A review by adavidson37
Hell Followed with Us by Andrew Joseph White

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful reflective tense
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes

5.0

This book stemmed from an anger that I heavily relate to at this point in time in my life. Maybe not quite fully for all the same reasons, but just the base emotion. To read something that matched my energy so well was refreshing and comforting- it made me feel less alone.

This is a book about rage, and privilege, and growing up queer, and religious trauma, and love, and survival. It shows queer kids that they can fight back- that they can make it out of hell alive.

Its intense and keeps you on your toes, but also soft and tender at the right moments. Its got a trans main character, an autistic love interest, a couple characters with neo-pronouns, and lots of racial diversity. Reading a book with one of the main characters being autistic was a first for me, and a game changer as someone who falls under the neurodivergent umbrella. We got to see him from multiple pov’s, including his own, and the way everyone took in his autistic traits and rolled with them so casually and respectfully made me so happy.

I’m writing this review a day after finishing the book because it left me speechless- I needed 24 hours to process. It’s definitely a favorite of mine now.