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lizardgod's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Abandonment, Confinement, Pregnancy, Adult/minor relationship, Body shaming, Forced institutionalization, Medical trauma, Outing, Sexual assault, Toxic relationship, Death, Sexism, Transphobia, Emotional abuse, Blood, Animal death, Hate crime, Infidelity, Ableism, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Deadnaming, Gore, Medical content, Torture, Vomit, Panic attacks/disorders, Grief, Domestic abuse, Self harm, Sexual harassment, Death of parent, Injury/Injury detail, Lesbophobia, Miscarriage, Pedophilia, Abortion, Body horror, Kidnapping, Murder, Dysphoria, Homophobia, Mental illness, Misogyny, Rape, Physical abuse, and Violence
throwback682's review against another edition
- 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
“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
The
And [big spoilers] that the
The depictions of
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
Graphic: Eating disorder, Abandonment, Child abuse, Deadnaming, Death, Emotional abuse, Self harm, Torture, Transphobia, Ableism, Adult/minor relationship, Abortion, Animal death, Panic attacks/disorders, Pregnancy, Suicidal thoughts, Vomit, Body horror, Miscarriage, Sexual assault, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Dysphoria, Injury/Injury detail, Child death, Grief, Medical trauma, Sexism, Violence, Blood, Confinement, Forced institutionalization, Gore, Medical content, Pedophilia, and Physical abuse
“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 containstangleroot_eli's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Graphic: Misogyny, Murder, Death, Medical content, Medical trauma, Blood, Child abuse, Body horror, Violence, Abortion, Physical abuse, Sexism, Gore, Transphobia, Forced institutionalization, Gaslighting, Confinement, Deadnaming, Dysphoria, and Emotional abuse
Moderate: Ableism, Colonisation, Vomit, Rape, Sexual assault, Pregnancy, Suicide attempt, and Lesbophobia
Minor: Self harm and Miscarriage
Graphic:: Saneism, Misgendering, Toxic masculinity Moderate:: Slut shamingmobymaize's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Body shaming, Child abuse, Child death, Sexism, Body horror, Blood, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Gaslighting, Sexual harassment, Transphobia, Violence, Misogyny, Rape, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, Medical trauma, Miscarriage, Homophobia, Abortion, Adult/minor relationship, Confinement, Hate crime, Kidnapping, Medical content, Sexual assault, Murder, Pedophilia, Sexual violence, Torture, Infidelity, Forced institutionalization, Gore, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, and Self harm
akatperry's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Pregnancy, Murder, Forced institutionalization, Dysphoria, Transphobia, Medical trauma, Sexual violence, Sexism, Misogyny, Toxic relationship, Child death, Self harm, Physical abuse, Gore, Violence, and Deadnaming
Moderate: Rape
Minor: Miscarriage
leaflit's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Sexual harassment, Death of parent, Misogyny, Murder, Self harm, Transphobia, Abortion, Body horror, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Child death, Gore, Blood, Homophobia, Torture, Dysphoria, Gaslighting, Lesbophobia, Sexual assault, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Violence, Child abuse, Deadnaming, Death, Ableism, Adult/minor relationship, Sexism, Animal death, Forced institutionalization, Bullying, Sexual violence, Medical content, and Mental illness
Moderate: Slavery, Classism, Pregnancy, Suicidal thoughts, Confinement, Grief, Miscarriage, Vomit, Rape, and Panic attacks/disorders
sharpwords_softheart's review against another edition
- 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? It's complicated
5.0
Graphic: Body horror, Medical content, Medical trauma, Blood, Self harm, Violence, Gore, Transphobia, Injury/Injury detail, Abortion, and Death
Moderate: Animal death, Dysphoria, and Animal cruelty
Minor: Rape and Sexual assault
brittybcl's review against another edition
5.0
Graphic: Torture, Transphobia, Violence, Suicidal thoughts, Abortion, Emotional abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Physical abuse, Self harm, Body horror, Homophobia, Forced institutionalization, Misogyny, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Gore, Pregnancy, Blood, and Death
Moderate: Murder
welgan's review against another edition
- 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
I enjoyed all the imagery and metaphors about surgery and body gore because I could really feel the special interest of the main character, and also it fit very well in the narrative, I could feel the despair and rage to control one's own body, and the adequacy of the imagery with the horrors happening.
I also appreciated that there was hope and comfort to be found in kinship - this person is like me, I can be myself and true and safe with them. It helped going through a story with such hard events.
Be warned if you're a sensitive person though : beyond the horrors that would happen to a person perceived as a girl who is not complying to society's standards, and to a trans person, in a Victorian era, the writing also invite quite a gore imagery. It fits very well, but if you're bothered by body and wounds imagery, it will probably be hard to read for you. There are also a lot of sensitive topics touched, so please look at the warnings if you're unsure. I felt the book did a great job exploring the topics without too much voyeurism, but the subjects are here nonetheless.
Graphic: Death, Body horror, Deadnaming, Domestic abuse, Dysphoria, Emotional abuse, Forced institutionalization, Gore, Sexual assault, Transphobia, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Mental illness, Abortion, Blood, Child abuse, Child death, Ableism, Injury/Injury detail, Violence, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Sexism, Pregnancy, Misogyny, and Medical content
Moderate: Rape, Self harm, and Medical trauma
Minor: Homophobia, War, Suicidal thoughts, and Miscarriage
andrea_lachance's review against another edition
- 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
3.0
I really wanted to like this book, but I had really high expectations and it just didn’t meet them. Don’t get me wrong, AJW is a great writer! I just found the plot pretty predictable (as an adult) and I didn’t really understand the magic system.
HOWEVER, I find Silas an extremely interesting protagonist and I loved reading from his perspective on transness. That was 5/5 for me. This is the second book I’ve read by a trans author with a trans MC and I found Silas’ perspective much more informative and compelling.
Truly, stellar character work happening with Silas, Daphne, and Mary.
And I will be reading Hell Followed With Us and Compound Fracture as soon as it comes out.
Graphic: Blood, Physical abuse, Medical content, Abortion, Injury/Injury detail, Self harm, Transphobia, Medical trauma, and Gore
Moderate: Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Ableism, Pedophilia, Pregnancy, and Misogyny
There’s and extremely graphic (and long) medical abortion and that was CRAZY to read