Reviews tagging 'Abandonment'

The Spirit Bares Its Teeth by Andrew Joseph White

41 reviews

erinkellyreads's review against another edition

adventurous 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

I bought this book on Friday afternoon in support of the Trans Rights Readathon week going on right now, and, by Saturday at 6pm, I had already devoured it whole. When I hit the page, I immediately had to put the Kindle down, stare at the ceiling, and whisper "Holy Shit..."

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:

I just wanted to add how absolutely beautiful it was that Silas got to create relationships Daphne and the groundskeeper as part of the story. My heart fluttered at the realization of Silas seeing someone like himself and finding friendship and love in that. So freaking beautiful. I also loved both the growth, and also the constancy, of Mary the Wolf. She's easy to write off at first, and I love that White forces us to look at her in a different way and hold that up to her nature. Great writing!

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Content Warnings

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

jdieperink's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional tense

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated

5.0

I’d like to thank the Trans Rights Readathon, Andrew Joseph White, and a well timed library hold for getting me out of my reading slump. 

It’s chock full of things that need content warning, brutal, horrific, explicitly gruesome, poetic, beautiful, and will make your whole being ache. 

Horror isn’t really my jam so I have to work myself up to it, but so far both this and Hell Followed With Us have been so so so worth it. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Confinement, Gaslighting, Misogyny, Transphobia, Vomit, Abandonment, Deadnaming, Child abuse, Forced institutionalization, Medical content, and Blood

Moderate: Gore, Sexual violence, Death, Child death, Self harm, Bullying, Abortion, Death of parent, Dysphoria, Sexual harassment, Sexual assault, Sexism, Physical abuse, Hate crime, and Suicidal thoughts

marrz's review against another edition

dark emotional hopeful mysterious reflective 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: Violence, Gaslighting, Gore, Physical abuse, Abandonment, Blood, Murder, Pedophilia, Transphobia, Ableism, Abortion, Dysphoria, Body horror, Child death, Child abuse, Deadnaming, Confinement, Death, Forced institutionalization, Pregnancy, Sexism, Emotional abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Mental illness, and Misogyny

Moderate: Panic attacks/disorders, Suicidal thoughts, Pregnancy, and Pedophilia

Minor: Cursing, Vomit, and Adult/minor relationship

ghostlyprince's review against another edition

dark emotional sad medium-paced

• 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

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Content Warnings

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 book

emma_rose_barrell's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful sad 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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Violence, Dysphoria, Murder, Bullying, Blood, Child abuse, Deadnaming, Body horror, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Cursing, Emotional abuse, Gore, Medical content, Medical trauma, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Vomit, Abandonment, Abortion, Death, and Suicide attempt

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.

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

crystallineflowers's review against another edition

emotional tense fast-paced

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

5.0

This book was visceral and raw, and I highly recommend it. However, please be conscious of the content warnings! If you're triggered by depictions of gender dysphoria and transphobia, it might be best to sit this one out. I hope you're able to give it a shot, though!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexism, Ableism, Gore, and Transphobia

Moderate: Abandonment, Homophobia, and Sexual assault

vixenreader's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful informative inspiring mysterious reflective 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? Yes

4.75

The YA troupes are a bit more evident in this book than in the author’s previous work. However, it is a remarkable second novel with an effective plot structure, atmospheric from beginning to end, visceral in the horrors of what can be done to a human being (mind, body, and soul), and a big high-five for diving into the ableism directed towards the autistic while giving them the direction in learning how to shut up their own internal rabbits. Also, “George, we were all rooting for you! HOW DARE YOU!!!”

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Content Warnings

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

Moderate: Animal death, Outing, Classism, Sexual violence, Infertility, Miscarriage, Pedophilia, Sexual content, War, Rape, and Infidelity

Minor: Alcohol, Vomit, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis

A majority of graphic content in this novel addresses transphobia, abhorrent ableism against autistic folks, misogyny/sexism (the “biology” argument), nasty surgeries, medical content and trauma, physical abuse and violence, and sexual abuse. Any minor in the novel is aged 14-16. It also features familial rejection, pus, stitching up wounds, a graphic abortion, self-mutilation, execution, and a ton of injuries and gore involving glass. It can be a hard read at times.

xeve's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious sad medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Violence, Body shaming, Murder, Transphobia, Torture, Body horror, Medical content, Blood, Confinement, Sexual harassment, Abortion, Death, Forced institutionalization, Gore, Domestic abuse, and Animal death

Moderate: Deadnaming, Homophobia, Ableism, Domestic abuse, Bullying, Hate crime, Infidelity, Adult/minor relationship, Mental illness, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, Emotional abuse, Cursing, Dysphoria, Gaslighting, Pregnancy, Self harm, and Lesbophobia

Minor: Abandonment and Chronic illness