The setting and characters are what really shone in this book. While some of the inclusivity in the book could felt clunky at times, the overall effect of the diverse representation in the book was excellent. The writing stood out to me as descriptive and lyrical, it captured the aesthetic of the religious cult and the doomsday it had brought about in a way that was both creepy as all hell, but still appropriate for older teens. We ran this book for our LGBT+ book club and everyone adored it!

I really enjoyed this book. A few parts felt a little slow to me but I still liked it. I found the characters neat, and fun to root for and the plot kept me wanting to read. The writing style has something different about it but I was done so well, and I will be reading more by the author. It's a powerful queer story of being yourself, fighting for people you care about with a dystopian background.

To say I was horrified reading this book is an understatement. The gore and body horror is just next level and I highly recommend against reading this book if that’s something that bothers you.

It did not bother me and I eagerly read every page! I love this post apocalyptic novel, featuring a trans main character who has just escaped the cult he grew up in. One of the things I love most is that Benji is unquestionably trans but is not on hormones (see: post-apocalyptic). There’s so much obsession with people not being trans, or not being trans enough, because they’re not on hormones or altering their body with surgery. Alongside Benji, there is other queer rep, as well as neurodivergent rep.

I enjoyed Benji’s slow growing relationship with Nick. They both have their secrets but there is an undeniable attraction between the two of them. They can read each other in ways no one else can and I think that’s neat, especially when they haven’t known each other for long.

There’s a growing sense of doom over everything, as Benji succumbs more and more to the virus he was injected with. He’s on a limited timeline to do anything and he’s trying to live as his true self for the first time in his life, while working to take down the cult he ran away from. It gives the pacing a nice sense of urgency that is felt throughout.

This book brings to mind the Penryn and the End of Days series, with a lot more gore. I think fans of that series will like this book, so long as they are aware of the gore and body horror aspects. I don’t know if I can specifically recommend this book, because of the gore, but I think there is definitely a group of people who will enjoy it! Anyone who loves post-apocalyptic fiction should give this book a chance.

5/5 (If I could rate it higher I could)

No joke, if I had had this book as a highschooler, I think my entire life might have been changed. I won't get into it but this is exactly what I would have needed as a queer kid and Benji would have helped me figure out so many things about myself a helluva lot earlier. I would advise anyone to check out content warnings, as well as read the authors note (which contains some content warnings in itself as well) before reading the novel, because it tackles topics which might be potentially upsetting or triggering for some folks.

What can I even say? This books has everything I could have ever wanted and more. Excellent queer rep (especially when it came to trans folk), body horror galore (even a flesh church, are you kidding me? I'm being spoiled here), gorgeous prose and a really satisfying ending. Monstrosity as something that frees is a theme that I've been really interested in and something I want to use in my own work and this book does it near to perfection.

I normally don't like apocalypse stories, zombie stories (even though it isn't technically a zombie apocalypse, it shares enough with the idea of one--peoples bodies changing, viral spread, etc--that it clearly has elements of one), or YA, but it all really worked for me here. I think it all comes down to how well the narrative handles the themes: religious trauma, mental illness, neurodivergency, queerness, gender, extremism, and white supremacy, just off the top of my head.

My only criticisms aren't really even criticisms. I really wish that this novel gave us more time at the ALC and more development between Benji and some of the side characters, like Salvador and Faith. The conversations and scenes we do get between them were great, and I just really wish we'd gotten more of Benji's time with the ALC and the healing power (and pitfalls) of having a queer community. In that vein, I almost wish this book was a duology, so that we could spend more time in the world and relationships.

I really, really hope the author writes more in this world, even if it isn't Benji's story.

(Postscript--this cover is beautiful and is what first grabbed my attention.)

I loved this book. It was a cathartic experience to read, reminiscent of the queer healing I felt from Lil Nas X’s music video “Call Me By Your Name”. I have always loved dystopian stories, and to have one where most of the characters are queer was so new and exciting for me.
I do feel that Nick and Theo’s chapters didn’t add much to the story, and I think if it only focused on Benji, it would be just as good, if not better.
Book is heavy on Christian religious trauma themes, which made it hard to get through at times, but I’m so glad I did. The author also gives a content warning at the beginning which is awesome and helped mentally prepare me.
Would definitely recommend this book!

Wow, what an interesting story! It has such a nice idea and the characters are so complex, I mean sometimes I thought they were real people *in a fantasy world* of course. I'm glad more queer reads are becoming popular.

THIS BOOK IS FUCKING GROSS !!!
And I loved it. I love how queer and feral this book is. Smashing the patriarchy and cishet normative roles. And displaying how American conservatism has corrupted faith and how the loving idea of Jewish and God themselves has been tarnished. I hope progressive Christianity can course correct

Long overdue review but this was superb, horrific, and cathartic in equal measure. I will never stop recommending this to people!!! Andrew is a fantastic writer and I cannot wait to devour his next book.

This is a really unique book with a trans MC trying to escape the evangelical cult he was raised in. The use of biblical passages is an interesting choice that may have been a bit overdone, but the passages added did correlate with the story. Hell Followed With Us will definitely resonate with a lot of folks who have not historically seen themselves represented in fiction very often.

Thank you to the publisher for my copy!
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I have thoroughly enjoyed this book and I wanted more of it. My sister also got intrigued by this book. Highly recommend to everyone!

This book was genuinly amazing. The portrayal of queer rage was something that I didn’t even realize I was missing in the books I was reading. I’m eagerly looking forward to the upcoming publications Andrew Joseph White is working on!

4.5 stars

TW: Transphobia, a religious cult, apocalypse, murder, gore, torture, disease, mutilation, assault, pain, suffering, hallucination & genocide.

Did a book with gore, horror, lgbtq+, and religious post-apologetic cult just become a comfort read of mine? I think so.
Okay, listen, I grew up catholic in a VERY Catholic country. However, even with the views and negative experiences around me, I grew up knowing I was LGBTQ+, and there was nothing wrong with me or those like me, that it was people twisting a view meant to be good into their OWN agendas that were the problem. I like the idea that something good is after death, but I don't have any more touch with religion after what I went through when I was younger. And seeing that take in this view felt...good.

Reading this brutal yet honest take on a world that is in doomsday and seeing the evil done by religious groups felt real. It's a truth I know happens right now and would happen in a world that falls apart like that one; the validation is relieving.
The layers in this book gave me chills; because while it is a horror and you get freaked out by the disease affecting Benji and changing them (plus the Glory we see from other victims), we know another horror, the effects of a religious cult is terrifying to see as it lingers with them. They question their thoughts and which thoughts are forced on them.

Overall this book puts trust in you as a reader to go through many traumatic experiences with Benji, and while you may or may not relate, the feelings and emotions are real, and they have left me feeling safe in a horror book.

This was such a fantastic book. It took a minute to get into it, but once I got there I it was good. I think the message this book holds for trans, queer, and neurodivergivent kids is so important. The symbolism of Benji's transformation is fantastic. This is a book I will recommend to just about anyone. It has such an important message, and it is so emotionally charged. The characters are dynamic and it's easy to become invested in their stories.

I an unable to review this title, as it was archived before I had a chance to download and read it. This feedback is only to stop this title from adversely affecting my netgalley feedback rate. If in the future I have the opportunity to read this title, I will post a proper review here.

I don’t often read tons of fantasy, but this plot in particular really intrigued me. However, it’s been a while since I’ve actually read this, so my memories about this book are a little hazy.

From what I rememberI did love the cast of characters and how diverse they all were. But I didn’t love our main character as a person; there was something about them that really bothered me. I also didn’t expect the significant role religion played throughout the book either.

I so badly wanted to enjoy this but I wasn’t very invested in the story.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

This was immediately one of my favourite reads of 2022 and continues to be a book I think about often and recommend at the slightest opportunity. I’m in love with everything about this book, from the cover art to the cast to the queer and trans rage and wrath.

Becoming the monster we are / we feel like we are / they made us into is such a vibe as a trans person, and it was awesome - in both senses of the word - to go on that journey. It made me feel so seen and so understood and validated, but it was also just an absolutely excellent read. I’ll definitely be re-reading this for years to come.

It’s not a book for everyone, but I do think everyone would benefit from reading it.

I LOVE the gore and body horror. It was done so spectacularly - described in such a way that is both disgusting and impossible to look away from. There’s a certain lyricism and beauty to the grossness. I also really liked the representation - how being queer or neurodivergent doesn’t absolve one of their internalized and conditioned biases, doesn’t automatically make them good (because so often these characters are shown to be perfect because a neurotypical cishet audience would balk at a marginalized character not being perfect). I especially liked seeing an autistic character and a trans character who don’t act or think like every other fictional autistic or trans characters; they are not molded into what an audience expects or already understands.

Unfortunately, religion is a big nope for me, and it is so vital to this story that it turned my stomach basically from the first page. I was enjoying the above stuff so much that I pushed through the religion in spite of myself but it kept me from fully enjoying it.

CWs: body horror, gore, disease, genocide, deadnaming, transphobia, and more

4 or 4.25. The body horror was such a great metaphor for living in a trans body and while half the time I was reading this thinking what the fuck I could not put it down. Definitely interested in the authors future publications.

This is one of the most unique reads, which I not only loved, but really enjoyed the writing style of the author. There is a lot to take in and reflect on, which I also enjoy.

Trans rage is real and with everything happening right now in our society, this book shows a grim reality of a post apocalyptic Earth where religious tyrrany has absolutely destroyed everything good and beautiful and special.

From the very start, the reader is thrown into a world of fire and disaster seeing religious terrorists chasing down a teen boy because of who he is, who he wants to be versus what they're demanding of him.

Everything that happens is brutal, gory, terrifying, and at times, watching Benji discover himself amidst it all.