The Spirit Bares Its Teeth

After attempting (and failing) to escape his arranged marriage, our trans, autistic main character Silas Bell gets send off to the Braxton’s Finishing School and Sanitorium, to "cure" him of everything that society and his parents deem to be wrong with him- mainly that he doesn't want to be an obedient speaker wife, doesn't want to be the girl that everybody sees him as, and instead wants to study his special interest, medicine, in a time where women weren't allowed to study. Nonetheless, off to certain doom he goes. What expects him is not just the training to be a good wife, but manmade horrors beyond his imagination. He'll have to rely on his new allies and friends, and use all of his wit to get out of here alive, whie also making sure no girl will ever find her death again in these halls. Andrew White's novels grab me by the throat everytime, and this one was no exception. From creating amazing characters like Silas and Daphne that you'll absolutely love, to characters like the headmaster that you'll immediately despise. All this while the story, talking about social injustice, the patriarchy, and the inhumane treatment of those who where different during the time, slice into you like a dagger. With more historical accuracies than you would like from a horror novel like this, you're certain to form grueling questions about the state of things during the 19th century. I read it the day it came out, and after two days I finished it, not being able to start anything else for a while because this book took me apart from the inside out. It was gorey, even disgusting at times, but the visceral rage, the cry for help that turns into a cry for blood after being ignored to long, all made it into one of my favorite books ever. If you don't mind or even like horror, especially body horror, and if you want a book about social injustice and queer rage, this is for you.

This is an extraordinary literary work that defies conventional categorization. Attempting to assign a mere numerical rating feels inadequate, as it transcends the boundaries of typical literature. This book is a revelation, a journey that leaves an indelible mark on the reader's soul. One of the most striking features of this book is its unique narrative style. The author weaves a tapestry of prose that is both poetic and profound. The language dances on the page, painting vivid images and evoking emotions with unparalleled precision. At its core, the book delves into the depths of the human spirit, exploring themes of resilience, self-discovery, and the unyielding power of the soul. The book also grapples with the duality of existence, juxtaposing light and darkness, hope and despair. It unflinchingly addresses the complexities of human relationships, portraying them in all their messy, beautiful glory.

[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.

Diesmal nimmt uns Andrew Joseph White mit ins England des 19. Jahrhunderts. Wie bei "Hell followed with us" wird die Geschichte aus der Sicht eines 16 jährigen trans Jungen erzählt. Silas gehört zu einer Familie der "Speaker", erkennbar an seinen violetten Augen. Sie haben die Fähigkeit mit Geistern zu kommunizieren, jedoch ist es nur den Männer gestattet, diese Fähigkeit zu nutzen. Weil Silas sich gegen sein weibliches Rollenbild wehrt, Medizin studieren möchte und dann auch noch in Berürung mit dem Jenseits kommt, wird er in ein strenges Mädcheninternat geschickt. Dort verschwinden mehr und mehr Mädchen auf unerklärliche Weise. "The Spirit Bares Its Teeth" ist noch um einiges brutaler, als "Hell followed with us", also vorsicht, wenn ihr Probleme mit wirklich fiesen Beschreibungen habt. Dennoch absolut lesenswert.

I don't think I could love a book more if I tried, and I doubt I have the words to do my feelings about it justice. From 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. Thank you to NetGalley and Peachtree Teen for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review!