⊰ 4 stars

First of all, I would like to thank NetGalley, the publisher and the author for allowing me to read an e-arc of this book in exchange for an honest review!

“Mors vincit omnia. Death conquers all..”

The Spirit Bares Its Teeth is a fantasy horror novel set in the 19th Century in historical England. The main character, Silas Bell, is a sixteen-year-old boy who is trying his best to find his way in a world where he is not accepted for who he is. The world, especially the Royal Speaker Society, insists on seeing Silas as a girl; one fit to become an obedient Speaker wife no less. As Silas struggles with his identity and autism, he is forced to take matters into his own hands to escape the arranged marriage that his parents are forcing him into.
When his plans fail, he is diagnosed with Veil sickness – a mysterious disease sending violet-eyed women into madness – and shipped away to a mysterious facility in order to bloom into the eligible wife the Royal Speaker Society so desperately wants him to be. But what happens to the girls that don’t turn into eligible wives, and why is Silas suddenly seeing the ghosts of those very same girls?

Our protagonist Silas is trans and autistic, living in a society that would rather he pretend to be something he is not than see him happy. Silas is a very loyal friend and has a determined sense of right and wrong. Being an autistic person myself, I felt very understood and seen when reading this book. The constant struggle with your own mind, trying to fit in, trying to resist your tendencies in fear of others seeing and judging you, it really made me connect to Silas.
Even though this story is set in 19th Century England, I feel like the portrayal of behavior towards people that are different (both LGBTQIA+ or autistic) in this book are still perfectly relevant. This book perfectly shows how difficult it is to constantly be at war with yourself or the world around you and the toll it takes on a person.

I absolutely loved reading The Spirit Bares Its Teeth. My main reasoning behind rating this book 4 stars instead of 5 start would be the very graphic scenes, as it is not something I read often as I do not particularly enjoy them. Nonetheless, I will definitely be reading some other books by this author, because graphic scenes or not, the author definitely has a way with words that is hard to find in fantasy horror novels in my opinion.

Another fantastic YA from the hottest voice in trans horror right now! White manages that tricky balance between suitable for a teen audience and brutal horror with such skill - I’m sure teens will eat this right up nightmares and all but there’s plenty to enjoy for seasoned horror fans too.

“I think the entire world depends on people pretending they don’t know they’re doing terrible things.”

Andrew Joseph White’s “The Spirit Bares Its Teeth” explores society's expectations: what do they do to those who adhere, as well as those who don’t? We follow Silas, a trans teenager who is declared “veil-sick” and sent to a school to be “healed”, so that he can become a good wife.

The school has particular ways of educating; it is believed that reprimanding the body will make the mind understand. And it might work, because sometimes being told that you are something–enough times, by enough people, and in enough ways–will make you believe it.

Understanding oneself in a world that is insisting you are something you are not is hard. Silas has at least had a person who has stood behind him: he could borrow boy-clothes, he could learn about medicine, and he could be called his real name. But if that one person who has stood behind you refuses to stand with you, self-understanding becomes even harder.

When identities are assigned the day you are born, it’s inevitable that some will struggle. Being different is confusing and lonely, but in this way “The Spirit Bares Its Teeth” is comforting–you are not alone. Other people are confused and lonely too.

What I hope will stay with me from this book is the letter from the author. Horror is not really a genre for me, but I was assured that I could stop reading at any time. I had a safety lever, and I was not afraid to use it. It’s also easier to do something difficult when someone acknowledges you are doing something difficult.

Thank you to Daphne Press and NetGalley for the ARC!

This book was very well written. I was immediately captivated.

“They must have convinced themselves they would never rot in the same dirt we do”

Set in a slightly fantastical Victorian England where spirits are able to be contacted through the veil, This story follows Silas, a young trans man that is unaccepted by society and instead diagnosed with ‘veil sickness’. He is sent to a Braxton’s sanatorium and finishing school where we start to see the real horrors of what this society does to people they view as ‘sick’. All of this seen through Silas’ very clinical view of the world, with his passion to become a surgeon front and center.

The story is told so expertly and is able to evoke such emotion. The anger at the injustice of the things these children are put through, the hope that despite that a safe place to land exists, the disgust at what is being described, the list goes on. I also think this story needs to be told and discussed wince it explores such important themes including trans identity, feminism, homophobia, ableism, …

We get such an insight into our main character’s mind. He is very well developed and unlike any other character I have read from before. I cannot speak on the trans of autism representation but I will say that it did not feel at all like a caricature. I loved a lot of the other characters as well, each of them just a morally gray as the next, nevertheless I will defend them at all cost. They all are fleshed out characters that you want so desperately to help.

I do not read a lot of horror and I will say some sections of this were able to make me uncomfortable. Specifically when it comes to the medical descriptions, a few specific scenes really affected me, which was clearly the intent.

I would like to mention that I would really hesitate recommending this to teens under the age of 16 and thus question categorising this as YA. The themes and even the tone definitely have a place in the YA demographic, however I think this story is so explicit that I think it is more suitable for older ages. While this could be seen as a critique, I think this is actually what makes the book so strong: it’s unflinching depiction of what is being done at Braxton’s, and made it so impactful for me.

If you want a truly visceral reading experience interlaced with shock, love, injustice, and rebellion this is absolutely a stellar pick, though please look at content warnings before going into this book.

I read the blurb and was not entirely sure what I was expecting, but it sounded good. Victorian era England, autistic trans boy Silas is sent to a reform school for being a woman suffering with 'veil-sickness'

Loved the setting, characters, medicalisation of language, relationships and the trans main and side characters sense of self.

Not sure if I missed something, but I found the world building a little confusing. Why are people reaching beyond the veil and why are the violet eyes so coveted? The Speakers baffled me a bit too. Could just be I wasn't paying attention at some point though.

Will definitely be checking out the author's other work

This is a story about identity within a gothic horror-esque world set in London in the 1880s. It has elements of magic, ghosts and a boarding school filled with horrible grown-ups. Main character is a young man called Silas although rest of society perceives him as a young woman, and he is forced into this gender and role he is not comfortable in. Therein lies a bit of the horror, I believe, within all the supernatural bits. Sometimes the horrors of man is worse than ghosts and such things.

I wanted to like this more than I ended up doing but I never really got into it.

I loved this creepy horror book, the voice of the MC is so unique with the rabbit interjecting and the internal dialogue of someone both trans and autistic. The description of the feeling of meeting someone else with the same lived experiences as you when you thought you were alone made me cry. Every emotion was so vividly written throughout the book good and bad.

The other characters are also described so beautifully, I had a soft spot for Mary immediately when she was described as a predator that had learned manners and was showing them off. Was gory without being gross (this opinion may vary depending on how much horror you read)


Thank you NetGalley for the copy!

I rather enjoyed Hell Followed With Us when I read it a few months ago, but The Spirit Bares Its Teeth is something spectacular on an entirely different level. I found it an incredibly compelling read from the very beginning, and I finished it in less than a day because I couldn't bear not to know what happened next.

I think the one thing that really struck me while I was reading this is just how fantastic Andrew Joseph White is at writing trans horror. It's brilliant horror in general, of course, but mixed into it all is an element of transness that can't be extricated from the horror as a whole, and it is something I simply love to read. The sanitorium was a great setting for the story, made all the more eerie in the knowledge that while this may be fiction, it carries a great deal of truth. The girls there were each uniquely fascinating, with their own ways of coping with what they were being put through. Everything about this book felt perfectly crafted, and I never wanted to put it down.

Horror is not a genre I enjoy but historical and fantasy are and so I found this second book by Andrew Joseph White a less disturbing read than his first. But this is very much a matter of degree, and The Spirit Bares Its Teeth maintains both White’s quality writing as well as again crafting a deeply disturbing and horrifying plot.

This book feels almost impossible to review equally because the depth and complexity of the story and the symbolism throughout feels impossible to do justice to and because of a desire not to spoil any elements. This is a text I would encourage the reader to experience for themself, after carefully considering the multitude of content warnings provided by the author and deciding whether to proceed.

In his opening letter from the author White writes that he hopes the story means something to the reader and that was certainly my experience. As a trans person I found much to relate to and ponder in White’s exploration of the social construction of gender, of what and how characteristics are attributed to supposedly essential biology, and the ways in which so many things feel inherently gendered (especially our physicality).

This is an intensely difficult read in which the bodily autonomy of most characters is violated in a multitude of ways. The novel also encourages us to consider the ways in which those with power use and abuse their authority in violent and intensely cruel ways to punish those who do not or are not able to conform to rigid gender and/or neurotypical norms. However, this is not just a gruesome story of trauma and oppression, it is also a beautiful love story and an exploration of the ways in which solidarity and the capacity to resist can exist in the face of what feel like insurmountable odds.

It is this capacity to such write multilayered, dense, profound and revolutionary stories that keeps me coming back to White’s books.

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

To start with, I really appreciate the authors note at the start. The book tackles heavy subjects and I did find myself putting it down when it was too much so it was nice to have that author acknowledgement.

There are a lot of content warnings for Spirit and I'd strongly recommend but it never felt like any were used for shock factor.

Silas character arc was my favourite part of the book. The way he grew into himself and how it tied into the inner voice rabbit was excellent. I really rooted for Silas and Daphne the whole way and I was genuinely stressed whenever I had to put the book down.

The writing was so vivid. I do generally enjoy body horror in media so I was surprised at how off-putting the medical scenes felt (in a good way). These were well balanced with moments of hope.

The worldbuilding was probably the weakest part for me. I struggled understanding the magic system and society for most of the book which was a bit disappointing as I like the worldbuilding in Hell Followed With Us so much.

Overall a solid 4 star read. I'm excited to read more from AJW! Thanks to Netgalley and Daphne Press for the eARC

This is a book that will make you want to burn down the world (or unleash the rage of the spirits onto it!) - it is full of horrors and cruelty, but will leave you clinging to hope despite all the trauma.

Silas is struggling to survive a world that doesn't understand or acknowledge him - it views him as a girl, wants to erase his stims and mold him into something desirable, tolerates his existence only because he has the purple eyes the Speakers so wish to hold onto. Eyes that can tear open the veil and speak to spirits.

After an attempt to escape this life goes awry, Silas finds himself at Braxton’s Finishing School and Sanitorium as a patient being treated for 'veil sickness'. Soon, though, he uncovers a dark and sinister secret that threatens everything.

This book was so ruthless, and my heart broke for Silas and the girls as the school from start to end. They're trapped by a world that deems them unwanted and unworthy, and the system brutalizes their minds and bodies. It captures the twisted medical practices of the nineteenth century (along with the concept of female hysteria) and shapes them into something equally grotesque and fantastical.

Daphne's understanding, the quiet support of the groundskeeper, and the girls' solidarity were the only beacons of light in this gothic tale. I loved how these characters came together to fight against the wrongs of men in positions of power, and the ending shows the flicker of change that is so desperately needed.

The Spirit Bares Its Teeth will be under my skin for some time I think, and I think it's a book to share far and wide. It deals with issues of inclusivity, assault, arranged marriage, autism, transgender identities, sexuality, emotional abuse, patriarchy, colonialism, medical experimentation, and more. Read it, shudder at the violence, remember the desperate perseverance of the survivors, and don't forget their stories have truths based in our own reality.

Great concept with some truly horrific writing (celebratory). Villains seemed to have little motivation beyond being The Worst, and the themes are heavy-handed at times, but this was fascinating, gothic, totally stomach-churning fun. Thanks for the ARC!

I cannot believe it took me so long to read this book. I truly cannot fathom it.

Not only is the main character of this novel absolutely incredible, but the writing was amazing AND the plot kept me up until 1am (and trust me, it's not something I do often these days).

I am of these kind of people who adore a gory, medical story. I live for wild descriptions that would make some readers flinch, live for the real feel of it, live for something that will make me shiver. And this book has it all. I was truly stunned by the mastery Andrew Joseph White shows in crafting incredible stories and multi-layered characters.

With the perfect mix of action, slow moments, gore and tension, this book kept me on the edge of my seat from first to last page. The plot twists, dramatic elements and how things unfold were all so expected and unexpected at the same time that I found myself both angry (trust me, the things happening in this book will make you BOIL with rage) and utterly shocked. It feels like this book was as cathartic to write as it is to read and it is this passion I found in Andrew Joseph White's writing that made this book so special to me. This story isn't here to prove something or make a point, but to depict with a raw honesty and a very clever fantasy touch how it was to not fit in in Victorian times.

Sure thing, if you dislike gore, you might find yourself disturbed with this one, but if that's not something to stop you, I highly recommend this novel. Beautifully crafted, a magic system built around very real discriminations and injustice and a main character build with such balance, such understanding, I challenge you to leave this story intact. Because you won't.
I sure as hell didn't.

Thank you NetGalley and Daphne Press for a free copy of this e-book in exchange for a honest review!

Another 5-star read! Still insanely obsessed with the writing of AJW, but this is by far my favorite of the 3 books of his I read. The setting absolutely fits the story. I love Victorian era books anyway, but it was done so well in this book.

I also love anything spirits / ghosts, so this was the perfect mix for me.
The love story / romance was also amazing. It was nice to see Silas realise his gender identity is not necessarily related to a certain type of being or expressing yourself.

I absolutely adored Daphne too. The ending was also realistic, not "they lived happily ever after", but, the world hurt them and they're making the best of it.

I think the only thing I maybe liked a little less (as is kinda the case with any AJW book) is that I'm a bit irked with all the violence. I understand it's part of the setting, and it probably seems like/ is the only solution, but I'd love to see a more communal / loving take on healing, I think? I know this is also an important part of AJW books, community and finding chosen family, and I'm not sure if there's another way to radically change the world without violence (but also, do we have to use the same methods our oppressor use? I hope not).

What an excellent read, a definite page turner for me. Loved the storyline and the setting. The book hits just right and even though it's fantasy the way the girls/women get treated in the book is all too real - exactly same for the trans characters too. Makes it a really believable read even as a fantasy book.

There was action all the way to the end, things constantly happening, and always in my opinion unpredictable too which keeps you wanting to read.

I am super grateful for getting the chance to read this book!

Thank you netgally for this arc.

I was hooked from this book from the start. This was a gut wrenching story and had me angry the whole way through. It is amazingly written and I will definitely be buying

Considering I went into this with completely the wrong expectations, I'm impressed that I still managed to enjoy it.

The Spirit Bares Its Teeth, set in the 1880s, follows trans boy Silas, whose efforts to become a surgeon in a Spiritualist-run Victorian England are thwarted, leading to his forced sectioning in a finishing school/sanitorium with blood-soaked buried secrets.

I read Hell Followed With Us about a month ago, and I've got to agree with the general consensus that The Spirit Bares Its Teeth is the stronger of White's novels that I've read so far: I'm a huge fan of historical horror so I was excited to see where White would take it.

In terms of a historical period to analyse queerness, its representation and its oppression, Victorian England is an almost-perfect one given its staunch societal expectations and purity culture. The juxtaposition between Silas and the girls of Braxton's vs the society trying to break them becomes so much more stark when there are such stringent rules to be queered.
It's important to regard that Silas is also autistic, which greatly impacts the lens through which the narrative is viewed, and it's fascinating to see how White places a character who stims and misreads societal rules in a society where concepts of conduct are so black-and-white. Silas' anxiety is also characterised as a metaphorical rabbit in his chest that criticises him and goads him into panicking, and as someone with anxiety, I really liked how White handled this.
Victorian Spiritualism is also adapted in an interesting way by being placed in the seat of power rather than being a fringe belief system, and it acts as a nice backdrop to a ghost-infused setting while utilising some historical context.

In both of his books I've read so far, White consistently writes body horror brilliantly. In many ways this is a medical horror: there's a narrative thread of surgery vs butchery which I really enjoyed reading, especially in the context of Victorian medical experimentation and concepts of eugenics. I would definitely recommend checking out the trigger warnings before reading: from the first chapter it's a blood-soaked book, and there's a particularly graphic depiction of a cesarean section towards the climax. There's also depictions of sexual assault, child marriage and pregnancy, strangling and aggressive misgendering, among other things that might be upsetting for younger YA readers, so please do be mindful before delving in!

Most of my qualms with this book are based on the fact that I went into this book with the expectations I would have for a Victorian Gothic, rather than a book specifically about teenage trans rage: the Victorian setting beyond what I've mentioned is very much a setpiece, and while there are Gothic tropes utilised (for instance, preoccupations on madness, literal buried secrets and abusive sexual behaviour), I think this would have benefitted from being advertised as a gaslamp fantasy-horror than as a historical horror.
When I read Hell Followed With Us, one of my very slight questions was about how seamlessly Benji slotted into the ALC considering his being raised in a fundamentalist Christian cult: however, since it was a more modern dystopia, this was something that was easy to overlook. There's a very similar narrative issue with Silas. He reads very much as a modern boy in a historical setting rather than one raised in a Victorian setting, with very modern opinions and understandings of the world. Not to say that people never thought such things during the 19th century, but it's confusing considering the family he's been raised in: some of Silas' inner thoughts can become quite repetitive as the book progresses, which means that aspects can come across as heavy-handed in a way that I don't think was intentional. This book also engages with one of my all-time pet peeves when it comes to historical fiction, which is using a very modern American vernacular for a 19th-century boy's dialogue, which in turn feels like it pokes holes in the suspension of disbelief. Since I read the upcoming UK release, I'd be interested to see how the editorial process went for this one, since I know it's already been published in the US!

I don't want any of these comments to insinuate that I didn't like this book, because I did! It's really visceral in its description, and White captures a really effective emotional rollercoaster throughout: there's a particularly powerful scene when Silas encounters another trans person for the first time, and his overwhelming joy is infectious. However, as I mentioned, I think I went into it expecting a book that engaged more with the Gothic tropes that it utilises and had a stronger sense of place. A medical asylum horror? Definitely. A Victorian horror? Less definitely.

Thank you to Daphne Press for an eArc in exchange for an honest review!

AJW is easily one of my top authors of 2024. I've read all three of his books this year, and each one has absolutely blown me away with the creativity.

The Spirit Bares Its Teeth fantastically blends fantasy, historical fiction and horror into a gripping tale that I absolutely could not put down. This book doesn't hold back on representation or the realities of this time period, but allows for an almost positive ending in amongst the body horror (it's pretty gory!).

A 5* read, for sure.

This was a gripping read, I thought the characters were intriguing and I'm going to keep an eye out for more from this author.

4.5 stars

Following Silas Bell, a young autistic trans man set in Victorian times who finds himself at a finishing school for 'sick girls', where the disappearance of students and the discovery of spirits begins an investigation that unearths the dark truths of the school and the society of which it is a part of.

'The Spirit Bares Its Teeth' is a novel of resilience, determination and bravery whilst highlighting troubles and battles many still face today. This book was heartbreakingly beautiful from start to finish. The writing was stunning and I was encaptured from the beginning, unable to turn away even during the darkest of moments.

This book hurt as much as it healed, and I could not recommend it enough.

Thank you NetGalley and Daphne Press for this truly superb arc. I cannot wait to read (devour) more from this author.