Reviews tagging 'Child death'

The Spirit Bares Its Teeth by Andrew Joseph White

155 reviews

overbooked207's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense medium-paced

• 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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Body horror, Body shaming, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Cursing, Deadnaming, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Hate crime, Homophobia, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Torture, Transphobia, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Xenophobia, Blood, Vomit, Medical content, Kidnapping, Grief, Medical trauma, Abortion, Suicide attempt, Murder, Pregnancy, Lesbophobia, Fire/Fire injury, Outing, Gaslighting, Abandonment, Sexual harassment, Dysphoria, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

biobeetle's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Child death, Death, Gore, Misogyny, Sexism, Sexual assault, Transphobia, Blood, Medical content, Medical trauma, Abortion, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Homophobia, Sexual violence, Torture, Pregnancy, and Sexual harassment

octopus_farmer's review against another edition

dark sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Haunting in a satisfying way but still haunting. Do NOT take the content warning lightly at the start of the book.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Deadnaming, Misogyny, Self harm, Sexual assault, Torture, Transphobia, Medical trauma, and Murder

Moderate: Ableism, Adult/minor relationship, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Domestic abuse, and Forced institutionalization

Minor: Miscarriage and Pregnancy

xosirenox's review against another edition

challenging dark tense medium-paced

• 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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Adult/minor relationship, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Deadnaming, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Medical content, Medical trauma, Abortion, Murder, Pregnancy, Outing, Sexual harassment, Dysphoria, and Injury/Injury detail

self_fulfilling_prophecy's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious tense fast-paced

• 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

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Ableism, Adult/minor relationship, Body horror, Child death, Deadnaming, Death, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Transphobia, Medical content, Medical trauma, and Abortion

keepcalmblogon's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

• 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

The Spirit Bares Its Teeth initially drew me in because of the cover, it’s absolutely stunning and it’s not even a special edition!  I had seen it around here and there, but I’m not always drawn to books with references to ghosts and hauntings, personally I have a fine line between paranormal gothic-type reads and straight horror.  I enjoy horror movies, but not so much books.  But having read that this was about an autistic, trans boy and not overtly a horror story but more like a story with horror elements, I couldn’t bring myself to stop thinking about it, so I put a hold on the audiobook and the moment it came through I absolutely devoured this book.

Immediately, I related to Silas’ experiences with autism–it’s not called this in the book, but it is what it is.  He is overcome with his own emotions sometimes, nearly prisoner to them when he can feel and watch himself be lost to too many feelings.  He has touch and sound sensitivities that I share, as well as a hyperfocus on his passion to the point of overlooking his own safety.

CW pregnancy:  The other thing I related so viscerally with was Silas’ feelings/fears/disgust about his body’s ability to become pregnant.  As a woman who very staunchly chooses not to have children, a large part of my reasoning is my body.  It’s hard to describe without sounding superficial, but Silas put so many of my own feelings into words and I felt so validated.

As much as most of this story is heavy, haunting, gory, and nearly hopeless, there are beautiful moments of resistance, self-identity, hope, and connection that made this my favorite read of the month and definitely one of my faves of the year. Five stars!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Gore, Sexual assault, Sexual content, and Sexual violence

flapjack_octopus's review against another edition

dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.5

I found this to be beautifully dark. Honestly a gut wrenching book, broke my heart but the ending somewhat stitched me back together.
This book handles some very dark themes and if you especially do not like gore or blood, do not read. Please take in any warnings/description. Despite the heavy themes I still found this book to be very good, well written and the plot was intriguing, dark yet brilliant. The characters really made me feel too, my emotions where running high.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Physical abuse, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Medical content, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Ableism, Adult/minor relationship, Animal death, Cursing, Deadnaming, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual assault, Transphobia, Grief, Medical trauma, Abortion, and Dysphoria

Minor: Miscarriage, Sexism, Death of parent, Pregnancy, and War

lorie266's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

• 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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Adult/minor relationship, Body horror, Body shaming, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Deadnaming, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Mental illness, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Torture, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Religious bigotry, Abortion, Pregnancy, Gaslighting, Abandonment, Sexual harassment, Dysphoria, and Injury/Injury detail

lizzie_yc's review against another edition

dark tense fast-paced

• 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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Deadnaming, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Homophobia, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Torture, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Medical content, Abortion, Suicide attempt, Murder, and Pregnancy

quitethespectacle's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious reflective tense medium-paced

• 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? It's complicated

5.0

An incredible book. Visceral and cutting - it pierced me to the core. I read the whole thing over less than 48 hours and am sorely tempted to immediately begin it again.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Cursing, Deadnaming, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Sexism, Torture, Transphobia, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Vomit, Medical content, Trafficking, Medical trauma, Abortion, Murder, Pregnancy, Outing, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Biphobia, Homophobia, Infidelity, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicide, Trafficking, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Lesbophobia, Sexual harassment, and Dysphoria

Minor: Miscarriage, Pedophilia, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Slavery, Terminal illness, Cannibalism, Colonisation, War, and Classism

Eye gore

Vivisection

Wrist injury

Self surgery