Reviews tagging 'Mental illness'

Hell Followed with Us by Andrew Joseph White

37 reviews

emjams's review against another edition

dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Deadnaming, Forced institutionalization, Injury/Injury detail, Medical trauma, Murder, Pandemic/Epidemic, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Blood, Body horror, Chronic illness, Death, Death of parent, Dysphoria, Genocide, Gore, Grief, Gun violence, Hate crime, Kidnapping, Medical content, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Religious bigotry, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Transphobia, Violence, Vomit, and Child death

Moderate: Xenophobia, Self harm, Mental illness, Medical content, Abandonment, War, Torture, Suicidal thoughts, Physical abuse, Outing, Domestic abuse, and Mass/school shootings

Minor: Sexual content, Sexual violence, Animal death, and Alcohol

This book has basically every imaginable TW on it EXCEPT for sexual assault, but even that is briefly touched on. Benji has trauma from assault, but only from physical/emotional abuse, not SA.

ruththegreat's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Medical trauma, Medical content, Cursing, Injury/Injury detail, Violence, Vomit, Animal cruelty, Confinement, Gore, Physical abuse, Domestic abuse, Body horror, Religious bigotry, Murder, Mental illness, Child abuse, and Death

Moderate: Deadnaming

Minor: Ableism

theooooooooo's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.75

Wow...... I feel like this book has fundamentally changed me. I'm going to split this into 3 sections writing, characters, and world building.
(Possibly spoilers but very light)
1. The writing
So I feel like this is equal to the writing of the invisible life of Addie larue which is my favorite book I've ever read. It is beautiful, the way the author blends religion and brainwashing into Benji's inner thoughts is so so well done. I can't really describe how raw this book gets you can tell that these are things the author has been through or experienced as a trans person it hit very close to home and to be completely honest this book was was tough to get through but I don't see that as a bad thing this book showed transphobia and bigotry in it's rawest purest form and it is beautiful done. 
2. The characters
I can not praise this book enough for the representation, it is just amazing. You have a trans character main character, an autistic character, a trans person who uses neo pronouns (which I have never seen in a book before, and so much more. Benji feels like a real person he feels like a person that could stand in front of me his emotions are so tangible I could feel them this goes back to the writing but still. The only complaint I have is the romance felt a bit underdone or not completely don't get me wrong I love Nick and Benji but I feel like we didn't spend enough time to build up that relationship.
3. The world building
Ok so this section is why I have this a a 4.8 I don't like the world building because to me it just doesn't make a ton of sense, we have a bunch of kids who have been living in a random LGBTQ center for what two years? How did they survive? They say in the book it was luck but we literally see dead people hung up and gutted like 10 minutes away from them??? And where is the rest of the world??? Why isn't the military here? If your saying that the cult killed everyone how? I know there are graces but they honestly expect me to believe that those creatures who are taken down by bullets can survive the us military or any other large countries military? I would understand if they said we have the government under our thumb or something along thos line but they don't! Other than that I really like the idea of the graces and sephera literally a monster consuming you from the inside is such a cool idea!!! Horrifying but so cool!

All together I love this book I wish more people read it and I hope that the author writes more stories in this world I want to know more about this world I really do!

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Mental illness, Deadnaming, Body horror, Emotional abuse, Child abuse, Physical abuse, Dysphoria, Homophobia, Toxic relationship, and Transphobia

uniquelymace's review against another edition

dark emotional tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Religious bigotry, Mental illness, Excrement, Deadnaming, Cursing, Body horror, Blood, Toxic relationship, Homophobia, Fire/Fire injury, Emotional abuse, Death of parent, Child death, War, Vomit, Violence, Transphobia, Gun violence, Death, and Gore

vixenreader's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful informative inspiring mysterious reflective sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

One of my favourite books this summer, this book portrays what it means to find chosen family, confronting dogmatic prejudice, escaping past abuse (especially biological family), and going through Hell and back. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Blood, Body horror, Child abuse, Homophobia, Medical content, Transphobia, Death, Chronic illness, Confinement, Violence, Body shaming, Domestic abuse, Gore, Murder, Dysphoria, Fire/Fire injury, Vomit, Grief, Medical trauma, Mental illness, Toxic relationship, Cursing, Deadnaming, Emotional abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Mass/school shootings, Death of parent, Outing, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, and Religious bigotry

Moderate: Misogyny, Sexism, Stalking, Sexual content, Child death, Classism, Bullying, and Gun violence

Minor: Sexual harassment, Alcohol, Pedophilia, War, Pregnancy, and Racism

The scenes of the protagonists barging up their organs is creative and grotesque, and the dogma of the cult could be triggering for anyone who has experienced abuse from a zealous community. Be warned that there is also maternal abuse, critique of religion being used for violence and genocide, an almost forced marriage, biological experimentation on unwilling victims, and bodily mutation.

stalkingecho's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Deadnaming, Transphobia, Dysphoria, Mental illness, Gore, and Homophobia

percys_panda_pillow_pet's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious reflective tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

There's honestly not much to say here. Hell Followed With Us by Andrew Joseph White is a fantastic book that had me gripped from the dedication page all the way until the end. I read it so quickly that I had extra time on my hands I didn't account for because I thought it might take me a little longer to read. The pacing was fantastic, the switch between character points of view was masterful, I loved all the little in-universe epigraphs, and, of course, the writing was amazing.

White definitely knows his craft because the descriptions of the horror and apocalyptic world were disgusting and terrifying how realistic he made it all seem. The commentary of current society and religion and politics, and how adults actually act like kids and the kids are forced to grow up faster than they were supposed to, was so on point it hurt. The fact of the matter is that the world depicted in Hell Followed With Us actually feels like a possibility in our future is insane. 

As well, White is the first author who has been able to write LGBTQ+ characters with a modern tone/use of internet knowledge and slang without me wanting to rip my hair out in frustration or cringe at the attempt. He actually made it believable that a character can have xe/xem/xyr pronouns and not seem out of place, or for a character to outright state they're trans without a long tirade on what it means to be trans. He made it seem natural and normal, which it is.

Truly, hats off to Andrew Joseph White for accomplishing what so many authors have attempted with not great success. I look forward to reading his new book, The Spirit Bares Its Teeth. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Genocide, Blood, Eating disorder, Torture, Terminal illness, Abortion, Dysphoria, Grief, Pandemic/Epidemic, Injury/Injury detail, Religious bigotry, Gun violence, Child death, Murder, Gore, Vomit, War, Death, Fire/Fire injury, Body horror, Violence, Transphobia, Deadnaming, and Death of parent

Moderate: Sexual content, Ableism, Misogyny, Confinement, Racism, Panic attacks/disorders, Alcohol, Toxic relationship, and Domestic abuse

Minor: Toxic friendship, Mental illness, Outing, Body shaming, and Chronic illness

pewter's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

Really enjoyed both the story and how it was written. It wasn't too colloquial but still had an organic narrative rhythm and some excellent lines. But mainly the world built here is not at all unimaginable, and the themes of found family and queer joy are easy to embrace and not hammy. I think this truly does encompass many of the dissonances we queer folk encounter, from our bodies to how people see us, to struggles with religion and Heaven. Wild ride. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abandonment, Blood, Body horror, Gore, Excrement, Emotional abuse, Dysphoria, Death of parent, Vomit, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Genocide, Deadnaming, Cursing, War, Medical trauma, Death, Physical abuse, Mental illness, Transphobia, Toxic relationship, Torture, Religious bigotry, Hate crime, Self harm, Panic attacks/disorders, Murder, Kidnapping, Grief, Confinement, and Child death

driedmintleaves's review against another edition

dark emotional tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Dysphoria, Injury/Injury detail, Religious bigotry, Transphobia, Pandemic/Epidemic, Homophobia, Fire/Fire injury, Gore, Violence, Mental illness, Death, Blood, Emotional abuse, Body horror, Deadnaming, Grief, and Genocide

bimess_'s review against another edition

dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Before you read it, take the trigger warnings SERIOUSLY. I held my own, but there were moments that I just couldn't. This author has a talent for horror, and I'm in awe. I will be getting the physical copy. Would I read it again? I would. But only because I'll be more mentally prepared. Loved that everything was explored. The ending has me by the neck, though. 

(also I've been glued to this book for the past few days, couldn't read anything else.)

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Toxic relationship, Gore, Blood, Dysphoria, Death of parent, Death, Transphobia, Emotional abuse, Medical trauma, Genocide, Pandemic/Epidemic, Murder, Misogyny, Mental illness, Kidnapping, Grief, Body horror, Religious bigotry, Violence, War, Vomit, Injury/Injury detail, and Gun violence

Moderate: Deadnaming