Reviews

Hell Is a World Without You by Jason Kirk

cmduda91's review against another edition

challenging hopeful inspiring sad 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? Yes

5.0

This book gave me hope for myself and helped heal my relationship with my past. It's a brilliant look into American Evangelicalism from the inside and how the ideology can warp your views of life and the world. Told from the perspective of a teenager trying to navigate his own personal tragedy, his friendships, his beliefs in God, and the guilty burden of "saving all humanity from eternal damnation".

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Religious bigotry

Moderate: Self harm and Sexual content

jdianm's review against another edition

dark funny fast-paced

• Loveable characters? Yes

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Homophobia, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Misogyny, Sexism, Sexual content, and Religious bigotry

Moderate: Death of parent, Gun violence, Islamophobia, Injury/Injury detail, Grief, Outing, Cursing, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Gaslighting, and Emotional abuse

Minor: Car accident, Adult/minor relationship, Antisemitism, Addiction, Child abuse, and Xenophobia

ealynch's review against another edition

5.0

One of the best books I’ve read recently. Maybe ever.

timothyo's review against another edition

emotional funny hopeful inspiring reflective 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

4.75

lbatch's review against another edition

challenging emotional reflective 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? It's complicated

4.25

Hoo boy! This is a hard one to rate. It's excellent, an absolute gut punch, but also very difficult to recommend to anyone who strays too far from its target audience, which is basically exvangelical adults who were in jr high or high school (esp who were southern baptist teenaged boys) in the early 2000s. The voice on this evolves so well as the first-person narrator grows from a freshman to an adult, but that also means that if you're not 100% in on the slightly satirical in-group language use, you're going to be very much in cringe mode for at least the first 8 chapters and likely think the author just doesn't write well. But wow, if you're the target audience for this book and make it into the meat of the thing...well, this made me cry and gave my spouse and I tons to talk about.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gun violence and Suicidal thoughts

Moderate: Religious bigotry

treetop's review against another edition

challenging emotional hopeful reflective 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? Yes

4.75

marneyjane's review against another edition

emotional funny hopeful inspiring reflective 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

4.5

yungmiku's review against another edition

challenging dark funny hopeful sad 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

Perfect book about what it's like to grow up Evangelical Christian in America. The teenage humor is a little over the top at times but it's always relatable. Definitely recommend.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Self harm

Moderate: Suicide and Gun violence

jceding's review against another edition

emotional funny reflective medium-paced

5.0

dwaynestewart's review against another edition

emotional funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted reflective medium-paced

5.0