The Spirit Bares Its Teeth cements Andrew Joseph White as a must read author for me. They are revolutionising the YA horror genre with exquisite characters and blood-curdling scares.

Earlier this year, I enjoyed finally picking up Hell Followed With Us as it was released in the UK. With this, White proves this was no one-hit wonder - again delivering exceptional thrills and chills with a beating heart and a bloody snarl to it all. This historical horror rings alarmingly true to today’s attitudes around ableism, rape culture, sexism, transphobia and the stigmatisation of mental illness. I appreciated the author’s note that acknowledged the wider horrors of mental health treatment during this time period, which was important to consider in the wider scale of this novel. There are scenes in here that will absolutely turn your stomach. As usual, the horror can be found in the evil that humanity is capable of producing, though with a fantastical twist. I really enjoyed the world building touched upon here with a fascinating magical system and abilities that we dip into. Everything is presented through this chilling lens and this Gothic atmosphere that threatens to consume you.

At the centre of the story, we have Silas Bell. He is a brilliant protagonist, just wanting to live as his authentic self and sit within the power he holds within. The world around him sees this as a consummate threat and will do everything to destroy it. He is driven and determined to uncover the truth and gain justice for himself and the other victims of this place. It is a deeply rageful book that delivers carnage and compassion in equal measure. The historical injustices on display are all too real and line up with some attitudes carried through to the present. I love books of unbridled anger, especially when that anger has a real root to it.

The Spirit Bares Its Teeth continues to deliver Andrew Joseph White’s signature brand of squirm-inducing horror that brims over with anger.

A heart-breaking gory & brutal story of gender, mental wellbeing & autism that depicts how these things were seen & dealt with in the 1800's.
The characters were (mostly) well fleshed out & the plot had good pacing for me.

Thank you to NetGalley and Daphne Press for this E-ARC in exchange for an honest review!

4.5⭐️

I was somewhat wary going into this book after not connecting with/enjoying the author's previous book Hell Followed With Us (HFWU) as much as I expected/wanted to, but I had a completely different experience with The Spirit Bares Its Teeth! I adored this book so so much and connected with it very quickly within the space of the first few chapters.

I personally feel this book is much better written and constructed than HFWU, and I definitely think that helped me to have a more enjoyable reading experience. I found this very easy and accessible to follow and never wanted to put this down! I was hooked right from the start and loved how fast-paced this was. The stakes were often very high, which kept me engaged, and I thoroughly enjoyed this reading experience.

This book deals with some incredibly heavy themes, and features multiple graphic scenes (this is definitely a book you need to check the content warnings for before reading!), but the author handled these incredibly well and with such respect. I loved how dark and real this book was in its exploration of the Victorian Era and how women, people with disabilities, and LGBTQ+ people were treated and ostracised, and I think it was a very respectful and nuanced portrayal.

I loved Andrew Joseph White's character work in this book, and I found all the characters, from Silas to Daphne to the Braxton girls and even the antagonists to be incredibly well constructed and fascinating. The character I want to focus on though, is Silas. I'm autistic, so it is always such a joy to find characters that represent me in books, but I feel that Silas is particularly dear to me now. I don't know if I've ever read such a relatable portrayal of an autistic character, and I found his character so comforting in how easily I could relate and connect with him. I loved how stimming was portrayed, the harsh and cruel realities of forced masking and anxieties, and I particularly loved how special interests were portrayed, and how Silas's special interest of surgery and anatomy was interwoven so intricately in his narration. The representation in this book was incredible and made me feel so seen.

This could have easily been a 5⭐️ read for me, but I just felt that there was something missing in the ending, a bit more clarity, satisfaction, and certainty for the reader, but I did think an open ending was a fitting conclusion to this book, even if I would love to see a sequel in the future. I also wish more time was spent with Silas and Daphne and their sweet romance, as their connection felt somewhat rushed.

Overall, this is such an incredible book. It is dark and raw and real, a beautiful exploration of identity and love and acceptance in a horrific society, with nuances and heartbreak, and I definitely recommend it!

An intriguing, anxiety-inducing story. Please be aware this book features body horror, medical procedures, lack of body autonomy, emotional and physical abuse, ?torture and sexual assault and a heavy case of misogyny and sexism.

I appreciated the warning in regards to medical procedures, though these didn’t bother me in the slightest.

What did bother me - made me sick, really - was how men were treating the women - and women-passing people - in this story; like disposable objects to be taken apart, utilised, with no mercy or humane thought. I almost had to DNF the book at 61% as I was feeling it was just hitting me too hard.

There were few moments I thought were written particularly beautiful - the feeling of anxiety being embodied by a rabbit in the chest, for example.

While I found the book interesting and well-written, I have to admit, it requires you to really be in the right headspace and it is not for everyone. It is not a fun read and the ending is not quite nicely wrapped up where everyone get’s what they deserve - it is heavy and it did turn my stomach with fear and rage - but this is exactly the point.
And if you feel you can cope with it, you should read it for yourself.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with this book.

When I say I am obsessed with this book, I am obsessed with this book! As an autistic person, I struggle finding representation in fiction, even more so in genres such as Fantasy/Sci-fi which is still very much dominated by the cishet white male main character. Finding The Spirit Bears Its Teeth felt so refreshing and authentic and honestly, it made me feel seen and understood in my favourite genre for the first time. Without even using the word “autistic”, I was able to find myself within Silas and his experiences and felt reassured that this was a character I could related to.

The writing of the characters felt deep and complex, each child at Braxton’s felt real and developed, fleshed out enough that I cared about each and every one. The relationship between Silas and Daphne gave lightness in the dark of the surrounding narrative and I found myself really caring about them as people and not just as a romance.

After Hell Followed With Us, any Andrew Joseph White title is an autobuy for our store, we are hoping that a local distributor will get the rights for this book as we would love Silas' story to grace our shelves for the spooky season!

What if the monsters in this book are not de!d but the living?
Silas has one of the society's most sought after features: violet eyes, a symbol of the ability to see beyond the veil.
But Silas was born in a body that doesn't reflect the person he is : he is seen like a woman by the society but he feels like a man. And that is why he ends up at Braxton, a school to "cure" violet-eyes girl affected by a mysterious disease and turn them into perfect wives.
Silas's voice is strong, solid, dreadful and brutally honest. It is a cry for help and at the same time a condemnation of a patriarchal society that doesn't allow to being oneself making this book historical accurate as well tremendously current.
From the beginning to the end of the book,! made my Silas's anxiety and dread in being aware that he can't live being himself, and this le me too to feel
Discomfort and revulsion towards men. Because it is true that we are talking about thè Victorian age,but in the end is it so far from what is happening nowadays?
In addition to Silas, the other girl residing at Braxton's are also well explored: they are either good or bad people but with whom I was able to connect anyway. And Daphne? I loved her. Like Silas, she isn't comfortable in her own body so she is the only person that understands and complete him. Even if the romance isn't the main element of the novel, but it was so sweet that made me hope until the end for an happy ending for the two characters.
* The Spirt Bares Its Teeth is a distressing novel not much for the supernatural element but because the brutally honesty, reality and humanity of the characters, topics and atmospheres present that made it the book of the month.

The Spirit Bares Its Teeth is a gothic horror young adult novel that is much needed to be read in this day and age. Not just for the trans mc, the female vs male standpoint but also because our mc is also autistic. Beware however and take into account the trigger warnings before you set foot into this book. It is not an easy read.

We meet Silas as he tries to talk to his brother at his marriage. Knowing that an arranged marriage is just around the corner for him and being a trans male in hiding, he wants to start planning. His brother however becomes distant and Silas is left to fend for himself. Something that does not quite go the way it should have. Instead of getting away, he gets locked up in Braxton's Santorium and Finishing School with an arranged fiancee right along with it.

Like I said, this is not an easy read. The world where females are seen as weak and inferior alone is hard to read. Let alone that Silas has to hide on multiple fronts who he is. The way these various bits are weaved together was done so very well.

Having said that, it did take a little while to get in the book. Silas as a character was quite jarring at first. But once I got a good feeling for his character and situation I found it a lot easier to follow him and became quite fond of him as a character. I also feel the world building around the speakers could have used a little more building.

There was also the matter of the insta love with his fiancee. Initially not all pulled towards this fiancee, once he discovers that his fiancee is actually a trans female, the draw is instantaneous. While I don't care much for insta love I understand completely why it happened. This is the first time that Silas has found someone who completely understood that part of him. Who als accepted his autism without asking him to hide it. He acknowledges this in text and doesn't care about it. Knowing that your dreaded fiancee actually understands you, it gave hope in a hopelessness situation

All in all The Spirit Bares Its Teeth is a powerful book. If you can get past the somewhat rough start and the body horror, it is a great and hard hitting book.

The Spirit Bares Its Teeth follows Silas, a trans and autistic boy with the ability to commune with the dead. Sent to a finishing school (sanitarium) by authorities that only see Silas as Gloria, a soon to be trophy wife, Silas discovers that there are restless spirits and sinister events unfolding at the school.

The Spirit Bares Its Teeth is a YA horror set in the Victorian era: it reads like a classic gothic novel, but with a modern twist: sensitivity towards people who are even a little bit different. It is important to note that the author is both autistic and trans, so the characters are explored with sensitivity and insight. This alone would be enough for me to shout about it as required reading for everyone, but the plot is also incredibly compelling so I have more than one reason! Atmospheric and beautifully paced, the story flows really well (although be aware that this is a slower burn novel). I was gripped right from the start, and found elements of it genuinely creepy: while there are spirits and some gore, the bulk of the horror comes from human nature. You feel every betrayal, every heart break and every moment of joy equally. This book will make you smile and it will make you cry

“There is a difference between horrible things that have gone on forever, because you can almost convince yourself of the inevitably of an age-old cruelty, or almost its necessity. But not a new one. With a new one, the change is too great, the wound too new, and you cannot convince yourself that it is simply the way of the world.”
5☆|5

This book is amazing. It is as brilliant as the author's first book, even though it is different. In fact, if you want my honest opinion, I believe this one is even better than Hell followed with us.

In this historical paranormal gothic horror novel, we are following Silas, a 16-year-old trans autistic boy, who wants to be a surgeon, in a late 1800s society where women are not accepted in medicine, and where both transidentity and autism are not known — or accepted — things. As he is caught acting as a boy to get his medium's seal, he is going to be diagnosed with veil sickness, a sickness that only affects women with purple eyes. For that, he is going to be sent away to a sanitarium right after meeting his fiancée, the only child of Lord Luckenbill, the president of the Speakers, the royal society that controls the violet-eyed mediums.

Andrew Joseph White's writing is exceptional. It is addictive, it takes us along with his characters, trapping us in his book and making us devour the novel as the pages flip. It took me a few pages to get into the book — understand a few days — but once I was in it, I became addicted to it. I couldn't put it down and ended up ending it in one day. Not only does the author have beautiful prose, but he uses it to give life to amazingly human characters. Silas and Daphne — but also Mary and Isabella, whom I really liked — were amazing. The author's way of writing autistic and transgender characters is wonderful, and it made me want to cry multiple times. It may be helped by the fact that he is both autistic and transgender himself. Also, the romance in this book was very welcome to contrast the absolute gory horror of the story. The romance was T4T, and for some reason, those always manage to touch me right into the heart. Seeing Silas being able to recognize himself in someone else and seeing that he was not alone really made me emotional.

The plot in this book is so very well-crafted that I want to kiss the author's brain for even imagining it. I had no idea where this was going or how it was going to end, and the author managed to surprise me while dealing really well with his plot and pacing. The whole concept was incredible, and how the thematics were written is, to my eyes, pure genius. As I am writing those lines, I cannot think of something that I didn't like in this book. I believe that my first reaction after closing it was “What the fuck” really quickly followed by an “Oh lord, it was amazing, I love it”. This is a 10 out of 10 to me, an 11 even, and I do not think that my review can do it justice. So my last resort will be to just tell you to read it because it is brilliant and one of the best books I have read this year. But also mind the trigger warnings, because this was a really heavy reading. In conclusion, it is a perfect book, and I recommend it deeply.

Thanks to Netgalley and Daphne Press, for sending me this ARC, this is my honest opinion, the book is going out on August 6th.

I am so happy that I received a copy of this because I am such a huge fan of this authors works and knew instantly that this would be no different, I would love it (and I did.)

I truly think this author gives a voice to so many people in this world who need to represented and seen, the autistic and transgender representation throughout this entire story was so beautiful. It was raw, it was agonising but it was real- as an autistic person myself I can genuinely say this is one of the best representations of autistic people I’ve read about, it was just amazing how they managed to provide such amazing understanding whilst keeping true to the amazing fantasy world they had created!

I thought the storyline was super interesting. I love the idea of fantasy books that highlight the misfortunes in our world by talking a bout the dark and gritty things that happen behind closed doors, even though this was a fantasy novel many of the experiences within are real things that women and lgbtq people have to face every single day around the entire world. I found myself being so intrigued by the mystery within, I really enjoyed the pacing- out kept me hooked and wanting to read more. I thought the characters were amazing and so fun to read about, all with their own personalities and characteristics. some I hated, some i adored, some I felt sympathy for- but all of them were enjoyable to read about in their own ways. the T4T relationship had my heart swooning, it was so soft and stunning.

overall just an amazing book with the best representation that I would highly recommend to everyone.

Thank you to Daphne Press and Netgalley for this advance copy of The Spirit Bares its Teeth.

Set in 1880's London, the veil between the living and the dead is thin. Purple eyed mediums either converge with the dead or become speaker wives, and Silas would rather rip out his eyes than become an obedient speaker wife. Mother insists he'll be married within 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 Sanitorium and Finishing School. The facility is cold, the instructors merciless, and the students either bloom into eligible wives or disappear. So when the ghosts of missing students start begging Silas for help, he decides to reach into Braxton’s innards and expose its rotten guts to the world—as long as the school doesn’t break him first.

This book was gory and vile and I loved it. Very vivid descriptions of medical gore (we literally get talked through a c-section!!!), but it was so good in building tension and furthering the plot. Loved this book.

Thank you to NetGalley and Daphne Press for this eARC!
Wow! I enjoyed this even more than Hell Followed With Us (this author’s debut novel) I feel like this improves on every issue I had with it.
I loved the writing style- it was so poetic but still sharp, to the point and not overly fluffy like some writing can be. Like hfwu, it was simultaneously disgusting and horrifying but beautiful. I also really liked all of the medical metaphors relating to Silas’ ambitions as a surgeon.
I also really liked the characters- all felt distinct from one another and more developed than in hfwu- though some more backstory perhaps could have been nice.The main character Silas in particular was a really great point of view. His internal struggles were really well written. I ended up really invested in him and Daphne- I just want them to be happy!!
The plot was fairly simple I suppose but that worked in its favour, and made it all the more effective! It was horrific at points, affecting and ended up satisfying. The pacing was also pretty much perfect (which is the only thing I didn’t like about hfwu) and I was so hooked that I finished this in two days flat!
I feel like I did want a bit more worldbuilding in terms of the medium abilities- how they with and how they’ve affected the history of this world, but that’s really just personal preference and didn’t affect my overall reading experience so much.
I’d really recommend this to anyone looking for a supernatural/horror novel with a twist. The only thing it suffers from is its very small page count, which meant some worldbuilding and character develop aspects were missing.

⊹ ࣪ ˖ the spirit bares its teeth - andrew joseph white ⊹ ࣪ ˖

★★★★☆

[thank you NetGalley & Daphne Press for this e-ARC copy of the book in exchange for an honest review; the book is out in the UK on 6th of August ‘24]

WOW! where do i start?

the author’s style of writing is so enthralling and despite just how gory the book was at times, i still couldn’t stop reading to find out what happens next! as a cis neurodivergent woman, it’s interesting to me how much i related to Silas; the portrayal of his struggles was just wow, eye opening! i think that the all of the themes - while at times extremely graphic, were handled with a lot of care and well-intended so it made this read very interesting & relatable/emotional!

die hard stan of Elias and Daphne 💘

honestly the best way i can describe this book, is AHS coven (season 3) & asylum (season 2) slightly crossed over with bridgerton; but the protagonist is an autistic trans teenager who wants to be a surgeon - does that even make sense? i think it does - if you read this book, you’ll get it!

i think the only drawback which is why i haven’t rated this a 5*, is that at times it felt like there were too many characters without much character building (more specifically the other girls), i found it slightly confusing keeping up who was who up until about 80% in; likewise i felt the same about the different “main themes” of the book at the beginning - i.e., i couldn’t really understand the purpose of the veil, how it works, whether there was magic involved or was it all paranormal? i feel like these were kind of resolved towards the end but i did feel quite confused for at least the first half of the book!

please make sure you read the TWs prior to reading 🥰

4.5 stars

This was intense and so graphic and anyone thinking of picking this up should 100% read the triggers. In all honestly I found this really hard to read with certain scenes almost being a bit too much for me.

The Spirit Bares its Teeth is probably best described as a historical paranormal gothic horror. This story follows a trans protagonist trying to escape a patriarchal society and the expectations forced upon them.

This story touches on so much in such few pages, I honestly do not know how the author does it. Although fiction with a paranormal theme throughout, this story touches on medical horror, capitalism, patriarchy, ableism, the concept of "female hysteria" and how people are capable of the worst atrocities to prove they are right. Although this is fiction, the story touches on many truths and I would highly recommend reading the author's notes.

I am looking forward to reading more from Andrew Joseph White.

Thank you to NetGalley and the author for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

My initial review of this book: fucking flawless.

And honestly? I stand by that assessment

This book contained all the rage and fight I love to see in queer books. Stories featuring social injustice with all the fight just make me want to punch my fists in the air. AJ White capture that feeling of queer rage every single time.
Plus, I love this type of horror. A blend of psychological, paranormal, body and real-world horror. And wrapped up in such a genuinely fantastic story.
From the mystery, to the horror, to the romance, to the character relationships and fight for existence - this book has something for everyone and is by far my favourite work of AJW.

But the part of this book that spoke to me most, the autistic representation. Silas’s experiences as an autistic person navigating such a ruthless reality, alongside his queerness, in an environment where he is rarely understood not only added to the horror, but was done so perfectly, it is some of the best rep I’ve seen.

I was able to so profoundly recognise my own reactions and thought processes in Silas’ behaviour. And even in the context of a historical-horror-paranormal-fantasy book, to feel so seen in a book is something extremely special.

This book reads like poetry but hits like a kick to the gut.

I loved all the characters in this book. And this is immediately one of my favourite horror books I’ve ever read.

Thank you for the e-ARC

A chilling gothic horror that despite being set in Victorian England, has so many similarities for many living in 2024 today. Wow!

This is my second novel from this author and I am so impressed!

This novel is set in Victorian England and looks at the brutal treatment of women and trans people. This is set in an alternative world where women with Violet eyes are coveted for their ability to open the void, a magical power. However this means they are valuable to men who would use their powers and for breeding powerful heirs. Beyond that these women also face danger from doctors who wish to understand the physical link between these powers and anatomy, often in the cruellest and most brutal ways. The powerlessness of females in this society is horrific.

Our main character Silas is male but his family and society are trying to force him to be female and marry him off to breed more Violet eyed children. Silas is sent to a terrifying school that says it can cure his ‘sickness’. However ghosts are haunting the school, girls are going missing and unnerving things are happening.

This book is truly horrific and rage inducing. I was so angry at the brutal treatment of Silas and the girls in the school. The way they’re treated like property rather than people. The callousness and cruelty of the people in charge and the horror of the actions of the people pursuing ‘science’ no matter the suffering inflicted. It is harrowing, even more so when you read the author’s notes and discover the actual historical research this is based on (not the magic which is fictional, but the actions of humans at the time).

While this book is incredibly dark and challenging, there is one absolutely beautiful undercurrent of hope throughout. That is the love story between Silas and Daphne. This was such a lovely storyline that kept Silas going through the darkest times, knowing they had someone who truly saw them and was a wonderful source of support. I loved this and it stopped the book from tilting too far into darkness. This book is harrowing and really disturbing, and these wonderfully moments between Silas and Daphne helped provide a light in the darkness.

This author is incredible and I now have a third book of theirs to read and I’m certain I’ll be reading anything else they write in the future.

4.5 stars

A chilling gothic horror that deals with some horrific themes but executes it all in a satisfying way. The main character Silas was incredible and practically leaped off the page. A very dark and twisty read and overall really enjoyable.
Definitely check the content warnings before reading.

Thanks to Netgalley and Daphne Press for providing an eArc in exchange for an honest review.

I read both of Andrew Joseph White's published books in anticipation of the release of Compound Fracture and I'm now a big far. The Spirit Bares its Teeth features a truly incredible main character, wonderful side characters, truly despicable villains, and a romance that is suprisingly lovely given all the awful things happening around our main characters. I think the one place where it could have been a little stronger was the worldbuilding (I would have LOVED to know more about this alternate Victorian England) and the ending. I found it a little less satisfying than the end of Hell Followed with Us, however this book stands on its own as a fabulous YA horror book.

Major content warnings for this one, please do take care and check them out!