Reviews tagging 'Animal cruelty'

The Spirit Bares Its Teeth by Andrew Joseph White

31 reviews

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.

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

myamo_santiago'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? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

The spirit bares it’s teeth is a book I found on a whim when I was at the bookstore. I went into the book not knowing what to expect at each turn and falling in love with the diverse characters who fought to survive in a world that was against them. The spirit bares it’s teeth is deeply grotesque, haunting and a realistic reflection on medical history towards  those who were considered different due to their gender identity and sexual orientation  as well as ableism. The book is laced with fighting darkness when there is no hope, and left me a different person than I was when I started it.  

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Pregnancy, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Transphobia, Body horror, Death, Torture, Adult/minor relationship, Dysphoria, Homophobia, Physical abuse, Sexual violence, Emotional abuse, Gore, Child abuse, Forced institutionalization, Medical content, Animal death, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Child death, Deadnaming, Suicide attempt, Animal cruelty, Gaslighting, Abortion, Medical trauma, Pedophilia, and Blood

readingradie's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-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? Yes

5.0

God, I loved this. The horror of it. The transness of it. If I could read this again to experience it for the first time, I would in a heartbeat. 

The slow reveal was wonderful and the growing horrific realization what was happening was so well written. When the reason Mrs. Forrester's limp is revealed I had to physically look away. God, this was so good.

Also, please heed the content warnings, it gets wild in this book.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Medical trauma, Self harm, Sexual assault, Medical content, Deadnaming, Vomit, Forced institutionalization, Injury/Injury detail, Physical abuse, Rape, Transphobia, Abortion, Body horror, Domestic abuse, and Gore

Moderate: Animal cruelty and Animal death

Minor: Miscarriage

multiple Victorian Era surgeries done by the protagonist,

descriptions of: dead bodies, severe injuries, gore, literal torture that the person likes, the sexual assault isn't aggressive but I'm not very sensitive to it, the protagonist describing operating on dead animals for practice.

queerandtalkative's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional reflective sad tense fast-paced

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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Animal death, Death, Emotional abuse, Sexual assault, Abortion, Animal cruelty, Body horror, Child death, Forced institutionalization, Gaslighting, Gore, Medical content, Medical trauma, Pedophilia, Pregnancy, Self harm, Sexism, Transphobia, and Deadnaming

Moderate: Dysphoria, Child abuse, and Adult/minor relationship

Minor: Sexual harassment and Rape

pastelbread's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional sad tense medium-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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Pregnancy, Child abuse, Torture, Confinement, Mental illness, Dysphoria, Medical trauma, Abortion, Blood, Animal cruelty, Forced institutionalization, Animal death, Child death, Self harm, Deadnaming, Emotional abuse, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Physical abuse, and Violence

Moderate: Homophobia, Transphobia, Sexism, Sexual harassment, Miscarriage, Sexual assault, Rape, and Misogyny

Minor: Cannibalism and Suicidal thoughts

that_person_logan's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring mysterious sad tense fast-paced

• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

I just want to say thank you to Andrew Joseph White. Never have I felt so seen and understood by a book before. I have never felt so supported by an author while reading a book. I have never felt so valued as a reader. This was not just a story, it was an experience for me. 
Thank you so much for writing this Andrew, truly. 
I adored this and I am so so grateful I was able to read it

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Ableism, Abortion, Classism, Murder, Rape, Sexual assault, Animal cruelty, Body horror, Adult/minor relationship, Blood, Cursing, Emotional abuse, Torture, Transphobia, Animal death, Colonisation, Death, Grief, Miscarriage, Religious bigotry, Sexism, Child abuse, Deadnaming, Death of parent, Forced institutionalization, Gaslighting, Homophobia, Mental illness, Bullying, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Violence, Gore, Hate crime, Medical trauma, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, Self harm, and Suicidal thoughts

danaslitlist's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.75

Do you know how angry the dead can be?

They must have convinced themselves they would never rot in the same dirt as we do.

In my review of Hell Followed with Us, I said the words "bold and furious" to describe the book. I said the book  is a story of rage consuming, of revolution and uprising, of setting ablaze the world and those who wished to use you for their gain.

While reading The Spirit Bares Its Teeth I was struck by how much of it is a mirror to White's debut. It's not  a simple reflection of his previous work nor is it just a rehashing of the same themes. Instead it's a rendition, a shadow, a closer look at the source, at the core of, where so much rage begins.

 Hell Followed with Us is about the beauty of decay and rot and the rebirth of one's self into their true monstrous form, The Spirit Bares Its Teeth is about the power of breaking the cage within yourself to free your righteous fury and ripping the Veil all together.

It is a story that picks at the scabs of old wounds that many of us have endured at hands of a world that wishes to "fix us" through any means as long as we assimilated. This is an acknowledgement of the horrors of those who came before us (of women, of people of color, of queer and trans people, of disabled and mentally ill individuals) suffered. It is an acknowledgment of the battles many marginalized people still endure for simply not fitting into the narrow minded boxes (Christian) society demands. And it does shy away from the dark and truly disgusting horrors of humanity's greed and man's desire for power over all. 

While The Spirit Bares Its Teeth does indeed touch upon rage, upon anger and frustration; it is a story of pain inflicted by those in positions of power, of the suppression of self for survival, and overcoming of fear in order to not just live but to thrive. 

And it does this wonderfully. This is a  true gothic horror in every sense; from the setting and themes it utilizes, from the classic use of gaslighting and mystery against the characters to a pure feeling of isolation and desperation. 
 
For fans of Crimson Peak and Devil's Backbone this is for you. 
 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abortion, Sexual harassment, Deadnaming, Emotional abuse, Gore, Abandonment, Animal cruelty, Sexism, Sexual assault, Confinement, Death, Forced institutionalization, Gaslighting, Blood, Body horror, Medical content, Physical abuse, Violence, Grief, Misogyny, Ableism, Sexual violence, and Transphobia

Moderate: Miscarriage, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Pregnancy, Injury/Injury detail, Rape, and Vomit

tgaddie's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad fast-paced

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide attempt, Gore, Homophobia, Adult/minor relationship, Biphobia, Blood, Medical content, Medical trauma, Murder, Rape, Self harm, Torture, Violence, Vomit, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Forced institutionalization, Injury/Injury detail, Lesbophobia, Abortion, Body horror, Mental illness, Misogyny, Sexual assault, Death, Dysphoria, Sexism, Suicide, Transphobia, Bullying, Child death, Hate crime, Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, and Suicidal thoughts

Moderate: Animal cruelty and Animal death

jasper_is_atypical's review against another edition

dark emotional tense slow-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual violence, Medical content, Domestic abuse, Blood, Misogyny, Murder, Confinement, Bullying, Sexism, Ableism, Abandonment, Grief, Forced institutionalization, Animal cruelty, Sexual harassment, Medical trauma, Emotional abuse, Deadnaming, Physical abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Gore, Death, Cursing, Chronic illness, Animal death, Violence, Self harm, Pedophilia, Panic attacks/disorders, Transphobia, Torture, Child death, Body horror, Abortion, and Adult/minor relationship

Moderate: Rape, Pregnancy, Vomit, Mental illness, Dysphoria, and Sexual assault

Minor: Classism, Colonisation, and Miscarriage