Reviews tagging 'Abandonment'

The Spirit Bares Its Teeth by Andrew Joseph White

41 reviews

ruththegreat's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abortion, Child death, Forced institutionalization, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Medical content, Murder, Pedophilia, Pregnancy, Confinement, Cursing, Deadnaming, Death, Misogyny, Rape, Abandonment, Gore, Grief, Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Ableism, Blood, Emotional abuse, Medical trauma, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Sexual violence, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Suicidal thoughts, and Violence

jasper_is_atypical's review against another edition

dark emotional tense slow-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual violence, Medical content, Domestic abuse, Blood, Misogyny, Murder, Confinement, Bullying, Sexism, Ableism, Abandonment, Grief, Forced institutionalization, Animal cruelty, Sexual harassment, Medical trauma, Emotional abuse, Deadnaming, Physical abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Gore, Death, Cursing, Chronic illness, Animal death, Violence, Self harm, Pedophilia, Panic attacks/disorders, Transphobia, Torture, Child death, Body horror, Abortion, and Adult/minor relationship

Moderate: Rape, Pregnancy, Vomit, Mental illness, Dysphoria, and Sexual assault

Minor: Classism, Colonisation, and Miscarriage

mir_frog73's review against another edition

challenging 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

5.0

This was incredible. I have no words other then everyone needs to read this because I’ll never be able to shut up about it. I need to eat this author. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Death of parent, Deadnaming, Confinement, Child death, Child abuse, Body horror, Adult/minor relationship, Abortion, Abandonment, Pedophilia, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexism, Misogyny, Medical content, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Vomit, Violence, Transphobia, Torture, Suicidal thoughts, Sexual assault, Rape, Lesbophobia, Injury/Injury detail, Gore, Gaslighting, Emotional abuse, Dysphoria, Domestic abuse, Cursing, Sexual violence, Pregnancy, Physical abuse, Miscarriage, Mental illness, Medical trauma, Ableism, Murder, Homophobia, Grief, and Classism

dags_delight's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional tense fast-paced

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

5.0

For the everloving f*ck of whichever god may be real, find a *detailed* list of trigger warnings before you head into this book. As AJW says, the book is not a necessary procedure. But if you choose to undergo it, it is a gut wrenching story of desperately holding on to who you believe and know you are, and in all its gore and horror and despair, of hope.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Misogyny, Xenophobia, Medical trauma, Abortion, Ableism, Body horror, Child death, Deadnaming, Miscarriage, Pregnancy, Physical abuse, Sexism, Death, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Mental illness, Gore, Medical content, Murder, and Transphobia

Moderate: Abandonment, Animal cruelty, Torture, Animal death, Dysphoria, Sexual assault, Rape, Self harm, and Suicidal thoughts

quiltsandtealibrary's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious sad 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? It's complicated

5.0

I’ll add more later but holy hell this book is insanely good but super heavy but so good!!!

PLEASE HEED ALL TW/CW !!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Death, Gaslighting, Domestic abuse, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, Rape, Vomit, Kidnapping, Body horror, Body shaming, Deadnaming, Grief, Murder, Sexual violence, Emotional abuse, Medical content, Miscarriage, Pedophilia, Suicidal thoughts, Abandonment, Gore, Homophobia, Injury/Injury detail, Medical trauma, Mental illness, Adult/minor relationship, Ableism, Blood, Abortion, Child abuse, Dysphoria, Forced institutionalization, Self harm, Sexual assault, Suicide attempt, Torture, Transphobia, and Violence

cronads's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

• 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? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Medical trauma, Body horror, Abortion, Gore, Physical abuse, Gaslighting, Blood, Injury/Injury detail, Abandonment, Emotional abuse, Grief, and Medical content

Moderate: Suicidal thoughts, Emotional abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual assault, Bullying, Confinement, Dysphoria, Grief, Forced institutionalization, Mental illness, Pregnancy, Self harm, Deadnaming, Violence, and Death

Minor: Misogyny, Pregnancy, Child death, Domestic abuse, Eating disorder, Cursing, Adult/minor relationship, Death of parent, Toxic relationship, Transphobia, Miscarriage, Sexism, and Vomit

ender24's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative mysterious tense slow-paced

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

4.5

A wonderful story, with a lot of horror and gore. It’s a bit slow for the first half of the book, but it’s important for the overall story unlike some other writings. Already want a sequel, or something to expand the world of the story.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Death of parent, Pedophilia, Self harm, Sexual content, Body horror, Child death, Classism, Misogyny, Murder, Rape, Religious bigotry, Toxic relationship, Abandonment, Abortion, Adult/minor relationship, Biphobia, Blood, Body shaming, Bullying, Child abuse, Confinement, Cursing, Deadnaming, Death, Domestic abuse, Dysphoria, Forced institutionalization, Gaslighting, Gore, Grief, Hate crime, Homophobia, Infidelity, Violence, Vomit, Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, Transphobia, Kidnapping, Medical content, Medical trauma, Miscarriage, Outing, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Sexual harassment, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Torture, Toxic friendship, and Trafficking

fanboyriot's review against another edition

dark mysterious 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? Yes

5.0

Read For:

Ghosts

Hurt/Comfort

T4T (ftm x mtf)

Dark Queer Rage

Gothic Victorian Vibes

Absolutely beautiful in a dark and vicious way.  It was heavy and uncomfortable but in a way that made you want to fight for the characters in the pages.  Drawing you in with each chapter.

The trans representation in this book might not have been the happiest I’ve ever read but even though all the angst and hurt there were moments of comfort, of happiness and hope.

Silas was such a lovable main character.  I liked his passion for being a surgeon, trying and fighting for what he wanted even when nearly everyone failed him, time and time again.  Daphne was such a light in his life and to this book I couldn’t imagine it without her.  Again a very lovable character.

This book was not soft or lighthearted and I definitely suggest reading the content warnings beforehand; but this book was written so well.  The setting, the plot, the characters, even the cover of this book was amazing.

Thank you to NetGalley and the author/publisher for this e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

(First Person POV)

Spice: 🌶️ (lightly mentioned)

Rep: Trans MC (ftm), Autistic MC, Trans LI (mtf), LGBTQIA+ MC/SCs

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gore, Medical trauma, Body horror, Emotional abuse, Sexism, Torture, Sexual harassment, Mental illness, Cursing, Abandonment, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Grief, Murder, Dysphoria, Medical content, Transphobia, Deadnaming, Forced institutionalization, Physical abuse, Suicide attempt, Gaslighting, Hate crime, Panic attacks/disorders, Bullying, Misogyny, Violence, Abortion, Injury/Injury detail, Ableism, Blood, Death, and Confinement

Moderate: Child death, Miscarriage, Suicide, Child abuse, Sexual assault, Domestic abuse, Sexual violence, Homophobia, Pedophilia, Adult/minor relationship, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Animal death, and Lesbophobia

Minor: Vomit, Rape, and Animal cruelty

bookishfaye's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative mysterious reflective tense fast-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

4.5

Thank you Netgalley for providing me with an e-arc for review!

I adored Andrew Joseph White’s first novel, Hell Followed With Us, & have been anxiously anticipating this novel & was so so so excited to be approved for an arc of it! I absolutely loved this, it told such a dark & moving story beautifully, the representation in here with transness & autism is so so good just as I expected it would be, & the commentaries on transness were very powerful in this & I just loved my reading experience. This book is definitely very dark so mind your triggers going into it.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Deadnaming, Confinement, Death, Dysphoria, Forced institutionalization, Misogyny, Blood, Abandonment, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Body horror, Medical content, Miscarriage, Hate crime, Homophobia, Medical trauma, Gaslighting, Gore, and Grief

fromthefoxhole's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious 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

5.0

To begin, thank you SO much to Netgalley, Peachtree Teen, and Andrew Joseph White for this e-arc. I would go to battle for you. 

To articulate the way I feel about this book is akin to parsing out a translation from a language I don't know. I find myself grasping at words, feelings, pictures, anything, and all of it falls short. 

This book follows Silas, a young autistic trans man living in a magical variant of the Victorian era. In this world, there is a veil between the living and the dead, and sometimes children are born with the capacity to interact with and manipulate that veil, to commune with those beyond. Silas is one such boy, but he is uninterested in spirits, in his words "I wanted the soul while it was still attached to the body, when it still thrummed with life." He, inspired by his doctor brother and unsanctioned visits to the operating theater, is a student of science and medicine, yearning for the day that he is able to live openly as himself and as a surgeon. 

Instead, following an incident wherein he attempts to steal documentation that would allow him to do so, he is brought to Braxton's Finishing School and Sanitarium. The school operates under the claim that some young women who were born with that gene which allows them to manipulate the veil fall subject to Veil Sickness. The sickness is described as an ailment of the mind, having symptoms akin to hysteria and Braxton's exists as a place to experiment with various treatments. Here, Silas is only referred to by his dead name, he is threatened and harmed by the headmaster and his wife, and, perhaps most importantly he uncovers a web of deceit and abuse after one of the girls disappears overnight. 

Despite being a fantastical horror, it's obvious that White did his research into the history of medical treatment for anyone society deemed "other." The layers of abuse, taunts, and medical experimentation are (pardon my pun) well fleshed out - multiple times during my reading of this I found myself gasping aloud, flinching in horror, gripping the nearest surface until my knuckles turned white. Some part of me felt that if I turned away, I would be complicit. 

In the midst of this, there is hope, friendship romance. A beating heart to encourage me to keep reading, to see them through to the other side no matter what. The moments between Silas and Daphne and the begrudging friendship between him and Mary were so real to me. Their relationships were bright, vivid against the bleak situations they faced. 

Sometimes, that is enough. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Medical content, Abandonment, Ableism, Deadnaming, Forced institutionalization, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Medical trauma, Body horror, Child death, Death, Dysphoria, Child abuse, Kidnapping, Pregnancy, Self harm, Murder, Physical abuse, Cursing, Mental illness, Pedophilia, and Sexual violence

Moderate: Miscarriage

Minor: Sexual assault