Reviews tagging 'Genocide'

The Spirit Bares Its Teeth by Andrew Joseph White

3 reviews

breadbummer's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious sad tense fast-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

4.75

It's been maybe five years since the last time I remember being so engrossed with a book! For once, I'm so glad I judged a book by its cover (it's a pretty neat cover), as The Spirit Bares Its Teeth has just about everything I could want from a story.

• Trans protagonist (written by a trans author) ✅
• Murder mystery ✅
• Set in the Victorian era ✅
• Upfront trigger warnings ✅
• VENGEANCE!!!! (no bs about forgiveness) ✅

I cannot recommend this novel enough!! As I said, though, please note the HEFTY list of content warnings before jumping in. White makes sure to cover the big hitters like anti-transness and ableism, but it should also be noted that

abortion

(among many other things) has its very graphic moment.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Medical trauma, Pedophilia, Injury/Injury detail, Gore, Gaslighting, Emotional abuse, Death of parent, Child abuse, Abortion, Sexism, Self harm, Pregnancy, Physical abuse, Death, Deadnaming, Adult/minor relationship, Panic attacks/disorders, Violence, Torture, Sexual assault, Forced institutionalization, Dysphoria, Domestic abuse, Cursing, Blood, Child death, Body horror, Murder, Misogyny, Mental illness, Medical content, Transphobia, and Ableism

Moderate: Suicide attempt, Miscarriage, Lesbophobia, Rape, Colonisation, and Vomit

Minor: Infertility, Animal death, Genocide, Sexual content, and Terminal illness

There was no specific option for animal dissections or something close enough to it listed here, so I thought I'd make note of it. Everything that is done to animals in this book is post-mortem, though it's still graphic.

aklikethegun's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional tense medium-paced

• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Abortion, Body horror, Child abuse, Sexual content, Suicide, Suicidal thoughts, Stalking, Sexual violence, Transphobia, Rape, Police brutality, Miscarriage, Gore, Alcoholism, Emotional abuse, Eating disorder, Death, Body shaming, Outing, Murder, Injury/Injury detail, Violence, Sexual harassment, Sexism, Pregnancy, Misogyny, Fatphobia, Child death, Confinement, Vomit, Trafficking, Alcohol, Deadnaming, Medical content, Lesbophobia, Domestic abuse, Abandonment, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Bullying, Classism, Torture, Suicide attempt, Sexual assault, Self harm, Physical abuse, Pedophilia, Panic attacks/disorders, Kidnapping, Adult/minor relationship, Blood, Toxic relationship, Mental illness, Medical trauma, Hate crime, Grief, Genocide, Gaslighting, Forced institutionalization, Dysphoria, Drug use, and Death of parent

Moderate: Cannibalism, Infertility, Infidelity, Body shaming, Chronic illness, Toxic friendship, Excrement, and Drug abuse

Minor: Animal cruelty, Infertility, Excrement, Acephobia/Arophobia, Genocide, Infidelity, and Biphobia

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. 

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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