Reviews tagging 'Panic attacks/disorders'

The Spirit Bares Its Teeth by Andrew Joseph White

69 reviews

remescient'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? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

This book is a devastating, heart wrenching, wonderous thing. I am adding it to my list of absolute favorite books of all time. I love it. 

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Content Warnings

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

Please please please read the content warnings, as many extremely violent, horrible things happen, and it might be a very difficult read for some. It's a very good book but very dark.

seattlehols16's review against another edition

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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Blood, Body horror, Deadnaming, Gore, Murder, Homophobia, Injury/Injury detail, Death, Gaslighting, Medical trauma, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, Sexual content, Abortion, Panic attacks/disorders, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Death of parent, Self harm, Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Grief, Animal death, Torture, Emotional abuse, Forced institutionalization, Medical content, and Transphobia

While this book does have a host of trigger warnings, it is horror after all, it also feels like an important book. I only have on of the identities that is explored in this book (being a woman in a world that requires women to be only a certain thing) and the author captured the FEELING of it. The other two identities were handled in the same careful, nuanced, real way. It’s a hard but necessary read.

alopez131's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious sad 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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Transphobia, Suicidal thoughts, Panic attacks/disorders, Medical content, Abortion, Death, Rape, and Homophobia

lealula's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative 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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Medical trauma, Torture, Pregnancy, Emotional abuse, Death, Sexual harassment, Sexual assault, Mental illness, Animal cruelty, Abortion, Medical content, Sexism, Deadnaming, Gore, Suicidal thoughts, Physical abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Misogyny, Injury/Injury detail, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Confinement, Blood, and Vomit

Moderate: Rape

cowboylikestoread43's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious sad tense fast-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? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Bullying, Abortion, Forced institutionalization, Homophobia, Lesbophobia, Medical content, Body horror, Abandonment, Physical abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Mental illness, Medical trauma, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Violence, Transphobia, Suicidal thoughts, Child abuse, Deadnaming, Death, Gore, Suicide, Confinement, Domestic abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Torture, Adult/minor relationship, Blood, Suicide attempt, and Murder

violetturtledove's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional informative mysterious 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? No

5.0

Wow. I don't want to lean into the surgery puns too much in this review, but this was a gut-wrenching read! Not for the faint-hearted, I'd recommend checking out the content warnings if you have any triggers at all, but it is very much worth it (as the author notes, surgery looks a lot like torture).

This is a gothic horror featuring a trans, autistic protagonist who wants to be a surgeon but is unfortunately AFAB in Victorian London, so of course he ends up in a finishing school/hospital. Oh and there's ghosts. 

It's fast paced and gripping, I loved the characters so much, I felt their frustration, recognised myself in some parts, and found a better understanding of others in other parts. All aspects of them are just so well portrayed.

 I'm not 'read a book in a day' fast but I stayed up reading until 2am two nights in a row with this book (i read it on my kobo so it was my bedtime read, in hindsight maybe not the best choice for restful sleep!)

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Forced institutionalization, Misogyny, Abortion, Blood, Injury/Injury detail, Physical abuse, Emotional abuse, Bullying, Medical trauma, Gaslighting, Gore, Transphobia, Medical content, and Violence

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Death, Bullying, Dysphoria, Mental illness, Pregnancy, Rape, Child abuse, Sexual assault, Panic attacks/disorders, Deadnaming, Domestic abuse, and Murder

thehmkane's review against another edition

dark emotional hopeful mysterious 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

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Pedophilia, Sexism, Suicide attempt, Adult/minor relationship, Forced institutionalization, Kidnapping, Pregnancy, Body shaming, Violence, Homophobia, Ableism, Body horror, Bullying, Injury/Injury detail, Medical trauma, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Slavery, Miscarriage, Abortion, Blood, Dysphoria, Emotional abuse, Gore, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Misogyny, Domestic abuse, Transphobia, Deadnaming, Child abuse, Confinement, Death, Trafficking, Child death, Panic attacks/disorders, Medical content, Rape, Self harm, and Sexual assault

Moderate: Classism and Colonisation

kenzielireads's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional medium-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Misogyny, Self harm, Deadnaming, Forced institutionalization, Transphobia, Blood, Ableism, Injury/Injury detail, Pedophilia, Abortion, Medical content, Sexism, Medical trauma, Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Child death, Dysphoria, Gaslighting, Gore, Confinement, Panic attacks/disorders, Pregnancy, and Torture

Moderate: Rape, Grief, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Bullying, and Animal death

arrr's review against another edition

dark hopeful mysterious tense medium-paced

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

4.5

I don't typically read horror, so this was a bit outside my comfort zone. The story of transphobia and ableism in Victorian England mixed well with the addition of ghosts and the misogyny imposed against women and people who could manipulate the veil between worlds. I wasn't prepared for the medical horror and level of description. It wasn't as awful as it could have been, but it would have given me nightmares as a youth. I didn't really understand the ending before the last chapter. But I suppose it could be open to interpretation. Maybe that's the point. 

Well done. I unexpectedly enjoyed this. 

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Content Warnings

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

smolhandsdan's review against another edition

dark emotional inspiring 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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Torture, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Panic attacks/disorders, Misogyny, Gore, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Murder, Grief, Miscarriage, Mental illness, Dysphoria, Body shaming, Blood, Outing, Body horror, Medical trauma, Medical content, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Child abuse, Child death, Domestic abuse, Gaslighting, Physical abuse, Emotional abuse, and Homophobia

Minor: Pedophilia, Rape, and Physical abuse