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aklikethegun's review against another edition
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Graphic: Ableism, Abortion, Body horror, Child abuse, Sexual content, Suicide, Suicidal thoughts, Stalking, Sexual violence, Transphobia, Rape, Police brutality, Miscarriage, Gore, Alcoholism, Emotional abuse, Eating disorder, Death, Body shaming, Outing, Murder, Injury/Injury detail, Violence, Sexual harassment, Sexism, Pregnancy, Misogyny, Fatphobia, Child death, Confinement, Vomit, Trafficking, Alcohol, Deadnaming, Medical content, Lesbophobia, Domestic abuse, Abandonment, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Bullying, Classism, Torture, Suicide attempt, Sexual assault, Self harm, Physical abuse, Pedophilia, Panic attacks/disorders, Kidnapping, Adult/minor relationship, Blood, Toxic relationship, Mental illness, Medical trauma, Hate crime, Grief, Genocide, Gaslighting, Forced institutionalization, Dysphoria, Drug use, and Death of parent
Moderate: Cannibalism, Infertility, Infidelity, Body shaming, Chronic illness, Toxic friendship, Excrement, and Drug abuse
Minor: Animal cruelty, Infertility, Excrement, Acephobia/Arophobia, Genocide, Infidelity, and Biphobia
aklikethegun's review against another edition
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Graphic: Acephobia/Arophobia, Animal death, Trafficking, Suicide, Sexual violence, Stalking, Sexual harassment, Sexual content, Police brutality, Murder, Gaslighting, Emotional abuse, Rape, Classism, Suicide attempt, Pregnancy, Injury/Injury detail, Infertility, Hate crime, Homophobia, Dysphoria, Death, Cursing, Confinement, Ableism, Abandonment, Abortion, Adult/minor relationship, Alcohol, Biphobia, Blood, Body horror, Body shaming, Bullying, Cannibalism, Child abuse, Child death, Chronic illness, Vomit, Transphobia, Torture, Suicidal thoughts, Sexual assault, Sexism, Self harm, Religious bigotry, Physical abuse, Pedophilia, Panic attacks/disorders, Outing, Misogyny, Miscarriage, Mental illness, Medical content, Lesbophobia, Kidnapping, Infidelity, Grief, Gore, Forced institutionalization, Fatphobia, Deadnaming, Addiction, Eating disorder, Domestic abuse, and Death of parent
bea_reads_books's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Medical content, Physical abuse, Body horror, Child abuse, Gore, Abortion, Blood, Death, Grief, Misogyny, Sexual assault, Violence, Child death, Deadnaming, Forced institutionalization, Transphobia, Ableism, Pregnancy, Self harm, and Suicidal thoughts
Moderate: Rape, Mental illness, Adult/minor relationship, Suicide, Injury/Injury detail, Vomit, Lesbophobia, Pedophilia, Panic attacks/disorders, Murder, Homophobia, and Dysphoria
Minor: Animal death and Cursing
growplantsreadbooks's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? Yes
5.0
Please check the CWs lol
Graphic: Gore, Sexual assault, Deadnaming, Dysphoria, Pregnancy, Suicide attempt, Suicidal thoughts, Child death, Medical trauma, Adult/minor relationship, Body horror, Medical content, Forced institutionalization, Blood, and Death
Minor: Cannibalism, Lesbophobia, Abandonment, Animal cruelty, and Animal death
lokes's review against another edition
- 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
They must have convinced themselves that they would never rot in the same dirt we do.
This book has left me carved out and cut open, lovingly handing me the needle to stitch myself together - and I devoured it.
I already loved Hell Followed With Us, but this book just had it all. The queer characters, the very gory descriptions, the fury and rebellious spirits and the love each of the characters held for each other. There were a few plot lines I would have liked to read more about, like the sanatorium, the relics, the way historic colonialism by the UK was adapted into the fantasy/horror context, more in-depth exploration of the anti-autistic ableism and general sexism of the time, & etc. But I guess that’s to blame on the „YA“ part of the book 😅)
Even though the story meant to rip you apart, ask you to just let go and give into the graphic descriptions of medical horror, of a society not so much different from our own, the book was weirdly comforting. At times, I definitely felt a bit squeamish (never thought I’d read a really graphic, long description of an at-home Caesarian abortion, but here we are), but it was definitely one of the most beautiful things I’ve read lately. Because it is truly okay to hurt sometimes. And it is okay to slash back when the rabbit-hearted heart screams to just amputate the parts society doesn’t like to see on (young) people.
And oh, how they fought back.
(Also loved the very trans* main characters and their love story. Same with the (female) rage and the portrayal of a small rebellion, starting in the very walls meant to keep them silent.)
Graphic: Violence, Emotional abuse, Grief, Rape, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Transphobia, Gaslighting, Medical content, Murder, Gore, Abortion, Blood, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, Torture, Child abuse, Misogyny, Sexual assault, Ableism, Body horror, Adult/minor relationship, Deadnaming, Dysphoria, Forced institutionalization, Sexism, Death, Homophobia, Medical trauma, Self harm, and Suicidal thoughts
Moderate: Abandonment, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, Rape, Self harm, Child abuse, Body horror, Sexual assault, Lesbophobia, Medical trauma, Panic attacks/disorders, Toxic relationship, Forced institutionalization, Medical content, Miscarriage, Sexism, Torture, Classism, Eating disorder, Outing, Blood, Domestic abuse, Grief, Hate crime, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Biphobia, Colonisation, Gaslighting, Pedophilia, Violence, Confinement, Death of parent, and Emotional abuse
erinkellyreads's review against another edition
- 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
Non-Spoiler Review Section:
White's "The Spirit Bares Its Teeth" takes on the style of a Victorian Gothic novel from page one, and the elements of horror and fantasy mixed in with medicine (both scientific and "of the time") made this so nuanced and unfolded like a beautiful, dying flower. Our main character, Silas, is both transmasc and autistic, trapped in the expectations and abuse of what he is "supposed to be" and "supposed" to act like. Add in that his violet eyes allow him to open the Veil and speak to the spirits of the dead (even though "women aren't allowed to use their powers"), and the audience truly feels everything, from sensitivity to loneliness to confusion to camaraderie, with him. The horrible men of the Speakers, full of evil and betrayal, and the women of the "reform school" simultaneously fighting to be alive and to be alive in their own way create a world and tension that you can't get enough of. I'm obsessed!
Spoiler Review Section:
Graphic: Murder, Colonisation, Rape, Child abuse, Deadnaming, Death, Gore, Medical content, Mental illness, Misogyny, Religious bigotry, Trafficking, Suicidal thoughts, Emotional abuse, Ableism, Abandonment, Abortion, Adult/minor relationship, Classism, Bullying, Slavery, Torture, Injury/Injury detail, Domestic abuse, Forced institutionalization, Grief, Confinement, Homophobia, Infidelity, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Transphobia, Child death, Gaslighting, Medical trauma, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, Lesbophobia, Kidnapping, Miscarriage, Animal death, Blood, Body horror, Infertility, Suicide attempt, and Violence
teyn's review against another edition
- 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? No
4.5
Graphic: Ableism, Injury/Injury detail, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Misogyny, Sexual violence, Body horror, Kidnapping, Lesbophobia, Abortion, Homophobia, Deadnaming, Gore, Forced institutionalization, Transphobia, and Death
Moderate: Pregnancy, Torture, Trafficking, Murder, Rape, and Medical content
Minor: Pedophilia, Medical trauma, Animal death, and Violence
ghostlyprince's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Animal death, Abortion, Blood, Violence, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Murder, Sexism, Transphobia, Ableism, Forced institutionalization, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Child death, Confinement, Deadnaming, Death, Gaslighting, Gore, Medical trauma, Misogyny, Physical abuse, and Torture
Moderate: Body horror, Abandonment, Grief, Sexual violence, Body shaming, Pedophilia, Bullying, Domestic abuse, Dysphoria, Pregnancy, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, and Vomit
Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Classism, Homophobia, Biphobia, Colonisation, Death of parent, Infidelity, Lesbophobia, and Miscarriage
dissection of dead pigs is discussed frequently in the bookremescient's review against another edition
- 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
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.ash_36's review against another edition
5.0
Graphic: Violence, Homophobia, Self harm, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Dysphoria, Transphobia, Lesbophobia, Misogyny, Rape, Sexual violence, Forced institutionalization, Pedophilia, Body horror, and Child abuse