Reviews tagging 'Gaslighting'

The Spirit Bares Its Teeth by Andrew Joseph White

46 reviews

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

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

jackierabbit's review against another edition

dark emotional 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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Deadnaming, Death, Forced institutionalization, Ableism, Abortion, Emotional abuse, Gore, Transphobia, Sexual harassment, Pedophilia, Murder, Misogyny, Injury/Injury detail, Adult/minor relationship, Blood, Gaslighting, Sexual assault, Sexism, and Medical content

Obviously, many mentions of dead pigs.

evelynyle_88's review against another edition

dark emotional 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

5.0

Boom!🤯

What a journey it has been. Just another readathon with The Spirit Bares Its Teeth. This book is another level of horror. The story is beyond my imagination. I called The Spirit Bares Its Teeth as ❛sick❜, but it was a ❛sickeningly good❜ one.

The plot of the story was mindblowing. And I love the setting to be in a school that has too many secrets laid behind. Like it's a horror... but has thriller vibes to it.

And the rabbit. I think I should talk about it. I tried to imagine how to be Silas Bell; lived his life with the rabbit inside his abdominal that sometimes made him hard to breathe? I imagined myself as him. But, I adore Silas so much. He sometimes maybe careless. But, the fact that he is a witty boy, I applaud him.

But, most of all... the C-section scene was the most iconic for me. Thank you, A.J. White for another thrilling horror story. You're indeed brilliant! 

5⭐ worthy book; once again!

Mors vincit omnia👁

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Deadnaming, Forced institutionalization, Pedophilia, Death of parent, Dysphoria, Transphobia, Abortion, Body horror, Gore, Medical content, Medical trauma, and Physical abuse

Moderate: Bullying, Misogyny, Sexual assault, Death, Murder, Rape, Violence, Adult/minor relationship, Confinement, Injury/Injury detail, and Pregnancy

Minor: Gaslighting, Grief, Miscarriage, Animal death, Xenophobia, Infertility, and Chronic illness

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

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

danaslitlist's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

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

4.75

Do you know how angry the dead can be?

They must have convinced themselves they would never rot in the same dirt as we do.

In my review of Hell Followed with Us, I said the words "bold and furious" to describe the book. I said the book  is a story of rage consuming, of revolution and uprising, of setting ablaze the world and those who wished to use you for their gain.

While reading The Spirit Bares Its Teeth I was struck by how much of it is a mirror to White's debut. It's not  a simple reflection of his previous work nor is it just a rehashing of the same themes. Instead it's a rendition, a shadow, a closer look at the source, at the core of, where so much rage begins.

 Hell Followed with Us is about the beauty of decay and rot and the rebirth of one's self into their true monstrous form, The Spirit Bares Its Teeth is about the power of breaking the cage within yourself to free your righteous fury and ripping the Veil all together.

It is a story that picks at the scabs of old wounds that many of us have endured at hands of a world that wishes to "fix us" through any means as long as we assimilated. This is an acknowledgement of the horrors of those who came before us (of women, of people of color, of queer and trans people, of disabled and mentally ill individuals) suffered. It is an acknowledgment of the battles many marginalized people still endure for simply not fitting into the narrow minded boxes (Christian) society demands. And it does shy away from the dark and truly disgusting horrors of humanity's greed and man's desire for power over all. 

While The Spirit Bares Its Teeth does indeed touch upon rage, upon anger and frustration; it is a story of pain inflicted by those in positions of power, of the suppression of self for survival, and overcoming of fear in order to not just live but to thrive. 

And it does this wonderfully. This is a  true gothic horror in every sense; from the setting and themes it utilizes, from the classic use of gaslighting and mystery against the characters to a pure feeling of isolation and desperation. 
 
For fans of Crimson Peak and Devil's Backbone this is for you. 
 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abortion, Sexual harassment, Deadnaming, Emotional abuse, Gore, Abandonment, Animal cruelty, Sexism, Sexual assault, Confinement, Death, Forced institutionalization, Gaslighting, Blood, Body horror, Medical content, Physical abuse, Violence, Grief, Misogyny, Ableism, Sexual violence, and Transphobia

Moderate: Miscarriage, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Pregnancy, Injury/Injury detail, Rape, and Vomit

nat_montego's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark tense fast-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? Yes

5.0

Perfect for spooky season, IDK, whether to call it a horror or a thriller

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gore

Moderate: Medical trauma, Medical content, and Gaslighting

Minor: Sexual violence, Sexual harassment, Transphobia, and Sexual assault

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