Hell Followed With Us; Andrew Joseph White

Let’s start by saying that, even though this is a YA horror dystopian novel, so you expect a certain amount of violence and trauma, I highly recommend you read the authors note before giving this book to a younger reader. That’s not to say that what’s in these pages isn’t necessary, isn’t beautiful, because it is. But the religious trauma is brutal, the deadnaming is devastating, the body horror is exquisite but terrifying, the themes in this book are heavy and in today’s world, that might be too much for a younger reader. I still would be cautious on giving this to my sixteen-year-old nephew for that reason, not because the authors words shouldn’t be read, they absolutely should. But protecting a young person’s peace of mind in this world is equally as important. Now, let’s talk about this incredible book’s content.

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It’s been a minute since I’ve read a dystopian, it’s usually not my favorite, but the world White has created is one that feels eerily familiar. Where Christian fanatics turned extremist cult have brought about the end of the world through a bioweapon known as the Flood. Where selective religious doctrine justifies the genocide they commit in the name of God. Benji, our man character, is fleeing this cult after being forcibly infected by his mother, a mother who often deadnames him and is looking forward to her child becoming a monster in order to further destroy the world. With the help of a group of queer teens, Benji is able to finally find and feel the love and acceptance he was denied in the cult he was raised in. This book is less about saving the world, of fixing a tragically broken society, but rather unlearning everything this Christian cult forced Benji to accept and hate about himself. Which means the ending could be a little unsatisfying for some, so be forewarned.

Throughout the novel, the thing that is front and center is the authors pain and anger around being a young trans boy in a society that vilifies his existence. I loved that. I love when an author’s lived experience comes across in the page as something visceral, and it works really well in a horror novel like this. Could I have done with a little less of the constant quoting of scripture? Yes, absolutely. But it does speak to Benji unlearning that kind of toxic mentality. I can’t speak to the trans representation, or the autism representation with characters like Nick, but I did like that the author did not shy away from how there are cliques within the LGBTQA+ community and discusses the toxicity some have with viewing others as not trans, nonbinary, or gay enough etc. And while I really appreciated those discussions, I think the story could have used a bit more world building.

There are sections that read as very lit fic, and while beautifully depicted, they weren’t consistent which led to confusion as to what was actually happening. Was what Benji going through real? Imagined? Some latent power of Seraph? I’m still not entirely sure. I would have loved more explanation on the creation of the Flood and how it was released, but I did love the description of what it did to people, a horrifying reverse cocoon. However, the lite world building may actually be good for younger readers so it’s hard for me to dock it too much, hence the 4.5 stars. I’ll definitely be checking out more books by this author! And, for the record, I did actually finish this book for Trans Visibility Day on March 31st, it just takes me a little bit to write these reviews.