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walouigi 's review for:
The Spirit Bares Its Teeth
by Andrew Joseph White
adventurous
dark
emotional
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
"So, if nothing else, I hope this story means something to you. I hope the scalpel is kind to you. I hope your sutures heal clean. You deserve that much; we all do."
Silas Bell on paper has a lot; He’s from a rich family, a hopeful surgeon, and able to control the veil connecting reality to the spirit world because of his purple eyes... As a trans man in the 1880s however, it is not safe to present as anything other than female, and with increasing pressures to marry a man and produce an heir with ‘the gift’, Silas has had enough. After being caught in an act of rebellion, Silas is diagnosed with Veil Sickness- an ailment that only affects women- as they are corrupted by the powers they were bestowed, or so they say.
Sent to an institutional school that specialized in rehabilitating young women with the sickness using unorthodox methods, things start to go awry as Silas realizes that girls are going missing, and the headmaster of the school seems to have a suspicious number of haunted items in his storage. Banding together with his newfound allies, Silas begins to unravel the truth of the school- even if it may kill him doing so.
Truthfully, while I was a big fan of AJW's other books beforehand, when it came to 'The Spirit Bares Its Teeth', I had always been hesitant to pick it up, and had pretty low expectations for it- despite knowing nothing about it. So, if anyone has ever needed a sign to not judge a book before giving it a chance, PLEASSEEE let me be it for you.
This book took me out of a slump; It made me excited to get on the bus in the morning so I had an excuse to read. It had me properly organizing my studying schedule, so that at the end of the day I had time to pour into reading. It even had me re-downloading Goodreads to write my first ever review, because I couldn't imagine not spreading my love for it out there. I hadn't even finished the story before I started a frantic search for more updates regarding the authors newest projects. It has been three days and yet still I am left astounded by the impact it has had over my life. Basically, I adored every word of this book.
'The Spirit Bares Its Teeth' was an experience unlike any other I've ever had while reading, and made me realize why I have always loved the fantasy and horror genre so much. Every page had me enraptured, and the descriptions left me gasping out loud in public. The medical gore at times had my head spinning, and a others left me in awe for minds like Silas’. The depictions of female rage- and the revolting actions that women are pushed to so they are not left living a life they cannot stomach- were so disturbing that, in a twisted way, they became a comfort.
Perhaps I am a biased audience- I am a queer, neurodivergent AFAB science student that has always loved the grotesque, and have been made to question if that is 'womanly' before- but AJW perfectly sums the fury of living in a society where minorities actions are scorned, while people doing worse in power are praised. Silas Bell is not a mad women in need of fixing, but a trans man who does not fit into the expectation of his time. The other girls are not broken, but casualties of a misogynistic society, who fail to see them as more than future wives and mothers. The cast of characters are predominantly female- and even when they are written explicitly as an antagonistic character, you can't help to sympathize for them. Mary, Isabella, Charlotte, Louise and Mrs. Forrester are all victims in the same rite as Silas, and we explore the many paths a person can take when they are held victim of their body, and left fighting for any chance at survival.
Particularly, as a queer reader, I really valued the struggle Silas had between his own gender expression, and his guilt for being seen as an oppressing figure. It is a struggle prevalent still in the community, and so getting to see Silas work it out in his own mind, even in the 1800s, and finally find comfort in his decisions was wonderful. This is equally the same with his attitude towards marriage and children, and I felt like AJ handled it exquisitely. The topics of misogyny and transphobia, class issues and ableism are, in my opinion, easily digestible, in a way that I feel is very appropriate for the targeted age range. Additionally, the language and writing style used weren't overly challenging, while still being engaging, as well as descriptive enough to genuinely leave me breathless.
So, this story did mean a lot to me. And I don’t think I can be normal about it ever again. Thanks AJ.
TLDR; I would do anything to read this book again for the first time. If you like gore, trans guys fighting for their life and female rage in the form of angry spirits, then I couldn’t recommend it enough.
Silas Bell on paper has a lot; He’s from a rich family, a hopeful surgeon, and able to control the veil connecting reality to the spirit world because of his purple eyes... As a trans man in the 1880s however, it is not safe to present as anything other than female, and with increasing pressures to marry a man and produce an heir with ‘the gift’, Silas has had enough. After being caught in an act of rebellion, Silas is diagnosed with Veil Sickness- an ailment that only affects women- as they are corrupted by the powers they were bestowed, or so they say.
Sent to an institutional school that specialized in rehabilitating young women with the sickness using unorthodox methods, things start to go awry as Silas realizes that girls are going missing, and the headmaster of the school seems to have a suspicious number of haunted items in his storage. Banding together with his newfound allies, Silas begins to unravel the truth of the school- even if it may kill him doing so.
Truthfully, while I was a big fan of AJW's other books beforehand, when it came to 'The Spirit Bares Its Teeth', I had always been hesitant to pick it up, and had pretty low expectations for it- despite knowing nothing about it. So, if anyone has ever needed a sign to not judge a book before giving it a chance, PLEASSEEE let me be it for you.
This book took me out of a slump; It made me excited to get on the bus in the morning so I had an excuse to read. It had me properly organizing my studying schedule, so that at the end of the day I had time to pour into reading. It even had me re-downloading Goodreads to write my first ever review, because I couldn't imagine not spreading my love for it out there. I hadn't even finished the story before I started a frantic search for more updates regarding the authors newest projects. It has been three days and yet still I am left astounded by the impact it has had over my life. Basically, I adored every word of this book.
'The Spirit Bares Its Teeth' was an experience unlike any other I've ever had while reading, and made me realize why I have always loved the fantasy and horror genre so much. Every page had me enraptured, and the descriptions left me gasping out loud in public. The medical gore at times had my head spinning, and a others left me in awe for minds like Silas’. The depictions of female rage- and the revolting actions that women are pushed to so they are not left living a life they cannot stomach- were so disturbing that, in a twisted way, they became a comfort.
Perhaps I am a biased audience- I am a queer, neurodivergent AFAB science student that has always loved the grotesque, and have been made to question if that is 'womanly' before- but AJW perfectly sums the fury of living in a society where minorities actions are scorned, while people doing worse in power are praised. Silas Bell is not a mad women in need of fixing, but a trans man who does not fit into the expectation of his time. The other girls are not broken, but casualties of a misogynistic society, who fail to see them as more than future wives and mothers. The cast of characters are predominantly female- and even when they are written explicitly as an antagonistic character, you can't help to sympathize for them. Mary, Isabella, Charlotte, Louise and Mrs. Forrester are all victims in the same rite as Silas, and we explore the many paths a person can take when they are held victim of their body, and left fighting for any chance at survival.
Particularly, as a queer reader, I really valued the struggle Silas had between his own gender expression, and his guilt for being seen as an oppressing figure. It is a struggle prevalent still in the community, and so getting to see Silas work it out in his own mind, even in the 1800s, and finally find comfort in his decisions was wonderful. This is equally the same with his attitude towards marriage and children, and I felt like AJ handled it exquisitely. The topics of misogyny and transphobia, class issues and ableism are, in my opinion, easily digestible, in a way that I feel is very appropriate for the targeted age range. Additionally, the language and writing style used weren't overly challenging, while still being engaging, as well as descriptive enough to genuinely leave me breathless.
So, this story did mean a lot to me. And I don’t think I can be normal about it ever again. Thanks AJ.
TLDR; I would do anything to read this book again for the first time. If you like gore, trans guys fighting for their life and female rage in the form of angry spirits, then I couldn’t recommend it enough.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism, Adult/minor relationship, Body horror, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Deadnaming, Death, Gore, Hate crime, Homophobia, Mental illness, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Transphobia, Forced institutionalization, Vomit, Medical content, Grief, Religious bigotry, Medical trauma, Abortion, Murder, Pregnancy, Dysphoria