Reviews tagging 'Animal death'

The Spirit Bares Its Teeth by Andrew Joseph White

97 reviews

cassius_orion's review against another edition

fast-paced

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

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Animal death, Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Cursing, Deadnaming, Death, Gore, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Transphobia, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Medical content, Medical trauma, Abortion, Murder, Lesbophobia, and Dysphoria

Moderate: Rape

Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Miscarriage, and Pedophilia

megnut's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

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

5.0

This book was so unsettling and tense through almost the entire thing. (I don't want to spoil the sweet moments.)
It had this constant sense of unease... but so incredibly done. 

It's on my wishlist for my library now. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Misogyny, Rape, Transphobia, Violence, Blood, Medical content, and Medical trauma

Moderate: Sexism, Sexual assault, and Abortion

Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Animal death, Torture, Toxic relationship, Murder, and Toxic friendship

hannahspence's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional sad tense fast-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Adult/minor relationship, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Child death, Confinement, Deadnaming, Death, Hate crime, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicide, Torture, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Grief, Medical trauma, Abortion, Murder, Pregnancy, Dysphoria, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Rape

river_jean_sterling's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Adult/minor relationship, Body horror, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Mental illness, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Medical content, Medical trauma, Abortion, Murder, Pregnancy, Gaslighting, Dysphoria, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Cursing, Deadnaming, Homophobia, Infidelity, Miscarriage, Panic attacks/disorders, Rape, Toxic relationship, Grief, Cannibalism, Death of parent, Lesbophobia, Toxic friendship, and Dysphoria

sammymilfort's review against another edition

challenging dark hopeful sad tense slow-paced

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Adult/minor relationship, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Deadnaming, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gore, Miscarriage, Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Vomit, Medical content, Grief, Cannibalism, Religious bigotry, Medical trauma, Abortion, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Alcohol, Dysphoria, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

circinus's review against another edition

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? Yes

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Animal death, Body horror, Body shaming, Bullying, Child death, Cursing, Deadnaming, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Homophobia, Mental illness, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Torture, Transphobia, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Vomit, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, Abortion, Murder, Pregnancy, Lesbophobia, Gaslighting, Sexual harassment, Dysphoria, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

Minor: Miscarriage and Suicide attempt

zizzlee0305's review against another edition

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: Ableism, Body horror, Deadnaming, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Mental illness, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Self harm, Transphobia, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Medical trauma, Abortion, Suicide attempt, Murder, Pregnancy, Abandonment, Sexual harassment, and Dysphoria

Moderate: Animal death and Kidnapping

Minor: Miscarriage and Rape

kjurewicz's review against another edition

dark tense medium-paced

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

3.75

What I Liked: Representation of multiple trans and autistic characters, supernatural elements, high tension and suspense 

What I Didn’t Like: Extremely graphic medical gore that didn’t always seem necessary(take the author’s trigger warnings VERY seriously!), a confusing epilogue

(maybe setting up for a sequel?), left wondering about Silas’ parents and the fallout from the school’s demise and Luckenbill’s death(it seems unlikely there would be no major fallout from that) <\spoiler>

Honestly, the graphic nature of the book made it tough to get through, but that’s more of a me problem than a comment on the quality of the book. But if you can stomach it, it’s worth it for the valuable representation it presents. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Physical abuse, Torture, Blood, Medical content, Medical trauma, Abortion, and Murder

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Animal death, Deadnaming, and Pregnancy

sweetflipsbrah's review against another edition

dark tense medium-paced

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

2.5

While not the worst book I’ve ever read, “The Spirit Bares It’s Teeth” by Andrew Joseph White leaves a lot to be desired for me. Maybe my approach to this book is all wrong, but if the world presented in “Spirit” is meant to reflect our modern world in any way (which I think even deeply fantastical fiction can/does), then ours is an inhospitable cesspit of violence, misogyny, and transphobia. And as a trans man myself, I spent a lot of my time reading this book in despair of the author’s outlook on our present world, particularly his view of cisgender men. The level of both overt and implied sexual violence enacted against the main character is almost fetishistic, particularly when you remember this is a YA novel. 

I think there are a lot of elements to “Spirit” that are interesting - a trans male protagonist in a historical setting, the exploration of gender and weaponizing the pathology of human behavior, the aesthetic of Victorian esoterische and spiritualism, etc - that the author, in my opinion, doesn’t explore enough, or is lacking nuance. I think a more historically accurate approach to this story would’ve made it more enjoyable, as sort of a better analysis of Victorian and modern attitudes towards sex, gender, mental health and disability. I also find some of White’s stylistic choices grating, including an over-reliance on certain imagery in the form of simile that made roll my eyes (I challenge you to count how many times something is described as being “like a scalpel”). Overall, there were a handful of scenes I enjoyed, but I ultimately finished this book out of sheer determination.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Deadnaming, Gore, Transphobia, Violence, Medical trauma, and Murder

Moderate: Animal death, Suicidal thoughts, Blood, and Vomit

Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Sexual violence, and Pregnancy

lizardgod's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional inspiring reflective 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? Yes

5.0

 I love women as men are expected to, but the way only one who has ever experienced womanhood can. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Adult/minor relationship, Animal death, Body horror, Body shaming, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Deadnaming, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Hate crime, Homophobia, Infidelity, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Torture, Toxic relationship, Transphobia, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Vomit, Medical content, Kidnapping, Grief, Medical trauma, Abortion, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Lesbophobia, Outing, Abandonment, Sexual harassment, Dysphoria, and Injury/Injury detail