Hell Followed with Us (2022)-Andrew Joseph White

This author set out with a vengeance and delivered

Content Warnings: Death, gore, body horror, religious abuse, parental abuse, transphobia, dysphoria

Representation: Trans, trans man, gay, nonbinary, autism, Neurodivergent, mlm, Latine, trans woman, Muslim minor character

Favorite Quote: “It’s harder for someone to pin you down as a girl when they need a moment to pin you down as human.”

            Hell Followed With Us is a dystopian YA horror novel following a young trans boy named Benji after he escapes a compound of an Evangelical cult that has unleashed a virus called the Flood on the world that transforms humans into monsters. This cult seeks to wipe the world clean of nonbelievers and intends to use Benji as their weapon to do so. After his escape, Benji finds refuge with a group of LGBTQ+ teenagers camped out in an old LGBTQ+ Center. While attempting to conceal his origins, Benji and the rebel group work to resist the cult’s control and protect each other.

        The book is dark and unapologetic in its criticism of organized religion. Biblical references are used to punctuate impactful moments throughout the book demonstrating the author’s clear first-hand experience with Christianity. There is no question that White Evangelicals and their willingness to persecute others is the villain of the book, and the protagonists are just as unconventional.

        The book features a large ensemble of young characters that show the wide range of diversity within the LGBTQ+ community and has no qualms with showing beaten down kids taking their revenge on the people and institutions that have hurt them. While the narrative of “stopping to their level” is present, it is quickly disregarded as it becomes more and more clear how he has been wronged. This is a story about an abused teenager killing his abusers.

        The rawness of the book is as refreshing and cathartic as it is disturbing, particularly to those with religious trauma and those who have struggles with their queerness. Benji’s transness is a vital aspect to his character and ties well into the body horror of the story. Benji feels a disconnect between his sense of self and how others perceive him through gender dysphoria, unattainable expectations, and monstrous changes his body is undertaking, making him a character many trans people will weirdly resonate with.

4.75⭐️