GUEST WRITER BRYCEN SCHOFIELD RECOMMENDS THE SPIRIT BARES ITS TEETH BY ANDREW JOSEPH WHITE
Recipient of the Stonewall Honor in Young Adult Literature, Andrew Joseph White’s The Spirit Bares Its Teeth is a modern YA modern rendition of the classic Gothic thriller, filled with body horror, the monstrous, and provides extensive commentary on the experiences of queer and neurodivergent youth in society.
The novel follows Silas Bell, a visibly autistic and transgender youth in a prejudiced, fictional, and magical Victorian society. In avoiding an arranged marriage, he is diagnosed with a magic related illness and is sent to a sanitorium where he uncovers a sinister secret of the facility, a network of controlled disappearances. He works extensively to manage his mental and physical wellbeing, protect his peers and care for their medical needs, all while trying to uncover the sanitorium’s hidden agenda, or risk falling victim to it. By the end of the book, Silas will have to decide for themself what the weight of a single human life is.
To give an adequate content warning, one needs to look no further than the author’s introductory letter: “I will make this clear: The Spirit Bares Its Teeth contains transphobia, ableism, graphic violence, sexual assault, discussion of forced pregnancy and miscarriage, mentions of suicidal ideation, and extensive medical gore.” Therefore, this book should be avoided if any of these themes (especially when explicitly mentioned in detail during the story) would be triggering or uncomfortable to the reader.
However, it should also be said that the bloody body horror is inescapable in this narrative and is central to its themes of oppression and Othering. While graphic, it provides powerful commentary on the persisting struggles of neurodivergent youth, women, and the queer community throughout society. Titles such as The Spirit Bares Its Teeth are vital because they demand empathy and understanding for those who deserve it, but don’t always receive it.
Brycen Schofield is a teacher candidate in the University of New Brunswick Education program, and an aspiring author. Literature is a huge part of his life, and he has grown to love all things classical. He is a fan of all things Gothic and Victorian.