Reviews tagging 'Transphobia'

The Spirit Bares Its Teeth by Andrew Joseph White

379 reviews

dummehure's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful informative inspiring mysterious sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

I don't know how White does it but his books a ways grip me by the throat and don't let go until I've finished it. I loved reading this book so much, though I do have to say that I started feeling faint multiple times so do watch out for yourself when you read it!! 

Overall a wonderful experience, I can't wait to read Andrew Joseph White's next masterpiece!!! 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Death of parent, Self harm, Abortion, Deadnaming, Transphobia, Body horror, Child death, Confinement, Violence, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, and Gore

Moderate: Sexual violence, Sexual harassment, Sexual assault, and Torture

cluelessavian's review against another edition

dark emotional 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? It's complicated

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Misogyny, Ableism, Abortion, Torture, Body horror, Medical content, Transphobia, Gaslighting, Deadnaming, Violence, Child abuse, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Sexism, Murder, and Medical trauma

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Animal death, Bullying, Pedophilia, Sexual assault, Cursing, Outing, Vomit, Self harm, Forced institutionalization, and Toxic relationship

Minor: Rape and Miscarriage

madamenovelist's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Sexual assault, Toxic relationship, Suicidal thoughts, Homophobia, Hate crime, Torture, War, Panic attacks/disorders, Murder, Blood, Lesbophobia, Pedophilia, Dysphoria, Deadnaming, Confinement, Body horror, Medical content, Injury/Injury detail, Gaslighting, Emotional abuse, Death of parent, Forced institutionalization, Medical trauma, Transphobia, Sexual violence, Grief, Gore, Child death, Misogyny, Pregnancy, Sexual content, Abortion, Ableism, Death, Violence, Sexual harassment, Physical abuse, Mental illness, Domestic abuse, and Child abuse

Sexual abuse of minors is a theme throughout this book. All the topics are very heavy but sexual abuse and gore are very prominent.

reinynights's review against another edition

adventurous 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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Medical trauma, Injury/Injury detail, Child abuse, Deadnaming, Misogyny, Adult/minor relationship, Medical content, Ableism, Blood, Body horror, Violence, Gore, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Dysphoria, and Forced institutionalization

Moderate: Child abuse, Transphobia, Sexual violence, Sexism, Murder, Violence, Sexual assault, and Pregnancy

Minor: Death of parent

somersaf's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.5

After reading the trigger warnings, I was a tad worried if this would be too much. I found that everything that was used was touched on delicately, and not in vain, which I appreciated.

I enjoyed reading this book, and spent the whole day on edge the further in I got. I will say I was not ready for

Daphne's father to want to marry Silas

. There were some twists I expected, and all worked well! I would love to read a sequel on

if/how the group go about revenge against George.

 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Medical content, Gore, Transphobia, and Physical abuse

Moderate: Pregnancy and Rape

Minor: Miscarriage

infinite_helix's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

Disturbing, wonderful, horrible, haunting, gorgeous, gory, loving, hateful, angry, wretched, joyful kinship.
The desperation and fear is palpable, and I could not put this down. I would get so sucked in the world around me fell away and got replaced by the cold, dark, clinical and cruel halls of Braxton. I was cringing from phantom pains, recoiling in disgust, clenching the book in fervor.

And yet, somehow, in all the horror, I had such intense joy and satisfaction. This is the second book I've read with an explicitly autistic protagonist, and there was SO MUCH of my experiences and feelings in Silas that it was heartbreaking and cathartic in turn.
The way Silas crumples to the ground, overwhelmed and screaming and crying, upon realizing Daphne is there and real and his mirror and an ally and safe port in this madness was how I felt reading this book. Andrew Joseph White dug his authorial fingers into the brackish and bloody part of my soul with this book.
It was painful and perfect. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Gore, Child abuse, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Body horror, Abortion, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Misogyny, Confinement, Dysphoria, Emotional abuse, Blood, Medical trauma, Murder, Transphobia, Violence, Gaslighting, Bullying, Death, and Forced institutionalization

Moderate: Deadnaming, Domestic abuse, and Sexual assault

This book does not hold back on the horrors committed willfully and frequently to those deemed 'other' in Victorian England. It also doesn't shy away from what those surviving under such violent oppression will do to themselves and others to continue to survive or escape.

armenag's review against another edition

dark emotional tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Abortion, Self harm, Domestic abuse, Forced institutionalization, Pregnancy, Transphobia, Violence, Medical content, Blood, Death, Injury/Injury detail, Medical trauma, Physical abuse, and Torture

Moderate: Suicidal thoughts, Emotional abuse, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Misogyny, Child abuse, and Gaslighting

allemala's review against another edition

dark emotional tense medium-paced

5.0

This was my very first gothic horror book and I'm blown away. What a treat!

The story is set in Victorian London where the Veil between the living and dead has never been this thin, and sixteen-year-old trans and autistic Silas Bell would do anything to escape his fate as a Speaker wife. Unfortunately, this will lead him to be sent to Braxton's Sanatorium to be cured of Vail-sickness. He doesn't want this, he's not prepared for it, but he's certainly not ready for the horrors he will have to face and what needs to be done to stop it all.

This story is not for the faint of hearts, so be aware of every listed trigger warning because this book doesn't shy away! The writing is blunt, harrowing, gory and even cruel sometimes, just as the world around us can be. But it makes the book feel real even though magical elements are involved. I felt uncomfortable and angry to the point I wanted to set the world on fire (and it made me happy and genuinely cheer in the last chapter).

So, if you can handle all of this, I sincerely suggest you check out this book!

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Pregnancy, Violence, Physical abuse, Misogyny, Transphobia, and Deadnaming

soren4713's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional inspiring mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual harassment, Sexual assault, and Gore

Moderate: Transphobia, Pedophilia, and Abortion

Minor: Miscarriage

thyme_james's review against another edition

dark hopeful mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Sexual violence, Pregnancy, Physical abuse, Transphobia, Forced institutionalization, Rape, Misogyny, Murder, Emotional abuse, and Dysphoria