"Trans kids fighting off religious zealots in a post-apocalyptic scenario" is a storyline I didn't know I needed so badly, but here we are.

Hell Followed With Us is a fantastic, fresh breath of air in the YA horror scene, mixing dystopian narratives with intense body horror, zombie-like monsters (and a protagonist who is becoming one), and the unpacking of religious trauma that so many queer kids and adults will find hitting all too close to home. I was amazed at the lengths the author was willing to go to, not only in the horror elements but also in calling out the mass amounts of bigotry so many people face from organized religion, and I couldn't help applauding Andrew Joseph White for his brutal honesty.

Of course, aside from the fantastic horror and religious themes, the representation in this book is just goddamn delightful. The trans main character, the endless queer side characters, the neurodiversity, and more—I was absolutely in love with this cast of lil' gay heretics. (My only complaint about the characters was that many of them felt a bit one-dimensional, but we're here for a gore-filled spooky time, not a long time.)

On a related note, my only major complaint about the book as a whole was the lack of development. It features this absolutely incredible dystopian civilization with this twisted, disgusting bioweapon-creating disease that literally rots people from the inside out, and it's over 400 pages long, yet I still never felt like I was getting enough backstory to satisfy me. (I would absolutely adore a prequel novella about the fall of society and how all of this mess came into being.) That said, there was so much to love in this story and so many memorable scenes that I can't bring myself to give it a lower rating than 4.5 stars—I highly recommend Hell Followed With Us to any and all queer horror fans, but especially those (like me) who sometimes just need to see a fictional religious zealot or two taken down a peg.

Stunning! I have nothing negative to say about this book. It features incredible characters, a gripping and intriguing narrative, and a writing style that succeeds so often. The narrative's vivid description of how Benji transformed into a monster over time and how this affected him was maybe the most intriguing feature to me; I really liked these portions.
I also care deeply about Nick and Benji's relationship. We receive bobby pins, forehead touches, bead lizards, really wonderful correspondence, and much more.
I also adore how much of their plots and characters revolve on being transgender and having autism.

I can't wait to see where this author goes next!

There's queer horror and then there's Hell Followed With Us. This book went above and beyond my expectations and was the perfect Halloween read. Good horror makes you think and reflect, and this book in particular gave me so much to chew on, I'm still thinking about it weeks later.

I do have to warn future readers though, that this book is heavy. It was unflinching and messy and I loved it, but definitely check the content warnings before dipping your toes into this story.

Thank you so much to Netgalley and Peachtree for letting me read an e-ARC.

I stayed up late reading this. Absolutely stunning book with propulsive pacing and angry teens you can't help but love and cheer for. I bought a hard copy!!

** Thanks so much to NetGalley, Andrew Joseph White, and Peachtree Teen for this ARC! Hell Followed With Us is available now! **

The plot: Benji is a teenager who has just escaped the fundamentalist cult who raised him. Most of the world's population is dead, infected with The Flood, a bioweapon that kills and mutates. Benji himself has recently been turned into a bioweapon known as The Seraph - the ultimate weapon for cleansing the earth. Desperate to escape, Benji is rescued by members of a local LGBTQ center. He finds family and support while determining how he can embrace the monster he's become in order to use his powers for good.

Review: I'm not really sure why this book took me 4 months to read...I think maybe the plague/Christian cult hit a little too close to home at this point in America's history. This was a definite dystopian read with themes of trans empowerment and found family. A perfect October book!

When I first heard about this book, I was immediately hyped for it. I’ve been reading a lot of happier queer books lately, and I’ve loved so many of them, but I also love books that feature queer rage, and it seemed like this book was going to do just that. I mean, the synopsis literally states “a furious, queer debut,” of course I was going to be excited about this!

While this book didn’t quite reach 5-star heights for me, it was still a fantastic read overall. It delivered on the anger and the queerness, and explored so many intense issues, often relating both religion and being queer. I think the amount of religion in this book made it harder for me to get into, as I’m personally quite distanced from religion as a whole and don’t have a personal connection to or experiences with religion. However, I did really enjoy how everything was interconnected, and the additional layers that religion gave to the apocalypse.

I think my favorite aspect of this book was the discussion around whether people saw Benji as a human or not still, even after he begins mutating into a monster. It made for some interesting conversations and moments, both between Benji and others, but also between Benji and other monsters. I also liked how it mirrored the conversation around Benji’s gender identity as well, since there was also a secondary debate over whether people saw Benji as a guy or not (it was largely religious cultists denying his transition). In the end, almost every aspect of this book felt extremely layered and well-thought-out.

Overall, I ended up really enjoying this book, and I’ll definitely be keeping my eye out for future books by this author! I also really appreciated the author’s note and trigger warnings at the beginning of the book, especially for a book as heavy as this one.

Weird and wonderful queer dark fantasy with lavish amounts of body horror (never used gratuitously and always asking underlying questions). Author has a very distinctive style and there are many layers to this. It’s going to repeat on me in the best way.

Hell Followed With Us is a striking and graphic horror novel about a Benji, a trans teenager cursed as a bioweapon in a world of a evangelicical cult that has released a blight that has impacted the human population. If that doesn't convince you to at least consider this book for your reading list, the fact that it is unapollogetically queer at it's heart should. White proves he is a master of writing body horror, especially the fantastical kind. This is blended into a fanscinating landscape of eco-deterioation and disease, littered with an end-of-the-world type of warfare.

While the cast of this novel is filled to the brim with diverse identities, there is a lack of depth in their personalities. Similarly, while the world-building was vast and intriguing, it was lacking in detail about the Flood, the Armegeddon and the cult itself. Elements of the story lacked a feeling of being fully fleshed out, resulting in a story that felt like it could have gone much deeper. Overall this is a fast-paced and engaging story, unlike a lot of mainstream fantasy in modern publication.

This is STUNNING. In the running for one of my favourite books this year. Not only will it stay with me but you can feel the passion and pain emanating through the page. Characters - exceptional.
Plot - fast paced and constantly endearing.
Cover - masterful.

I simply will not stop raving about this read. Brilliant example of how queer representation should be done as well.

Incredible.

What a hidden gem this was! I had no idea this would be so good. As soon as I started, it was hard to stop. Benji was a complelling reader. Benji is angry and frustrated but also feels stuck and unable to change the trajectory his life is going.

I liked that Benji was just a very raw and real character. I like that I saw two parallel stories being told, one seeped in zealous cult teachings but also the gray area of saviors manipulating survivors. I loved that I felt the rage and power at times but also the sadness of feel apart from the others because of what makes you unique.

I was completely swept up in the story, wondering who was telling it straight on and what everyone's uderlying reasons were. There were definite parts that were hard to stomach, but I loved the broken down world and these brokenly, lovely teens.

A huge thank you to the author and publisher for providing an e-ARC via Netgalley. This does not affect my opinion regarding the book.

I need this book to be talked about more. A queer book? Sign me up.
I enjoyed every bit of it even though some part started to drag so much and I skimmed through but asides that, I'll definitely be recommending this one.

A great YA Horror, with really good representation. Some pretty intense horror and gore for a YA but thats one of the reasons I absolutely had such a great time reading this. Just needs a lil tidy up with writing and pacing in my opinion! But such a great idea!

I'm not really one for post-apocalyptic stories, and I'm an atheist so religion isn't really my bag either, but the cover on this one is gorgeous so I gave it a change and I'm really glad I did. The gore could be a lot at times, so really if you can't stomach that it's not a book I'd recommend; but if when you get past that I thought the heart of the story was really well done. There was some really incredible and imaginative world building, and some truly lovely characters and representation. I thought Benji was a great MC and even though they were struggling through a lot showed tremendous strength and growth throughout the story. I'll definitely pick up more from White in the future

*4.5*

This is not a book I would normally pick up. Post-apocalyptic body horror is a bit out of my wheelhouse, so I wasn’t sure what to expect.

I ended up loving this book. It’s a story full of rage and the queer representation is incredibly well done. I also loved the commentary on religion and religious trauma in relation to queerness. I cannot wait to read more from this author.

This is definitely a book to check content warnings for, it’s gruesome in regards to horror, body gore, and transphobia especially

Forget cute queer stories, it's time for QUEER RAGE. I didn't realize how much I needed a book like that until I've read it. Full of unapologetically being yourself (tho not without internalized issues because the world sucks) and anger at the world and your oppressors.

It might be my fave book of 2022 so far. Definitely a strong competitor.

I have do much love for all the ALC characters. Benji, of course, I loved Benji with all my heart. What a character to root for. Nick with his bead lizards, always fighting for everyone. Sweet, amazing Erin. Salvador and Sarmat and Faith and Aisha and everyone. Even Cormac. So many amazing queer people.

Theo, omg, Theo. It's a long time since a character provoked so many mixed emotions in me. I hated him. I almost grew to like him. And the rollercoaster continued.

The whole premise, the plot, the worldbuilding.... a masterpiece.

It won't be a book for everyone but I can definitely imagine a lot of people loving it to bits just as I did.

I really wanted to love this book, but for some reason I couldn't get into it. Might be a case of right book, wrong time.

In this post apocalyptic world we learn about the bioweapon unleashed upon the world by an extreme religious sect following Benji's escape from their clutches. As he finds his own way in a broken world and figures out how to fight back with the hand he has been dealt, Benji also finds an unexpected family. If you love horror, trans boys with teeth, found family and bloody justice...this book is for you. For such a gruesome, body horror-filled world that is Benji and Nick's, the two main characters. I related to both characters a lot. Benji really helped me embrace my transness and my body.

In a world where any future at all is uncertain, this is a book about fighting to live no matter what. It's a book about queer kids fighting back against the people who want to erase them. It's about knowing who you are despite how you look and how you're perceived, finding the people who will continue to choose you, and fighting back against those that would use you. I advise all readers to check content warnings before reading this one, as it deals with some heavy topics re: religious trauma, body horror, abuse. This book is a battle cry that screams: trans people have teeth, and we will not go down without a fight.

“Just finished it. I’m obsessed. Amazingly powerful. So well written. Bought a Kindle copy and heading to order a few physical copies for my students and friends. Truly adore it.”

That’s exactly how wonderful this book has been. It’s right on top with the good ones. Can’t wait to revisit this wonderful story.

A unique concept here in it's approach to the apocalypse. The specifics of the plague are odd and unsettling, not to mention absolutely gruesome. That's the first thing to note about this book. It does not shy away from gory details. It is, quite frankly, grotesque. So this is not for the faint of heart. There is some character development, though it is not as character driven as I'd have preferred.

An absolutely vital title that will influence the YA literary scenes moving forward. Captivating and un-put-down-able.