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challenging
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
i wanted to like this book so, so bad. i really did. but i think it just has too many flaws unfortunately.
for starters, this book is set in the 1880s. why? i honestly have no idea. the dialogue and narration does not read like it was appropriate for the time period, and comes off as very modern. silas feels plucked from modern day and shoved into victorian england due to his opinions and viewpoints regarding gender and sexism. this would have been more of an interesting book if an attempt was made to reconcile silas' transness through the lens of victorian england sensibilities. the narrative itself would've been stronger if it was straight fantasy with its own world instead of historical fiction with fantasy elements.
likewise, i found the fantasy portion of the book intriguing but flat. i wanted sooo much more about the spirit world and how mediums worked. again, if just more care was taken to properly flesh out the world instead of (poorly) trying to fit it into a historical setting, i think the fantasy elements could've been used more effectively.
silas himself is a frustrating protagonist, though it's partly the way he's written. i read the entire book and i only know three things about silas: that he's autistic, that he's trans, and that he wants to be a surgeon. later in the novel he speaks about himself and lists off traits that are in no way shape or form adequately explored. i've seen other reviewers mention this and at times he does seem like a checklist of symptoms. while i did resonate with several descriptions that related to his autistic experiences, i just think that it was too heavy-handed, though it's especially egregious due to the absence of any other traits. not going to lie, i didn't really care for silas, and as the book veered into torture-porn territory i just didn't care what happened to him.
the book felt very "us vs them" in the fact that no one was kind to silas unless they were also queer or neurodivergent. the fact thatlord luckenbill turned on him in the end was especially frustrating and honestly the last straw for me. like, i get it. i do. but the fact that silas didn't have anyone in his corner that couldn't directly relate to his experiences just felt so disheartening, even in a book like this. maybe even especially in a book like this.
regarding silas and daphne: i get the joy that comes with finding out someone is like you, and i understand silas is 16, but man. i wish there wasn't instalove, and i wish there was more pushback regardingtheir marriage. like i wish it had been explored more as a strong infatuation rather than definitive love.
i was getting very bored not even halfway through. the best part of it was toward the end when the characters were finally doing things rather than having things done to them. and, while i enjoyed the prose, the constant thematic references toward surgery and related topics started to grate on my nerves after a bit. also the whole bit with the rabbit was extremely stupid, i'm sorry to say. it didn't really add anything to the novel and i found it a bit eye-rolling.
i can understand why people love and enjoy this book. i wanted to do the same very badly, but i'm unfortunately a very picky reader. the queer and neurodivergent rep isn't enough to make this narrative compelling. i will however continue to read white's novels, as i'm confident he'll have a book for me sometime down the line.
for starters, this book is set in the 1880s. why? i honestly have no idea. the dialogue and narration does not read like it was appropriate for the time period, and comes off as very modern. silas feels plucked from modern day and shoved into victorian england due to his opinions and viewpoints regarding gender and sexism. this would have been more of an interesting book if an attempt was made to reconcile silas' transness through the lens of victorian england sensibilities. the narrative itself would've been stronger if it was straight fantasy with its own world instead of historical fiction with fantasy elements.
likewise, i found the fantasy portion of the book intriguing but flat. i wanted sooo much more about the spirit world and how mediums worked. again, if just more care was taken to properly flesh out the world instead of (poorly) trying to fit it into a historical setting, i think the fantasy elements could've been used more effectively.
silas himself is a frustrating protagonist, though it's partly the way he's written. i read the entire book and i only know three things about silas: that he's autistic, that he's trans, and that he wants to be a surgeon. later in the novel he speaks about himself and lists off traits that are in no way shape or form adequately explored. i've seen other reviewers mention this and at times he does seem like a checklist of symptoms. while i did resonate with several descriptions that related to his autistic experiences, i just think that it was too heavy-handed, though it's especially egregious due to the absence of any other traits. not going to lie, i didn't really care for silas, and as the book veered into torture-porn territory i just didn't care what happened to him.
the book felt very "us vs them" in the fact that no one was kind to silas unless they were also queer or neurodivergent. the fact that
regarding silas and daphne: i get the joy that comes with finding out someone is like you, and i understand silas is 16, but man. i wish there wasn't instalove, and i wish there was more pushback regarding
i was getting very bored not even halfway through. the best part of it was toward the end when the characters were finally doing things rather than having things done to them. and, while i enjoyed the prose, the constant thematic references toward surgery and related topics started to grate on my nerves after a bit. also the whole bit with the rabbit was extremely stupid, i'm sorry to say. it didn't really add anything to the novel and i found it a bit eye-rolling.
i can understand why people love and enjoy this book. i wanted to do the same very badly, but i'm unfortunately a very picky reader. the queer and neurodivergent rep isn't enough to make this narrative compelling. i will however continue to read white's novels, as i'm confident he'll have a book for me sometime down the line.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Deadnaming, Gore, Transphobia, Medical trauma, Sexual harassment
Moderate: Miscarriage, Rape, Self harm, Torture, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Vomit
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
fast-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
This will be my favorite book in 2024.
I will put money on it if anyone doesn't believe me.
From the first page, I was hooked. The writing is so good and the pacing is perfect. I couldn't stop reading, but I also didn't want it to end. Every time I picked up this book, I was immediately pulled back into the story. Sometimes it takes me a bit to get back into a story when I pick up a book, but this was not the case here. I loved every single minute of this book. The characters were so dimensional, even the villains. Sometimes it is difficult in a story when there are just as many villains as there are good characters, but here it made sense. The twists kept coming until the very end.
Another review written a few weeks after reading:
Have you ever just been so moved and touched by a book but at the same time it was so difficult to keep reading because it was just breaking your heart apart? That was The Spirit Bares Its Teeth.
Silas Bell is a young trans man during the the Victorian era in London, 1883 to be exact. People with violet eyes are highly treasured as mediums. There is a secret society of men who control the family lines of all the people with violet eyes. Silas is born with violet eyes, which means he will married off to an important family to keep the violet eyes lineage going.
Well Silas gets in some trouble at the beginning of the story that results as him being sent off to a girls' school that specializes in "veil sickness" which is what they said any violet eyed girl who did not confirm was inflicted by. This was basically a conversion school for girls, and Silas' betrothed was paying for it.
Throughout the rest of the book we meet the girls at the boarding school, but terrible things keep happening, and loyalties are questioned. Ghosts of residents from the past start reaching through the veil to communicate, mainly with Silas.
So yes, this is more of a ghost story, but the real monsters are all of the cishet men. And doesn't that mirror real life?
This book is very dark and emotional. Please check the trigger warnings because there are a lot, and most of them are very graphic. For example, there is a graphic abortion scene that was very hard to read. Take care of yourself.
I will put money on it if anyone doesn't believe me.
From the first page, I was hooked. The writing is so good and the pacing is perfect. I couldn't stop reading, but I also didn't want it to end. Every time I picked up this book, I was immediately pulled back into the story. Sometimes it takes me a bit to get back into a story when I pick up a book, but this was not the case here. I loved every single minute of this book. The characters were so dimensional, even the villains. Sometimes it is difficult in a story when there are just as many villains as there are good characters, but here it made sense. The twists kept coming until the very end.
Another review written a few weeks after reading:
Have you ever just been so moved and touched by a book but at the same time it was so difficult to keep reading because it was just breaking your heart apart? That was The Spirit Bares Its Teeth.
Silas Bell is a young trans man during the the Victorian era in London, 1883 to be exact. People with violet eyes are highly treasured as mediums. There is a secret society of men who control the family lines of all the people with violet eyes. Silas is born with violet eyes, which means he will married off to an important family to keep the violet eyes lineage going.
Well Silas gets in some trouble at the beginning of the story that results as him being sent off to a girls' school that specializes in "veil sickness" which is what they said any violet eyed girl who did not confirm was inflicted by. This was basically a conversion school for girls, and Silas' betrothed was paying for it.
Throughout the rest of the book we meet the girls at the boarding school, but terrible things keep happening, and loyalties are questioned. Ghosts of residents from the past start reaching through the veil to communicate, mainly with Silas.
So yes, this is more of a ghost story, but the real monsters are all of the cishet men. And doesn't that mirror real life?
This book is very dark and emotional. Please check the trigger warnings because there are a lot, and most of them are very graphic. For example, there is a graphic abortion scene that was very hard to read. Take care of yourself.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Deadnaming, Death, Domestic abuse, Gore, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Torture, Transphobia, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Medical content, Kidnapping, Religious bigotry, Medical trauma, Murder, Pregnancy, Gaslighting, Dysphoria, Injury/Injury detail
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Gore, Misogyny, Rape, Sexual assault, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Medical content, Abortion, Murder, Abandonment, Sexual harassment, Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Confinement, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Pedophilia, Transphobia, Pregnancy, Gaslighting
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
fast-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
this book reached so deep into my heart i cannot describe it. it is haunting, very deeply sad, and terrifying. it feels claustrophobic. it is an amazing read but definitely keep in mind that it’s very dark.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism, Body horror, Deadnaming, Gore, Homophobia, Infertility, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Sexism, Sexual violence, Torture, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Medical trauma, Abortion, Pregnancy, Dysphoria, Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Rape
challenging
dark
sad
tense
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
"Why is it that when they hide their faces, men become monsters instead of angels."
This quote from The Spirit Bares Its Teeth resonates deeply, setting the tone for the dark and unsettling journey Andrew Joseph White crafts in this novel. It reminds me why I love the genre of horror so much, whether in books or movies, because it tackles difficult topics such as oppression and the injustices that women and the trans community face in such an artistic and creative way.
The journey we face as women, or as members of the LGBTQ+ community, is often best told through horror because our history is exactly that—horrific. Reading this book gave me a sense of dread, as it explores graphic and violent themes that feel necessary. The treatment and experimentation that individuals can face for being different, for their identity not fitting within society’s standards, were truly as violent as portrayed. While some scenes may be triggering, I appreciate the brutal honesty White brings to the narrative.
I appreciate White's acknowledgment towards the end of the book, on the history of medical experimentation on marginalized communities during the Victorian Era, as well as providing different resources to read more on this topic.
5 star read!
This quote from The Spirit Bares Its Teeth resonates deeply, setting the tone for the dark and unsettling journey Andrew Joseph White crafts in this novel. It reminds me why I love the genre of horror so much, whether in books or movies, because it tackles difficult topics such as oppression and the injustices that women and the trans community face in such an artistic and creative way.
The journey we face as women, or as members of the LGBTQ+ community, is often best told through horror because our history is exactly that—horrific. Reading this book gave me a sense of dread, as it explores graphic and violent themes that feel necessary. The treatment and experimentation that individuals can face for being different, for their identity not fitting within society’s standards, were truly as violent as portrayed. While some scenes may be triggering, I appreciate the brutal honesty White brings to the narrative.
I appreciate White's acknowledgment towards the end of the book, on the history of medical experimentation on marginalized communities during the Victorian Era, as well as providing different resources to read more on this topic.
5 star read!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Miscarriage, Rape, Transphobia, Violence, Medical trauma, Abortion
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Blood
Moderate: Rape
challenging
dark
emotional
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
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.
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.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism, Body horror, Deadnaming, Death, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Medical content, Abortion, Murder, Sexual harassment, Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Child death, Domestic abuse, Rape
dark
emotional
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:
Complicated
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism, Adult/minor relationship, Animal cruelty, Body horror, Bullying, Child abuse, Confinement, Deadnaming, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Medical content, Medical trauma, Abortion, Murder, Pregnancy, Outing, Sexual harassment, Dysphoria
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Deadnaming, Death, Gore, Misogyny, Sexual assault, Transphobia, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Medical content, Medical trauma, Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Homophobia, Pedophilia, Rape, Violence, Pregnancy
challenging
dark
emotional
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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Deadnaming, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Transphobia, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Medical content, Religious bigotry, Medical trauma, Murder, Pregnancy