Reviews tagging 'Colonisation'

The Spirit Bares Its Teeth by Andrew Joseph White

20 reviews

drowsydreamdruid's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense slow-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

No book has been more meaningful or had a more profound impact on me than this one. I’ve never felt more represented by a character, and I was often left in tears so overwhelmed seeing my thoughts written out on the page. I didn’t want it to be over. This instantly became part of me. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Gore, Body horror, Torture, Medical trauma, Sexual violence, Ableism, and Transphobia

Moderate: Abortion, Vomit, and Colonisation

aria_ac's review against another edition

adventurous challenging 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? Yes

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Blood, Adult/minor relationship, Gore, Deadnaming, Forced institutionalization, Murder, Pedophilia, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Transphobia, Death, Body horror, Dysphoria, Emotional abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Physical abuse, Self harm, Abortion, Mental illness, and Pregnancy

Moderate: Misogyny, Miscarriage, Death of parent, Bullying, Confinement, and Rape

Minor: Colonisation and Animal death

arrr's review against another edition

dark hopeful mysterious tense medium-paced

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

4.5

I don't typically read horror, so this was a bit outside my comfort zone. The story of transphobia and ableism in Victorian England mixed well with the addition of ghosts and the misogyny imposed against women and people who could manipulate the veil between worlds. I wasn't prepared for the medical horror and level of description. It wasn't as awful as it could have been, but it would have given me nightmares as a youth. I didn't really understand the ending before the last chapter. But I suppose it could be open to interpretation. Maybe that's the point. 

Well done. I unexpectedly enjoyed this. 

---

Content Warnings

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

that_person_logan's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring mysterious sad tense fast-paced

• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

I just want to say thank you to Andrew Joseph White. Never have I felt so seen and understood by a book before. I have never felt so supported by an author while reading a book. I have never felt so valued as a reader. This was not just a story, it was an experience for me. 
Thank you so much for writing this Andrew, truly. 
I adored this and I am so so grateful I was able to read it

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Ableism, Abortion, Classism, Murder, Rape, Sexual assault, Animal cruelty, Body horror, Adult/minor relationship, Blood, Cursing, Emotional abuse, Torture, Transphobia, Animal death, Colonisation, Death, Grief, Miscarriage, Religious bigotry, Sexism, Child abuse, Deadnaming, Death of parent, Forced institutionalization, Gaslighting, Homophobia, Mental illness, Bullying, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Violence, Gore, Hate crime, Medical trauma, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, Self harm, and Suicidal thoughts

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

---

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

atlastheninth's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional 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

5.0

Synopsis: 

Silas Bell has violet eyes and can therefore commune with spirits. But he also has a womb and in the 1880s London that is all he's worth. Being seen as a girl, he is also strictly forbidden from communing with ghosts and is supposed to marry by the end of the year. 

All he wants to do, is be a doctor, do surgery, live as the boy he is. But after his attempt to escape this life fails, he is sent into a special mental institution. There girls either become obedient wives or they disappear. 

 

My thoughts: 

 

"We are the same species. We're all human. It's not that people cannot understand me; it's simply that most of them don't want to." 

 

This was everything I hoped it would be and so much more: unhinged, brutal, honest and absolutely feral. 

 

I flew through this book, it was so beautifully written. There were no low points, the tension just kept building up until the end and I could not stop reading it. 

 

It is very graphic, but it never felt out of place or like it was just put there for shock value. All of the medical gore fitted perfectly into the story partially due to anatomy/surgery being Silas' special interest. 

 

How Silas is trans, but he only really feels uncomfortable in his body when others perceive him as a girl? And him not understanding the social behaviour of others and always taking a bit too long to understand what they want from him? I can relate to him so much.  

 

It does deal a lot with misogyny and ableism and I thought it depicts it very well, but please, if you read this book, do look at the content warnings beforehand! 

 

Hell Followed With Us was amazing, this book is even better. And with that I will buy anything Andrew Joseph White ever writes. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault, Transphobia, Violence, Ableism, Suicidal thoughts, Abortion, Blood, Deadnaming, Death, Death of parent, Gore, Medical content, Miscarriage, Murder, Physical abuse, Dysphoria, Emotional abuse, Forced institutionalization, Injury/Injury detail, and Misogyny

Moderate: Confinement, Gaslighting, Grief, Homophobia, Adult/minor relationship, Pregnancy, Child abuse, Rape, and Religious bigotry

Minor: Classism, Slavery, Colonisation, and Genocide

booksthatburn's review against another edition

challenging dark tense medium-paced

• 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 TL;DR is "this stressed me out, you should read it too".

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.

---

Content Warnings

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

betweentheshelves's review against another edition

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? It's complicated

4.0

 In London 1883, the Veil between the living and the dead has gotten thinner. This allows those with violet-eyes to commune with spirits, but only through the guidance of the Royal Speaker Society. Silas Bell would rather do anything than become a dutiful Speaker wife. But according to his mom, he’ll be married by the end of the year. No matter his autism or the fact that he’s a boy and not a girl.

After an incident at the Society, Silas is sent to Braxton’s Finishing School and Sanitorium diagnosed with Veil sickness. But at the school, he realizes girls are disappearing and no one cares. It’s up to Silas to expose the secrets of the school–if those in charge don’t get to him first. 

Thanks to Peachtree Teen and NetGalley for an advanced copy of The Spirit Bares Its Teeth by Andrew Joseph White to review! White jumped onto the YA scene last year with Hell Followed With Us, firmly planting himself in the YA horror field.

Let me start by saying this is not an easy book to read. It’s a little bit fantasy, a little bit history, with a heavy emphasis on the horror. It shows how dangerous the world was at that time for women who didn’t fit the mold. Women who were a little different. Women who were queer. There is some hard, dark stuff in this book, and if you’re not in the mindset for that, save it for a time that you are.

Despite the difficult nature of the text, it is beautifully written. There are lines in this story that feel like a gut punch, because you know that there are women who were treated like this at this time. And we’re not even going to get started on how trans people were treated, because it was much the same. White does the horror elements so well in this book. Teens looking for dark gothic horror will definitely be drawn to this book.

And the characters! The relationship between Silas and Daphne was just so wonderful. The book may be dark, but it is not without its moments of hope. Tender, sweet moments of hope that really keep them going despite the darkness. 

The fall is really the perfect time for this book to come out, so if you find yourself looking for something dark and queer, definitely pick this one up! 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Gore, Medical content, and Transphobia

Moderate: Miscarriage, Sexual assault, and Sexual violence

Minor: Colonisation, Rape, and Vomit

meshell's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

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

5.0

I realize there is so much pressure on authours that write an incredible first book to live up to those expectations in their second book, and Andrew Joseph White's last book, Hell Followed With Us was something special. I think it's fair to say that his second book, The Spirit Bares Its Teeth is immaculate. 
 
It is incredibly crafted, the words are so intentional, and the authour creates such a visceral ambiance of horror and discomfort.  But in a way that for me was tolerable, didn't feel gratuitous, and at times, was even oddly uplifting. The characters are lovable or strongly dislikable. where appropriate, but they all feel very alive, flawed, wonderful, and/or terrible, and they could step out of the page at any moment.. The descriptions of the settings transported me  to a dark creepy house/finishing school/institution while I was curled up with my e-reader, I simply couldn't put this book down and the pacing was great. 

I'll admit, horror isn't generally my genre and I probably would have missed out on reading his first book without a direct recommendation from a trusted friend,  but I really like what he's doing with his writing - this book held my hand a little, made me feel some feelings, and told an absolutely compelling story, that's brutal, but also loving and empathetic.

Does this book require content warnings? Yes. Does the authour provide many of them himself in his kind Letter from the Authour at the very beginning? Also yes.. I appreciated the encouragement to not endure the book if it wasn't what you were able to read at the moment. I also appreciated the authour note at the end - reenforcing that while this book is a work of fiction, real horrifying things have been done in the name of science and medicine, especially in history, and suggests two very good books to learn more. 

thankful to the publisher for access to this one via NetGalley. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Abortion

Moderate: Confinement, Deadnaming, Torture, Body horror, Medical content, Emotional abuse, Forced institutionalization, Gaslighting, Misogyny, and Transphobia

Minor: Sexual assault and Colonisation

mo345's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense fast-paced

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

5.0

This book was a beautiful, gory, well-written story about what men in power will do to get what they want, and those who have to suffer because of their whims. It was a fantastic second novel and is, in every way, a perfect successor to Hell Followed with Us while still managing to be unique and tell its own story. I loved every second and I am immensely grateful to Peachtree Teen for the ARC. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Medical content, Pregnancy, Suicidal thoughts, Body horror, Forced institutionalization, Gaslighting, Ableism, Adult/minor relationship, Blood, Torture, Child death, Cursing, Deadnaming, Death, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Medical trauma, Murder, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Violence, Confinement, Abortion, Bullying, Child abuse, Abandonment, Emotional abuse, Gore, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, and Misogyny

Minor: Cannibalism, Colonisation, Infertility, Sexism, Dysphoria, Classism, Slavery, and Vomit