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A review by moony_reads
The Spirit Bares Its Teeth by Andrew Joseph White
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? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
I am viscerally shaking as I write this. The Spirit Bares Its Teeth is an absolute masterpiece. Gritty and raw and horrifying and it had me absolutely hooked.
Those born with violet eyes have the ability to communicate with spirits, and the Royal Speaker Society want to control their power and take it for their own. Silas Bell knows this. A trans, autistic boy viewed as a violet eyed imbecile, Silas is set to be married to maintain the gene. What would be recognised as autism and gender dysphoria is diagnosed as ‘Veil Sickness’ caused by the inability of women to handle their powers. He is sent to a Sanatorium with horrific ideas of treatment. Soon, the ghosts of students who have gone missing in its halls begin to step out.
The Spirit Bares Its Teeth at its heart is an incredibly difficult and heartbreaking read, dealing with topics of gender identity, sexism, neurodivergence, and imperialism at time where these were unnamed, nevermind understood.
The book is set in the 1800s, but it felt so reflective of the trauma so many trans and neurodivergent people face even now. Oppression through class and gender, the oppression in mental institutions, the cruel idea of conversion therapy before it was named.
The supernatural element was great, but felt like it kind of fell away in the middle, but the story didn’t suffer for it.
Overall, this is such an important read but it is in no way easy. It’s brutal, it’s raw, it’s gory. I ached for these characters, and as a trans* autistic person, I ached for the mistreatment we still face. Andrew Joseph White, you are doing so much so beautifully.
Thank you to Peachtree Teen and Netgalley for the ARC!
Those born with violet eyes have the ability to communicate with spirits, and the Royal Speaker Society want to control their power and take it for their own. Silas Bell knows this. A trans, autistic boy viewed as a violet eyed imbecile, Silas is set to be married to maintain the gene. What would be recognised as autism and gender dysphoria is diagnosed as ‘Veil Sickness’ caused by the inability of women to handle their powers. He is sent to a Sanatorium with horrific ideas of treatment. Soon, the ghosts of students who have gone missing in its halls begin to step out.
The Spirit Bares Its Teeth at its heart is an incredibly difficult and heartbreaking read, dealing with topics of gender identity, sexism, neurodivergence, and imperialism at time where these were unnamed, nevermind understood.
The book is set in the 1800s, but it felt so reflective of the trauma so many trans and neurodivergent people face even now. Oppression through class and gender, the oppression in mental institutions, the cruel idea of conversion therapy before it was named.
The supernatural element was great, but felt like it kind of fell away in the middle, but the story didn’t suffer for it.
Overall, this is such an important read but it is in no way easy. It’s brutal, it’s raw, it’s gory. I ached for these characters, and as a trans* autistic person, I ached for the mistreatment we still face. Andrew Joseph White, you are doing so much so beautifully.
Thank you to Peachtree Teen and Netgalley for the ARC!