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booksthatburn's review against another edition
challenging
dark
mysterious
reflective
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
5.0
HELL FOLLOWED WITH US is the story of a trans boy during the apocalypse, trying to avoid turning into a biblically accurate angel; a creature of such mind-bending grotesquery and body horror that any conversation is required to start with “be not afraid” so that the other person hopefully doesn't run away screaming.
For some people there is body horror inherent in transness or in dysphoria, in the inexorable change of flesh into a form you’ve seen elsewhere but are utterly unable to recognize as yours. HELL FOLLOWED WITH US deals with themes of monstrosity and transness by embracing their connections during an apocalypse launched by evangelical Christians (a horrifyingly effective homophobic/transphobic/misogynistic death cult). It stars Benji, a teenage trans boy who is uninterested in most of the superficial trappings of masculinity because he’s going to be a decaying monster within a month anyway, his form utterly distorted beyond anything even the best binder could contain.
There are strong themes of religious abuse, body horror, transphobia, and dysphoria. The short version is I love how HELL FOLLOWED WITH US engages with these topics, but please take care of yourselves.
The worldbuilding is a little fuzzy on how exactly this plague started, waiting until late in the book to make explicit what happened. I'm fine with this, I love this immersive style of worldbuilding which assumes the reader has at least some baseline knowledge of the setting. Some readers might want a bit more clarity on how this all started, but I think an early reveal would have taken away from the urgency of Benji's current problems. The cult used the plague to kill most of the world, and now the survivors have to figure out how to get through what's next.
Benji is making the most of his final days by helping his newly-found companions from the ALC (a queer community center) fight off the Angels and try to get enough food to survive, all while trying to hide the changes in his body. Nick is a co-leader of the ALC, an infrequent narrator in the story but a consistent presence in Benji's thoughts. Nick is one of the few people outside the cult who knows what's been done to Benji and what he's turning into. Theo is the fiancé Benji left behind, kicked out of the Angels (the cult's warriors/enforcers) after the rest of his squad was killed. Benji is still in love with him even after fleeing, not yet ready to leave this one (usually) good part of his life behind.
I love the way this engages with body horror and transness without shying away from either, or from the way they can blur into each other. It's about Benji's relationship to his body and a loss of control over what it's doing and what people think when they see him. He needs people to see that he's a boy and a person, no matter what his flesh is doing.
There’s a subtle detail which I appreciate, where even though (broadly speaking) the death cult Benji escaped is transphobic and sexist as an institution, whereas the kids at the ALC are queer and accepting that’s not a hard and fast distinction for every individual member of either group. It allows for something more nuanced, messier and realistic. In a book with a trans main character it would have been easy (and boring) to make all the villains (and only the villains) be transphobic. This doesn’t do that, and it’s glorious.
The story begins with Benji escaping, his father's blood on his face and terror in his heart while he's pursued by the Angels. Once he starts living in the ALC, Benji has to learn new terms for referring to the plague, the monsters, and the cult he left behind. Part of being in the cult for so long is that they have their own vocabulary for the terms which are important to them, most of which are meant to convey how amazing and good the destruction of the world and the genocide of most humans on the planet truly is. Many of the terms are pulled from the Bible, internally reinforcing the idea that everything that's happening is God-ordained and therefore, axiomatically, must be good (no matter how murderous). Conversely, the ALC's spin, such as it is, is that contagious abominations get called monsters, and that they don't want to die of the body-altering plague that the cult unleashed. Even though Benji has left the cult, the chapters begin with quotes from their speeches, writings, and their holy text texts. These help to immerse the reader in Benji's former headspace, the one which Theo still occupies.
If "trans boy is turning into a biblically accurate angel" didn't hook you, I don't know what will, but this book is amazing and you should read it.
For some people there is body horror inherent in transness or in dysphoria, in the inexorable change of flesh into a form you’ve seen elsewhere but are utterly unable to recognize as yours. HELL FOLLOWED WITH US deals with themes of monstrosity and transness by embracing their connections during an apocalypse launched by evangelical Christians (a horrifyingly effective homophobic/transphobic/misogynistic death cult). It stars Benji, a teenage trans boy who is uninterested in most of the superficial trappings of masculinity because he’s going to be a decaying monster within a month anyway, his form utterly distorted beyond anything even the best binder could contain.
There are strong themes of religious abuse, body horror, transphobia, and dysphoria. The short version is I love how HELL FOLLOWED WITH US engages with these topics, but please take care of yourselves.
The worldbuilding is a little fuzzy on how exactly this plague started, waiting until late in the book to make explicit what happened. I'm fine with this, I love this immersive style of worldbuilding which assumes the reader has at least some baseline knowledge of the setting. Some readers might want a bit more clarity on how this all started, but I think an early reveal would have taken away from the urgency of Benji's current problems. The cult used the plague to kill most of the world, and now the survivors have to figure out how to get through what's next.
Benji is making the most of his final days by helping his newly-found companions from the ALC (a queer community center) fight off the Angels and try to get enough food to survive, all while trying to hide the changes in his body. Nick is a co-leader of the ALC, an infrequent narrator in the story but a consistent presence in Benji's thoughts. Nick is one of the few people outside the cult who knows what's been done to Benji and what he's turning into. Theo is the fiancé Benji left behind, kicked out of the Angels (the cult's warriors/enforcers) after the rest of his squad was killed. Benji is still in love with him even after fleeing, not yet ready to leave this one (usually) good part of his life behind.
I love the way this engages with body horror and transness without shying away from either, or from the way they can blur into each other. It's about Benji's relationship to his body and a loss of control over what it's doing and what people think when they see him. He needs people to see that he's a boy and a person, no matter what his flesh is doing.
There’s a subtle detail which I appreciate, where even though (broadly speaking) the death cult Benji escaped is transphobic and sexist as an institution, whereas the kids at the ALC are queer and accepting that’s not a hard and fast distinction for every individual member of either group. It allows for something more nuanced, messier and realistic. In a book with a trans main character it would have been easy (and boring) to make all the villains (and only the villains) be transphobic. This doesn’t do that, and it’s glorious.
The story begins with Benji escaping, his father's blood on his face and terror in his heart while he's pursued by the Angels. Once he starts living in the ALC, Benji has to learn new terms for referring to the plague, the monsters, and the cult he left behind. Part of being in the cult for so long is that they have their own vocabulary for the terms which are important to them, most of which are meant to convey how amazing and good the destruction of the world and the genocide of most humans on the planet truly is. Many of the terms are pulled from the Bible, internally reinforcing the idea that everything that's happening is God-ordained and therefore, axiomatically, must be good (no matter how murderous). Conversely, the ALC's spin, such as it is, is that contagious abominations get called monsters, and that they don't want to die of the body-altering plague that the cult unleashed. Even though Benji has left the cult, the chapters begin with quotes from their speeches, writings, and their holy text texts. These help to immerse the reader in Benji's former headspace, the one which Theo still occupies.
If "trans boy is turning into a biblically accurate angel" didn't hook you, I don't know what will, but this book is amazing and you should read it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Child death, Deadnaming, Death, Gore, Self harm, Transphobia, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Murder, and Fire/Fire injury
Moderate: Ableism, Child abuse, Cursing, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Gun violence, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexism, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Grief, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Alcohol, and Dysphoria
Minor: Sexual content and Pregnancy
CW for misgendering (graphic).cajesp's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
inspiring
reflective
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
this book is my new favourite book of all time, i genuinely did not expect to love this book with all the fire in me like i did, i just thought hey, i’d love a queer horror read for halloween but what i came out of the book with was a fire, not to get sappy but this book made me feel so heard and seen and i love it with all my heart. andrew joseph white, i owe you my life, truly. the queer conversation, the found family and the way anger is portrayed as power rather than something to fear? beautiful. wish it went on for 500 more pages, would love a sequel just because i’ve fallen in love with these characters but the ending was just… it was perfect.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Gore, Transphobia, Violence, Vomit, and Religious bigotry
Moderate: Domestic abuse and Self harm
Minor: Suicide attempt
atlanticgiantpumpkin's review against another edition
challenging
dark
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? It's complicated
5.0
This is now my favorite book. I love the characters, the fact that I felt like I knew these people in real life. Theo ripped my heart in two, Nick intrigued me beyond belief, and I felt Benji’s pain every step of the way. I felt punched in the gut, betrayed, stabbed in the back, and I resonated with so many emotions and thoughts. I totally recommend this to anyone during spooky season — if you can stomach it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Cursing, Deadnaming, Death, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Gore, Gun violence, Hate crime, Homophobia, Physical abuse, Torture, Transphobia, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Grief, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, War, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Bullying, Child death, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Toxic relationship, Forced institutionalization, Medical content, Mass/school shootings, Suicide attempt, and Dysphoria
Minor: Animal death, Body shaming, Misogyny, Sexism, Sexual content, and Suicidal thoughts
Don’t read this if you’re easily queasy.mar's review against another edition
dark
emotional
tense
medium-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? No
3.5
Things this book is: engaging, graphic, gut-wrenching and special in a way only a book about a trans, gay character embracing his monstrosity and turning it against his abusers could be - but there were points where I felt I liked the concept more than the execution. I enjoyed it, but MAN, it's definitely one of those books I wish existed earlier because I just know it would've been cathartic to read it back in middle school. Might've even helped me figure out some Stuff™️ sooner, too.
Also, I NEED to talk about Nick, because ohhhh my god. This book kind of made me realize that thanks to stories like this I've actually gotten more or less used to good trans rep existing (and I love that I can say that), but I certainly haven't gotten used to good autistic rep existing. As demonstrated by the fact that Nick's first POV chapter hit me so hard I cried. I really can't describe how much his portrayal resonated with me as an autistic person, and how much that meant to me. (He gets significant page time on account of being the love interest, sure, but i still kinda wish we'd gotten more of him and his POV.)
And on the other side, for the flaws: the writing came off as somewhat awkward and way too overdramatic at times, though I'm willing to chalk that up to this being 1. a debut and 2. post-apocalyptic YA (i mean, what's post-apocalyptic YA if not angsty and overdramatic?). Some of the interactions with the LGBTQ+ Centre kids were a bit too corny, and the characters themselves could've been developed more - they just felt kind of flat and forgettable, which made Benji's narrative of finding a home and family in them feel a little less impactful and compelling than it could've been.
Personally, this book didn't enthral me as much as I hoped it would, but I've got a feeling it's going to be very important to a whole bunch of trans kids, and I'll definitely keep an eye out for Andrew Joseph White's future releases.
(Also, apropos nothing: pretty funny of the author to name the one transmed character Calvin ngl.)
(Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC!)
Also, I NEED to talk about Nick, because ohhhh my god. This book kind of made me realize that thanks to stories like this I've actually gotten more or less used to good trans rep existing (and I love that I can say that), but I certainly haven't gotten used to good autistic rep existing. As demonstrated by the fact that Nick's first POV chapter hit me so hard I cried. I really can't describe how much his portrayal resonated with me as an autistic person, and how much that meant to me. (He gets significant page time on account of being the love interest, sure, but i still kinda wish we'd gotten more of him and his POV.)
And on the other side, for the flaws: the writing came off as somewhat awkward and way too overdramatic at times, though I'm willing to chalk that up to this being 1. a debut and 2. post-apocalyptic YA (i mean, what's post-apocalyptic YA if not angsty and overdramatic?). Some of the interactions with the LGBTQ+ Centre kids were a bit too corny, and the characters themselves could've been developed more - they just felt kind of flat and forgettable, which made Benji's narrative of finding a home and family in them feel a little less impactful and compelling than it could've been.
Personally, this book didn't enthral me as much as I hoped it would, but I've got a feeling it's going to be very important to a whole bunch of trans kids, and I'll definitely keep an eye out for Andrew Joseph White's future releases.
(Also, apropos nothing: pretty funny of the author to name the one transmed character Calvin ngl.)
(Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC!)
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Deadnaming, Death, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Gore, Gun violence, Transphobia, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Grief, Religious bigotry, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Dysphoria, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Child death and Sexual content
Minor: Ableism and Suicide attempt
when I say graphic body horror & gore, I mean VERY graphic and described in excruciating detail throughout the whole book. definitely wouldn't recommend it for anyone who gets queasy easilyaexileigh's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Deadnaming, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Homophobia, Physical abuse, Toxic relationship, Transphobia, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, Dysphoria, War, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Racism, Self harm, Sexual content, Terminal illness, and Suicide attempt
utopiastateofmind's review against another edition
4.75
(Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher. This has not impacted my review which is unbiased and honest.)
Hell Followed With Us is both rage inducing, because the ways Benji's past community hurt him for their own purposes is awful, while also being full of love and hope. It's a story that embraces the monstrous within us. Everything people try to throw at us and using it against them. There's pockets of preciousness within Hell Followed With Us. Whether it be the gentle and tender feelings of love, or the warmth of found family, it hits all the emotional highs and lows.
Hell Followed With Us is both rage inducing, because the ways Benji's past community hurt him for their own purposes is awful, while also being full of love and hope. It's a story that embraces the monstrous within us. Everything people try to throw at us and using it against them. There's pockets of preciousness within Hell Followed With Us. Whether it be the gentle and tender feelings of love, or the warmth of found family, it hits all the emotional highs and lows.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Deadnaming, Domestic abuse, Self harm, Transphobia, Religious bigotry, and Suicide attempt
melaniereadsbooks's review against another edition
dark
fast-paced
- 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
4.75
Thank you to Netgalley, Peach Tree Press, and Pride Book Tours for an arc of this book!
Years after the Angels released "The Flood" virus and destroyed most of humanity in the name of God, Benji escapes their clutches just after being infected with the Seraph strain that will change his body and let him control others changed by The Flood. Benji finds the past LGBTQ+ Center and the survivors there, including Nick. They have to work together to try and use Benji's new situation for good...and make the Angels pay.
This book is phenomenal! It is dark and twisted and Benji is absolutely feral. He is a trans boy who grew up in an extremely religious community and the internalized hate he has to fight in order to survive is incredible. He goes through so much but he absolutely bites back and that's what I love so much.
I also love Nick and the others at the ALC. They are really interesting characters. I wish Nick had more pov chapters because I absolutely loved those parts!
The world building in this is really good if a little fast. I do wish I had a little more of this story because I just loved it so much and wanted to live inside for longer.
This is an incredible post-apocalyptic tale about queer resistance and taking your world back from oppressors. I loved every second of it.
Years after the Angels released "The Flood" virus and destroyed most of humanity in the name of God, Benji escapes their clutches just after being infected with the Seraph strain that will change his body and let him control others changed by The Flood. Benji finds the past LGBTQ+ Center and the survivors there, including Nick. They have to work together to try and use Benji's new situation for good...and make the Angels pay.
This book is phenomenal! It is dark and twisted and Benji is absolutely feral. He is a trans boy who grew up in an extremely religious community and the internalized hate he has to fight in order to survive is incredible. He goes through so much but he absolutely bites back and that's what I love so much.
I also love Nick and the others at the ALC. They are really interesting characters. I wish Nick had more pov chapters because I absolutely loved those parts!
The world building in this is really good if a little fast. I do wish I had a little more of this story because I just loved it so much and wanted to live inside for longer.
This is an incredible post-apocalyptic tale about queer resistance and taking your world back from oppressors. I loved every second of it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Deadnaming, Gore, Gun violence, Transphobia, and Violence
Moderate: Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, and Death of parent
Minor: Suicidal thoughts and Suicide attempt
sara_m_martins's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
*going around like a town crier* ANGRY GAYS!! THIS ONE IS FOR THE ANDRY GAYS!! WRATH MONTH IS NOW A BOOK!!
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!
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.
I was weary when I realized there was plague end-of-the-world thing going on, but seeing the masks playing a role in the story was actually kind of fun. The fantastical element was really fun to read, even if quite gore-y.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an ARC. All opinions are my own.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an ARC. All opinions are my own.
Content Warnings
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
staysunny's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
tense
fast-paced
- 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
Thank you to NetGalley and Peachtree Teen for an eARC in exchange for an honest review!
I had so much fun reading this book and ultimately that is what I ask for from YA books. This passed with flying colors. It's dark, gritty, fast-paced, has vengeance and tons of queer rage, and does not hold back. I can't wait to get my hands on a physical copy (shout out to the cover illustrator Evangeline Gallagher for an absolutely stunning cover that fits so well with the story).
Hell Followed with Us starts fast and gets you right into the action. We are ultimately following 16 year-old Benji's story, with the support from a few chapters sprinkled in from other characters' points of view. This story takes place in the US after a post-apocalyptic level event. Benji is on the run and is found by a group of queer teens who are holding out against the fundamentalist religious cult that has pretty much taken over (with this group, there are some allusions to community organizing that really warmed my heart).
I loved how immersive this book was—there are epigraphs at the start of each chapter that both support that chapter thematically, but also act as a world building tool. I feel like you really learn a lot about the "past" from them. There are also sections of prose that feel lyrical in the way that bible verses are (there are also bible verses sprinkled throughout the book). At first, I just enjoyed this for the rhythm and cadence of it, but then I realized how brilliant it is in terms of world building. After learning more about the characters and their world, it would make less sense if Benji *didn’t* talk or think using this cadence and wording some of the time.
I saw that the author posted on twitter describing the book as a "gory, disgusting mess of a book about trans monsters, fundamentalist extremism, and hyperviolent queer rage." I found this description to be very fitting in the best way.
This is not for the faint of heart, and I highly recommend reading the more thorough list of content warnings on the author's website. I would recommend this for mid to upper YA readers and older.
I had so much fun reading this book and ultimately that is what I ask for from YA books. This passed with flying colors. It's dark, gritty, fast-paced, has vengeance and tons of queer rage, and does not hold back. I can't wait to get my hands on a physical copy (shout out to the cover illustrator Evangeline Gallagher for an absolutely stunning cover that fits so well with the story).
Hell Followed with Us starts fast and gets you right into the action. We are ultimately following 16 year-old Benji's story, with the support from a few chapters sprinkled in from other characters' points of view. This story takes place in the US after a post-apocalyptic level event. Benji is on the run and is found by a group of queer teens who are holding out against the fundamentalist religious cult that has pretty much taken over (with this group, there are some allusions to community organizing that really warmed my heart).
I loved how immersive this book was—there are epigraphs at the start of each chapter that both support that chapter thematically, but also act as a world building tool. I feel like you really learn a lot about the "past" from them. There are also sections of prose that feel lyrical in the way that bible verses are (there are also bible verses sprinkled throughout the book). At first, I just enjoyed this for the rhythm and cadence of it, but then I realized how brilliant it is in terms of world building. After learning more about the characters and their world, it would make less sense if Benji *didn’t* talk or think using this cadence and wording some of the time.
I saw that the author posted on twitter describing the book as a "gory, disgusting mess of a book about trans monsters, fundamentalist extremism, and hyperviolent queer rage." I found this description to be very fitting in the best way.
This is not for the faint of heart, and I highly recommend reading the more thorough list of content warnings on the author's website. I would recommend this for mid to upper YA readers and older.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Toxic relationship, Transphobia, Violence, Vomit, Religious bigotry, and Fire/Fire injury
Moderate: Body horror and Physical abuse
Minor: Suicide attempt
littlesmaug's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- 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
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for my eARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.
The characters in this book were incredibly well-developed. There was a nuance to every single one of them, even our villains of the story. I have met the Theo's of the world. I have friends with moms like Benji's (and, thankfully, dads like his as well).
Not only was Hell Followed with Us a beautifully written horror novel and a nuanced look at religious trauma, it was one of the most authentically diverse books I have ever read. Hell Followed with Us is the perfect example of the power at the core of the Own Voices movement. From the trans narrative to the autistic one, each piece of representation was excellently written. There were many identities given recognition on the pages of this book. And that brought my heart joy throughout my reading of the book.
Full review here: https://littlesmaug.wordpress.com/2022/03/31/arc-review-hell-followed-with-us-by-andrew-joseph-white/
Full review here: https://littlesmaug.wordpress.com/2022/03/31/arc-review-hell-followed-with-us-by-andrew-joseph-white/
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Child abuse, Deadnaming, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Self harm, Toxic relationship, Transphobia, Violence, Blood, Religious bigotry, Suicide attempt, and Death of parent