4.5 stars

Take my trauma, several of my fears, put them in a blender and that’s the gist of this book. It was HEARTBREAKING and made me so glad I wasn’t born earlier than I was.

The writing was amazing. The imagery was vivid (maybe a little too much sometimes). This is definitely a book that you need to be in the right headspace to read.

DO NOT ignore the trigger/content warnings. Seriously.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an arc of this book.

This was yet another amazing horror novel from Andrew Joseph White!

The Spirit Bares its Teeth takes place in an alternate Victorian England where people with violet eyes can “tear open the veil,” allowing them to interact with ghosts. However, anyone seen as less than (i.e., not straight, white, abled, cisgender men) is oppressed and not allowed to practice. The story follows an autistic trans boy, Silas, who wants nothing to do with his violet eyes and refuses to be the obedient speaker wife his parents want him to be as he is diagnosed with veil sickness and forced to go to the horrifying Braxton’s Finishing School and Sanitorium.

This book is so well-crafted and completely uncomfortable. I loved how the horror came from the ableist society and not the patients. White continues to make my skin crawl with his descriptions and horrifying situations. Warning: this is not an easy book to read. But I could not look away the whole time. Silas is such an endearing character, too, making me wish I could protect him from his nightmare world. What makes it so much worse is the realism of this novel’s horror. There aren’t words enough to describe all the ways this book blew me away.

No book is perfect, and this one is no exception. Silas is a very strong character, but the other characters don’t stick out as much. The intention of making Silas isolated added to the horror but took away from the other characters feeling real and kept me from feeling as attached as I could have. I also wish the medium ability was more connected to Silas and the other characters. Without spoiling anything, it was important to the plot but felt separate from the characters arcs.

This story will stick with me for a while. I was completely captivated in a way that not many novels accomplish. I sincerely recommend this to anyone who’s interested.

Arc provided via NetGalley

Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with an arc in exchange for an honest review.

Wow. This book really surpassed what I was anticipating and in the best way. There were so many elements I didn't know I needed in this story. Fair warning this one is fairly graphic. And look at the many trigger warnings. There were so parts I found hard to read myself.

While I don't think this book was as good to me as AJW's first book, I'd still say he maintained his momentum here. Silas, Daphne, and all the others in the finishing school were great characters, and while I don't share a facet of identity with Silas, I found his story compulsively readable. I didn't want to put this book down once I started reading it (unlike Hell Followed With Us in which I felt like vomiting at times) because it was just so engaging and bewitching and I wanted to know more. I still wouldn't give this book five stars as it wasn't a favorite or anything, but I'd recommend it to people who want more mystery and horror in their lives.

At once harrowing and hopeful, THE SPIRIT BARES ITS TEETH was the story I didn’t realize I needed.

Andrew Joseph White has such a way with horror and YA horror in particular that never ceases to amaze me. THE SPIRIT BARES ITS TEETH follows Silas, an autistic trans boy, when an attempt to escape arranged marriage gets him sent to Braxton’s Sanatorium and Finishing School. As he’s held there, he finds himself confronted by secrets worse than he imagined.

Reading this book felt like being punched in the face repeatedly. Like. When I say there were descriptions that were so visceral that they had me squirming and feeling them for DAYS I’m not exaggerating. The horror of this book is very present at every angle. Sure, there’s the paranormal, magical, otherworldly elements, but the real horror doesn’t lie there; it lies in the cishet men in positions of power who stop at nothing to get what they want.

I definitely urge anyone interested in this book to give yourself some grace and to please check content warnings, as apart from an extensive amount of descriptive medical and surgical content, there are many instances of homophobia, transphobia, sexism, misogyny, and ableism. Be gentle with yourselves if/when you pick this up, but also know that despite the harrowing experiences that these characters are put through, our MC still comes out on the other side. There’s still a note of hope on the ending.

I resonated so heavily with Silas’ character. The way his transness was approached was so refreshing to read, and I saw myself in his experiences with autism. This book was phenomenal and cathartic, and I can’t stress enough how much I recommend it to anyone who’s a fan of horror, who craves messy trans mcs who bite back.

Thank you to Netgalley and Holiday House / Peachtree / Pixel+Ink, Peachtree Teen for the eARC.

"Everyone is made up of stories, when you think about it. You only really come to understand yourself by comparing other's people's stories to yours; you find where things are the same, and where they're not. It's difficult when the story isn't one the world wants to hear, though."

4.5 stars rounded up.

I'm not a horror reader, but I simply couldn't pass up this concept, and I'm so glad I gave this book a shot. It was a work of art. The characters are incredible, and will likely stick with me for years to come. The horror and gore are unflinching, but still grounded and realistic.

The only thing I didn't like is that I wanted more worldbuilding and more of a conclusion. The concept of the Speaker Society is SO intriguing, and the worldbuilding that does exist builds on that, but it felt less like an immersive world and more like a backdrop when reading the text. And with the characters that survive this sordid tale, I wanted more of a fleshed-out ending for them. The epilogue was a lovely addition to the plot, but I was still left with so many questions and a desire to know more about specific characters.

Thank you to the Publisher and Netgalley for an eArc in exchange for an honest review!

I was curious about this book because it has a trans autistic protagonist in a historical setting, and I was not expecting just how good it was. This is easily one of my favourite books I've read this year, and also one of the most heartbreaking.
Part of me was so unnerved, anxious and freaked out while reading portions of this book, and the other part of me was on the verge of crying because I could relate to Silas so much in terms of how they feel about their gender, their internal rabbit, their autism. A lot of books protagonists can be hard for me to relate to because it can be hard to find books about non cis characters and neurodivergent characters while not feeling honed in or half done (let alone a character who is trans and neurodivergent simultaneously), but Silas is added to my list of those characters. The ending was tragic, but I felt it was the most fitting ending there could be.
The relationships between Silas and the other characters in the book - Daphne, Isabella, his brother - felt so fleshed out and distinct, and I love White's writing style so much.
The gore, while getting to be a lot at times, especially in the later half, I thought helped make the story what it was. Not shying away from just how poorly these people were treated, both due to misogyny and ableism was incredibly important. I also appreciated the author notes at the beginning and end, acknowledging while this is awful, it was often worse (especially in cases where racial prejudice was involved).
It's incredible, awful, and it's by far one of my favourite books now, and I will be looking forward to anything this author decides to write in the coming years.

Thank you to Netgalley for providing this ARC copy!

“It’s more work to hurt us. It’s more work to be cruel. And yet they continue”

I had loved Hell Followed With Us so when I heard about this book I could not contain my excitement. When I found out there was an opportunity to get an ARC copy I was even more excited.

White’s books write about the trans experience in ways that I have never seen in other books, and yet make me feel so seen. This book shares so many complex feelings touched upon and ways that those feelings can change situationally that made me feel as though he picked apart my own brain and threw my thoughts into a book.

I had never really read a medical horror before and as someone going into nursing I found it both fascinating but also disturbing especially as the book discusses medical experimentation. Though this book was often heartbreaking due to the treatment of the characters through the book, it hurt even more remembering things like this happened without all the fantasy. White does as amazing job acknowledging this at the end of the book.

At the same time, the ending is full of such queer joy. If you loved Hell Followed With Us, definitely give this one a read. I absolutely loved it.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this beautiful ARC!
Both in Hell Followed With Us and The Spirit Bares Its Teeth, I loved Andrew Joseph White's writing because of how excellently he balances character-driven storylines and the larger plot. He delves deeply into character studies of his narrators while actively guiding them along horrific journeys, making us readers acutely feel their fear and anger and dysphoria and hopelessness. I am usually not a fan of horror, particularly body horror, but his writing is so simple yet beautiful that I want to keep reading, feeling the narrators' emotions and reacting alongside them. In this book, The Spirit Bares Its Teeth, I thought that the enmeshment of Silas' struggles as a trans boy/autistic teenager in a world rigged against him with the larger and more insidious oppression of the Speakers was fascinating, particularly with White's use of the "rabbit" to tie both together. The "school" setting and the experiences of the other characters allowed for an even deeper feeling of lurking terror, and I thought the setting was very rich overall. My primary criticisms are that I didn't quite ever understand what the Veil/Speakers/violet eyes system was, exactly; I felt like there was some explanation missing from the beginning. The ending, on the other hand, felt a little rushed and tied up too neatly in the final chapter, but the way that Silas and Daphne and the others succeed in their mission was very unexpected and gratifying. I anticipated the George twist but was horrified nonetheless. Silas' internal dialogue can be simplistic and then overly complex at times, but this didn't really bother me because I know that this is how teenagers kind of just are. Overall, though, I cannot recommend this book enough and will most certainly re-read it before White's next release (which I am already yearning for!).

The Spirit Bares Its Teeth will be the PERFECT fall (ish) novel for anyone who enjoys graphic horror novels. However; I got twenty percent into the read and while I found the story to be enthralling, I couldn't handle the gore that was discussed and uncovered.

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

Silas is our transmasc autistic protagonist who is desperate to escape from a family who won’t accept him and is thrown into an asylum for “sick” young women. The asylum quickly shows itself to be far from a place of healing as girls start to mysteriously disappear. Silas only has his beloved who believes him and tries to help him escape.

Wowwww wowowow wow. This book is vicious. It doesn’t hold back. It has non-stop medical gore and puts its characters in real life kinds of danger. I think a lot of times horror falls flat for me because the supernatural scary thing ends up not being that terrifying in the end- but this book is truly terrifying because the real terror is what humans are capable of.

Please read the content warnings that the author provides in the book because they are absolutely necessary.

I received a copy of this book via NetGalley; all opinions are my own.

I'm struggling to write this review, only because all I want to do is gush about how amazing this book is. I read Andrew Joseph White's debut novel Hell Follows With Us last year, and rated it five stars - but somehow, The Spirit Bares Its Teeth is still leaps and bounds better.

This novel follows Silas, a trans autistic boy in an alternate Victorian era. He's sent to an all girls finishing school/sanatorium/horror show to 'fix' him so that he might bear violet eyed children for a Speaker. In this world, the Speakers can rip open the Veil and commune with the dead. While this is a gothic horror to its bones, the dead are also the least horrifying thing Silas encounters.

This book truly is a gory triumph. It's disgusting, and raw, and vulnerable, and so impactful. If you're familiar with this author's work, you'll already know how viscerally White can write. If you enjoyed Hell Follows With Us, you'll recognize the same themes of queer resilience, community, and anger here. The reclamation of body horror, mixed with a heavy dose of hope. The discomfort, the trauma, and the catharsis by the last page. This is a story about an alternate history Victorian era, but it's also about here and now, and doesn't that just make you ache?

God, I fucking love his work. How am I supposed to review a book that sunk its claws into me as deeply as this one? Honestly, all I can say is this is my favorite read of 2023 thus far, and an easy 5/5 stars. Pay attention to the trigger warnings on this one, but if you can stomach it, this book won't disappoint.

This book was a gory little gem. It did not shy away from describing how people who have historically been seen as "other" or "wrong" have been treated, and the dark history of medicine and misogyny associated with it (although, as the author also acknowledges, this often targeted racial minorities, which is not depicted in this book, and perhaps should have been acknowledged more in the text). This book is righteously angry, and horrifying, but still beautiful.

The book has very beautiful and descriptive prose, in a way that you could almost see and hear the scenes depicted in the book. However, there is quite a lot of gore in the book, so if that is something you cannot stand, I would give this one a skip.

I liked the depiction of spirits as well as the autistic and queer rep in this book a lot. The romance was not that well developed since Silas and Daphne knew each other for only a few days, but I did find it sweet all the same. If I had one criticism, it would be the length. I felt the book could have been a bit shorter with some tighter pacing which I prefer in my horror books, but that is a minor gripe.

This book kept me in utter awe with its every page and a special kind of mood that you can get only after finishing the last pages of a great book. From the beyond beautiful prose to the pacing and the fascinating and extremely graphic scenes of medical operations which the book doesn't shy away from, I immensely enjoyed reading it.

The focus on medicine in particular was a fantastic choice and I loved Silas' relationship with the subject. His character and point of view were always so engaging, from how his inner monologue shifted the story to his interactions with other characters, especially Daphne and the groundskeeper.

This book is gorey and horrifying, as the premise promised, so beware the warning, but I also loved how much love Silas was finally given by Daphne, how their relationship gave them both hope.

The Spirit Bares Its Teeth
by Andrew Joseph White
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

this book feels truly and utterly alive. I’m convinced The Spirit Bares Its Teeth has bones, lungs, a beating heart all it’s own.

reading The Spirit Bares Its Teeth feels like crawling out from the grime and tragedy life buries you in, emerging shaking and bleeding but still breathing. mangled but somehow still whole. it’s tender, angry, and hopeful all in one breathe. it HURTS and is an absolute masterpiece!

I can’t stop thinking about Sila’s journey and all the beauty and pain he experienced. and the unimaginable horrors the girls at the finishing school went through—my heart still aches. then there’s THE WRITING!?! the metaphors, the symbolism, the tragic beautiful prose spoke to my soul.

Silas and Daphne’s love story is so touching. when they first truly met I wept. the way they grew to know and understand each other so deeply makes me emotional.

The Spirit Bares Its Teeth is a brilliant mix of horror/fantasy/historical fiction. it is dark and heavy and so incredibly moving. a harrowing tale full of complex characters whose stories linger long after reading. highly highly recommend🖤

thank you @netgalley and @peachtreeteen for sending me this e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

This book was a love letter to any queer and neurodivergent people but specifically teenagers. Even while reading the most horrific scenes, it still managed to feel like a warm hug. This, as always with Andrew's writing, was pure perfection.

Honestly, writing a review for a book has never been harder because I have literally nothing to say other than just how amazing it was. I’ve spent the day going back and forth with how to write this review, but I’ve genuinely spent more time messaging my friends that read to get them to buy this book as it is a must read.

The Spirit Bares its Teeth is hands down the best book that I have read this year. There isn’t a single thing that I would change about the writing or the story.

The prose is so eloquent and descriptive that I found it easy to practically smell, feel, and hear the things going on in this story.

This books has absolutely EVERYTHING I could want in a book from the time period, trans representation, autistic representation, plot and prose. So much so that I almost feel like I sat down with Andrew Joseph White, told him what I wanted in a book, and had it personally delivered back to me.

The absolutely trans boy joy this book is giving (even though the struggles are so real and present).

Basically, I needed this book, and you do too, so if you’re looking for your reason to buy it, let this be it.

The Spirit Bares It’s Teeth is Andrew Joseph White’s second novel and I feel like everything that didn’t work for me in his first book was improved upon in this one. While I really enjoyed Hell Followed With Us, there was something about the story itself that didn’t click with me. I loved the characters, the horror, and the lush writing so I knew I needed to read whatever this author came out with next!

This book follows an autistic, trans teenager as he is grappling with his identity in the Victorian era. Silas was such a complex and interesting character to read about. While there are a lot of moments of genuine horror throughout this book, the way Silas is treated and the fear that he has is where the true horror is. This book has a certain level of uncomfortableness to it because, while it is a fictional story, the historical aspect of what it was like to be a trans person during this time is sick and familiar. Despite there being over a hundred years between when this book takes place and now, the transphobia continues.

The writing style White has is so unique and beautiful that I know I will continue to read his books as long as he is writing them. This book is for an upper YA audience and it’s exactly the kind of story I wish I could have read when I was in high school. The dark and gritty atmosphere with the fantastical elements would have really touched my emo heart. That being said, I’m so glad to see books like this coming out today.

The ownvoices representation really shines in this novel. White is a trans author himself and I think this book is a perfect example of how much more impactful stories can be when the main character is a reflection of the author’s own life. I don’t know if White is autistic but I thought the autism representation in this book was so subtle in a way that felt very natural. Some books I have read with autism representation have been a little overboard to the point that the autistic traits felt almost cartoony so I appreciated the way Silas was handled.

I really enjoyed Daphne as a character. I felt like she added a good balance to the story.

I could go on and on about how much I enjoyed this book. I would recommend this to anyone who likes horror and can handle the content. There are a few graphic scenes and I would also say to look into content warnings before picking this up.

Can I be fair and objective with this book? Probably not because I want White's literary voice to have existed in my life 20 years ago when I was a teenager who desperately needed a voice like his even though I didn't know it at the time and I'm so glad that it exists now that I have no words. When I tell you that I literally squealed with delight when my ARC request was approved...

Alright, on with the review. White captures the small daily horrors of the autistic experience as well as the sweeping systemic ones and blends them masterfully with the supernatural, the result is raw, honest, and refreshing. While this book takes place in something akin to the Victorian era its commentary regarding ableism is shockingly and devastatingly timely. The pacing is a rather slow and steady one where the horror deepens through accumulation rather than outright shock. Silas is endearing as all effs and it makes the whole thing even harder to read because you just don't want bad things to be happening to him!

I loved every minute I spent with this book and I'm about to be as annoying with it as I was with Hell Followed With Us, I'd apologize in advance but I'm not actually sorry about it.

Thank you to Peachtree Teen and Netgalley for granting me the opportunity to read and review this book.

Wow, can I just say wow about this book. I was utterly unprepared for how much I was going to love this book when I got it in my Netgalley account. I signed up after reading the summary knowing it was going to be up my alley but I did not know how much I was going to be enthralled and sucked in as much as I was.
There are certainly some graphic scenes so please be aware there are some trigger warnings for some people. The character of Silas is stunning and so well portrayed and I can only imagine the London of 1883 would not have been kind to him, even as we see in this historical fiction perspective.
I love the gothic tones, the themes of horror and hysteria; there is so much that resonates with present day even though the setting takes place in such a backwards time as Victorian London.
Please understand when I say this, this is not a fun read, this is not an easy read but it is so incredibly worth your time to read this book. It is powerful, it is raw, and it does exactly what the title says: The Spirit Bares its Teeth.
I cannot recommend this book more and truly, truly plan to do a YouTube episode on this book very soon. Please read it.