Reviews tagging 'Kidnapping'

The Spirit Bares Its Teeth by Andrew Joseph White

24 reviews

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: 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

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: 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

salemander's review against another edition

5.0

brilliant and haunting and disgusting and so hopeful. i love gothic literature and i love trans people. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Abortion, Adult/minor relationship, Blood, Body horror, Confinement, Death, Gore, Grief, Homophobia, Rape, Sexual violence, Torture, Child abuse, Deadnaming, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Mental illness, Murder, Pedophilia, Sexism, Transphobia, Forced institutionalization, Kidnapping, Medical trauma, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Physical abuse, and Sexual assault

clarke's review against another edition

dark mysterious

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes

5.0

The Spirit Bares its Teeth is set in 1800s London, where violet eyed mediums can commune with the dead. It follows Silas, a 16 year old autistic trans boy who dreams of being a surgeon, not a man's wife, worthy only because of his violet eyes and uterus. In a desperate bid to escape, he poses as another man but his impersonation is caught. He's deemed to have "veil sickness" a disease where any woman who opens the veil descends into madness. Instead of being sent to Bedlam, a wealthy suit sweeps in and he is instead sent away to a finishing school to teach him how to be a proper lady and beat the madness away. As he learns of missing students, and the truth the headmaster is hiding, he discovers that the punishment for disobeying the patriarchal norms is worse than death.

This book was beautiful. I've highlighted parts that really spoke to me, and it was especially evocative when discussing the trans and autistic experience, eloquently describing the horrors of being perceived: "It is only when I step back to see it all through another’s eyes that I want to unravel it and carve the meat into a new, different, more acceptable shape. The only thing that will ever matter is how others see you. I want to take myself apart into something else, and if I cannot do that, I want to destroy every part of it that could ever be used against me. And if that is my eyes, or my womb, or all of it—" and the connection of girls and womanhood through being AFAB and raised as such: "I still connect with women. I find companionship with them, closeness that cannot be denied, because the world will always do its damnedest to see me as one of them. As long as we are seen the same, we will experience the same. Our lives will be linked. I will be held to the same unfair standards, punished under the same unjust rules. To separate how you are seen from who you are sometimes feels nigh impossible.". There was also an immaculate summary about my feelings as a doctor and a uterus: "know enough about pregnancy to be terrified of it, which is the only sensible reaction to discovering how it works." As well as a many tragically beautiful descriptions of grief: "Death never goes after those who deserve it. It only ever takes from those who aren’t ready." and the horrors of man: "why is it that when they hide their faces, men become monsters instead of angels?". I'll stop quoting the book now and let you enjoy it in its entire form, but God I want you all to read it immediately. I want to highlight it in its entirety.

I couldn't put this book down, and it was sad when it ended. It's an exquisitely haunting tale tackling patriarchy, identity, and complex relationships. Whilst the plot points were predictable for me, it was still satisfying: the blossoming love story and the ones that never got to be; the evil deeds committed by men; betrayal and courage and anger and cowardice and fight. Parts were akin to screaming at your TV for the character not to go up the stairs when the killer is chasing them, not to be alone in a room with a man. It did a great job at revealing information, even if I knew it already, especially early on when Silas is investigating the missing students. The world is immersive, and whilst the author notes taking historical liberties, I found everything worked and nothing pulled me out. I would have preferred more of the ghosts, opening the veil, talking to the spirits, etc but it didn't feel lacking (I'm just a spooky bitch). The horrors of man are far worse than ghosts could ever be. We're treated to small exerts from the ghosts perspective, and they are so deservedly angry. The book came the a satisfying conclusion (even if it would have preferred a more torturous end), and I want to read it for the first time again. It does feature dark themes, but none of it feels gratuitous - this is how a horror about transphobia should be done. It does not deadname for the readers sake nor try to justify itself. The queerness felt natural, as did the relationships and reactions to events. There is a kinship amongst the different characters, and I'm glad Silas had people he could trust.

Overall, this was piercingly beautiful, and whilst I wouldn't say not to more supernatural elements, a more brutal punishment, or a tad more vengeance, it was a fantastic read. Thank you to netgalley for the arc.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Deadnaming, Gore, Ableism, Adult/minor relationship, Body horror, Forced institutionalization, Homophobia, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Pregnancy, Sexism, Transphobia, Blood, Classism, Medical trauma, Cursing, Hate crime, Death, Grief, Kidnapping, Sexual assault, Violence, Physical abuse, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Murder, Outing, Confinement, Lesbophobia, Misogyny, Pedophilia, and Rape

quinnyquinnquinn's review against another edition

dark emotional 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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Medical content, Gore, Misogyny, Ableism, Forced institutionalization, Body horror, Mental illness, Medical trauma, and Transphobia

Moderate: Sexual assault, Confinement, Deadnaming, Rape, Kidnapping, and Sexual violence

Minor: Miscarriage, Adult/minor relationship, Abortion, and Pregnancy

izzy0727's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful mysterious sad tense fast-paced

• 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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abortion, Lesbophobia, Mental illness, Dysphoria, Forced institutionalization, Murder, Outing, Panic attacks/disorders, Religious bigotry, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, Torture, Violence, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Deadnaming, Homophobia, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Body horror, Death, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Medical trauma, Medical content, Miscarriage, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Transphobia, Grief, Classism, Body shaming, Bullying, Gaslighting, Gore, Pregnancy, and Rape

clovetra's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark 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? It's complicated

5.0

hey yall remember when i said during my review for [book:Hell Followed With Us|57911600] where i was like "i wanted to like this but i didn't.... lets hope this was an issue with the plot and not with the writer because god i wanted to like it"
I WAS RIGHT!! I LOVE ANDREW JOSEPH WHITE!!
i think the biggest differences for me regarding this book & hfwu were the plot itself & the worldbuilding! 
with hfwu, it was hard for me to understand as i grew up in a very agnostic household... i think ive been to a church once in my entire life. so grasping the undertones, backstory & context were hard for me! they weren't necessary for me to get cuz tbh i still had a blast but it did damper my experience. also, the worldbuilding felt lacking there.
NOT IN THIS BOOK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
the worldbuilding here is phenomenal!!! i was a bit worried at the beginning cuz i was like "ohh... ummmm idk whats happening with the speaker society". but because the 'big bad' concept was a lot easier to grasp with no background information it ate soooooooo hard. delicious. it's so easy to immerse yourself in this story as most concepts aren't too hard to imagine - picturing the victorian aesthetic did not feel laborious on my small brain which i loved!
also!!!!! don't ask me to explain this but compared to hfwt.... the writing felt more sophisticated! like joseph white has truly found his comfort spot and is executing his art perfectly. 
now lets get away from comparisons and let me just gush about this book;
- T4T ROMANCE!!!! BABY'S FIRST T4T BOOK!!! I LOVED IT!!!! SO MUCH!!!! 
- i want to marry daphne sorry she's mine
-

mary and frances

are so sweet i want to fucking sob
- the plot twists were so fucking crazy but always in a good way. like

harriett? george being a dick? DAPHNE EXISTING? LORD LUCKENBILL KNOWING? AND SILAS KILLING HIS ASS? THE GLASS IN MRS FORRESTERS SHOES???

like no punches were held back and they all hit as equally strong.
- i loved this horror style!!! like leaning into the medical gore...... chefs kiss. 
- autistic rep!!! ugh i love the way silas explains having autism. esp the rabbit. as someone with their own rabbit idk this made me feel all mushy inside. plus the groundskeeper???? im gonna CRYYYYYYY
i literally don't think a single part of this book fell even the slightest bit flat. i became so enamoured with this book i think im going to have to stare at fan art for the next couple of hours.
anyways now im listening to boys will be bugs by cavetown because that feels appropriate

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Forced institutionalization, Torture, Transphobia, Deadnaming, Medical content, Child abuse, Physical abuse, Blood, Sexism, Violence, Misogyny, Death, Murder, Injury/Injury detail, Gore, Emotional abuse, Dysphoria, and Body horror

Moderate: Suicide, Child death, Sexual harassment, Abortion, Pregnancy, Self harm, Pedophilia, Mental illness, Kidnapping, and Adult/minor relationship

Minor: Abortion

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

aklikethegun's review against another edition

dark sad tense medium-paced

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Acephobia/Arophobia, Animal death, Trafficking, Suicide, Sexual violence, Stalking, Sexual harassment, Sexual content, Police brutality, Murder, Gaslighting, Emotional abuse, Rape, Classism, Suicide attempt, Pregnancy, Injury/Injury detail, Infertility, Hate crime, Homophobia, Dysphoria, Death, Cursing, Confinement, Ableism, Abandonment, Abortion, Adult/minor relationship, Alcohol, Biphobia, Blood, Body horror, Body shaming, Bullying, Cannibalism, Child abuse, Child death, Chronic illness, Vomit, Transphobia, Torture, Suicidal thoughts, Sexual assault, Sexism, Self harm, Religious bigotry, Physical abuse, Pedophilia, Panic attacks/disorders, Outing, Misogyny, Miscarriage, Mental illness, Medical content, Lesbophobia, Kidnapping, Infidelity, Grief, Gore, Forced institutionalization, Fatphobia, Deadnaming, Addiction, Eating disorder, Domestic abuse, and Death of parent

twistedserval's review against another edition

adventurous 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? No

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Transphobia, Abortion, and Sexual assault

Moderate: Sexual harassment, Violence, Torture, Emotional abuse, Sexism, Adult/minor relationship, Deadnaming, Homophobia, Grief, Blood, Chronic illness, Death, Physical abuse, Bullying, Mental illness, Outing, Pedophilia, Gore, Suicidal thoughts, Transphobia, Body horror, Child death, Dysphoria, Kidnapping, Medical trauma, Animal cruelty, Child abuse, Death of parent, Medical content, and Pregnancy