Reviews tagging 'Panic attacks/disorders'

The Spirit Bares Its Teeth by Andrew Joseph White

28 reviews

felicitydevoria's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious 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: Gore, Medical trauma, Medical content, Dysphoria, Death, Transphobia, Suicide attempt, Homophobia, Violence, Torture, Sexual violence, Pedophilia, Misogyny, Forced institutionalization, Murder, Confinement, Child death, Rape, Pregnancy, Physical abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Miscarriage, Mental illness, Sexism, Self harm, Injury/Injury detail, Deadnaming, Body horror, Religious bigotry, Suicide, and Sexual content

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

mrscreativity_1982's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional 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? It's complicated

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Misogyny, Bullying, Deadnaming, Domestic abuse, Forced institutionalization, Mental illness, Racial slurs, Hate crime, Homophobia, Medical content, Racism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, Suicide attempt, Abortion, Adult/minor relationship, Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, Pregnancy, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Medical trauma, Miscarriage, Murder, Violence, Death, Self harm, Torture, Transphobia, Cursing, Rape, Religious bigotry, and Suicide

mweis's review

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

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

snaileton's review against another edition

dark medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

took me a bit to get into it, but once i hit the 30% mark i tore through the rest in a day. loved Hell Followed With Us and thrilled to see White's writing grow even stronger with Spirit!! be warned - there is a lot of physiology and medical terminology used as Silas's way of understanding those around him, which means the body horror in this book is especially detailed. i'm usually fine with body horror and gore, but a scene or two made me genuinely nauseous. please read with care! 💜

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abortion, Blood, Body horror, and Transphobia

Moderate: Forced institutionalization, Misogyny, and Panic attacks/disorders

Minor: Pedophilia

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

thatchickengirl23's review

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

aetherthedino'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? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Medical content, Death, Child abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Body horror, Murder, Mental illness, Gaslighting, Ableism, Sexual assault, Emotional abuse, Cursing, Blood, Vomit, Suicidal thoughts, Gore, Confinement, Self harm, Adult/minor relationship, Deadnaming, Rape, Transphobia, Sexual violence, Physical abuse, Medical trauma, Violence, Abandonment, Child death, Pregnancy, Injury/Injury detail, Forced institutionalization, and Dysphoria

Moderate: Vomit, Sexism, Rape, Pregnancy, Panic attacks/disorders, Animal death, Bullying, and Death of parent

Minor: Suicide attempt