Scan barcode
A review by carriepond
The Spirit Bares Its Teeth by Andrew Joseph White
dark
mysterious
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? No
4.5
The Spirit Bares Its Teeth is YA gothic horror that is graphic, compelling, and unputdownable. Silas Bell is a trans, autistic boy with violet eyes-- a feature that signifies the ability to open the Veil and commune with spirits. In an attempt to escape an arranged marriage to a boy he barely knows, Silas attempts to take the place of a man applying for a seal, which gives men the ability to freely practice as mediums (an option not available to women). Silas is found out and sent to a boarding school for girls and women diagnosed with "Veil Sickness," a term used to describe women who are gender non-conforming, queer, or otherwise refuse to conform to the expectation that women be submissive, meek, and marriageable. Silas soon suspects something even worse than meets the eye is happening to women at the school and sets out to expose the school's dark secrets.
I hadn't heard of this book before it was chosen for my book club, so I didn't have many expectations going in, and it was SO GOOD. White's characterization of Silas is so perfect-- he has such a distinct voice and everything he does and thinks is so in line with the character that White creates for us. This book is visceral and violent (read the content warnings), but never revels in that; instead, it is done with intention, showing the reader the real horrors of the world in an almost clinical way (like Silas's perception of viscera and medical procedures, again, I swear the character development in this book is perfection). Despite all the heaviness, Silas finds a couple of true friends and allies, and this gives both Silas and the reader a much-needed respite from the darkness of the rest of the novel. There was so much here to think about-- transphobia, ableism, patriarchy, the ability of people who supposedly love someone to be complicit in their destruction, I could go on-- all packaged in a mystery that had me rushing to finish the book to see how it all came together.
Recommend this to readers who like horror that makes you think.
I hadn't heard of this book before it was chosen for my book club, so I didn't have many expectations going in, and it was SO GOOD. White's characterization of Silas is so perfect-- he has such a distinct voice and everything he does and thinks is so in line with the character that White creates for us. This book is visceral and violent (read the content warnings), but never revels in that; instead, it is done with intention, showing the reader the real horrors of the world in an almost clinical way (like Silas's perception of viscera and medical procedures, again, I swear the character development in this book is perfection). Despite all the heaviness, Silas finds a couple of true friends and allies, and this gives both Silas and the reader a much-needed respite from the darkness of the rest of the novel. There was so much here to think about-- transphobia, ableism, patriarchy, the ability of people who supposedly love someone to be complicit in their destruction, I could go on-- all packaged in a mystery that had me rushing to finish the book to see how it all came together.
Recommend this to readers who like horror that makes you think.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Deadnaming, Misogyny, Transphobia, Medical content, Medical trauma, and Abortion
Minor: Miscarriage