Maybe higher? 4.25? I’ll see how I feel with my StoryGraph rating later. This is a book I’ve been waiting 8 months to read and I am so glad it wasn’t a disappointment! To be honest, though, I was dreading those first three chapters where you’re waiting for Silas to have that awful, inciting incident that kicks off the entire plot of the book, but after that I was hooked! His way of thinking, sensory issues, and his consistent stimming were such an accurate representation of autism imo and it was spectacular to see another trans character in a horror setting. (The last transmasc horror character I can think of, and that stuck with me, was Raul from Wendall and Wild!) One thing I can appreciate about Andrew Joseph White’s books is that he includes trans boys who, although they don’t present as traditionally masculine for one reason or another(Silas *can’t* do that, and Benji from “Hell Followed With Us” just didn’t feel like doing certain things like binding lol), they’re still respected in their texts and seen for their boyhood!! That’s very healing to me as a transmasc person who doesn’t pass. But obviously, the vivid gore and the subject matter made this a difficult read. I couldn’t fly through this in nearly one sitting like I did for White’s debut novel.

Onto my thoughts for the actual story now! Firstly, although I might be biased, I think the first fifth of this novel is the world-building at its best. Silas doesn’t infodump to the readers, instead talking about his world and surroundings like they’re a natural (albeit very alarming) part of life. The atmosphere was delicious, and I loved the imagery in this novel. I do wish, though, that we had more time with the Veil and more knowledge about it. It was opened infrequently, despite the sprits’ importance to the plot(although I get why…dangerous environment to do that in), and most of what we know about how it interacts with human history and medium practice comes from the beginning of the novel. That was kind of a shame.

Other criticisms: some of the characters? I didn’t take issue with the boarding school girls(some reviewers thought they were one-note but I thought they worked as side characters), but literally every male character—with the sole exceptions of Silas and the groundskeeper—was evil? Yes, I get the point is to show the patriarchal (and ableist) systems that led to existence of the school and the “veil sickness”. But even those who assisted Silas had a plot twist where they were willing to hurt him the whole time, if it meant upholding their own wants or a system they were part of. Instead of being a searing commentary on the numerous misogynistic claims of “hysteria” prevalent in the Victorian era, it resulted in this…odd implication that Silas was only better because of he was socialized as a girl. He wasn’t raised to accept a legacy of brutal conquest because he wasn’t born a cisgender man, his connection with femininity makes him more compassionate, gives him some morals. I don’t know how to feel about that.

Silas criticism, cont: I was willing to accept his disdain of corsets at the beginning because he found out about their “dangers” from the journals of his brother, who, while he is a doctor, also has patriarchal thinking. But I guess the little remark reinforcing the myth of corsets crushing the organs was meant to be taken as a *genuine* thing? (Many fashion historians have debunked that: corsets functioned as bras or, in a way, binders.) So it wasn’t just that mixed with sensory overload. Also, Silas has a rather progressive anti-Imperialist view when he comes from a sheltered, wealthy family, which while I get not wanting to enforce those views in your book even if it’ll be accurate to the character’s setting or time period, I don’t know how he ever got that knowledge or adapted that way of thinking? Certainly not from George. 

But, there are some more parts of this book that I *did* like/appreciate, hence the rating. Daphne’s character, for starters, was not only a great love interest but very engaging on-page. I was indifferent to the romance—although I appreciate it being T4T!—and can’t say I was immediately rooting for her and Silas to get together because he *did* fall for the first person who showed him decency(poor guy), though Daphne’s quick wit and kindness made her my favorite of the cast. I was smiling every time she made an appearance.

The gore was excellently written, too, just like its predecessor! There were some truly wild scenes in the book(the bathtub c-section?!?!) but between that and the scary atmosphere(no, I don’t mean “eerie” some of this shit was creepy as fuck) I was absolutely engrossed in the higher stakes, more action or blood-packed scenes of the story. Like, as a horror novel, TSBIT absolutely nails its genre. (…As a historical fiction book? Slightly different story. Some inaccuracies were purposeful, as given away by the author’s note, and others seemed like they weren’t.) 

Anyhow, my final verdict? Obviously I liked this, even with its issues. I may have not given it a 5 stars like “Hell Followed With Us”, but in this case, this does not mean it was a disappointment. At times, the writing even felt stronger. But heed the content warnings, if you want to give “The Spirit Bares Its Teeth” a try. (And don’t feel pressured—even the author’s note said you can opt out at any time.)