Reviews tagging 'Suicidal thoughts'

The Spirit Bares Its Teeth by Andrew Joseph White

106 reviews

sirashyashington's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad 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? Yes

5.0

One of my favorite books of all time. The representation of a queer autistic trans man in this time frame in history, plus the fantasy and horror elements... It reflected my fears and wishes back to me like a mirror. Very well written, and very scary, but so, so good. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Body horror, Confinement, Deadnaming, Domestic abuse, Homophobia, Mental illness, Misogyny, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Transphobia, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Medical content, Medical trauma, Abortion, Pregnancy, Outing, and Gaslighting

Moderate: Rape, Self harm, and Murder

lizzie_yc's review against another edition

dark 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

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Deadnaming, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Homophobia, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Torture, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Medical content, Abortion, Suicide attempt, Murder, and Pregnancy

cassius_orion's review against another edition

fast-paced

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

4.75

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Animal death, Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Cursing, Deadnaming, Death, Gore, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Transphobia, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Medical content, Medical trauma, Abortion, Murder, Lesbophobia, and Dysphoria

Moderate: Rape

Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Miscarriage, and Pedophilia

lunaticloverpoet's review against another edition

dark mysterious 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

4.5

I don’t think a book has ever made me physically nauseous before. Andrew Joseph White, you've done it again, my good sir. I think this is the most grotesque, visceral book I have ever read an,  I loved it. I had to put it down multiple times to scream. I was truly emotionally deeply scarred by blank space on a book. There is so much rage in this story, and I was living so vicariously in it. (Also, in my opinion, body horror is the best kind of horror. If it doesn’t make me want to vomit, I don’t want it.) So excited for Compound Fracture.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Deadnaming, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Misogyny, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Transphobia, Forced institutionalization, Medical content, Abortion, Murder, Pregnancy, Gaslighting, Dysphoria, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Death of parent

river_jean_sterling's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional 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? No

4.5

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Adult/minor relationship, Body horror, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Mental illness, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Medical content, Medical trauma, Abortion, Murder, Pregnancy, Gaslighting, Dysphoria, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Cursing, Deadnaming, Homophobia, Infidelity, Miscarriage, Panic attacks/disorders, Rape, Toxic relationship, Grief, Cannibalism, Death of parent, Lesbophobia, Toxic friendship, and Dysphoria

sammymilfort's review against another edition

challenging dark hopeful sad tense slow-paced

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

4.5

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Adult/minor relationship, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Deadnaming, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gore, Miscarriage, Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Vomit, Medical content, Grief, Cannibalism, Religious bigotry, Medical trauma, Abortion, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Alcohol, Dysphoria, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

op3's review

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring mysterious 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

Where can I even begin? This is probably one of the best reads I’ve had in a while. I’ll admit it was tough pushing through for a bit but it was goddamn worth finishing and stomaching. 
This book takes a lot to read I’ll admit but as I said, it was 100% worth it.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Deadnaming, Death, Gore, Homophobia, Physical abuse, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Torture, Transphobia, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Medical content, Medical trauma, Lesbophobia, Sexual harassment, Dysphoria, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

Moderate: Violence and Pregnancy

Minor: Bullying, Domestic abuse, Rape, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, and Abortion

A heavy book. I highly suggest not reading if easily triggered. You can read from other reviews that this is not the book to ignore triggers with.

sweetflipsbrah's review against another edition

dark tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

2.5

While not the worst book I’ve ever read, “The Spirit Bares It’s Teeth” by Andrew Joseph White leaves a lot to be desired for me. Maybe my approach to this book is all wrong, but if the world presented in “Spirit” is meant to reflect our modern world in any way (which I think even deeply fantastical fiction can/does), then ours is an inhospitable cesspit of violence, misogyny, and transphobia. And as a trans man myself, I spent a lot of my time reading this book in despair of the author’s outlook on our present world, particularly his view of cisgender men. The level of both overt and implied sexual violence enacted against the main character is almost fetishistic, particularly when you remember this is a YA novel. 

I think there are a lot of elements to “Spirit” that are interesting - a trans male protagonist in a historical setting, the exploration of gender and weaponizing the pathology of human behavior, the aesthetic of Victorian esoterische and spiritualism, etc - that the author, in my opinion, doesn’t explore enough, or is lacking nuance. I think a more historically accurate approach to this story would’ve made it more enjoyable, as sort of a better analysis of Victorian and modern attitudes towards sex, gender, mental health and disability. I also find some of White’s stylistic choices grating, including an over-reliance on certain imagery in the form of simile that made roll my eyes (I challenge you to count how many times something is described as being “like a scalpel”). Overall, there were a handful of scenes I enjoyed, but I ultimately finished this book out of sheer determination.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Deadnaming, Gore, Transphobia, Violence, Medical trauma, and Murder

Moderate: Animal death, Suicidal thoughts, Blood, and Vomit

Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Sexual violence, and Pregnancy

evelyno's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious sad tense slow-paced

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

4.75

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Adult/minor relationship, Body horror, Confinement, Deadnaming, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Homophobia, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Medical content, Abortion, Dysphoria, and Injury/Injury detail

lizardgod's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional inspiring reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

5.0

 I love women as men are expected to, but the way only one who has ever experienced womanhood can. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Adult/minor relationship, Animal death, Body horror, Body shaming, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, 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, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Torture, Toxic relationship, Transphobia, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Vomit, Medical content, Kidnapping, Grief, Medical trauma, Abortion, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Lesbophobia, Outing, Abandonment, Sexual harassment, Dysphoria, and Injury/Injury detail