Reviews tagging 'Animal death'

The Spirit Bares Its Teeth by Andrew Joseph White

77 reviews

throwback682's review against another edition

dark sad tense

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

5.0

[For reference, I’m a white allistic queer cis woman with ADHD]

“I just finished reading a horrifying violent disgusting wonderful beautiful book,” I texted my friend immediately.

Horror/fantasy/historical fiction, set in Victorian England, with a protagonist we would call bi or pan, transgender, and autistic (and who is subjected to what we’d call ABA “therapy”). I love the protagonist so very much. 

This book is not for the faint of heart. The author gives a non exhaustive list of triggers in the introduction, and acknowledges that this book isn’t for everyone, reassuring would-be readers that it’s okay to walk away. 

For me personally, it was very  much worth it. I hesitate to say too much for fear of spoilers but I just loved this book so much. I guess some of my favorite things were 

That the protagonist

refuses to internalize oppressive messaging about autism

.

The

queer relationships

including one

T4T relationship

.

And [big spoilers] that the

bad guys AND their enablers/apologists get their just desserts

and

the protagonist and some other LGBTQ+ characters

get to have a happy ending

(although obviously trauma is a thing).

The depictions of

autistic

behaviors like

hand flapping. Even though therapists tried to train/torture it out of the protagonist, he speaks about it positively and does it when he can

. There’s also another

autistic

who is

nonverbal

. There’s also a scene where

the autistic protagonist asks another character to squeeze him as tightly as she can, and that his brother used to do this for him as well

.

Basically I feel like this book shows the almost unfathomable ugliness of  the world and the hatred and oppression of queer, trans, and neurodivergent people, but it also

depicts queer and trans love, autistic self love and self acceptance, solidarity, strength, etc. I found it very inspiring.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Eating disorder, Abandonment, Child abuse, Deadnaming, Death, Emotional abuse, Self harm, Torture, Transphobia, Ableism, Adult/minor relationship, Abortion, Animal death, Panic attacks/disorders, Pregnancy, Suicidal thoughts, Vomit, Body horror, Miscarriage, Sexual assault, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Dysphoria, Injury/Injury detail, Child death, Grief, Medical trauma, Sexism, Violence, Blood, Confinement, Forced institutionalization, Gore, Medical content, Pedophilia, and Physical abuse

“Letter from the Author One of the cruel injustices of the world is that survival hurts sometimes. Open-heart surgery, for example, looks a lot like murder. Amputation before the advent of proper anesthesia was just a bone saw and a rag to bite. On that note, I will make this clear: The Spirit Bares Its Teeth contains transphobia, ableism, graphic violence, sexual assault, discussions of forced pregnancy and miscarriage, mentions of suicidal ideation, and extensive medical gore. But I will also make it clear that this book is not a necessary procedure. You don’t have to endure it. You can get off the operating table and walk away at any time. I won’t blame you. For those still reading—do you have a rag to bite?—I want to make note of some context. Ghosts and mediums and alternate histories aside, The Spirit Bares Its Teeth was inspired by Victorian England’s sordid history of labeling certain people “ill” or “other” to justify cruelty against them. Threats of violence enforced strict social norms, often targeting women, queer and disabled people, and other marginalized folks. I have included another note about these realities at the end of the book, including some that this book does not cover. True history is often much more heartbreaking than any horror novel can depict. So, if nothing else, I hope this story means something to you. I hope the scalpel is kind to you. I hope your sutures heal clean. You deserve that much; we all do. Yours, Andrew” For me, it’s hard to say what’s harder to stomach - the blood and gore, or the attitudes towards queer and trans, neurodivergent, and other marginalized people.

leaflit's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful 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

This book was so gruesome but so good.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual harassment, Death of parent, Misogyny, Murder, Self harm, Transphobia, Abortion, Body horror, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Child death, Gore, Blood, Homophobia, Torture, Dysphoria, Gaslighting, Lesbophobia, Sexual assault, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Violence, Child abuse, Deadnaming, Death, Ableism, Adult/minor relationship, Sexism, Animal death, Forced institutionalization, Bullying, Sexual violence, Medical content, and Mental illness

Moderate: Slavery, Classism, Pregnancy, Suicidal thoughts, Confinement, Grief, Miscarriage, Vomit, Rape, and Panic attacks/disorders

sharpwords_softheart's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious reflective 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

This book really touched a piece of me as a trans person. I feel many of us have a similar rabbit in our chest that Silas struggles with. This book is so complex, but not in a bad way. Do I think everyone will find this book acceptable? No not at all. But please take it with a grain of salt and really look at the material. What an interesting world Andrew Joesph White has written. Thank you for writing it honestly.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Medical content, Medical trauma, Blood, Self harm, Violence, Gore, Transphobia, Injury/Injury detail, Abortion, and Death

Moderate: Animal death, Dysphoria, and Animal cruelty

Minor: Rape and Sexual assault

bastardbimbo's review against another edition

dark emotional hopeful inspiring mysterious reflective sad 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

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Body horror, Abortion, Transphobia, Sexual assault, and Adult/minor relationship

Minor: Animal cruelty and Animal death

marcostorin's review against another edition

adventurous dark inspiring mysterious 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? N/A

5.0

I already planned to give this book 5 stars, but when I reached the ending of the book, I was literally putting my phone (where I read it) down multiple times because I just couldn't believe the twists I was reading, and I mean it as an absolute compliment. They were perfectly done and absolutely in character and believable and yes, they still had me shocked. The epilogue was the sweetest and realest ending this book could have had. I loved the previous book this author did and, seeing as two out of two books by them have been some of the best reads I've encountered lately, I'm absolutely following whatever they put out next.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Adult/minor relationship, Gore, Hate crime, Pregnancy, Sexism, Blood, Ableism, Animal cruelty, Child death, Deadnaming, Dysphoria, Homophobia, Domestic abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Misogyny, Murder, Abortion, Animal death, Body horror, Death, Pedophilia, Death of parent, Forced institutionalization, Medical content, Medical trauma, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Torture, Transphobia, and Violence

Moderate: Rape, Colonisation, and Bullying

breadbummer's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious sad tense fast-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? Yes

4.75

It's been maybe five years since the last time I remember being so engrossed with a book! For once, I'm so glad I judged a book by its cover (it's a pretty neat cover), as The Spirit Bares Its Teeth has just about everything I could want from a story.

• Trans protagonist (written by a trans author) ✅
• Murder mystery ✅
• Set in the Victorian era ✅
• Upfront trigger warnings ✅
• VENGEANCE!!!! (no bs about forgiveness) ✅

I cannot recommend this novel enough!! As I said, though, please note the HEFTY list of content warnings before jumping in. White makes sure to cover the big hitters like anti-transness and ableism, but it should also be noted that

abortion

(among many other things) has its very graphic moment.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Medical trauma, Pedophilia, Injury/Injury detail, Gore, Gaslighting, Emotional abuse, Death of parent, Child abuse, Abortion, Sexism, Self harm, Pregnancy, Physical abuse, Death, Deadnaming, Adult/minor relationship, Panic attacks/disorders, Violence, Torture, Sexual assault, Forced institutionalization, Dysphoria, Domestic abuse, Cursing, Blood, Child death, Body horror, Murder, Misogyny, Mental illness, Medical content, Transphobia, and Ableism

Moderate: Suicide attempt, Miscarriage, Lesbophobia, Rape, Colonisation, and Vomit

Minor: Infertility, Animal death, Genocide, Sexual content, and Terminal illness

There was no specific option for animal dissections or something close enough to it listed here, so I thought I'd make note of it. Everything that is done to animals in this book is post-mortem, though it's still graphic.

cluelessavian's review against another edition

dark emotional 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? It's complicated

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Misogyny, Ableism, Abortion, Torture, Body horror, Medical content, Transphobia, Gaslighting, Deadnaming, Violence, Child abuse, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Sexism, Murder, and Medical trauma

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Animal death, Bullying, Pedophilia, Sexual assault, Cursing, Outing, Vomit, Self harm, Forced institutionalization, and Toxic relationship

Minor: Rape and Miscarriage

chamomiledaydreams's review against another edition

dark emotional tense fast-paced

• Loveable characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

This book instantly drew me in, and I read it in under 36 hours.  I loved Andrew Joseph White's debut novel, "Hell Followed With Us," and I enjoyed this one quite a bit, too.  There isn't as much gender euphoria in terms of morphing into a monstrous beast, which is sad for someone like me, who enjoyed that aspect of "HFWU" immensely.  But I found a lot of joy in the interpersonal connections in "The Spirit Bares Its Teeth," specifically the relationship between Silas and Daphne.  

"TSBIT" explores transness and autism in a different way than "HFWU," and I think that's wonderful.  Both novels are similar in tone and style (sharing the theme of "trans kids biting back"), but unique in content and imagery, with very different settings (post-apocalyptic America, versus nineteenth century England).  I especially enjoyed the way that Silas' anxiety manifests in a figurative rabbit inside of his chest.  That ongoing metaphor culminates very nicely in the finale, and it's one of many personality traits that distinguishes Silas from Benji. 

The weakest point in this book, for me, is the worldbuilding.  AJW mentions in a video of his that he doesn't feel equipped to write in more detail about what a revolution against Speaker society would look like, and he adds lightheartedly that his worldbuilding probably wouldn't withstand such a heightened level of scrutiny anyway.  I agree with this.  

The fantasy elements added to nineteenth century England allow for 1) frequent eye imagery and eye-related horror; 2) characters to recognize others with spiritual powers; and 3) dramatic parallels of how colonialism and misogyny operate in the real world.  I enjoyed a lot of these fantasy elements.  Eye imagery is neat, and I appreciate the concept of vengeful spirits wreaking havoc on their oppressors in death.  The line where the ghosts say that their privileged abusers never thought they'd end up in the ground like their victims was bone-chilling and, quite frankly, awesome.  

But there's still so much that I don't understand about how the Speaker system works.  Silas isn't allowed to pierce the Veil, and he doesn't seem very interested in trying, so it makes sense that our protagonist doesn't give us much insight into these fantasy powers.  We hear allusions to how Speakers use ghosts to gain intel, especially during military campaigns.  But I understand very little about the afterlife, which is surprising, considering how every unique fantasy element in this story revolves around the dead.  

Is the Veil a kind of purgatory where spirits are trapped?  Do any spirits get to "move on" to someplace better?  Are they miserable in death?  And if the afterlife is a freezing cold hellish landscape (which it certainly seems to be), then why aren't more Speakers and those with supernatural abilities concerned about it?  The explanation could be that the men in power often think that death will never happen to them, but I don't think this is a satisfying answer for how all of a fictional society seems to ignore the horrific implications of their powers.  

Then, there's the detail that these powers miraculously appeared several decades ago.  I wonder if there's some parallel that I'm missing in the real world, some revolution or change in society that is represented by purple eyes and ghost powers.  Industrialization, perhaps, or the age of empires? 

Still, what's trickiest for me to reckon with is the decision to denote ghost powers with purple eyes.  I imagine that AJW wanted an unnatural eye color to reflect the characters' supernatural abilities.  But as someone with ocular albinism, I know very well that purple eyes are possible, and they have a clear scientific explanation.  (If you lack enough pigmentation in your irises, then you can see the red color of the blood vessels beneath: hence the prevalence of red and purple-tinted eyes among people with albinism.)  I can tell myself that the purple eyes in this novel are more jewel-toned and fantastical than real purple eyes, and perhaps with more range and variety, but I can't fully get over the odd correlation of eye color with magic, especially considering the harmful stereotype of PWA as mystical or otherworldly.  

There was a moment in this novel where Silas reiterates that there is nothing special about purple eyes; they are no different from any other eyes.  While this is true in one sense, there is a tangible difference in pigmentation that has a clear scientific explanation (and a very interesting one at that, in my opinion).  I wish that that portion had been worded differently, to emphasize that purple eyes are different from other eye colors, but not inherently magically.  Still, I don't know if that's correct in this universe, since there is a 1:1 correlation of purple eyes and magic powers that I quite honestly don't know what to do with.  

How many people actually have this eye color in the novel, by the way?  What percentage of the human population has inexplicable ghost powers, and did these powers suddenly awaken in adults, or only in newborns?  I accept that Silas is able to go into hiding, because I want that for him.  But just how much do his eyes stand out, even once he's left his old identity behind and can safely pass as a man?

There are a few topics I'm very picky about when it comes to fiction: depictions of albinism, aromanticism, asexuality, and romance itself.  My thoughts about eyes in this novel, therefore, are complicated and still forming.  But I must say, all of the romances were amazing (and if I'm saying that, then it's a high compliment indeed).  Silas and Daphne have my whole heart, and I enjoyed Mary and Frances' relationship, as well, even if I don't quite understand the physics/logic of ghosts.  The idea that hauntings can be gentle and formed out of love makes me very happy and emotional.

The non-romantic relationships were phenomenal, as well.  I loved Silas' dynamics with Isabella and the groundskeeper especially, the way that they care for one another and see themselves reflected in each other.  These relationships didn't have to be romantic to be important to the story, and they are just as emotional and captivating as the two main romances.  Silas' relationship with his brother George is more complicated than heartwarming, but I still appreciate the attention and nuance given to non-romantic connections such as theirs.

All in all, this is an amazing book, and I'd highly recommend it for anyone with the stomach to handle its many content warnings.  (There is plenty of gore, misogyny, violence, abuse, body horror, rape, forced pregnancy, etc. etc.  Seriously, look up a list of content warnings if you have any triggers to avoid.)  I may have lingering questions about the worldbuilding and its implications, but the story itself is solid and compelling, and I will happily read any other novels that AJW puts out in the future.  Plus, his covers look awesome!  

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Pregnancy, Sexual assault, Abortion, Physical abuse, Animal death, Blood, Deadnaming, Forced institutionalization, Dysphoria, Injury/Injury detail, Ableism, Medical content, Body horror, Death, and Gaslighting

ashes_book_cave's review against another edition

dark 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? No

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Medical trauma, Panic attacks/disorders, Adult/minor relationship, Animal cruelty, Blood, Child abuse, Body horror, Confinement, Deadnaming, Domestic abuse, Forced institutionalization, Medical content, Miscarriage, Emotional abuse, Pedophilia, Pregnancy, Sexual assault, Gaslighting, Injury/Injury detail, Physical abuse, Torture, and Violence

Moderate: Abandonment, Abortion, Animal death, and Ableism

solarwitchbooks's review against another edition

dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

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

5.0

I am convinced that Andrew Joseph White is incapable of writing a bad book. I could not put this down, it will be on my mind for weeks, haunting and beautiful and made me feel seen. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Suicide attempt, Medical trauma, Mental illness, Suicide, Torture, Blood, Ableism, Death, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Deadnaming, Dysphoria, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Body horror, Forced institutionalization, Hate crime, Medical content, Murder, Transphobia, and Violence

Moderate: Animal death and Adult/minor relationship