A thought provoking story about a trans boy who struggled to live because the only person who supported him is dead. The story is fine but I didn't enjoy it, it simply not to my liking.

*review based off a partial read*

Content warnings:
- homophobia
- Transphobia
- GRAPHIC VIOLENCE
- Mentioned sexual assault (I might be misreading things)
- Domestic abuse
- religious fundamentalism and abuse
- So so much body horror
- Self injury
- Suicide attempt

Thoughts:
- props for being one of the few books I’ve read, YA or Adult, that openly mentions periods, underclothes, pads and tampons
- Beautiful imagery “the boy with bones like monuments”

This book has occupied every second thought of mine while I was reading it. Unfortunately because of health issues I wasn’t able to finish it before my review period ended. This is a gorgeous book that deals with a lot of difficult/heavy subjects with grace and tact. If you’re a fan of body horror and gorgeous imagery you’ll love this book. I would be VERY CAREFUL about recommending this book to teens, especially if they’re younger. Definitely check the list of content warnings and make sure they’re aware that this book is extremely graphic.

Hell Followed with Us by Andrew Joseph White is a complicated tale full of religious imagery, a zombie like virus, and different sects trying to gain the upper hand in a post-apocalyptic sci-fi tale. While I appreciated the world-building and representation in the story I was unable to keep an interest in the characters or storyline and ended up DNF-ing at about 20%.

Holy HELL, this is one scream of a book. I had to just ... sit after finishing it, because I've never read anything that's this level of intense, lyrical, visceral, emotional, and BATSHIT, and it simply does not. Let. Up.

Obviously, there are some major content warnings to be aware of. It's extremely (EXTREMELY) gory throughout, with lots of complicated feelings about identity and dysphoria. It's a story about a trans boy whose body is *literally* decaying from the inside out, thanks to the religious fundamentalist cult he belonged to -- the very same cult that reduced the world to a bloody wasteland thanks to a virus called the Flood.

Almost every page contains body horror. But while HELL FOLLOWED WITH US is certainly not for the faint of heart, it didn't feel as dark as the content led me to expect. Every line is taut with rage, yet as others has mentioned, there's a fierce kind of hope underneath it all. It's about coming of age in a dying world, finding your people, and knowing how to use the monster inside you. It's about teeth and feathers and religious angst, about trauma and found family, and how there will *always* be something (or someone) worth saving.

What else can I say? Andrew Joseph White has written the most beautifully feral book I've read since GIDEON THE NINTH, and tbh, I'm just grateful to Peachtree Teen for ensuring such a bizarre and ballsy book is going to exist in the world. This is a truly unique post-apocalyptic YA horror with incredible diversity, and I can't wait to see what the author writes next.

Thanks to Netgalley and Peachtree for the ARC of Hell Followed with Us!

What drew me to this book was the super cool cover. Then it promised to be filled body horror?? Yeah, count me in.

I must say, think this book delivered with the body horror. I really loved the way it was used and how it factored into the almost fantasy-post-apocalyptic setting. I also felt like this was a great way to explore transgender feelings and anger towards a body that does not always feel like their own.

The story was very religion centric but it worked for me because we spent the entire book following the main character, Benji, after he has left the church. It presented some very interesting topics on religion, faith, and morality that made for an engaging read.

My gut told me to rate this 4 stars, rather than 3-3.5 just because I think there is a lot of potential here. I think it was missing just a few key elements that would have made this better. The main feeling I had throughout this read was disconnected. I feel like I lacked a lot of context, especially at the beginning. You are dropped straight into the action and things are explained bit by bit along the way. But I think I needed a little more to get me "into" this new setting and world. Maybe some flashbacks would have helped this? I'm not sure. Additionally, I wanted a little more from the supporting characters. Some felt flat and like they were filling certain "types" of friends typically found in groups.

Overall, I felt this was a great debut and I can't wait to see what the author does next! I would recommend this book to fans of body horror, religious discourse, and for those searching for books with trans main characters!

This book was an incredibly interesting concept but I could have appreciated a bit more exposition in the first half as it was hard to follow the worldbuilding. Nicks perspective was great to read and there were a lot of diverse and interesting characters. Some parts were written in a very confusing manner but otherwise it was a fun read.

To preserve my transparency as a reviewer, while I read about 30% into this book and briefly marked it as currently reading on Goodreads during this time, I have decided to DNF it for the time being. I'm grateful for having received an ARC, and I am a big fan of this up and coming publishing house for actively promoting positive diversity and publishing young adult books that feature characters form underrepresented communities.

The writing in this book was simplistic yet stunning, and the character work took my breath away time and time again. It was truly beautiful to watch the author weave a dastardly plot through the point of view of a character such as our hero. However, I have a very specific type of religious trauma and while I was certain that I would be able to get through this book and that it was be a healing experience for me, as well as a potential new favorite, I wasn't expecting so much of the book to be centered around this specific experience of mine.

I think this is a book that a lot of young people need, however. Especially young trans people and people of faith. I implore the publishing house and author to continue to market it to their target audience and would also like to thank everyone involved in this book's making and publication for including the brief content warning at the beginning. Thank you.

I'm not going to lie, the book cover is what made me want to read this book so I was not prepared for the beautiful chaos that is this book. I did not think it literally was an end of the world, armageddon type place.

Once I got over my shock, I enjoyed this book to no end. The pacing was good and how the author build the world was perfect. I was activated from the very first page, this book was so good.

This book was brutal, gory, violent, and unsettling. At times it made me sick to my stomach - I wasn’t expecting the gore and brutality, & *vivid* descriptions of violence and mutation and illness - and honestly, I had a hard time reading this book because of them. However, this book wasn’t *for* me - horror fans (who don’t mind a bit of gore) will probably delight in it!

There’s a lot of great LGBTQ2SIA+ representation in this book. So many different sexualities, genders, and pronouns, I think a lot of people will see themselves in this book.

This book is also full of heart. It’s a story about found family, and creating your own community. It’s a story about rage - against a world that is so set against you, and people like you.

Beautifully written, this book will move you.

”If they want me to be a monster one step closer to God, that’s fine. In what world was their God ever a benevolent one?”

in hell followed with us, most of humanity has been wiped out by ‘the flood’, a deadly virus set free by a fundamentalist sect - the angels - who believe god has chosen them to purge the earth.
the main character benji, a trans boy, is trying to escape the sect that raised him and taking away what's most precious to the angels: he is infected with a particular strain of the virus, transforming him into the creature that's supposed to lead the angels in their holy war and bring the end of the world.

i've never been much for horror, but i've found myself loving quite a few queer horror books these past few years - and hell followed with us is so very queer, and full of rage.

at the heart of the story is a group of queer kids who find themselves at the end of the world in in a lgbtq+ youth shelter, stuck with each other if they want to survive. the dystopian setting is a great backdrop for the friendships and found family dynamics developing between benji and the kids at the shelter. the rep in this book!! is amazing! there are so many diverse characters: several trans characters, mlm and wlw relationships, aromantic characters, Black and Latinx characters, and one of the main characters is autistic.

i loved the exploration of queerness and monstrosity, how benji's rage fuelled the monster in him, how the virus transformed his body and how he kept relentlessly fighting to protect his friends and stop the angels, make them pay for what they did.
one of my favorite things were the vivid descriptions (though they also made my skin crawl) and the gripping prose, which pulls you right into the story.

i feel like, compared to benji, the other (main) characters and the side characters paled a little bit. he is such a complex, wonderfully messy character who really stands out, while i was struggling to keep some of the side characters apart.
the world building was kinda minimal, but i didn’t really mind that. there were few things i wished were explored a bit deeper, all in all i loved that we were shown what was going on, instead of having some sort of info-dump telling us what went down.
plotwise, the book was relatively straight forward, but captivating nonetheless - the focus was more on the characters and their relationships, anyway.

a great, very queer ya dystopian/horror novel that pulled me in right away and made me feel a bit sick sometimes with how excellent the descriptions of the gore were haha. definitely recommend this one!

This book is more than just its gore-y feedbacks. It's a powerful story that requires attention, such a timely experience placed in a brilliantly violent fantastical world that is actually not far from the one we live in.

Thanks to the folks at Peachtree Teen for providing this ebook in exchange for an honest review!
SPOILER FREE!!
***

"Hell has followed us onto Earth, and I am the monster that has brought it forth"

To say that this was bloody good is an understatement.
HFWU was a ride full of blood, anger, a great cast of queer kids, and of course, monsters.
I liked the trans, autistic and nonbinary representations, as well as all the other queer labels represented in this book.
The writting is very smooth and everyone (who's brave enough to face a lot of blood) can read. But i personally still recommend it be read by 16 years or older, since it has a lot of trigger warnings and light sexual content.
The only thing that both made me scream but at the same time threw me a bit off, was the change in the grammatical person narration in the different POV chapters. I still loved that we got both Nick's and Theo's POV chapters, though, it was a big surprise.
I liked very much the Watch members interaction with each other and how slowly our main character comes to himself and finds the place where he wants to be forever.
This is a story of fightinf to be yourself and finding your place.
Perfect for fans of Evangelion and Guillermo del Toro.

Trigger/Content warnings: This book contains subjects that may trigger sensitive readers, like graphic gore, blood, violence, body horror, abuse, homophobia, transphobia, misgender and deadnaming, gender dysphoria, heavy religous imagery and guns/weapons.

“in what world has my god ever been a benevolent one?”

this book was INCREDIBLY well written. the descriptions of the gore and mangled corpses made me want to vomit in the best way possible.
every single character was compelling. i cared about each one of their backstories in a way in which i usually do not, i wanted to know every inch of them.
i was a bit confused at times, but i also consumed this entire book in a day, so i probably skipped over some crucial bits of information.

Perfectly paced, wonderfully developed, and effortlessly diverse, Hell Followed With Us is a book unafraid to be itself, even if it's monstrous. This book is a love letter to trans boys, monsters, and those of us who are both.
***
When I first saw the deal for this book, I ran towards it. It pulled me from every angle–trans, gay, dystopian, survivalist, monsters, literally just everything I could want in a book. I had high hopes for it and it absolutely delivers. This is my first five stars of 2022 and it feels joyous to find a book I love with my whole heart.

Despite being quite long for the genre, YA Horror/Dystopian, the book keeps pace. There's never a lagging moment, never something that feels too short or hurried, and despite the POV changes, nothing is confusing. Although I wasn't expecting the few scattered in, I do feel like they help enhance the story and the plot instead of just random changes. Structurally and technically, this book is sound and strong and I loved every second of it.

Benji is a fantastic main character. He's angry, he's frothing at the mouth, and he's going to do something about it. His rage is palpable, I can feel the heat simmering off the page. But he's also a kid, and insecure, and figuring himself out, and scared, and so, so brave. One thing I really loved is that Benji's trauma is not shed as he steps into ALC. It follows him, no pun intended, and it shapes who he is. He has to continually unlearn things shoved down his throat, he has doubts, he has things he is learning to cope with and overcome. It's part of the story and part of him, and I feel like overcoming trauma is something easily put aside in a lot of teen-based media, even when the kids in question have been through hell and back. I loved that this story confronts it. I also love that Benji is never made to forgive his abuser, even if she's family. I hate that trope!! Endlessly happy it was not present here.

The soft romance with Nick, the development of all the side characters and all of the identities of the ALC were so refreshing to see. This book is effortlessly diverse, just like life is, and I loved that. Also, for Calvin, iykyk, and it's so funny. Love it.

This book does important things, too. It addresses the toxicity amongst cis gays in the LGBT community. It doesn't shy away from it, and it warms my heart that this book is going to kids. Not only that, it discusses how dysphoria is different for everyone, that you don't have to hate yourself to the grave and back to be trans. My dysphoria is severe in that stereotypical type of way, but I know that's not the case for everyone, and my experience does not shape trans experiences as a whole. Benji talking about his own dysphoria, what parts of himself do and don't give it to him, and even talking about clothing the way this book does is so, so important. I am so glad trans kids will have something like this as they learn about the trans community and themselves. There's conversations in here for everyone, sure, but I also feel like there's nuggets of things in here that only trans readers will know 100%, and I love that.

There's a long running trope in trans media, which is likening transness, likening this thing inside us, to a monster. It's an age old metaphor for being trans, which is why you'll find trans people flocking to monster media and understanding shape-shifting monsters or shunned monsters, etc, etc. This book takes that trope and turns it on its head. Trans people are told again and again that our transness is monstrous, festering, evil and sinful. Benji is a monster, and his transness is the most holy thing about him. He is as much a monster as he is trans, and he is kind, he is loving, he is more humane than those who created him. To use this metaphor as a positive, to show that our monsters are beautiful and intrinsic, to take this narrative and tell us we are monsters and we are whole, we are monsters and we are good, after a lifetime of people demonizing me for it, yeah, it made me cry a little.

This book is everything I asked for and more. I love it so, so much and am so excited for its formal release.

"It feels like there's something writhing in my gut and erupting into screaming fury. Six wings outstretched and crying HOLY, HOLY, HOLY."

Horrifying, incredible, and engrossing, Hell Followed with Us is a horror dystopian like no other. Its unique yet somehow believable apocalyptic setting makes for a unmatched reading experience and its focus on religion and queerness is impactful and haunting.

Focusing on Benji, a trans boy infected with a virus from the Christian cult he grew up in who wants to destroy the world, he goes on a dangerous journey to hopefully save himself and stop the beast that was put inside him. This is an extraordinary debut because of its creative yet believable plot and the author doesn’t shy away from critiquing the extremities of Christianity to put us in a world that, while science fiction, still feels real.

Overall, a unique and fascinating apocalyptic tale with great representation.

A fascinatingly furious post-apocalyptic, gory future, with a hero thirsting for revenge. A very good book, that reminded me of some of my favorite zombie works. Benji is bursting with anger, it's just boiling out of him. Raised by a fanatic cult responsible for the end of the world, who are refusing his transgender identity and are intent on burning the rest of humanity to the ground, it's quite easy to understand why - and here we follow his path to free himself from the hell destiny he was given, but also to discover and affirm who he really is and what he really wants.

I received an ARC of this book from Netgalley and I’m leaving an honest review.

I. Am. OBSESSED.
I love the concept, love the setting, love the characters. Seeing LGBT terms and modern language felt a little weird at first because I’m not used to seeing that in books since I mainly read fantasy novels set in the past, but this one is set in the future so the use of those terms actually makes sense here. I loved the LGBT diversity :)

I’m running to preorder a physical copy right now….

This was such an interesting book! I wasn't entirely expecting it to be the way it was and I loved that. I was instantly interested in Benji as a character and all he'd been through. That first chapter especially was such a hook into this world and the wildness of the apocalypse and what's happened. I think something I really appreciated is really just being dropped into this world and figuring out the information as we go. I was a bit confused at first as there's not a ton in explaining of terms, but I quickly picked up on who was who and what was what.
The strength in this book for me was Benji. He was such a well-developed character who held so much anger, but was still able to find some solace despite all he'd been through. He was easily my favorite character in the book with Nick not too far behind! Their relationship was especially interesting as. the two didn't start off entirely on the same page of their dynamic. Still, I liked the way they progressed and thought it was a nice addition to the story without totally taking over the main plot. Nick was also such a well-rounded character who was a bit mysterious at first.
I have to also talk about the rep because it was so good in this book. It was a queer haven amidst an apocalypse. Sure, the characters were deeply flawed (and some downright annoying), but they were a weird mesh of a found family that worked. All the queerness in this felt so natural which isn't surprising since the author is queer, but I liked it especially in this and felt the need to comment on it as it felt especially nice in this book. This book is angry and has a lot of intense emotions, but this small piece of subtle joy was something I really appreciated. Overall, this was a great book and I definitely recommend!

This is an incredible work of art, as a whole. AJW draws a brutal post-apocalyptic world and holds back no punches in dealing with trauma in its many forms. I'm afraid I'm not sure what to say in this review, because I can't really capture what reading this book made me FEEL, surreal and angry and insane, but all in the best way. I'm really grateful to Peachtree Teen for publishing this book, and I'm looking forward to more from the author.

This dark Ya was really something else to read! It has a great plot, great characters and a an atmosphere that is both captivating and terrifying.

Benji, the main character, escapes from New Nazareth - a sort of religious cult - and is saved by an LGBTQ+ community center where he meets people that accepts him for who he is. But there is still danger following him and, without giving any spoiler, that gave to the story a twist that I enjoyed a lot.

The representation (both of members of the lgbtq+ and POC) and the world-bulding are two strong points in favor of this book. I still want to say that not all the characters were really engaging and well-rounded and some of the details from the past are quite unclear, but all in all it's a great book to read.

Can't wait to read more!