Scan barcode
erinkellyreads'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
Non-Spoiler Review Section:
White's "The Spirit Bares Its Teeth" takes on the style of a Victorian Gothic novel from page one, and the elements of horror and fantasy mixed in with medicine (both scientific and "of the time") made this so nuanced and unfolded like a beautiful, dying flower. Our main character, Silas, is both transmasc and autistic, trapped in the expectations and abuse of what he is "supposed to be" and "supposed" to act like. Add in that his violet eyes allow him to open the Veil and speak to the spirits of the dead (even though "women aren't allowed to use their powers"), and the audience truly feels everything, from sensitivity to loneliness to confusion to camaraderie, with him. The horrible men of the Speakers, full of evil and betrayal, and the women of the "reform school" simultaneously fighting to be alive and to be alive in their own way create a world and tension that you can't get enough of. I'm obsessed!
Spoiler Review Section:
Graphic: Murder, Colonisation, Rape, Child abuse, Deadnaming, Death, Gore, Medical content, Mental illness, Misogyny, Religious bigotry, Trafficking, Suicidal thoughts, Emotional abuse, Ableism, Abandonment, Abortion, Adult/minor relationship, Classism, Bullying, Slavery, Torture, Injury/Injury detail, Domestic abuse, Forced institutionalization, Grief, Confinement, Homophobia, Infidelity, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Transphobia, Child death, Gaslighting, Medical trauma, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, Lesbophobia, Kidnapping, Miscarriage, Animal death, Blood, Body horror, Infertility, Suicide attempt, and Violence
samgray's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
5.0
Graphic: Blood, Suicidal thoughts, Body shaming, Deadnaming, Gaslighting, Mental illness, Misogyny, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Ableism, Slavery, Child death, Death, Murder, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Self harm, Violence, Vomit, Suicide, Pedophilia, Rape, Suicide attempt, Toxic relationship, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Forced institutionalization, Grief, Medical content, Miscarriage, Pregnancy, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Cursing, Gore, Sexual content, Transphobia, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Body horror, Child abuse, Dysphoria, Hate crime, Sexism, Sexual assault, Abortion, Adult/minor relationship, Confinement, Eating disorder, Homophobia, Injury/Injury detail, Medical trauma, Religious bigotry, and Torture
rogue_onion17's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Graphic: Sexism, Physical abuse, Pedophilia, Pregnancy, Misogyny, Medical trauma, Sexual harassment, Self harm, Panic attacks/disorders, Emotional abuse, Dysphoria, Violence, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Sexual violence, Sexual assault, Deadnaming, Vomit, Suicide attempt, Murder, Injury/Injury detail, Gore, Forced institutionalization, Trafficking, Ableism, Adult/minor relationship, Body horror, and Transphobia
Moderate: Domestic abuse, Grief, Rape, Animal death, and Pregnancy
Minor: Miscarriage
httpsserenity'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? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Murder, Sexual harassment, Suicidal thoughts, Death, Torture, Transphobia, Deadnaming, Grief, Chronic illness, Pedophilia, Rape, Body horror, Child abuse, Sexism, Abortion, Blood, Classism, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Hate crime, Homophobia, Medical content, Ableism, Injury/Injury detail, Misogyny, Pregnancy, Mental illness, Sexual assault, Dysphoria, and Panic attacks/disorders
itlivesitbleeds'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
4.5
Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Gore, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Grief, Death, Misogyny, Violence, Deadnaming, and Transphobia
ghostlyprince's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Animal death, Abortion, Blood, Violence, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Murder, Sexism, Transphobia, Ableism, Forced institutionalization, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Child death, Confinement, Deadnaming, Death, Gaslighting, Gore, Medical trauma, Misogyny, Physical abuse, and Torture
Moderate: Body horror, Abandonment, Grief, Sexual violence, Body shaming, Pedophilia, Bullying, Domestic abuse, Dysphoria, Pregnancy, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, and Vomit
Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Classism, Homophobia, Biphobia, Colonisation, Death of parent, Infidelity, Lesbophobia, and Miscarriage
dissection of dead pigs is discussed frequently in the bookremescient'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? No
5.0
Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Classism, Confinement, Abandonment, Ableism, Abortion, Dysphoria, Lesbophobia, Sexual violence, Grief, Sexual harassment, Torture, Violence, Vomit, Adult/minor relationship, Animal death, Blood, Body horror, Bullying, Cursing, Deadnaming, Death, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Forced institutionalization, Gaslighting, Gore, Homophobia, Injury/Injury detail, Misogyny, Pregnancy, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, Kidnapping, Medical content, Medical trauma, Miscarriage, Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Self harm, Outing, Rape, Sexism, Murder, and Sexual assault
Please please please read the content warnings, as many extremely violent, horrible things happen, and it might be a very difficult read for some. It's a very good book but very dark.seattlehols16'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: Animal cruelty, Blood, Body horror, Deadnaming, Gore, Murder, Homophobia, Injury/Injury detail, Death, Gaslighting, Medical trauma, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, Sexual content, Abortion, Panic attacks/disorders, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Death of parent, Self harm, Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Grief, Animal death, Torture, Emotional abuse, Forced institutionalization, Medical content, and Transphobia
While this book does have a host of trigger warnings, it is horror after all, it also feels like an important book. I only have on of the identities that is explored in this book (being a woman in a world that requires women to be only a certain thing) and the author captured the FEELING of it. The other two identities were handled in the same careful, nuanced, real way. It’s a hard but necessary read.scmiller's review against another edition
4.0
Graphic: Trafficking, Blood, Violence, Child abuse, Sexual assault, Torture, Confinement, Mental illness, Death of parent, Deadnaming, Gore, Sexual violence, Emotional abuse, Lesbophobia, Misogyny, Murder, Pregnancy, Homophobia, Physical abuse, Sexism, Abortion, Body shaming, Child death, Death, Injury/Injury detail, Gaslighting, Outing, Pedophilia, Ableism, Biphobia, Body horror, Bullying, Adult/minor relationship, Dysphoria, Forced institutionalization, Sexual harassment, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, and Transphobia
Moderate: Domestic abuse and Grief
daniellestarredpages's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Andrew Joseph White has done it again. Another horror book that blew my mind. While The Spirit Bares Its Teeth is a bit less action-packed than White's previous book "Hell Followed With Us", I enjoyed it all the same.
Andrew Joseph White seems to have found his niche in writing Trans characters fighting transphobia their own way and escaping their brutal circumstances in gruesome but self-led ways. I loved Silas and his determination to take his life into his own hands. The way White wrote about Silas facing prejudice surrounding his autism but also gave Silas bits of self-acceptance and an eventually accepting community was quite beautiful. I loved the fact that things like Silas' stimming, special interests and stimulation issues were not only mentioned to be berated during scenes including ableism and physical or emotional abuse. Another thing I found particularly interesting about the way White wrote Silas was the voice of the Rabbit that tormented Silas. The Rabbit seems to be a personification of his negative and/or intrusive thoughts.
The other characters in this book were very well-written and played off Silas well. The Veil and the magic included in this book intrigued me quite a bit. The magic system was well thought out. Andrew Joseph White stated he took creative liberties with the historical elements but these elements were very well researched.
Finally, I loved the connections that Silas made in this book. Both friendships and romantic connections. Silas found a community while suffering at Braxton's Sanitorium and Finishing School. Silas himself expressed both joy and frustration at these connections, stating that he was glad to find people like him, whether other Trans People or other Autistic People but hated the fact these connections were found at such an awful place. While I loved the relationship between Silas and Daphne and do understand the constraints of working around things like chaperones and courting and also the fact that Silas was at a boarding school, I do wish there was more development in their romance.
Trigger Warnings:
Physical Abuse, Emotional Abuse, Transphobia, Misgendering, Dead-Naming, Conversion Therapy, Ablesim, Sexual Assault, Death, Mysogyny, Graphic Violence, Medical Gore and Experimentation, Cesarean Section, Gaslighting
Graphic: Medical content, Adult/minor relationship, Forced institutionalization, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Abortion, Animal death, Self harm, Sexual assault, Violence, Cursing, Transphobia, Blood, Death, Grief, Domestic abuse, Ableism, Deadnaming, Murder, and Physical abuse
Moderate: Mental illness, Suicide, Miscarriage, Pregnancy, and Pedophilia