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esme_bonner's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Hell Followed With Us is an unusual book. Set against a dystopia of biblical proportions (literally), we follow Benji, a trans teenager, and unwilling vessel of the end times' end game. Having fled the Evangelical death cult he was raised in, Benji falls in with a crowd of young, queer, survivors, and ironically, given that he may now have only weeks to live, finally learns what it means to have something to live for.
Beset by the monstrous remains of zombie-esque plague victims, the cult's 'Angels' AKA death squads, and, perhaps most frighteningly of all, a plethora of cis white men, Benji forges real friendships with his rescuers. But the lure of love is strong, and he must figure out who he is willing to sacrifice, and what for.
This book was both queerer, and more religious than I had initially been expecting. When I read the blurb for this book I expected something that was going to end up more like Charlie Higson's Enemy series - specifically the Angus Dei angle. But I ended up with something that was a little more Evangelical, which given the US setting I should have been expecting. White builds a very plausible world, his blending of religious and environmental extremism with a kind of Evangelically intense white supremacy feels like a possible future, and whilst I would have liked to know more about how the rest of the world has fared (plagues might be global, but evangelicalism is relatively US-centric), he has managed to cram a lot of detail into a relatively short book.
For those worried about the focus on religion, particularly Christianity, particularly conservative Christianity, I, personally, don't think White's representation is 'bad,' or, like, a pointed attack. In my opinion, which is admittedly limited by neither being from the US nor of a Protestant-off-shoot persuasion, White made it very clear that the Angels were an extremist group, a cult, who had co-opted religion, but who had essentially abandoned a lot of the core tenants of the religion. This was obvious to me, as someone from a Catholic background, because the actions of the Angels are in direct opposition to a lot of very important things, e.g., Commandment not to kill. Now, again, I am not from an Evangelical background. I'm Irish Catholic, if we're getting specific, and my experience in religion is vastly different to that even of Catholics within the US, but to me this read as a commentary on the way the far-right, white supremacists, and other extremist groups pick up elements of religion and twist them. This could definitely be viewed, through that lens and given the very close relationship most conservative leaning people in the US have with Christianity, as a commentary on contemporary evangelical practice... but if you read this and thought 'you're attacking my church specifically' I think you should maybe take a step back and ask, "is my church treating others the way we would want to be treated?" If the answers no, then the call is coming from inside the house. White isn't attacking you, you are attacking others. Sit with that, and then do better.
Back to our regularly scheduled book reviewing,
I don't read a lot of horror, so I am appreciative of how the gore was handled in this book. I felt that there were some visceral moments, but for the most part the description was impressionistic, or focused on feeling. That being said, I do wish a little more time had been given to the (SPOILER) final descriptions of Seraph, I struggled to understand what exactly that might look like. My mental image was kind of dragon-y, and I think it should maybe have been more humanoid. All the same, I found the world, and the people within it, fascinating to read about.
All taken together, I really enjoyed this. There was a lot in it that gave me pause, and a lot in it I think could be polarising, but personally I found it very readable. 4 stars.
Graphic: Deadnaming, Body horror, Violence, Religious bigotry, Gore, Transphobia, Vomit, Gun violence, Fire/Fire injury, Blood, Death, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Cursing, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Grief, Genocide, Confinement, Death, Death of parent, Toxic relationship, and Dysphoria
This is a horror novel about a trans teenager from a conservative religious cult becoming a monster - physically.vusvusik's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Death, Gore, Physical abuse, Religious bigotry, Pandemic/Epidemic, Violence, Transphobia, War, Dysphoria, Body horror, Injury/Injury detail, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Child abuse, and Death of parent
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Deadnaming, Genocide, Grief, and Toxic relationship
Minor: Child death, Panic attacks/disorders, and Homophobia
percival_wise's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Graphic: Mental illness, Religious bigotry, Xenophobia, Abandonment, Blood, Confinement, Death, Mass/school shootings, Gore, Vomit, Kidnapping, Pandemic/Epidemic, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Dysphoria, Gun violence, Murder, Police brutality, Child abuse, Homophobia, Cursing, Transphobia, Injury/Injury detail, Emotional abuse, Body horror, Child death, Fire/Fire injury, Genocide, Hate crime, Violence, Deadnaming, and War
pjlovesyou's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
Graphic: War, Vomit, Violence, Transphobia, Suicide attempt, Murder, Hate crime, Grief, Blood, Medical trauma, Gore, Genocide, Deadnaming, Body horror, Body shaming, Injury/Injury detail, Dysphoria, Death, Suicide, Self harm, Torture, Religious bigotry, Physical abuse, and Panic attacks/disorders
danteeeh's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Toxic relationship, Transphobia, Violence, Death of parent, Murder, Religious bigotry, Blood, Death, Genocide, Gore, Grief, Pandemic/Epidemic, Dysphoria, Physical abuse, Body horror, Child death, and Panic attacks/disorders
Moderate: Child abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, and Deadnaming
alexlynx's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Vomit, Death, Death of parent, Gaslighting, Genocide, Deadnaming, Transphobia, Violence, Blood, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Grief, Cursing, Gun violence, Homophobia, Body horror, Fire/Fire injury, Dysphoria, Gore, Panic attacks/disorders, and Religious bigotry
ezwolf's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
Graphic: Deadnaming, Dysphoria, Death, Grief, Homophobia, Transphobia, Cursing, Fire/Fire injury, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Vomit, Blood, Body horror, Medical trauma, Murder, Pandemic/Epidemic, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Violence, Child death, Gore, Terminal illness, Genocide, Medical content, and Religious bigotry
Moderate: Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Misogyny, Physical abuse, and Eating disorder
Minor: Alcohol and Classism
_nem_'s review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Murder, Child death, Hate crime, Religious bigotry, Deadnaming, Death, Death of parent, Genocide, Pandemic/Epidemic, Injury/Injury detail, Blood, Body horror, Gore, Grief, Gun violence, Panic attacks/disorders, Violence, Transphobia, and War
Moderate: Dysphoria and Fire/Fire injury
Minor: Alcohol
entityj's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Graphic: Murder, Religious bigotry, Sexism, Hate crime, Transphobia, Vomit, Deadnaming, Cursing, Homophobia, Death, Death of parent, Forced institutionalization, Dysphoria, Emotional abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Blood, Body horror, Gaslighting, Gore, Gun violence, Toxic relationship, Child abuse, and Physical abuse
Moderate: Cannibalism, Panic attacks/disorders, and Chronic illness
biobeetle's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.75
Graphic: Deadnaming, Panic attacks/disorders, Vomit, Gore, Blood, Body horror, Injury/Injury detail, Fire/Fire injury, Transphobia, Death of parent, War, Gun violence, Violence, Toxic relationship, and Pandemic/Epidemic
Moderate: Abandonment, Child abuse, and Child death
Minor: Suicidal thoughts