Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me access to this arc,

5/5 stars

Things I liked:
Felt seen which is something amazing

Things I didn’t like:
Not an easy read - but I understand why


The horror is on full display but it is beautifully written.

The Spirit Bares Its Teeth is many things. As I said in my initial fanboy ramble of a “review” on my Instagram: “Have a jumble of adjectives, all of which apply: heartbreaking and haunting, grisly and unsettling, challenging. . . Exquisite.”

The story is horrifying on so many levels that you can just take your pick: are you enraged by the misogyny, disquieted by the mores of Victorian society, disgusted by the treatment practices at Braxton’s Finishing School and Sanitorium (and in a general sense, al sanatoriums back in those days)? Maybe you’re both incensed and devastated by the attitudes towards neurodiversity. Possibly you’re just so creeped out by all the body and medical horror.

I could see it all. At the end of Silas’ story, you’re left with so many different emotions to process. This is one of those books that leave you hazey-minded, having to take a minute or two to remember how to just carry on with ordinary life.

So, there’s one adjective that I have yet to explain. I did that on purpose, of course. This book is exquisite. White’s characters are so recognizable and the writing so sensory that it’s hard not to get sucked into the story.

It’s because of the familiarity of the characters, more than anything else, that I think Andrew Joseph White may have just become my next favourite author (trust me, I don’t bestow the “favourite” title capriciously). It's not terribly difficult to figure out why I’d find it so easy to step into characters like Silas- because of the transness, obviously. “Because of the transness” might, to some, seem like a frivolous, arbitrary reason to love someone’s book. It’s really not, though.

Let me tell y’all a story (it’s one of *my* reviews, you all had to know something like this was coming):

When I was a teenager/ young adult, I had this fixation on gay men. If the book was written by a gay man or had even a hint of possible gayness between male characters, I wanted to read it. If the movie or TV show was about gay boys or gay men, I watched it in secret. I couldn’t have stopped gravitating to all that queerness, even if I’d wanted to. What did I get out of it? Well, it’s kind of hard to explain. . . or maybe it isn’t.

Consuming all this queer media, I felt this weird sense of belonging. I felt comforted in that “this is your scene” kind of way, but at the same time, I felt like I was still on the outside. Imagine how you feel when you’re accepted, but not actively included. That’s how I felt. Surrounding myself with male homosexuality felt right, but somehow incomplete. Fraudulent.

If books like The Spirit Bares Its Teeth had existed when I was that bewildered teenager- oh. my. God. I finally would have felt that full, true sense of kinship that always eluded me. Truth be told, I likely still wouldn’t have come out. A friend once suggested that I didn’t entertain the suspicions and innate knowledge I had about myself back then because I knew, on some level, that I was not safe. It’s a valid theory, and probably correct. I tell you, though, having these books would have meant more than the world to me. It would’ve meant the universe.

So, reading White’s work and meeting characters like Benji (from Hell Followed With Us), Silas, and Daphne feels like reaching back through the years, and telling myself, “You’re home now. You belong.”

Thanks NetGalley for my ARC!

I WAS SO excited when I was granted this ARC, and it did NOT disappoint.

A thrilling, stomach churning and soul igniting ghost story - AJW has absolutely done it again. I couldn't put down this book, even when I wanted to to avoid some of the more distressing bits because he drew me in so tight and made me want his characters to survive so badly, I couldn't bear to abandon them.

Big, big TW's need to be taken seriously by would-be readers - they can be found on the author's website here: https://andrewjosephwhite.com/content-warnings%3A-tsbit

When I first read "Hell Followed With Us," I knew that Andrew Joseph White would take off. His gritty description of the setting and experiences of his characters were top-notch and visceral. After reading it, I pre-ordered the book and (figuratively) celebrated with him as he hit the NYT Bestselling list, when he was a finalist for William C. Morris Debut Award, and so on. When he announced the three new books he was working on--"The Spirit Bares Its Teeth", "Compound Fracture," and "You Weren't Meant To Be Human"--I knew he was an author I would buy every single book of.

So, when I saw that The Spirit Bares Its Teeth on Netgalley, I knew I had to request it. With bated breath, I waited for the acceptance or the denial of getting an ARC, and when I got approved, I jumped with joy.

While I already have a preexisting enjoyment of Andrew's books, I am being completely unbiased when I say that "The Spirit Bares Its Teeth" is Andrew's best book thus far.

Initially, I wasn't too sure about how I felt about the Victorian England setting. I'm not usually a historical fiction kind of person, but I am a person who is interested in macabre, old haunted stories, so I still wanted to inhale the story. However, the book makes me want to look into the history of places like Bedlam. We all heard that women (as well as afab nonbinary folks and trans men) were frequently thrown into places like real-life Bedlam and fictional Braxton's to "reform" them, so books like this make me want to deep dive.

I also find myself connecting with Silas a lot. While I'm not trans, I have questioned my neurodivergence and there are certain things Silas would do that I can relate to: always needing to fidget, pacing, things of that nature. Additionally, I find myself having my own rabbit. I'm constantly anxious about something and if my brain is too quiet, it finds something else to make me anxious about. I hope to find a day when I can conquer my own rabbit.

Within the first handful of chapters in this book, I was unsure if there would be romance. It would have worked without it, but when White brought Daphne onto the scene, it made me happy that there's some t4t representation! While there is a surge of LGB(T) (specifically trans) representation of books, there hasn't been a lot that I've seen that are t4t and I think it's so important to have that representation throughout all genres.

Lastly (at least with what I'll let myself talk about--I could ramble all day about this book), Andrew does such a good job of breathing life into all of his characters and settings. I could perfectly imagine the characters working through the scenes. I could feel the frost beyond the Veil. Andrew has a beautiful knack for being able to truly paint the gory, gory picture before us and I just can't get enough of it.

I'm so glad I was blessed with the honor to read this amazing, depressing ARC and I cannot wait for this book to get the absolute praise it deserves. Until 2024, when "Compound Fracture" is released!

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the arc. This is my new favourite AJW book! The pacing, character work, and worldbuilding were all stellar. The romance between Silas and Daphne was also BEAUTIFUL. There was not one single point in this book where I knew where it was going, even if I thought I did. I can't wait to force customers to endure the same emotional distress :)

Thank you to NetGalley and Peachtree Teen for this ARC.
Mors vincit omnia. Death conquers all.
This is the second novel from Andrew Joseph White, and let me tell you...it is insanely good.
Set in Victorian England, it focuses on a group of teens who are believed to have "Veil Sickness" and being forced into marriage and conforming to societal norms.
The characters are expertly written with great depth. Even though it is set in the past, the issues and situations are very modern. This is a story that people will be talking about for a long time.
Trigger warnings for suicide, body horror, transphobia, and conversion therapy. The author does a good job of contextualizing the use all of these at the beginning of the book.

I absolutely loved this book. It was filled with such a sense of rage that really spoke to me as a queer person. The plot follows Silas, a trans boy in an alternate Victorian London who can open the Veil between life and death, and his interactions with the harsh, unaccepting, and abusive society as they attempt to make him someone he is not. I could feel true emotion emanating from this book. In some places, I began crying because it just felt so raw and visceral. The worldbuilding is truly excellent, and I can tell the author did his research when it came to information about anatomy and medical practices at the time, and I truly enjoyed reading about the true history behind the characters' fascination with the field that was masterfully integrated into the fantastical setting. And I LOVED the portrayal of Mary. I really liked the depth that the characters' personalities had--characters like Mary weren't all good or bad, but really just trying to survive, and my heart broke for them. The only character who I would have liked to see more from was Daphne, who was already marvelous as it was, but who left me wanting more even still. This book is incredibly dark, but I think that the stories that make us uncomfortable are the most important for telling us not only about ourselves, but the world we live in.

Thank you to NetGalley and Peachtree Teen for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

I don't think I could love a book more if I tried, and I don't think I have the words to do my feelings about it justice.

From the very start to finish I loved every second of reading this. Even before the novel starts, the dedication and letter from the author pulled at my heartstrings. The letter from the author informs the reader of the myriad of dark and potentially triggering topics contained in the book, and is already a demonstration of Andrew Joseph White's stunningly emotional writing.

"So if nothing else, I hope this story means something to you. I hope the scalpel is kind to you. I hope your sutures heal clean. You deserve that much; we all do."

To say this story means something to me is a grotesque understatement. I didn't know how much I needed to read about a character like Silas, and I could not have guessed how emotional that experience would make me. Silas' depiction as an autistic trans boy was not only very well executed, but it also resonated with me. His internal monologues, his self-doubt, all of the questions, and all of the anger were so familiar it sometimes felt as if they were taken straight from my brain. Knowing I've related to so many of his fears and anxieties at at least one point in my life, and then seeing him find acceptance and recognition with the groundskeeper and Daphne had me tearing up multiple times.

As announced in the author's letter, this book can get extremely heavy throughout, but it is never done without regard. Despite the prevalence of dark themes like sexual violence, transphobia and gore/medical content, they are never justified, romanticised, or let go by without having acknowledged the impact their depictions can have.
I was never left feeling like something I had just read was unnecessary or out of place. A.J.W.'s in-depth grasp of the characters, plot, and themes of the story were reflected in every one of its beats, like Silas' characterisation. It is distinctly and tightly woven into the narrative, and he shines so blindingly as a protagonist, no matter how shrouded in loss and horror.

As a whole, The Spirit Bears Its Teeth isn't a happy story. It is horrifying, visceral and honest; a brutally stark tale about what it means to be other. It is told unapologetically and I would not have it any other way. It is terrifying, yet there is hope to be found in it.

Andrew Joseph White created an amazingly twisted book—its setting, all of its setpieces, and characters—and breathed life into it with his vividly thematic prose and masterful depiction of emotion.
It is written with care for not only the integrity and historical context of the narrative, but also the reader and I am beyond thankful this book exists. I know I needed it to, and I hope everyone else who is waiting to see themselves in the pages of a book also gets the chance to read this.

[I received a free ebook copy from Holiday House / Peachtree / Pixel+Ink and Netgalley. This review is done freely, honestly and without payment].


„At least the doctors had the decency to kill me before they opened me up (...) After i was dead i watched them cut me apart.“

·

Summary:
Mors vincit omnia. Death conquers all.

London, 1883. The Veil between the living and dead has thinned. Violet-eyed mediums commune with spirits under the watchful eye of the Royal Speaker Society, and sixteen-year-old Silas Bell would rather rip out his violet eyes than become an obedient Speaker wife. According to Mother, he’ll be married by the end of the year. It doesn’t matter that he’s needed a decade of tutors to hide his autism; that he practices surgery on slaughtered pigs; that he is a boy, not the girl the world insists on seeing.

After a failed attempt to escape an arranged marriage, Silas is diagnosed with Veil sickness—a mysterious disease sending violet-eyed women into madness—and shipped away to Braxton’s Finishing School and Sanitorium. The facility is cold, the instructors merciless, and the students either bloom into eligible wives or disappear. When the ghosts of missing students start begging Silas for help, he decides to reach into Braxton’s innards and expose its guts to the world—if the school doesn’t break him first.

Featuring an autistic trans protagonist in a historical setting, Andrew Joseph White’s much-anticipated sophomore novel does not back down from exposing the violence of the patriarchy and the harm inflicted on trans youth who are forced into conformity.

·

I’d like to say I was endlessly excited about this book, but somehow it sounds wrong when you know what the book is about. Was I tense, jittery, and pumped up like a toddler before Christmas? I think so.
Already with „Hell Followed With Us“, Andrew Jospeh White has sneaked his way into my heart and I think I can say that after only two (actually already after the first) books, he is one of my favourite authors.
I love his books not only for the inclusivity and creativity, but also for that beautiful, sometimes poetically cruel writing style, horror-like settings, AND addressing topics that many don’t dare to approach. (Especially not in this way and combination?).
Where „Hell Followed With Us“ was post-apocalyptic and thus more horror-heavy (at least for me), „The Spirit Bares Its Teeth“ created a tightness in my chest and throat that I could hardly breathe at some points.


„(...) I need you to remember that. You are beautiful, well-bred, and so, so lucky.“

„Just like a woman does not fully experience womanhood if she doesn’t bear her own children.“


When I have a physical copy in my hands at some point, I’ll probably have to get a second one. Why? So I can throw one around the flat while re-reading, screaming and crying.
I’m actually pretty tough when it comes to books (and other media), but Andrew Joseph White wove such a tight web with his language (and the great formatting in the book) that I couldn’t keep myself separate. It made me sick to my stomach and made me cry; had to take long breaks while reading and I would say this book (just like its predecessor) is not a „light read for in between“.
This book has something to say and it screams and whispers and cries and fights. It throws around rotten words that none of us want to hear but should never forget. This book is not just fiction (The story is, of course!) - but in there, between the lines, in all those words, is history. Our history.


„DON’T HURT HIM HE’LL HURT YOU DON’T HURT HIM HE’LL HURT YOU“


I think I fell in love with Silas (protagonist) almost immediately; he must have taken my heart by storm and that didn’t make the book any easier. He was so approachable, so ... I can’t even put it into words. I guess it felt like he was lying next to me on the couch/bed telling me his story; suffocating me with his words and experiences. It hurt.
All the characters in this book hurt and the little bright moments were like a glass of water in the desert. They felt like a illusion.


I can’t say this book was a „nice“ experience, but I love it. It’s cruel and brutal and tears your heart apart and then somehow tries to stitch you back together.
I love the characters with all their facets and quirks.
I am once again grateful for a book that shook and moved me deeply. A book that shows how much pain and injustice can be inflicted on people / living beings just because they are „different“ / don’t fit the norm and you don’t understand them. Because one is afraid of things one cannot control. Because one wants to have power - power all to oneself.

Thank you. <3


Over and Out, I’m watching kitten videos on Youtube now.

I have read another book by the same author, Hell Followed With Us, and going in this one with high expectation... and not disappointed. At all.
I love the mystery and thrill, and all the struggles of Gloria/Silas in navigating his life. I adore the gloomy, haunted, dark academia feeling of the setting. The world building was amazing, along with all the detailed and gory details. I love all the characters and the storytelling is just * chef kiss *
All the love!

This book reached through my ribcage, grabbed me by my heart, and refused to let go.

I knew to expect autistic and queer rep (which as a queer, autistic person myself, I was so eager for), but what I did not adequately prepare for was how much the storytelling of this book (set so long in the past) had to say about the current climate we live in. At certain moments, I was left screaming in AFAB rage, mourning for the trans community, and pumping my fist into the air at points well said. This book drives so many points about the tragedy of patriarchy and how the world in general treats those who dare to be different without being preachy or really saying much at all. We experience it all through the gifted writing and the character of Silas who leaps off the page, feeling like someone I have known all my life. Silas is myself. Silas is everyone who has ached to be themselves in a world that refuses to accept things it does not understand.

I do also want to note that as a medical provider, I felt the medical aspects of this book were well researched and well done, on top of capturing a moment in the history of medicine that should never ever ever be forgotten.

I'm struggling to find words to sum out how speechless this book left me; how it chilled me to the bone in ways that had nothing to do with ghosts, because the horrors it describes are real. They happened, they ARE happening now.

This author deserves a million stars. I want to read this book again and again and again.

My only critique is that I felt like the brief content warnings at the beginning of the book should be expanded upon. Please be aware that this book is graphic and does not pull it's punches. I loved that about the book, but it is not for the faint of heart. The author says it best. For some readers, it would be best for them to walk away from this book. For everyone else, READ IT!

This book blew me away. I was already a big fan of White's previous works, so I was thrilled to get into The Spirit Bares Its Teeth and it does not disappoint. This book is not for the faint of heart. It is graphic, violent, and many of the disturbing elements of this book are rooted in real points of our history adding a deep level of unease. A story featuring an autistic trans protagonist stuck within the politics of Victorian England is already an enticing plot, but add in the elements of magic and the spiritual realm and a masterpiece is made. I grimaced through a fair portion of this book, and yet I could not put it down. Despite it's intensity, we are enveloped in the mind of Silas and feel the strength of his resilience and the warmth of the relationships he builds - all despite being thrust into the worst situations imaginable. I don't want to give much away about the plot as it's fun to discover as you read, but truly this book is one I have not stopped thinking about since I put it down. It is an incredible story, and while it's fiction, it's links to the real world, both modern and victorian, are a huge part of its success. My heart aches for the many who were hidden away due to living their truths or speaking their minds. Thank you for this story. It is important. Thank you for Silas and Daphne who will make so many feel seen, loved, and maybe even a little less alone. Just thank you!

This is my first ever review, please excuse any mistakes!

TW Note and author letter:

“The Spirit Bares its Teeth was inspired by Victorian England’s sordid history of labeling certain people “ill” or “other” to justify cruelty against them” (9)

Noting TWs is a critically important aspect for authors writing violent and unpredictable histories and experiences. White’s care to include them on his Good Read’s and website showcase his intricate steps to care for his audience. Additionally, in his author’s letter, he writes explicitly about his book’s content and the history it depicts. He notes that unlike surgery, this reading experience can be walked away from. That we as his readers must mind our own mental, physical and emotional well-being.

THE REVIEW

The Spirit Bares its Teeth is a wound, a festering, painful wound. It is a book that, by the end, will have you in tears from both exhaustion and overwhelming relief. It is a book I am honored to have received an ARC for. Thank you to Peachtree Teen and Andrew Joseph White for the opportunity.

The Spirit Bares its Teeth follows Silas Bell, a young, autistic trans boy as he navigates the gendered, misogynistic world of 1883 London. His parents are eager to get him married to a Speaker, and Silas, born with violet eyes and viewed as a girl by all but his brother, his lot in life is to be a dutiful wife and bring more violet eyed children into the world. The purpose of violet eyes? A strong connection to the veil, the place where the dead reside. After a disastrous attempt to escape this life. Silas is whisked away to Braxton’s Sanatorium and Finishing School, a place claiming to cure “veil-sickness” where he encounters both living and dead girls who need the support only he has the strength to provide, despite his own reservations. As he uncovers the darkness the school hides, will Silas survive its walls?

This book discusses and includes many violent, horrendous and vitally important pieces of historical truths. Silas, as a trans boy, women who are viewed as too wild (Mary) or too sexual (Isabella), people with mental illness, they are individuals to be “fixed,” and in doing so, in “fixing” them, the status quo is upheld. White critiques deeply the medical malpractices of the time, the operating theaters and the dangers they upheld. He weaves jagged prose with vivid detail that creates an unforgettable story. The love and passion that is woven into this story is palpable, it bleeds in every description of a young boy asserting his identity, and finding love with someone just like himself.

While this book is disconsolate in many ways, with the tragedy of anti-trans rhetoric that is frighteningly well translated from then to now, it also carries with it an unapologetic love for trans identity, of finding comfort among friends, of love and affection in unlikely places. White has created a text that had me in tears, enraged, my fingers typing up my notes in angry clacks. It also made me appreciate the trans friends I have with me even more, and redefines what it means to truly be in support. Please read this book, read it and listen to it.

I truly hope that this book receives a special edition, and I will be eager to purchase it officially when it is released. I will be excitedly sharing this book with everyone I know. Again, thank you t Peachteen and Andrew Joseph White for this opportunity.

I can very easily tell that The Spirit Bares Its Teeth is going to be one of my favourite reads of the year. Andrew Joseph White writes with a sense of ferality and rage in this book contrasted with the narrative of someone who has suffered deeply that is both compelling and horrifying to read.

That is to say, this book is not an easy read. White touches on the intersections of misogyny, ableism, and transphobia in very explicit manners that are heart wrenching and graphic, so I highly recommend looking up content warnings before entering this book, but if that's something you feel ready for, I truly do not think young adult literature has a more poignant, nuanced perspective of these topics. White handles each of these topics with sensitivity and care, but does not spare the details of what makes Braxton's Sanitorium and Finishing School so terrifying. Specifically, I cannot remember another book that takes his perspective not from that of a woman's, but of a young, autistic trans man who society does not see as one, and heavily forces into the role of a woman. Silas' battle between the misogyny he faces for being perceived as a woman intertwined with his desire to live his life as a man tore me through the gut.

Speaking of, the characters in this book absolutely sparkle. I was constantly gutted for Silas, rooting for him as, despite his awful circumstances, he slowly found people who were like him, and came to see that a hopeful life was within reach. The other young women at Braxton's have claws and teeth just like him, and then there is Daphne, and my heart was racing like Silas' every time she was on the page. She was romantic and sharp and quick witted-- so much so I could not get over her.

Occasionally, I did find there was small details where I really found myself fighting with my suspension of disbelief to continue with the story. In some ways, the plot with Louise's letters and the specific quotes from Ovid felt too specific to Daphne's interests that it did feel a little unreal. Additionally, while I know the author consulted a queer historian, there were some lines early on about corsets that felt a little grating to me-- I would highly recommend fashion historian Karolina Zebrowska's video "How Victorian Men Taught Us to Hate Corsets" when Silas was, for example, talking about corsets rearranging organs, considering the themes of the book.

However, even these small things did not detract from how I knew this would be an all time favourite for me. I cannot wait to see what else Andrew Joseph White has to write, and how he hones his craft even further.

I don’t even really know how I feel about this one.
Definitely more gruesome and harrowing than what I would normally read. At times left me feeling a little queasy.

However, the writing is really good and I appreciated the way it captured historical views towards women, queer people and other minorities with the added twist of this warped, corrupt medium organisation/society.

The connection between Daphne and Silas was definitely the highlight for me. You could just feel their relief at finding someone who understood their situation of being in the wrong body.

Not one I could say I ‘enjoyed’ as such. Felt quite traumatising at times and was so full of injustices and cruelty that were hard to read. Thankfully, the end was pretty satisfying (albeit gruesome).

I love this kind of mix of historical and fantasy/paranormal elements. Was a good read, just a bit too graphic for me. If you like your books hard-hitting and a bit gory this could be one to try!

After devouring Andrew Joseph White’s debut novel, Hell Followed With Us, in one sitting, I knew I needed to read his sophomore novel. Boy o’ boy did this book not disappoint and surely lived up to its successor.

The Spirit Bares Its Teeth is definitely not for people who can’t handle a little gore nor graphic scenes. Some of the scenes definitely surprised me in how graphic they went, but I was absolutely entranced by White’s storytelling. I mean, where does he come up with this stuff!! Overall, this is a story that explores misogyny, ableism, transphobia, sexual assault, gaslighting, abuse, and more.

I am very happy that the romance between Silas and Daphne took the backseat in this novel (trust me, I love romance just as much as the next guy) because there was bigger, more important elements in the novel to explore and focus on.

Lastly, I definitely recommend checking out the trigger warnings prior to reading this book. I cannot wait to read what White comes up with next!

Thank you to Netgalley and PeachTree for the e-ARC!

4.5 ✰ “They can’t keep scraping away any layers of me thinking they can find the girl they want underneath. All of this is me.”

Thank you to NetGalley and the Publishing team for providing me with an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Where do I start? This book was everything I wanted from it and more. I’m an enthusiast for ghost stories, and ghost stories in a Victorian setting. What else can I ask for? The way the author combined this fictional world with real struggles women and trans individuals went through, and sadly still go through nowadays, was so fascinating to me. Everything Silas went through made me so sad, I cried several times, not only because it was sad, but because it made me so angry.

“𝐌𝐚𝐲𝐛𝐞 𝐈’𝐦 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐟𝐮𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐭, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐈’𝐦 𝐨𝐤𝐚𝐲 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭. 𝐈𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐲 𝐝𝐢𝐟𝐟𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐛𝐞𝐭𝐰𝐞𝐞𝐧 𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐚 𝐬𝐚𝐟𝐞 𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐛𝐨𝐫 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐚 𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐦? 𝐒𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐛𝐞? 𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐚 𝐥𝐨𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐝𝐢𝐟𝐟𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐝𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡 𝐈 𝐦𝐚𝐲 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐛𝐞 𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐞𝐥𝐥 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐦 𝐚𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐞𝐚𝐜𝐡 𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫, 𝐈 𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐦 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐚𝐦𝐞.”

❥Writing 10/10
❥World 10/10
❥Characters 10/10
❥Romance 8/10

The only reason I didn’t completely connect with the romance is that it happened way too fast for me, it is not insta love, but I like my romances to take a bit more time to develop in books. That’s just a personal preference, but Silas and Daphne were so sweet together.

Now listen to me, you want a book with women's rage??? THIS. BOOK. IS. FOR. YOU. Those people deserved everything that was coming for them.

꧁𝐌𝐨𝐫𝐬 𝐕𝐢𝐧𝐜𝐢𝐭 𝐎𝐦𝐧𝐢𝐚꧂

I'm generally a slow and easily distractible reader, but I devoured this book in just 48 hours

I hadn't realised until I met the protagonist, how badly I needed to read the story of an authentic autistic voice. The TW list is comprehensive, but nothing on it is something I personally need to consider, but I do now need to process the issues surrounding not knowing/hiding my autistic tics and stims.

I loved this book so much, do take on board the CNs, the author doesn't shy away from graphic details, though they are never just there for shock value

I read this as an ebook, but will be grabbing a physical copy as soon as I can!

I received an advance copy for free from NetGalley, on the expectation that I would provide an honest review.

A really gripping novel from start to finish. It was intriguing throughout and filled with suspense. It was really nice to see t4t and autism representation. I would love to see Andrew Joseph White venture outside of young adult novels, the body horror in this book shows great promise.

Thanks to netgalley for the arc in exchange for an honest review. Andrew Joseph White did it again! His first novel was already fresh, unique and stunning — but this one it’s just another level of outstanding literature.

Even as only his second novel, White already has a style all his own: captivating, innovative and introspective, but without losing the excitement and intensity of a storyline that won't let you put the book down.

It is categorized as a young adult, but I think it has so many layers and such deep reflections that it can resonate with any reader who is lucky enough to get their hands on this novel. While it has a mesmerizing plot, its strength is its varied, deep and strong characters, who I plan to reread more than once because they have already earned a place in my heart.

I think it's important and necessary that there are authors like White: authors who write for young people and talk about gender, trans voices, dissidence, queer people and, above all, how all these people can end up finding their place in the world even if things get very difficult. His work is admirable and I look forward to reading everything he writes, as well as revisiting the two books he has already published.