Reviews tagging 'Violence'

The Spirit Bares Its Teeth by Andrew Joseph White

264 reviews

bluebreex's review against another edition

dark 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? It's complicated

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Gore, Sexual assault, Violence, Medical content, and Abortion

Moderate: Rape, Sexism, and Pregnancy

Minor: Transphobia

quitethespectacle's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious reflective tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• 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

An incredible book. Visceral and cutting - it pierced me to the core. I read the whole thing over less than 48 hours and am sorely tempted to immediately begin it again.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Cursing, Deadnaming, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Sexism, Torture, Transphobia, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Vomit, Medical content, Trafficking, Medical trauma, Abortion, Murder, Pregnancy, Outing, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Biphobia, Homophobia, Infidelity, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicide, Trafficking, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Lesbophobia, Sexual harassment, and Dysphoria

Minor: Miscarriage, Pedophilia, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Slavery, Terminal illness, Cannibalism, Colonisation, War, and Classism

Eye gore

Vivisection

Wrist injury

Self surgery

alphabetseeds's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional 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? Yes

5.0

I read and loved AJW's first novel and knew I had to this up as well. And, fuck, this novel is horrific. Uncomfortable, bloody, unyielding. I read so much of this book with one hand over my mouth and the other clutching my stomach or over my heart, spellbound and horrified. I viscerally felt Silas' anxiety and confusion, felt the glass, clenched my teeth. This story is powerful in its portrayal of the pain and shame inflicted on those deemed lesser or unworthy or unwell.

But there are also moments of softness and tenderness that break up the claustrophobic violence, and these moments are so important. As the reader, I glimpsed for a better life, a safer life, for Silas and the girls and woman, and I desperately yearned for them to get there. To get out. To be loved and free.

To me, this is a must-read, absolutely recommend, with the caveat to brace yourself and prepare to be haunted.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Transphobia, Violence, and Blood

Moderate: Deadnaming and Vomit

yellowjelly's review against another edition

dark emotional inspiring reflective 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

Probably one of the best written books I’ve read in my life. The constant motif of the rabbit Silas has to ignore honestly just brung the book together so nicely. The autistic representation in the book is so well written i am lost for words. Ive never felt so seen and so heard. The long discussions of Silas internal struggle of identity and what he wants in life made me love him so dearly and he and Daphne is the only couple I’ve ever truly loved.  Their love and devotion to each other and the deep understanding of what the other needs Is something I’ve never seen before and craved so deeply. One thing I found hard to read is the constant misogyny, I had a hard time reading how the women were being treated and constantly had to stop reading because of it. the pacing of the book is quite uneven like Andrew whites other book hell followed with us but i think it works much better in this book. The middle is slow but it fleshes out every character well enough that the ending is smooth, we know what each character wants and the twists pull at heart strings so much more. Now my only true sadness is how andrew white always writes such amazing worlds, characters and stories and then leave us with only one book in the world. I wish to see more of this universe.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Adult/minor relationship, Animal death, Body horror, Body shaming, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Cursing, Deadnaming, Death, Domestic abuse, Gore, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Transphobia, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Medical trauma, Abortion, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Sexual harassment, Dysphoria, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Torture and Violence

Minor: Rape

if you feel uncomfortable about misogyny, pregnancy and sexual assault I don’t recommend you read this book, its amazing discussion for womens rights but it might be a lot to handle especially if your dealing with something. The victim blaming and names they call women of assault was a lot to handle

cassius_orion's review against another edition

fast-paced

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

4.75

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Animal death, Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Cursing, Deadnaming, Death, Gore, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Transphobia, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Medical content, Medical trauma, Abortion, Murder, Lesbophobia, and Dysphoria

Moderate: Rape

Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Miscarriage, and Pedophilia

whatamidoing_rn's review against another edition

5.0

This book was so good. Also for the content warning I couldn’t be bothered to put them in the accurate boxes so some of the stuff isn’t extremely detailed, I was just lazy. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Body horror, Deadnaming, Death, Gore, Misogyny, Sexual assault, Torture, Transphobia, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Medical content, Abortion, Murder, Dysphoria, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

dogoodwithbooks's review against another edition

dark emotional 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

4.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Deadnaming, Gore, Physical abuse, Transphobia, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Medical content, Medical trauma, Abortion, Murder, and Gaslighting

Moderate: Death, Homophobia, Misogyny, Sexism, Sexual assault, and Pregnancy

Minor: Miscarriage and Vomit

adancewithbooks's review against another edition

dark reflective sad 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

4.0

  Thank you to Netgalley and Daphne Press for the review copy in exhange for an honest review. This does not change my opinion in anyway.

The Spirit Bares Its Teeth is a gothic horror young adult novel that is much needed to be read in this day and age. Not just for the trans mc, the female vs male standpoint but also because our mc is also autistic. Beware however and take into account the trigger warnings before you set foot into this book. It is not an easy read. 

We meet Silas as he tries to talk to his brother at his marriage. Knowing that an arranged marriage is just around the corner for him and being a trans male in hiding, he wants to start planning. His brother however becomes distant and Silas is left to fend for himself. Something that does not quite go the way it should have. Instead of getting away, he gets locked up in Braxton's Santorium and Finishing School with an arranged fiancee right along with it. 

Like I said, this is not an easy read. The world where females are seen as weak and inferior alone is hard to read. Let alone that Silas has to hide on multiple fronts who he is. The way these various bits are weaved together was done so very well. 

Having said that, it did take a little while to get in the book. Silas as a character was quite jarring at first. But once I got a good feeling for his character and situation I found it a lot easier to follow him and became quite fond of him as a character. I also feel the world building around the speakers could have used a little more building. 

There was also the matter of the insta love with his fiancee. Initially not all pulled towards this fiancee, once he discovers that his fiancee is actually a trans female, the draw is instantaneous. While I don't care much for insta love I understand completely why it happened. This is the first time that Silas has found someone who completely understood that part of him. Who als accepted his autism without asking him to hide it. He acknowledges this in text and doesn't care about it. Knowing that your dreaded fiancee actually understands you, it gave hope in a hopelessness situation 

All in all The Spirit Bares Its Teeth is a powerful book. If you can get past the somewhat rough start and the body horror, it is a great and hard hitting book. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Body horror, Confinement, Deadnaming, Misogyny, Sexual assault, Violence, and Abortion

Moderate: Child death and Death of parent

Minor: Miscarriage

Misgendering | Conversion Therapy | Anxiety | | Self Abbortion | Physical Assault | Death | Ableism

arytia's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious 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? Yes

4.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Gore, Misogyny, Rape, Sexual assault, Transphobia, and Medical content

Moderate: Homophobia, Self harm, Torture, Abortion, Suicide attempt, Murder, and Pregnancy

Minor: Miscarriage, Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, Violence, Forced institutionalization, and Injury/Injury detail

megnut's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

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

5.0

This book was so unsettling and tense through almost the entire thing. (I don't want to spoil the sweet moments.)
It had this constant sense of unease... but so incredibly done. 

It's on my wishlist for my library now. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Misogyny, Rape, Transphobia, Violence, Blood, Medical content, and Medical trauma

Moderate: Sexism, Sexual assault, and Abortion

Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Animal death, Torture, Toxic relationship, Murder, and Toxic friendship