A review by keepcalmblogon
The Spirit Bares Its Teeth by Andrew Joseph White

dark emotional 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

5.0

The Spirit Bares Its Teeth initially drew me in because of the cover, it’s absolutely stunning and it’s not even a special edition!  I had seen it around here and there, but I’m not always drawn to books with references to ghosts and hauntings, personally I have a fine line between paranormal gothic-type reads and straight horror.  I enjoy horror movies, but not so much books.  But having read that this was about an autistic, trans boy and not overtly a horror story but more like a story with horror elements, I couldn’t bring myself to stop thinking about it, so I put a hold on the audiobook and the moment it came through I absolutely devoured this book.

Immediately, I related to Silas’ experiences with autism–it’s not called this in the book, but it is what it is.  He is overcome with his own emotions sometimes, nearly prisoner to them when he can feel and watch himself be lost to too many feelings.  He has touch and sound sensitivities that I share, as well as a hyperfocus on his passion to the point of overlooking his own safety.

CW pregnancy:  The other thing I related so viscerally with was Silas’ feelings/fears/disgust about his body’s ability to become pregnant.  As a woman who very staunchly chooses not to have children, a large part of my reasoning is my body.  It’s hard to describe without sounding superficial, but Silas put so many of my own feelings into words and I felt so validated.

As much as most of this story is heavy, haunting, gory, and nearly hopeless, there are beautiful moments of resistance, self-identity, hope, and connection that made this my favorite read of the month and definitely one of my faves of the year. Five stars!
Expand filter menu Content Warnings