Reviews tagging 'Miscarriage'

The Spirit Bares Its Teeth by Andrew Joseph White

177 reviews

dogoodwithbooks's review against another edition

dark emotional tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Deadnaming, Gore, Physical abuse, Transphobia, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Medical content, Medical trauma, Abortion, Murder, and Gaslighting

Moderate: Death, Homophobia, Misogyny, Sexism, Sexual assault, and Pregnancy

Minor: Miscarriage and Vomit

carriepond's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.5

The Spirit Bares Its Teeth is YA gothic horror that is graphic, compelling, and unputdownable. Silas Bell is a trans, autistic boy with violet eyes-- a feature that signifies the ability to open the Veil and commune with spirits. In an attempt to escape an arranged marriage to a boy he barely knows, Silas attempts to take the place of a man applying for a seal, which gives men the ability to freely practice as mediums (an option not available to women). Silas is found out and sent to a boarding school for girls and women diagnosed with "Veil Sickness," a term used to describe women who are gender non-conforming, queer, or otherwise refuse to conform to the expectation that women be submissive, meek, and marriageable. Silas soon suspects something even worse than meets the eye is happening to women at the school and sets out to expose the school's dark secrets.

I hadn't heard of this book before it was chosen for my book club, so I didn't have many expectations going in, and it was SO GOOD. White's characterization of Silas is so perfect-- he has such a distinct voice and everything he does and thinks is so in line with the character that White creates for us. This book is visceral and violent (read the content warnings), but never revels in that; instead, it is done with intention, showing the reader the real horrors of the world in an almost clinical way (like Silas's perception of viscera and medical procedures, again, I swear the character development in this book is perfection). Despite all the heaviness, Silas finds a couple of true friends and allies, and this gives both Silas and the reader a much-needed respite from the darkness of the rest of the novel. There was so much here to think about-- transphobia, ableism, patriarchy, the ability of people who supposedly love someone to be complicit in their destruction, I could go on-- all packaged in a mystery that had me rushing to finish the book to see how it all came together. 

Recommend this to readers who like horror that makes you think.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Deadnaming, Misogyny, Transphobia, Medical content, Medical trauma, and Abortion

Minor: Miscarriage

zealousjade's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Sexism, Transphobia, Medical content, Medical trauma, and Abortion

Moderate: Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Torture, Kidnapping, Pregnancy, and Sexual harassment

Minor: Vomit and War

adancewithbooks's review against another edition

dark reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

  Thank you to Netgalley and Daphne Press for the review copy in exhange for an honest review. This does not change my opinion in anyway.

The Spirit Bares Its Teeth is a gothic horror young adult novel that is much needed to be read in this day and age. Not just for the trans mc, the female vs male standpoint but also because our mc is also autistic. Beware however and take into account the trigger warnings before you set foot into this book. It is not an easy read. 

We meet Silas as he tries to talk to his brother at his marriage. Knowing that an arranged marriage is just around the corner for him and being a trans male in hiding, he wants to start planning. His brother however becomes distant and Silas is left to fend for himself. Something that does not quite go the way it should have. Instead of getting away, he gets locked up in Braxton's Santorium and Finishing School with an arranged fiancee right along with it. 

Like I said, this is not an easy read. The world where females are seen as weak and inferior alone is hard to read. Let alone that Silas has to hide on multiple fronts who he is. The way these various bits are weaved together was done so very well. 

Having said that, it did take a little while to get in the book. Silas as a character was quite jarring at first. But once I got a good feeling for his character and situation I found it a lot easier to follow him and became quite fond of him as a character. I also feel the world building around the speakers could have used a little more building. 

There was also the matter of the insta love with his fiancee. Initially not all pulled towards this fiancee, once he discovers that his fiancee is actually a trans female, the draw is instantaneous. While I don't care much for insta love I understand completely why it happened. This is the first time that Silas has found someone who completely understood that part of him. Who als accepted his autism without asking him to hide it. He acknowledges this in text and doesn't care about it. Knowing that your dreaded fiancee actually understands you, it gave hope in a hopelessness situation 

All in all The Spirit Bares Its Teeth is a powerful book. If you can get past the somewhat rough start and the body horror, it is a great and hard hitting book. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Body horror, Confinement, Deadnaming, Misogyny, Sexual assault, Violence, and Abortion

Moderate: Child death and Death of parent

Minor: Miscarriage

Misgendering | Conversion Therapy | Anxiety | | Self Abbortion | Physical Assault | Death | Ableism

arytia's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gore, Misogyny, Rape, Sexual assault, Transphobia, and Medical content

Moderate: Homophobia, Self harm, Torture, Abortion, Suicide attempt, Murder, and Pregnancy

Minor: Miscarriage, Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, Violence, Forced institutionalization, and Injury/Injury detail

river_jean_sterling's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Adult/minor relationship, Body horror, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Mental illness, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Medical content, Medical trauma, Abortion, Murder, Pregnancy, Gaslighting, Dysphoria, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Cursing, Deadnaming, Homophobia, Infidelity, Miscarriage, Panic attacks/disorders, Rape, Toxic relationship, Grief, Cannibalism, Death of parent, Lesbophobia, Toxic friendship, and Dysphoria

hannahrogers's review against another edition

dark emotional tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Deadnaming, Death, Gore, Misogyny, Sexism, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, Abortion, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Cursing, Domestic abuse, Miscarriage, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Torture, Transphobia, Violence, Kidnapping, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Gaslighting, Abandonment, and Classism

Minor: Vomit and War

sammymilfort's review against another edition

challenging dark hopeful sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Adult/minor relationship, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Deadnaming, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gore, Miscarriage, Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Vomit, Medical content, Grief, Cannibalism, Religious bigotry, Medical trauma, Abortion, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Alcohol, Dysphoria, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

pantslint's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Holy fuck, I walked into this book completely blind and did not expect how dark it would be. I couldn't put it down and finished it in like 7 hours. Silas is an incredibly well-written character.

My favorite thematic aspect from this book is how female rage is harnessed. Women are made survivors—they're messy, vengeful, and vindictive. They're also loving and protective, existing with an unspoken sense of community. And they unleash all of that onto their oppressors and abusers. The Veil is a really incredible device used to depict that, and I'll be thinking about this for weeks.

It would be so easy to not hurt us, and the Speakers can't even do that. It's more work to hurt us. It's more work to be cruel. And yet they continue.

White is great at symbolism and literary devices:

• The "rabbit" as a personification of Silas's neurodivergence
• The Speaker rings as cuffs of patriarchy (
  and later, Frances's haunting of one in contrast
  )
• The freezing of Braxton's by the wronged girls in the Veil
  (as opposed to white-hot rage)
• Glass. So much glass in this book. For barriers (glass ceiling), weaponized.
  When the groundskeeper helps break the window. The glass in Mrs. Forrester's shoes. The pieces of mirror Silas uses to kill Lord Luckenbill, and Mary uses to slit Headmaster's throat.

Please heed the content/trigger warnings for this book; transphobia, ableism, sexism, medical gore, and physical abuse are very much present throughout the entire story.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Gore, Transphobia, and Medical content

Moderate: Child abuse, Sexual assault, and Medical trauma

Minor: Miscarriage and Pregnancy

circinus's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Animal death, Body horror, Body shaming, Bullying, Child death, Cursing, Deadnaming, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Homophobia, Mental illness, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Torture, Transphobia, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Vomit, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, Abortion, Murder, Pregnancy, Lesbophobia, Gaslighting, Sexual harassment, Dysphoria, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

Minor: Miscarriage and Suicide attempt