A review by kenfoxley
Hell Followed with Us by Andrew Joseph White

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny inspiring mysterious 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

I cannot believe how much I loved this book. I had no expectations going into this despite what I read from the description on NetGalley. I couldn’t put this book down even if I tried, which is why I was so quick to finish it. I started reading it on the 22nd and it’s now the 27th, which if you know me at all you’d know that’s quick for me since I am a very slow reader. 

Benji is a trans boy who fled from New Nazareth, the main campus full of rebel evangelical Christians who are wrecking havoc on the world and killing and murdering nonbelievers in the name of god. I am going to try to keep this as spoiler free as possible but I may write a spoiler ridden review elsewhere. 

Benji is on the run when he and his dad are stopped by a group of Angels— the group of soldiers employed by New Nazareth to track down heretics and nonbelievers and do gods work by killing them— where his father is murdered and Benji has no choice but to run by himself. He is found by a kid named Nick who tells him to keep silent and he takes him back to his camp known as the ALC. The Acheson LGBTQ+ Youth Center, a center for LGBTQ+ teens and young adults to find peace and community with each other in the world they’re living in. 

The only thing eating away at Benji is the monster growing inside him, a literal monster that will eventually tear him apart and make him inhuman. 

This book is FULL of trigger warnings: body horror, violence, murder, blood, weapons, religious terrorism, transphobia, homophobia, gore, torture, apocalyptic themes, and grotesque descriptions of bodily horror. I was truly unprepared for some of what they talk about in this, and it starts right off the bat too. From the very first few pages it is filled with graphic descriptions that surprised me, and it only got worse from there. If any of this bothers you please be warned before picking this up when it hits the shelves this summer. 

I loved this so much I pre-ordered the physical copy of the book when it comes out and I plan on reading it again later on. It is written so well, but I would not say this is for young adults by any means. I think I would say this is more New Adult or Adult LGBTQ+ fiction. I don’t see this turning into a series or see a sequel on the horizon, it wrapped up so well that it felt perfect on it’s own!
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