Reviews tagging 'Pedophilia'

The Spirit Bares Its Teeth by Andrew Joseph White

157 reviews

circinus's review against another edition

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? Yes

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Animal death, Body horror, Body shaming, Bullying, Child death, Cursing, Deadnaming, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Homophobia, Mental illness, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Torture, Transphobia, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Vomit, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, Abortion, Murder, Pregnancy, Lesbophobia, Gaslighting, Sexual harassment, Dysphoria, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

Minor: Miscarriage and Suicide attempt

alyxinthestars's review against another edition

dark emotional tense medium-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Child death, Deadnaming, Death, Gore, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Transphobia, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Medical content, Medical trauma, Abortion, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Body horror, Pedophilia, Rape, and Pregnancy

Minor: Miscarriage

zizzlee0305's review against another edition

dark emotional 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? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Body horror, Deadnaming, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Mental illness, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Self harm, Transphobia, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Medical trauma, Abortion, Suicide attempt, Murder, Pregnancy, Abandonment, Sexual harassment, and Dysphoria

Moderate: Animal death and Kidnapping

Minor: Miscarriage and Rape

enyltiak's review against another edition

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

5.0

This book didn’t just beat the sophomore slump, it utterly demolished it. I think this is better than Hell Followed With Us, and if AJW keeps this up his books will just keep getting better. I got so attached to

Mary and Frances’s story and all its tragedy.

A perfect read for an autistic, ghost and gothic loving LGBT reader such as myself! 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Deadnaming, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Homophobia, Mental illness, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Sexism, Sexual assault, Torture, Transphobia, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Medical content, Medical trauma, Abortion, Pregnancy, Gaslighting, Dysphoria, and Injury/Injury detail

zee_lee's review against another edition

challenging 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

5.0

FANTASTIC BOOK! This author never fails to write a horrifically beautiful, emotional, and thought-provoking novel. Never did I consider myself a horror person, but my love for both of his books have me seeking other horror novels like these. The Spirit Bares Its Teeth somehow managed to turn an idea of historical fiction into a queer horror novel with some of the most beautiful use of the English language I have ever read. However, this book is not for those looking for an easy read. I simultaneously couldn't put the book down and dreaded turning each page. But for anyone who can stomach beautifully written gore and having to deal with the harsh reality of the world we live in, I couldn't recommend this book more. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Gore, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, Abortion, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Confinement, Cursing, Deadnaming, Domestic abuse, Pedophilia, Torture, Transphobia, Pregnancy, and Dysphoria

Minor: Body shaming, Rape, and Vomit

jei_reads_sometimes'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

4.5

I don't normally read horror but this was popping up on so many lists I figured I'd give it a shot.  
Please check and take the CWs seriously.  I felt myself have visceral reactions at times and yet... I couldn't put it down.  The way the story held up a mirror to how it feels to be different in so many ways in a world that just wants you to conform hit hard.  I'll be looking into more works from this author.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Deadnaming, Death, Domestic abuse, Gore, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Self harm, Transphobia, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Medical content, Suicide attempt, Murder, Pregnancy, and Fire/Fire injury

Moderate: Bullying, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual assault, Grief, and Abandonment

Minor: Torture and War

lizardgod's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional inspiring reflective 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

 I love women as men are expected to, but the way only one who has ever experienced womanhood can. 

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Content Warnings

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

shugentobler's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense fast-paced

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

5.0

Wow. This book was gory and beautiful and heart breaking and dark and amazing and terrible. It was a small fictional window into the lives of those who need to be "fixed" by the system and the horrors they endured. I thought silas's portrayal as a trans person was honest and gut wrenching without feeling heavy handed. This was my favorite Gothic horror of the year which is saying something because I've had a few! 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Body horror, Gore, Physical abuse, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Pregnancy, and Sexual harassment

Moderate: Child abuse, Child death, Homophobia, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual assault, and Classism

throwback682's review against another edition

dark sad tense

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

5.0

[For reference, I’m a white allistic queer cis woman with ADHD]

“I just finished reading a horrifying violent disgusting wonderful beautiful book,” I texted my friend immediately.

Horror/fantasy/historical fiction, set in Victorian England, with a protagonist we would call bi or pan, transgender, and autistic (and who is subjected to what we’d call ABA “therapy”). I love the protagonist so very much. 

This book is not for the faint of heart. The author gives a non exhaustive list of triggers in the introduction, and acknowledges that this book isn’t for everyone, reassuring would-be readers that it’s okay to walk away. 

For me personally, it was very  much worth it. I hesitate to say too much for fear of spoilers but I just loved this book so much. I guess some of my favorite things were 

That the protagonist

refuses to internalize oppressive messaging about autism

.

The

queer relationships

including one

T4T relationship

.

And [big spoilers] that the

bad guys AND their enablers/apologists get their just desserts

and

the protagonist and some other LGBTQ+ characters

get to have a happy ending

(although obviously trauma is a thing).

The depictions of

autistic

behaviors like

hand flapping. Even though therapists tried to train/torture it out of the protagonist, he speaks about it positively and does it when he can

. There’s also another

autistic

who is

nonverbal

. There’s also a scene where

the autistic protagonist asks another character to squeeze him as tightly as she can, and that his brother used to do this for him as well

.

Basically I feel like this book shows the almost unfathomable ugliness of  the world and the hatred and oppression of queer, trans, and neurodivergent people, but it also

depicts queer and trans love, autistic self love and self acceptance, solidarity, strength, etc. I found it very inspiring.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Adult/minor relationship, Animal death, Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Deadnaming, Death, Domestic abuse, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Gore, Miscarriage, Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Transphobia, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Vomit, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, Abortion, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Abandonment, Dysphoria, and Injury/Injury detail

“Letter from the Author One of the cruel injustices of the world is that survival hurts sometimes. Open-heart surgery, for example, looks a lot like murder. Amputation before the advent of proper anesthesia was just a bone saw and a rag to bite. On that note, I will make this clear: The Spirit Bares Its Teeth contains transphobia, ableism, graphic violence, sexual assault, discussions of forced pregnancy and miscarriage, mentions of suicidal ideation, and extensive medical gore. But I will also make it clear that this book is not a necessary procedure. You don’t have to endure it. You can get off the operating table and walk away at any time. I won’t blame you. For those still reading—do you have a rag to bite?—I want to make note of some context. Ghosts and mediums and alternate histories aside, The Spirit Bares Its Teeth was inspired by Victorian England’s sordid history of labeling certain people “ill” or “other” to justify cruelty against them. Threats of violence enforced strict social norms, often targeting women, queer and disabled people, and other marginalized folks. I have included another note about these realities at the end of the book, including some that this book does not cover. True history is often much more heartbreaking than any horror novel can depict. So, if nothing else, I hope this story means something to you. I hope the scalpel is kind to you. I hope your sutures heal clean. You deserve that much; we all do. Yours, Andrew” For me, it’s hard to say what’s harder to stomach - the blood and gore, or the attitudes towards queer and trans, neurodivergent, and other marginalized people.

mobymaize's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious tense slow-paced

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

4.0

Damn this book is crazy, and it was great, but at times it felt like torture porn. I get that that’s the point, but

glass in the shoes

is fucking horrific. Additionally, for a novel with spirit in its name, it didn’t entirely have a huge emphasis on ghosts in general

(except for the destruction of Braxtons of course)

. Great horror, not super for me though. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Body horror, Body shaming, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Gore, Hate crime, Homophobia, Infidelity, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Torture, Transphobia, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Medical content, Kidnapping, Religious bigotry, Medical trauma, Abortion, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Gaslighting, and Sexual harassment