Reviews tagging 'Animal death'

The Spirit Bares Its Teeth by Andrew Joseph White

105 reviews

bea_reads_books's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious 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? It's complicated

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Deadnaming, Death, Gore, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Self harm, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Transphobia, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Abortion, and Pregnancy

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Homophobia, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, Rape, Suicide, Vomit, Murder, Lesbophobia, Dysphoria, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Animal death and Cursing

katiescott's review against another edition

dark emotional informative mysterious sad tense slow-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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Animal death, Body horror, Body shaming, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Deadnaming, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Homophobia, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Toxic relationship, Transphobia, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Medical content, Medical trauma, Murder, Pregnancy, Outing, Gaslighting, Abandonment, and Injury/Injury detail

sarah_shelf's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious 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? It's complicated

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Animal death, Body horror, Child death, Gore, Torture, Transphobia, Forced institutionalization, Medical content, Medical trauma, Abortion, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Pedophilia, Sexual assault, and Pregnancy

Content warnings from the author: “Transphobia Ableism Graphic violence Sexual assault Discussions of forced pregnancy & marriage Mentions of suicidal ideation Extensive medical gore“

konohimawari's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

5.0

Masterpiece. So many instances when I felt like I was looking into a mirror.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Death, Gore, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Transphobia, Blood, Medical content, Murder, Pregnancy, Sexual harassment, Dysphoria, and Injury/Injury detail

growplantsreadbooks's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Loveable characters? Yes

5.0

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, and Dysphoria

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

blakeandbooks's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

5.0

I’m a bit speechless at the detail, articulation, and effort White put into this literary work. I’ve never quite read anything like it. The writing. The storyline. The romance. The horrors. The spirits. It was anxiety/nausea-inducing, but I could not look away. The narrator did a phenomenal job of creating the perfect reading experience as well. There were so many moments where I experienced full body chills through sheer tone and tension alone.

Silas is such an incredible main character. He is able to see and articulate his differences and similarities between his peers in such powerful ways. I’ve never read a historical fiction novel with an autistic character, and I am so impressed by White’s care in writing Silas. The horrors he sees and endures. The life that society has expected him to live. 

The romance between him and Daphne (trans love interest) 🥹🫶🏻 It was so wonderful, and I could not get enough of them! The immediacy for seeing each other as they truly are was so beautiful 😭 I love them, and I enjoyed getting to see them being their true selves in society at the end. 

I’m looking forward to reading more by Andrew Joseph White. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Sexism, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Transphobia, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Medical content, Medical trauma, Abortion, Murder, and Pregnancy

dreareads_'s review against another edition

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? It's complicated

4.25

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, and Injury/Injury detail

skrulls's review against another edition

dark emotional sad medium-paced

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

5.0

i am going to be processing this book for a while.

i saw parts of myself represented that I have never known how to articulate.

i generally don't enjoy horror but at this point I'll read literally anything AJW writes. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Animal death, Body horror, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Deadnaming, Death, Gore, Physical abuse, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Torture, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Medical content, and Abortion

Moderate: Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Rape, Vomit, Suicide attempt, and Pregnancy

erinkellyreads's review against another edition

adventurous 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? It's complicated

5.0

I bought this book on Friday afternoon in support of the Trans Rights Readathon week going on right now, and, by Saturday at 6pm, I had already devoured it whole. When I hit the page, I immediately had to put the Kindle down, stare at the ceiling, and whisper "Holy Shit..."

Non-Spoiler Review Section:
White's "The Spirit Bares Its Teeth" takes on the style of a Victorian Gothic novel from page one, and the elements of horror and fantasy mixed in with medicine (both scientific and "of the time") made this so nuanced and unfolded like a beautiful, dying flower. Our main character, Silas, is both transmasc and autistic, trapped in the expectations and abuse of what he is "supposed to be" and "supposed" to act like. Add in that his violet eyes allow him to open the Veil and speak to the spirits of the dead (even though "women aren't allowed to use their powers"), and the audience truly feels everything, from sensitivity to loneliness to confusion to camaraderie, with him. The horrible men of the Speakers, full of evil and betrayal, and the women of the "reform school" simultaneously fighting to be alive and to be alive in their own way create a world and tension that you can't get enough of. I'm obsessed! 

Spoiler Review Section:

I just wanted to add how absolutely beautiful it was that Silas got to create relationships Daphne and the groundskeeper as part of the story. My heart fluttered at the realization of Silas seeing someone like himself and finding friendship and love in that. So freaking beautiful. I also loved both the growth, and also the constancy, of Mary the Wolf. She's easy to write off at first, and I love that White forces us to look at her in a different way and hold that up to her nature. Great writing!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Adult/minor relationship, Animal death, Body horror, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Deadnaming, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Homophobia, Infertility, Infidelity, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Transphobia, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Medical content, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Grief, Religious bigotry, Medical trauma, Abortion, Suicide attempt, Murder, Pregnancy, Lesbophobia, Gaslighting, Abandonment, Sexual harassment, Colonisation, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

samgray's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

5.0

Beyond amazing! 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Adult/minor relationship, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Body shaming, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Cursing, Deadnaming, Death, Domestic abuse, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Gore, Hate crime, Homophobia, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Torture, Toxic relationship, Transphobia, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Vomit, Medical content, Grief, Religious bigotry, Medical trauma, Abortion, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Sexual harassment, Dysphoria, and Injury/Injury detail