rachaelanneg'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? Yes
4.25
Graphic: Violence, Transphobia, Body horror, Death, Death of parent, Gore, Homophobia, Religious bigotry, War, Ableism, Blood, and Body shaming
talonsontypewriters's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.0
Graphic: Genocide, Child death, Injury/Injury detail, Emotional abuse, Deadnaming, Body horror, Transphobia, Pandemic/Epidemic, Gore, Vomit, Gun violence, Death, Child abuse, Murder, Blood, Fire/Fire injury, Torture, Religious bigotry, and Violence
Moderate: Death of parent, Misogyny, Homophobia, Sexism, Domestic abuse, Confinement, Grief, and Dysphoria
Minor: Sexual content, Ableism, Racism, and Alcohol
ruththegreat'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? No
4.5
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
msradiosilence's review against another edition
4.5
Graphic: Death of parent, Grief, Racism, Religious bigotry, Blood, Cursing, Deadnaming, Gore, Homophobia, Injury/Injury detail, Fire/Fire injury, Body horror, Child abuse, Transphobia, Emotional abuse, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Death, Vomit, and Child death
Moderate: Alcohol, Hate crime, Domestic abuse, Dysphoria, Gaslighting, Injury/Injury detail, Suicidal thoughts, Ableism, Confinement, Gun violence, Misogyny, and Sexual content
vixenreader'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
5.0
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.ghost_cat_xo'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: Transphobia, Child abuse, Death of parent, Gore, Violence, Emotional abuse, Domestic abuse, Deadnaming, and Genocide
Moderate: Ableism and Racism
michaelion's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Spoiler
I can't tell you how fucking G A G G E D I was when they said we're gathered here to join these families in holy matrimony! I threw the book! I screamed and paused the audio!!! The utter and absolute shock!!! The audacity!!! I love it here!!!!!If you loved this book for the same religious reasons I did then you'd love the song Don't Worry, We'll Be Watching You by Gotye. And the music video!
Graphic: Religious bigotry, Pandemic/Epidemic, Injury/Injury detail, Child death, Fire/Fire injury, Murder, Toxic relationship, Transphobia, Body horror, Deadnaming, Genocide, Violence, Hate crime, and Grief
Moderate: Death of parent, Gore, Self harm, War, Vomit, Blood, Dysphoria, Death, and Confinement
Minor: Ableism and Racism
whiskers_and_lipstick'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
4.0
If one word could describe Hell Followed With Us, it would be TENSE. The synopsis doesn't quite capture the depth of this story - just the vehicle for telling it. I signed on for a survivalist story about a trans teen (Benji) on the run from a religious cult, finding refuge with a group of LGBTQ+ teens fighting to make a life in a post-apocalyptic world where all non-believers are labeled "heretics" and wiped out from the face of te earth. I was expecting The Handmaid's Tale meets The Last of Us. And while those themes are certainly present, HFWU centers on queer rage - the "what if" the queer community actually became the monsters they are made out to be and decided to unleash their fury on those who vilified them?
My husband and I read HFWU together. I was so grateful for that co-reading experience because of how much there was to unpack and reflect on (the weaponization of religious tenants, the cognitive dissonance of those who subscribe to extremist belief systems, the intersectionality of marginalized populations and how that can lend to the occurrence of oppression and discrimination within marginalized communities). What we spent the most time grappling with was all of the ideas about gender identity, transness, and what transitioning means to different people.
Graphic: Ableism, Violence, Transphobia, Vomit, Murder, Misogyny, Injury/Injury detail, Body horror, Blood, Toxic relationship, Pandemic/Epidemic, Gore, Emotional abuse, Deadnaming, Child death, Religious bigotry, Homophobia, Grief, Genocide, Death, Fire/Fire injury, Dysphoria, Domestic abuse, Death of parent, and Child abuse
alkemistimole6'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? No
5.0
Graphic: Transphobia, Vomit, Homophobia, Religious bigotry, Pandemic/Epidemic, Gore, Genocide, Domestic abuse, Violence, Toxic relationship, Torture, Murder, Injury/Injury detail, Gun violence, Ableism, Emotional abuse, Death of parent, Death, Deadnaming, and Cursing
percys_panda_pillow_pet'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
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.
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