The Spirit Bares It’s Teeth was gut wrenching and beautiful. I found the characters to be loveable, especially Silas Bell, a trans and autistic teenage boy navigating his ability to commune with spirits, his talent for surgery, and his place in London society. I appreciated the lens this character brought to a fictive historical London society rampant with sexist, ableist, and transphobic ways of governing bodies. The inner turmoil, survival instincts, and fear felt so real as we moved throughout the story with Silas and the friends found along the way.

The gore, medical, and psychological horror was heavy, but felt important towards the end because amidst the horror, Silas is a relatable anchor who finds love and compassion in unexpected places. I am grateful for stories like this, ones that bring out a very real ache for the horrors masked in society (transphobia, sexism, ableism), and that remind us of the safety and strength within community.

The TL;DR is "this stressed me out, you should read it too".

THE SPIRIT BARES ITS TEETH is about a trans boy who is institutionalized for "Veil sickness", a condition which is basically a supernatural version of hysteria, itself a historical catch-all term for "that person we think is a woman isn't doing what we think she ought to do and we want it to stop". What's unique about Veil sickness as opposed to hysteria is that it specifically applies to people with violet eyes, a mark of those who can contact departed spirits. Violet-eyed British men are channeled and constrained by a strict social hierarchy and a physical mark that they are following the socially approved path of a Speaker. Silas is not a girl, he's an autistic trans boy whose interest in anything unfeminine is a threat to the Speakers' power. THE SPIRIT BARES ITS TEETH focuses on Silas as both trans and autistic, as well as times when he meets people who are one or the other but not both. These experiences help him parse the ways that these two facets of himself are so intertwined for him but are not necessarily linked for other people. He deals with an intersection of transphobia, misogyny, and ableism, as the times when he is dismissed for not following the social path of a woman can be inseparable from dismissal of him as an autistic person or not understanding the overwhelmingly allistic social hierarchy and assumptions. Trapped at the institution with few connections to the outside, Silas must try to figure out what's happening to the girls who disappear, and who he can trust to get answers.

As a nonbinary trans person, this was a hard book to read due to some overlaps with my personal experiences (thankfully not at the level of an actual horror novel such as this). I read it in large sections, taking a few days in between each to process and prepare myself for the next part. I'm very glad I read it and I definitely recommend it to anyone who enjoys horror, especially medical horror (which features heavily). If you would prefer something more apocalyptic and less medical but are otherwise interested in themes of body horror and transphobia, I suggest reading Andrew's debut novel, HELL FOLLOWED WITH US.

Firstly, I’d like to thank NetGalley and Peachtree for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

All Silas Bell wants is to be able to live his life as a boy, go to medical school, and become a surgeon. When he’s caught breaking the law, he finds himself shipped off to a so-called finishing school to be cured of his “sickness” and trained to be the perfect wife his parents expect him to be. But when girls begin disappearing from the school, and the spirits start talking, Silas has to unearth the truth - before he gets disappeared, too.

This book really was excellent - the prose was captivating, painting stunning (if gruesome) portraits of how Silas sees the world. The gothic vibes were absolutely immaculate, and the tension built through the story kept me enraptured.

The characters were all very distinct, clearly showing their own personalities, but I did find that the secondary characters seemed flat. Whether this is because of Silas’s POV and processing style, or because we just didn’t get enough history or background I don’t know, but I would have liked them to be more filled out.

I did have two bigger points of contention with the book - one, the anachronisms. I know there was a sort of disclaimer at the end that societal/cultural anachronisms were intentional, but there were a lot of places where medical references or language were out of place.

The second issue is I really couldn’t get over how similar the story is to Cemetery Boys. Maybe it’s because I read it too recently, but from the base concept to plot progression, these could practically be the same story with a different filter layered over top.

All in all, the book was beautifully written and a great read, despite the problems I had with it. Would very highly recommend!!

Andrew Joseph White is the only author I would trust to write something so graphically horrifying but beautiful. The story is deeply haunting, the characters are raw and real- Silas and Daphne have so much dimensionality. The contrast between the softness of their relationship and the violence Silas becomes capable of. The depth of research White went into for it as well is evident- the settings are fleshed out, the societal dynamics have complexity to them-the medical scenes alone must have taken extraordinary research to capture so thoroughly. Silas’ entire relationship with surgery and medicine was so cleanly executed from page one, it rang clearly as a way his autism influences his interior world and interests, and gives real grounding for the increasing horror that comes throughout the book.

This is obviously a book you should be wary of triggers with- gore, transphobia, forced institutionalisation ect. is written throughout and written well. Yet, White has a very good sense of how to dive deep into what is horrific, and the know when to let the reader come up for air. Even before the book begins his message to readers represents the care he weaves for us, throughout the book.

It’s gruesome and ragefilled and tragic and joyful and terrifying all wrapped in a bow, and probably one of the most intense, horrifying books I’ve read this year. It’s also my favourite. 5 stars.

Special thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a epub in exchange for an honest review.

I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you!

Wow! I´m having a hard time finding the right words to properly describe this book. The Spirit Bares Its Teeth captivated me from the moment I read the blurb to the last line of the book.

It pushed me far out of my comfort zone as horror is a genre that I usually shy away from; but I´m extremely glad that I picked this book up. It horrified, disgusted and fascinated me in turns. There were times I had to put it down for a few minutes because the horrors, the suffering and the injustice the characters were facing became too much to bear. But I also couldn´t stop reading. I had to know what happened next.

I adored Silas as the main character. His honesty, kindness and determination to survive and be his authentic self, made him a wonderful protagonist. Seeing everything unfold through his point of view made the story feel almost immersive. He took the reader with him on his journey. I thought the rabbit as a manifestation of Silas´ anxiety was a genius idea. It gave a voice to everyone with anxiety and self-doubts who, no matter what they do, think they are not good enough. But I adored the character of Daphne just as much. Their romance took me by surprise. I did not expect this book to be so tender and heart-warming amidst the heart-wrenching events. I desperately hoped for a happy ending for them.

Even though the book is set in the Victorian era the exploration of gender roles transcends the historical setting. “What makes a man a man?” and “What makes a woman a woman?” are questions that are just as relevant to society today as they were to Silas and Daphne in this book.

I´ll definitely be thinking about The Spirit Bares Its Teeth for a long time!

In The Spirit Bares Its Teeth, Andrew Joseph White has created a thoughtful and engaging story that provides insight into a character struggling with who they truly are and how they fit into society based on how they are perceived.

This story follows Silas Belle, who is transgender and autistic, in London in the late 1800s. This is considered historical fiction but there is an element of fantasy that is well-executed, in which the Veil between the living and the dead is becoming thinner and there are violet-eyed people who can open the Veil and communicate with the dead. As is often the case throughout history, men viewed women as unable to handle the interaction with the Veil and women who didn’t conform to this were considered to have Veil sickness and sent off to hospitals or, in Silas’ case, Braxton’s Finishing School and Sanitorium.

While at Braxton’s, Silas begins to uncover a terrifying secret and struggles to overcome and endure the unorthodox training of the Headmaster, who is determined to force Silas to confirm to the role of wife and mother. But Silas has a dream of becoming a surgeon, like his brother, and has a deep knowledge of human anatomy and healthcare. Following Silas’ perspective of the world and how he relates to it through this passion is one, of many, things that make this novel so compelling. In addition to the parallel between the body horror throughout the novel and Silas’ struggle with the body he was born in–I found that connection really drove home what Silas was feeling.

The novel gives incredible insight into how transgender people feel when their body is not reflective of the gender they feel they are and with which they identify. As a cisgender person and not experiencing that, I believe this novel, and Silas, helped me better understand the feelings and internal conflict for a transgender person. The desire to reflect who they truly are and how disconnected they can feel when they look at themselves and don’t see what is true to them. And the harm inflicted when society won’t accept them and goes to extreme means to force them into what they consider acceptable.

I thoroughly enjoyed this story and found it educational as well. The writing is atmospheric, visceral, and captivating. I think fans of horror, historical fiction, and even thriller novels would enjoy the mystery, gore, and historical context of this novel. Again, it also has a fantasy element to it, but it’s still very relevant to the time period.

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


SPOILER BELOW
I did love how Silas overcame a lot throughout the book but wasn’t the hero who solved the world’s problems either. I think there can be a lot of pressure and expectation that he and Daphne would overthrow the system at the end, but that’s not really how the world works. There is a hint to a revolution at the end and I thought that was perfect.

I will post this review (sans spoiler) on my Instagram on 9/2.

Visceral, vile and vulnerable! Wow, this story is a level up from Hell Followed With Us and Andrew Joseph White does not pull any punches. I am enraged just thinking about this book, but also oddly comforted, which feels like two opposing ends.

The Spirit Bares Its Teeth is gothic historical medical horror that explores ableism, patriarchy, sexism, misogyny, homophobia, transphobia, female hysterics and more. It is raw and fierce amidst despicable acts by the male authority who seek to tame women.

Silas, the violet eyed autistic trans protagonist, is born to a Speaker family which means that he will be married off as a commodity and women are not allowed to practice as mediums. His internal rabbit thumps heavily within his chest, which bolsters the commentary on Silas' experience.

The scenes where Silas meets others who are like him just have my heart. The love and understanding shared between Silas and Daphne is beautiful and heartwarming.

The precise body horror speaks directly to who Silas is at his core, as well as provides the shoulder raising grimacing response to the atrocities committed against women who don't conform. From a bathroom Cesarean to pig dissection, this isn't for the squeamish, but it is so effective for the story being told.

I would've liked to know more about the Speakers, veil and hauntings, but understand the choices made since the focus was more on the students at Braxton's. I appreciated the author's note at the end and will be looking into further resources.

The Spirit Bares Its Teeth is a horrifically stunning powerhouse novel that I absolutely recommend to readers who can stomach the brutal horrors.

If it wasn’t evident that Andrew Joseph White is seemingly uninterested in writing gentle fiction with his debut novel, Hell Followed with Us (one of the best books I read in 2022), The Spirit Bares Its Teeth is indisputable proof he savors telling stories that center his transgender characters in challenging environments. And then convinces readers that fighting to be who they are, against the push-back of a society that repudiates them, can be accomplished in some thoroughly gruesome and engaging ways.

This book is not for the squeamish. Although it’s not categorized as such, The Spirit Bares Its Teeth is a horror novel. Body horror, both on-page and the ideation of, is significant to its plot, so be forewarned there are characters who do not go gently into that good night. Sometimes the cruelty of their survival is, in fact, much worse. The patriarchy is the unrepentant evil in this place where young women are manipulated, pushed, and othered, with impunity. Daughters are bartered, young women are cajoled and coerced into behaviors deemed necessary to make them marriageable. If a girl displays independence or scorn for the status quo, there is a remedy for that—a cruel dose of redirection at Braxton’s Finishing School and Sanitorium.

Silas Bell has a promising career as a physician, were it not for him being assigned female at birth. As a boy who society insists is not, only because of the shape his body has taken, a young man who doesn’t fit the mold of obedient daughter to parents who demand “she” conform, Silas faces the challenge of surviving as a shell of a person. Added to that, is the autism that prevents him from reading social cues and makes communication uncomfortable and difficult at times. Silas was Braxton’s-bound from the jump, if not someplace worse, owing to his very existence in a society that refuses to accommodate or do even the bare minimum to understand him.

White is an uncompromising storyteller. His canvas is the page, his imagination the palette, and his words and experiences the color he uses to paint a story, sometimes in grisly ways, always vibrantly. Silas’s punishment for the pseudo-illness called Veil sickness, which is not a thing at all but is named so to explain female social behaviors that deviate from the Royal Speaker Society’s rules, is detention at Braxton’s. His alleged affliction is to have been born with violet eyes as well as a deep-seated distaste for the idea of being forced to marry and perform wifely duties. Meeting the person he is destined for turns out to be Silas’s greatest fortune, as they are more alike than either of them could’ve imagined. Silas also discovering someone at Braxton’s who is like him turns out to be a gift amidst the debris of his abuse at the hands of those who were meant to help.

The Spirit Bares Its Teeth is a story of triumph, in the end, as the payoff for the misery its characters are confronted with and tested by along the way.

First and foremost, aside from trigger warnings I suggest this be a blind read. I’m so glad I just jumped in. This book also helped me out of a 2 month reading slump. For the trans/autism rep alone I feel like this is a must read for everyone. I can only imagine how genuinely awful it is to feel unwanted for who you are.

I was convinced Victorian era historical books were not my jam. Apparently if you e corporate medical maladies and people performing secret surgeries, I’m in. This book gives me similar vibes of Anatomy a Love Story & Immortality. Mostly because it’s got the protagonist who wants to be a surgeon but has to hide their true identity. I can’t say enough about the stunning descriptions, the beautiful diction, and just overall atmosphere of this book. This is definitely an important story, and I personally believe the gore is 100% necessary and deftly written.

Heavy heavy themes. Take care of yourself, be sure to check trigger warnings.

This was sooo addictive. A little of a slow start, but wow. Andrew once again proves that they are an incredibly talented writer. Andrew created another world where I am captivated and horrified.

The pacing is a tad slow, but it’s balanced well with the outrageous & horrifying shock.

A MUST add to your spooky season reads!!

I finished this book in 2 days and I still need time to process.
it was just amazing.
This book it's not for everyone, I strongly advice to read the cw first, but I really hope that it finds the right people that will be able to appreciate it as much as I did.

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

My mind is still reeling from this book. This book felt like a paranormal thriller, horror, historical fiction, and LGBTQIA+ romance all in one and it was fantastic. Not only does it contain trans and neurodivergent representation, but the beautiful way it is written in this story is unlike anything I've read previously. Obviously being trans, neurodivergent, or both results in a completely different experience for everyone, but Silas' experience is so captivating from page 1. I immediately felt seen, felt a deep need to protect Silas, and eventually all the girls in Braxtons.

The storyline was enrapturing and though I took quite a while to read through, my attention was held the entire time I was reading. While the first half of the book was rather slow (typical of a horror/thriller), I felt as though the ending went incredibly quickly, almost like whiplash. Though I enjoyed the ending, I was a little disappointed that it ended so quickly. I would also warn other readers of the graphic nature of the medical descriptions. While I personally loved them, they were incredibly graphic and won't be for everyone.

I want to finish off with a couple quotes that I found most compelling, most relatable to myself and the world we live in now:

"They can't keep scraping away layers of me thinking they can find the girl they want underneath. I'm not the dead flesh on top of a healing injury, devoured by maggots making way for the tender meat underneath to bloom. I am not the septic organ or the infected tooth. All of this is me. They can't just remove whatever they want."

"Why three? It's such a small number. This is a tragedy that has only begun. It has not taken root, or forced society to become desensitized to its own horror. There's a difference between horrible things that have gone on forever, because you can almost convince yourself of the inevitability of an age-old cruelty, or almost its necessity. But not a new one. With a new one, the change is too great, the wound too new, and you cannot convince yourself that it is simply the way of the world."

I absolutely adored this book. It follows Silas, an autistic tan guy who gets sent to a boarding school during the Victorian era. This book is incredibly angry and gory in the best way. This book delves into the horrific ways of the patriarchy and gender-based violence. I need to read more historical fantasy horror immediately after this. I highly recommend.That being said, I suggest checking trigger warnings because it is very dark.

This book was quite different from Hell Followed With Us, but it left me feeling much the same way. It's a truly horrifying book to read, and I read it in one sitting - I'm not sure what that says about me. There's so much gore, so many terrible things, and those terrible things are exactly what scare me the most as a non-binary autistic person. But somehow I feel like this book helped me, exactly because it names all of these horrors and reclaims them from a perspective of trans and autistic rage. I'm not a huge horror reader at all and I had to wait until I was in the right mood for this, but it was very very worth it, and I will read anything Andrew writes.

I finished this book about a week ago, and I am not yet well enough to be able to form coherent thoughts about it. I was hesitant at first because it was marketed as a horror, and I am a huge baby, hiding under my sheets at the first weird sound kind of baby, I don´t do horror because I can´t ever sleep again kind of baby, but this book wasn´t as bad. I was too busy contemplating everything I ever knew to be scared.
This is an amazing book, that is somehow gory and heartwarming, touching on themes of gender identity and social expectations around gender, ableism, homophobia, and sexism. It has a fantastic pace, as I couldn´t put the book down after I passed the 30% mark, It does keep you on your toes and the reveal towards the end is heartbreaking.
Silas Bell, our main character, is amazingly written. Being in his head and seeing how his mind works made me feel so seen and depressed. Andrew White does a great job at portraying the tragedy of those who don´t fit into the white, straight, neurotypical, cis-male box that is accepted in society. Everything that happened to Silas is a very accurate description of the Victorian era and sadly of the present day. We still have to fight to be who we are, There are still hate crimes against those who dare to be different, and as much as I would like to hope that we are heading in a better direction, I am honestly afraid for our future. The Spirit Bares Its Teeth is a dark mirror for our modern society.
“They can’t keep scraping away any layers of me thinking they can find the girl they want underneath. All of this is me.”
This book does have a very long, well-earned, list of TW and I really recommend checking them out before picking it. But don´t let it turn you away from this book. It´s a story I am very glad it was told, a story worth reading, one which I think any of us should pick up because it forces you to sit with yourself, look in the mirror, and check your biases and privilege.
Thank you NetGalley and Peachtree Teen for providing an ARC in exchange for my honest review.
The review will be up my blog and Instagram closer to the publication day!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this eARC!

I have never in my life read such a dark, bloody novel that feels so much like a warm hug. I am not exaggerating in the slightest when I call this story stomach-churning or when I say that there were several times when I had to physically turn away from the page, but dear god, was it good. Andrew Joseph White continues to blow me away with both his prose and his characters; I swear, I cried for half the cast of this one.

This is a book that feels physical on several different levels. On one hand, the descriptions were so clear and vivid that I could almost feel blood on my own hands during several scenes. On the other hand, the love and care clearly packed onto every page was also visceral. It is a rare talent for an author to mix those two elements so well.

I can’t recommend this one enough, but only to readers with the stomach for it: as the beginning of the book will tell you, there is some serious gore (and a lot of other heavy topics, including transphobia, gendered violence, and sexual assault). Please remember to take care of yourself.

I was granted an eArc of this book for consideration of review through Netgalley.
READ THIS BOOK RIGHT NOW. PUT DOWN ANYTHING ELSE YOU'RE DOING OR READING AND READ THIS.
Top book of the year, my number 1 for 2023. This had literally everything I ever want in a book. Spirits/mediums, 1800s, queer rep (2 main characters are trans, another is hinted as a lesbian), gore, revenge, friendships, romance ish. Perfect in every way, I cannot recommend this book enough. If you know me you know I don't really recommend books, but this I will preach about and force into the hands of every single reader I know. EVERY. SINGLE. READER.

Hey! Hey? Hi. Hey! Just out of sheer curiosity, maybe someone will happen to know the answer, but how in the ever-loving hell am I supposed to continue living my life like a sane, regular person after reading this book? Andrew Joseph White, you better expect my therapy bills to show up at your doorstep, because I don't think it will ever be humanly possible for me to recover from this.

I mean this book, at its core, embodies the mind-boggling, stomach-churning, true essence of horror and I am in love with every single one of its pages. It is fantastic and deserving of every single award a person can bestow on a novel. I thought Hell Followed with Us was stellar, but I could never, in a million years, have anticipated just how life-altering White's second book would be for me.

I think the word "disgusting" has lost all meaning for me, because everything included in this story far and above surpasses the realm of disgust. I'm talking about repugnance and vileness, I'm talking about the indefinite extent of human violence and evil. I was sick to my stomach the entire way through, and I'll probably exist in a state of general nausea for the rest of the week—it was spectacular.

This was also one of the most enticing narrative voices I've come across in a very long time. I simply could not look away. As horrifying as the passages were, as much as every single scene made my entire body cringe in on itself, my eyes refused to look away, even for a second. I was enthralled by, not just the main character himself, but specifically the way he was experiencing everything that was happening to him and everything that he was doing. I could read this a thousand times over and never get bored of it.

This is definitely not a book for the faint of heart, I will warn you. However, if you think you can stomach it, I recommend it so wholeheartedly. White really does have an amazing talent, and I cannot wait to see what he does next.

This book is just as harrowing and disturbing as the author's debut. Actually, possibly moreso although in a different way.

I will admit I struggled with the beginning of this novel, it was a slow starter and felt a little clunky in terms of the writing and the setting up of the world. There were a lot of words used to set up the Speaker Society and what the Veil was and yet somehow I still didn't fully understand what precisely that meant until way later in the book. It did pick up though and once I hit the 40% mark or so, I was hooked and it was a straight read through until the end, and a lot of that was spent on edge and with a lump in my stomach.

There is a lot about this novel that hits close to home for me (although obviously in a very different setting haha) and because of that there were passages that were particularly hard to get through but the story was told very well and with a lot of nuance. The characters were full of depth and despite being quite a lot of them (namely the numerous school girls) they were all individual and had distinct personalities and motives, even those who were 'off screen' for the majority of the book. Silas is a great MC and to date is possibly one of my favourite representations of an autistic character. I also liked that he was not the only autistic character within the book and that the other character's autism was portrayed differently but in such a way that Silas was able to identify like with like.

Andrew Joseph White doesn't shy away from difficult topics or harsh betrayals and it's always written so clearly and precisely that it can be incredibly uncomfortable to read. It makes the story all the more engaging.

This was a discomforting read and I really enjoyed it. It was a hard read in places but very worth it.

Silas wants nothing more than the freedom to create his own life: to study medicine, to only answer to one name, to never be married off to the highest bidder simply because of his eyes. But escaping his life and his fate of becoming a Speaker wife is more dangerous than even Silas anticipated. Which is exactly how he finds himself institutionalized at Braxton's, a finishing school meant to cure "Viel sickness" in violet eyed women. Something is not right at Braxton's beyond the school's goal to break students down and reconstruct them into the perfect obedient wives desired by Speakers. Silas sets about trying to get to the bottom of what is happening while desperately trying to find a way out.

Andrew Joseph White yet again creates a world of true horror seeped in a reality that many had to endure. Despite the frustration and horror Silas expresses within the narrative, the casual mention of the violence of treatment and expectation he has experienced is chilling. This intentional narrative creation is one of White's strongest skills. That and his consistent ability to make me utter ew gross while reading, a personal favorite aspect of any horror novel. The Spirit Bares Its Teeth is gruesome and disturbing and so compelling that I read it one setting.