"The Spirit Bares Its Teeth" was a book that is so widely beloved and so so hyped that going into this I felt a tentative fear I wouldn't get it. That this would be one of those books I just didn't vibe with and I'd have to cower in the metaphorical booksta corner.

But, you'll be glad to know this wasn't the case at all. I'm someone that says away from horror books and books that'll inevitably cause me irrevocable pain but SOMEHOW AJW keeps making me fall in love with books!! I'm in love with the way this author writes, the clinical narrative - not clinical as in boring but clinical as in it dissects every part of the world and boils it down to the muscles and bones. And - makes the whole story feel raw, like an open wound you don't really know how to close up.

It's a really heavy book and yet, so addictive to read. It holds So Much: a unique magic system mixed with spirit work and a historical London, a metaphor for anxiety and self doubt (a rabbit caged in your chest), a t4t relationship, finding a source of hope that makes you almost feral.

AJW is now, obviously, an auto-buy author for me, I love autism rep done well, I love trans rep, I love funky weird main characters - and so every book is a perfect concoction of my very favorite things.

I absolutely loved this book. Hell Followed With Us was a standout read for me, but The Spirit Bares Its Teeth goes above and beyond it. White has created such compelling characters and such a gruesome, yet somehow beautiful story that had me hooked the entire time. Horror fans will love it for its nauseating (in the best way possible!) plot and those who are looking for connection and hope on the page will somehow simultaneously be satisfied. I highly recommend this one!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for granting me free access to the advanced digital copy of this book.

4.5 This beautifully written gothic tale about a trans character in the 1800s who is sent to a girls finishing school and asylum for being different. We follow Silas as he struggles to be himself in an alternate 1800s England. Silas is discovered and sent to a finishing school for girls where they try to fix those who are different or as they call it veil sickness. Silas trying to survive befriends others at the school as well. When students start going missing Silas starts hearing some of the finishing schools secrets from some unexpected places.

This book was beautifully written I will say if medical gore bothers you , you may want to stay away . I loved the descriptions in this book they were so unique and actually had me cringing at a few points. The story was also really well done it was entertaining and had many conflicts we still see in modern times. I really enjoyed Silas story but a few of the characters at the finishing school I wish I knew more about but otherwise really enjoyed this book and look forward to reading more from this author soon. I would like to thank NetGalley and the publishers for a chance to read this book for an honest review.

This book is a wild, intense ride. I was nervous as I adore Hell Followed With Us so much that I wasn't sure how the author would manage to follow it - but he did. This is a really emotionally intense book, following two trans characters and so much medical horror that it made me want to curl up and scream. I really will read anything that Andrew Joseph White writes, and already can't wait for his next book. The characterisations are perfect, and give the book so much depth and emotion, I was fully committed to the characters and my heart was in my throat often.

4.5 Stars

Andrew Joseph White has done it again. Another horror book that blew my mind. While The Spirit Bares Its Teeth is a bit more action-packed than White's previous book "Hell Followed With Us", I enjoyed it all the same.

Andrew Joseph White seems to have found his niche in writing Trans characters fighting transphobia their own way and escaping their brutal circumstances in gruesome but self-led ways. I loved Silas and his determination to take his life into his own hands. The way White wrote about Silas facing prejudice surrounding his autism but also gave Silas bits of self-acceptance and an eventually accepting community was quite beautiful. I loved the fact that things like Silas' stimming, special interests and stimulation issues were not only mentioned to be berated during scenes including ableism and physical or emotional abuse. Another thing I found particularly interesting about the way White wrote Silas was the voice of the Rabbit that tormented Silas. The Rabbit seems to be a personification of his negative and/or intrusive thoughts.

The other characters in this book were very well-written and played off Silas well. The Veil and the magic included in this book intrigued me quite a bit. The magic system was well thought out. Andrew Joseph White stated he took creative liberties with the historical elements but these elements were very well researched.

Finally, I loved the connections that Silas made in this book. Both friendships and romantic connections. Silas found a community while suffering at Braxton's Sanitorium and Finishing School. Silas himself expressed both joy and frustration at these connections, stating that he was glad to find people like him, whether other Trans People or other Autistic People but hated the fact these connections were found at such an awful place. While I loved the relationship between Silas and Daphne and do understand the constraints of working around things like chaperones and courting and also the fact that Silas was at a boarding school, I do wish there was more development in their romance.

Trigger Warnings:

Physical Abuse, Emotional Abuse, Transphobia, Misgendering, Dead-Naming, Conversion Therapy, Ablesim, Sexual Assault, Death, Mysogyny, Graphic Violence, Medical Gore and Experimentation, Cesarean Section, Gaslighting

Thank you Netgalley and Peachtree for this ARC!

This book is visceral, in your face, and mind blowing. I loved EVERYTHING about this book and Andrew Joseph White will be one of my favorite, instant buy authors from now on. The way he writes horror and transness and queerness as something so human is so amazing. The light in the dark that is Silas and Daphne just makes me feel giddy and excited.

amazing, visceral and bloody in all the best ways. a perfect narrative voice that felt incredibly harrowing and yet fully heartfelt

Review posted somewhere else!!! Check my Goodreads/Twitter/instagram/tiktok for other reviews.
stars

Thank you NetGalley for granting me access to the ebook in exchange for an honest review.

This book to me a while to get to. I picked it up and put it down so many times. However, this is not due to me disliking the book.

I think this book is written fantastically! It discusses many things that many people are too scared to discuss. It covers sensitive topics and helps the reader really feel all sorts of emotions.

I would highly recommend picking up this book for a good read!

Thanks to Netgalley and Peachtree Teen for an Advanced Reader Copy of this novel!

Silas Bell has one of the most valuable traits one can have in the eyes of the Royal Speaker Society: violet eyes. This should mean the power to see beyond the veil and be recognized as an asset to society. However, Silas was born in a body that doesn’t match who he is. The world views Silas as a women, and women should not have access to such power. This is how Silas ends up at Braxton’s Sanitorium and Finishing School - a nightmare disguised as a home for girls infected with “veil sickness”. Silas now has to last long enough to discover why Braxton’s has so many mysterious happenings.

This novel absolutely blew me away, I would give it one hundred stars if I could. Andrew Joseph White has followed a stunned debut novel with an equally fantastic second story.

My initial review is copied here:
“Perhaps one day I will be able to come back and write a proper review of this novel. However, any praise I could articulate in this moment would simply not do it justice. It is incredible.

Trans horror is the most interesting and original storytelling happening in the horror genre right now.”


Here I finally am, back to write a proper review. This novel absolutely blew me away. Once you hit the thick of the plot, it is impossible to put down.

The characters are well crafted and complex. White simply does not give a shit about making his female characters “likeable”, and it pays off big time. Each character is interesting and layered, even the villains and minor characters shown to have motivations and stories that extend beyond this one.

The horror in the novel is palpable, with an excellent mix of supernatural, gothic, and gore. I usually really don’t enjoy supernatural novels, but the reality based horror in this novel was still so palpable that it felt real. The fear and disgust you will feel at the treatment of the characters is incredible, especially scary when paired with the reminder of the reality in the authors note.

The plot was well-structured and moved at an excellent pace, giving readers time to take in the details while still progressing the story. You could feel a sense of dread building to certain reveals yet still be surprised and upset when it came to fruition.

I’m still not sure I’ve articulate my praise of this book well enough, so here it is again: this book is incredible. I cannot recommend enough that every horror fan should be reading this novel, and at this rate, keeping up with everything Andrew Joseph White releases. I will be eagerly anticipating his next novel.

I’ve said it once and I’ll say it again: Trans horror is the best and most interesting thing happening in the genre right now.

I love AJW I read Hell Followed With Us and from then on I was obsessed with his work. Every detail from the cover to the dedication to the story was immaculate. He’s gory and horrifying and on just the right side of wrong. I have never re read a book so quickly in my life - I will recommend this to anyone forever.

Thank you to the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

This is the first book of White's that I have read and I'll say I was pleasantly surprised. This book took me a little while to get into but once I understood to world and characters I couldn't put the book down. All of the characters felt realistic and I could find some way to relate to all of them.
I will definitely be reading any book White releases.

As always thank you to publishers and Netgalley for a free arc in exchange for an honest review.

The spirit bares its teeth is easily one of my most well written and loved books of the year. This book made me feel joy and feel pain to a point where it's an art form. I genuinely can't put into words just how much I adore this book and the complexities of the characters in it. The amount of care and beauty that is put into conveying such necessary and hard to read material is something I've never seen before.

Absolutely scrimp. Really good book. Read in one sitting. Would read again. I need more from this author

This is easily one of the best books of 2023. Andrew Joseph White has been such a break-out author since the beginning: intriguing covers, stellar writing, relatable characters, messed up books. I love a good historical, though I'm not always into fantasy. This book blends genres perfectly, though, paving the way for a real weird time.
As usual, the characters and story are just right for me in this one. It's a great companion to Hell Followed With Us despite being different genres. I would sell Daphne my soul, in specific. Of course there's some body horror, so if you're not a fan absolutely check trigger warnings.

I would like to express my gratitude for the Advance Reader Copy (ARC) of this book, generously provided by the publisher through NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review.

"The Spirit Bares Its Teeth" by Andrew Joseph White immerses readers in a haunting world where the Veil between the living and dead has thinned, set against the backdrop of London in 1883. Sixteen-year-old trans and autistic protagonist, Silas Bell, confronts the oppressive Royal Speaker Society and its attempts to force him into an obedient Speaker wife role.

After a failed escape from an arranged marriage, Silas is diagnosed with the mysterious Veil sickness, leading to his confinement in Braxton’s Finishing School and Sanitorium. As ghosts of missing students appeal for his help, Silas resolves to expose the dark secrets within Braxton's walls, even if it means facing the threat of the school breaking him.

Andrew Joseph White's sophomore novel features a unique blend of historical setting, paranormal elements, and a courageous protagonist challenging societal norms. With a focus on a trans, autistic lead character, the narrative fearlessly tackles the violence of the patriarchy and the struggles faced by trans youth forced into conformity. "The Spirit Bares Its Teeth" promises a gripping and socially relevant exploration, earning it recognition as a Stonewall Honor Book in Young Adult Literature.

This book was a very emotional ride, it was great to see trans rep from a trans pov and I loved how it wasn’t a book that glossed over problems and felt very raw. Silas is such a well rounded character and it felt great to see a character that was flawed but continued to push on and continued to work on himself and didn’t pretend to be ok.

Andrew Joseph White? With a historical gothic horror? Sold.

Scary and important and horrific and everything I've come to expect from this author.
So highly recommend to any horror fans looking for something that will keep you up reading, because you can't sleep without knowing what happens next!

The most horrified, sad, happy, and seen I have ever been reading a book. Autistic. Trans. Horror. 1 of a kind greatness!