Wow wow wow is my initial thoughts with this book. Hell Followed with Us is a post apocalyptic story following Benji, a trans boy who has been tasked with becoming the savior of a religious cult that brought about the end of the world. The only problem is A. they believe he's a girl and B. he wants to ruin them instead.

This book has so much queer representation it makes my heart sing. I think this is the first time I've seen a character with neoprounouns in a published book! (I did think the introduction of pronouns the characters use could be a little less jerky and more streamlined into the story, but that's a minor detail). I was very grateful for the content warnings at the beginning of the book as well because I went into it mostly blind as I do with all stories I read ARCs, and having that knowledge of knowing that there would be body horror was good to know and boy was there body horror. A lot of it. I didn't mind it one bit and loved how the author didn't shy away from it.

The religious trauma is heavy in this story as well and as a current atheist, raised Catholic, I saw a lot of myself in Benji's thoughts as he turns away from the life he's always known and got to know the queer kids in the book and saw that life doesn't have to be hating yourself because some religion told you that you're wrong to be yourself.

Overall, this story is about trans acceptance and love for yourself and others conquering all even in the face of horrific circumstances. Definitely not the book for everyone because of the body horror, but definitely one to consider.

As a very queer trans-nonbinary person that loved horror this is the piece of fiction I've been waiting for all my life! It checks every box for me and was so comforting in seeing so much of my identity and interests laid out that this feels like it was made for me, and I'm sure a lot of others feel that way as well. Just incredible!

White did a fascinating job of creating an end of the world environment that was both haunting and realistic. The likelihood of a Christian terrorist group taking control of society due to some sort of pandemic situation doesn't seem too far-fetched- especially due to the current climate of things. The concept of a trans boy also being a monster boy, experiencing that dysmorphia on multiple levels was genuinely interesting. As I mentioned before, this world and the two opposing forces genuinely created a plot worth following. The ending did get a little muddled, especially as we follow Benji's narrative more often. As he turned into a monster, the internal dialogue was somewhat more difficult to follow.

Overall, this was a fascinating take on things and I enjoyed it thoroughly. It now lives in my head rent-free, not gonna lie!

Hell Followed With Us is everything I’ve ever wanted from a book, and everything I’ve ever needed. I appreciate trans books that are full of joy and help people come out, but this book made me feel seen. As if someone peered into my soul and then crafted this book just for me. This book breathed the life back into me, it made me feel seen for being so angry sometimes, seen for feeling hopeless, it made me feel accepted. It told me that it’s okay to be angry, I should be angry, and that I don’t have to hide it. Hell Followed With Us is a book you immediately want to sink your teeth into it, it’s hearty and filling. Along with all the rage, the pent up anger, it also holds so so much love. So much care. It is beautiful, it is gut wrenching, and it is mine. I am so very grateful I got to read this early and I will reread it for the rest of my life. I’m sad that it’s over, but I am forever happy and grateful that a book like this exists, and I look forward to many many more in the future.

Setting: I don’t have a lot to say about the setting of this book, as it is set in our world, albeit with the addition of eldritch beings. I saw no problem with any of the world-building, and there was enough description that I could picture the places discussed.

Plot: This was one of the strongest aspects of this book. As someone who has grown up in the south, the religious rhetoric was a little too familiar for comfort. Aside from the otherworldly creatures, this story felt distressingly realistic. At times it made me extremely angry, but that only increased how much I cared about the main character and his friends.

Characterization: This was the other strong point for me with this book. I love multiple POV books for the fact that usually this means I’m going to get a much more fleshed out group of characters, which is exactly what happened here. It allowed for a much better insight into their thoughts and motivations. On top of that, most of them were just flat-out lovable as hell.

Pacing: In general I felt like this book had very even pacing. I don’t have a lot to say about it because I have no complaints. Each section felt like it went at the pace that was appropriate for it.

Writing: The writing was fantastic. It was descriptive, beautiful, heartbreaking at times, empowering, and at many parts disgusting. My one criticism is that at a couple of points I would’ve liked to have been shown instead of told with regards to descriptions of feelings and actions.

Other comments: This book is full of important conversations surrounding trans (and queer as a whole) identity, such as how there’s not just one correct way to be trans, the validity of all pronouns, and how when the world tries to sink its teeth into you, you sharpen your teeth and bite back. I am not trans, but I can see this book being extremely important and empowering for younger trans people to read.

I received an advance review copy for free from NetGalley and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

I have two words for "Hell Followed with Us" by Andrew Joseph White: absolutely incredible.

I seriously loved this book. HFWU is about Benji, a gay trans guy, who has just escaped from a cult trying to commit genocide against the entire human race. Benji joins up with a group of queer and trans teens living in an LGBTQ+ youth center ever since the cult released a virus that wiped out a lot of the world. One not so little problem: before he left, the cult turned Benji into the host for Seraph, a version of the virus that will slowly make him into their greatest weapon.

I’m a sucker for queer horror, and I absolutely ate this up. Body horror, explorations of religious imagery and trauma, an abundantly diverse cast of teens, and Benji as the narrator were just a few of the book’s greatest features. Seriously, Benji is one of the best characters I’ve read about recently. He’s so well fleshed out, his relationship to characters in his past at the cult and in his present at the youth center are important and realistic, and his struggle to grapple with what it means to be good when you are turning into a weapon of mass destruction were just fantastic.

Nick, the leader of the group at the youth center, was another excellent character. We occasionally get his POV, and they really do add something special to the story. His background isn’t revealed until pretty late in the story, and I wouldn’t have minded learning more about him sooner, but he was a wonderfully complex character and was perfect opposite Benji.

There were a large number of side characters, and I thought I got to know most of them decently well, but sometimes it did get hard to keep them “straight” (ha). The number of characters could’ve maybe been decreased, but they didn’t inhibit my enjoyment of this book at all. I was surprised to find I really enjoyed scenes with Theo, Benji’s fiancé from back at the cult; his inclusion certainly amped up the drama on a personal level for Benji. Like Benji and Nick, Theo was an impressively complicated character.

A nice plus: this book was so easy to read quickly. There was something interesting and engaging that kept me reading in every single scene. Though I’m normally prone to getting distracted, HFWU held my attention on every page. I can’t say the same for all that many books, even others I also loved, so what White did is really impressive.

In addition to being a page turner full of complicated and wonderful characters, HFWU excels as a horror story. While I’m still pretty new to the genre, this book made me lightheaded during a particular body horror scene, so I’d call that pretty successful. Benji’s physical changes and the violence of the world are wonderfully horrific. You can certainly tell it was written in a pandemic, and I appreciated the nods to current world phenomena due to the virus in the book. The cult itself is pretty scary both for how they use religion and a virus to infect and kill millions, but also for how real it feels. They’re basically ecoterrorists who want to wipe out humans so that the world can heal (and so humans can return to God, of course). It’s scary because real people do believe in that. It’s also compelling, because it’s a reason for the cult to exist and operate at the levels of violence they do while still being grounded in reality. Wonderfully terrifying to think about!

HFWU is the perfect book for queer horror fans, especially those who love themes about embracing your monstrousness. I seriously hope that this book thrives and finds a major fanbase, because the whole world deserves to read and love "Hell Followed with Us."

Thank you to NetGalley and Peachtrea for giving me a free ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The themes of gender dysphoria were brilliantly handled. The main character slowly coming into their gender was something that really made me cry, and would be great for trans kids to read about.
I felt like the gore was a bit unnecessary. For a book marketed as YA, I was a bit iffy about it. So if you want to pick this book up, do check out the trigger warnings in advance.

fucking obsessed with this, this is truly the body horror, found family love story i never knew i needed

ENGLISH/ESPAÑOL

ENGLISH

“Hell Followed With Us is a book about survival. It is a book about queer kids at the end of the world trying to live long enough to grow up.”

This is one of the phrases with which the author opens his book and MAN, I COULD NOT HAVE DESCRIBED IT BETTER!
This book is incredible, wonderful, with very serious themes and characters with wonderful depth. When you read Hell Followed With Us you don't just read Ben trying to fight his own traumas and trying to survive, YOU LIVE IT WITH HIM, because once you start the book you can't help but get into it.

Ben is a very complex character, full of traumas, fears and flaws that you can't help but love. He is a trans boy who was raised in the religious cult that brought the end of the world using a bioweapon, but that is not all, infected by the same virus that killed millions he may be the perfect weapon that the cult has been waiting for.

Ben never wanted to be chosen, nor to be infected, but now he has very little time left and when his escape plan fails he is rescued by the leader of the LGBTQ+ community center, Nick, who knows his secret. Ben finally thinks he's safe, but the virus in his system slowly manifests itself, the cult attacks grow, his new friends are in danger, and Nick may have other plans for him that he doesn't know about.

To say that it is a very intense book is to say an understatement: the book is read super fast, it is almost a marathon! From the moment you read the first chapter until the end the only thing you can think of is that you NEED TO KEEP READING!
It's very dynamic, full of drama and graphic gore scenes. I have honestly forgotten the last time I read a book with such intense scenes and coming across this has been very refreshing.

The characters are also very complex!
Ben is not only going through a horrible trauma and trying to survive, most of the things he says and thinks are a reflection of the heavy weight that he carries on his shoulders and the way he tries to cope with all the traumatic events that he is going through.
He says things clearly, almost as if he is trying to take meaning away from his words or his memories so as not to be crushed by them in the process, he reacts towards violence as if it is normal for him (BECAUSE IT IS) and all that combined with the pain and the desperation he feels makes you can't help but want to protect him from everything and everyone!

Ben isn't perfect, he's a teenager trying to find himself when he's surrounded by people who want to stop him from doing just that. He is a boy who is not only trying to understand himself, but also trying to survive in a world that is broken and dangerous. Ben is a very human character: he has fears, desires, dreams, he feels despair and helplessness, he makes mistakes, he tries to do the right thing, he fails and he tries again.
He's a very interesting character, in my opinion, and the fact that throughout the book we can see him trying to put boundaries between what he's been taught to do and what he really wants makes the whole book more intriguing because, believe me, it's not easy to differentiate between one and the other.

Nick, on the other hand, is the character I loved the most. He is responsible, serious, outspoken, he is the type of person who will do whatever it takes to protect his family even if it means doing terrible things. Nick is the type of person who does questionable things to protect his family and friends and he is just that type of character that I love the most!
Nick is also autistic, and you don't know how in love I was with the representation in the book! I haven't read many books with autistic characters and reading an autistic MC has been a complete and wonderful surprise 💗.

To me, the way Nick thinks is the most logical thing in the book. I loved every one of his appearances, the way he interacts with his friends, the way he comes to terms with Ben, his own internal battles over what he wants to do and what he needs to do. Nick is such a beautiful character, I loved every part of him 💗💗.

As for the ship… There's something very special about the way Nick and Ben interact. They don't have that atmosphere of an unbridled couple of love and desire, nor that sexual tension that romance books usually have, it's something more special, more solid.
I haven't quite identified what it is but I do know that I loved every part of their relationship 💗.

Also the representation in the book was WONDERFUL! We have characters with different religious beliefs, different ethnicities, we have disabled characters, neurodiverse, etc. Andrew rocked the performance here 💗.

On the other hand the story is very interesting! As I said before: it is full of drama, violent and graphic scenes, there are many mentions of the bible and it speaks very clearly about religious abuse, as well as physical, psychological and verbal abuse.
I loved the world that Andrew created, especially that setting so clear that each scene has.

However, I also have to admit that I would have liked it to delve into some topics. For example, I would have loved if he had told us a little more about the virus, about the chaos that was unleashed when they released it into the world, I would also have liked him to delve into the characters a little more: for example, Theo or the Nick's friends.
On the other hand I think that by the end of the book there were a lot of scenes that feel very fast, I love the author's style but I think that for the final scenes it would have been better to be more descriptive or precise. I also noticed that there were several plot holes and I think that's why, of the whole book, the final scenes were not my favorite.

Still I loved the book and the characters with all my heart and I'm sure if the author releases more material from Nick and Ben I will definitely read it 💗.

This is the kind of book that stays in your heart, just like its characters 💗.

The ARC for this book was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review: Thank you very much!

ESPAÑOL

“Hell Followed With Us is a book about survival. It is a book about queer kids at the end of the world trying to live long enough to grow up.”

Esta es una de las frases con las que el autor abre su libro y MAN, NO PODRÍA HABERLO DESCRITO MEJOR!
Este libro es increíble, maravilloso, con temas muy serios y personajes con una profundidad maravillosa. Cuando lees Hell Followed With Us no sólo lees a Ben intentando combatir sus propios traumas e intentando sobrevivir, LO VIVES CON ÉL, porque una vez empiezas el libro no puedes hacer más que entrar de lleno en él.

Ben es un personaje muy complejo, lleno de traumas, miedos y defectos que no puedes evitar querer. Él es un chico trans que fue criado en el culto religioso que provocó el fin del mundo usando un arma biológica, pero eso no es todo, infectado por el mismo virus que mató millones él puede ser el arma perfecta que los fanáticos han estado esperando crear para terminar con su misión.

Ben nunca deseó que lo eligieran, tampoco que lo infectaran, pero ahora le queda muy poco tiempo y cuando su plan de escape falla es rescatado por el líder del centro comunitario LGBTQ+, Nick, quien conoce su secreto. Ben finalmente piensa que está a salvo, pero el virus en su sistema poco a poco se va manifestando, los ataques del culto crecen, sus nuevos amigos corren peligro y quizá Nick tenga otros planes para él que conoce.

Decir que es un libro muy intenso es decir poco: el libro se lee super rápido, es casi un maratón! Desde que lees el primer capítulo hasta que terminas en lo único en lo que puedes pensar es que NECESITAS SEGUIR LEYENDO!
Es muy dinámico, lleno de drama y escenas violetas gráficas. Honestamente he olvidado la última vez que leí un libro con escenas tan intensas y encontrarme con esto ha sido muy refrescante.

Los personajes también son muy complejos!
Ben no sólo está pasando por un trauma horrible y está intentando sobrevivir, la mayoría de las cosas que dice y piensa son reflejo del peso tan grande que carga sobre sus hombros y de la forma en que intenta sobrellevar todos los eventos traumáticos a los que se ha enfrentado.
Él dice las cosas claras, casi como si intentara quitarle significado a sus palabras o sus recuerdos para no ser aplastado por ellos en el proceso, reacciona hacia la violencia como si fuera normal para él (PORQUE LO ES) y todo eso combinado con el dolor y la desesperación que siente hace que no puedas evitar querer protegerlo de todo y todos!

Ben no es perfecto, es un adolescente que está intentando encontrarse a sí mismo cuando está rodeado de personas que quieren impedirle que haga justo eso. Es un chico que no sólo intenta entenderse a sí mismo, sino que también trata de sobrevivir en un mundo que está roto y es peligroso. Ben es un personaje muy humano: tiene miedos, deseos, sueños, siente desesperación e impotencia, comete errores, intenta hacer lo correcto, falla y lo vuelve a intentar.
Es un personaje muy interesante, en mi opinión, y el hecho de que durante el libro podamos verlo intentando poner límites entre lo que le han enseñado a hacer y lo que realmente quiere hace que todo el libro se vuelva más intrigante porque, créanme, no es fácil diferenciar entre uno y otro.

Nick, por otro lado, es el personaje que más amé en el libro. Es responsable, serio, franco, es el tipo de persona que hará lo que sea para mantener a su familia aún si eso significa hacer cosas terribles. Nick es el tipo de persona que hace cosas cuestionables por proteger a su familia y amigos y es justo ese tipo de personajes que más me encanta!
Nick además es autista, y no saben lo enamorada que quedé con la representación en el libro! No he leído muchos libros con personajes autistas y leer a un MC autista ha sido una completa y maravillosa sorpresa 💗.

Para mí, la forma en que Nick piensa es lo más lógico del libro. Amé cada una de sus apariciones, la forma en que interactúa con sus amigos, la forma en que llega a entenderse con Ben, sus propias batallas internas sobre lo que necesita hacer y lo que debe hacer. Nick es un personaje sumamente precioso, adoré cada parte de él 💗💗.

En cuanto a la ship… Hay algo muy especial en la forma en que Nick y Ben interactúan. No tienen ese ambiente de una pareja desenfrenada de amor y deseo, tampoco esa tensión sexual que los libros de romance suelen tener, es algo más especial, más sólido.
No he identificado bien qué es pero sí sé que me encantó cada parte de su relación 💗.

También la representación en el libro fue MARAVILLOSA! Tenemos a personajes con diferentes creencias religiosas, diferentes etnias, tenemos personajes discapacitados, neurodiversos, etc. Andrew se lució con la representación aquí 💗.

Por otro lado la historia es muy interesante! Como dije antes: está lleno de drama, escenas violentas y gráficas, hay muchas menciones sobre la biblia y se habla muy claramente sobre el abuso religioso, así como del maltrato físico, psicológico y verbal.
Amé el mundo que creó Andrew, en especial esa ambientación tan clara que cada escena tiene.

Sin embargo, también tengo que reconocer que me hubiera gustado que profundizara en algunos temas. Por ejemplo, me habría encantado que nos hablara un poco más del virus, del caos que se desató cuando apenas lo dejaron libre en el mundo, también me hubiera gustado que profundizaran en los mismos personajes un poco más: por ejemplo en Theo o en los amigos de Nick.
Por otro lado creo que para el final del libro hubo muchas escenas que se sienten muy rápidas, adoro el estilo del autor pero pienso que para las escenas finales hubiera sido mejor ser más descriptivo o preciso. También noté que hubo varios agujeros argumentales y creo que por eso, de todo el libro, las escenas finales no fueron mis favoritas.

Aún así adoré con todo mi corazón el libro y a los personajes y estoy segura de que si el autor saca más material de Nick y Ben en definitiva voy a leerlo 💗.

Este es el tipo de libro que sí o sí se queda en tu corazón, al igual que sus personajes 💗.

El ARC de este libro fue proporcionado por la editorial a través de NetGalley a cambio de una reseña honesta: Muchas gracias!

Thanks to NetGalley and Peachtree Teen for access to an eArc in exchange for my honest review!

This book is triumphant.

I think this book is incredibly important and does a beautiful job of exposing religious traumas through an apocalyptic narrative. The found family trope is woven through the entirety of the story. The overall representation in the book is essential for LGBTQ+ teens everywhere.

I thoroughly enjoyed every moment of this story. It grips you from the beginning and refuses to let go long after you’ve read the final page.

White’s prose is exquisite. The horrifying elements and violence are written with such beauty as is the rest of the book. I cannot remember the last time I was this enthralled by a story. I would recommend this book to anyone. (Be sure to heed the content warnings!)

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4614498876?book_show_action=false&from_review_page=1

Horrifying and extraordinary, HELL FOLLOWED WITH US is the christofascist apocalypse novel I've been waiting for.

Andrew Joseph White's brutal representation of what it's like for a young queer person to crawl out of fundamentalism toward some sort of autonomous future was visceral and moving. I'm of the opinion horror is at its best when the horrifying elements say something about the characters as people, and the bone-cracking, bowel-bursting gore of HELL FOLLOWED WITH US is apt when tackling christofascism, a real-life movement obsessed with the extermination of queer, racialized, and disabled people. Having grown up as a queer kid in uber-conservative christianity myself, the conflict of self-as-monster rang particularly true; the trauma of living under fundamentalism is how it slices away pieces of who you are, honing you into a monster to serve the demands of the movement and denying all self-knowledge.

A masterpiece of a debut that gave me lots to chew on. I look forward to more from Andrew Joseph White!

This was probably one of my most interesting reads so far in 2022. I think this author is one to watch mainly because of the writing itself. It felt very real and I could picture everything as it’s written, and had moments so visceral I honestly forgot where I was I was so into the book. With that being said, I do think the pacing was off at times. Sometimes I wanted things to slow down to really hold me in certain moments. This is mainly in the beginning where I feel as if we jump to the inciting incident without spending time showing us Benji’s life before everything takes off. Other moments when I thought things should move faster we got a lot of narration and slow movements. Still I loved the rep in this book. It felt very personal, the story itself, and I’m glad I finished it.

This is a vicious, gnarled, fever-dream of a novel, one that finds beauty and salvation in what some label as unnatural, as heretical, as monstrous. There are lots of obvious parallels and metaphors between transformative narratives and queer—and especially trans—identity experiences, but this novel doesn’t allow for anything simple. Identity and transformation are found in a combination of recognizing personal truths while also being acted upon by things outside oneself, and this story asks what does a radical self-acceptance look like, even, maybe especially, when who you are is born from trauma and violence?

All that said, this is a gory, blood-soaked entry into the body-horror genre, and it is great. Our main character, Benji, is confused and complicated and wonderfully engaging. There is a diverse crew of peripheral characters, some more fleshed out than others, but enough so that the most important secondary characters feel real, not just tropes or diversity for the sake of it, but lived in and interesting. The antagonists aren’t quite as complicated as our protagonists, but telling a story that has a group of zealots that engaged in biological warfare to murder billions of people as a way to usher in the end of days encourages somewhat singularly-focused villains. Besides, this isn’t their story, they just happen to be in the way. As for the story, it is quick-paced, and really well-plotted. It has a balance of action and calm, reflection and violence, that made it a compelling, if somewhat straight-forward, read. Anyone with any interest in queer speculative fiction can probably map the trajectory of the story pretty early on, but this isn’t a mystery that is trying to fry your brain as it twists and turns. Instead, it is a story that is trying to bring you on an emotional journey, an inner journey of moving from fear to acceptance, of surviving trauma and forging family and growing into who you are, and it succeeds wildly at that, with just enough shocks and surprises along the way to keep you turning one gore-soaked page after another. Finally, the writing itself is fun. It is snappy and direct, with a style that matches the intensity of its characters, simultaneously compassionate and enraged. It reads really quickly, with a deft pace that doesn’t really let you rest or catch your breath for more than a moment. Sure, the story is a bit heavy-handed, but as a queer narrative that doesn’t shy away from the very real rage experienced in marginalized communities, and instead funnels that rage into a genre that basks in razor sharp teeth and the flesh that they shred, it feels right, and balanced. This isn’t a long-simmering tale of psychological horror, and it isn’t a collection of indepth character studies. It is in your face, it is unapologetic, and it is raw and bloody.

This is quite a stunning debut novel. It refuses easy answers, and forces you to think about what it means to be a monster. There is an uncomfortable relationship with violence, one that it could do well to investigate more, but that’s the job of the reader, to come away feeling both thrilled and a little uneasy. If you interested in that kind of journey, and are willing to think about what might be lurking just beneath the surface of your so-very-fragile skin, this is a must read!

I want to thank NetGalley and Peachtree Publishing, who provided a complimentary eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to netgalley for an arc of a gory, YA horror, with AMAZINGLY diverse + queer characters that reads like a resident evil game? yes. PLEASE!!!! I loved everything about this book, I couldn’t put it down and it just felt like one huge fever dream. from Benji, who’s unapologetically “trans as hell” to Nick, who’s autistic and willing to do anything to protect his friends and every other character in this insane story had me rooting so hard for them all!!!! I'm not one to read anything gory or horror-esque reads but holy. shit. this book has me looking for books that fit into this genre because WOW. the way Andrew Joseph White wrote this entire story had me feeling as if I was actually in the book, watching everything unfold and it just gave me the most ickiest feeling in the best way possible (was this because I also read this book exclusively at night? maybe, but we’ll just say that added to the vibe while reading) Overall, this was amazing!!! The cover? IMMACULATE. the characters? They were fleshed out sooooo perfectly, It was as if they were my own friends. The religious ties throughout the book? So unbelievably well done (and might be a huge aspect to how much I loved this one) thank you again to netgalley, I already know I'm going to be first in line to buy myself a physical copy when this is released!

Thank you NetGalley for allowing me to read the eARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.
When I first heard about this book on TikTok a couple months ago, I was immediately intrigued and added it to my to be read list, and WOW did this book live up to all my expectations and exceed them!
This has been the first ARC I’ve ever read and what a good start! When people say that this book is similar to the movie Annihilation, they aren’t lying. This book has some insane and nauseating body horror in it (which is not something I usually like) but the characters made up for it! They’re all so well developed, and this book is just filled with diverse characters who you fall in love with. There’s one character who has neopronouns and its one of the first times I’ve ever seen representation for that in a book.
The ending of this book is phenomenal but I’m still confused as what is going to happen to Benji after all the events of this book happened. I finished this book in about 2 days after going through a horrendous reading slump, but this book re-ignited my love for reading! I can’t wait to hear what other people thing of this book and I hope everyone loves it as much as I did! I will definitely be buying a physical copy once it comes out just to admire that GORGEOUS cover.
Please please please!!! Be aware of the content warnings before going into this book, it has some very disturbing imagery and language, specifically transphobia. The content warnings can be found on Andrew Joseph White’s website under the “Extras” tab on the top of the website.
4.75/5 stars

Oh wow. A crazy apocalyptic world with gory monsters, a group of queer teens, and a brilliant main protagonist. The characters felt so real yet powerful and strong. Hell Followed With Us is definitely a book I’d judge by the cover, a breathtaking cover for a breathtaking book.

Visceral gore, sinking horror, found family, and dripping with queer representation -- Hell Followed with Us by Andrew Joseph White is the novel I have been waiting my whole life for.

I've had a hard time thinking of the right words to describe how much this book means to me. It's gross and intriguing and exactly what I needed in my life. It feels like it gave me permission to be angry and rage, not because being trans is bad, but to feel like the fury of how cis people treat us is ok and valid. I saw myself in Benji's struggles and in Nick's autism as well, and I absolutely loved how Nick was treated with as much respect as anyone else. And the bad people getting what they deserve for once was so satisfying. Seeing Benji and the crew looking at all the potential life now holds for them made me emotional and I couldn't have asked for a better ending.

This book is a great read as long as readers heed the content warnings. I think my students who can see themselves in Benji will absolutely adore this book. While very violent at times, the emotions that this book evokes make it a very worthwhile read. I really enjoyed the way the author incorporated religious meaning and applied that to current LGBTQIA+ issues.

I honestly cannot believe this is a debut novel - it feels like it is from a mature, experience author who knows their way around symbolism & structure. Very impressed and cannot wait for my upper high school students to dive into this book.

This book was really graphically violent and I can't read stuff like that right now. However, I do think that this book will be incredibly important and meaningful for trans children today, who are constantly facing violence like Benji is in this book. I loved it for that reason, but I had to DNF for my own mental health!