A review by violetturtledove
The Spirit Bares Its Teeth by Andrew Joseph White

adventurous challenging dark emotional informative mysterious 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? No

5.0

Wow. I don't want to lean into the surgery puns too much in this review, but this was a gut-wrenching read! Not for the faint-hearted, I'd recommend checking out the content warnings if you have any triggers at all, but it is very much worth it (as the author notes, surgery looks a lot like torture).
This is a gothic horror featuring a trans, autistic protagonist who wants to be a surgeon but is unfortunately AFAB in Victorian London, so of course he ends up in a finishing school/hospital. Oh and there's ghosts. 
It's fast paced and gripping, I loved the characters so much, I felt their frustration, recognised myself in some parts, and found a better understanding of others in other parts. All aspects of them are just so well portrayed.
 I'm not 'read a book in a day' fast but I stayed up reading until 2am two nights in a row with this book (i read it on my kobo so it was my bedtime read, in hindsight maybe not the best choice for restful sleep!)
Expand filter menu Content Warnings