Reviews tagging 'Hate crime'

The Spirit Bares Its Teeth by Andrew Joseph White

71 reviews

snleck's review against another edition

3.5

dark inspiring 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: Complicated

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Body horror, Body shaming, Bullying, Child death, Confinement, Deadnaming, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Hate crime, Homophobia, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicide, Torture, Transphobia, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Medical content, Medical trauma, Abortion, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Lesbophobia, Outing, Sexual harassment, Dysphoria, Injury/Injury detail

clarke's review against another edition

5.0

dark mysterious

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

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The Spirit Bares its Teeth is set in 1800s London, where violet eyed mediums can commune with the dead. It follows Silas, a 16 year old autistic trans boy who dreams of being a surgeon, not a man's wife, worthy only because of his violet eyes and uterus. In a desperate bid to escape, he poses as another man but his impersonation is caught. He's deemed to have "veil sickness" a disease where any woman who opens the veil descends into madness. Instead of being sent to Bedlam, a wealthy suit sweeps in and he is instead sent away to a finishing school to teach him how to be a proper lady and beat the madness away. As he learns of missing students, and the truth the headmaster is hiding, he discovers that the punishment for disobeying the patriarchal norms is worse than death.

This book was beautiful. I've highlighted parts that really spoke to me, and it was especially evocative when discussing the trans and autistic experience, eloquently describing the horrors of being perceived: "It is only when I step back to see it all through another’s eyes that I want to unravel it and carve the meat into a new, different, more acceptable shape. The only thing that will ever matter is how others see you. I want to take myself apart into something else, and if I cannot do that, I want to destroy every part of it that could ever be used against me. And if that is my eyes, or my womb, or all of it—" and the connection of girls and womanhood through being AFAB and raised as such: "I still connect with women. I find companionship with them, closeness that cannot be denied, because the world will always do its damnedest to see me as one of them. As long as we are seen the same, we will experience the same. Our lives will be linked. I will be held to the same unfair standards, punished under the same unjust rules. To separate how you are seen from who you are sometimes feels nigh impossible.". There was also an immaculate summary about my feelings as a doctor and a uterus: "know enough about pregnancy to be terrified of it, which is the only sensible reaction to discovering how it works." As well as a many tragically beautiful descriptions of grief: "Death never goes after those who deserve it. It only ever takes from those who aren’t ready." and the horrors of man: "why is it that when they hide their faces, men become monsters instead of angels?". I'll stop quoting the book now and let you enjoy it in its entire form, but God I want you all to read it immediately. I want to highlight it in its entirety.

I couldn't put this book down, and it was sad when it ended. It's an exquisitely haunting tale tackling patriarchy, identity, and complex relationships. Whilst the plot points were predictable for me, it was still satisfying: the blossoming love story and the ones that never got to be; the evil deeds committed by men; betrayal and courage and anger and cowardice and fight. Parts were akin to screaming at your TV for the character not to go up the stairs when the killer is chasing them, not to be alone in a room with a man. It did a great job at revealing information, even if I knew it already, especially early on when Silas is investigating the missing students. The world is immersive, and whilst the author notes taking historical liberties, I found everything worked and nothing pulled me out. I would have preferred more of the ghosts, opening the veil, talking to the spirits, etc but it didn't feel lacking (I'm just a spooky bitch). The horrors of man are far worse than ghosts could ever be. We're treated to small exerts from the ghosts perspective, and they are so deservedly angry. The book came the a satisfying conclusion (even if it would have preferred a more torturous end), and I want to read it for the first time again. It does feature dark themes, but none of it feels gratuitous - this is how a horror about transphobia should be done. It does not deadname for the readers sake nor try to justify itself. The queerness felt natural, as did the relationships and reactions to events. There is a kinship amongst the different characters, and I'm glad Silas had people he could trust.

Overall, this was piercingly beautiful, and whilst I wouldn't say not to more supernatural elements, a more brutal punishment, or a tad more vengeance, it was a fantastic read. Thank you to netgalley for the arc.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Adult/minor relationship, Body horror, Confinement, Cursing, Deadnaming, Death, Gore, Hate crime, Homophobia, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Transphobia, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Medical content, Kidnapping, Grief, Medical trauma, Murder, Pregnancy, Lesbophobia, Outing, Sexual harassment, Injury/Injury detail, Classism

paxalotile's review against another edition

5.0

adventurous dark emotional tense medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: No

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Adult/minor relationship, Body horror, Bullying, Child abuse, Chronic illness, Confinement, Deadnaming, Death, Emotional abuse, Hate crime, Mental illness, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual violence, Torture, Transphobia, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Medical content, Religious bigotry, Medical trauma, Abortion, Suicide attempt, Murder, Pregnancy, Lesbophobia, Outing, Sexual harassment, Dysphoria

manulss's review against another edition

4.75

dark emotional hopeful informative inspiring mysterious reflective sad

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: No

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

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“Id vitium nulli per saecula longa notatum quid non sentit amor?” She translates: this defect was noticed by no one through the long generations—but what does love not sense?

mi rivedo forse fin troppo in silas onestamente. ho amato questo libro dalla prima all'ultima parola e non mi ha stancato un attimo. l'ho letto pensando di rimanere terrificata dagli avvenimenti, silas fa un parto cesareo improvvisato, questo libro rappresenta molto più. parla di trovare sé stessi, esserlo anche davanti agli altri e cercare di farsi accettare nonostante il periodo storico in cui ci troviamo. silas all'inizio non aveva casa, famiglia o amici ed alla fine ha trovato tutto questo e molto altro ancora. 

l'unica cosa che non mi è piaciuta è quel cazzo di "un anno dopo" perchè??? non ha senso il libro era completo anche senza.

ps. silas is literally "who's afraid of little old me?" by taylor swift coded.✨️

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Body horror, Child abuse, Deadnaming, Emotional abuse, Gore, Hate crime, Miscarriage, Physical abuse, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual assault, Torture, Transphobia, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Medical content, Murder, Pregnancy, Dysphoria

simplythegirl's review against another edition

5.0

adventurous dark emotional informative reflective sad tense medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Complicated

Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

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This is probably  the best book I read this year so far. The characters are loveable, the descriptions and storytelling are amazing, and the concept is interesting.  The gore descriptions are so vivid I love it. I'm  a huge fan of Andrew Joseph White do I knew going in I would love it but I was blown away. I couldn't put the book down. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Deadnaming, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Hate crime, Homophobia, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Transphobia, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Excrement, Vomit, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, Suicide attempt, Murder, Gaslighting, Sexual harassment, Classism

solarwitchbooks's review against another edition

5.0

dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

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I am convinced that Andrew Joseph White is incapable of writing a bad book. I could not put this down, it will be on my mind for weeks, haunting and beautiful and made me feel seen. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Body horror, Deadnaming, Death, Gore, Hate crime, Mental illness, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicide, Torture, Transphobia, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Medical content, Medical trauma, Suicide attempt, Murder, Dysphoria, Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Animal death

aklikethegun's review against another edition

4.75

adventurous dark emotional tense medium-paced

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Body shaming, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Deadnaming, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Genocide, Gore, Hate crime, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Torture, Toxic relationship, Transphobia, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Vomit, Police brutality, Medical content, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Grief, Medical trauma, Stalking, Abortion, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Lesbophobia, Outing, Gaslighting, Abandonment, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, Dysphoria, Injury/Injury detail, Classism

Moderate: Body shaming, Chronic illness, Drug abuse, Infertility, Infidelity, Excrement, Cannibalism, Toxic friendship

Minor: Animal cruelty, Biphobia, Genocide, Infertility, Infidelity, Excrement, Acephobia/Arophobia

aklikethegun's review against another edition

4.5

dark sad tense medium-paced

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Complicated

Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Animal death, Biphobia, Body horror, Body shaming, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Chronic illness, Confinement, Cursing, Deadnaming, Death, Domestic abuse, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Gore, Hate crime, Homophobia, Infertility, Infidelity, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Torture, Transphobia, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Vomit, Police brutality, Medical content, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Grief, Cannibalism, Religious bigotry, Stalking, Abortion, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Acephobia/Arophobia, Murder, Pregnancy, Lesbophobia, Outing, Gaslighting, Abandonment, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, Dysphoria, Injury/Injury detail, Classism

nikoops's review against another edition

5.0

dark emotional hopeful 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: Complicated

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Easily one of my favorite reads of 2024 thus far. Andrew Joseph White knocks it out of the park again with a richly described world with its own unique systems, and a cast of diverse characters. Great mystery, unexpected twists and turns, and ghosts! 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Deadnaming, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Hate crime, Mental illness, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Transphobia, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Medical content, Trafficking, Grief, Medical trauma, Abortion, Murder, Pregnancy, Gaslighting, Dysphoria, Injury/Injury detail

Do not recommend this book if you are squeamish about detailed medical procedures.

dreareads_'s review against another edition

4.25

challenging dark emotional 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: Complicated

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Pain. So much pain.

If there’s something Andrew Joseph White can do is write body horror that will have you squirming in your seat. Add to that the presence of medical trauma and you have a book that will give you nightmares.

But of all the body horror, and misery that this book covers it was its discussion of womanhood and trans masc identity that elevated it for me. Joseph White did a brilliant job at exploring the complexities of these identities while simultaneously maintaining a clear critique of the cis patriarchical system in the story (as well as real life).

I loved the relationship between Silas and Daphne. Their first meeting warmed my heart and brought me to tears. In addition, I just love how good Joseph White is at writing relationships between characters. Like I FELT the betrayal in the story. 

My main “critiques” or caveats would be that the book gets bogged down in its metaphors and imageries at times. Towards the middle of the book the imagery that Joseph White was trying to evoke through his use of stylistic language felt repetitive, and disruptive of the flow of the text. 

I would also add that although there is a historical note at the end of the book explaining how medical experimentation was racialized in the real world, you could really feel the lack of intersectional examination in the text. 

Overall, another excellent book from an author that quickly becoming one of my favorites. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Adult/minor relationship, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Body shaming, Cancer, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Cursing, Deadnaming, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Hate crime, Homophobia, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Transphobia, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, Abortion, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Gaslighting, Abandonment, Sexual harassment, Colonisation, Dysphoria, Injury/Injury detail