I am a member of the American Library Association Reading List Award Committee. This title was suggested for the 2023 list. It was not nominated for the award. The complete list of winners and shortlisted titles is at <a href="https://rusaupdate.org/2023/01/2023-reading-list-announced-years-best-in-genre-fiction-for-adult-readers/">

Hell Followed With Us by Andrew Joseph White is a YA Queer Horror story, that punched me in the gut right from the get go and didn't let up, even at the end.

Ok admit, Horror is not usually my thing, and did struggle with some of the graphic descriptions (me and blood are not friends). But still found myself enthralled with this story.

In a post apocalyptic world, trans teen Benji is on the run from the devastating fanatical cult that not only raised him but turned him into a monster. While he's on the run he meets Nick and the other queer teens taking shelter in the local LGBTQ+ Centre where he's taken in, and for the first time in his life finds love, family and acceptance. But when secrets out and time is running short, Benji has some terrible choices to make.

As a mother, this book broke something in me. All wanted to do was wrap Benji and Nick all the kids from the ALC in a hug and keep them safe. As a queer and agnostic person, I raged right alongside these kids while they fought against the end of the world. This book brought out so many feelings for me. I think it is going to stay with me for a long, long time.

I picked this book up, because it was so heavily hyped up. Usually I try to avoid the hype, but I had to get my hands on this on and it did not disappoint.

This book was unlike anything I have ever read before. 16-year-old trans boy, monster, Benji, is on the run from the cult that raised him. Taken in by a group of local teens.

There was so much going on in this book. It sends a beautiful message to queer kids to show them that they are worthy of love. It also gives us some gore and horror. It was brilliant.

The synopsis sounded great and I love dystopian and queer books, however I don't think this was for me. Body gore & violence are major content warnings. I can handle some just fine but there was just more here than what I prefer to read. I saw this in a different review and it was true for me as well. Even though i did DNF after a couple chapters I am still giving it 3 stars.

I’m not 100 % sure how to feel about this. It was well written, and I like the message of the story. I knew it would have religious undertones to it, but I didn’t expect it would have as much as it did. But it did fit the story and it makes sense. I don’t know if I would reread it, but I am excited to read the authors upcoming books that I’ve heard about.

A powerhouse novel from and exiting new author, I loved this exploration of ideology and identity. The trans and autistic rep was amazing, the story was unique and engaging, and it was threaded with a darkness and profound voice. I absolutely couldn’t put it down!!!

Maybe the real monsters are those who are willing do the most terrible things just for the sake of religious bigotry, and privilege, and hate.

This was such an incredible journey 😭 One filled with rage, fear, hope, and love. And clearly, a love letter to queer kids. I'm so glad to have read this 🤧

Full review soon 🤞

DNF @ 29%
Guess I'll have to accept I won't finish this RIP

I loved this in concept. When I hear someone talking about this book, it sounds straight up my alley. I was incredibly excited about this when I first encountered it, and thrilled to received an ARC. But when I started reading this I just couldn't get into it.
I think it comes down to a mixture of execution and style just not being up my alley. I didn't like the interpersonal connections and the focus on them, though I guess part of that was to be expected from a book marketed as YA.

Gonna stamp this one up as just not for me, which I regret.

<i> I received an ARC and reviewed honestly and voluntarily. </i>

This book for me had so much potential but I struggled to read it. I did enjoy the plot and the characters were interesting.

This is an amazing book that I needed when I was a young LGBT teen about to come out in an unaccepting world. The plot was incredibly intriguing and the characterization was immaculate! Well done on all counts!

i dont really have many thoughts on this book. the atmosphere was very good, the book was fast paced and really enjoyable, the main down sides was the predictablity of the plot and the flat side characters

I am so excited to see a queer, trans, autistic YA novel get recognition and while I can see there’s much to admire about HELL FOLLOWED WITH US, the contents are more triggering than I expected so I’ve decided to put it aside.

Wow!

This book reminded me of why I love horror books so much. Andrew Joseph White has written a truly special book. It is full of creepy, gruesome descriptions, contained within a world built around a fanatic religious cult that is creating monsters in order to take control, and the characters are complex and diverse.

I loved everything about this book and I can't wait to purchase my own copy.

Sixteen-year-old trans boy Benji is on the run from the cult that raised him—the fundamentalist sect that unleashed Armageddon and decimated the world’s population. Desperately, he searches for a place where the cult can’t get their hands on him, or more importantly, on the bioweapon they infected him with.

But when cornered by monsters born from the destruction, Benji is rescued by a group of teens from the local Acheson LGBTQ+ Center, affectionately known as the ALC. The ALC’s leader, Nick, is gorgeous, autistic, and a deadly shot, and he knows Benji’s darkest secret: the cult’s bioweapon is mutating him into a monster deadly enough to wipe humanity from the earth once and for all.

I really like the premise of this book. It reminded me of the Fallout games with some LGBT+ and religious twists. Unfortunately, I just really didn't get along with the writing style and execution of this book. It seemed to focus too much on minor details (like gore descriptions) and miss big plot points. This made it both boring and chaotic at the same time.

Once I got through the first two chapters, I was immediately hooked. The writing is fast and addictive, the world building is fascinating, and the characters are all extremely diverse, both in terms of personalities and identities. I found myself wanting to read a book just about the ideology and history of the religious cult at the centre, because while the story provides enough information, I j just found it so fascinating. The characters did act a bit juvenile for me at times, but seeing as they're teenagers that isn't really a criticism. Aside from a few minor things, I really enjoyed this book, and can't wait for the next one from the author!

Perfectly horrific and queer in an inventive dystopian universe! I loved every moment of this. It's a gruesome story that comes with a slew of trigger warnings, so I highly recommend checking them out before you dive in. But if you're a horror fan that loves a universe with queer and trans identities seamlessly integrated, you'll love this book.

Hell Followed With Us follows Benji, a trans boy escaping the religious sect hell bent on turning him into a monster. I loved the commentary on religious extremism, and the found family elements were done so well. The friendships and relationships felt earned and dynamic. And the body horror is exquisitely done!

I really wanted to love this one but for some reason it wasn't working for me. I love books with LGBTQ+ rep, I love scifi/fantasy, and I love unique world-building. On paper this should have been a new favorite, but I just couldn't click with the characters and the world building was unique but honestly pretty confusing. I can't figure out if I just read it at a bad time or if it just isn't for me. I might give this book or author another chance down the road but I'm not sure.

So compelling and complex. i loved every second. this book kept me on the edge of my seat, i was so intrigued by the progression and the characters.

A powerful deconstruction of faith and the long-term implications it can have on LGBT youth. Terrifying descriptions of an almost too real dystopian future and a scary allegory for the more profound emotions associated with transition and acceptance.

An interesting queer-filled horror in a post apocalyptic setting, who knew I needed that? But it was a great read that left me thinking about it for quite a few days afterwards. Honestly great queer representation, intrigueing characters and interesting plot. Well worth anyone's time if you're into these kind of stories.