Reviews tagging 'Animal death'

The Spirit Bares Its Teeth by Andrew Joseph White

79 reviews

daniellestarredpages's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

• 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

---

Content Warnings

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

myamo_santiago'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? It's complicated

5.0

The spirit bares it’s teeth is a book I found on a whim when I was at the bookstore. I went into the book not knowing what to expect at each turn and falling in love with the diverse characters who fought to survive in a world that was against them. The spirit bares it’s teeth is deeply grotesque, haunting and a realistic reflection on medical history towards  those who were considered different due to their gender identity and sexual orientation  as well as ableism. The book is laced with fighting darkness when there is no hope, and left me a different person than I was when I started it.  

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Pregnancy, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Transphobia, Body horror, Death, Torture, Adult/minor relationship, Dysphoria, Homophobia, Physical abuse, Sexual violence, Emotional abuse, Gore, Child abuse, Forced institutionalization, Medical content, Animal death, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Child death, Deadnaming, Suicide attempt, Animal cruelty, Gaslighting, Abortion, Medical trauma, Pedophilia, and Blood

kenzielireads's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional medium-paced

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

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Misogyny, Self harm, Deadnaming, Forced institutionalization, Transphobia, Blood, Ableism, Injury/Injury detail, Pedophilia, Abortion, Medical content, Sexism, Medical trauma, Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Child death, Dysphoria, Gaslighting, Gore, Confinement, Panic attacks/disorders, Pregnancy, and Torture

Moderate: Rape, Grief, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Bullying, and Animal death

readingradie'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? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

God, I loved this. The horror of it. The transness of it. If I could read this again to experience it for the first time, I would in a heartbeat. 

The slow reveal was wonderful and the growing horrific realization what was happening was so well written. When the reason Mrs. Forrester's limp is revealed I had to physically look away. God, this was so good.

Also, please heed the content warnings, it gets wild in this book.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Medical trauma, Self harm, Sexual assault, Medical content, Deadnaming, Vomit, Forced institutionalization, Injury/Injury detail, Physical abuse, Rape, Transphobia, Abortion, Body horror, Domestic abuse, and Gore

Moderate: Animal cruelty and Animal death

Minor: Miscarriage

multiple Victorian Era surgeries done by the protagonist,

descriptions of: dead bodies, severe injuries, gore, literal torture that the person likes, the sexual assault isn't aggressive but I'm not very sensitive to it, the protagonist describing operating on dead animals for practice.

whomever_0's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

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

5.0

It's disturbing, know your triggers before you read. But I loved it, I loved Silas and Daphne. The mystery of what was happening entrapped me and this strange paranormal version of Victorian England was such a fascinating and gothic setting. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Abortion, Gore, Body horror, Medical content, and Misogyny

Moderate: Rape, Gaslighting, and Sexual assault

Minor: Animal death

raen_sketches'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? It's complicated

4.75

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Physical abuse, Gaslighting, Deadnaming, Death, Violence, Sexism, Abortion, Medical content, and Child abuse

Moderate: Self harm, Animal death, Adult/minor relationship, and Vomit

Minor: Rape and Miscarriage

chainingbooks'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? Yes

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexism, Transphobia, Medical trauma, Torture, Misogyny, Gore, Murder, Blood, Medical content, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Animal death and Sexual assault

Minor: Pregnancy and Miscarriage

aria_ac's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

• 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

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Blood, Adult/minor relationship, Gore, Deadnaming, Forced institutionalization, Murder, Pedophilia, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Transphobia, Death, Body horror, Dysphoria, Emotional abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Physical abuse, Self harm, Abortion, Mental illness, and Pregnancy

Moderate: Misogyny, Miscarriage, Death of parent, Bullying, Confinement, and Rape

Minor: Colonisation and Animal death

arrr's review against another edition

dark hopeful mysterious tense medium-paced

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

4.5

I don't typically read horror, so this was a bit outside my comfort zone. The story of transphobia and ableism in Victorian England mixed well with the addition of ghosts and the misogyny imposed against women and people who could manipulate the veil between worlds. I wasn't prepared for the medical horror and level of description. It wasn't as awful as it could have been, but it would have given me nightmares as a youth. I didn't really understand the ending before the last chapter. But I suppose it could be open to interpretation. Maybe that's the point. 

Well done. I unexpectedly enjoyed this. 

---

Content Warnings

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

queerandtalkative's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional reflective sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.75

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Animal death, Death, Emotional abuse, Sexual assault, Abortion, Animal cruelty, Body horror, Child death, Forced institutionalization, Gaslighting, Gore, Medical content, Medical trauma, Pedophilia, Pregnancy, Self harm, Sexism, Transphobia, and Deadnaming

Moderate: Dysphoria, Child abuse, and Adult/minor relationship

Minor: Sexual harassment and Rape