This was a wild ride. I love a good cult story and this was no exception. Overall it was a lot of fun. The group had a lot of interesting individual personalities.

Where to even begin. Hell Followed With Us is a story of hope following trans protagonist Benji as he struggles with a beast within him in a post-apocalyptic world. Cue a group of queer teens trying to simply survive, imagery and body horror descriptives that leave you in goosebumps, and a gorgeous cover, this book has it all. One of my most anticipated releases for this year and I cannot wait for others to experience it

Let me start with this: I really, really wanted to enjoy this story. When I first heard about this book, I was so excited to see this book's great diversity and representation featured in a book of this genre. This book follows 16-year-old Benji, a trans boy trying to escape a cult in an apocalyptic future. I truly enjoyed the characters featured in Hell Followed With Us, and I was excited to follow all the characters from the ALC once they were introduced. Benji was a great choice of a complex main character to follow, and the premise of the plot sounded really unique and engaging when I first read the description. Horror is more of a new genre to me, so I intended for this book to help me start to explore it. As an aside, I truly recommend looking up the content warnings before reading this book, and please proceed only if you are comfortable doing so.

Nonetheless, I was surprisingly struggling to get through this story. I guess I usually steer away from the more graphic or violent books, but I think it was more so the execution of the plot with which I wasn't always connecting. I wish the book would've been told solely through a third-person point-of-view so that it could get away from some of the "telling" and include more "showing" as it described the world around Benji. The first-person narrative felt too constricting, and I would get lost in Benji's thoughts without fully understanding what else was at play here. I would say the last quarter or so of the book was really great to me, and I wish some of the earlier parts of the book followed the same pacing and language styles from its ending. Ultimately I think these are more issues of personal preference, and I still think the book is worth reading for those that really connect with the genre.

I received a digital ARC copy of this book from NetGalley and Peachtree Teen in exchange for an honest review.

That was such a trip! Gory, intense, dark, and beautiful all at once. A fight against oppressions and a journey to discover oneself. I enjoyed it immensely!

I love the world building, the fast pace of events, the perfect and diverse casts and their dynamic. I love all the reps (trans, queers, all of it). I adore Nick, he is such a gem. And of course I love Benji. Following his path was such an experience, and I love how he grew. I know Theo is trouble haha but poor boy was misled badly. I love all member of The Watch as well!

The whole setting and vibes are immaculate. Maybe some gory description is closer to horror than fantasy, and not for weak stomachs, but if you like dark macabre things, this is your book.

I picked this up after a friend recommended it to me, and I am absolutely speechless.


The book does a phenomenonal work of going into the damage and insane way that cults operate. The world building is amazingly done and the characters are flawed, in pain and seem actually real.


I went into this expecting the trans and queer represention but was pleasantly surprised to discover the well written rep of autism that one of the main characters has.


Over all the book was perfection, however I would definitely encourage you to check trigger warnings (the author has commented them on Goodreads) before picking this up!

This was such a fun read.

Hell Followed With Us takes place in an apocalyptic world ravaged by a virus, the Flood, created by a religious cult in an attempt to bring everyone to Heaven. This virus turns its hosts into horrifying creatures called Graces, and Graces can be controlled by Seraph, a person infected with a specific strain of the Flood. Benji, a trans teenager, is turning into Seraph when he escapes this cult, falling into the care of the ALC, a local LBGTQ+ community center. As his transformation progresses, he decides which side he stands on.

This book is WEIRD and I definitely don’t think it will be for everyone. But I love weird and unassuming stories and I loved this and had so much fun.

The story starts right in with the action, beginning with Benji running away from the cult, and it doesn’t ever really slow down. This fast pace doesn’t sacrifice engaging and beautiful prose, and I loved following the characters. Nothing felt out of place or unnecessary.

I recommend this for:
- something unique and different
- healing from religious trauma
- trans, autistic, neopronouns, and mlm rep
- apocalypse vibes

Didnt get a chance to actually read this before the archive date, but I have heard nothing but good things about this. Nonetheless I am super excited for it to come out so I can finally read it! It sounds super interesting and the cover is absolutely gorgeous.

This book was something truly special. From the moment I heard about it I knew I had to read it - the pure, distilled queer rage and desire to survive despite the odds was just so compelling. This book is a true masterpiece.

It's definitely one worth heeding the trigger warnings for - even though I'm fine with the content in this book, there were still moments where it all builds up so much that I needed to put it down for a few days. The rage, trauma and hellishness of Benji's situation is so visceral and heavy.

Mentioning Benji, I absolutely adored him as a MC. His voice was immediately so clear and distinct; I was rooting for him quickly. I'm not sure relatable is entirely the right word, but he was so understandable, so raw and human. His relationships with others and himself were also so complex; everything about him and his story was something that, as the reader, I felt I could really sink my teeth into.
For one, I loved his relationship with himself and his body. The details of his dysphoria - and how it doesn't necessarily align with some views of what it should be - meant a lot to me. I loved reading about this trans guy, whose identity is fully validated by the narrative, that doesn't bind/have particular chest dysphoria. I loved how he just wears a sports bra and has short hair and is still, wholeheartedly and unequivocally, male.

I also found Benji and Theo's relationship such a compelling one. The love Benji has for Theo despite everything that has happened between them prior to the events of the book and everything that happens in the book just felt so real. The push and pull of knowing how bad Theo has been but still loving him for the good he has also been and could be capable of was phenomenally written. The way in which Benji reached out to him at the Church, sneaking out from the ALC to help him, only to be betrayed was such an emotionally potent part of the book. The betrayal was so painful to read when it seemed like maybe Theo could be good - after all, at least compared to everyone else involved in the Church, he doesn't misgender Benji and has been one of the few people to always validate him. Like Benji, I wanted Theo to be good and his betrayal and subsequent further downfall into the arms of the Angels, away from Benji, was just SO GOOD. And the way it all came to a head in the climax of the book, the final fight between Benji and Theo. That was just sublime. As was Benji's interaction with the Grace born of Theo's corpse - fully hit me in the feels.

Then there's Benji's relationship with the ALC. First of all, I loved basically everyone in the ALC (minus Calvin) - the diversity of characters was so naturally done and they all just felt very real, even those that had very little page time. Their reactions to death, Benji being Seraph, and so on, all felt so authentically human. Just, Andrew Joseph White clearly has a talent for craftly characters. (Also, love that Salvador uses xe/xem pronouns - so cool to read a book and see neopronouns in use.)
Of course, with the ALC in mind I have to talk about Nick. I absolutely love Nick. He was just such a wonderful character and I immediately clicked with him. The way he dealt with his feelings was something so relatable to me: pushing them down and avoiding them, or just being confused by them. It was also great to be reading a book and have a character just be autistic without that being the only facet of their character. I also really liked the very specific detail of him making bead lizards, it's such a cool and niche thing that somehow says so much about Nick that the way he presents himself to other characters doesn't - which, again, just something that made him feel so much more real. And, naturally, I was so invested with his and Benji's relationship. The development from Nick trying to dehumanise Benji to himself just in case he had to use/turn on Seraph to keep the ALC alive to him and Benji promising to talk after the final battle (what with Benji confessing feelings) was just brilliant. The arc of their dynamic was such a highlight of the book.

Finally, the worldbuilding was brilliant. The religious imagery and references woven throughout the names of everything wrought by the Church within this story was incredible: the Flood, the Angels, the Graces. It was all so good. And the details of the campus that became New Nazareth were also so telling - the river where baptisms took place, the church that was the best maintained building and the killing fields. There were all these details of the setting that said so much about who these people were and really bolstered the image of this group of religious fanatics who saw genocide as the best way to heaven.
I also loved the particular details around the rot of the Flood. The way the virus twists bodies and turns them into Graces is just so utterly gruesome and those gory details were written is such a deliciously descriptive manner. The imagery was just so strong. And, of course, Benji's transformation into Seraph was equally gruesomely described - the images of organs being thrown up as liquid, of skin peeling off, bones changing and new fangs growing in are going to stick with me.

But, honestly, a lot of this book is going to stick with me. It's the kind of novel that gets under your skin in the most compelling and satisfying way; it's a real masterpiece.

When I finished Hell Follows With Us, there was only one thing I could do: let out a deep, audible breath I didn't realizing I was holding.

Practically perfect, a book of rage that makes your teeth hurt and viscera you want to but can't look away from, this story follows Benji -- a trans teen boy, infected with a contagion slowly turning him into a monster -- as he escapes the religious cult he's grown up in and finds a new life with a found family of queer young adults in post-apocalyptic Pennsylvania. Your heart will ache, your eyes will sting, the prose will take your breath away, and you'll refuse to put it down. I cannot wait to pick up a finished copy in June 2022 (and highlight every line that made my heart skip a beat with its beauty and emotion).

I cannot recommend this book enough. Thank you Netgalley & Peachtree Teen for access to this ARC.

The idea of a bunch of queer kids surviving the apocalypse together and dealing with their religious trauma was so interesting. It immediately stood out to me, and I wasn't disappointed at all!
Benji and Nick are both such likeable and developed characters. All the side characters are great too, I want to know more about all the kids at the ALC. The friendships and relationships between them felt real and made Benji's time at the ALC much more fun to read.
The imagery was beautifully disturbing and gross. I could perfectly imagine what the creatures looked like by the way they are described. The world-building was a little confusing in the first few chapters but once the setting was established, it was impossible to put down.

I unfortunately can't review this as I didn't realize the archive date and the publishing date were so vastly different! Super sorry, if I had realized I would've definitely read this as I was looking forward to it, but I lost track of this book in my time table!

I'm extremely excited to read this when it comes out. Leaving 5 stars since I didn't read it and thus don't want to mess up the average rating at all :) Will definitely be checking this one out from the library once it comes out!

OKAY REPRESENTATION! 👏🏻👏🏻 I really enjoyed this book overall. I loved that there was so much representation for LGBTQIA+ people, pronoun rep, and autism representation. As someone who is a member of the LGBTQIA+ community and autistic, this is so important to me! I’m also a sucker for culty, apocalypse type of books and this one was a winner. The character building was something more authors should take note of!

This book was a terrifying descent into chaos and redemption and triumph and I don’t know whether to cry that it’s over or laugh because we survived.
I REALLY like all the representation in the pages—it was masterfully done, creating a true apocalyptic world where everyone has a place. The “plague” was, in a word, horrific. Benji is my favorite monster boy of all time. There is so much heart and hurt and power in this story.

And a bunch of triggers—so read with caution. The religious trauma emphasized was sometimes difficult to read for me personally, but it was definitely something others can and will relate to, and hopefully feel a little less alone.
This book is insanely violent and very fast paced. It’s gory and bloody and was definitely a journey.



Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this advanced ebook. Reviews are my own.

Reasons to read: queer af, diverse af, gory af

Personal rating: I'm on a see-saw with this one, but I didn't hate it.

I didn't like it either.

The beginning comes in at 100% with our protagonist, Benji escaping an extremist "Christian" cult after the end of the world as we know it, immediately finding a LBGTQ+ center for teens, known as the ALC. Benji, as we discover, is a trans boy also harboring a mutating virus called the Flood, which is what wiped out the rest of humanity. There's not much backstory to any of this, but it trickles in minuscule details throughout.

This has everything I love in a book, but unfortunately, the pacing and the plot did not hold my attention as much as thought it would.

The violent details, meant to shock, only fell flat for me. Maybe it was because of Benji's lack of emotion; I just didn't feel connected to him. These things are seen from his perspective, so I wanted more of a reaction. i wanted...MORE. Also, the easy way they hunted other humans without real feelings toward any of it felt bizarre. They're teens. They should feel EVERYTHING.

The characters, as amazingly diverse as they were, lacked motivation and some of their personalities suffered from inconstancies. To touch upon my earlier comments on emotions: Benji grew up in an extremely religious cult, and his anger toward them is justified, but I didn't get to see much of it. I expected him to have some sort of PTSD, but the lack of realness and believability throughout this story really didn't do him any justice.

There was a great lack of world-building. I don't need a full chapter or multiple flashbacks to know what's going on, but a little bit would have been nice. Judgement Day was never fully explained. As wasn't the relationship between Benji and his fiancee, Theo. I couldn't get a clear picture of the Graces either.

Overall, this was a superb book for its representation. It just wasn't the book for me.

This one is going to be a hard one to review. I literally have to clue how to feel.
Overall there was a lot of good. So much queer rep. I loved that the main love interest was autistic, and the writing was very beautiful.
Some of the world building confused me, but most of that was easy enough to push through.
The main thing that threw me for a loop was the metaphysical dream space Benji and then later another character entered. I never understood what was going on there and how it related to the real world.
So in general this was a very solid debut, and while I’d hesitant to recommend it to everyone, if it interests you and you have a good tolerance for body horror I’d say give it a go. The love and anger poured into this book is very clear to see.

This was such an interesting read. Following a Trans boy escaping his cult upbringing. The writing was entrancing and the setting was spectacular. So creepy so beautifully written. I love when reading one book has me excited to go back and find the authors previous titles. I'm beyond inspired to give their back log a try.

Thank you NetGalley and Peach Tree Teen for the e-ARC! “Hell Followed with Us” by Andrew Joseph White comes out June 7th.

Set in the near future, in an America ravaged by climate change, this novel follows a 16-year-old trans guy, Benji, who escapes an eco-fascist evangelical terrorist cult - but not before they inject him with a virus meant to turn him into a bioweapon to help carry out their vision. After he escapes, he is found by the ALC - a group of queer teenagers who have survived a deadly pandemic and whose leader, Nick, decides to take Benji under their wing. This book was brilliant. I loved how this dystopian, bleak world, also opened up opportunities for queer kinship and joy. I thought the political context was extremely well thought-out and set up (and this is something i very often have complaints about when reading dystopias!). I also really loved the exploration of the body as Benji grapples both with his dysphoria and his transformation into a literal biological weapon.

I can’t review this book without mentioning its brilliant representation. The author himself is trans and autistic, and the ALC is a really diverse group. Nick is autistic, and Benji is a trans gay guy who doesn’t experience much physical dysphoria, which is not something i’ve seen discussed much in literature.

If I have any issues with this book (and I have very few of those), is that it felt a bit too tense - I would have loved to see more scenes of the characters just being teenagers, even in this bleak and dangerous setting. This is a very minor complaint though, and I can confidently say this is one of my favourite queer YA books ever, and I’m so excited for it to blow up after it releases, as I’m sure it will.

If you enjoy horror, young adult dystopias, adventurous queer books, or find anything I mentioned in this review interesting, I highly recommend you keep this one on your radar when it comes out! Please do check out the trigger warnings on Storygraph or the author’s website, though - especially the gore and transphobia get really heavy at times.

ARC copy provided in exchange for an honest review. This in no way changes my rating or review. Buddy read with the extraordinary Ashley!

4.5 GORY, CAPTIVATING STARS

Three Minute Thoughts:
This book was STUNNING. It was horrific. It was brutal and twisted and made me want to throw up and claw my hair and cry... and I loved it so much. It was horror, but not jump-scare, there's-someone-in-the-house horror - oh no, this was pure gore and body horror, combined with some of the best LGBTQ+ rep I've read in a while. Everyone was so incredibly queer and messy and traumatised... I'm obsessed!

The Extended, Long, and Very-Probably-Messy Review:
Hell Followed With Us was an extraordinary book. It's a lot - definitely not for the faint of heart, and CHECK THOSE TRIGGERS (the author included them in his review of the book) because it brings a lot of tough topics into play, but I absolutely loved it. The characters were precious, queer sweethearts, and Benji and Nick are
most certainly my children forevermore.

One of the things that really stood out in Hell Followed With Us is the body horror and grotesque descriptions, because that's what hits you first. The author has managed to construct a number of horrifically gut-wrenching images into my mind, and I'll never be able to think of angels the same, because holy shit, these angels. The twisted, cult-like version of Christianity that this book creates is disturbing beyond measure, and the apocalyptic virus thrown into it all is even more so... Andrew Joseph White is incredible. But another of the most impactful sections of this story is not even the dramatic, chaotic, trauma-inducing plot-line, it's the stunning rep. From the autism rep to the LGBTQ+ rep that filled these pages, it all created a stunning book for all the angry, questioning people out there. The author pulled no punches, and I love him for that. Hell Followed With Us had the most wonderous amount of rep, from characters with a whole range of different pronouns, to an absolute disregard of gender norms, and the acknowledgement that not all trans people are the same.

"Being transgender is who you are, and the pain is what the outside does to you. The pain is what happens when you and thr world go for each other's throats. In the ALC, I almost forget that being trans can hurt."
(This quote may not be in the published version of this novel, it was copied from the advanced reader’s copy.)

Our two mains, Benji and Nick, are both such absolute sweethearts, despite the total shit that both have been through. If I was them I would've given up a long time ago... but these two precious boys both have so much perseverance and fight for their right to live, and I love them for it. Their relationship may not have been the usual romance - how can it be, when Benji is transforming into a six winged Seraph and both are fighting for their lives every day - but I loved the little snippets of them that we got, and I loved the few little chapters from Nick's POV that we were rewarded with every now and again. Both characters were so realistic and strong, yet loveable while still making mistakes, and that truly shows the talent of this debut author.

"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?"
(This quote may not be in the published version of this novel, it was copied from the advanced reader’s copy.)

All in all, I really loved this book, despite the fact that I am NOT a horror girl (most of the time), and this was definitely a full fledged horror book. This might the book that makes me read more horror, actually! So glad I read this (and had my love, Ashley, reading it with me!). Thank you so much to the author, publisher and Netgalley for the ARC copy :)).

This is definetely one of the best books I've ever read, and it's a top favourite no doubt.

I'm not much of a horror fan, so I feel like I can't really review this specific side of it, but the sci-fi dystopia Andrew has created is incredible, and I wasn't prepared to enjoy myself this much while reading the amount of gore and twisted events that are in this book.

As a person who has struggled (and still does) with faith and religion, Benji's journey through his own beliefs and brainwashing was surprisingly soothing. And, as a trans and autistic person, I can't even begin to describe how important this kind of representation is to me (and to a whole community, honestly).

It'll take me a few days to fully recover from this read, so this review is probably a mess. Anyway, Hell Followed with Us is now my personal bible and no one can stop me. Can't wait to get my hands on a physical copy in June!

CHECK THE CONTENT WARNING LIST!! Even though this book is a masterpiece, it's still a very disturbing one and the CW list is quite long lol

Thank you so, so, so much to NetGalley and Peachtree Teen for the ARC, I'm obsessed with this book.

Star Rating: —> 4.5 Stars

Absolutely HORRIFYING, QUEER AS HELL, & I LOVED it!!!

Such incredible own-voices autism rep, trans rep, all sorts of LGBTQIA+ rep, and also everything a horror novel should be. So terrifying but I COULD NOT turn away! Plus the MC, Benji, a trans, gay boy is just my precious son! I would do anything for him. His character arc was FANTASTIC.

**WARNING**: This book is NOT for the weak of heart ! Body horror, cult horror, apocalyptic horror, gore horror… first book to ever truly SCARE ME, TERRIFY ME , from beginning to end, & you have no idea how hard that is ! **Also: Look out for abusive relationships, deadnaming, & misgendering. And… probably, definitely, NOT a book for serious Christians.**

A MASSIVE Thank You to NetGalley, PeachTree Teen, & the author, Andrew Joseph White, for the ARC!