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

challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Synopsis: 
Silas Bell has violet eyes and can therefore commune with spirits. But he also has a womb and in the 1880s London that is all he's worth. Being seen as a girl, he is also strictly forbidden from communing with ghosts and is supposed to marry by the end of the year. 
All he wants to do, is be a doctor, do surgery, live as the boy he is. But after his attempt to escape this life fails, he is sent into a special mental institution. There girls either become obedient wives or they disappear. 
 
My thoughts: 
 
"We are the same species. We're all human. It's not that people cannot understand me; it's simply that most of them don't want to." 
 
This was everything I hoped it would be and so much more: unhinged, brutal, honest and absolutely feral. 
 
I flew through this book, it was so beautifully written. There were no low points, the tension just kept building up until the end and I could not stop reading it. 
 
It is very graphic, but it never felt out of place or like it was just put there for shock value. All of the medical gore fitted perfectly into the story partially due to anatomy/surgery being Silas' special interest. 
 
How Silas is trans, but he only really feels uncomfortable in his body when others perceive him as a girl? And him not understanding the social behaviour of others and always taking a bit too long to understand what they want from him? I can relate to him so much.  
 
It does deal a lot with misogyny and ableism and I thought it depicts it very well, but please, if you read this book, do look at the content warnings beforehand! 
 
Hell Followed With Us was amazing, this book is even better. And with that I will buy anything Andrew Joseph White ever writes. 

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