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skullotonin's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.75
Graphic: Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Deadnaming, Death, Genocide, Gore, Gun violence, Hate crime, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Transphobia, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Grief, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, Dysphoria, War, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Alcohol
erica_reads_things's review against another edition
- 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
4.5
Graphic: Body horror, Body shaming, Bullying, Child death, Death, Gore, Gun violence, Transphobia, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Dysphoria, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Pandemic/Epidemic
Moderate: Deadnaming, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Homophobia, Panic attacks/disorders, and Grief
Minor: Rape and Sexual content
charliegalazzy's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Body horror, Gore, Blood, and Religious bigotry
Moderate: Child abuse, Torture, Transphobia, and Gaslighting
Minor: Deadnaming, Rape, Sexual assault, and Outing
Extremely, extremely detailed body horror.smiffylovesnachos's review against another edition
- 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
4.0
Graphic: Body horror, Child abuse, Deadnaming, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Gore, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual assault, Transphobia, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, and Dysphoria
Minor: Rape
fuguefire's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
The second part of this theme is displayed by Nick, leader of the ALC, and once a member of the Angels. throughout the book, we see Nick's mistrust of Benji, and with good reason. There was a really good moment where benji confronts Nick about using the pronoun "it" in stead of "he" and I think it was a really good example of how trans (and minority) characters cannot be written like they exist in a vacuum, and also the ways that people even inside the queer community can still level violence at one another. Of course, at the end of this intense scene, half of benji's face falls off, and suddenly the audience is reminded that this whole conflict over pronouns might not be happening if not for christian extremism in the first place. Perhaps there is a world where Benji and Nick would happily be friends, celebrating their queerness in a loving community. But that world is not theirs anymore.
Finally, I think that Nick's fate in this story is worth noting. Nick, leader of the ALC, whom nobody expected had any ties to the Angels, still gets partially transformed by the latent virus that he was inoculated with as a kid. This is a perfect metaphor for the life-long consequences of being exposed to religious abuse. Even years after you've escaped their influence, and after spending your whole life dedicated to righting their wrongs, a trace of it is always there with you, waiting to bare its teeth.
Graphic: Body horror, Body shaming, Child abuse, Chronic illness, Deadnaming, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Gore, Gun violence, Hate crime, Homophobia, Sexism, Toxic relationship, Transphobia, Blood, Vomit, Grief, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, Murder, Gaslighting, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Mental illness, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Medical content, Kidnapping, Stalking, Outing, Sexual harassment, Dysphoria, and War
ezismythical's review against another edition
- 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
5.0
Graphic: Body horror, Child abuse, Confinement, Deadnaming, Emotional abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Homophobia, Rape, Suicidal thoughts, Transphobia, Grief, Religious bigotry, and Death of parent
spooderman's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Graphic: Ableism, Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Cursing, Deadnaming, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Gore, Gun violence, Hate crime, Homophobia, Mental illness, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Self harm, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Toxic relationship, Transphobia, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Grief, Mass/school shootings, Religious bigotry, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Colonisation, Dysphoria, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Deportation
Moderate: Sexual assault, Slavery, Cannibalism, Stalking, and Alcohol
Minor: Eating disorder, Miscarriage, Rape, Sexual content, Terminal illness, Xenophobia, Suicide attempt, and Lesbophobia
readwithjessj's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Body horror, Body shaming, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Rape, Transphobia, Violence, and Murder
shelvesofivy's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
The author truly captured the cadence, prayers, and rhetoric of a religion I left behind. To say this book hit close to home for me is an understatement.
I love that we have a story as unapologetic as this one. I think it was also great that it recognizes that there's no single queer experience; the community is not a monolith.
The book was definitely intense and took me through nearly every emotion possible, in both negative and positive ways. But at the end of the day, it's become so important to me and I'm just grateful this story exists.
Graphic: Body horror, Genocide, Gore, Gun violence, Homophobia, Transphobia, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Religious bigotry, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Deadnaming, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, and Grief
Minor: Toxic relationship and Alcohol
sara_m_martins's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
Hell Followed With Us is simply *chef's kiss*. It's a new favourite & I hope this is the next hit in YA, when it cames out in June!
This book follows Benji (a gay trans 16yo boy), as he flees the dystopian-creating genocide-by-bioweapon christian extremist cult, and ends up being rescued by the queer teens of the resistance. But Benji has a secret, and it can either bring the end of times or stop them. [very Good Omens of them, I just realized - Crowley&Aziraphale would love these kids].
The book touches on found family, religion (and religious trauma) and queer anger; with racial, sexuality, gender identity and various religion affiliations represented, as well as several disabilities, including autism. #OwnVoices for autism, and sexuality (gay) /gender identity (trans).
It is super fast-paced, I read this in three sittings. I enjoyed the writing and the world-building, and that cover is just stunning! I ended up pre-ordering my physical copy before finishing my ARC and can't wait to have it in my hands!
"oh sorry if we are being unfair unfortunately u guys murdered all the nice gays & now there's just us: the assholes." - https://twitter.com/meakoopa/status/742234804654092288
"the queers who were nice/patient/gentle all got shot or bullied to death all that's left r me & the other pissed-off cockroach motherfuckers" - https://twitter.com/meakoopa/status/742238554093281280
While I think this story will ruffle many feathers (no pun intended), I adore that this type of representation is out there - and by representation I am not mentioning the #rep of the book (while that is very good), but the feeling it portrays. So much queer media we see is done to still be palatable to straight audiences. This is not your queer assimilationist story; this is not written to appease non-queer people. It takes a much more complex perspective to being queer, because it evokes a feeling that marginalized communities are not often allowed to express - anger. There is no place for the anger you build as a queer person in the world, no place for the ones who imagine tearing it all down, in common media. Wrath Month being July (after Pride Month in June) has been a joke in (at least some) queer circles online for years now, and the concept of queer stories having to be "clean" has been discussed for decades. This book brings these to the forefront of the public eye and it's so refreshing to see. I'm so glad this got published, but I'm also so confused how it did.
There's some king of awful, enduring myth: that after the end of the world, people will turn on one another. That people will become hateful and selfish. That's just not true. It's never been true.
Because the thing is... with this type of anger. It's intrinsically connected to love. In a world that tries to beat the community you love down, your defense mechanism, in the face of hopelessness, ends up being anger. Anger started the Stonewall riots, and the riots happened from unjust, incessant prosecution to the self and to the found family that people had in those spaces. Is that romantic? 100%. We should have so much more love and so much less contention for one another. Trans people particularly know the pitfalls and the failures of others in the LGBTQ+ community.... But I also believe it. Enter the profound aspect of found family in this story. It is so well done and allows for, even in the dire circumstances they find themselves in, such a diverse cast of characters and representations (including some people in the community being assholes).
We are alive, we are alive, holy shit, we are alive.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an ARC. All opinions are my own.
Graphic: Body horror, Deadnaming, Genocide, Gore, Homophobia, Transphobia, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Religious bigotry, Dysphoria, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Child death, Cursing, Death, Panic attacks/disorders, Rape, Sexual assault, Grief, Death of parent, and Classism
Minor: Sexual content and Suicide attempt