I really wasn't expecting how dystopian this story would be. And as much as it was quite an original story. It just was that type of dystopian that I struggle to read. At first the book was very interesting. Finding out about who Benji was running from and what he was. To meeting the other characters that would be his allies. The characters where good. The whole story idea was very interesting and it's definitely going to draw people in. Just isn't a genre I work well with. It's still nice to read a trans rep book though. And one done well.

Thank you so much to Peachtree and NetGalley for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review!

It's very hard for me to love a book more than I loved Hell Followed with Us. This book is perfect for trans teens struggling with gender dysphoria and religious trauma, and in many ways, I wish I had this book sooner. The prose is a gorgeous blend of monologue and scripture that fits perfectly with the story being told. If you are interested in reading this book, please listen to the trigger warnings, it's very gory and intense all throughout. And when the angry Christians and TERFs eventually start targeting this lovely book, please don't forget the trans kids who need this the most.

First of all I have to say my reviews are usually a list of types of a person who should read it and I didn't write a more analytical review in a while. Sorry!

I absolutely loved reading this book. It was fast paced, thrilling, and avoided the very common part 2 drag which I was worried about. It seems like a cliche, but I could not put it down to the point of forcing myself to leave it at 4 am. So here are some points I have to make about it:

I am usually not a fan of first person narration, but I think it really worked here. Benji's limited knowledge and his unique point of view made the story more profound than I expected it to be. I felt like other two boys got their pov for such a small moment there wasn't really place to develop their own voice. Still, I find it impressive that we got so many flushed out characters on so few pages, especially considering everything that was going on. Even the secondary or background characters were multidimensional and unpretentious.

I found it very interesting to have a protagonist who knows the motivation behind the different sides of the conflict, but doesn't try to be impartial. I think the moral aspects of the story are handled very well in general. I really loved how the concept of being "good" is separate from being fair or being a saint. Obviously we are supposed to see a eco-terrorist cult as what it is, but on a personal level it is more complicated than being "good" or "bad". The characters' actions have consequences, and understanding their motivations wasn't equated with justification or forgiveness. I am not sure how tiktok ya fans are going to handle this once the book comes out. I also liked that this complexity was extended to the graces- I expected them to be a simple creature feature with Benji as the one sentient exception and feeling for what I expecting to fear was a unique experience. At the same time it wasn't as simple as a good old "the real monsters are people" postapo switch which at this point I just find tiring.

So appart for the morality and the horror, the book was recommended to me as a queer story. I don't usually read books for representation, it's sure an added bonus but I still stay in my genres. However. It is very rare that I read about queer experiences and see myself in them this strongly. Benji's thoughts about dysphoria and gender in general are so realistic to me it got hard to read at times. But at the same time I felt that this is just one of the possible perspectives - with so many queer characters there really isn't a need to try to represent everyone and anyone in just one little guy, which makes it so much better. I liked how the subjects of conflicts within the queer groups were approached, and that the queer aspects were not simplified or made palatable for a cis audience.

Then we have Nick whom I absolutely loved. I found it so incredibly refreshing to see an autistic character that is portrayed as hot? I didn't realise how rarely that happens. Not nice or lovable or cool but actually attractive and admired. He's so good. I may have internalised Benji's pov a bit but I love this boy so much I can barely form a coherent thought so I will drop it now.

The main complaint I saw about the book so far was that it was confusing. Sure, the reader gets thrown into the plot without much explanation. I personally enjoyed it- it reminds me of some classic sci-fi/dystopia. After the initial catch-up the pieces fall together neatly and there aren't really bits that are left completely neglected, and the bits that are not explained also make sense as ones that Benji wouldn't necessarily know. I don't think in this genre everything has to be explicitly said. The graces, or rather their actual appereance, may be confusing at times but I liked this part as well- when it comes to horror, especially body horror, I prefer when it's at least a bit ambiguous- too much explanation can easily just make it funny instead of terrifying.

The one complaint that I actually have is that I didn't quite like the very ending. The stakes got so high, like when you turn into archangel what can possibly beat that. I felt a bit like the ending was left open enough for a possible sequel but not so much to actually promise that sequel. But in the end, two weeks later I don't think about this little drawback but keep catching myself thinking about the parts of the book that I actually loved.

I'm not sure if it's just in my circles but this book was hyped so much in the last half a year I tried to lower my expectations. So I expected a little young adult story, just with my favourite themes. It turned out so much better than that. Not to be too full of myself but it feels like the book was written for me. Like I could give it to my therapist and I would never have to say anything again. So I don't know how much my review is actually worth to anyone. But when I think about it, I can't really draw direct parallels between me & Benji. And somehow I still feel exposed. So maybe that is a more universal feeling.
I am however a bit worried about the possible target group- like this is YA but I wouldn't recommend it to teenagers really. So here is my list that I mentioned at the beginning. This is a book for:
-kids who tried to use the pandemic as an excuse to skip mass
-young adults who got out of a religious family and didn't have time to think about it
-people who internalised equating health with morality and get therapy for it
-eldest daughters of any genders

First off, the imagery is amazing. Dark, unnerving body horror? Sign me up! I really enjoyed that! The writing is scrumptious and I flew through the book in less than a day. My only complaint is that the plot is not coherent and solid enough for me to fully understand some of the events, but maybe I'mm just too smooth-brained for this.

Anyway, I love the queer rage and horror portrayed here and would definitely pick up the author's next books.

What an amazing, guttural, book. Bravo.

Hell Followed With Us follows the story of 16-year old trans boy Benji, who’s been living with the Reformation Faith Evangelical Church, an eco-fascist cult responsible for the death of 9 billion people, since he was 11. The book starts with him running away, infected with something that threatens to tear him apart.

The way Andrew Joseph White crafts this story is exquisite; there’s queer rage in every page, but there’s also queer joy, hope, love. I found myself gasping in several parts, screaming, happy stimming. I texted my friends “I can’t believe something like this can be published” (in the most positive way). I’m so happy for queer stories of horror and sorrow and grief and everything in between.

This is now my favorite book. It has all the nuance, all the things one wants in queer horror and horror in general, the intricate ways in which Holiness, horror, and queerness are intertwined is magnifique. It’s artistry.

Growing up Catholic, so much of this hit right in the right spot. Benji being such an insightful character despite his upbringing made me so happy. He's just a boy growing up surrounded by people who don't want him to be himself. And he's angry, but he's also scared and it's gonna help so many queer teens reading this. Specially because it's not sanitized and understands that kids can be traumatized and act upon it, instead of wanting to teach some sort of lesson.

The only things I would change is maybe describe the Graces better, as I didn’t quite understand what to imagine, and to flesh out some of the side characters a little more, I felt like I was missing a lot from them.

This is a winner.

[ARC offered in exchange for an honest review]

First off, thank you to Net Galley for giving me the chance to read and review this ARC! This book felt like an amalgamation of every angry tear I’ve ever shed, and it was horrifying in the most beautiful way possible.

This is a story of Benji, a queer trans boy who escaped the cultish society of New Nazareth and its Angels, but Benji has a secret—he was chosen to be the host of Seraph, a brutal monster that has the ability to bring whatever is left of this post-apocalyptic world to its knees. Benji meets a group of teens just like him (queer and in fear), including a boy named Nick who almost makes Benji forget about his fiancé back home, and together they lead a resistance against the Angels to save themselves and the world.

What I loved:

The representation and diversity in this book is like no other book that I’ve ever seen: there’s ace, aro, bi, gay, and lesbian rep on the sexuality side, and characters that are trans and non-binary (even two that use neopronouns). Additionally, though more in the background, there are a variety of religions represented within the characters as well (including a Muslim character). All of the character’s identities are treated with respect and care.

The structure was very interesting in that at the beginning of each chapter, you get a tiny snippet of worldbuilding (or a relevant Bible verse), that gives you more context into this world without it being inorganic or forced. Also, when the POV switches away from Benji, it becomes third person, rather than first person like it is normally. I’ve never seen a book have switches like that before, but I really liked it!

The horror aspects of this book coupled with the religious cult themes made for such a unique reading experience. I love horror so much, and as a Christian, I found the use of Christianity to be very fun to read about, especially since I know groups like the Angles exist in real life (though not quite to that extent). Additionally, the descriptions for the horror parts of the book, were very well done. I love gore and psychological horror, and this book has heaps of both.

Without spoiling, the plot is very engaging, even in the parts without much action going on, mostly due to the incredible characterization of every character in the book—learning about the characters and seeing them interact, grow, and bond is just as interesting as seeing the plot progress. It is so hard to put this book down.

What I didn’t like:

This is a very small complaint, which just speaks to how good this book is, but I do wish the romance in the book had a smidge more development in some places. While it progressed naturally in most parts, it felt like the progress would halt and then skip a few beats every so often, which was a bit confusing because I didn’t understand how the feelings of the character(s) got from Point A to Point B on occasion. However, the romance was not the focus of the book (something I found refreshing), and it was very realistic and pure, so I really don’t care.

Because there were so many characters and so much worldbuilding, I found myself misremembering or forgetting names and small plot points, which may be in part due to being thrust into the book with no exposition whatsoever, but none of this took me out of the book or the experience, so it was mostly just a minor inconvenience.

Finishing thoughts:

This is a book that I will definitely reread in the future! I just loved everything about it, and I can’t wait to find things that I didn’t notice before and to appreciate things that I didn’t realize were important before (I’m a big fan of good foreshadowing). I can hardly believe that this is a debut novel, but I know I’ll be looking out for any and everything else that Andrew Joseph White does in the future.

I have to say this first: if you think of reading this book, please check the trigger warnings. This is not an easy read.

So, I am very much not a horror fan. I’m not queer myself though I love and support the community, and I’m a christian (not evangelical) though I’ve had my share of religious trauma too. You could say I’m not the target audience and that’s very correct, I don’t think this book was meant for me. But there is an important autistic side character with his own POV so I had to read it! Being autistic myself, this meant the metaphors went waaaaay over my head. I see people reviewing this book ranting about A+++ metaphors so it’s probably very good, but I didn’t spot a single one lol! I simply read a book about an apocalypse caused by weird religious extremists, and a haunting yet beautiful story about a trans boy who has to figure out who he is, even as he’s transforming into something else. And a story where an autistic man leads a group of queer teens in an apocalypse and who is masking all day long to not look autistic. I loved reading about him, it is so very authentic! The masking part hit me right in the gut as it’s very relatable. I love how “autistic” is just an aspect of who he is as a person, diversity casually thrown without it being the main focus in is the best. And there was a lot of diversity! I really liked the small things, the conversations and personal issues, and it was the smaller abuses that were heartbreaking like the use of a deadname.

Though, as I mentioned before, this wasn’t the book for me. It took a while to get this world, and when I finally thought I had all the pieces together, it somehow became entirely different at the end. I still have no idea what exactly happened there. I think it ended bad? But maybe not? However, it was the extreme amount of gore that made me nauseated. I don’t have a weak stomach at all, but this was just way too much. The hopelessness was hard to stomach too. I expected more queer rage but I got angst, monsters and a big epic something. Which is OK but it just didn’t blow me off my socks which I hoped for. Still, I enjoyed this story, just not the actual apocalypse and monsters and gore.

A huge thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with this eArc!

I’m so thankful for the autistic representation that is finally coming into the book world, we really need more like this!! Please read this and support the author!! <333

Honestly it was funniest idea/Worldbuilding as debut book from the author. I really appreciate no living at this social chaotic world and dealing with a eco-fascist & religious sect. (itself should be a thriller); where that damned vicious circle mixing white privilege madness (into fiction and real life).
I ain't surprised that "being well" we live like this (I'm talking 'bout this fallen and burnt world, remembering the white power sequels over the years ).

Love his grotesque gore's style 'till body horror, vomiting or even the final battle against angels. No doubt t-was an great attribute of the author.

Now..
I'd like to remind that within of the story there's toxic relationships presence
🔪Amorous; such as Theo & Benji (TW: transphobia among MLM relationships; a subject that is still not much addressed).

🔪between friends as in the case of Nick & Benji. It's clearest to me that whoever wrote this wanted to leave the inhospitable, crude and sinister book's plot context (wherever we look) falling into psychosis metaphorically (or not?). I was really confused about the bad reaction to Nick (who as a "queer" leader from LGBT+ group had attitudes such as harassment and transphobia in a place where he pretends to give light in the midst of chaos). UNfortunately this happens in real life, where we always reduce the collective to being (cis and white) gay.
I'm saying that these practices should stop, but when I read all this I thought for about two seconds about expelling him (not to say shooting him on the spot; friends that last one I said for fiction though...just kidding).

It would have been nice to have seen how others would have taken action on the matter by apologizing and fixing the mistake he made (several times). Personally I think he should pay for everything he did.

🔪Transphobia is never justified🔪

While this work has no more installments, I didn't feel it. There were still a few things left in the way. If there was a "small chance" for me to publish a spin-off I would be more grateful than ever. Especially with the relationship between Sadaf & Aisha (🕌🕌my bi muslim icon from this book..i guess).
Or even write a whole book about how it was for Salvador to leave Latin America and come to where this institution group was formed.

This novel represents queer rage. The author knew from the beginning what he was getting into when he wrote this untamed animal.

WOW!!

(Thanks Netgalley)

thanks to the publishers & netgalley for providing me with an e-book arc for an honest review!

4.5 star

Hell Followed with Us is a post-apocalyptic queer YA fantasy/horror following Benji’s journey in embracing his rage and unleashing it upon those that have wronged him. Hell Followed with Us is one of my most highly anticipated 2022 releases and I’m incredibly happy to report it exceeded my expectations. It’s so satisfying to witness Benji’s growth and triumph with the help of other queer youths from Acheson LGBTQ+ Center.

From the age of 11, Benji is brought up in a religious cult that unleashed a deadly virus across the world in the name of salvation. Those infected either die a nasty death or mutate into a monster called ‘Grace’, they are, for the believers, weapons in God’s holy war. Benji is chosen as the Seraph, the monster to lead all other monsters in the mission to wipe humanity from the Earth.

There’re religious references and imagery throughout the story and along with all the body horror descriptions, it creates such a creepy but also almost beautiful atmosphere that makes the story so engaging to read. I cannot exactly put it into words, but I was engrossed the entire time even though the plot is not particularly fast-paced (for me).

What shines the most in Hell Followed with Us for me is definitely Benji’s character arc. From the very first chapter, I’m immediately drawn to his character (honestly, that Chapter 1 is one of my favorite first chapters). Being a trans boy raised in a very oppressive environment, he has a lot of trauma & suppressed anger. This is complicated by the fact that his body is mutating into the Seraph and he has to defend himself and those in ALC against the world. All of this is so brilliantly interwoven into his overarching character arc and the plot. I’m just in awe. Benji is not a character without faults but he’s an incredibly compelling character you want to see succeed.

Another thing I really love is Nick’s character and the different friendships & relationships between the youth in ALC. Hell Followed with Us provides a realistic look into what happens when marginalized youths are abandoned by adults to fend for themselves. There’s commandry but there’s also antagonism. It’s complicated and it’s 10/10. To be honest, the relationships Benji has with characters beyond ALC is also super well-written. I’m running out of ways to say this book is really well-written but please, pick it up for yourself and give it a read!!

The only thing I wanted more is a more in-depth look into the side characters. Hell Followed with Us is written in first-person perspective so it’s difficult for side characters to stand out to me in the first place. There’re some really well-written relationships between Benji and other characters but I’ll like to know the side characters themselves better.

There’s a fair amount of body horror in this book (check tw for warning!) and at times it gives me Tokyo Ghoul vibes which I love.

Also, that book cover?! Incredible. Cannot wait for June so I can have this beauty on my shelves.

To conclude, I love Hell Followed with Us, totally recommend if you are looking for a queer fantasy/horror!!

I cannot believe how much I loved this book. I had no expectations going into this despite what I read from the description on NetGalley. I couldn’t put this book down even if I tried, which is why I was so quick to finish it. I started reading it on the 22nd and it’s now the 27th, which if you know me at all you’d know that’s quick for me since I am a very slow reader.

Benji is a trans boy who fled from New Nazareth, the main campus full of rebel evangelical Christians who are wrecking havoc on the world and killing and murdering nonbelievers in the name of god. I am going to try to keep this as spoiler free as possible but I may write a spoiler ridden review elsewhere.

Benji is on the run when he and his dad are stopped by a group of Angels— the group of soldiers employed by New Nazareth to track down heretics and nonbelievers and do gods work by killing them— where his father is murdered and Benji has no choice but to run by himself. He is found by a kid named Nick who tells him to keep silent and he takes him back to his camp known as the ALC. The Acheson LGBTQ+ Youth Center, a center for LGBTQ+ teens and young adults to find peace and community with each other in the world they’re living in.

The only thing eating away at Benji is the monster growing inside him, a literal monster that will eventually tear him apart and make him inhuman.

This book is FULL of trigger warnings: body horror, violence, murder, blood, weapons, religious terrorism, transphobia, homophobia, gore, torture, apocalyptic themes, and grotesque descriptions of bodily horror. I was truly unprepared for some of what they talk about in this, and it starts right off the bat too. From the very first few pages it is filled with graphic descriptions that surprised me, and it only got worse from there. If any of this bothers you please be warned before picking this up when it hits the shelves this summer.

I loved this so much I pre-ordered the physical copy of the book when it comes out and I plan on reading it again later on. It is written so well, but I would not say this is for young adults by any means. I think I would say this is more New Adult or Adult LGBTQ+ fiction. I don’t see this turning into a series or see a sequel on the horizon, it wrapped up so well that it felt perfect on it’s own!

This book is like almost nothing that I've ever read before, and that's saying something. I love queer books, I love horror, I love post-apocalyptic stuff, and still I wasn't prepared for how this book went down. It's filled to the brim with body horror, and dripping with gore.

I loved every messed up second of it, but it's not for the feint of heart. There's body horror, and then there's Hell Followed with Us. The journey and transformation the main character goes on is brutal, but in a way hopeful, mirroring the journey trans teens often go through.

The imagery is intense, often verging on too much if you're not ready for it, but it is so worth the ride. One sitting reads happen for one of two reasons for me, either I'm bored and have nothing else to do, or I'm so enraptured by what I'm reading that I literally cannot stop regardless of the time of day. Hell Followed with Us was a one sitting read because of the latter, I literally could not put this book down. The way this book tackles religious trauma is just...perfection. The catharsis is real.

Long story short, this book is amazing but you need to know what you're signing up for before reading it. Heed the content warnings laid out by the author. If it's something you can read, do it, because I can promise you that you'll come out on the other side different than when you first started reading it.

Also, the cover goes so hard.

This book was absolutely fantastic. I've already added it to our list for order this year and will recommend it to students.

This book was an anticipated release, and i was hoping for good things from this book and guess what it exceeded expectations and was bloody fantastic. The raw anger that is felt through the words and writing of this book is so amazingly well done and written and i am in such awe of Benji as a character and that we get to see him fully as he is.
Hell Followed With Us, is about a 16 year old trans boy named Benji, he was injected with a bioweapon and is on the run, running away from the cult who raised him, the sector that unleashed Armageddon on the world and commited genocide to the human race. When cornered, he is recused by a group of teens from the local Acheson LGBTQ+ Centre.

I adored the writing from the start and it pulled me in and i was lost to the story straight away, time be damned. Benji is an amazing character who i want to give a big ole hug to. I just loved having all these queer characters teaming up. This is one to preorder and put on your tbrs right now

I grew up very religious, and I'm LGBTQ+. The anger in this story spoke to me in a very personal way.
The trauma that is processed in the book is done so beautifully. The metaphors that are used in the book between being trans and becoming a Grace are done so subtly and cleverly. The ending gave the characters their power back. The story is so relatable to many people. Reading this book was cathartic for me.

The writing and prose within the story itself are also so well done. I loved the characters and became invested in their lives and wellbeing very quickly. I admired their bravery. This book is definitely one of my new favorite LGBT reads.

This is an incredible book! Benji is one of the most complex and compelling narrators I've ever come across, and the way that he carries his unthinkable burdens while remaining true to his essential self feels both impossible and unquestionably true. This is a dark, angry book that also manages to be beautiful and tender. A masterpiece.

Hell Followed With Us feels like pure rage and desperation. It's about religious indoctrination, holy war and holy genocide. Our main character Benji is a sixteen year old trans boy. He grew up in a fundamentalist sect that unleashed Armageddon and set out to wipe out the world's population in the name of God. Benji desperately tries to escape to where they can't get to him or the bioweapon they infected him with. When cornered by monsters born from the destruction, he is rescued by teens from the local LGBTQ+ center, and their leader Nick knows Benji's secret.

Do you ever feel like you have so much to say about a book that you just come out blank? That's how I'm feeling right now. Reading this was so intense, and I don't know how to explain the journey that was taken.

First things first, I absolutely loved this book from first to last page. For the past couple of years, I've felt like YA isn't really for me anymore (unsurprisingly, considering I'm 26 at this point) and while I many books in that category are still good, they don't hit like they used to. That wasn't the case when I read this. Not for a second did I feel like it wasn't for me, but importantly it also didn't feel like "YA for adults". It just felt like a really intense story about teens trying their best in absolutely horrifying situations.

There are a lot of potentially triggering content in this book, and I'd advice having a look at the list of content warnings and consider if you're okay to read it, but if you are - oh boy, you're in for a treat. This book is loudly queer, with almost every important character being queer. There are so many varieties of sexualities and gender identities, as several characters using different neopronouns. Despite it's dark and sinister plot, it was so beautiful to see the diversity. It just makes me so proud and happy to see diversity teens today have access to. Absolutely love it. I wish I could have read this as a teen, but I'm so glad I got to read it as an adult.

I think you would like this if you enjoy reading about horror, found family, queer ragtag groups, and intense rage.

Benji, a sixteen year old trans boy, is on the run (with his dad) from the cult that released The Flood. The Flood is a sickness that wreaked havoc across the world, and turns people into... well, some kind of abominations. Benji has to run and find shelter; he is the most important bioweapon created by the cult, and he has to stay out of their hands. In his mad sprint through Acheson, he runs into the ALC: an LGBT+ group that's been surviving the apocalypse together.

The premise of the book? Gold. I thought it was fast-paced, and fun, and deeply personal. Hell Followed With Us is a gripping sci-fi novel about transformation and the grit you need to survive it, and it's a book you fall into extremely easily. These are all tropes we've seen in some form or another, but including the rage of a boy who is working through understanding his own transition to not just a boy, but also a monster, is in many ways moving to feel and thrilling to read.

Transformation and acceptance go hand in hand with this book, because when the ALC accepts Benji into their group, it becomes about finding home and creating a family in the most pressing conditions, and every character matters. Everyone has an innate understanding of each other, and it reflects in the banter and the deeper conversations that these characters have. You can understand the rage, the grief, and even the lighthearted moments, because these are just children forced to navigate devastating circumstances. It is something that is handled extremely well.

Overall, the reading experience was a great one, but I did have a couple of contentions that I quickly want to outline:
1. Benji constantly talking about "If I could cry, I would" got extremely frustrating after a point because this exact statement shows up at least seven times in the book, which is really five times too many. I didn't keep count but it's something that stuck with me through the whole book.
2. I didn't really buy Benji's constant mental nagging about his betrothal. It didn't seem very legit, but it kept popping up.
3. Very small, annoying thing, but I found it slightly funny how Benji knew what a "black bloc anarchist" looked like, considering he'd been raised in a cult since he was eleven years old. Not really a contention, but I'm nitpicking here.
4. There were two or three parts of the book that were fairly cliched just because of how this post-apocalyptic, dystopian, cult/disease/bioweapon story normally plays out. I was hoping for a slight subversion, but it's really not too bad, just a slight bit disappointing.

Overall, I would highly recommend this book! As someone for whom this genre is totally a new venture, I found myself enjoying every chapter greatly, and I just wanted to blow through this book like there's no tomorrow.

This is the queer YA horror of my DREAMS. Religious trauma, extreme body horror, and queer rage? Yep.

This book is nasty and brutal, full of absolutely disgusting, twisted body horror. And naturally I loved it. It doesn’t shy away from grotesque just because it’s YA; it leans into it full force and the result is incredible.

The characters are great, Benji especially. Reading from his POV and experiencing his anger and trauma, and how those emotions paired with his physical transformation from human to monster…it was really something. Nick was great too (loved seeing some autism representation!), and so we’re the rest of the cast (who are all queer!).

I’d been anticipating this ever since I heard about it and I feel so lucky that I got the chance to read this early. If you’re a horror fan, this isn’t a want, it’s a need.

I’ll be the first to say I don’t read a lot of post-apocalyptic stories, it’s not a genre Im usually drawn to, but what I really liked about this is that it’s an end of the world story not necessarily about the end, it’s about the people. Yes there are...vivid descriptions of guts and rot and disease that brought the world down, but at its heart it’s a story driven by humanity and the resilience of people. All the characters were forced to grow up to fast, to make soldiers out of children, and the fact that there are times in the story where despite everything going on they still manage to laugh and be KIDS? That contrast with all the brutality of the worldbuilding, and the fact that those aspects blend and contrast so well together? I love that so much.

This is a book you want to give your whole attention to, no matter how badly you don’t want to put it down, want to steal glances at every free moment you get, it’s a story you should savor, one with so many layers and details that deserve to be caught. It’s horrifying and hilarious and heartfelt and trust me, you want it when it comes out, I promise