Reviews tagging 'Suicidal thoughts'

The Spirit Bares Its Teeth by Andrew Joseph White

109 reviews

kingsteph's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense fast-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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Adult/minor relationship, Body shaming, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Cursing, Deadnaming, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Hate crime, Physical abuse, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Transphobia, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Vomit, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, Abortion, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Gaslighting, Abandonment, Sexual harassment, and Dysphoria

Moderate: Mental illness, Rape, and Pregnancy

clockworkchild's review against another edition

dark tense medium-paced

• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Deadnaming, Gore, Transphobia, Forced institutionalization, Medical trauma, and Abortion

Moderate: Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Pedophilia, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Pregnancy, and Sexual harassment

Minor: Rape and Vomit

shysheepys's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional 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

5.0

I've never cried so hard reading a book. Just because Silas is so... relatable? In his thoughts and feelings? There are some things he thinks about that I've never been able to put into words for myself. 

This book was so intriguing that I sat and read it over a 5 hour span and did not want to move. Though I did break it up, I stayed up late two days in a row to finish it. I absolutely did not want to put it down. It is, however, not for the faint of heart. 

Honestly, I don't know how this is considered a YA novel other than the characters being in their teens. I'm an avid horror reader, and this book made me cringe so hard every other scene. In a good way? Its beautifully written and the story and plot are top tier, too. Even some twists I didn't see coming.

The ending reminds me of this tweet thats been stuck in my head, something along the lines of "If you're trans, you have to keep on living. If you accomplish anything, good. But you have to keep on living." And really, yeah, sometimes thats all you can do.

 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Animal death, Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Deadnaming, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Homophobia, Miscarriage, Pedophilia, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Medical content, Medical trauma, Abortion, Murder, Pregnancy, Abandonment, and Dysphoria

mlovesbooks's review against another edition

challenging dark 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

5.0

Didn't expect to love it this much. Amazing and gut-churning.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Confinement, Deadnaming, Sexism, Transphobia, Blood, Suicide attempt, and Gaslighting

Moderate: Ableism, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Pregnancy, and Sexual harassment

Minor: Miscarriage and Self harm

ronjaorsomething's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional sad 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

I loved this book so much. The writing is incredible and I felt extremely close to the characters. The trans and autistic representation was so good and even though this book takes place in an alternate London the experience these characters had were still very accurate and can be translated to the real world at the time.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Body horror, Child abuse, Death, Gore, Misogyny, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Transphobia, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Medical content, Dysphoria, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Bullying, Deadnaming, Vomit, Grief, Murder, and Sexual harassment

sunflower7skull's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-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

4.25

This book took a lot out of me. It is heavy and gruesome and beautiful. I will admit the surgical body horror made me a little squeamish, but as a trans autistic person, I loved the way the main characters were written. I don't usually like historical fiction, but I really loved this fantasy take. Highly recommend to anyone who is invested in dark fantasy, the trans experience, the autistic experience, and Victorian times (especially from a gendered/medical view) Just make sure you check trigger warnings for this one!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Animal death, Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Cursing, Deadnaming, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Homophobia, Mental illness, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Transphobia, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Vomit, Medical content, Kidnapping, Grief, Medical trauma, Abortion, Murder, Gaslighting, Abandonment, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Biphobia, Domestic abuse, Homophobia, Lesbophobia, and Dysphoria

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

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Content Warnings

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

alite428's review against another edition

dark emotional hopeful mysterious sad medium-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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Emotional abuse, Transphobia, Blood, and Abortion

Moderate: Child abuse, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Toxic relationship, Transphobia, Forced institutionalization, Medical content, Medical trauma, Murder, Pregnancy, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail

mrscreativity_1982's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective 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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Bullying, Cursing, Deadnaming, Death, Domestic abuse, Hate crime, Homophobia, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Torture, Transphobia, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Medical content, Religious bigotry, Medical trauma, Abortion, Suicide attempt, Murder, Pregnancy, and Sexual harassment

abitbetterbooks's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

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

5.0

Andrew Joseph White does it again!

Hell Followed With Us was one of my top books of 2022, and I had high hopes for The Spirit Bares It’s Teeth. I was not disappointed.

AJW had a way of writing that makes me feel like, viscerally and violently ill, and deeply unsettled, and yet I can’t look away or put his books down. The writing is addictive; quick and panicky and frantic one second, luxurious and descriptive in the next, evoking a rich depth of emotion and connection to characters. 

The amount of violence and gore in this novel is extreme, to say the least, but AJW knows how to use it. It never feels shocking for the sake of it, but truly drives home the point over and over. You’re meant to be uncomfortable— you SHOULD be uncomfortable about what's happening to the students at Braxton’s, and you don’t get to look away from the true, sheer horror of it. 

I think queer & trans horror has something special to offer as a genre; for folks who have been subjected to all kinds of horrors, supernatural or not, there is something truly powerful in the reclamation of fear and danger. Of being the “monster” everyone thinks you are, and also being the hero of the story, because the real monster are the institutions and people that seek to break you. 

As a non-autistic reader I also appreciate the work of an #OwnVoices autistic author putting the focus on Sila’s autism in this story, and the way he navigated the interplay of being autistic and being transgender, without having the terminology for either experience. 

If you have the stomach for it, I highly highly recommend this book. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Body horror, Child death, Confinement, Cursing, Deadnaming, Death, Gore, Homophobia, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Sexism, Sexual violence, Torture, Transphobia, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Medical content, Medical trauma, Abortion, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Pedophilia, Suicidal thoughts, Vomit, and Pregnancy

Minor: Miscarriage