Take a photo of a barcode or cover
4.51 AVERAGE
4.51 AVERAGE
adventurous
dark
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
This book was crazy. Might make it a 5 star who knows
adventurous
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
‘The Spirit Bares Its Teeth’ explores ableism, transphobia and misogyny during the Victorian Era that can very easily to related to modern times.
The story starts off with Silas Bell, a sixteen year old Autistic trans boy who wants to escape the oppressive family and society he has been raised in. The escape attempt fails and he is forceable institutionalised at an all-girls boarding school, Braxton’s Finishing School and Sanitorium, who treat a mysterious disease sending violet-eyed women hysterical in the hope they will one day become Speaker Wives.
This book focuses on a dark part of medical history and the torturous medical procedures and experimentations used on minority populations in a bid to cure them of their “ailments”. Add in Ghosts, students going missing and all the gore and you have yourself a solid horror book. The writing style was fantastic and made the reading experience all the more better.
If you are squeamish and unsure if you would enjoy this book I highly recommend you check out the trigger warnings. For everyone else ‘The Spirit Bares Its Teeth’ is an interesting take on the Victorian Era seen through a perspective that is unique to some of us and relatable to others.
After reading ‘The Spirit Bares Its Teeth’ I’ll be adding ‘Hell Followed With Us’ to my TBR list.
Thank you to NetGalley and Peachtree Teen for the eARC.
The story starts off with Silas Bell, a sixteen year old Autistic trans boy who wants to escape the oppressive family and society he has been raised in. The escape attempt fails and he is forceable institutionalised at an all-girls boarding school, Braxton’s Finishing School and Sanitorium, who treat a mysterious disease sending violet-eyed women hysterical in the hope they will one day become Speaker Wives.
This book focuses on a dark part of medical history and the torturous medical procedures and experimentations used on minority populations in a bid to cure them of their “ailments”. Add in Ghosts, students going missing and all the gore and you have yourself a solid horror book. The writing style was fantastic and made the reading experience all the more better.
If you are squeamish and unsure if you would enjoy this book I highly recommend you check out the trigger warnings. For everyone else ‘The Spirit Bares Its Teeth’ is an interesting take on the Victorian Era seen through a perspective that is unique to some of us and relatable to others.
After reading ‘The Spirit Bares Its Teeth’ I’ll be adding ‘Hell Followed With Us’ to my TBR list.
Thank you to NetGalley and Peachtree Teen for the eARC.
dark
emotional
mysterious
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:
Complicated
I really like this author! This book was really difficult to stomach at times, but it was also moving and wonderful and heartbreaking and beautiful. Love!!
adventurous
dark
emotional
informative
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Animal death, Body horror, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Deadnaming, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Hate crime, Homophobia, Infertility, Mental illness, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Self harm, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Transphobia, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Vomit, Medical content, Kidnapping, Grief, Medical trauma, Murder, Pregnancy, Gaslighting, Abandonment, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, Dysphoria, Injury/Injury detail, Classism, Deportation
Moderate: Chronic illness
dark
emotional
fast-paced
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
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
I deeply resonated with this book as it showed a afab person struggling with neurodivergence, sexuality, and gender. I ran through this book, and I loved th late 1800s setting. I was not expecting the twists, especially at the end. I'm glad everyone had their own ending that was great. I wish I could read more about after the epilogue, but I'm happy to end there as well.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore, Transphobia, Medical content
Moderate: Rape, Sexual assault, Pregnancy
Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Miscarriage, Vomit
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
I loved reading this book (even as a VIP member of Mega Weenie Hut Junior re: gore and body horror). Andrew Joseph White’s writing style & literary perspective are unique and absolutely stunning. I loved the pacing, the storyline, the hope and crushing setbacks, the little victories - all of it. I’m auDHD and queer, and seeing my experience mirrored on these pages was an ache I felt to the depths of my soul:
“Knowing these things about myself has given me an insight, an understanding of the way I move through the world that a great many people lack.”
I’m also a gender nonconforming AFAB person who has no interest in parenting; I did not expect to find (ambiguous) childfree representation (and was probably projecting) but those parts of the novel were so deeply satisfying and affirming.
I loved the supernatural aspects of the novel, although I was not exactly clear on what role the Speaker Society played in “mainstream” England, or if the average citizen was aware of the abilities of the violet eyed mediums. The concept of regular humans living alongside those with otherworldly abilities has always been a favorite theme of mine. The descriptions of the realm beyond the veil and those trapped within have me imagining this book on the big screen.
CRITICISMS (and spoilers) ahead:
-
-
-
Though unrelated to The Spirit Bares its Teeth, I find it worth mentioning that I did not enjoy White’s first novel; unfortunately, many of those criticisms also showed up in this story.
The characters have little depth or personality aside from their “Big Contribution” to the overall narrative. They read like a plot device checklist.
Bad Guys: The Speaker Society
Good Guys: The Luckenbills (at first)
Morally Gray: Groundskeeper
Can We Trust Them??? The Headmistress
Villain-Coded but not Evil: Daphne
The All-Girls’ School Lesbian: Mary
Even Silas is described as little more than neurodivergent, trans, and traumatized. His neurodivergence (identified externally as autism) is written like an 1800s DSM checklist…hand flapping, stimming, diminished social capacity + emotional overwhelm - over and over and over from the first page to the last.
Finally, the gender dynamics in this book were exhausting. The day-to-day experience of those perceived as women is dystopian science fiction presented as historical reality. Even in the age of “female hysteria as a medical diagnosis,” not every single AFAB person alive was being savagely abused or SA’d within an inch of their lives on a daily basis. Not every peculiarity or transgression was brutally punished. Additionally, I will always be the first and the loudest to argue against the “not all men” sentiment - but even I must acknowledge the absurdity of every cishet man in the story being homicidally evil and/or a rapist. (The only gender-neutral cliche was that ALL of the neurotypicals were evil.) I mentioned in my review of White’s first novel that I loathe the “us vs. them” trope in queer fiction, and these criticisms really took me out of the story.
However, as mentioned up top…I loved this book. If you think you’ll love it too, PLEASE read it!! Andrew Joseph White is a fantastic writer and a literary voice that we desperately need.
“Knowing these things about myself has given me an insight, an understanding of the way I move through the world that a great many people lack.”
I’m also a gender nonconforming AFAB person who has no interest in parenting; I did not expect to find (ambiguous) childfree representation (and was probably projecting) but those parts of the novel were so deeply satisfying and affirming.
I loved the supernatural aspects of the novel, although I was not exactly clear on what role the Speaker Society played in “mainstream” England, or if the average citizen was aware of the abilities of the violet eyed mediums. The concept of regular humans living alongside those with otherworldly abilities has always been a favorite theme of mine. The descriptions of the realm beyond the veil and those trapped within have me imagining this book on the big screen.
CRITICISMS (and spoilers) ahead:
-
-
-
Though unrelated to The Spirit Bares its Teeth, I find it worth mentioning that I did not enjoy White’s first novel; unfortunately, many of those criticisms also showed up in this story.
The characters have little depth or personality aside from their “Big Contribution” to the overall narrative. They read like a plot device checklist.
Bad Guys: The Speaker Society
Good Guys: The Luckenbills (at first)
Morally Gray: Groundskeeper
Can We Trust Them??? The Headmistress
Villain-Coded but not Evil: Daphne
The All-Girls’ School Lesbian: Mary
Even Silas is described as little more than neurodivergent, trans, and traumatized. His neurodivergence (identified externally as autism) is written like an 1800s DSM checklist…hand flapping, stimming, diminished social capacity + emotional overwhelm - over and over and over from the first page to the last.
Finally, the gender dynamics in this book were exhausting. The day-to-day experience of those perceived as women is dystopian science fiction presented as historical reality. Even in the age of “female hysteria as a medical diagnosis,” not every single AFAB person alive was being savagely abused or SA’d within an inch of their lives on a daily basis. Not every peculiarity or transgression was brutally punished. Additionally, I will always be the first and the loudest to argue against the “not all men” sentiment - but even I must acknowledge the absurdity of every cishet man in the story being homicidally evil and/or a rapist. (The only gender-neutral cliche was that ALL of the neurotypicals were evil.) I mentioned in my review of White’s first novel that I loathe the “us vs. them” trope in queer fiction, and these criticisms really took me out of the story.
However, as mentioned up top…I loved this book. If you think you’ll love it too, PLEASE read it!! Andrew Joseph White is a fantastic writer and a literary voice that we desperately need.