Reviews tagging 'Homophobia'

The Spirit Bares Its Teeth by Andrew Joseph White

107 reviews

yarbroughac'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? It's complicated

5.0

This book is a horror novel because it describes horrors that were all too real in the not-so-distant past. If body horror makes you squeamish, do not read it. If you’re like me, however, and that is your favorite genre of horror, then devour this novel as quickly as possible. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicidal thoughts, Transphobia, Rape, Body horror, Medical trauma, Suicide attempt, Medical content, Murder, Torture, and Homophobia

vixbrekker's review against another edition

dark emotional hopeful inspiring mysterious 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? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Ableism, Pregnancy, Dysphoria, Abortion, Body horror, Panic attacks/disorders, Gore, Homophobia, Medical trauma, Misogyny, Death, Forced institutionalization, and Medical content

Moderate: Sexual assault

corsetedfeminist's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful mysterious 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? Yes

5.0

I would give this book all the stars in the world if I could. I was not prepared for this book, but I’m not sure how one could be prepared for this book. To begin, it features the most realistic and visceral descriptions of gender dysphoria and autism that I have ever read. This book is intensely emotional and physically gory, but it has a passionate heart that I fell in love with. The romance is raw and tender in a very intimate way that I adore. It’s t4t love in the best possible way. This book is a story about queer love and hope and pain and rage. If you can handle the very detailed (and special interest fueled) discussions of organs, the detailed descriptions of violence, and the multiple murders (as well as an abortion) you’ll find the the best poetry and the starkest honestly about what it is really like to be queer and autistic in a world that tries constantly to force you to be neither. I audibly gasped and yelled at the book several times at various plot twists, and the ending is the perfect example of catharsis and queer victory… just with a side of magical murder this time. 100/10, absolutely read this book. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Torture, Transphobia, Violence, Death, Forced institutionalization, Gore, Medical trauma, Misogyny, Murder, Suicide attempt, Self harm, Sexual harassment, Ableism, Abortion, Body horror, Deadnaming, Dysphoria, Homophobia, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, and Mental illness

madamenovelist's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense slow-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

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

Sexual abuse of minors is a theme throughout this book. All the topics are very heavy but sexual abuse and gore are very prominent.

salemander's review against another edition

5.0

brilliant and haunting and disgusting and so hopeful. i love gothic literature and i love trans people. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Abortion, Adult/minor relationship, Blood, Body horror, Confinement, Death, Gore, Grief, Homophobia, Rape, Sexual violence, Torture, Child abuse, Deadnaming, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Mental illness, Murder, Pedophilia, Sexism, Transphobia, Forced institutionalization, Kidnapping, Medical trauma, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Physical abuse, and Sexual assault

athlen_47_'s review against another edition

dark emotional reflective 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? It's complicated

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Abortion, Body shaming, Dysphoria, Gore, Physical abuse, Transphobia, Bullying, Deadnaming, Outing, Sexism, Vomit, Ableism, Blood, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Medical content, Misogyny, Self harm, Torture, Violence, Mental illness, Forced institutionalization, Suicidal thoughts, Grief, Death, Injury/Injury detail, and Suicide attempt

Moderate: Rape

snleck's review against another edition

dark inspiring 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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Miscarriage, Dysphoria, Body horror, Sexual violence, Sexual harassment, Sexism, Pregnancy, Murder, Misogyny, Hate crime, Transphobia, Suicide, Sexual assault, Rape, Adult/minor relationship, Violence, Physical abuse, Outing, Mental illness, Medical trauma, Medical content, Deadnaming, Bullying, Body shaming, Death of parent, Death, Confinement, Child death, Blood, Torture, Self harm, Lesbophobia, Injury/Injury detail, Homophobia, Gore, Forced institutionalization, Emotional abuse, and Abortion

clarke's review against another edition

dark mysterious

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes

5.0

The Spirit Bares its Teeth is set in 1800s London, where violet eyed mediums can commune with the dead. It follows Silas, a 16 year old autistic trans boy who dreams of being a surgeon, not a man's wife, worthy only because of his violet eyes and uterus. In a desperate bid to escape, he poses as another man but his impersonation is caught. He's deemed to have "veil sickness" a disease where any woman who opens the veil descends into madness. Instead of being sent to Bedlam, a wealthy suit sweeps in and he is instead sent away to a finishing school to teach him how to be a proper lady and beat the madness away. As he learns of missing students, and the truth the headmaster is hiding, he discovers that the punishment for disobeying the patriarchal norms is worse than death.

This book was beautiful. I've highlighted parts that really spoke to me, and it was especially evocative when discussing the trans and autistic experience, eloquently describing the horrors of being perceived: "It is only when I step back to see it all through another’s eyes that I want to unravel it and carve the meat into a new, different, more acceptable shape. The only thing that will ever matter is how others see you. I want to take myself apart into something else, and if I cannot do that, I want to destroy every part of it that could ever be used against me. And if that is my eyes, or my womb, or all of it—" and the connection of girls and womanhood through being AFAB and raised as such: "I still connect with women. I find companionship with them, closeness that cannot be denied, because the world will always do its damnedest to see me as one of them. As long as we are seen the same, we will experience the same. Our lives will be linked. I will be held to the same unfair standards, punished under the same unjust rules. To separate how you are seen from who you are sometimes feels nigh impossible.". There was also an immaculate summary about my feelings as a doctor and a uterus: "know enough about pregnancy to be terrified of it, which is the only sensible reaction to discovering how it works." As well as a many tragically beautiful descriptions of grief: "Death never goes after those who deserve it. It only ever takes from those who aren’t ready." and the horrors of man: "why is it that when they hide their faces, men become monsters instead of angels?". I'll stop quoting the book now and let you enjoy it in its entire form, but God I want you all to read it immediately. I want to highlight it in its entirety.

I couldn't put this book down, and it was sad when it ended. It's an exquisitely haunting tale tackling patriarchy, identity, and complex relationships. Whilst the plot points were predictable for me, it was still satisfying: the blossoming love story and the ones that never got to be; the evil deeds committed by men; betrayal and courage and anger and cowardice and fight. Parts were akin to screaming at your TV for the character not to go up the stairs when the killer is chasing them, not to be alone in a room with a man. It did a great job at revealing information, even if I knew it already, especially early on when Silas is investigating the missing students. The world is immersive, and whilst the author notes taking historical liberties, I found everything worked and nothing pulled me out. I would have preferred more of the ghosts, opening the veil, talking to the spirits, etc but it didn't feel lacking (I'm just a spooky bitch). The horrors of man are far worse than ghosts could ever be. We're treated to small exerts from the ghosts perspective, and they are so deservedly angry. The book came the a satisfying conclusion (even if it would have preferred a more torturous end), and I want to read it for the first time again. It does feature dark themes, but none of it feels gratuitous - this is how a horror about transphobia should be done. It does not deadname for the readers sake nor try to justify itself. The queerness felt natural, as did the relationships and reactions to events. There is a kinship amongst the different characters, and I'm glad Silas had people he could trust.

Overall, this was piercingly beautiful, and whilst I wouldn't say not to more supernatural elements, a more brutal punishment, or a tad more vengeance, it was a fantastic read. Thank you to netgalley for the arc.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Deadnaming, Gore, Ableism, Adult/minor relationship, Body horror, Forced institutionalization, Homophobia, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Pregnancy, Sexism, Transphobia, Blood, Classism, Medical trauma, Cursing, Hate crime, Death, Grief, Kidnapping, Sexual assault, Violence, Physical abuse, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Murder, Outing, Confinement, Lesbophobia, Misogyny, Pedophilia, and Rape

izzy0727's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful mysterious sad tense 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? It's complicated

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abortion, Lesbophobia, Mental illness, Dysphoria, Forced institutionalization, Murder, Outing, Panic attacks/disorders, Religious bigotry, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, Torture, Violence, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Deadnaming, Homophobia, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Body horror, Death, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Medical trauma, Medical content, Miscarriage, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Transphobia, Grief, Classism, Body shaming, Bullying, Gaslighting, Gore, Pregnancy, and Rape

simplythegirl's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional informative reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

5.0

This is probably  the best book I read this year so far. The characters are loveable, the descriptions and storytelling are amazing, and the concept is interesting.  The gore descriptions are so vivid I love it. I'm  a huge fan of Andrew Joseph White do I knew going in I would love it but I was blown away. I couldn't put the book down. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Vomit, Medical content, Excrement, Rape, Violence, Miscarriage, Murder, Panic attacks/disorders, Child abuse, Classism, Deadnaming, Domestic abuse, Forced institutionalization, Gaslighting, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Hate crime, Homophobia, Torture, Grief, Misogyny, Medical trauma, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual violence, Sexual harassment, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, Transphobia, and Sexual content