Reviews tagging 'Body shaming'

Hell Followed with Us by Andrew Joseph White

46 reviews

erica_reads_things's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional 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? It's complicated

4.5

Wow. Wow wow wow are my lasting and not very articulate thoughts after finishing this book. I throughly enjoyed the very deep insights into religion, religious trauma, and gender identity that this work centers around. How insightfully written and creative. I'm going to be thinking about this one for a long time, I think. 

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Content Warnings

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

kickitupanotch7's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional 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? It's complicated

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Deadnaming, Death, Genocide, Gore, Homophobia, Misogyny, Terminal illness, Transphobia, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Medical content, Religious bigotry, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Dysphoria, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Pandemic/Epidemic

Moderate: Chronic illness, Cursing, Domestic abuse, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, and Toxic relationship

Minor: Ableism, Body shaming, and Alcohol

hemlockbabe's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious sad tense

• 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

This book was disgusting in a visceral, gore-y way. If I had read literally any trigger warnings online, I would have been prepared, but as is it was a pretty interesting thing to discover as I read this book in the hours that the game store I was managing was completely and consistently dead.
I adored this book. I picked it up entirely on a whim during pride month on the wall of recommended reading at a small bookstore. I read (more like skimmed) the blurb on why the shop employee recommended it so highly. I love reading religious trauma inspired books, so I pretty much was sold immediately. 
I devoured this book during the span of one six hour shift at my workplace. I've always been a fast reader- it's my attention span that ruins my ability to read books. This book sucked me in hard enough that occasionally I had to be prompted multiple times by customers to buy their stuff. 
I don't know if I would have had a different experience with it if I had known of the trigger warnings, especially the violence, purposeful misgendering, and body horror. I've always loved zombie books, and I read those curled up in chairs in the library of my high school, so I didn't think much of the location I would be reading this book.
Public crying, for me, is the highest form of torture, but I couldn't tear my eyes away from the pages of this book. The pacing, the content, the plight of the main character- all of it kept me hooked until the very end. I'm just glad I didn't snap at a kid for interrupting my reading time with a craving for Pokémon cards.
My review doesn't mean much in the grand scheme of public opinion- I have a history of really liking books and movies that had piss poor reviews and ratings- but I loved this book so much. As I've gotten older and more mentally ill, I don't get sucked into the pages of a book like a used to as a kid. I miss the ability to be absorbed in a story until it's done, and this book brought that back for me.
This book is definitely not for everyone, and all readers should be mindful of their triggers to disturbing content. But I definitely enjoyed myself, hence the five star rating.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Gore, Homophobia, Mental illness, Self harm, Transphobia, Forced institutionalization, Religious bigotry, Outing, Cultural appropriation, and Pandemic/Epidemic

Moderate: Ableism, Body shaming, Deadnaming, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Cannibalism, Gaslighting, and Abandonment

Zombie apocalypse, and a religious cult worshipping it as the rapture. Or God's work to cleanse this Earth and remake it anew.

nicosta_music's review against another edition

dark emotional inspiring mysterious tense 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? It's complicated

4.5

Hell Followed With Us was such an amazing book! Benji as a main character was relatable, well-written, and fleshed out (pun intended). The body horror was definitely body-horroring. The background of the apocalypse really kept me interested and I liked how details were slowly revealed over time. The world-building was especially really cool and felt like a bio-warfare version of Far Cry 5. My only point of contention is that I had to use a bit of suspension of disbelief when it came to the alt-right Christian cult allowing women and minorities to hold power in their ranks.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Cursing, Deadnaming, Death, Genocide, Gore, Gun violence, Hate crime, Self harm, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail, and Pandemic/Epidemic

Moderate: Confinement, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual content, Grief, and Religious bigotry

Minor: Body shaming, Transphobia, and Medical content

peggyluwho's review against another edition

dark tense 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? It's complicated

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Death, Genocide, Gore, Homophobia, Transphobia, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, Murder, and Pandemic/Epidemic

Moderate: Ableism, Body shaming, Child abuse, Cursing, Deadnaming, Medical content, Fire/Fire injury, Dysphoria, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Bullying and Sexual content

winterhartarts's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring mysterious reflective sad tense medium-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? Yes

4.0

Was a little slow for the first roughly half of the book, and most of the main characters felt slightly undeveloped at that point. However, once the halfway point happens, this really turn wild, and I was far more engaged until the very end. The world building kept me through the first half as well, so there’s a lot to be said for how the author fully actualized this kind of post-apocalyptic world filled with zombie amalgamations that all at once resembled ones from the games in The Last Of Us series and specifically the big blob from the game Inside. Imagery was always on point too, and I really felt engaged during times it was utilized. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Animal death, Body horror, Body shaming, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Chronic illness, Cursing, Deadnaming, Death, Drug use, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Gore, Gun violence, Hate crime, Homophobia, Mental illness, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual content, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Toxic relationship, Transphobia, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Xenophobia, Blood, Vomit, Medical content, Kidnapping, Grief, Mass/school shootings, Cannibalism, Religious bigotry, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, Colonisation, Dysphoria, War, Injury/Injury detail, Classism, and Pandemic/Epidemic

wheelyautistic's review against another edition

dark emotional hopeful reflective sad 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

Finishing this book felt bittersweet because I wanted to find out more about what happened but I am so glad I read it.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Body shaming, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Deadnaming, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Gore, Gun violence, Hate crime, Homophobia, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Torture, Toxic relationship, Transphobia, Violence, Blood, Excrement, Vomit, Kidnapping, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Outing, Gaslighting, Abandonment, Dysphoria, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Pandemic/Epidemic

karenreadsbooks's review against another edition

dark

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Body shaming, Confinement, Deadnaming, Death, Genocide, Gore, Homophobia, Physical abuse, Toxic relationship, Transphobia, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Pandemic/Epidemic

vixenreader's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful informative inspiring mysterious reflective sad tense 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? It's complicated

5.0

One of my favourite books this summer, this book portrays what it means to find chosen family, confronting dogmatic prejudice, escaping past abuse (especially biological family), and going through Hell and back. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Body horror, Body shaming, Child abuse, Chronic illness, Confinement, Cursing, Deadnaming, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Homophobia, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Toxic relationship, Transphobia, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Medical content, Grief, Mass/school shootings, Religious bigotry, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Outing, Dysphoria, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Bullying, Child death, Gun violence, Misogyny, Sexism, Sexual content, Stalking, and Classism

Minor: Pedophilia, Racism, Pregnancy, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, and War

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.

percys_panda_pillow_pet's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious reflective tense 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

5.0

There's honestly not much to say here. Hell Followed With Us by Andrew Joseph White is a fantastic book that had me gripped from the dedication page all the way until the end. I read it so quickly that I had extra time on my hands I didn't account for because I thought it might take me a little longer to read. The pacing was fantastic, the switch between character points of view was masterful, I loved all the little in-universe epigraphs, and, of course, the writing was amazing.

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. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Child death, Deadnaming, Death, Eating disorder, Genocide, Gore, Gun violence, Terminal illness, Torture, Transphobia, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Grief, Religious bigotry, Abortion, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Dysphoria, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Pandemic/Epidemic

Moderate: Ableism, Confinement, Domestic abuse, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Racism, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, and Alcohol

Minor: Body shaming, Chronic illness, Mental illness, Outing, and Toxic friendship