I received this book as an ARC from Netgalley, however all opinions are my own.

So the reason I wanted to read this book is because as y'all know I'm trying to consume as much LGBTQIA+ media as possible this year and when I saw the description on Netgalley I thought I would absolutely love this story. I'm not gonna lie friends, I was a little meh about this book. We'll start off with the good parts about this book. 1: If you want a book with a lot of diversity this is absolutely the book for you, there's so many different characters and I'm sure almost anybody would be able to find someone that they could relate to within this book. 2: The concept of this book was really cool and interesting to read, and I really wish we got to know more about "the flood". 3: The way the author discusses LGBTQIA+ issues within this book is incredibly thought through and I love that Andrew was able to take from his own personal experiences. Now onto the bad, unfortunately, as cool as a concept that this book had, I didn't enjoy reading it. Yes, there's a lot of diversity in this book, but there was so many characters name mentioned I was struggling to keep up with who's who. I also found that this book was a little to juvenile for me (yes, I'm aware this book is a YA BUT I usually love YA books) especially for the topics that this book was hitting. I ended the book wanting to know so much more and I feel like so many questions weren't answered. Will I pick up another book from this author? Absolutely, I think I have two more ARCs of his to read. Was this book my favourite? Unfortunately not.

(If you'd like to see more of my reviews please go to my blog:
https://doesden.blogspot.com/)

Religious trauma and imagery mixed with the backdrop of apocalyptic horror. This book does well in portraying the hold Evangelicalism has on many of us growing up down to the specific moments of being taught you're not allowed to mourn the dead. But there is a spark of hope. The hope of finding your true family out of those horrors.

This one was a weird one for me — I love dystopia but hate horror, I love the post-apocalyptic/queer hybrid but hate gore…I also think I received a faulty ARC as there were definitely parts missing. It took me ages to realise that because I was constantly confused! The bits I did read were gross and visceral and curious and deep. I enjoyed the split narrative and it was interesting to see Benji’s viewpoints and mindset around religion, propaganda and identity develop.

Thanks to NetGalley for the free (and possibly incomplete) ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I am buying this. I liked it that much, but was only a couple chapters off of finishing before it was archived. In saying this, the writing and plot was really unique and interesting. Even though I didn't always know what was going on I couldn't put the novel down. I am going to buy it when I get paid so I can finish it.

Queer horror joy!

If you are looking to get into YA and want to weed out the overproduced trends, Andrew Joseph White has you covered!

Hell Followed With Us is a queer horror story that explores not only religious trauma but also the dangers of religious cults and how words can be used to justify horrors like genocide, bio-weapons, and cold-blooded murder.

The author creates a vivid, horrid description of everything from ruined cities post-plague to monsters made from human flesh. It's not for those with weak stomachs, especially if you have emetophobia.

Benji's story is horrific. It's about multiple forms of trauma and how that can impact someone, but also about how finding a family, finding people who truly care about you, can help you heal from that trauma. Between Nick and Theo, we see how someone's choices can affect their path, and how love, true love, does not have to be unconditional, or perfect, or at sight.

It's a powerful story about trans people, and it's the story we need now.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC!

*Thank you to NetGalley and Daphne Press for providing me this book in exchange for an honest review*

Well crafted story with a very cute yet fierce protagonist, this coming out of age story will captivate your heart. I HIGHLY suggest you read this book!

Such a stellar concept. At times, I wished some side characters were better developed, but still solid. A quick read despite its dark themes. Perfect for the Halloween season, and you’ll think about it long after you finish!

It's me.

Hi.
I'm the problem, it's me.


I'm sorry I just didn't get this book. At all.
The whole Angels. Flood and monsters needed to be explained more as I just didn't understand. However it definitely gives off resident evil vibes and the whole t virus thing.

The author states repeatedly that this book was written in A rage and that is so very clearly evident

So, this was an awesome concept. Benji is a young trans man on the run from the cult he was raised in. And they've turned him into A BIOWEAPON to wipe out all the non-beleivers - he is slowly turning into a biblical eldritch creature, and I love it. The story drops us right in the middle of the action, and it worked so well at first. The body-horror, gore, and monster descriptions were vivid and to start off with we were being fed snippets of the story in a really satisfying way - leaving enough to the imagination so that I kept wanting to read more.

But then the pacing just, stopped working? All of the characters were really one demensional and I just didn't believe in any of their relationships with each other and they weren't distinct enough so I kept forgetting who everyone was. So then I found it harder to care, or believe any of Benji's motives as the story progressed. It's such a shame because it is such a phenomenal concept - I got chills when Benji could control the Grace's, and those oddly tender moments when he showed them love and affection, and I can see how this would be a very cathartic book for lots of readers.

Anyway, thanks to Netgalley and Daphne Press for th ARC.

This book is more action-focused than the previous book I read from this author, which made it a bit harder for me to get into it. However, I love how this more fast paced, dystopian action is used to discuss heavy topics and character development in a more natural way.

A horror novel for the LGBTQ+ community, I think the LGBTQ side of this novel was very well done but nothing new. But the horror side of this this book need a lot of work, lots of things weren't explained clearly or in a disjointed manner and that was the main side I was interested in.

I am not usually a fan of post-apocalyptic type novels, but this is the exception! The world building was excellent, there a some very realistic and brutal descriptions of this severe world. The queer representation is amazing as well, just generally an enjoyable read. Definitely worth a read!

This is a very special book. I knew I was going to enjoy it entirely based on the premise but I really had the best time with it.
The characters are all incredible and so fleshed out, even secondary and tertiary characters felt like they had depth. And that worked so well with this book because we got to see those very personal and divisive conversations about different gender experiences and how people see eachother. For me, the conversation around gender was far more interesting that the horror.
But that said, the horror was amazing! The dystopian world was terrifying and the body horror was incredible.
I cant wait to read more from Andrew Joseph White

ENGLISH

Okay, so. A group of trans and other queer kids living in a post-apocalyptic world trying to survive and fight an extremist religious group while one of them kids is supposedly their Messiah or something. Oh, and there is a disease that turns people into monsters. So yeah, it is a 10/10.

I mean, anything with queer people is a win for me, ngl. But this book… I just… WOW. I was not expecting this. In fact, I finished last night, and I am still thinking about so many things.

My favourite part if the dilemmas and the allegories of the ML. Benji is a trans kid who scapes his very religious family/society because they have put some of that disease to make him their “saviour”. So he is set to become a literal monster. For me, the monster he sees, the one he will unavoidably become, is an allegory for several things: the religious trauma he carries, the rage from their abuse and the dysphoria he feels… I don't think it is related to him being trans, since there are more trans people in the book who are not infected nor become monsters. Still, I'm very into the theory of “people who do not follow the social norms are considered by the norm as monsters”. And I really enjoy books that have an approach to that idea and instead of trying to fit in, their characters embrace their identity away from the socially acceptable. Honestly? It could very easily become a classic.

I cried, too. It is not an easy story, there are many traumas, violence, abuse… It is not an easy world either, but is this one easy? The situation is very different from real life because of the disease and the monsters, but it is not that far away. It is a fair portrayal of a world during a war, the trauma it creates on everybody, the loses we carry, the pain, the rage, the politics of it all…

HOWEVER, there is love in it all. The family they create, all the queer kids no only trying to survive, but living, loving, and searching for freedom and happiness. It hits different. A context as cumbersome as this one, needed this found family storyline.

As a future academic and translator, I really want to work with this book, specially its translation. Pronouns are very important in this story, and they are very different in Spanish. Loved it in many ways.

Will I read more of this author? Yes.

It is a very violent book, very explicit with the gore and other more verbal violence, so please check the trigger warnings. Still, no only I do recommend it, but I need you to read it because I HAVE TO TALK ABOUT IT.

SPANISH

Un grupo de chicos trans y otros queer que viven en un mundo post-apocalíptico tratando de sobrevivir y luchar contra un grupo religioso extremista, mientras que uno de ellos es supuestamente su Mesías o algo así.
Ah, y hay una enfermedad que convierte a la gente en monstruos. Así que sí, es un 10/10.

Quiero decir, cualquier cosa con gente queer me gana, no lo voy a negar. Pero este libro ... Es tan ... WOW. No me lo esperaba. De hecho, lo terminé anoche y todavía estoy pensando en muchas cosas.

Mi parte favorita son los dilemas y las alegorías alrededor del protagonista. Benji es un chico trans que escapa de su muy religiosa familia/sociedad porque le han inyectado parte de esa enfermedad para convertirlo en su «salvador». Así que se ve obligado a convertirse en un monstruo de forma literal. Para mí, el monstruo que ve, en el que se convertirá inevitablemente, es una alegoría de varias cosas: el trauma religioso que arrastra, la rabia por sus abusos y la disforia que siente... No creo que esté relacionado con que sea trans, ya que hay más personas trans en el libro que no se infectan ni se convierten en monstruos. Aun así, me gusta mucho la teoría de «las personas que no siguen las normas sociales son consideradas como monstruos». Y me gustan mucho los libros que tienen un acercamiento a esa idea y en vez de intentar encajar, sus personajes abrazan su identidad alejada de lo socialmente aceptable. ¿Sinceramente? Podría convertirse en un clásico sin problemas.

También he llorado. No es una historia fácil, hay muchos traumas, violencia, abusos... Tampoco es un mundo fácil, pero ¿es éste fácil? La situación es muy diferente de la vida real por la enfermedad y los monstruos, pero no está tan alejada. Es un retrato bastante fiel de un mundo en plena guerra, del trauma que supone para todos, de las pérdidas que arrastramos, del dolor, de la rabia, de la política...

SIN EMBARGO, hay amor más allá de todo eso. La familia que crean, todos los niños queer que no sólo intentan sobrevivir, sino que viven, aman y buscan la libertad y la felicidad. Impacta de otra manera. Un contexto tan engorroso como éste, necesitaba este argumento de familia encontrada.

Como futura académica y traductora, tengo muchas ganas de trabajar con este libro, especialmente estudiar su traducción. Los pronombres son muy importantes en esta historia, pero son muy diferentes en español. Me ha enamorado en muchos sentidos.

¿Leeré más de este autor? Sí.

Es un libro muy violento, muy explícito con el gore y otras violencias más verbales, así que por favor revisad los trigger warnings. Aún así, no sólo lo recomiendo, sino que necesito que lo leáis porque TENGO QUE HABLAR DE ÉL.

This book hits hard. It’s a dark and queer YA fantasy/horror and one of the most original books I read recently. It’s rather challenging, as touching on religion, fanatism, and transphobia and is filled with violence, gore, and body horror. I would encourage readers to check the content warnings for this one, as it may not be for everyone.

What I liked about this book was that, in this horrible post-apocalyptic background, we were given the story of a teenager who just wants to decide how to live, love, and die. The focus is on the characters’ feelings rather than the action, making it emotional at times. It was also absolutely fascinating to see Benji change under the influence of the virus injected by his cult, the way it altered his mind and body, the way he attempted to resist it. This aspect of the novel was more scary to me than all the monsters that inhabit the pages.

To sum up, it’s a story about human resilience in a brutal dystopian world.

If Andrew Joseph White writes it, I will rate it 5 stars, and this is no exception. A religious horror set in a dystopian world, Hell Followed with Us kept me on my toes the entire read-through. Benji escapes a cult that wants to use him as a weapon, only to find himself among the queer teens' rebellious group. Wanting to help them, Benji is on a clock, one which will end his life, and potentially those around him.

Andrew Joseph White always manages to craft such rich immersive worlds, no matter the period or storyline, along with a complex group of characters. Every line is thoughtful and serves a purpose, so many of which resonated with me on a personal level.

A fun concept and one of the best and most realistic trans characters I have read in a long time. I enjoyed the setting and found the christian apocalypse really fun, however I wish the ending had been more concrete. The teens win, but there is no details about how the survive after and I was under the impression the main character was almost dead after his transformation. Does he die or is he forced to live the rest of his life as a 'monster'? Maybe that was intentional but it felt like it fell a little flat to me.

I recommend this book to every queer person (especially trans) i know and they always absolutely love it. This book will forever be one of my favourites, I never thought a horror book could be a comfort read but the characters in this book are so loveable.

This was also one of the first books with autism representation that really felt like Me and I will forever be grateful for that!

I cannot wait to read everything Andrew Joseph White ever writes

arc review | hell followed with us
3 ⭐️
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“What's going on in my head? What do I believe? How much of it is me, and how much of it was put there?”
— Andrew Joseph White, Hell Followed With Us
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Sixteen-year-old trans boy Benji is on the run from the cult that raised him—the fundamentalist sect that unleashed Armageddon and decimated the world’s population. Cornered by monsters born from the destruction, Benji is rescued by a group of teens from the local Acheson LGBTQ+ Center, affectionately known as the ALC. The ALC’s leader, Nick, is gorgeous, autistic, and a deadly shot, and he knows Benji’s darkest secret: the cult’s bioweapon is mutating him into a monster deadly enough to wipe humanity from the earth once and for all.
~
I have been really struggling with how to review this book. Religious horror with queer representation? 10/10. I absolutely adored the diversity of characters. And the grotesque imagery, religious allegories, and overall plot? Absolutely AMAZING. I was hooked from the very beginning.
~
Unfortunately, the world building and characters just fell quite flat for me. Don’t get me wrong, I absolutely applaud the author’s diversity of characters. But, personally, I think there were just too many. At times, it was hard to remember who was who with how quickly they were all introduced one after the other. And if you asked me ANYTHING about the characters other than their gender identity, sexual orientation or their pronouns, I could not tell you. Aside from maybe Benji and Nick, the characters had no depth. I would have preferred a smaller number of characters so we, as the reader, can form a deeper connection with them. Or at the very least, introduce them at different times so that they don’t all blur together.
~
I genuinely believe this book had the potential to be one of my all time favourites. But the lack of detailed world building really hindered the reading experience as I didn’t understand what had happened to give this religious cult so much power, and what ‘The Flood’ actually referred to.
~
For a debut novel, it was really impressive. I loved the exploration of Benji’s descent into madness, the queer representation, the autism representation, the rage, and the religious criticisms. Overall, I definitely enjoyed this book. It has some dark themes, so I recommend checking any trigger and content warnings before reading it.