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anarmandameg's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Graphic: Self harm, Chronic illness, Confinement, Dysphoria, Torture, Transphobia, Kidnapping, Medical content, Murder, Abortion, Blood, Body horror, Death, Outing, Panic attacks/disorders, Pregnancy, Domestic abuse, Forced institutionalization, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Child abuse, Medical trauma, Suicide attempt, Ableism, Gore, Deadnaming, Sexual assault, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Sexual violence, Violence, and Sexual harassment
radtj's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Death, Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Confinement, Deadnaming, Gore, Abortion, Blood, Bullying, Child death, Dysphoria, Homophobia, Transphobia, Ableism, Forced institutionalization, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Sexism, Medical content, Outing, Rape, Torture, and Sexual assault
darkefyres's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Graphic: Ableism, Abortion, Blood, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Deadnaming, Death, Dysphoria, Forced institutionalization, Murder, Transphobia, Gore, Outing, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Medical trauma, Rape, Sexual assault, and Sexism
Moderate: Torture and Vomit
thatchickengirl23's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Graphic: Body horror, Child death, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Transphobia, Dysphoria, Forced institutionalization, Grief, Medical content, Child abuse, Cursing, Deadnaming, Abortion, Blood, Medical trauma, Murder, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual harassment, Ableism, Animal death, Confinement, Death, Sexual assault, Torture, Violence, Misogyny, and Physical abuse
Moderate: Lesbophobia, Gaslighting, Death of parent, Homophobia, Sexual harassment, Outing, Pregnancy, Sexual assault, Adult/minor relationship, Classism, Pedophilia, and Emotional abuse
Minor: Infertility and Miscarriage
bookenbee's review against another edition
3.75
Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Forced institutionalization, Dysphoria, Pregnancy, Misogyny, Medical content, Homophobia, Miscarriage, Mental illness, Outing, Deadnaming, Sexual assault, Pedophilia, Murder, Violence, Sexism, Medical trauma, Death, Child death, Blood, Sexual violence, Abortion, Gore, Body horror, Vomit, Transphobia, Torture, and Child abuse
Minor: Ableism, Alcohol, Adult/minor relationship, and Classism
chloeburton's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Classism, Deadnaming, Child abuse, Murder, Pedophilia, Torture, Violence, Gore, Misogyny, Rape, Adult/minor relationship, Blood, Child death, Confinement, Death, Medical trauma, Outing, Suicidal thoughts, Body horror, Transphobia, Ableism, Sexual assault, Abortion, Sexism, Sexual violence, Dysphoria, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, Forced institutionalization, and Medical content
intertidalkendy's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Graphic: Gore, Sexual assault, Adult/minor relationship, Blood, Dysphoria, Forced institutionalization, Medical content, Death, and Transphobia
Moderate: Suicide attempt, Self harm, Pregnancy, and Outing
swilson16's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
Graphic: Outing, Body horror, Ableism, Medical content, Gore, Forced institutionalization, Animal death, Physical abuse, Torture, Abortion, Violence, Vomit, Deadnaming, and Blood
getlitwithamy_'s review against another edition
- 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? It's complicated
5.0
Andrew Joseph White’s prose is SO addicting! He really knows how to captivate his audience with scene building and character depictions and developments.
The autism representation is phenomenal, probably the best I’ve ever read. If you’re autistic/neurodivergent, TSBIT will make you feel accurately represented. So many of Silas’ internal thoughts hit close to home, but in a good way.
Please note that this is a VERY gory horror book. It is definitely hard to stomach. There are a lot of trigger warnings that should be kept in mind. Either way, it is a masterpiece that deserves all of the praise!!
Graphic: Death, Forced institutionalization, Grief, Self harm, Abortion, Blood, Chronic illness, Adult/minor relationship, Body horror, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Confinement, Outing, Transphobia, Child death, Medical trauma, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Ableism, Gaslighting, Pedophilia, Deadnaming, Murder, Physical abuse, and Pregnancy
Moderate: Suicidal thoughts
Minor: Miscarriage and Suicide attempt
booksthatburn's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
THE SPIRIT BARES ITS TEETH is about a trans boy who is institutionalized for "Veil sickness", a condition which is basically a supernatural version of hysteria, itself a historical catch-all term for "that person we think is a woman isn't doing what we think she ought to do and we want it to stop". What's unique about Veil sickness as opposed to hysteria is that it specifically applies to people with violet eyes, a mark of those who can contact departed spirits. Violet-eyed British men are channeled and constrained by a strict social hierarchy and a physical mark that they are following the socially approved path of a Speaker. Silas is not a girl, he's an autistic trans boy whose interest in anything unfeminine is a threat to the Speakers' power. THE SPIRIT BARES ITS TEETH focuses on Silas as both trans and autistic, as well as times when he meets people who are one or the other but not both. These experiences help him parse the ways that these two facets of himself are so intertwined for him but are not necessarily linked for other people. He deals with an intersection of transphobia, misogyny, and ableism, as the times when he is dismissed for not following the social path of a woman can be inseparable from dismissal of him as an autistic person or not understanding the overwhelmingly allistic social hierarchy and assumptions. Trapped at the institution with few connections to the outside, Silas must try to figure out what's happening to the girls who disappear, and who he can trust to get answers.
As a nonbinary trans person, this was a hard book to read due to some overlaps with my personal experiences (thankfully not at the level of an actual horror novel such as this). I read it in large sections, taking a few days in between each to process and prepare myself for the next part. I'm very glad I read it and I definitely recommend it to anyone who enjoys horror, especially medical horror (which features heavily). If you would prefer something more apocalyptic and less medical but are otherwise interested in themes of body horror and transphobia, I suggest reading Andrew's debut novel, HELL FOLLOWED WITH US.
Graphic: Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Self harm, Sexual harassment, Torture, Gore, Medical trauma, Child abuse, Child death, Gaslighting, Murder, Abortion, Blood, Emotional abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Transphobia, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Medical content, Confinement, Deadnaming, Death, Misogyny, and Sexism
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Cursing, Sexual assault, Vomit, Ableism, Animal death, Death of parent, Outing, Pregnancy, Self harm, and Bullying
Minor: Slavery, Alcohol, Colonisation, Miscarriage, and Cannibalism