Reviews tagging 'Injury/Injury detail'

The Spirit Bares Its Teeth by Andrew Joseph White

266 reviews

rradujko's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional 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

4.25

This book was a hard read. Good, but hard. Compared to Hell Followed With Us, White's writing style has much improved, becoming definitively more streamlined and precise. The gruesome medical imagery, while at times gratuitous in Hell Followed With Us, in this novel were used as an effective tool for plot advancement, and Silas was a stunningly complex mc. All of which I was happy to see, as I had...complex...feelings about Hell Followed With Us.

White gives a much-needed trigger warning at the beginning of The Spirit Bares it's Teeth: if gore is not for you, if significant physical and emotional abuse and trauma is not for you, if grisly death is not for you, don't read this book. 

BUT, if you want a ruthlessly visceral portrait of what transness, mental health and illness, and gendered disenfranchisement looked like in the 1800s, this book definitively stood out. White's no-holds-barred approach is stark and unsparing, and reveals the depravity men would wreak on the marginalized in the name of scientific advancement. I found myself rooting for his cast of characters, even as every facet of society was pitted against them over and over again. Silas and his betrothed are a shining ray in the miasma of abuse that was Victorian sanatoriums. 

The one distinct critique that i had was that in the trigger warnings as well as in the jacket description I would have loved to see a slightly more accurate depiction of Silas' transness. Meaning that it should have been noted that the setting of the book intensely impacts his own ability to engage with his transness, which would make it unsuitable for some of my own trans friends. The betrayal of trust Silas experiences at the end, as well as the consistent misgendering and deadnaming should have been flagged. So I would say that this book may not be for trans readers who are still settling into their identity.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Body horror, Deadnaming, Death, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Medical content, Abortion, Murder, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Child death, Domestic abuse, and Rape

aidareads's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• 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

i cannot put into words how grateful i am that andrew exists, and writes, because god does he do that wonderfully. he is officially my comfort author now alongside a couple others like sanderson, because how couldn’t he? 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Gore, Transphobia, Violence, Blood, Medical trauma, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Miscarriage, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, and Pregnancy

purplepickle's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional informative mysterious sad 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? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Deadnaming, Death, Domestic abuse, Gore, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, Abortion, Murder, Pregnancy, Gaslighting, Sexual harassment, Dysphoria, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Miscarriage and Death of parent

handove's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Deadnaming, Death, Gore, Misogyny, Sexual assault, Transphobia, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Medical content, Medical trauma, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Homophobia, Pedophilia, Rape, Violence, and Pregnancy

tokaylamockingbird's review against another edition

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Body horror, Deadnaming, Gore, Mental illness, Sexual assault, Suicide, Blood, Medical trauma, Abortion, Death of parent, and Injury/Injury detail

baileybeloved's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional inspiring 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

Sat down & read through it in a day. I cringed, I cried, I was sick to my stomach, I shivered, & my skin crawled. Absolutely recommend. Perfect ending. I will say that some of turns of this story are predictable - but knowing where it’s headed almost heightens the dread? Screaming DONT DONT NO NO NO (along with the rabbit) when you know what’s coming or what he will find (but then being shocked & appalled anyway) happened a few times for me, but did not detract from the story. 

Heed the tags, but know that the content is there for a reason. It’s not torture porn or AJWhite trying to hit checklist of horror tropes - it’s a story with real roots. 

One small detail that really struck me - from the very end was hearing about

how the freezing had happened in other places too, like in India & in American plantations

. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Deadnaming, Death, Gore, Mental illness, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Torture, Transphobia, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Medical content, Medical trauma, Abortion, Murder, Dysphoria, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Confinement, Cursing, Homophobia, Miscarriage, Rape, Self harm, Sexual violence, Kidnapping, Lesbophobia, and Sexual harassment

Frequent detailed descriptions of medical procedures the narrator wants to inflict upon himself to get rid of the parts that make him a target.

whatkatyread87's review

dark emotional hopeful informative 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? It's complicated

5.0

Holy shit. I have no words for how important this book is to people. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Adult/minor relationship, Animal cruelty, Biphobia, Body horror, Body shaming, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Cursing, Deadnaming, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Hate crime, Homophobia, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Torture, Transphobia, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Vomit, Medical content, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Religious bigotry, Medical trauma, Abortion, Suicide attempt, Acephobia/Arophobia, Murder, Pregnancy, Lesbophobia, Fire/Fire injury, Outing, Cultural appropriation, Gaslighting, Abandonment, Dysphoria, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

mchill's review against another edition

dark emotional hopeful inspiring 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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Child death, Deadnaming, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Hate crime, Homophobia, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Torture, Transphobia, Violence, Vomit, Medical content, Kidnapping, Medical trauma, Abortion, Pregnancy, Lesbophobia, Sexual harassment, Dysphoria, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Biphobia, Cursing, and Abandonment

Minor: Eating disorder and Fatphobia

This is a wonderful book, yet as the author states at the beginning there is no need to stay if it’s going to cause you pain. This story took my heart and crushed it to dust. Exploring misogyny through the eyes of a trans man. His fragility and trauma is beautifully crafted by the author to show a softer side of masculinity and portray the fight that is being who you are. Set in the 1800s, this story explores how those who presented female were diagnosed with weak constitution, tortured, forced into marriages far too young and left to carry children they may not even want. As such, it is not a story for the weak of heart. However, if it is for you, then it is worth every page and I highly recommend giving it a go.

elliizzzabeth's review

dark informative 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? No

4.5

If I was going to use a word to describe this book it would be violent. Everything from the world to the characters to Silas's own inner monologue is unflinchingly violent and raw. Silas is an autistic trans man forced into a correctional school for girls with a view to be made into a perfect wife. The world is constantly, violently unafirming of his gender, his neurodivengency and his ambitions to be a surgeon.
There is a trigger warning given at the start by the author and my God does it need it. If you are turned off by graphic descriptions of medical procedures and gore then this is not the book for you. Honestly I'm surprised I survived it! Silas cannot go a couple pages without being beaten or attacked or having to hastily stitch up life threatening injuries with a sewing kit. The book was so graphic in these areas and also contained so much swearing and references to sexual assault I was astounded it was rated as "teen". Definitely one for older teens (with strong stomachs!) 
But despite that the story was strong, if a little predictable at times, and it had me hooked all the way through. It was very fast paced so it always kept you on your toes. Daphne and Silas's romance was sweet and I enjoyed the dynamics between all the girls. But most of all it was a visceral, gory, un-censored view of what it is like to claw your way to survival in a world that is forcing you into boxes you desperately don't want to be in. Incredibly glad I wasn't a woman in the victorian era, fucking hell!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Adult/minor relationship, Child death, Death, Gore, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Transphobia, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Medical content, Medical trauma, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Deadnaming, Mental illness, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Abortion, Murder, Pregnancy, Sexual harassment, and Dysphoria

-Many graphic scenes of surgery -Repeated graphic descriptions of a person removing their own eyes and a self-inflicted hysterectomy

nita216's review against another edition

dark emotional fast-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Medical content, Medical trauma, and Injury/Injury detail