Reviews tagging 'Gore'

The Spirit Bares Its Teeth by Andrew Joseph White

668 reviews

cathgrin's review against another edition

5.0

dark medium-paced

Loveable characters: Yes

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This book is a bloodcurdling scream, raw meat gnawed from a snapped bone. 

It's AJW, you know EXACTLY what you're gonna get. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Death, Gore, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Forced institutionalization, Medical content, Medical trauma, Gaslighting, Injury/Injury detail

inkstainedghosts13's review against another edition

5.0

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious tense fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Complicated

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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Amazing, read all in one night. Amazing trans and neurodivergent representation. Got the Gothic style perfectly. Fantastic book!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Bullying, Child abuse, Deadnaming, Domestic abuse, Gore, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual assault, Suicide, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Medical content, Medical trauma, Abortion, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Pregnancy, Dysphoria, Injury/Injury detail

lochnessvhs's review against another edition

5.0

dark emotional inspiring 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: No

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How am I ever supposed to read another book ever again??

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Deadnaming, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Transphobia, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Medical content, Murder, Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Confinement, Gore, Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, Torture, Pregnancy, Lesbophobia

eventyr's review against another edition

4.5

dark mysterious 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: Complicated

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Deadnaming, Death, Gore, Torture, Transphobia, Forced institutionalization, Medical trauma, Dysphoria

Minor: Ableism

bsilliam's review against another edition

5.0

dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Adult/minor relationship, Body horror, Deadnaming, Death, Gore, Homophobia, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Transphobia, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Medical content, Abortion, Dysphoria

captainpiika's review against another edition

5.0

challenging dark emotional mysterious sad 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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Deadnaming, Emotional abuse, Gore, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Sexism, Sexual assault, Torture, Transphobia, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Abortion, Dysphoria

Moderate: Pregnancy

Minor: Homophobia, Miscarriage, Rape, Suicide attempt

tinnybuckets's review against another edition

5.0

dark emotional sad tense fast-paced

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: No

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I will forever thank whatever god led me towards this book. I wish I had the words to explain how much this book truly means to me. I’ve been reduced to tears several times during this read, I found myself living life chapter to chapter, nothing in between mattered and I just had my sights set on when I’d next be able to sit down and read a few more pages, or chapters, or the whole damn thing if I was only given the time and energy. 
Beautiful book, my heart weeps. 
Silas Bell and Mary Carter you are special to me forever. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Gore, Homophobia, Sexual assault, Transphobia, Medical content, Medical trauma, Abortion

bi_mermaid_'s review against another edition

5.0

challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring mysterious reflective sad 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

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Listen I liked Hell Followed With Us quite a bit but... this is probably the book that's made a full Joseph Andrew White convert and I will read EVERYTHING he writes now. Like wow this book was amazing. Or maybe just the stars aligned perfectly because it feels like I read this book at the perfect time. I'd been reading a lot of cozier fiction lately so I knew I wanted something ediger and a little fucked up. I remember really liking how Hell Followed With Us did body horror so I thought I'd give his second book a go (by the way can we talk about for a sec how all these covers are beautifully designed). This was the absoulte perfect book to quench that thirst. I loved Silas and Daphne and getting to know the girls here forced into this horrible situation. AJW does such a good job building up dread and tension and of course, the bits of body horror and gore in this book was exactly what I was looking for. I also really appreciated this portrayal of an autistic protagonist. 

Maybe it's because I read them back to back, but I can't help but compare this to Evocation. There was so much that worked well here that failed there. For one, the society in this book is purposefully elusive and vauge because our protagonist isn't allowed to be part of that group, therefore doesn't know much about the goings on. Compared to Evocation where the occult society is such an important aspect of 2 of the main characters lives (both are running for president or whatever) but we know fuckall about the society. And the characters here felt so much more vibrant and tangible after suffering through the flat characters in Evocation.

TLDR; I loved this book very very much. I was tabbing the hell out of it and writing down so many quotes in my commonplace book. I will definitely want to read this again in the future and I'm excited to read everything else AJW publishes (especially his debut adult novel coming out later this year!) 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Child abuse, Deadnaming, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Mental illness, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Self harm, Sexism, Torture, Transphobia, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Medical content, Medical trauma, Abortion, Murder, Pregnancy, Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship

bethany_paige's review against another edition

5.0

dark emotional inspiring mysterious sad fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Complicated

Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Deadnaming, Torture, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Medical content, Abortion, Murder, Gaslighting, Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Gore, Sexism, Transphobia, Pregnancy

Minor: Rape, Sexual assault

there’s gore, but described mostly clinically through the mc’s POV. The goriest descriptions are probably when a character attempts an abortion on herself and when the MC murders someone brutally.

rennyreads96's review against another edition

5.0

challenging dark emotional medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: No

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Phenomenal. Heartbreaking. Terrifying. If you don’t have the stomach for medical gore, you can skim over those parts. The story and the characters and the power of it all is so worth it. Please read this book. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Gore, Homophobia, Misogyny, Sexual assault, Transphobia, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Medical trauma, Abortion