capturing the monster they’ve weaponized.

But Calyx is not a monster. A revenant pieced together from animals and dead Songi, yes. Abandoned by her makers to rot on the Isle of Teeth, yes. But not a monster. At least, not yet. Without medicine, Calyx and her siblings risk losing their humanity to Lady Death’s whispers.

Calyx has three weeks to find a cure. Matiu has even less time to clear his name. In their desperation to survive, they turn to each other, becoming entangled in each other’s stories—and in the larger story of empire and resistance. Amidst growing tensions and the echoing calls of the goddess of death, Matiu and Calyx’s relationship transforms into a dark fable about those who have spent their lives with a boot on their neck—and what they would sacrifice to stand tall once more.

Discussion Questions:

1. Inspired by Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, Tessa Barbosa’s dark fantasy novel Isle of Teeth uses the lens of monstrosity to discuss the issue of colonization. How do you define monstrosity? How does this definition apply to Matiu, his parents, and his uncle?

2. A character who is constantly dancing the line between monstrosity and humanity is Calyx. Why do Estrella and Jaothan see Calyx as a monster? What purpose does denying her humanity serve for them?

3. Why, then, is it significant that Matiu’s view of Calyx shifts throughout the novel?

4. The Songi themselves are seen as monstrous by the Lyssians. Why is this? And how does power dictate the shifting definitions of “monster” and “human”?

5. List three ways in which the Lyssian Empire transformed the nation of Song to “Martinel”? How do these changes favor the rights and dignity of Lyssians versus the Songi?

6. What classic gothic elements—such as weather, setting, characters, etc.—has the author used to evoke an air of tension, while creating a parallel to Frankenstein?

7. In what ways is Isle of Teeth similar (or dissimilar) to Frankenstein? What other popular books, movies, or music do you feel has influenced this work?

8. Why is the chase for immortality so important to the Emperor? In what ways do you see the idea of immortality—or agelessness—presented in your everyday life?

9. If you could pick a classic to adapt for modern readers, which one would you select and why? Which theme would you focus on in your adaptation?

10. What do you think happens to the main characters and the Songi after the events of the novel?

Guide written by Tessa Barbosa, author of Isle of Teeth, and Yashaswi Kesanakurthy, children’s editor at Simon & Schuster Canada.

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