A review by alki
The Spirit Bares Its Teeth by Andrew Joseph White
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
If I wanted to describe this book in a word, it would be violent. Everything from the characters, the horrifying plot the descriptions, the way it made me feel. It's very rare that I read books about people like me, queer and autistic, and I treasured this book as I devoured it.
I found solace in Silas worldview, and found myself nodding alone when he was talking about human biology and experiencing the world in black and white.
I found the romance to be VERY rushed, but I understood how those characters bonded so fast by being similar.
I really loved the descriptions, the horrors, the gore. I would have loved more world building though, at many points in the book the violet-eyes aspect seemed pretty unessecary and easily replaceable with the old good trope of ghosts just lurking around. I want to know more about this alternate england.
And of course I have to mention, how the book depicts womanhood. Even though the protagonist is trans, he doesn't detest it, and instead the narrative celebrates women, their endurance, bravery and rage. Overall, it was a haunting read that I'll remember and recommend.
Thank you Netgalley for the ARC!
I found solace in Silas worldview, and found myself nodding alone when he was talking about human biology and experiencing the world in black and white.
I found the romance to be VERY rushed, but I understood how those characters bonded so fast by being similar.
I really loved the descriptions, the horrors, the gore. I would have loved more world building though, at many points in the book the violet-eyes aspect seemed pretty unessecary and easily replaceable with the old good trope of ghosts just lurking around. I want to know more about this alternate england.
And of course I have to mention, how the book depicts womanhood. Even though the protagonist is trans, he doesn't detest it, and instead the narrative celebrates women, their endurance, bravery and rage. Overall, it was a haunting read that I'll remember and recommend.
Thank you Netgalley for the ARC!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Deadnaming, Sexual harassment, Sexual assault, Sexism, Murder, Lesbophobia, Dysphoria, Confinement, Child death, Body horror, Cursing, Sexual violence, Pedophilia, Medical content, Emotional abuse, Self harm, Pregnancy, Physical abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Misogyny, Homophobia, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Abortion, Violence, Transphobia, and Forced institutionalization