Reviews

In a dystopian wasteland, a group of genocidal cultists called the Angels are on a mission to destroy humanity. And Benji is their death weapon of choice. . .

Sixteen-year-old Benji will do anything to escape the cult that raised him. Not only do they not recognize the fact that he is a trans boy, they are also the direct cause of the end of the world. In one final ploy to kill all non-believers, the Angels have injected Benji with a deadly virus called Seraph that is gradually turning him into the ultimate weapon that holds the very fate of humanity in his hands. With no choice but to run, Benji is desperate for a sanctuary. When he comes across the Acheson LGBTQ+ Center (ALC), Benji finds solace that there are others like him in this near destroyed world. But the Angels will stop at nothing to retrieve their ultimate weapon. It looks like Benji may have to embrace the monster within to free the world from those who have long oppressed it.

This book is actually crazy. I didn't really know what I was getting myself into here, but it truly delivered. It's terrifying, it's heartwarming, it's inspirational, it's gruesome, and it's brutally honest. Trauma just bleeds from the pages of this narrative and it scares me to think of all the things that inspired the author to pen this novel. Also, the fact that this is going to be brought to the big screen is awesome, but goodness, it is going to be creepy as heck.

This book has a concept unlike anything I have ever read before. I've read many dystopian books in my day, but this is the first one that took a religious cultist approach to the end of the world. The deep dive into how easily religion can be used to push one's agendas is super freaky, and the look into the inner workings of a cult was terrifying. Watching Benji try to escape from the Angels was super intense, but it also showed an honest approach to how difficult it is to shake ideas that have been instilled in a person from a young age, despite how ridiculous they may be. The fact that the Angels were literally turning Benji into the ultimate doomsday weapon was hard to stomach, but it really shows the extremes that some extremist groups are willing to go to achieve their misguided principles. A super unique world that I will not be soon forgetting.

The community that is established at the ALC is so heartwarming. The Angels never viewed Benji for who he was, so getting to see him feel so validated just warmed my soul. The hell that Benji went through being a trans boy in a religious cult was brutal, and seeing him get a bit of respite was much appreciated. The amount of diversity in the LGBTQIA+ community that is present at the ALC makes sense because it's a help center for LGBTQIA+ teens, but it is still great to see all these kids come together in a little found family moment. Especially through all the brutal things they had to experience together.

Now let's just take a second to give the diverse representation a shout out. Pretty much any pronouns one can think of in this book are used. He, she, they, e, and xe are all present, and I love to see that. The fact that Nick, the unofficial leader of the ALC, is autistic is also a joy to read about. It was really great to see someone with autism put in a leadership position and I was interested to see how he reacted to some of these intense situations as a neurodivergent individual. The fact that beaded lizards are his comfort items really warmed my heart, and I couldn't help but really enjoy Nick as a character.

Benji's dysphoria within the cult was extreme. Between everyone using his dead name, calling him "Sister," or only thinking of him in terms of "the Seraph," it makes sense that it was so hard for Benji to thrive as who he is. I love seeing Benji grow more into his true self as the book progresses, even though he is physically turning more in the Seraph. I think books in which people unleash the monstrous sides of themselves are super cool, and the way that this manifest physically in this book was quite special. After a certain point, Benji doesn't want to hide any piece of himself, and there is some neat metaphorical stuff happening here. Also, Benji and Nick's gradually shift towards one another as generally misunderstood outsiders is so sweet. They both have their unique needs, and I am so glad that they are willing to accommodate for each other.

The body horror present in this book is seriously grotesque. Between the deadly virus that is turning humans into monsters, Benji's shift into becoming the Seraph (which involved many accounts of throwing up organs and parts of his face falling off), and the horrific things that the Angels do to their members, this book is often quite difficult to stomach. Be sure to take White's note at the start of the story into account and view the full list of triggering events.

Overall, "Hell Followed With Us" is an incredible read. There is much to be discussed about religion, trauma, cults, gender dysphoria, the LGBTQIA+ community, self-discovery, abuse, and so much more. I gleaned many lessons from this book, but was also thoroughly entertained while reading it. Yes, it is freaky and disturbing, but it also has a message of triumphant hope and rising to face one's personal demons. I really enjoyed my time with Benji and I will certainly be checking out the rest of Andrew Joseph White's work in the future.