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basil_touche'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
4.75
I also loved how Silas' experiences of transness and autism felt real and how these facets of himself are able to be explored without the modern terminology.
The one thing that kept it from being perfect was the love story, while it was sweet I felt that it needed more time to be fully convincing rather than just a relationship for survival.
However, I am still deeply impressed and I hope to read more of White's work in the future.
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Self harm, Sexism, Suicide, Torture, Transphobia, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Medical content, Kidnapping, Grief, Medical trauma, Abortion, Suicide attempt, Murder, Gaslighting, Abandonment, Dysphoria, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Ableism, Bullying, Deadnaming, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, and Pregnancy
Minor: Cursing, Suicidal thoughts, Vomit, Cannibalism, and Death of parent
tamara_joy's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Biphobia, Body shaming, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Homophobia, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Self harm, Sexual assault, Torture, Toxic relationship, Transphobia, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Medical trauma, Abortion, Murder, Pregnancy, Lesbophobia, Dysphoria, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Animal death, Grief, and Classism
Minor: Miscarriage and Pedophilia
joey_estrada'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 am not as in touch with my identity, whether that be me being autistic or trans, as I'd like to be. Reading some of these descriptions and explanations and just the thoughts of the narrator was healing and safe as well as scary.
I enjoy reading fiction more than nonfiction/informational books, so being able to read someone's thoughts and feelings as an autistic trans person during certain events rather than in a clinical way was refreshing and comforting.
I like how the narrator talks about and compares things to surgery and the body. It was very interesting. The gorey scenes were also very well written and detailed in an interesting and easily understandable way.
Though the ending was beautifully and satisfyingly done, I'm sad to see these characters go.
Graphic: Deadnaming, Death, Gore, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Transphobia, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Medical content, Abortion, Murder, Pregnancy, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, Self harm, and Sexual violence
Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Cursing, Vomit, and Dysphoria
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
tadydid's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Graphic: Body horror, Confinement, Deadnaming, Death, Gore, Homophobia, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Transphobia, Violence, and Forced institutionalization
aleareads'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
Graphic: Ableism, Body horror, Deadnaming, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Homophobia, Physical abuse, Sexism, Torture, Transphobia, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Medical trauma, Abortion, Gaslighting, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Animal death, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, and Pregnancy
lucakocsis's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
The horror is more gore than anything scary so depending on taste that could be a pro or a con.
Overall I couldn't recommend this book enough.
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Animal cruelty, Body horror, Deadnaming, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Misogyny, Torture, Transphobia, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Medical content, Medical trauma, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Pedophilia, Self harm, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, and Sexual harassment
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