Reviews tagging 'Suicidal thoughts'

The Spirit Bares Its Teeth by Andrew Joseph White

38 reviews

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

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

mlovesbooks's review

challenging dark 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

Didn't expect to love it this much. Amazing and gut-churning.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Suicide attempt, Transphobia, Gaslighting, Sexism, Blood, Body horror, and Deadnaming

Moderate: Sexual assault, Ableism, Sexual harassment, Suicidal thoughts, and Pregnancy

Minor: Self harm and Miscarriage

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

that_bitch_logan's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring mysterious sad tense fast-paced

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

5.0

I just want to say thank you to Andrew Joseph White. Never have I felt so seen and understood by a book before. I have never felt so supported by an author while reading a book. I have never felt so valued as a reader. This was not just a story, it was an experience for me. 
Thank you so much for writing this Andrew, truly. 
I adored this and I am so so grateful I was able to read it

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Ableism, Abortion, Classism, Murder, Rape, Sexual assault, Animal cruelty, Body horror, Adult/minor relationship, Blood, Cursing, Emotional abuse, Torture, Transphobia, Animal death, Colonisation, Death, Grief, Miscarriage, Religious bigotry, Sexism, Child abuse, Deadnaming, Death of parent, Forced institutionalization, Gaslighting, Homophobia, Mental illness, Bullying, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Violence, Gore, Hate crime, Medical trauma, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, Self harm, and Suicidal thoughts

alite428's review

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, Blood, Transphobia, Emotional abuse, and Abortion

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

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

abitbetterbooks's review

challenging dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

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

5.0

Andrew Joseph White does it again!

Hell Followed With Us was one of my top books of 2022, and I had high hopes for The Spirit Bares It’s Teeth. I was not disappointed.

AJW had a way of writing that makes me feel like, viscerally and violently ill, and deeply unsettled, and yet I can’t look away or put his books down. The writing is addictive; quick and panicky and frantic one second, luxurious and descriptive in the next, evoking a rich depth of emotion and connection to characters. 

The amount of violence and gore in this novel is extreme, to say the least, but AJW knows how to use it. It never feels shocking for the sake of it, but truly drives home the point over and over. You’re meant to be uncomfortable— you SHOULD be uncomfortable about what's happening to the students at Braxton’s, and you don’t get to look away from the true, sheer horror of it. 

I think queer & trans horror has something special to offer as a genre; for folks who have been subjected to all kinds of horrors, supernatural or not, there is something truly powerful in the reclamation of fear and danger. Of being the “monster” everyone thinks you are, and also being the hero of the story, because the real monster are the institutions and people that seek to break you. 

As a non-autistic reader I also appreciate the work of an #OwnVoices autistic author putting the focus on Sila’s autism in this story, and the way he navigated the interplay of being autistic and being transgender, without having the terminology for either experience. 

If you have the stomach for it, I highly highly recommend this book. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Body horror, Blood, Medical content, Medical trauma, Gore, Deadnaming, Cursing, Abortion, Transphobia, Torture, Physical abuse, Misogyny, Murder, Injury/Injury detail, Confinement, Death, Ableism, Violence, Homophobia, Forced institutionalization, Sexual violence, and Sexism

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Pedophilia, Suicidal thoughts, Vomit, and Pregnancy

Minor: Miscarriage

dalek_caan's review against another edition

dark emotional sad 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? It's complicated

5.0

I have no words to describe how incredibly well executed this book is. It was honestly hard to read with how much it made me feel so strongly towards these characters. Amazing read, 100% recommend. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abandonment, Child abuse, Child death, Gore, Grief, Misogyny, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, Body horror, Confinement, Deadnaming, Homophobia, Murder, Pedophilia, Religious bigotry, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, Vomit, Ableism, Adult/minor relationship, Body shaming, Kidnapping, Medical content, Miscarriage, Self harm, Sexual assault, Abortion, Blood, Bullying, Dysphoria, Forced institutionalization, Injury/Injury detail, Medical trauma, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, Rape, Death, Emotional abuse, Torture, and Violence