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Reviews tagging 'Panic attacks/disorders'
The Spirit Bares Its Teeth by Andrew Joseph White
142 reviews
"This is what happens to people like me if we don't have the money for tutors, if we refuse to listen, if we don't have wombs that are worth the effort. He's scared. He's cornered. Like me."
THE SPIRIT BARES ITS TEETH, at its core, is a tale of solidarity and strength.
Andrew Joseph White's second novel follows Silas, an autistic trans boy, and his gnashing battle with a world that attempts to shape his flesh as it deems fit—and how hard he fights to take control of his body and life.
Juxtaposing the times he claws his way out of the basement, painted with mangled wounds where stitching was torn back by scalpel, are the times in which he burrows his exhausted face in the neck of his lover.
Daphne was an exquisite character. She is a delicate, brave woman, with an adoration for Silas so genuine it made me weep. Every moment the pair shared was held in place by incorrigibly horrendous events that occurred both before and after, which only made the sweetness more bitter. Even so, the few specks of time in which solace was found in their shared company were perfect.
Silas's story is raw, tender down to the fragile bone. Every moment had me chewing my lip, clawing at my chest in an attempt to calm my racing heart. Every emotion was visceral, as bloody and brutal as the surgeries our ravenous protagonist performs.
"It distracts me for just long enough to make me laugh, and Daphne does too. Her eyes shine when she laughs. She's beautiful.
A beautiful thing. Here. I almost don't believe it."
Graphic: Ableism, Animal death, Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Cursing, Deadnaming, Death, Domestic abuse, Gore, Homophobia, Mental illness, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Transphobia, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Vomit, Medical content, Abortion, Murder, Pregnancy, Sexual harassment, Dysphoria, Injury/Injury detail
I found solace in Silas worldview, and found myself nodding alone when he was talking about human biology and experiencing the world in black and white.
I found the romance to be VERY rushed, but I understood how those characters bonded so fast by being similar.
I really loved the descriptions, the horrors, the gore. I would have loved more world building though, at many points in the book the violet-eyes aspect seemed pretty unessecary and easily replaceable with the old good trope of ghosts just lurking around. I want to know more about this alternate england.
And of course I have to mention, how the book depicts womanhood. Even though the protagonist is trans, he doesn't detest it, and instead the narrative celebrates women, their endurance, bravery and rage. Overall, it was a haunting read that I'll remember and recommend.
Thank you Netgalley for the ARC!
Graphic: Body horror, Child death, Confinement, Cursing, Deadnaming, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Homophobia, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Transphobia, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Medical content, Abortion, Murder, Pregnancy, Lesbophobia, Sexual harassment, Dysphoria, Injury/Injury detail