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

5.0

Holy shit. Jesus fuck. This was some of the most compelling and gruesome commentary on gender and neurodivergence in fiction I’ve ever read, and it’s somehow young adult fiction??? It is heart wrenching and depraved. The representation is done gorgeously. The topic of medical abuse in women and the neurodivergent is a gnarly one to begin with, even without the added fantastical and queer moral struggles. I am neurotypical and cis so I can’t speak to the accuracy of depictions, but I have never had a piece of media so naturally and definitively express the internal struggle tied with both topics. I seriously don’t know what to say, this was fucking phenomenal. It was more gruesome at moments than I had wished, but I think leaving out details would be a disservice to the purpose of the book. I know that last year I gave a different YA horror book five stars but forget about that one, if you’re going to read anything read this. I am absolutely purchasing and rereading this; I’m still reeling. Holy shit. I need a comfort book after this one.