5.07k reviews for:

The Spirit Bares Its Teeth

Andrew Joseph White

4.52 AVERAGE

emfoxreads's review against another edition

5.0

dark mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Complicated

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

hailbits's review against another edition

3.0

dark emotional tense medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Complicated

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

sachtextanalyse's review against another edition

2.0

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful informative inspiring mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: No

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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After Compound Fracture was (despite some flaws and things that annoyed me) one of my 2025 highlights, The Spirit Bares Its Teeth was a letdown all around. The cool premise is brought to a screeching halt by the sheer endless over-explanations, the hammering home of themes and morals and repetition: the rabbit, the rabbit, the fucking rabbit and did I mention that men were doing these things to Silas because they wanted him to be a perfect woman? Aaaarrrgghh!!!!!!! The girls‘ home and cast was also entirely unconvincing (compared to the one in Henrix‘ Witchcraft For Wayward Girls), the interesting parts of the world and spirit work were glossed over, the plot stumbled along and hinged on keys conveniently turning up here and there… man, and Silas snapping exactly once and then completely uselessly… at least some of the trans rep was touching and I did not have to sit through another harrowing „We’re reading validity affirmations off a tumblr page for your microlabel“ scene lmao

ashmp4's review against another edition

5.0

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god do i love a good historical fiction that has trans and autistic rep and t4t couple

foggyskies_101's review against another edition

5.0

dark emotional hopeful 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: Complicated

aannaascott's review against another edition

4.0

challenging dark mysterious 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: Yes

cnnrmmry's review against another edition

4.75

dark emotional mysterious 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

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I absolutely love AJW's books. This one had me on the edge of my seat but also kicking my feet and giggling!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Adult/minor relationship, Body horror, Body shaming, Bullying, Child abuse, Deadnaming, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Hate crime, Homophobia, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Sexism, Sexual assault, Torture, Transphobia, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Medical content, Religious bigotry, Sexual harassment, Dysphoria, Injury/Injury detail, Classism

Moderate: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Child abuse, Chronic illness, Confinement, Cursing, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Blood, Medical trauma, Abortion

chrysanthemum17's review

5.0

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

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This book actually slayed so hard??? It ate??? It devoured??? I couldn’t put it down
The only thing I wish was there was more information on the groundskeeper at the end. Why wouldn’t they take him with them :(

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Death, Misogyny, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Medical content, Death of parent, Murder, Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Ableism, Adult/minor relationship, Domestic abuse, Transphobia, Violence, Vomit, Religious bigotry, Pregnancy

Minor: Self harm, Sexual harassment

jaaay_reads's review against another edition

3.75

dark sad medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: No

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: No

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After DNFing two other books, this book was nice as it kept up my reading motivation. Lots of horrifying things happened. Definitely look at content warnings!! 

My personal reading taste isn't that into YA or softer magic systems so some of the how the author's prose just feeling very modern or the softer magic system didn't fully land for me but I still enjoyed the book. 

Great representation at the end of the day.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Animal death, Body horror, Deadnaming, Death, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Torture, Transphobia, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Medical content, Abortion, Murder, Dysphoria

Moderate: Pedophilia, Self harm, Sexual violence

Minor: Miscarriage, Pregnancy

stagedoormerch's review against another edition

5.0

adventurous dark tense medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes