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tackysapphic's reviews
127 reviews
The Spirit Bares Its Teeth by Andrew Joseph White
dark
tense
5.0
(Originally posted to goodreads)
Thank you so much to NetGalley for providing me with an e-arc in exchange for an honest review!
The Spirit Bares Its Teeth is a young adult horror novel about a young autistic trans boy trying to figure out what's happening to the other girls at the sanatorium he's been forcibly placed at. I have never seen this combination of characters in a historical novel, nor have I seen such incredible depictions of autism, outside of AJW's debut Hell Followed With Us. I'm currently sitting here just at a loss for words. I'd be reading the more mundane scenes and Silas would start stimming in a way that I myself do and I'd just go"!!!!!! I DO THAT :D!!!" Aside from the depictions of autism and transness, the plot itself was just. Ough. Oh man. AJW was not lying when he said this book was heavy. Just imagining some of the scenes were absolutely horrific and so sad, I think the author has done an incredible job of writing everything so viscerally. Every aspect endears you to the book in some way, there's at least one side character for everyone to latch onto. The reveals near the end did so well in portraying that moment of realization that everyone around you is complicit and the absolute sickening feeling it is. I was very excited to get my hands on this title from the moment it was announced and it was as incredible as I thought it was. Genuinely don't have any criticisms here, and I'm excited to see what Andrew puts out next.
heavy content warnings for: blood/gore/descriptions of injuries, ableism, sexual assault, discussions of eye mutilation, miscarriage, heavy bodily injury, transphobia, medical procedures depicted and dicussed, torture.
Thank you so much to NetGalley for providing me with an e-arc in exchange for an honest review!
The Spirit Bares Its Teeth is a young adult horror novel about a young autistic trans boy trying to figure out what's happening to the other girls at the sanatorium he's been forcibly placed at. I have never seen this combination of characters in a historical novel, nor have I seen such incredible depictions of autism, outside of AJW's debut Hell Followed With Us. I'm currently sitting here just at a loss for words. I'd be reading the more mundane scenes and Silas would start stimming in a way that I myself do and I'd just go"!!!!!! I DO THAT :D!!!" Aside from the depictions of autism and transness, the plot itself was just. Ough. Oh man. AJW was not lying when he said this book was heavy. Just imagining some of the scenes were absolutely horrific and so sad, I think the author has done an incredible job of writing everything so viscerally. Every aspect endears you to the book in some way, there's at least one side character for everyone to latch onto. The reveals near the end did so well in portraying that moment of realization that everyone around you is complicit and the absolute sickening feeling it is. I was very excited to get my hands on this title from the moment it was announced and it was as incredible as I thought it was. Genuinely don't have any criticisms here, and I'm excited to see what Andrew puts out next.
heavy content warnings for: blood/gore/descriptions of injuries, ableism, sexual assault, discussions of eye mutilation, miscarriage, heavy bodily injury, transphobia, medical procedures depicted and dicussed, torture.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Physical abuse, Miscarriage, Body horror, Confinement, Forced institutionalization, Medical content, Mental illness, Murder, Blood, Child abuse, Death, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Pregnancy, Deadnaming, Medical trauma, and Sexual assault
The Collected Regrets of Clover by Mikki Brammer
4.0
(Originally posted to goodreads)
very sweet! I enjoyed it. A slow paced cozy read about a woman learning to live her life. Definitely one of my favorites of the year and I honestly was not expecting that
very sweet! I enjoyed it. A slow paced cozy read about a woman learning to live her life. Definitely one of my favorites of the year and I honestly was not expecting that
Brace for Impact: A Memoir by Gabe Montesanti
(originally posted to goodreads)
good! some parts were really hard to listen to, but that’s the nature of memoirs and autobiographies I suppose
good! some parts were really hard to listen to, but that’s the nature of memoirs and autobiographies I suppose
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gaslighting, Fatphobia, Eating disorder, Medical trauma, Vomit, Homophobia, Grief, Body shaming, Toxic relationship, Medical content, Injury/Injury detail, and Emotional abuse
Minor: Pandemic/Epidemic
This Is How You Lose the Time War by Max Gladstone, Amal El-Mohtar
5.0
(originally posted to goodreads)
Finally got my hands on a copy after wanting to read this for years. And yeah it lived up to the hype. How just…astonishingly romantic? Is this what it felt like to people to read Pride and Prejudice or something of the sort for the first time? Just swooning over their words, longing so badly for a love like that. The romance aside, the scifi setting was really fucking cool. I want to know everything about this world, like how things work and why everything started. Not because the book needs it, just for my own curiosity. The book gives you just the right amount of information you need and then twists your heart with the pure romance between the two women. God I love being a lesbian I love sapphic love
Finally got my hands on a copy after wanting to read this for years. And yeah it lived up to the hype. How just…astonishingly romantic? Is this what it felt like to people to read Pride and Prejudice or something of the sort for the first time? Just swooning over their words, longing so badly for a love like that. The romance aside, the scifi setting was really fucking cool. I want to know everything about this world, like how things work and why everything started. Not because the book needs it, just for my own curiosity. The book gives you just the right amount of information you need and then twists your heart with the pure romance between the two women. God I love being a lesbian I love sapphic love
Our Wives Under The Sea by Julia Armfield
dark
mysterious
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
(originally posted to goodreads)
:( very sad and unsettling, beautifully written and a great exploration of grief. Desperately wish we’d gotten some answers though bc what in the world happened
:( very sad and unsettling, beautifully written and a great exploration of grief. Desperately wish we’d gotten some answers though bc what in the world happened
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Chronic illness, Grief, Body horror, and Confinement
Minor: Death of parent
Piranesi by Susanna Clarke
5.0
(originally posted to goodreads)
Confusing and entrancing and wonderful. Haven’t had a book draw my attention in this way in quite a while. Heavily recommend. I’m feeling all kinds of things right now that I don’t quite know to name. Melancholic, but peaceful, is one way to put it I suppose. God this was such a good read.
Confusing and entrancing and wonderful. Haven’t had a book draw my attention in this way in quite a while. Heavily recommend. I’m feeling all kinds of things right now that I don’t quite know to name. Melancholic, but peaceful, is one way to put it I suppose. God this was such a good read.
The Messy Lives of Book People by Phaedra Patrick
2.5
(originally posted to goodreads)
2.5 rounded up. It started alright but honestly this is straight up just a rip off of Evelyn Hugo. That book is even mentioned by name in this one. It wasn't very captivating and I found myself annoyed by all the characters. Kind of boring, honestly, and I do feel bad saying that. Its fairly cozy, I'll give it that, and it did what I needed it to which was provide a distraction for a few hours while I look after my fresh out of surgery dogs. Overall I don't think I'd recommend unless you're looking for something very specific, but then again you may as well just read Evelyn Hugo by TJR.
2.5 rounded up. It started alright but honestly this is straight up just a rip off of Evelyn Hugo. That book is even mentioned by name in this one. It wasn't very captivating and I found myself annoyed by all the characters. Kind of boring, honestly, and I do feel bad saying that. Its fairly cozy, I'll give it that, and it did what I needed it to which was provide a distraction for a few hours while I look after my fresh out of surgery dogs. Overall I don't think I'd recommend unless you're looking for something very specific, but then again you may as well just read Evelyn Hugo by TJR.