Reviews tagging 'Dysphoria'

The Spirit Bares Its Teeth by Andrew Joseph White

57 reviews

evelynyle_88's review

dark emotional 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

Boom!🤯

What a journey it has been. Just another readathon with The Spirit Bares Its Teeth. This book is another level of horror. The story is beyond my imagination. I called The Spirit Bares Its Teeth as ❛sick❜, but it was a ❛sickeningly good❜ one.

The plot of the story was mindblowing. And I love the setting to be in a school that has too many secrets laid behind. Like it's a horror... but has thriller vibes to it.

And the rabbit. I think I should talk about it. I tried to imagine how to be Silas Bell; lived his life with the rabbit inside his abdominal that sometimes made him hard to breathe? I imagined myself as him. But, I adore Silas so much. He sometimes maybe careless. But, the fact that he is a witty boy, I applaud him.

But, most of all... the C-section scene was the most iconic for me. Thank you, A.J. White for another thrilling horror story. You're indeed brilliant! 

5⭐ worthy book; once again!

Mors vincit omnia👁

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Deadnaming, Forced institutionalization, Pedophilia, Death of parent, Dysphoria, Transphobia, Abortion, Body horror, Gore, Medical content, Medical trauma, and Physical abuse

Moderate: Bullying, Misogyny, Sexual assault, Death, Murder, Rape, Violence, Adult/minor relationship, Confinement, Injury/Injury detail, and Pregnancy

Minor: Gaslighting, Grief, Miscarriage, Animal death, Xenophobia, Infertility, and Chronic illness

ly_lysee's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious fast-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Dysphoria, Medical trauma, Death, Forced institutionalization, Deadnaming, Abortion, Medical content, Transphobia, Murder, Ableism, and Sexism

radtj's review against another edition

dark emotional hopeful mysterious reflective sad 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? Yes

5.0

Trans anger + ghosts, epic.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Confinement, Deadnaming, Gore, Abortion, Blood, Bullying, Child death, Dysphoria, Homophobia, Transphobia, Ableism, Forced institutionalization, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Sexism, Medical content, Outing, Rape, Torture, and Sexual assault

mweis's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious 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? Yes

5.0

*I received an eARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.*

I absolutely devoured Andrew Joseph White’s debut Hell Followed With Us, so I went into this with sky high expectations and he knocked it out of the park. Based off these two books, I can confidently say I will read everything he writes.

The Spirit Bares Its Teeth is a historical horror fantasy full of autistic trans rage. Silas tries to escape an arranged marriage and is diagnosed with Veil sickness and sent to a sanatorium to be “cured” only to have the ghosts of missing students start haunting him. 

I adored Silas. He is autistic and anxious and the people around him see those as faults and use it as examples of how he isn’t trying hard enough or he isn’t good enough, and when he finds any sort of acceptance he latches on to it while also worrying about it’s authenticity. I don’t want to say much more about the story because it is truly best experienced, but I loved everything about this book.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault, Panic attacks/disorders, Medical trauma, Deadnaming, Dysphoria, Torture, Medical content, Physical abuse, Injury/Injury detail, and Forced institutionalization

loverrbboy's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes

5.0

i still don’t understand how these people make money but OTHER THAN THAT i loveeee this book. much like this author’s other book it is godawful in the best way. gnarly, graphic passages of injuries and gore and ESPECIALLY surgery that made me wince listening. commentary on patriarchy, ableism and transphobia that is much needed. t4t love helping kids find themselves in a world that seemingly offers them no worthwhile future. again GRAPHIC but necessary (i am haunted by

Spoiler

descriptions of eyes being popped out, cutting your own organs out, blood blood blood, the layers of your tissue, fat, bone, handling of a freshly aborted fetus, the fact that the presence of bruises on a recently dead body means harm was inflicted BEFORE death)

this has cemented Andrew Joseph White as one of my fav authors and i’m so excited for more! 
the only thing i think is missing (from my trans perspective) is discussion of chest dysphoria. don’t get me wrong, i don’t want more dysphoria for this poor kid OR the author BUT as someone who fantasized about getting breast cancer as a teenager, i think some cool graphic descriptions of trans surgeries other than hysto would’ve been cool

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual violence, Medical trauma, Dysphoria, Death, Cancer, Abortion, Blood, Child death, Body horror, Sexual assault, Child abuse, Gore, Deadnaming, Forced institutionalization, Rape, Sexism, Torture, Trafficking, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Self harm, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Vomit, Eating disorder, Gaslighting, and Grief

queenkath32's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense

• Strong character development? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Blood, Body horror, Deadnaming, Physical abuse, Ableism, Adult/minor relationship, Death, Domestic abuse, Dysphoria, Forced institutionalization, Gore, Grief, Mental illness, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, and Violence

onceuponatime's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful sad tense fast-paced

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

4.0

AJ White's writing always draws me in, and I couldn't put the book down until I finished it. It's incredibly compelling, gorey and the sense of being trapped is Real. 

I wished that the story was longer, I feel like the characters would've benefited from it (I had a similar problem with Hell Followed With Us – there is so much character impact that we miss out on!!). I also spotted some inconsistencies and such in the writing, but the sheer drive of the story carried and satisfied me, though I hoped for more in regards to the ending. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Gore, Body horror, Misogyny, Transphobia, and Medical content

Moderate: Dysphoria, Abortion, Adult/minor relationship, and Deadnaming

darkefyres's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful sad tense 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? It's complicated

5.0

I rarely cry at books but this one had me sobbing at times. I had to take some breaks here and there as this is a very heavy book but that doesn't alter my feeling on it being 5 stars at all. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Abortion, Blood, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Deadnaming, Death, Dysphoria, Forced institutionalization, Murder, Transphobia, Gore, Outing, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Medical trauma, Rape, Sexual assault, and Sexism

Moderate: Torture and Vomit

thatchickengirl23's review against another edition

dark emotional hopeful mysterious 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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Child death, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Transphobia, Dysphoria, Forced institutionalization, Grief, Medical content, Child abuse, Cursing, Deadnaming, Abortion, Blood, Medical trauma, Murder, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual harassment, Ableism, Animal death, Confinement, Death, Sexual assault, Torture, Violence, Misogyny, and Physical abuse

Moderate: Lesbophobia, Gaslighting, Death of parent, Homophobia, Sexual harassment, Outing, Pregnancy, Sexual assault, Adult/minor relationship, Classism, Pedophilia, and Emotional abuse

Minor: Infertility and Miscarriage

nerdinthelibrary's review against another edition

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Transphobia, Sexual assault, Pregnancy, Gore, Misogyny, Death, Blood, Dysphoria, Forced institutionalization, Medical content, Violence, and Body horror

Moderate: Deadnaming, Abortion, and Miscarriage

Minor: Homophobia