You know…for someone who proclaims they don’t enjoy horror I find myself enamoured with way too many queer YA horror and/or post-apocalyptic novels this year. Hell Followed with Us follows sixteen-year-old trans boy Benji, who is on the run from the cult that raised him—a fundamentalist sect that unleashed Armageddon and nearly wiped out the entire human population in the process. Desperate to escape the cult’s clutches—and to keep them from getting their hands on Benji after infecting him with a bioweapon that’s slowly mutating him into a monster—Benji finds himself rescued by a group of teens from the local Acheson LGBTQ+ Center. Their leader Nick is gorgeous, autistic, a brilliant shot and knows Benji’s darkest secret—that he’s been turned into a monster to wipe out humanity once and for all. Still, Nick offers Benji shelter. And for the first time, Benji finds a place where he belongs among the ragtag group of queer teens. Benji couldn’t be happier—if only there wasn’t Nick’s hidden agenda that threatens to turn everything upside down.
There are just some debuts that are extraordinary—and Hell Followed with Us is one of them. This book is like a cake—there are so many layers to it, there’s just no way you can take all of them in at once. Rather, you have to go back to really get a grip on every fascinating aspect this story offers—from extremist religious beliefs, queer survival in the face of utter evil, abusive relationships, gory body horror that is as enrapturing at is terrifying, and humans turning against each other yet coming together to stop the end of the world.
Instead of spoiling too much of the plot’s twists and turns, let’s talk about what makes this story so gripping.
First, we have an incredible cast of diverse characters. From the ample amount of queer individuals, the casual use of neo pronouns, the care with which pronouns are validated in general to Nick’s autism that isn’t just implied but actually shown by stimming and sensory issues, this book really said “I see you and you are valid”. I can already tell that so many readers will feel represented by the characters in this story and Benji heads all of this. We get so many insights into the way the world tries to turn transgender people against themselves (a quote that burned into my memory is ”Being transgender is who you are, and the pain is what the outside does to you”) and how to find others who see and accept you for who you are.
Second, we have an incredible emphasis on found family in this story. The group of teens from the LGBTQ+ center have banded together and while there might be squabbles and conflicts (and even a punch here or there ahem), you can tell that their shared experiences really bonded them for life.
And of course, the thing that makes this story so gripping: the ever-present conflict of what makes someone a monster—or human. There are so many little betrayals, unexpected plot twists, kids turned into soldiers, flashbacks that show how Benji was manipulated and treated by the cult and some of its followers that make you truly wonder what, in a world where everything is seemingly about to end or has already found destruction, it takes to turn you into a monster. It’s super angsty and at times messy and White weaved such a rich tapestry of body dysmorphia, bloody deeds and wayward thoughts that mesmerise you as a reader. Yet the story never seems to fully lose its emphasis on hope and perseverance and that makes it a fantastic read in my eyes.
With Hell Followed With Us, White delivers an exhilarating debut about queer rage, dysphoria, the power of community and most of all, finding the monstrous in humanity and the humane in the monstrous. Perfect for fans of All That’s Left in the World and The Witch King.
Hell Followed With Us is available from Amazon, Book Depository, and other good book retailers, like your local bookstore, as of June 7th 2022.
Will you be picking up Hell Followed With Us? Tell us in the comments below!
Synopsis | Goodreads
Prepare to die. His kingdom is near.
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.
Still, Nick offers Benji shelter among his ragtag group of queer teens, as long as Benji can control the monster and use its power to defend the ALC. Eager to belong, Benji accepts Nick’s terms…until he discovers the ALC’s mysterious leader has a hidden agenda, and more than a few secrets of his own.
A furious, queer debut novel about embracing the monster within and unleashing its power against your oppressors. Perfect for fans of Gideon the Ninth and Annihilation.
