Reviews with content warning for Outing - The Spirit Bares Its Teeth

I rarely cry at books but this one had me sobbing at times. I had to take some breaks here and there as this is a very heavy book but that doesn't alter my feeling on it being 5 stars at all.

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thatchickengirl23's review against another edition

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dark emotional hopeful 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? It's complicated

4.5

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bookenbee's review against another edition

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3.75

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chloeburton's review against another edition

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adventurous dark sad tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes

5.0

I don’t really know how to express how important this book is to me. I don’t think I have never felt so seen reading a book before. I don’t want to necessarily suggest this book to other Autistic AFAB folks because it’s full of the worst things that can (and have) happen to us, but if you’re like me and reading things that trigger you can sometimes feel cathartic—I think it will mean a lot. I couldn't stop once I started reading. It’s heavy, it’s upsetting, and the body horror is really gnarly and stomach churning. I appreciate the note about historical/medical accuracy, I do wish the author had expanded to speak about the evils of ABA therapy as well since it’s also a part of the narrative.

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intertidalkendy's review against another edition

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dark emotional mysterious sad tense fast-paced

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

5.0

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swilson16's review against another edition

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challenging dark hopeful 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

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getlitwithamy_'s review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark emotional informative mysterious reflective 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? It's complicated

5.0

This book is just as beautiful as it is haunting. There were times where I felt a need to close the book because of its gory details, but it also made me want to keep reading.

Andrew Joseph White’s prose is SO addicting! He really knows how to captivate his audience with scene building and character depictions and developments.

The autism representation is phenomenal, probably the best I’ve ever read. If you’re autistic/neurodivergent, TSBIT will make you feel accurately represented. So many of Silas’ internal thoughts hit close to home, but in a good way.

Please note that this is a VERY gory horror book. It is definitely hard to stomach. There are a lot of trigger warnings that should be kept in mind. Either way, it is a masterpiece that deserves all of the praise!!

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booksthatburn's review against another edition

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challenging dark tense medium-paced

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

The TL;DR is "this stressed me out, you should read it too".

THE SPIRIT BARES ITS TEETH is about a trans boy who is institutionalized for "Veil sickness", a condition which is basically a supernatural version of hysteria, itself a historical catch-all term for "that person we think is a woman isn't doing what we think she ought to do and we want it to stop". What's unique about Veil sickness as opposed to hysteria is that it specifically applies to people with violet eyes, a mark of those who can contact departed spirits. Violet-eyed British men are channeled and constrained by a strict social hierarchy and a physical mark that they are following the socially approved path of a Speaker. Silas is not a girl, he's an autistic trans boy whose interest in anything unfeminine is a threat to the Speakers' power. THE SPIRIT BARES ITS TEETH focuses on Silas as both trans and autistic, as well as times when he meets people who are one or the other but not both. These experiences help him parse the ways that these two facets of himself are so intertwined for him but are not necessarily linked for other people. He deals with an intersection of transphobia, misogyny, and ableism, as the times when he is dismissed for not following the social path of a woman can be inseparable from dismissal of him as an autistic person or not understanding the overwhelmingly allistic social hierarchy and assumptions. Trapped at the institution with few connections to the outside, Silas must try to figure out what's happening to the girls who disappear, and who he can trust to get answers.

As a nonbinary trans person, this was a hard book to read due to some overlaps with my personal experiences (thankfully not at the level of an actual horror novel such as this). I read it in large sections, taking a few days in between each to process and prepare myself for the next part. I'm very glad I read it and I definitely recommend it to anyone who enjoys horror, especially medical horror (which features heavily). If you would prefer something more apocalyptic and less medical but are otherwise interested in themes of body horror and transphobia, I suggest reading Andrew's debut novel, HELL FOLLOWED WITH US.

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