Reviews tagging 'Bullying'

The Spirit Bares Its Teeth by Andrew Joseph White

74 reviews

voidflowers's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense fast-paced

• 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

The Spirit Bears It’s Teeth is a triumph. After reading Hell Followed With Us, an incredible book that ticked every box for me, I just knew I had to get my hands The Spirit Bears It’s Teeth. So when I got ahold of an ARC, I absolutely devoured it. The Spirit Bears It’s Teeth is a gorgeous story about a young autistic trans man named Silas. His story is told with metaphors of medical horror while also perfectly capturing the horror of growing into yourself in a world that wants nothing to do with you. This book is one of the best I’ve read and I can’t wait to see what Andrew Joseph White does next.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Animal death, Body horror, Body shaming, Bullying, Deadnaming, Emotional abuse, Gore, Homophobia, Mental illness, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Torture, Transphobia, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Medical content, Medical trauma, Abortion, Murder, Gaslighting, and Dysphoria

marywahlmeierbracciano's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes

5.0

In Victorian England, Silas is an autistic sixteen-year-old boy facing imminent marriage and the expectation to reproduce, for he was born with a womb and the coveted violet eyes which mark him as a medium.  When a last ditch effort at survival goes wrong, Silas is sent to a (very haunted) reformatory school for wives-in-training.  Andrew Joseph White writes about trans characters with such tenderness and beauty while utilizing horror to discuss the persecution of the othered, cruel medical experimentation, “hysteria,” and fear of trans magic.  Stitched with rabbit imagery and the gory realities of humanity throughout, The Spirit Bares Its Teeth is a knockout.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Deadnaming, Death, Gore, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Sexism, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, Abortion, Murder, and Gaslighting

Moderate: Transphobia and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Animal death, Bullying, Child abuse, Confinement, Cursing, Emotional abuse, Miscarriage, Pedophilia, Self harm, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Blood, Vomit, Pregnancy, Lesbophobia, and Dysphoria

fanboyriot's review against another edition

dark mysterious 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

Read For:

Ghosts

Hurt/Comfort

T4T (ftm x mtf)

Dark Queer Rage

Gothic Victorian Vibes

Absolutely beautiful in a dark and vicious way.  It was heavy and uncomfortable but in a way that made you want to fight for the characters in the pages.  Drawing you in with each chapter.

The trans representation in this book might not have been the happiest I’ve ever read but even though all the angst and hurt there were moments of comfort, of happiness and hope.

Silas was such a lovable main character.  I liked his passion for being a surgeon, trying and fighting for what he wanted even when nearly everyone failed him, time and time again.  Daphne was such a light in his life and to this book I couldn’t imagine it without her.  Again a very lovable character.

This book was not soft or lighthearted and I definitely suggest reading the content warnings beforehand; but this book was written so well.  The setting, the plot, the characters, even the cover of this book was amazing.

Thank you to NetGalley and the author/publisher for this e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

(First Person POV)

Spice: 🌶️ (lightly mentioned)

Rep: Trans MC (ftm), Autistic MC, Trans LI (mtf), LGBTQIA+ MC/SCs

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Body horror, Bullying, Confinement, Cursing, Deadnaming, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Hate crime, Mental illness, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Self harm, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Transphobia, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, Abortion, Suicide attempt, Murder, Gaslighting, Abandonment, Sexual harassment, Dysphoria, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Animal death, Child abuse, Child death, Domestic abuse, Homophobia, Miscarriage, Pedophilia, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicide, Death of parent, Pregnancy, and Lesbophobia

Minor: Animal cruelty, Rape, and Vomit

mo345's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense fast-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

This book was a beautiful, gory, well-written story about what men in power will do to get what they want, and those who have to suffer because of their whims. It was a fantastic second novel and is, in every way, a perfect successor to Hell Followed with Us while still managing to be unique and tell its own story. I loved every second and I am immensely grateful to Peachtree Teen for the ARC. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Adult/minor relationship, Body horror, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Cursing, Deadnaming, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Torture, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, Abortion, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Gaslighting, Abandonment, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Infertility, Sexism, Slavery, Vomit, Cannibalism, Colonisation, Dysphoria, and Classism