A deeply moving story. I really enjoyed it.

Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this.

Thank you Daphne Press and Netgalley for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I've heard great things about this book, and the cover art drew me in immediately. It did not disappoint. I devoured it, captivated by the post-apocalyptic setting, the body horror and the theme of found family, which is one of my favorites. This was a journey filled with rage and a reminder that everyone deserves to love and be loved. It gripped me from the very start. The representation was fantastic, featuring a diverse cast of characters that were wonderfully written.
The writing was beautiful, and the descriptions of horror and gore were so captivating that I couldn't put it down. I'm looking forward to reading more from this author!

A wildly visceral story, with religious trauma and dysmorphia being explored through a dystopian world that feels scarily close to our reality. Absolutely loved it, and the way the body horror tied into the dysmorphia Benji feels and how he embraces himself in the end.

Angel’s review 👼🏻👿
rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Prepare to die. His kingdom is near.

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. Desperately, he searches for a place where the cult can’t get their hands on him, or more importantly, on the bioweapon they infected him with.

I don’t know how to write this review without just spoiling the whole book for everyone. 😅 Throughout the book we follow Benji’s (our mc’s story) through his eyes and the eyes of Nick, a gay autistic boy who helps rescue our MC from the cult. A disease has been created by the cult and is used as a weapon against those deemed as heretics, bringing the world almost to its end. Benji with the help of Nick and his group come together to bring the cult to an end.
Have you ever loved an arc read so much you had to buy the paperback? Cause I did. 😅 I was 80% through this book when I purchased the paperback edition (in my defence, look how pretty it is (what’s not pictured is the sprayed edges that are also so pretty)) and I finished reading it on the physical book. For a not very religious person, this book hit the spot for me, it gripped me, it made me feel uncomfortable, turn my face away cringing from the more graphic parts, one of the darkest ya books I’ve ever read. All the lgbqta+, poc, autism representation really pulled through and made this book unique, I honestly loved seeing all the rep.
The concept was absolutely a 10/10, execution lost it a little at some parts but mostly cause I would’ve liked it to be a little more fast paced, more cohesive and the rest of the side characters to have had more depth besides the few that were mostly focused on, otherwise it would’ve been an easy 5 start read for me.

Thanks to netgalley for the arc. 🤗

Hell Followed with Us is an absolutely brutal and fabulous book. It was my first book by him and I am completely sold. I loved the characters and the world they live in. White writes a book that does exactly what horror should - I was fascinated, uncomfortable, and completely satisfied by the ending. Although Hell Followed with Us takes place in a dystopian landscape, it feels a little too close to our reality and this book felt so incredibly topical.

Major content warnings, especially for body horror. Would recommend looking them up before starting!

This book truly lives up to the blurb! It has SO much going on. I liked Benji as a character & could really feel their rage & religious trauma. I enjoyed the plot & all the characters.

However I did have a little trouble with elements of worldbuilding being glossed over & the pacing was a little hit and miss from time to time.

Thank you to the publisher and netgalley for allowing me to read a copy of this book.

Managed to actually finish it this time around! Still don't know if I fully like reading books this gory, but I liked the representation the book had! Definitely wanna read more books by this author!

I was initially really drawn to this book due to the gorgeous cover art! I’m also really pleased that I managed to finish this on the last day of LGBTQ+ History Month :)

This was certainly a very unique story - Benji, a 16-year-old trans boy, has run away from a religious cult that was responsible for releasing Armageddon, and is now living in a post-apocalyptic, fundamentalist world. Whilst the cult tracks him down for being their newest bioweapon, Seraph, he finds a group of teens hiding out at a local LGBTQ+ centre that take him in.

The diverse cast was probably one of the best things about this book - all of the supporting characters were super interesting to read about and I really appreciated such broad representation, as that’s something you very rarely see in media. However, I think that there were just too many characters introduced all at once, so I never really got the hang of who was who. It's a shame but I didn't really feel emotionally connected to anyone in the story.

In terms of the storytelling, I unfortunately didn’t really follow the flow of the actual story that well. I think this was because not too much happened in the moments between the action, and a lot of the story was broken up by hallucinations and internal monologue that didn’t quite work for me. The plot did eventually pick up about 75% through the book but I think this came way too late and I was somewhat uninvested by that point.

I will say, though, that the moments of action were definitely my favourite parts of this book - the body horror was amazing, it was so visceral and spine-chilling that I wanted to look away but couldn’t take my eyes off the page! I won’t give any spoilers, but what Benji went through throughout the book was horrific and made me wince.

I feel very torn on how to feel about this book - it's more of a 3.5-star rating. I’m only rating it slightly lower due to my personal experience reading it, but I can understand why it may connect much more with other readers. I definitely think this is worth reading if you connect with any of the characters or plot, but please look up the trigger warnings if any issues are upsetting to read about because, emotionally, this was not an easy book for me to read.

Thank you to NetGalley and Daphne Press for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Sometimes, a book is so good I cannon contain my thoughts in a short, organised review. And some other times, a book is so good I am at loss for words. Don't know which case it is now, but one thing is sure: this book was incredible.

Andrew Joseph White's writing is spectacular. In every single one of his novels (and now I can say it: I read them all!), he manages to convey beautiful, heart shattering elements, while writing gory, shocking things that leave their marks. There is no explaining how much I love this writer, for his oh-so particular style, but also the life he infuses in his characters, the realness of it all. I can say with certitude that Hell Followed with us is a novel that should be studied (love the discussions points at the end of the book, brilliant add-on), for its story structure, its writing but above all for its story.

The thing I enjoy the most about this author's story is the way he manages to surprise me at every turn. The structure of his stories is always pretty simple and straight forward, but its content is unbelievably clever and doesn't fail to strike true - every single time. Hell Followed with Us is one of these novels you won't be able to put down, by curiosity, obsession, or simply because it is THIS good. When I reached the end, I felt so empty from leaving these amazing characters (Nick has my heart), but also so... Content, to have finished this story and be able to reflect on it.

The characters left their marks. Deep in my mind. When I wasn't reading, I was thinking about Benji and his horrific fate, about his tenacity and diligence in the face of everything. He is the embodiment of trauma and healing at the same time, and his story truly is an hyperbole of experiences a lot of trans people go through. I think the author did an amazing job writing such a tragic character (because, let's face the truth: Benji is having a crap time in this book) that we do not pity, but support. He might be the strongest, bravest, most no-bullshit character I've read.
Besides Benji, the rest of the characters is equally amazing. From the ALC leader Nick, an autistic late-teenager who goes through his daily life masking and trying to keep it together, to the rest of the group (all queer, all amazing) who welcome Benji like family and made for some of the most touching situations I've read in a horror post-apocalyptic book.

If you don't read this book for the post-apocalyptic vibes, for the gory and horrific details, for the characters or for the hint of romance, then please do so for it's incredible background. The discussion on religion is nuanced, extremely well made (respectful while making a point - extremism can very well destroy the planet) and really sets the tone for the book. You can be religious while not agreeing with things from your religion, you can realise you're atheist after being raised in Faith, you can experience religion differently than others do. Tuning it down, I found a lot of similarities between Benji's experience and mine and it felt refreshing to read of a characters who exposes the wrong doings of extremism in religion, while embracing the fact that it is far from being the only way to have Faith. Brilliant.

Thank you to the author, NetGalley and the publisher (Daphne Press) for the chance to read this book in exchange for an honest review. #HellFollowedWithUs #NetGalley

This was a very curious book, full of rage, teen drama, questions about faith and identity, but on top of all this, it is absolutely horror. It's been a while since I read a book this disgusting, full of gore, my stomach turned up all the time, but this all works great together! I don't often read horror, nor I am a big fan, however this book was exceptional, it kept the pressure on all the way and although it is a story it will stay with me, I don't think I would reread it. But don't let this deter you, if you are a horror fan, or you like Neon Genesis Evangelion, I wholeheartedly recommend this book!

Thank you to NetGalley and Daphne Press for this E-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

3.75⭐️

I have no idea how to write a review for this book because it was absolutely wild. Whatever you go into this book thinking it will be, I can guarantee that is not the case. This book is truly unlike anything I've ever read, it's wacky and wild and I mean that as a compliment. This was my first foray into horror, and I'm not too sure how I feel about the genre. I will definitely be returning to read more of Andrew Joseph White's books, but I don't think I'll be exploring the genre much beyond that.

This book reads like a fever dream. It's dark and gritty and incredibly gory (please bear this in mind and approach this book with caution). It was a lot more serious than I was expecting, approaching topics such as religion, religious extremism, cults, genocide, alongside LGBTQ+ issues with such nuance and maturity. This book definitely falls into the upper side of YA literature, and borders on adult I think. I have great respect for the author in how he approached these heavy topics with such respect, and interwove them into this absolutely mad and complex story that was certainly hooking for beginning to end.

I do want to take a moment to discuss the representation in this book. Whilst it's obvious to me that the LGBTQ+ rep is incredibly well done, diverse, and intersectional, and Benji's story of self-discovery/acceptance (alongside becoming a biblically accurate angel, trust me when I say this book is wild), I want to focus on the autism rep, specifically Nick. I am autistic, and I find it so hard to find books that represent me in a positive light, or don't take the approach of trying to 'fix' the autistic character, but Nick was everything I wanted. I felt very seen in his character, and found it so heart-warming to see meltdowns and shutdowns and stimming and going non-verbal (among other aspects) depicted so accurately. The author did not shy away from Nick's autism, did not portray him as someone who needed to be fixed, and instead allowed him to be his true self (even when Nick perhaps didn't want to). It meant a lot for me to see an autistic character so wonderfully depicted, and this has made me excited to read more of Andrew Joseph White's work in the future.

For me, I did find much of this book too confusing. I felt that lots of the worldbuilding - particularly surrounding the Flood, Seraph, the dream-like world that Benji (and other characters??) enter some times - was too under-developed/explained. I spent too much of this book utterly confused and lost with what was happening, particularly in the second half, which unfortunately hindered my enjoyment. Even having finished the book now and looking back, I still do not understand any of it.

Overall, if you asked me to sum up this book, I would find it impossible. This book is a wild, yet dark, ride that I didn't entirely understand, but I had a lot of (albeit confused) fun whilst reading this and would recommend checking it out! Please make sure you know what you're getting into with the content warnings though!!

Thank you Daphne Press and Netgalley for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Hell Followed With Us is a brilliant example of how how LGBTQ MC's can be found in varying genres. This is book is a horror dystopia where religious extremests have taken over to cleanse the earth. This includes turning people into monsters to do their bidding.

I felt really invested in the main character Benji (gay trans masc escaping the religious zealots) and his found family in the ALC gang. His relationship with Nick was well developed, however, I found the side characters a little bland.

As I'd already read The Spirit Bares it's Teeth I was prepared for the level of gore (not my usual thing) so I was able to concentrate more on the storyline.

Overall, it's a pretty solid yes from me.

Thank you Daphne Press and Netgalley for providing me with an e-arc of this book in exchange for an honest review.

After reading and loving The Spirit Bares Its Teeth last year, I knew I HAD to read this book. It was one of my most anticipated reads for this month.

This is such a unique book! It has so many different elements from different genre’s mixed into it and it makes for a really compelling read.

I’m not gonna lie, I expected it to lean more into horror than it did based on what I’d heard, but maybe this is just me once again not being easily scared or horrified? 😅

I loved our main character, Benji. He was so interesting and multi-layered and I was really rooting for him the whole time. For obvious reasons. But I didn’t feel an emotional connection with him, or with any of the characters, if I’m being honest. I felt a slight tug at the found family aspect but that’s about it. I wanted to feel more, to care more.

I was hooked on the plot, but not on the characters, in the end. Still a great read and I do recommend it, especially for fans of body horror.

This is a very angry book. It's also a very good book. It wouldn't be quite right to say I enjoyed it, considering the subject matter, but it was gripping and well-written.

I'm really looking forward to reading this author's third book (and since I was lucky enough to get approved for an arc of it I won't have to wait long to read it, I just need something lighter as a palate cleanser).

This was a great read! I enjoyed this so much that I purchased the Waterstones special edition. I really enjoyed the characters and the horror elements were really vivid! The world felt very real even with the more fantastical elements and I found I became invested in the relationships and how the problems were going to be solved throughout the plot! I definitely recommend this to anyone who enjoys dystopian horror with sci fi mixed in. I would also recommend this to anyone who is maybe new to any of these genres as it's a plot that will have you gripped and its a good way to dabble in the horror and sci fi genres.

Thank you to Daphne Press and NetGalley for my digital review copy.

This scratched an itch I didn't know I had. It was cathartic and full of rage and it's definitely going to sit with me for a while.

It's a fast paced, dystopian apocalyptic story following Benji as he escapes from the fundamentalist cult that raised him.

This was gloriously graphic and full of some disturbing body horror and the right amount of cathartic rage. Each and every member of ALC was so vivid that I wish I could interact with them.

This is a book I can always see myself recommending if anyone wants horror.

It deals with a lot of heavy content, ranging from gore, suicide, to abuse, so please do check them before you read.

A powerful, visceral scream of defiance, this body-horror is written with savage beauty. The religious cult that Benji was raised in has brought on the Flood: a plague that warps the bodies of its victims where it does not kill, and the biggest plans of all are for Benji…

His new friends at the LGBTQ+ centre can never know where he escaped from. But will Benji’s ongoing transformation doom or save them?

The author’s exploration of identity and dysphoria and rage and control is skilfully done and the character work is excellent. This is a trans story of hope amidst horror. A debut to watch.

First up, you need some content warnings before reading this book: transphobia, homophobia, death, body gore, Emetophobia, violence. There are a lot of depictions of fluid and damage to human bodies so if you're squeamish, it might not be the book for you.

This book is a lot. It made me feel uncomfortable, made me cry, made me angry but also made me hope. I found some parts of it difficult to get through for different reasons. Some sections were so graphic that they really made me feel a bit sick. Others seemed to drag a lot and take me out of the action. I ultimately stuck with it because I wanted Benji to get to live his life and had to follow his story through to the end.

I did want more motivation from Benji as I felt like there wasn't much beyond 'he wanted to escape because he's trans and now he wants some sort revenge but he also doesn't because he wants to be good'. I wanted to find out more about him other than just how he felt about Theo, Nick and religion. I also wanted more chapters from other people as they tended to keep the pace up.

I'm struggling with exactly how to rate this book. I want to rate it 4 stars as the representation was mostly great. However, I think the pacing lets it down a bit. I think ultimately it is a 3.5 star book.

Hell Followed With Us is unapologetically gory, rageful queer horror that made me sit up and pay attention. This may be my first book from Andrew Joseph White, but it certainly will not be my last.

Benji come into my life and stole my heart instantly. He is deeply fractured and flawed, the product of a deeply broken and hateful society that forces monstrosity upon him under the guise of blessing. The religious fanaticism on display here is sickening, especially with that false morality of being righteousness. Your heart breaks for Benji over and over again. That is what makes the bloody hellscape the book delves into at times so precisely cathartic and emotional. The stakes have been so well crafted that you are invested in this and you feel that rage consume you as it does Benji. This is not a book that will shy away from that – it is visceral and messy and deeply human.

Also, it is not a book that backs down in terms of gore. It is wonderfully wicked and wrathful body horror that delves into the apocalyptic days of disaster. Horror should challenge and provoke a reader and White’s anger is incredibly timely. A lot of the messaging in the book is not too far removed from messages seen in wider media and society at the moment – twisted through a dystopian lens of apocalypse and monstrosity beyond our imagination. That fury seeps into your skin while reading. There is also a throughline about not letting it fully consume you though – finding your own balance and peace without forgiveness. I’m glad we strayed from some of the typical ‘being the better person’ themes – marginalised people of all communities deserve to feel their anger and have it be recognised, rather than diminished.

Hell Followed With Us explores queer anger, particularly at a system determined to destroy and deny us. It pulsates with fury and delves deep into the darkness and bloodshed. In short, it is magnificent in its malice.

"Prepare to Die. His kingdom is near." is a whirlwind of apocalyptic chaos that left me more confused than captivated. Sixteen-year-old trans boy Benji escapes a cult that triggered the end of the world, only to discover he's been infected with a bioweapon turning him into a potential monster. Rescued by a group of teens from the Acheson LGBTQ+ Center, led by the enigmatic and secretive Nick, Benji must navigate his new reality while grappling with his transformation.

The book tackles themes of identity, belonging, and survival but often feels overwhelming and convoluted. It might resonate deeply with some readers, but for me, it was a challenging and bewildering read that left more questions than answers. Maybe it's neurodiverseness but something went over my head here.