Reviews tagging 'Vomit'

The Spirit Bares Its Teeth by Andrew Joseph White

114 reviews

overbooked207's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective 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? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Body horror, Body shaming, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Cursing, Deadnaming, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Hate crime, Homophobia, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Torture, Transphobia, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Xenophobia, Blood, Vomit, Medical content, Kidnapping, Grief, Medical trauma, Abortion, Suicide attempt, Murder, Pregnancy, Lesbophobia, Fire/Fire injury, Outing, Gaslighting, Abandonment, Sexual harassment, Dysphoria, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

elenahasashelf's review against another edition

dark emotional fast-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

4.0

This one was a page turner. The writing style made it easy to just fly through. And everyone on here listing it as “dark” was ooooof not wrong at all! 

I really appreciated Silas’ POV and its explicit transness, autism and anxiety through the language of the time period. A lot of Silas’ internal insecure, questioning or self-destructive dialogue in regards to his gender and anxiety are things I’ve found in my own brain, and it was hard to read at times but nice to feel seen. I liked Silas’ reflections on his gender and autism being inseparably linked in his experience. It was all explored in nuanced ways that felt relevant to how Silas was navigating the plot and other characters and never felt shoehorned in. The book’s exploration of how societies past and present oppress anyone who’s Other was effective in that way.

That said, oooooooooof

it was hard to watch Silas and his classmates being punished over and over in the worst possible ways! The middle lagged a tad for me because it felt like I was just watching Silas be tortured and not seeing him be able to counter it yet.

 

I absolutely loved Daphne and the T4T romance! She was such a vividly drawn character even though we get relatively little time with her. It made me so happy having Silas find a love that makes him feel known. I also loved Mary and her relationship with Frances. It’s giving Felicity in the Gemma Doyle Trilogy, mean blonde Victorian lesbians club

This wasn’t my fave book of the year but I really liked its exploration of trans experience in a past time. It reminded me to think of all the people in the past who couldn’t live as themselves, or who did against incredible odds. I loved having such loud and proud trans representation with characters who were often limited in how much they could express their genders. I think that’s as important to show as trans characters who are modern, out and thriving are. Always trans, baby. Always been here.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Deadnaming, Sexism, Sexual assault, Transphobia, Violence, Blood, and Vomit

jjsoupsworth's review against another edition

dark emotional tense medium-paced

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

4.75

this book drove me nuts and made me wanna eat drywall in the best way possible but oh my GOD PLEASE tread carefully if youre squeamish . congrats on the stonewall honor mr white its deserved

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Deadnaming, Gore, Transphobia, Forced institutionalization, Medical content, and Medical trauma

Moderate: Sexual assault, Abortion, and Pregnancy

Minor: Adult/minor relationship and Vomit

thepomegranateseeds's review against another edition

dark emotional 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? No

5.0

I usually don't write reviews, but this book has a chokehold on me, it's like it gets better every reread I do. The concept, the writing style, the characters, just everything about TSBIT is just amazing.

Especially when Silas sliced Luckenbill's throat with that shard of glass, fuck that guy. Oh, and also fuck George, who just tries to kill their own brother like that?

.

Daphne and Silas, my beloveds <3

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Cursing, Gore, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Torture, Transphobia, Forced institutionalization, and Medical content

Moderate: Deadnaming, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual assault, Pregnancy, and Dysphoria

Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Homophobia, Miscarriage, Vomit, and Injury/Injury detail

For the minor homophobia part, the reason I put it is because the of the comment that Mary makes saying Daphne looks like she'd rather "bugger men" (this is while she's still male presenting)

chrisb913's review

dark emotional mysterious 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 was not prepared for this book. While I loved it, I probably should have read some of the TWs before hand 😅😅. This was weird and creepy and I loved the medical aspect of it along with the gorey subject matter. Overall this was a fantastic read but again please check TWs before hand as the author handles a significant amount of tough subjects throughout the story.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gore, Transphobia, and Medical content

Moderate: Rape, Sexual assault, and Pregnancy

Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Miscarriage, and Vomit

devs_frog's review against another edition

dark mysterious sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• 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: Ableism, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Physical abuse, Transphobia, Violence, Vomit, and Medical content

Moderate: Sexual assault

Minor: Pregnancy

rueys's review against another edition

4.5

another difficult read!!! Thank U andrew joseph white i love queer horror <3 

time to read: 3hr, 15 min

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Gore, Misogyny, Transphobia, Forced institutionalization, and Medical content

Moderate: Rape, Sexual assault, Abortion, and Sexual harassment

Minor: Vomit and Colonisation

ibeau's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious sad fast-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Body shaming, Deadnaming, Emotional abuse, Gore, Homophobia, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Transphobia, Violence, Vomit, Medical content, Medical trauma, Pregnancy, and Sexual harassment

Moderate: Infertility

quitethespectacle's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious reflective tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• 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

An incredible book. Visceral and cutting - it pierced me to the core. I read the whole thing over less than 48 hours and am sorely tempted to immediately begin it again.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Cursing, Deadnaming, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Sexism, Torture, Transphobia, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Vomit, Medical content, Trafficking, Medical trauma, Abortion, Murder, Pregnancy, Outing, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Biphobia, Homophobia, Infidelity, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicide, Trafficking, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Lesbophobia, Sexual harassment, and Dysphoria

Minor: Miscarriage, Pedophilia, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Slavery, Terminal illness, Cannibalism, Colonisation, War, and Classism

Eye gore

Vivisection

Wrist injury

Self surgery

alphabetseeds's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional 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? Yes

5.0

I read and loved AJW's first novel and knew I had to this up as well. And, fuck, this novel is horrific. Uncomfortable, bloody, unyielding. I read so much of this book with one hand over my mouth and the other clutching my stomach or over my heart, spellbound and horrified. I viscerally felt Silas' anxiety and confusion, felt the glass, clenched my teeth. This story is powerful in its portrayal of the pain and shame inflicted on those deemed lesser or unworthy or unwell.

But there are also moments of softness and tenderness that break up the claustrophobic violence, and these moments are so important. As the reader, I glimpsed for a better life, a safer life, for Silas and the girls and woman, and I desperately yearned for them to get there. To get out. To be loved and free.

To me, this is a must-read, absolutely recommend, with the caveat to brace yourself and prepare to be haunted.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Transphobia, Violence, and Blood

Moderate: Deadnaming and Vomit