Scan barcode
esme_bonner'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
Hell Followed With Us is an unusual book. Set against a dystopia of biblical proportions (literally), we follow Benji, a trans teenager, and unwilling vessel of the end times' end game. Having fled the Evangelical death cult he was raised in, Benji falls in with a crowd of young, queer, survivors, and ironically, given that he may now have only weeks to live, finally learns what it means to have something to live for.
Beset by the monstrous remains of zombie-esque plague victims, the cult's 'Angels' AKA death squads, and, perhaps most frighteningly of all, a plethora of cis white men, Benji forges real friendships with his rescuers. But the lure of love is strong, and he must figure out who he is willing to sacrifice, and what for.
This book was both queerer, and more religious than I had initially been expecting. When I read the blurb for this book I expected something that was going to end up more like Charlie Higson's Enemy series - specifically the Angus Dei angle. But I ended up with something that was a little more Evangelical, which given the US setting I should have been expecting. White builds a very plausible world, his blending of religious and environmental extremism with a kind of Evangelically intense white supremacy feels like a possible future, and whilst I would have liked to know more about how the rest of the world has fared (plagues might be global, but evangelicalism is relatively US-centric), he has managed to cram a lot of detail into a relatively short book.
For those worried about the focus on religion, particularly Christianity, particularly conservative Christianity, I, personally, don't think White's representation is 'bad,' or, like, a pointed attack. In my opinion, which is admittedly limited by neither being from the US nor of a Protestant-off-shoot persuasion, White made it very clear that the Angels were an extremist group, a cult, who had co-opted religion, but who had essentially abandoned a lot of the core tenants of the religion. This was obvious to me, as someone from a Catholic background, because the actions of the Angels are in direct opposition to a lot of very important things, e.g., Commandment not to kill. Now, again, I am not from an Evangelical background. I'm Irish Catholic, if we're getting specific, and my experience in religion is vastly different to that even of Catholics within the US, but to me this read as a commentary on the way the far-right, white supremacists, and other extremist groups pick up elements of religion and twist them. This could definitely be viewed, through that lens and given the very close relationship most conservative leaning people in the US have with Christianity, as a commentary on contemporary evangelical practice... but if you read this and thought 'you're attacking my church specifically' I think you should maybe take a step back and ask, "is my church treating others the way we would want to be treated?" If the answers no, then the call is coming from inside the house. White isn't attacking you, you are attacking others. Sit with that, and then do better.
Back to our regularly scheduled book reviewing,
I don't read a lot of horror, so I am appreciative of how the gore was handled in this book. I felt that there were some visceral moments, but for the most part the description was impressionistic, or focused on feeling. That being said, I do wish a little more time had been given to the (SPOILER) final descriptions of Seraph, I struggled to understand what exactly that might look like. My mental image was kind of dragon-y, and I think it should maybe have been more humanoid. All the same, I found the world, and the people within it, fascinating to read about.
All taken together, I really enjoyed this. There was a lot in it that gave me pause, and a lot in it I think could be polarising, but personally I found it very readable. 4 stars.
Graphic: Body horror, Deadnaming, Death, Gore, Gun violence, Transphobia, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Religious bigotry, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Confinement, Cursing, Death, Genocide, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Toxic relationship, Grief, Death of parent, and Dysphoria
This is a horror novel about a trans teenager from a conservative religious cult becoming a monster - physically.pacifickat'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
4.25
Graphic: Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Cursing, Deadnaming, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Gore, Gun violence, Homophobia, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual content, Torture, Toxic relationship, Transphobia, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Grief, Religious bigotry, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Alcohol, Dysphoria, Injury/Injury detail, and Pandemic/Epidemic
Moderate: Classism
Religious extremism, religious fanaticism, religious terrorism, mass extinction, disease transmission, misgendering, fundamentalist parents, biblical text quotations, the book of Revelation, end times theology, violent rage, guilt, shame, fear, religious indoctrinationraccoonfoo'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, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Deadnaming, Death, Gore, Misogyny, Torture, Transphobia, Violence, Cannibalism, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Dysphoria, and Pandemic/Epidemic
spadedigsbutts'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
4.0
Graphic: Ableism, Body horror, Child death, Deadnaming, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Gore, Gun violence, Homophobia, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Sexism, Transphobia, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Vomit, Grief, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Dysphoria, Injury/Injury detail, and Pandemic/Epidemic
Moderate: Body shaming, Bullying, Child abuse, Confinement, Hate crime, Medical content, Mass/school shootings, Lesbophobia, Outing, and Classism
Minor: Torture, Toxic relationship, Toxic friendship, and Alcohol
cnaccarato's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Chronic illness, Cursing, Deadnaming, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Gore, Gun violence, Hate crime, Homophobia, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Sexism, Terminal illness, Torture, Toxic relationship, Transphobia, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Police brutality, Medical content, Grief, Religious bigotry, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Dysphoria, Injury/Injury detail, and Pandemic/Epidemic
tlaynejones's review against another edition
I am torn about whether I’ll try another book by Andrew Joseph White. I could tell that I actually really like his writing and storytelling, but if the topics/ themes are similar I may not….
I will add that I want to give Andrew Joseph White the biggest hug and offer to fight next to him against the torrential abuse of Christianity I fear he has experienced. ♥️♥️♥️
Graphic: Body horror, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Hate crime, Homophobia, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Torture, Transphobia, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Death of parent, Gaslighting, Dysphoria, and Injury/Injury detail
ezwolf's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Child death, Cursing, Deadnaming, Death, Genocide, Gore, Gun violence, Homophobia, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual content, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Transphobia, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Medical content, Grief, Religious bigotry, Medical trauma, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Dysphoria, Injury/Injury detail, and Pandemic/Epidemic
Moderate: Domestic abuse, Eating disorder, Misogyny, Physical abuse, and Death of parent
Minor: Alcohol and Classism
birdieex'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
The gore was excellently written. I could imagine every horrifying little detail. And I loved the plot twists throughout. I almost wish it was longer, simply because I loved the characters so much. I was pleasantly surprised at the representation of the mixed emotions that can come with abusive relationships. Love and revulsion often go hand in hand, and it's often ignored that we can feel both at the same time, especially while healing from trauma.
I loved this book with my entire heart.
Graphic: Body horror, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Gore, Homophobia, Toxic relationship, Transphobia, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Religious bigotry, Murder, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Pandemic/Epidemic
Moderate: Child death, Cursing, Deadnaming, Death, Gun violence, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Sexism, Torture, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, and Death of parent
Minor: Sexual content, Dysphoria, and Classism
astroem'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
5.0
Graphic: Body horror, Child abuse, Confinement, Deadnaming, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Hate crime, Homophobia, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Transphobia, Violence, Grief, Religious bigotry, Dysphoria, War, and Injury/Injury detail
mothiver'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
5.0
I’ve seen people call this book bad representation, but I don’t think it’s trying to be “representation”, in the sense we often use it these days. It’s not meant to show the queer experience to non-queer people in a way that shows them how Not Scary and Great To Give Human Rights To they are.
Instead, it directs itself to the people who have had those experiences, and presents every horrifying second of its narrative with an understanding that you know how this feels. I find myself reminded of the original concept of “the male gaze” - the way a woman watching a woman on screen must see her through the eyes of a man, because the Intended Audience are men. I never realised how much most queer media made me feel like I was watching a non-queer person watch queer people until I read this book, and realised it didn’t. Ironically, I actually think that makes it better representation than many books that try harder to be.
It is also one of the best portrayals of Autism I have ever experienced. I have NEVER seen a book that just… shows it, in all its messy reality, and treats the character as simply a person with flaws and strengths that so happen to fit a diagnostic criteria. I ain’t never seen a love interest lose speech before, and now I shall be chasing that high for the rest of my days.
Another thing I adored was the way that the characters were allowed to be angry. In this book, there is no strength to be found in Just Calming Down, or in Being The Bigger Person - at least, none that does not come from calmness letting you do exactly what you wanted to do angry. There is a certain relief in having a book take you by the shoulders and say you should be angry.
I would recommend Hell Followed With Us. No caveats, beyond making sure you can handle the content warnings. Read this book. You won’t regret it.
Graphic: Body horror, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Homophobia, Misogyny, Sexism, Toxic relationship, Transphobia, Violence, Blood, Religious bigotry, and Pandemic/Epidemic
Moderate: Cursing, Deadnaming, Gun violence, and Self harm
Minor: Ableism, Sexual content, and Alcohol