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Reviews tagging 'Forced institutionalization'

The Spirit Bares Its Teeth by Andrew Joseph White

572 reviews

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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adventurous dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Plot
Strong character development: Complicated
Loveable characters: Yes
Diverse cast of characters: Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

Transgender historical fiction with autistic main character. I like all of author's books. 

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dark emotional mysterious 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

Positives: Every part of this book was brilliantly conceived and executed. It doesn't shy away from darkness or visceral detail, which brings so much both to the development of Silas and to the issues of marginalisation it covers. It was impossible to put this down and resonated emotionally.

Negatives: Almost nothing. I would have liked to see more at the end as the epilogue wrapped up very quickly. At times the violence and gore was a bit hard to get through, but this didn't feel gratuitous and served the story well overall.

Plot: There isn't much to this as it is largely a character driven story. The plot that is there is simple but powerful, based largely around the mystery of what is happening at the institution. The slow development of this did so much to build dread, and while the reveal was a slow realisation more than a big twist, the discovery of
the cellar was so deeply poignant. I especially thought the reveal of George's involvement, as it was shocking but made so much sense in light of his actions to date. The rage in the destruction of the school and murder of Daphne's father was incredibly satisfying and cathartic after the horror of what had happened.


Characters: I loved Silas so much. His journey to gaining the power to fight back and overcoming the fear he lives with in the form of the bunny is incredibly well executed. The author is very skilled at driving home the emotion and tragedy in what he and the others at this institution are dealing with.

The other girls at the school were all great. I loved seeing the way they had all reacted to the situation they were in, and the various ways they tried to cope.
Isabella is so tragic but her refusal to take the easy route out of the school despite the consequences is so powerful. Mary's anger and willingness to fight was so interesting to read.


Setting/World building: The author very skillfully combines the realities of Victorian society - including it's asylums, medical experimentation, misogyny, and rigid social structure - with the creepy ghostly world he has invented. The ghosts segments were a fantastic addition to bring the supernatural elements to the forefront. I love the way that the horror permeates the world at large through the structure of the Society not just the institution.

Writing: This is visceral, horrifying and gory. The author doesn't shy away from fully describing everything that is going on to drive home the points he is making. The first person perspective really conveys everything that Silas is going through and conveys his perspective (including his neurodivergence) very well.

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dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Plot
Strong character development: Complicated
Loveable characters: No
Diverse cast of characters: No
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

Slow to get in to. Lots of trigger warnings depending on who you are. 

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adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-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

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dark emotional mysterious tense 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

Pros:
  • A really masterful incorporation of minority identities in the historical context, vividly contextualized
  • Great pacing and a well-constructed plot, awesome world-building, incredible imagery
  • Just the right amount of humor and hope to balance out the horror and abuse
Cons:
  • I would've liked a bit more explanation of the mechanics around the
    Speakers and medium brands
  • The extent of the
    Braxton conspiracy
    felt a little ridiculous towards the end 

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challenging dark emotional informative mysterious reflective sad tense 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

Expand filter menu Content Warnings
dark mysterious 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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dark

Neurodiverse trans rep in a historical body horror setting. Job well done

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