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

dark mysterious
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes

5.0

The Spirit Bares its Teeth is set in 1800s London, where violet eyed mediums can commune with the dead. It follows Silas, a 16 year old autistic trans boy who dreams of being a surgeon, not a man's wife, worthy only because of his violet eyes and uterus. In a desperate bid to escape, he poses as another man but his impersonation is caught. He's deemed to have "veil sickness" a disease where any woman who opens the veil descends into madness. Instead of being sent to Bedlam, a wealthy suit sweeps in and he is instead sent away to a finishing school to teach him how to be a proper lady and beat the madness away. As he learns of missing students, and the truth the headmaster is hiding, he discovers that the punishment for disobeying the patriarchal norms is worse than death.

This book was beautiful. I've highlighted parts that really spoke to me, and it was especially evocative when discussing the trans and autistic experience, eloquently describing the horrors of being perceived: "It is only when I step back to see it all through another’s eyes that I want to unravel it and carve the meat into a new, different, more acceptable shape. The only thing that will ever matter is how others see you. I want to take myself apart into something else, and if I cannot do that, I want to destroy every part of it that could ever be used against me. And if that is my eyes, or my womb, or all of it—" and the connection of girls and womanhood through being AFAB and raised as such: "I still connect with women. I find companionship with them, closeness that cannot be denied, because the world will always do its damnedest to see me as one of them. As long as we are seen the same, we will experience the same. Our lives will be linked. I will be held to the same unfair standards, punished under the same unjust rules. To separate how you are seen from who you are sometimes feels nigh impossible.". There was also an immaculate summary about my feelings as a doctor and a uterus: "know enough about pregnancy to be terrified of it, which is the only sensible reaction to discovering how it works." As well as a many tragically beautiful descriptions of grief: "Death never goes after those who deserve it. It only ever takes from those who aren’t ready." and the horrors of man: "why is it that when they hide their faces, men become monsters instead of angels?". I'll stop quoting the book now and let you enjoy it in its entire form, but God I want you all to read it immediately. I want to highlight it in its entirety.

I couldn't put this book down, and it was sad when it ended. It's an exquisitely haunting tale tackling patriarchy, identity, and complex relationships. Whilst the plot points were predictable for me, it was still satisfying: the blossoming love story and the ones that never got to be; the evil deeds committed by men; betrayal and courage and anger and cowardice and fight. Parts were akin to screaming at your TV for the character not to go up the stairs when the killer is chasing them, not to be alone in a room with a man. It did a great job at revealing information, even if I knew it already, especially early on when Silas is investigating the missing students. The world is immersive, and whilst the author notes taking historical liberties, I found everything worked and nothing pulled me out. I would have preferred more of the ghosts, opening the veil, talking to the spirits, etc but it didn't feel lacking (I'm just a spooky bitch). The horrors of man are far worse than ghosts could ever be. We're treated to small exerts from the ghosts perspective, and they are so deservedly angry. The book came the a satisfying conclusion (even if it would have preferred a more torturous end), and I want to read it for the first time again. It does feature dark themes, but none of it feels gratuitous - this is how a horror about transphobia should be done. It does not deadname for the readers sake nor try to justify itself. The queerness felt natural, as did the relationships and reactions to events. There is a kinship amongst the different characters, and I'm glad Silas had people he could trust.

Overall, this was piercingly beautiful, and whilst I wouldn't say not to more supernatural elements, a more brutal punishment, or a tad more vengeance, it was a fantastic read. Thank you to netgalley for the arc.
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