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graycegotlostinthelibrary's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Ableism, Adult/minor relationship, Animal death, Body horror, Body shaming, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Cursing, Deadnaming, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Hate crime, Homophobia, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Transphobia, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Excrement, Vomit, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, Abortion, Murder, Pregnancy, Gaslighting, Abandonment, Sexual harassment, Dysphoria, and Injury/Injury detail
lisacanteven's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
I will put money on it if anyone doesn't believe me.
From the first page, I was hooked. The writing is so good and the pacing is perfect. I couldn't stop reading, but I also didn't want it to end. Every time I picked up this book, I was immediately pulled back into the story. Sometimes it takes me a bit to get back into a story when I pick up a book, but this was not the case here. I loved every single minute of this book. The characters were so dimensional, even the villains. Sometimes it is difficult in a story when there are just as many villains as there are good characters, but here it made sense. The twists kept coming until the very end.
Another review written a few weeks after reading:
Have you ever just been so moved and touched by a book but at the same time it was so difficult to keep reading because it was just breaking your heart apart? That was The Spirit Bares Its Teeth.
Silas Bell is a young trans man during the the Victorian era in London, 1883 to be exact. People with violet eyes are highly treasured as mediums. There is a secret society of men who control the family lines of all the people with violet eyes. Silas is born with violet eyes, which means he will married off to an important family to keep the violet eyes lineage going.
Well Silas gets in some trouble at the beginning of the story that results as him being sent off to a girls' school that specializes in "veil sickness" which is what they said any violet eyed girl who did not confirm was inflicted by. This was basically a conversion school for girls, and Silas' betrothed was paying for it.
Throughout the rest of the book we meet the girls at the boarding school, but terrible things keep happening, and loyalties are questioned. Ghosts of residents from the past start reaching through the veil to communicate, mainly with Silas.
So yes, this is more of a ghost story, but the real monsters are all of the cishet men. And doesn't that mirror real life?
This book is very dark and emotional. Please check the trigger warnings because there are a lot, and most of them are very graphic. For example, there is a graphic abortion scene that was very hard to read. Take care of yourself.
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Deadnaming, Death, Domestic abuse, Gore, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Torture, Transphobia, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Medical content, Kidnapping, Religious bigotry, Medical trauma, Murder, Pregnancy, Gaslighting, Dysphoria, and Injury/Injury detail
fronk10's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Ableism, Child abuse, Death, Gore, Sexual assault, and Murder
stormeno's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Graphic: Ableism, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Gore, Misogyny, Rape, Sexual assault, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Medical content, Abortion, Murder, Abandonment, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Confinement, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Pedophilia, Transphobia, Pregnancy, and Gaslighting
rradujko's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
White gives a much-needed trigger warning at the beginning of The Spirit Bares it's Teeth: if gore is not for you, if significant physical and emotional abuse and trauma is not for you, if grisly death is not for you, don't read this book.
BUT, if you want a ruthlessly visceral portrait of what transness, mental health and illness, and gendered disenfranchisement looked like in the 1800s, this book definitively stood out. White's no-holds-barred approach is stark and unsparing, and reveals the depravity men would wreak on the marginalized in the name of scientific advancement. I found myself rooting for his cast of characters, even as every facet of society was pitted against them over and over again. Silas and his betrothed are a shining ray in the miasma of abuse that was Victorian sanatoriums.
The one distinct critique that i had was that in the trigger warnings as well as in the jacket description I would have loved to see a slightly more accurate depiction of Silas' transness. Meaning that it should have been noted that the setting of the book intensely impacts his own ability to engage with his transness, which would make it unsuitable for some of my own trans friends. The betrayal of trust Silas experiences at the end, as well as the consistent misgendering and deadnaming should have been flagged. So I would say that this book may not be for trans readers who are still settling into their identity.
Graphic: Ableism, Body horror, Deadnaming, Death, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Medical content, Abortion, Murder, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Child death, Domestic abuse, and Rape
kryzysowa_narzeczona's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Graphic: Ableism, Adult/minor relationship, Animal cruelty, Body horror, Bullying, Child abuse, Confinement, Deadnaming, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Medical content, Medical trauma, Abortion, Murder, Pregnancy, Outing, Sexual harassment, and Dysphoria
purplepickle's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Deadnaming, Death, Domestic abuse, Gore, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, Abortion, Murder, Pregnancy, Gaslighting, Sexual harassment, Dysphoria, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Miscarriage and Death of parent
aspyd05's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.75
Graphic: Child abuse, Sexism, Sexual assault, Torture, Transphobia, Violence, Blood, and Medical trauma
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship and Body horror
rdawnraven's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Deadnaming, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Transphobia, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Medical content, Religious bigotry, Medical trauma, Murder, and Pregnancy
baileybeloved's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Heed the tags, but know that the content is there for a reason. It’s not torture porn or AJWhite trying to hit checklist of horror tropes - it’s a story with real roots.
One small detail that really struck me - from the very end was hearing about
Graphic: Ableism, Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Deadnaming, Death, Gore, Mental illness, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Torture, Transphobia, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Medical content, Medical trauma, Abortion, Murder, Dysphoria, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Confinement, Cursing, Homophobia, Miscarriage, Rape, Self harm, Sexual violence, Kidnapping, Lesbophobia, and Sexual harassment
Frequent detailed descriptions of medical procedures the narrator wants to inflict upon himself to get rid of the parts that make him a target.