Reviews tagging 'Child abuse'

The Spirit Bares Its Teeth by Andrew Joseph White

70 reviews

elfyn's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful mysterious sad tense fast-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

absolutely fucking fantastic. it encapsulates the trans autistic experience so well and the plot is amazing too! definitely check the trigger warnings before reading, but i 100% recommend that you do read it!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Deadnaming, Death, Forced institutionalization, Dysphoria, Gore, Pregnancy, Injury/Injury detail, Adult/minor relationship, Animal death, Murder, Sexism, Body horror, Medical content, Sexual assault, Transphobia, and Violence

clockworkchild's review against another edition

dark tense medium-paced

• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Transphobia, Medical trauma, Gore, Deadnaming, Abortion, Adult/minor relationship, and Forced institutionalization

Moderate: Bullying, Pedophilia, Child abuse, Sexual harassment, Child death, Pregnancy, Suicidal thoughts, Sexual assault, and Sexual violence

Minor: Rape and Vomit

poisoned_icecream's review against another edition

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

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• 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: Homophobia, Body horror, Misogyny, Transphobia, Child death, Child abuse, Sexual assault, Medical trauma, and Religious bigotry

doormatt's review against another edition

dark mysterious 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

Andrew Joeseph White does it again! The Spirit Bares Its Teeth manages the heart ache and gutteral scream for understanding and community of being young and trans while voicing the desire to rip ourselves open, choose what to rid ourselves of, and fight back against those that try to take the rest.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Death, Forced institutionalization, Deadnaming, Medical content, Medical trauma, Body horror, Child death, and Child abuse

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship

lizziaha's review

• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes

4.25

oh i feel sick 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Forced institutionalization, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Misogyny, Self harm, Sexual harassment, Transphobia, Dysphoria, Sexism, Confinement, Abortion, Blood, Body horror, Deadnaming, Death, Injury/Injury detail, Torture, Ableism, Child abuse, Child death, Gore, Medical content, Murder, and Sexual assault

Moderate: Classism, Homophobia, Grief, Lesbophobia, Rape, Adult/minor relationship, and Pregnancy

Minor: Animal death

ripxw's review against another edition

dark 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

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual violence

Moderate: Injury/Injury detail, Pedophilia, Abortion, and Adult/minor relationship

Minor: Gore and Child abuse

shysheepys's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional 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

I've never cried so hard reading a book. Just because Silas is so... relatable? In his thoughts and feelings? There are some things he thinks about that I've never been able to put into words for myself. 

This book was so intriguing that I sat and read it over a 5 hour span and did not want to move. Though I did break it up, I stayed up late two days in a row to finish it. I absolutely did not want to put it down. It is, however, not for the faint of heart. 

Honestly, I don't know how this is considered a YA novel other than the characters being in their teens. I'm an avid horror reader, and this book made me cringe so hard every other scene. In a good way? Its beautifully written and the story and plot are top tier, too. Even some twists I didn't see coming.

The ending reminds me of this tweet thats been stuck in my head, something along the lines of "If you're trans, you have to keep on living. If you accomplish anything, good. But you have to keep on living." And really, yeah, sometimes thats all you can do.

 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Deadnaming, Death, Domestic abuse, Miscarriage, Pedophilia, Abandonment, Abortion, Dysphoria, Medical content, Medical trauma, Murder, Body horror, Forced institutionalization, Gore, Animal death, Blood, Child death, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, and Pregnancy

ronjaorsomething's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional sad 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

I loved this book so much. The writing is incredible and I felt extremely close to the characters. The trans and autistic representation was so good and even though this book takes place in an alternate London the experience these characters had were still very accurate and can be translated to the real world at the time.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Child abuse, Ableism, Dysphoria, Forced institutionalization, Misogyny, Suicidal thoughts, Body horror, Gore, Medical content, Injury/Injury detail, Sexism, Transphobia, and Violence

Moderate: Bullying, Deadnaming, Grief, Sexual harassment, Vomit, and Murder

sunflower7skull's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional mysterious sad 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

4.25

This book took a lot out of me. It is heavy and gruesome and beautiful. I will admit the surgical body horror made me a little squeamish, but as a trans autistic person, I loved the way the main characters were written. I don't usually like historical fiction, but I really loved this fantasy take. Highly recommend to anyone who is invested in dark fantasy, the trans experience, the autistic experience, and Victorian times (especially from a gendered/medical view) Just make sure you check trigger warnings for this one!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicidal thoughts, Vomit, Ableism, Death, Physical abuse, Violence, Transphobia, Child abuse, Confinement, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual violence, Torture, Abandonment, Child death, Emotional abuse, Kidnapping, Sexual harassment, Sexual assault, Gaslighting, Gore, Homophobia, Injury/Injury detail, Misogyny, Blood, Body horror, Deadnaming, Grief, Medical content, Forced institutionalization, Medical trauma, Murder, Rape, Self harm, Abortion, Cursing, Animal death, and Mental illness

Moderate: Dysphoria, Domestic abuse, Homophobia, Adult/minor relationship, Biphobia, and Lesbophobia

anarmandameg's review against another edition

challenging dark 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

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Self harm, Chronic illness, Confinement, Dysphoria, Torture, Transphobia, Kidnapping, Medical content, Murder, Abortion, Blood, Body horror, Death, Outing, Panic attacks/disorders, Pregnancy, Domestic abuse, Forced institutionalization, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Child abuse, Medical trauma, Suicide attempt, Ableism, Gore, Deadnaming, Sexual assault, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Sexual violence, Violence, and Sexual harassment