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

dark emotional tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes

5.0

First of all, a million thank-yous to Netgalley, Peachtree, and Andrew Joseph White for the e-ARC, I am absolutely thrilled that I got the chance to read and review this book. <33

The Spirit Bares Its Teeth is by far one of the best books I have read this year. Just as disturbing and powerful as the author’s debut, this book takes place in 1883, London, where people with violet eyes communicate with the dead. The story follows purple-eyed Silas Bell, an autistic trans boy, as he is shipped away to an eerie “finishing school” to become an eligible wife. It is a story of ghosts and magic and mystery, but it is also a commentary on the medical abuse that women, queer people, and neurodivergent people have faced throughout history.

This book definitely isn't for the faint of heart. Like Hell Followed With Us, there is a decent amount of blood and gore described on page. Most of it, in this book, is medical content and body horror. There is also implied and on-page sexual assault, sexism, and transphobia. The author handles these difficult topics well, however, and I never felt like they were being glorified or dramatized. It was more like the author was bringing awareness to very real horrors. The way he described what it was like for Silas to grow up trans and autistic in a time without words for those things was amazing as well, as were the content warnings and the author’s note he provided at the beginning and end of the book. 

And the writing. Andrew Joseph White is an incredible author, and it shows in absolutely every word of this book; The descriptions, the medical-related metaphors, the emotions. This is a story packed with fury and grief and vengeance, but also with hope and friendship and belonging. The characters are fierce and powerful and vividly unique, and I adored Silas and Daphne and Mary and Isabella more than I can say. I saw myself reflected in parts of all of them—Mary’s anger, Isabella’s grief and fear, Silas’s rabbit. 

Overall, this book was spectacular, a gorgeous blend of ghosts and power and horror and history all filled with beautiful writing and raw emotion. If you can handle the darker subject matter, I wholeheartedly recommend it. 
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