Reviews tagging 'Bullying'

The Spirit Bares Its Teeth by Andrew Joseph White

56 reviews

cronads's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

• 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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Medical trauma, Body horror, Abortion, Gore, Physical abuse, Gaslighting, Blood, Injury/Injury detail, Abandonment, Emotional abuse, Grief, and Medical content

Moderate: Suicidal thoughts, Emotional abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual assault, Bullying, Confinement, Dysphoria, Grief, Forced institutionalization, Mental illness, Pregnancy, Self harm, Deadnaming, Violence, and Death

Minor: Misogyny, Pregnancy, Child death, Domestic abuse, Eating disorder, Cursing, Adult/minor relationship, Death of parent, Toxic relationship, Transphobia, Miscarriage, Sexism, and Vomit

ender24's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative mysterious tense slow-paced

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

4.5

A wonderful story, with a lot of horror and gore. It’s a bit slow for the first half of the book, but it’s important for the overall story unlike some other writings. Already want a sequel, or something to expand the world of the story.

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Content Warnings

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

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

5.0

The Spirit Bears It’s Teeth is a triumph. After reading Hell Followed With Us, an incredible book that ticked every box for me, I just knew I had to get my hands The Spirit Bears It’s Teeth. So when I got ahold of an ARC, I absolutely devoured it. The Spirit Bears It’s Teeth is a gorgeous story about a young autistic trans man named Silas. His story is told with metaphors of medical horror while also perfectly capturing the horror of growing into yourself in a world that wants nothing to do with you. This book is one of the best I’ve read and I can’t wait to see what Andrew Joseph White does next.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Body horror, Body shaming, Medical trauma, Medical content, Abortion, Ableism, Blood, Bullying, Deadnaming, Dysphoria, Emotional abuse, Forced institutionalization, Gaslighting, Gore, Homophobia, Mental illness, Misogyny, Murder, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Torture, Transphobia, and Violence

marywahlmeierbracciano's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

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

5.0

In Victorian England, Silas is an autistic sixteen-year-old boy facing imminent marriage and the expectation to reproduce, for he was born with a womb and the coveted violet eyes which mark him as a medium.  When a last ditch effort at survival goes wrong, Silas is sent to a (very haunted) reformatory school for wives-in-training.  Andrew Joseph White writes about trans characters with such tenderness and beauty while utilizing horror to discuss the persecution of the othered, cruel medical experimentation, “hysteria,” and fear of trans magic.  Stitched with rabbit imagery and the gory realities of humanity throughout, The Spirit Bares Its Teeth is a knockout.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexism, Medical trauma, Death, Gore, Violence, Misogyny, Gaslighting, Physical abuse, Abortion, Deadnaming, Forced institutionalization, Medical content, Murder, Ableism, and Grief

Moderate: Transphobia and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Sexual violence, Pedophilia, Bullying, Blood, Animal death, Dysphoria, Cursing, Confinement, Miscarriage, Lesbophobia, Vomit, Suicidal thoughts, Child abuse, Torture, Self harm, Pregnancy, and Emotional abuse

fanboyriot's review against another edition

dark mysterious 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

Read For:

Ghosts

Hurt/Comfort

T4T (ftm x mtf)

Dark Queer Rage

Gothic Victorian Vibes

Absolutely beautiful in a dark and vicious way.  It was heavy and uncomfortable but in a way that made you want to fight for the characters in the pages.  Drawing you in with each chapter.

The trans representation in this book might not have been the happiest I’ve ever read but even though all the angst and hurt there were moments of comfort, of happiness and hope.

Silas was such a lovable main character.  I liked his passion for being a surgeon, trying and fighting for what he wanted even when nearly everyone failed him, time and time again.  Daphne was such a light in his life and to this book I couldn’t imagine it without her.  Again a very lovable character.

This book was not soft or lighthearted and I definitely suggest reading the content warnings beforehand; but this book was written so well.  The setting, the plot, the characters, even the cover of this book was amazing.

Thank you to NetGalley and the author/publisher for this e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

(First Person POV)

Spice: 🌶️ (lightly mentioned)

Rep: Trans MC (ftm), Autistic MC, Trans LI (mtf), LGBTQIA+ MC/SCs

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gore, Medical trauma, Body horror, Emotional abuse, Sexism, Torture, Sexual harassment, Mental illness, Cursing, Abandonment, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Grief, Murder, Dysphoria, Medical content, Transphobia, Deadnaming, Forced institutionalization, Physical abuse, Suicide attempt, Gaslighting, Hate crime, Panic attacks/disorders, Bullying, Misogyny, Violence, Abortion, Injury/Injury detail, Ableism, Blood, Death, and Confinement

Moderate: Child death, Miscarriage, Suicide, Child abuse, Sexual assault, Domestic abuse, Sexual violence, Homophobia, Pedophilia, Adult/minor relationship, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Animal death, and Lesbophobia

Minor: Vomit, Rape, and Animal cruelty

mo345's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

This book was a beautiful, gory, well-written story about what men in power will do to get what they want, and those who have to suffer because of their whims. It was a fantastic second novel and is, in every way, a perfect successor to Hell Followed with Us while still managing to be unique and tell its own story. I loved every second and I am immensely grateful to Peachtree Teen for the ARC. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Medical content, Pregnancy, Suicidal thoughts, Body horror, Forced institutionalization, Gaslighting, Ableism, Adult/minor relationship, Blood, Torture, Child death, Cursing, Deadnaming, Death, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Medical trauma, Murder, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Violence, Confinement, Abortion, Bullying, Child abuse, Abandonment, Emotional abuse, Gore, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, and Misogyny

Minor: Cannibalism, Colonisation, Infertility, Sexism, Dysphoria, Classism, Slavery, and Vomit