Reviews tagging 'Panic attacks/disorders'

The Spirit Bares Its Teeth by Andrew Joseph White

141 reviews

the_wistful_word_witch's review against another edition

5.0

challenging dark emotional hopeful mysterious reflective sad tense slow-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

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The Spirit Bares Its Teeth... and sinks them into your throat, taking you along this dark journey into the pit of hell and out again. I listened to the audiobook version in less than a day and couldn't walk away. Raphael Corkhill does an AMAZING job narrating this fictional account of a transman trying to survive a conversion sanatorium and bring down the evil Spiritualist  organisation behind it in Victorian England. 

This is ultimately a story of triumph, of self-acceptance, and of finding your family. While being an incredible story with so much richness, and true horror, both real and paranormal, it is extremely heavy when it comes to LGBTQIA+ and women's rights and how they were treated in this era. This isn't a book for the faint of heart, even though it does have a happy ending. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Bullying, Child abuse, Confinement, Deadnaming, Death, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Medical content, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Gaslighting, Dysphoria

Minor: Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, Pregnancy

catmilo's review against another edition

4.5

dark 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: No

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This was a great historical fiction novel centering a trans man. Now i want to read everything else by this author. It is VERY GORY as a heads up. So gripping & thrilling, i loved it. Incredible detail for a medical nerd like me. Only not a 5 star because there was little to no mention of race, except in notes by the author outside the story.
“I hope the scalpel is kind to you. I hope your sutures heal clean”

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Body horror, Death, Gore, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Self harm, Transphobia, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Excrement, Medical content, Murder, Gaslighting, Dysphoria, Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Deadnaming, Domestic abuse, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Sexual harassment, Classism

hanah_leia's review against another edition

5.0

dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Complicated

Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

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I will probably read everything Andrew Joseph White writes. He is (rightfully) unapologetic and real in how he writes trans and autistic protagonists and it is absolutley beautiful. The Spirit Bares Its Teeth is certainly horror, so I definitely reccomend checking out the description and content warnings before reading. I would also absolutley reccomend reading this to anyone who is at all intrigued and is okay with the content warnings. Side note- the author's note about cw at the start did make me cry, not because of the warnings but because of the care extended towards the reader (quote included below). 

“You don’t have to endure it. You can get off the operating table and walk away at any time."

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Deadnaming, Death, Gore, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Panic attacks/disorders, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Torture, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Medical content, Suicide attempt, Murder, Pregnancy, Dysphoria, Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Cursing, Physical abuse, Toxic relationship, Transphobia, Religious bigotry, Medical trauma, Pregnancy

Minor: Vomit

haydenjakob18's review against another edition

5.0

challenging dark emotional informative mysterious sad tense medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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This is genuinely one of my favorite books. This author is so talented and I always feel like I’m right beside the characters as the story goes on. I love a T4T romance. Normally, I don’t read historical fiction/period pieces but this one was an exception, probably because of the queerness of it all. AJW, you nailed it again. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Adult/minor relationship, Body horror, Child death, Deadnaming, Death, Gore, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Torture, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Medical content, Medical trauma, Abortion, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Sexual harassment, Dysphoria, Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Classism

jess_polishedcomma's review against another edition

5.0

dark emotional tense medium-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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This was *deliciously* gory. If you can't read medical gore, skip this book and read a synopsis instead. I loved the way that there was so much rage in this book, and how it was so specifically directed toward the end, and that our MCs also found a soft place to land with each other. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Bullying, Child abuse, Confinement, Deadnaming, Death, Gore, Panic attacks/disorders, Transphobia, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Medical trauma, Abortion, Injury/Injury detail

talonsontypewriters's review against another edition

2.5

dark medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: No

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Child abuse, Deadnaming, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Sexism, Torture, Transphobia, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Medical content, Medical trauma, Abortion, Murder, Gaslighting, Dysphoria, Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Animal death, Domestic abuse, Pedophilia, Self harm, Sexual assault, Pregnancy

Minor: Homophobia, Miscarriage, Excrement, Vomit, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Lesbophobia, War

librarian_aj's review against another edition

4.0

challenging 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

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MIND THE TRIGGER WARNINGS 
oh my god
A dark read I generally would not agree falling into YA, really more New Adult or just adult with a teen protagonist, similar to Library of the Dead. 

Some very relatable and authentic representation of autistic and trans characters that was at times heartwarming and other times soul crushing. 

The ending wrapped up ridiculously quick, which lost it a star. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Adult/minor relationship, Animal death, Body horror, Confinement, Deadnaming, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Transphobia, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Vomit, Medical trauma, Abortion, Murder, Pregnancy, Dysphoria, Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Rape, Sexual assault

Minor: Miscarriage, Cannibalism

nixieba25f's review against another edition

5.0

challenging dark emotional sad tense medium-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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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Adult/minor relationship, Animal death, Body horror, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Deadnaming, Death, Gore, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Sexism, Sexual assault, Torture, Transphobia, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Medical content, Abortion, Murder, Pregnancy, Gaslighting, Sexual harassment, Colonisation, Dysphoria, Injury/Injury detail

_bookgremlin_'s review against another edition

5.0

dark tense fast-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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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Adult/minor relationship, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Deadnaming, Death, Gore, Homophobia, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Transphobia, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Vomit, Police brutality, Medical content, Grief, Religious bigotry, Medical trauma, Abortion, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Lesbophobia, Outing, Gaslighting, Abandonment, Sexual harassment, Dysphoria

junebug555's review against another edition

4.0

challenging dark emotional reflective 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: Complicated

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Body horror, Death, Emotional abuse, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Transphobia, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Grief, Suicide attempt, Murder, Pregnancy, Sexual harassment, Dysphoria, Injury/Injury detail