Reviews tagging 'Toxic relationship'

The Spirit Bares Its Teeth by Andrew Joseph White

23 reviews

solenodon's review against another edition

dark tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot

3.5

visceral body horror going on

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Body shaming, Child abuse, Physical abuse, Sexism, Toxic relationship, Transphobia, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Medical content, and Medical trauma

Moderate: Self harm and Sexual harassment

Minor: Sexual violence and Colonisation

lokes's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful informative 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? It's complicated

5.0

They must have convinced themselves that they would never rot in the same dirt we do.

This book has left me carved out and cut open, lovingly handing me the needle to stitch myself together - and I devoured it.

I already loved Hell Followed With Us, but this book just had it all. The queer characters, the very gory descriptions, the fury and rebellious spirits and the love each of the characters held for each other. There were a few plot lines I would have liked to read more about, like the sanatorium, the relics, the way historic colonialism by the UK was adapted into the fantasy/horror context, more in-depth exploration of the anti-autistic ableism and general sexism of the time, & etc. But I guess that’s to blame on the „YA“ part of the book 😅) 
Even though the story meant to rip you apart, ask you to just let go and give into the graphic descriptions of medical horror, of a society not so much different from our own, the book was weirdly comforting. At times, I definitely felt a bit squeamish (never thought I’d read a really graphic, long description of an at-home Caesarian abortion, but here we are), but it was definitely one of the most beautiful things I’ve read lately. Because it is truly okay to hurt sometimes. And it is okay to slash back when the rabbit-hearted heart screams to just amputate the parts society doesn’t like to see on (young) people. 

And oh, how they fought back.

(Also loved the very trans* main characters and their love story. Same with the (female) rage and the portrayal of a small rebellion, starting in the very walls meant to keep them silent.)

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Adult/minor relationship, Body horror, Child abuse, Deadnaming, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Homophobia, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Transphobia, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, Abortion, Murder, Pregnancy, Gaslighting, Sexual harassment, and Dysphoria

Moderate: Biphobia, Body horror, Child abuse, Confinement, Domestic abuse, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Hate crime, Miscarriage, Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Lesbophobia, Outing, Gaslighting, Abandonment, Sexual harassment, Colonisation, and Classism

samgray's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated

5.0

Beyond amazing! 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Adult/minor relationship, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Body shaming, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Cursing, Deadnaming, Death, Domestic abuse, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Gore, Hate crime, Homophobia, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Torture, Toxic relationship, Transphobia, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Vomit, Medical content, Grief, Religious bigotry, Medical trauma, Abortion, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Sexual harassment, Dysphoria, and Injury/Injury detail

brickwall27's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

This book made me cry happy tears I love it and the representation it's the first book I've read with a happy ending for the queer character 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Adult/minor relationship, Body horror, Cursing, Deadnaming, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Miscarriage, Toxic relationship, Transphobia, Blood, Medical content, Abortion, Pregnancy, Outing, Dysphoria, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Animal death, Child death, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Death of parent, and Gaslighting

This book is good but if you are easily upset by anything tread carefully

This book was a little harder of a read for me but in the end, it was so good I started crying. The author is a wonderful man who is writing from experience (sorta)there are super hard scenes that include: the brother turning out to be evil, throwing kids off stairs, live dissections of girls, ripping out eyes to make a wife submit, pissed dead victims, lots violence towards women, overall a good but hard read

scmiller's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Adult/minor relationship, Biphobia, Body horror, Body shaming, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Deadnaming, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Homophobia, Mental illness, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Toxic relationship, Transphobia, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Trafficking, Abortion, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Lesbophobia, Outing, Gaslighting, Sexual harassment, Dysphoria, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Domestic abuse and Grief

arrr's review against another edition

dark hopeful mysterious tense medium-paced

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

4.5

I don't typically read horror, so this was a bit outside my comfort zone. The story of transphobia and ableism in Victorian England mixed well with the addition of ghosts and the misogyny imposed against women and people who could manipulate the veil between worlds. I wasn't prepared for the medical horror and level of description. It wasn't as awful as it could have been, but it would have given me nightmares as a youth. I didn't really understand the ending before the last chapter. But I suppose it could be open to interpretation. Maybe that's the point. 

Well done. I unexpectedly enjoyed this. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Adult/minor relationship, Animal death, Body horror, Body shaming, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Cursing, Deadnaming, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Hate crime, Homophobia, Infidelity, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Torture, Toxic relationship, Transphobia, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Vomit, Medical content, Trafficking, Grief, Medical trauma, Abortion, Suicide attempt, Murder, Pregnancy, Lesbophobia, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Sexual harassment, Colonisation, Dysphoria, and Injury/Injury detail

mothie_girlie's review against another edition

dark emotional hopeful 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? N/A

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Homophobia, Misogyny, Torture, Toxic relationship, Transphobia, Violence, Blood, and Medical content

Moderate: Animal death

alite428's review against another edition

dark emotional hopeful mysterious sad 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? Yes

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Emotional abuse, Transphobia, Blood, and Abortion

Moderate: Child abuse, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Toxic relationship, Transphobia, Forced institutionalization, Medical content, Medical trauma, Murder, Pregnancy, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail

a_crow_in_the_sky's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Body horror, Child death, Confinement, Deadnaming, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Toxic relationship, Transphobia, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Medical content, Medical trauma, Murder, Gaslighting, and Sexual harassment

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Bullying, Cursing, Hate crime, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Rape, and Pregnancy

eeefann125's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful mysterious reflective medium-paced

• 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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Body horror, Body shaming, Cursing, Deadnaming, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Homophobia, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, Rape, Toxic relationship, Transphobia, Blood, Vomit, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, Murder, Pregnancy, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Dysphoria, and Injury/Injury detail