“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.” ⭐⭐⭐💫

Andrew Joseph White’s “The Soul Bares Its Teeth” is one of those books I know I’ll need to sit with for a while before I can be certain how I felt about it, so it’s possible my rating may fluctuate over time. Maybe pay more attention to my thoughts than the ratings themselves.

Thank you to @peachtreeteen and @netgalley for giving me the chance to read in exchange for an honest review. “The Spirit Bares Its Teeth” comes out on September 5!

CHARACTERS ⭐⭐⭐ One of my criteria for 3-star characters is “won’t necessarily think about them beyond the last page.” I don’t think that’s the case here; Silas will remain in my thoughts for at least as long as I need to turn the book as a whole over in my mind. But beyond that I did care about what would happen to him, but maybe no more than any other character in the book. I also had issues with too much telling over showing when it came to some of the side characters.

ATMOSPHERE ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Cannot fault this one for its atmosphere. The first words that spring to mind are ‘cold’, ‘tense’ and ‘stifling’, and it remained those throughout.

WRITING ⭐⭐⭐💫 White is a writer I would be very interested in coming back to a couple books down the line (I won’t actually wait this long because of who I am as a person, and will also probably read his previous title, “Hell Followed with Us”). There was a lot of beautiful stuff here; he’s clearly in the right business. I did bounce off some of it though, particularly his metaphors, which landed quite well for me 40% of the time but did not the other 60%. This is because Silas sees the world through bodies and his singular focus on and purpose to be a surgeon. At one point he narrates, “I think literature consumes her the same way surgery has swallowed me. She sees the world through the lens of it: she is to stories like I am to meat.” I love that; I appreciate the perspective. But the actual metaphors were more often than not quite strained and excessive to the point of distraction. Neat idea with an execution that didn’t work for me.

PLOT ⭐⭐💫 Started off a little slow for me, but I would certainly have rated this higher were it not for the ending, which took quite a turn and then allowed for very little time to process its impact. The About the Author section says, “Andrew writes about trans kids with claws and fangs, and what happens when they bite back.” I think in the interest of making that happen the end actually betrayed Silas a bit. That’s all I can say without spoiling, but I’m beginning to wonder if horror endings are for me, since I tend to bounce off of them often. But that’s the subject of another post.

PACING ⭐⭐⭐⭐

WORLD BUILDING ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Love the ideas for a haunted Victorian England and how that manifests in the horrors of the day (though White confesses to playing fast and loose with historical accuracy).

ENJOYMENT ⭐⭐⭐ I valued my time with this book, but ultimately it was too dark for me. In all narratives I need more hope, or at least a different kind than we’re offered here.

(RELATIONSHIPS ⭐⭐⭐💫 With the slow start, the point where I started to really care about what was happening was when Silas started to create bonds with the girls in the school and how that then affected the narrative. It just took a while to get to that point, which was effective at showing Silas’s loneliness (and subsequent surprise at realizing his loneliness) but did make it harder for me to invest at first.)

The Spirit Bares Its Teeth is a gothic horror novel set in an alternate Victorian England about Silas, an autistic trans boy who just wants to be himself and wants the opportunity to do what he’s best at, surgery. But, after a failed attempt to get out of an arranged marriage, Silas gets diagnosed with Veil Sickness—a disease that sends violet-eyed women into madness—and gets sent away to Braxton’s Sanitorium and Finishing School. But when the ghosts of missing students come to Silas begging for help, he must risk himself and everything he loves to get justice.

This novel is a tough read (check trigger warnings below) but it was definitely worth it. The writing was beautiful. I found myself highlighting so many quotes. The character work was great. I loved Silas and Daphne and even eventually loved characters that I never thought I would! I am a gore girlie, so I loved all the medical talk and gory scenes! (Even though there was one scene that was even a lot for ME, the girl who loves horror and watches real surgeries on YouTube) But I loved every second of it.

I do wish that the ghosts were a little more prevalent. Most of the book focuses on the horror of the humans, as it should’ve, that’s what the story called for. But in the synopsis there was a lot of emphasis put on spirits and being a medium, so there was less of that than I was expecting. Also, there were a lot of characters introduced at once toward the beginning of the book, and it took me a while to remember who was who and keep up with everyone’s names. Those were my only two complaints though, everything else was great!

This book was a hard read at times, very triggering, but it was worth it! And I liked that there was a note in the back of the book that addressed the fact that in reality most of the things that were done to these characters were historically done to people of color. I’m glad the author shed a light on that for his readers that don’t know. I’d definitely recommend this book to someone looking to get lost in gorgeous writing, characters you care about, and a heavy but necessary story.

Thank you Peachtree Teen and NetGalley for this arc. All opinions are my own.

TW: sexual assault (on page), transphobia, ableism, discussions of forced pregnancy and miscarriage, suicidal ideation, misgendering, misogyny, animal disection, abuse, abortion, medical gore, murder, pedophilia

This book is horribly beautiful. That's the best way to describe it. Its hard to read but the thoughts behind it make it worth it. The emotions it'll bring out of you will for sure make you cry. Once again, a wonderful story by Andrew Joseph White

Andrew Joseph White is 2 for 2, and definitely an author I will continue to watch in the future. I loved Hell Followed With Us so I kept my eye out for this one on NetGalley as soon as it was announced. Going in with high expectations can sometimes be a detriment, but in this case my expectations were met and exceeded.

White is the type of author that knows what he wants to say and is excellent at executing it. He writes the autistic, trans, and queer experience extraordinarily well, he creates compelling depictions of toxic families and their deep indoctrination into abusive systems, as well as complex characters with complicated relationships. What draws me to White's writing is his themes are clearly thought out and his writing makes a statement, but he doesn't coddle the audience and he isn't interested in being didactic. He doesn't overexplain identity but allows for nuance in these various experiences and his writing is more interested in the individual characters rather than appealing to the masses. These books will not be for everybody, but I'm glad that they do seem to have found their audience.

This book is still settling in my brain, but I think I liked it more than Hell Followed With Us. I could definitely see improvement from White's previous novel. The pacing was excellent, it was well researched, and all the connections were all there to make a great reading experience. This is definitely a great addition to the queer horror genre. And I have to say, the cover is so perfect.

If you love horror, historical fiction, and queer fiction, I'd highly recommend this book. You will definitely want to check content warnings because it is extremely graphic (I went in prepared, having read the warnings and his previous book, and I was still surprised).

Thank you, NetGalley, for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I was unable to access this book to read as I’d been approved for it shortly before it was archived, but I am very excited for when it comes out and cannot wait to read it when it comes out, as I loved Hell Followed with Us

Review of "The Spirit Bares Its Teeth" by Andrew Joseph White

"The Spirit Bares Its Teeth," authored by the writer Andrew Joseph White, emerges as a transgressive gothic horror novel that slices through the boundaries of conventionality, leaving readers captivated by its visceral intensity.

Set against the backdrop of a hauntingly atmospheric Victorian London in 1883, where the Veil between the living and the dead is thinning, White introduces us to sixteen-year-old Silas Bell, a trans and autistic protagonist whose unique and authentic struggles serve as a beacon of resistance against the suffocating grip of societal norms. Silas's refusal to bow down to an arranged marriage and his subsequent diagnosis with the enigmatic Veil sickness propel him into the nightmarish confines of Braxton’s Finishing School and Sanitorium. As the ghosts of missing students beckon for his aid, Silas embarks on a treacherous journey to expose the insidious underbelly of the school and, in doing so, takes a stand against the patriarchal oppression that insists to crush him.

White's prose, a masterful interplay of horror and hope, strikes a chord with readers who have faced their own "rabbits on their chests". The unflinching depiction of gore and brutality, while unsettling, is accompanied by an undercurrent of acceptance and resilience that offers a comforting contrast. Amidst the blood-soaked tapestry of horror, readers find a profound message of empowerment, revealing the possibility of emerging from darkness whole, battered yet unbroken.

Silas as an autistic and trans protagonist, is a character whose struggles resonate deeply with those who navigate the world differently. Silas's anxieties, vulnerabilities, and emotional complexities mirror the experiences of many, granting them the invaluable gift of representation and recognition, and make you making you feel and understand what it's like to be them.

Despite the horror that permeates every page, "The Spirit Bares Its Teeth" serves as an indictment of the violence perpetrated by society, shedding light on the trauma inflicted upon trans youth who are coerced into conformity. The narrative is bold and raw in its exploration of themes such as transphobia, ableism, and the harrowing mistreatment of those deemed 'other.' White's unflinching approach challenges readers to confront uncomfortable truths and question the norms that perpetuate cruelty.

"The Spirit Bares Its Teeth" is a dark story that resonates with both horror enthusiasts and those seeking narratives that shows the shadows of human experience. Andrew Joseph White's sophomore novel stands as a testament to the potency of storytelling in unmasking societal injustices, instilling hope, and empowering voices that have long been silenced. This is a book is an invitation to confront the monsters within and without, and a proclamation that the spirit no matter what, will remain unbreakable.

I did not know what I was in for at the beginning of THE SPIRIT BEARS ITS TEETH. I went into this book practically blind- just knowing this was a young adult horror story with an autistic, transgender protagonist. I was NOT prepared for the beauty, pain, and pure horror of Silas’s story. It took me nearly 3 weeks to read this novel because I felt like reading more than a few chapters at a time would be an injustice to this story and world the author created. I truly had to sit and digest this story in bits and pieces.

This is undoubtedly a novel that will be discussed for centuries to come.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced readers copy of THE SPIRIT BEARS ITS TEETH in exchange for a honest review! This novel releases on September 5th, 2023.

screaming crying throwing up, a harrowing and amazingly well told story. One aspect that I really loved was the setting, and how that played into the main character's identity

How to give feedback on a masterpiece? Every single element of this novel fit so perfectly with every other element, that the time and care the author took when writing it is incredibly evident. The carefully interwoven narratives of the trans experience— specifically the experience of being socialized as a woman until you feel like that’s all the world will ever see when they look at you; the autistic experience, of feeling like you’re being left out of a joke that everyone else seems to get; and the experience of surviving trauma so vast and deep that you feel you may never claw yourself free of it. The book also skillfully tackles misogyny, and the feeling that if you’re born female you will never truly get to control what is done to your body.

It is a horror novel. There are blood and guts of course, but there’s more than that. There’s the fear that you’ll never be able to be who you truly want to be. The fear that you’ll never find a place in “normal society.” The fear that they’ll kill you only for the crime of being who you truly are. It’s bone deep fear, fear that makes the blood and guts seem to pale in comparison. They are powerful feelings that are necessary to feel, about people who deserve to be seen.

Andrew Joseph White has truly created a work of art with this novel. I have no negative comments whatsoever. Read this book, and feel everything it has to offer.

This book is absolutely fantastic. It’s as good as, if not better than, Hell Followed With Us. The characters are wonderfully written, especially the main character. This book has fantastic trans and autistic representation. The plot is well-paced and has great foreshadowing. The ending is incredibly satisfying. This book kept me on the edge of my seat. It was gripping and I found myself incredibly invested. The atmosphere is well-written and based enough in history to be truly awful. This book is haunting and horrifying and an enjoyable read.

𝔄ℜℭ ℜ𝔢𝔳𝔦𝔢𝔴
ᴘʟᴇᴀsᴇ ᴄʜᴇᴄᴋ ᴄᴏɴᴛᴇɴᴛ ᴡᴀʀɴɪɴɢs.
Let’s talk about my new favorite book, shall we?
I was so incredibly lucky to receive an eARC of Andrew Joseph White’s new novel, 𝑇ℎ𝑒 𝑆𝑝𝑖𝑟𝑖𝑡 𝐵𝑎𝑟𝑒𝑠 𝐼𝑡𝑠 𝑇𝑒𝑒𝑡ℎ, and I 𝐢𝐧𝐡𝐚𝐥𝐞𝐝 this book.
Let’s get this out of the way. I am autistic and nonbinary. While I loved AJW’s first novel, I had never had much, if any, religious trauma. So while I could relate to some of the things Benji and the others went through in 𝐻𝑒𝑙𝑙 𝐹𝑜𝑙𝑙𝑜𝑤𝑒𝑑 𝑊𝑖𝑡ℎ 𝑈𝑠, it didn’t hit me in the gut the way Silas’s story does.
I devoured this book so quickly, y’all. Silas, an autistic trans boy in alternate 1880s England, is only seen as useful because he was born with violet eyes. This means he can see and communicate through the Veil into the spiritual world. But all Silas wants is to be seen for who he truly is: a boy who wants to be a doctor, like his brother. After an attempt to get his medium’s seal from the Speaker Society goes disastrously, he is sent away to Braxton’s, a finishing school of sorts, to cure him of his “Veil-sickness.”
I see so much of myself in Silas, and I think that’s why I love this book so much. It wasn’t until the past few years that books with autistic characters written by autistic authors has made their way into the forefront, and every time I read them, I cry. This book was no different. There is also a fair amount of gore and other triggers in this book. Please treat yourself with grace if you choose to read this. 5★

#queerbooks #transbooks #queerbookstagram #andrewjosephwhite #thespiritbaresitsteeth #earc #arcreview #trans #queer #autistic #actuallyautistic #autisticcharacters #autisticbooks #autisticauthor #horrorbooks #horrornovels #yabooks #netgalley #netgalleyreviews

The Spirit Bares Its Teeth is a horror/historical fiction book that is worth picking up. The story and pacing kept me enthralled to the point I read this book in about half the average time it takes me to read fiction books. I really enjoyed Hell Followed With Us and The Spirit Bares Its Teeth made Andrew Joseph White an autobuy author for me!

Another horrendously magnificent masterpiece.

White's first novel, 'Hell Followed With Us,' was a one-of-a-kind monster movie nightmare of a tale–and I mean that in the absolute best way. This book, while less viscerally disturbing, is just as upsetting, leaving the reader just as ill-at-ease. In the best possible way.

In the same vein, White's second novel brandishes a transgender main character, desperate to escape their cultish upbringing and be seen as the man they are. With autistic representation also front-and-center to the tale, its easy to see the mark White is leaving on the world. Let's just hope our world is a little less cruel than the ones he creates.

Where 'Hell Followed With Us' kept us in the modern day, with an apocalyptic plague killing and mutating all in its path, 'The Spirit Bares Its Teeth' takes us back to the 1880s, where mediums and spirits co-mingle amongst the elite known as the Speakers. Silas, born to a life of nothing more than a child bride, an existence as a tool for keeping powerful men powerful, dreams of freedom to practice surgery and live freely. When his escape is foiled, he is shipped off to a finishing school for wayward girls accused of "Veil-sickness." With the same gaslighting and coercion that many Victorian women considered "ill" or "feeble-minded" suffered, the students at Braxton are treated just as gruesomely as one would expect. But with the ability of all violet-eyed persons, Silas begins receiving messages from the other side of the thinned veil, and vows to discover what happens to the girls who are too sick to fix.

I'm not sure how to explain all the ways I loved this book without spoilers, so I'll just say this: I fucking LOVED this book. I mean, it disgusted me, left me feeling nauseated and upset at parts. Other parts had my heart burst with joy (Daphne? The grounds keeper?!). As soon as it was done I was ready to start it again.

Five vibrant stars.

Who else has a little rabbit hiding in their chest? A rabbit that translates the fear that buries itself underneath the sternum beside the heart? The same rabbit that tries to convince you everyone is picking you to pieces? The rabbit that fuels your anxiety? That rabbit constantly talked to Silas in The Bares Its Teeth and it was so recognizable.

When I finished Hell Followed with Us, I said that even though that story would probably haunt me forever, I’d pick up anything Andrew Joseph White would write, even without reading the blurb. Well, I kind of read the blurb of his sophomore book but otherwise jumped in without knowing much more. There’s gore again. A lot of. A trans character but this time in 1883. And that beautiful writing.

This story fueled, at times, my anxiety and my nausea. I read the author’s note, and Andrew said I didn’t have to endure it. That I could get off the operating table and walk away at any time. And I thought I didn’t really have triggers. But I do. I have one. I’m not one for bloody things, and I have to look away if I see blood on tv or in a movie, especially if it’s an operation. There’s so much to love about this story, and I highlighted so many sentences. Andrew’s writing is one of the best I’ve ever seen. But I had to skip some parts. I got off the operating table sometimes, Andrew, because the medical horror was just too much for me. But I came back and gobbled up that beautiful story for a while. And then I got off again. And got back on again.

I still want to read anything Andrew writes in the future. I only hope that I can control my anxiety and nausea the next time.

I read this book as an eARC thanks to NetGalley.

Um. Thanks so much for removing my heart and repeatedly stomping on it. At least I can trust it was done so with steady hands and a sharp blade.

I don't really know how to review this book other than to say its was phenomenal and you should definitely read it.

Flappy Hands. 5 stars.

This is probably the most intense book I've ever read, in multiple ways. It's gory and horrifying and so, so good. Seriously, this book is incredible. One of the most impactful books I've read in a long time. I absolutely recommend it--but best to read it on an empty stomach.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the arc! Opinions are my own.

hank you @Peachtreeteen for the #gifted ARC - out 5 September!

In his sophomore novel, Andrew Joseph White continues a streak of horror that brims with rage and transcends typical “old manor, creepy suburbia, dark forest” settings. From the near-future, monster-riddled dystopia of “Hell Followed With Us,” to the blood-soaked Victorian-era seances of “the Spirit Bares Its Teeth,” I. CANNOT. GET. ENOUGH.

Silas, our autistic trans MC, struggles to keep his head above water in a world where his only value is in his violet eyes and his eligibility on the marriage market. Punished for trying to escape a life as a woman doomed to an arranged marriage, Silas is thrown into a school for sick young women. But Silas can see ghosts, and the ghosts at Braxton’s Finishing School all scream the same thing. Run.

Major trigger warnings for this one include transphobia, sexual assault, and medical trauma/gore.

Read if You Love:

Dana Schwab’s “Anatomy”
Screaming into the void, as a concept
Grey’s Anatomy, with a side of extra gore

I would read anything Andrew writes. I don't even know where to begin with this review but, that if I could, I would swallow this book whole so that it could absorb into my body and be apart of me.

THE SPIRIT BARES ITS TEETH is a gorgeous, gruesome, and electric novel about the horrors of early medical practice and the atrocities that we as humans commit against one another. Andrew is unafraid to get visceral, gritty, and downright horrifying as he depicts Silas's journey through Braxtons Finishing School and Sanatorium as a trans and autistic boy. There are intricate layers crafted into this book from the touch of the magical that is violet-eyed mediums and the cult-like Royal Speakers Society who embody and uphold the patriarchy. But even through all the horrors, this book is threaded with hope and ends on a bittersweet and hopeful ending.

I know this book will give trans youth, not only hope and power, but *rage*, and rage is so important. Andrew doesn't pull any punches, the horrors and violence that Silas faces may be fictional but they are rooted in truth. I know this book will mean the world to so many, that it will find trans youth at the right time and be the world to them.

Thank you Peachtree Teen for an early copy in exchange for an honest review!

"I think the entire world depends on people pretending they don't they're doing terrible things."

Thank you so much Netgalley and Peachtree for the eARC!!

If you loved Hell Followed With Us this book is an absolute must read. I loved AJW’s debut but this? The writing is so visceral it snatches you by the throat and doesn’t let go until the end. The only time I put this book down was to take a break and stare at the wall for a while.

I can’t wait to own a million copies.

The Spirit Bares Its Teeth releases September 5th.


List of CW from the author’s website that I implore you to read over:

Graphic violence
Sexual assault - implied, attempted, and on-page
Medical gore, including an on-page Cesarean section
Transphobia (explicit misgendering, dead-naming, transphobic violence/conversion therapy)
Anti-autistic ableism
Medical/psychiatric abuse, including dubious diagnosis and treatment
Gaslighting and abuse
Minor discussions of miscarriage

I read an eARC of The Spirit Bare Its Teeth by Joseph White. Thank you, NetGalley and PeachTree Publishing.

Thank you, thank you, thank you.

This book is beautiful, angering, and everything I could look for in a horror book. The way the character is written is amazing. I would pay attention to the triggers of this book. Silas is trans and has autism. He is set in the time of 1883 in the Seer society, a society that often ignores the laws. Like Silas should be 21 before he marries, but because everyone in the society sees him as a her, they only see him being a Seer as a way to create more powerful Seers.

In this society, men who are Seers are treated as the upper-class. Those Seers born into powerful families are taken advantage of, but they can still get their certificate, but women are seen as an “unfortunate must”. They need females to create stronger Seer lines, but women aren’t allowed to contact the dead, to open the Veil.

People like Silas are said to have “veil sickness”. Basically, this is given to any purple-eyed AFAB person who isn’t a “perfect woman”.

Which brings us to the plot. As Silas’s parents start talking about marrying off, Silas realizes he needs to get away from them before they ruin his life with an arranged marriage to the highest bidder. He dresses in the clothes of a young man who is too sick to get his certificate and tries to go to his ceremony. There his brother quickly recognizes him, but doesn’t immediately out him, though starts making comments that are… “things are more than black and white”.

Unfortunately, Silas is found out, but the father of the person he’s been “arranged to marry”, says that he is continuing the arranged marriage, the only thing is now Silas must go to a reform school he funds that will cure him of his “Veil sickness”. He even stops Silas’s parents from abusing him.

When dropped off at this school, we immediately are clued into hints of danger when characters say things like “we don’t like the Headmaster’s private lessons”, and the fact that one of the girls went missing a little while ago. Silas misses some of this at the beginning. Not because he’s not smart, but because he’s not good at context clues. Silas himself is a strong character that is constantly fighting against a voice in his head he calls “The Rabbit” which is basically everyone’s inner critic and insecurities given a name. He does, however, know certain things, like that he is a boy, even if he can’t define what a boy is, and see through certain social conventions as the bullshit they are.

As I said, I love this book. I love these characters, but watch out for transphobia from characters, deadnaming, mentions of suicide, conversion therapy, and medical gore. As what Silas really wants to become is a surgeon. Otherwise, happy reading!