Reviews tagging 'Animal cruelty'

The Spirit Bares Its Teeth by Andrew Joseph White

66 reviews

ohkayeig's review against another edition

5.0

dark tense medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Body horror, Deadnaming, Gore, Physical abuse, Blood, Medical content, Pregnancy

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Confinement, Murder

Minor: Rape

ashes_book_cave's review against another edition

5.0

dark 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: No

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Animal cruelty, Body horror, Child abuse, Confinement, Deadnaming, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Miscarriage, Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Torture, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Medical content, Medical trauma, Pregnancy, Gaslighting, Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Ableism, Animal death, Abortion, Abandonment

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

growplantsreadbooks's review against another edition

5.0

challenging dark emotional tense fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Loveable characters: Yes

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An incredible, uncomfortable, fantastical work of historical fiction. Truly captures the horror of having a female body in a timeless way. My stomach turned, my heart raced, and I struggled putting it down. The MCs autism and possible OCD added a lot to the story. Once again I am in awe of White's ability to write for teens, not down to teens. Exemplary YA horror. 
Please check the CWs lol

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Body horror, Child death, Deadnaming, Death, Gore, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Medical content, Medical trauma, Suicide attempt, Pregnancy, Dysphoria

Minor: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Cannibalism, Lesbophobia, Abandonment

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

twistedserval's review against another edition

5.0

adventurous 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: No

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Transphobia, Violence, Abortion

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Animal cruelty, Body horror, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Chronic illness, Deadnaming, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Homophobia, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Transphobia, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Kidnapping, Grief, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Outing, Sexual harassment, Dysphoria

seattlehols16's review against another edition

5.0

challenging dark emotional mysterious 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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Child abuse, Deadnaming, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Homophobia, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Self harm, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Transphobia, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, Abortion, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Gaslighting, Injury/Injury detail

While this book does have a host of trigger warnings, it is horror after all, it also feels like an important book. I only have on of the identities that is explored in this book (being a woman in a world that requires women to be only a certain thing) and the author captured the FEELING of it. The other two identities were handled in the same careful, nuanced, real way. It’s a hard but necessary read.

lealula's review against another edition

3.75

challenging dark emotional informative 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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Body horror, Confinement, Deadnaming, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Mental illness, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Sexism, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Vomit, Medical content, Medical trauma, Abortion, Pregnancy, Sexual harassment, Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Rape

mya_santiago's review against another edition

5.0

dark emotional mysterious 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

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The spirit bares it’s teeth is a book I found on a whim when I was at the bookstore. I went into the book not knowing what to expect at each turn and falling in love with the diverse characters who fought to survive in a world that was against them. The spirit bares it’s teeth is deeply grotesque, haunting and a realistic reflection on medical history towards  those who were considered different due to their gender identity and sexual orientation  as well as ableism. The book is laced with fighting darkness when there is no hope, and left me a different person than I was when I started it.  

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Deadnaming, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Homophobia, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Torture, Transphobia, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Medical content, Medical trauma, Abortion, Suicide attempt, Pregnancy, Gaslighting, Sexual harassment, Dysphoria

readingradie's review against another edition

5.0

dark emotional mysterious 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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God, I loved this. The horror of it. The transness of it. If I could read this again to experience it for the first time, I would in a heartbeat. 

The slow reveal was wonderful and the growing horrific realization what was happening was so well written. When the reason Mrs. Forrester's limp is revealed I had to physically look away. God, this was so good.

Also, please heed the content warnings, it gets wild in this book.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Deadnaming, Death, Domestic abuse, Gore, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Transphobia, Forced institutionalization, Vomit, Medical content, Medical trauma, Abortion, Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Animal cruelty, Animal death

Minor: Miscarriage

multiple Victorian Era surgeries done by the protagonist,

descriptions of: dead bodies, severe injuries, gore, literal torture that the person likes, the sexual assault isn't aggressive but I'm not very sensitive to it, the protagonist describing operating on dead animals for practice.