Scan barcode
chamomiledaydreams's review against another edition
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
"TSBIT" explores transness and autism in a different way than "HFWU," and I think that's wonderful. Both novels are similar in tone and style (sharing the theme of "trans kids biting back"), but unique in content and imagery, with very different settings (post-apocalyptic America, versus nineteenth century England). I especially enjoyed the way that Silas' anxiety manifests in a figurative rabbit inside of his chest. That ongoing metaphor culminates very nicely in the finale, and it's one of many personality traits that distinguishes Silas from Benji.
The weakest point in this book, for me, is the worldbuilding. AJW mentions in a video of his that he doesn't feel equipped to write in more detail about what a revolution against Speaker society would look like, and he adds lightheartedly that his worldbuilding probably wouldn't withstand such a heightened level of scrutiny anyway. I agree with this.
The fantasy elements added to nineteenth century England allow for 1) frequent eye imagery and eye-related horror; 2) characters to recognize others with spiritual powers; and 3) dramatic parallels of how colonialism and misogyny operate in the real world. I enjoyed a lot of these fantasy elements. Eye imagery is neat, and I appreciate the concept of vengeful spirits wreaking havoc on their oppressors in death. The line where the ghosts say that their privileged abusers never thought they'd end up in the ground like their victims was bone-chilling and, quite frankly, awesome.
But there's still so much that I don't understand about how the Speaker system works. Silas isn't allowed to pierce the Veil, and he doesn't seem very interested in trying, so it makes sense that our protagonist doesn't give us much insight into these fantasy powers. We hear allusions to how Speakers use ghosts to gain intel, especially during military campaigns. But I understand very little about the afterlife, which is surprising, considering how every unique fantasy element in this story revolves around the dead.
Is the Veil a kind of purgatory where spirits are trapped? Do any spirits get to "move on" to someplace better? Are they miserable in death? And if the afterlife is a freezing cold hellish landscape (which it certainly seems to be), then why aren't more Speakers and those with supernatural abilities concerned about it? The explanation could be that the men in power often think that death will never happen to them, but I don't think this is a satisfying answer for how all of a fictional society seems to ignore the horrific implications of their powers.
Then, there's the detail that these powers miraculously appeared several decades ago. I wonder if there's some parallel that I'm missing in the real world, some revolution or change in society that is represented by purple eyes and ghost powers. Industrialization, perhaps, or the age of empires?
Still, what's trickiest for me to reckon with is the decision to denote ghost powers with purple eyes. I imagine that AJW wanted an unnatural eye color to reflect the characters' supernatural abilities. But as someone with ocular albinism, I know very well that purple eyes are possible, and they have a clear scientific explanation. (If you lack enough pigmentation in your irises, then you can see the red color of the blood vessels beneath: hence the prevalence of red and purple-tinted eyes among people with albinism.) I can tell myself that the purple eyes in this novel are more jewel-toned and fantastical than real purple eyes, and perhaps with more range and variety, but I can't fully get over the odd correlation of eye color with magic, especially considering the harmful stereotype of PWA as mystical or otherworldly.
There was a moment in this novel where Silas reiterates that there is nothing special about purple eyes; they are no different from any other eyes. While this is true in one sense, there is a tangible difference in pigmentation that has a clear scientific explanation (and a very interesting one at that, in my opinion). I wish that that portion had been worded differently, to emphasize that purple eyes are different from other eye colors, but not inherently magically. Still, I don't know if that's correct in this universe, since there is a 1:1 correlation of purple eyes and magic powers that I quite honestly don't know what to do with.
How many people actually have this eye color in the novel, by the way? What percentage of the human population has inexplicable ghost powers, and did these powers suddenly awaken in adults, or only in newborns? I accept that Silas is able to go into hiding, because I want that for him. But just how much do his eyes stand out, even once he's left his old identity behind and can safely pass as a man?
There are a few topics I'm very picky about when it comes to fiction: depictions of albinism, aromanticism, asexuality, and romance itself. My thoughts about eyes in this novel, therefore, are complicated and still forming. But I must say, all of the romances were amazing (and if I'm saying that, then it's a high compliment indeed). Silas and Daphne have my whole heart, and I enjoyed Mary and Frances' relationship, as well, even if I don't quite understand the physics/logic of ghosts. The idea that hauntings can be gentle and formed out of love makes me very happy and emotional.
The non-romantic relationships were phenomenal, as well. I loved Silas' dynamics with Isabella and the groundskeeper especially, the way that they care for one another and see themselves reflected in each other. These relationships didn't have to be romantic to be important to the story, and they are just as emotional and captivating as the two main romances. Silas' relationship with his brother George is more complicated than heartwarming, but I still appreciate the attention and nuance given to non-romantic connections such as theirs.
All in all, this is an amazing book, and I'd highly recommend it for anyone with the stomach to handle its many content warnings. (There is plenty of gore, misogyny, violence, abuse, body horror, rape, forced pregnancy, etc. etc. Seriously, look up a list of content warnings if you have any triggers to avoid.) I may have lingering questions about the worldbuilding and its implications, but the story itself is solid and compelling, and I will happily read any other novels that AJW puts out in the future. Plus, his covers look awesome!
Graphic: Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Pregnancy, Sexual assault, Abortion, Physical abuse, Animal death, Blood, Deadnaming, Forced institutionalization, Dysphoria, Injury/Injury detail, Ableism, Medical content, Body horror, Death, and Gaslighting
toto8's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Graphic: Sexism, Ableism, Abortion, Body horror, Physical abuse, Medical content, Misogyny, Confinement, Deadnaming, Injury/Injury detail, Blood, Death, Emotional abuse, Forced institutionalization, and Gaslighting
Moderate: Pregnancy, Dysphoria, and Adult/minor relationship
punchofwishes's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- 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
Graphic: Sexism, Ableism, Blood, Injury/Injury detail, Child death, Violence, Medical content, Medical trauma, Abortion, Confinement, Body horror, Misogyny, Transphobia, Deadnaming, Gore, Forced institutionalization, Murder, and Sexual assault
Moderate: Death of parent, Dysphoria, and Adult/minor relationship
Minor: Rape, Suicide attempt, and Pedophilia
greeneerie's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Despite having read the warnings, I did not expect this book to be so heavy. Not that that is a bad thing, the writing was wonderful and I loved the book even more because of this, it's just not something I had prepared myself for. I've read White's other book, "Hell Followed With Us", and while it dealt with some similar/equally as heavy topics, it wasn't quite so graphic in its descriptions and depictions of them. TSBIT is AMAZING, just be prepared if you're going in expecting it to be light.
Graphic: Murder, Pedophilia, Violence, Death, Gore, Sexual assault, Injury/Injury detail, Abortion, Ableism, Medical content, Adult/minor relationship, Blood, and Deadnaming
Moderate: Forced institutionalization, Rape, Pregnancy, and Adult/minor relationship
Minor: Transphobia, Lesbophobia, and Miscarriage
quinnyquinnquinn's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Graphic: Medical content, Gore, Misogyny, Ableism, Forced institutionalization, Body horror, Mental illness, Medical trauma, and Transphobia
Moderate: Sexual assault, Confinement, Deadnaming, Rape, Kidnapping, and Sexual violence
Minor: Miscarriage, Adult/minor relationship, Abortion, and Pregnancy
paxalotile's review against another edition
- 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? No
5.0
Graphic: Mental illness, Death, Adult/minor relationship, Confinement, Child abuse, Sexual violence, Sexual harassment, Medical trauma, Medical content, Emotional abuse, Chronic illness, Pregnancy, Deadnaming, Body horror, Ableism, Suicide attempt, Religious bigotry, Transphobia, Forced institutionalization, Outing, Dysphoria, Bullying, Abortion, Blood, Violence, Torture, Sexism, Self harm, Hate crime, Murder, and Lesbophobia
izzy0727's review against another edition
- 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
5.0
Graphic: Abortion, Lesbophobia, Mental illness, Dysphoria, Forced institutionalization, Murder, Outing, Panic attacks/disorders, Religious bigotry, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, Torture, Violence, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Deadnaming, Homophobia, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Body horror, Death, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Medical trauma, Medical content, Miscarriage, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Transphobia, Grief, Classism, Body shaming, Bullying, Gaslighting, Gore, Pregnancy, and Rape
dotty_emu's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Abortion, Gore, Death, Sexual violence, and Blood
Moderate: Forced institutionalization, Dysphoria, and Adult/minor relationship
clovetra's review against another edition
- 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 WAS RIGHT!! I LOVE ANDREW JOSEPH WHITE!!
i think the biggest differences for me regarding this book & hfwu were the plot itself & the worldbuilding!
with hfwu, it was hard for me to understand as i grew up in a very agnostic household... i think ive been to a church once in my entire life. so grasping the undertones, backstory & context were hard for me! they weren't necessary for me to get cuz tbh i still had a blast but it did damper my experience. also, the worldbuilding felt lacking there.
NOT IN THIS BOOK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
the worldbuilding here is phenomenal!!! i was a bit worried at the beginning cuz i was like "ohh... ummmm idk whats happening with the speaker society". but because the 'big bad' concept was a lot easier to grasp with no background information it ate soooooooo hard. delicious. it's so easy to immerse yourself in this story as most concepts aren't too hard to imagine - picturing the victorian aesthetic did not feel laborious on my small brain which i loved!
also!!!!! don't ask me to explain this but compared to hfwt.... the writing felt more sophisticated! like joseph white has truly found his comfort spot and is executing his art perfectly.
now lets get away from comparisons and let me just gush about this book;
- T4T ROMANCE!!!! BABY'S FIRST T4T BOOK!!! I LOVED IT!!!! SO MUCH!!!!
- i want to marry daphne sorry she's mine
-
- the plot twists were so fucking crazy but always in a good way. like
- i loved this horror style!!! like leaning into the medical gore...... chefs kiss.
- autistic rep!!! ugh i love the way silas explains having autism. esp the rabbit. as someone with their own rabbit idk this made me feel all mushy inside. plus the groundskeeper???? im gonna CRYYYYYYY
i literally don't think a single part of this book fell even the slightest bit flat. i became so enamoured with this book i think im going to have to stare at fan art for the next couple of hours.
anyways now im listening to boys will be bugs by cavetown because that feels appropriate
Graphic: Forced institutionalization, Torture, Transphobia, Deadnaming, Medical content, Child abuse, Physical abuse, Blood, Sexism, Violence, Misogyny, Death, Murder, Injury/Injury detail, Gore, Emotional abuse, Dysphoria, and Body horror
Moderate: Suicide, Child death, Sexual harassment, Abortion, Pregnancy, Self harm, Pedophilia, Mental illness, Kidnapping, and Adult/minor relationship
Minor: Abortion
jamielikestoread's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Abortion, Dysphoria, Misogyny, Transphobia, Sexism, Medical trauma, Forced institutionalization, and Deadnaming
Moderate: Pregnancy and Sexual assault