A literal masterpiece of a novel born out of a rage-fueled fire. From the moment I opened this ARC, I was hooked to the story, the characters and this novel's message from the very beginning. From the poetic, stunning prose to the fitting chapter headers to the perfect POV switches (except for that one to Theo - that came out of left field) this novel never ceased to amaze me. The characters were diverse and loveable (albeit named a little too similarly - I had my fair share of mix-ups), I wanna give Benji a hug so bad!!! The chapters were a digestible length, yet always leaving me wanting more from the story. The worldbuilding is exquisite, the ending is satisfying - it's all so PERFECT! If you're in the mood for queer as hell youth kicking fundamentalist Christian ass in war-torn Pennsylvania, I beg you to pick up a copy of this novel right now!!

Hell Followed with Us hits the grounds running and drags you along with it.

I mean this quite literally: Benji, our main character, starts the book running for his life.

You have no choice but to follow.

Andrew Joseph White has that kind of narrative that grabs you by the throat in the best, most wonderful way possible. The stakes are terrifyingly high from the get-go, and you can feel Benji's anger, his desperation and hopelessness all oozing from the pages and infecting you. There is no way the reader won't care what happens to him. His fear is contagious. It also helps that AJW writes sentences like he wants to punch you in the gut with them. It works. I was holding my breath through entire chapters, feeling winded like I was running right alongside Benji. This book is a masterclass in pacing.

The way the author intertwines a variety of themes is also nothing of short genius. I was trying to explain it to my sister how religious trauma, a post-apocalyptic scenario, queer identities, cults, biblically accurate angels, ecofascism and a pandemic all came together and I sounded like a lunatic. How AJW managed to integrate them seamlessly in a way that somehow makes sense, I will never know.

Speaking of queer indentities... have you ever read a book that was marketed as queer and thought "huh, cool, but not queer enough?" Well, you have my guarantee that this won't happen here. This book is unapologetically queer. Besides the transmasc gay main character, you have they/them characters, neopronouns, sapphics, aces, you name it and it's probably in here. The only cishet people are the bad guys and you know what? I'm totally here for it.

Last but not least on the praising: there is a way of writing gore that makes the reader mesmerized and yet still gives them chills. This is it.

Some minor issues that I had that kept this book from being a full five star read:
- The book has roughly 30 chapters, 90% of them being written in first person from Benji's POV. Then you have a few randomly sprinkled in chapters written in third person from Nicky's POV and then one from Theo. I'm from the opinion that the book should commit to either first or third person, and if you're writing multiple POVs, do it all the way. Especially since Nicky's chapters were delightful to read and I would have loved to see more of his side of the story.
- Before Theo gets in the picture himself, Benji wonders a lot about still being in love with him and feels guilty for being attracted to Nicky when he's theoretically still engaged. This sort of love triangle esque dynamic didn't work for me personally and although I can understand why it was there, I think the story could have gone without it. For almost the entire first half of the book, Theo is merely a name being mentioned, so it gets even harder to empathize with Benji's guilt since it's over a guy we basically don't know.
- Theo accepts his own homosexuality and Benji's gender unflinchingly. Considering how Theo was brought up and how devoted he was to his beliefs, this just doesn't make much sense. It's never really discussed why he's so ok with this when the community he offers his blind loyalty to clearly isn't.

In conclusion, this book was truly an experience and I know it's the type of story and characters that will have me crying on twitter for months to come. I'll never be able to look at a bobby ´pin without tearing up ever again.

I can't wait to see what Andrew Joseph White does next.

Thank you to the publisher for providing me with an ARC via NetGalley!

First of all, phenomenal. Just bloody fantastic through and through. This was the dark YA horror novel I didn't even know I needed in my life until I read the first chapter. The representation in this book was so refreshing, I've never read something like it.

We follow Benji, a sixteen-year-old trans boy, as he escapes from New Nazareth, a cult-like religious sect, that's released a deadly virus to purge the earth. But there's a twist, wherein Benji has been infected too, made into a bioweapon to help the cult's cause. Benji is rescued by the ALC, an LGBTQ+ community center, where he meets people like him, somewhere where he is accepted for who he truly is. But he's still New Nazareth's weapon, and there are still people out hunting for him, so he must decide to protect those he's found shelter with, or help the cause he's tried to get away from.

I will say that there are a lot of religious concepts and passages that are a little confusing at first for someone who doesn't follow a religion. But they are explained to where you have an understanding.

I didn't want to put this book down. Every twist and turn kept me wanting to read more. We need more books like this one in the world. I will be reading anything Andrew Joseph White publishes. A fantastic debut.

Thank you NetGalley for providing me an ARC!

This was a great story, with an interesting take about faith and what resonated wiith Church trauma, and I felt very close to the protagonist because of this and the way the author portrayed his view of the situation and his final realization.

The pace was mainly moderated, but without giving the idea of rush, so that the reading goes fast and chapters get devoured without you aknowledging it, keeping your interest focused on the story.

Despite the general setting and the plot, there were many wholesome scenes who conveyed a sense of cozyness and tranquillity, a good building of a found family, with the different characters starting as saperated but in the end closer than ever despite their differences.
The great abundance of LGBTQIA+ characters was a balm for the soul: there was so much representation in this book and in the variety of characters, with their cultures, ethnics and sexualities that. It was without doubt the best thing about this novel

I also greatly appreciated the idea at the base of the story, it is fresh and new, and well orchestrated, I don't think I've ever seen or read anything else with similar prompts, it was great

Hell Followed With Us by Andrew Joseph White is a novel about embracing the monster within and the quest to find your chosen family in a post-apocalyptic cruel world. Content and trigger warnings include Gore, Graphic Violence, Gore, Body Horror, Gore, Transphobia, Gore, Religious Abuse, Gore, Abusive Parents, Gore, Self-injury, gore, Emetophobia and Gore. Gross. Disgusting. Terrifying. One of a kind. Trans teen Benji is on the run from the cult that raised him - the fundamentalist sect that unleashed Armageddon and infected him with a bio-weapon. Nightmares forthcoming! Thanks to NetGalley and PeachTree Teen for the ARC.

4/5 stars

Wow, this YA horror book was really something, and I mean that in a good way. It’s dark and gritty and dystopian, which immediately caught my attention with its eerie world.

Our MC, Benji, is a trans-boy who recently escaped from a cult. While he tries to navigate his new life outside the cult, this book is about the (queer) teenage experience and how tough it can be. But, it does have elements of a found family which I liked. The fact that the love story wasn’t the main focus of this book really worked well, and by that, I think the horror elements were allowed to be on full display. Overall, this book is kinda furious, and yeah... give me more furious books!!

This was a very unique read, and one that I think can resonate with a lot of people. I love the fact that this is a YA horror novel with some solid LGBTQ rep!

Thank you Peachtree Teen and Netgalley for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review. This did not affect my opinions in anyway.

Here's the thing, I don't know how I'm going to be able to write a proper review of this book when my feelings can be summarized with "Oh my god, oh my god, this fucking book, lhfkgejjgjggkg"

Just to make things abundantly clear from the get go: I adore this book, it has my whole heart, Benji is my precious monster son and I would die for him.
I devoured this book (pun somewhat intended), starting it late Wednesday evening, finished it Friday morning and it only took me that long because I had to do ridiculous things like being a responsible adult in between my reading sessions.

I will attempt to write a longer review at a later date, but I can not recommend this book enough, it might very well turn out to be my favorite read of the year!

This book was. One of a kind.

I went into the story of Benji with little expectation besides the interesting blurb. Benji, a trans boy, 16, injected with a substance called the Flood meant to make him into a monster of wrath, in a post-apocalpytic world where genocide has been deemed the only way to redemption by a religious sect.

I loved every second of this. It took me a bit to get into, but once I was, it was impossible to put down. There was something so endearing about Benji as a character, something that made me want to wrap my arms around him and hold him forever and he was a really good narrator. The way you can follow his train of thought that goes through both unlearning religious indoctrination but also leaning into it at times felt utterly realistic. He was flawed and tried to do better.
In the same way, I loved all the side characters and Nick was probably my favorite. I can't speak on the representation in this story per se, because I am not trans nor am I autistic, but the way Nick was portrayed felt thoughtful and thorough. It never felt like a mockery was made of him or his stims, his needs were never devalued. I honestly wished we had seen more of him.
I also loved how the book never shies away from the sheer horror of the world these kids are existing in. They're traumatized. They act like traumatized teens too, they react to what they have to do and what they live through which is something that is so often forgotten. For that alone, I think this was great.

Overall, I really enjoyed myself, it made me think and kept me on my toes and also made me emotional. There's softness in every dark part of this book thanks to the characters and their ability to keep hoping and that's just beautiful.

4.5 stars!!

Thank you to NetGalley and Peachtree Teen for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Hell Followed with Us is a gruesome and brutal story that is filled with rage and love and the horror of being a teen. Though sometimes the characters felt like a lot at times, it wasn't in a bad way so much as in the way that teenagers are a lot, and especially queer teens who have been put through the ringer. Their actions rang true to how I imagine I would have acted, or how a teenager in their situation would have acted. I appreciated that though there was a love interest and a budding love story, it took a backseat to the actual problem at hand, but still informed decisions/interactions.

Reading this was a gut punch, but I felt that the prose encouraged me to sprint rather than take a walk through it, and there is a lot happening/a lot to chew on here. I definitely benefited from taking a few breaks instead of continuing reading on in order to process and sort through everything that happened. There were also a handful of holes in the world building, specifically as to how we got to this point (like, I'm not entirely sure what Judgement Day is and what happened?). Though I found I predicted a few of the Big, Important twists, I think that's more a sign of good storytelling/the author had a clear lead up than anything else.

I would absolutely recommend this, with the caveat of please, please check out the content warnings on this one.

4.5 stars.
TW: Body horror, gore, transphobia, deadnaming, death, religious trauma

I am absolutely amazed by this book. Stunned. I almost have no words. I went into this book knowing absolutely nothing about it. I knew that I liked the name and that I thought the cover was beautiful. I didn't even know the book's genre, which is one that I don't normally read. Going into it, I was a bit nervous after realizing but it did NOT disappoint one bit!

Benji, a trans boy that has just escaped a cult, comes across a group of teens that are almost just like him. The only difference is, he was a major part of the cult that raised him and they are doing everything they can in order to get him back, including taking over his body to turn him into a monster. Together with the teens led by a boy named Nick, they fight against the monsters and the cult that is wreaking havoc among the world.

Firstly, the representation in this book is quite literally the best representation I have seen in any novel thus far. The book takes place amongst an LGBTQ+ camp, and all of the characters fit into that community. There's even a character that uses neopronouns! That made me SO happy, as I have never seen them used in a book before. I almost teared up seeing it! Not to mention, that there are so many POC characters, all of whom are written extremely well in my opinion. The entire book I was in absolute awe of how well-rounded each character was and how each of them was diverse and unique in their own way.

Secondly, the world-building? Phenomenal. Top-tier. I don't know how else to describe it. There were zero points in the story where I was lost, and everything seemed so clear in my mind it was like I was watching a movie. The horror elements of this novel were written extremely well, and the body horror even had my stomach rolling a little bit. That's saying a lot! I don't get freaked out by books that often.

I have recommended this book to all of my friends. I'm not joking. I have not shut up about this book since I started it. I don't think I ever will shut up about it. I will be reading more of Andrew Joseph White's books in the future! I hope they will all be as fantastic as this one was.

Thank you to Peachtree Teen and Netgalley for an ARC in exchange of an honest review.

This is a really odd book for me. Not in a bad way, mind you. In fact, there's a lot of great elements in Hell Followed with Us that I enjoyed.

The horror elements, especially the body horror, was really well done, the descriptions of the monsters and transformations and other bodily horrors truly the most grotesque I've ever read in YA. Anyone whose any level of sensitive to vivid descriptions of blood, vomit, and all that other gross stuff really should mind the triggers White gives at the start of the book, because he does not hold back, whatsoever. This was the best part of the book for me, to be honest.

Another thing was Benji, our protagonist. He was really fleshed out, and his struggles with religion and love and relationships all the while turning into a literal monster was so fleshed out. The religion part really hit home for me because my own experiences growing up religious (Not as extreme as Benji's, obviously, but the emotions were there). You really feel his pain, especially regarding to his dysphoria and the transphobia. And all of it leading up to the end, where he's fully monsterfied, is particularly fantastic, because him growing to accept himself, even though he was a literal monster, felt very cathartic, and I'm not even trans. I just really enjoyed Benji's journey.

Even though the horror and protagonist are really strong, it's everything else that falls apart for me.

Firstly, the side characters. Despite how diverse the ALC cast is (I've never read a book that had a character who used neopronouns, which is another thing I can give White in terms of taking YA where it hasn't gone far before), they're mostly flat and two-dimensional. I can tell that White tried to give these characters solid personalities, but they just don't come off that way, despite us spending a lot of time with these characters for the majority of the book. Nick was the most authentic character, and the autism rep doesn't make him weak or an "other" like I've previously seen in media before (The fact that he carries a beaded lizard and later makes one with Benji was one of the sweetest scenes they share) but that's only because he's the love interest and he had two chapters in his POV.

The villains don't fare much better. I get that they're literally Evangelical cult, and no one in their right mind would want to sympathize with eco-fucking-fascists, but they came off more superficial despite literally starting the apocalypse and killing humanity / turning everyone into monsters. Benji's relationship with Theo was really interesting, with the exploration of abuse and how love can twist someone's perception to the point where all they can't see the red flags through their rose-tinted glasses, but I wanted more about Benji's parents, especially the dynamic between mom and dad and how it fell apart. I was just expecting the cult aspects to be expanded on more, as the relate to my next point: The world-building.

Okay, so we're told that this Evangelical cult caused the apocalypse by creating the Flood serum that turned people into disgusting, horrifying monsters (the Graces) on Judgement Day, but it's never explained how exactly that came to be. Like, how did the Angels distribute the serum? As far as I could tell, they were just a decent size community living in Pennsylvania and the only other confirmed outreach was some author who lived in California. We are told nearly 9 billion people died because of this cult, and yet it's never explained how they managed to infect and kill populations of people all across the globe without direct injection. Did they disperse it in the air (Could explain why everyone wears masks all the time, but, again, it's never fully explained)? Did the Angels have access that technology all over the globe? How did their influence infect the world where Evangelicalism practice has minuet numbers compared to those practicing Islam, Buddhism, Hinduism, etc, etc.? The details about how the cult managed to pull Judgement Day are practically slim to none. I think this is because we're primarily in Benji's first POV, which, as compelling as Benji is, was frustrating because it limited the story this book was trying to tell. I think if the author stuck to a third-person POV like he did with Nick and Theo's chapters than the world could have been properly expanded upon.

Overall, this was a very unique read, but the weak side characters and lack of worldbuilding really hold this book back from being a top read for me. I would still recommend this book for horror fans or those who want strong LGBTQ+ rep, but it just wouldn't have a place on my shelf.

If I could describe this book in three phrases, it would be: trans rage, religious trauma, and body horror. I thought White did an incredible job with the characters in Hell Followed With Us, especially with Benji and his identity. I saw myself in Benji and it was so validating to hear him be so sure of his identity and pushing back on the people around him who think otherwise. Theo and Nick were two complex characters that I loved reading about and getting to be in their POV.

For my personal tastes, I do not usually read stories with this much gore and body horror. Therefore, I was a bit put off by it, especially to the level it was. I did not connect with the religious trauma like other reviewers did. Instead, I found it interesting and got to learn about the dynamics of a cult like group.

I found the last third of the story to have weird pacing. I felt the story hit a slump right before the big finale. After the finale, I was hoping for a more flushed out ending, but it felt like the story ended too quickly. For a dystopian novel, I was expecting a bit more action sequences. However, I find that the best parts of this story were Benji’s inner dialogue and transformation, so the lack of action didn’t bother me too much.

You can tell in White’s writing that Hell Followed With Us is a project made with so much passion, research, and thought. It is so lovely to come across work where the author put their life into it. Overall, I think this is a really promising debut novel from White.

Thank you NetGalley for the arc!

Hell Followed With Us by Andrew Joseph White is a dystopian horror centered around corrupt religion and how it has destroyed the world both during and after the apocalypse. It contains body horror, a lot of violence, and discussion of religion. The cover art is absolutely stunning and the description made me really want to read this book. I would not go so far as to say that I was disappointed, but there were a few things that made this book a three star read for me.
I liked most of the characters. they're dynamic and different. Even though the villains and side characters aren't fully three dimensional, they have elements to them that make them memorable. I liked Benji and how he is strong and has accepted the fact that he is turning into a monster rather well. He struggles with his faith and his love for his fiance and his new friends.
I also really enjoyed the religious aspects of this book. I liked seeing how this sect has taken beliefs that already exist in fundamentalist christian churches and cults and turned them into weapons that can be used to destroy most of the world. The religious trauma has really affected all the characters in one way or another. However, I wish there was more details into how this group came into power, or whether or not they had a lot of fully fledged power.
The pacing was also a lot slower than I expected for a dystopian young adult book. Not a lot happens over the span of the book and it takes its time getting there. I really don't mind body horror, but I did mind that most of this book was Benji going through his transformation instead of focusing on the worldbuilding or the plot.
So overall this book was memorable, has some great rep, and deals well with some religious themes--specifically about gender roles. I just wish it was a little bit more action filled and had more worldbuilding elements, but that was definitely a personal preference. It was a bit of a slow read, but I did enjoy a good amount of it.

thank you NetGalley for the arc!

the dark dystopian vibes and the trans anger in this book were absolutely perfect.and I was at the edge of my seat the majority of the book.

for those that liked shatter me and delirium’s world building/idea (plus the tv show, hellbound) and like the exploration of trauma, religious trauma, and anger this is a definite read!

This book combines horror akin to a Junji Ito novel with an intense found family narrative that only queer stories can give. This book always reminds you how desperate and apocalyptic the setting is but combined it with characters determined to support each other through terrible odds. Through all of this is also weaves what it means to leave oppressive religious communities and embrace ourselves and others who have needed to do the same. Hell Followed with Us is an intense ride from the first page to the last and worth every second.

Hell Followed With Us is eerie and unsettling, affirming and empowering, all while tackling identity, religious trauma, and the families we’re given versus the families we choose.

The beginning finds Benji, desperately running from a religious cult after the end of the world in a new hellish landscape where a virulent disease has turned the infected into hostile, demonic beings. Benji has been dubbed a kind of savior by the Angels, the religious cult that unleashed the virus upon the world in an attempt to bring about Heaven. He is given sanctuary by a group of queer young adults who have turned the old LGBTQ Youth Center into a safe haven where they help each other survive in the end times. Benji, faced for the first time with other queer teens, must learn to survive outside the confines of the cult in which he was raised and hopefully find peace in this new home, but life is never that easy.

Hell Followed With Us is a story of the battle between the person you are told you must be, the person you are, and the person that you can choose to be. This is the story that I wish I had a scared, queer teen. The horror is visceral, with a lot of body horror and a fair amount of gore. While I am not usually a great fan of the post-apocalyptic genre, I found comfort in this story. There is beautiful mix of representation, with queer characters, neurodivergent characters, and characters with a range of religious beliefs, all coming together to survive the end of the world. This has hands down been my favorite read of the year thus far.

I received an ARC from Peachtree Teen and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

3.5 stars? 4 stars? I have no idea...

This book expired before I got to finish it, which I'm very upset about tbh because I was really enjoying it! The representation seemed really good and while the storyline was very gory (which is usually not my taste) it was still very interesting!

But now it has expired because I couldn't finish it in time. I have been having very bad headaches for the past couple weeks, so I could not read on my ereader, and now I can't finish this book... Can you tell I'm upset about it?

But yeah from the 53% that I read of it, it seemed pretty good! Definitely recommend it if you can handle gory stuff.

gripping, eerie and a darkly powerful queer story that leaves you on edge. the body horror combined with kids having to grow up so fast was incredibly tense and intense. the worldbuilding? impeccable. the story? breathtaking. will i recommend this? YES.

Overall great book that lived up to my expectations. It had transgender reputation which I appreciate as it isn’t represented enough.

What a unique and odd book that has lots going on. It starts off just after a plague has been released upon the world by a ultra conservative Christian sect who genetically alters humans in order to spread the plague.

Benji is a trans kid who is infected and turning into a monster, though one who can control the other monsters. He’s lost and terrified but wants to find his place in this new world.

The book has lots of triggers that many may find upsetting. It’s a true horror in so many different ways.