Hell Followed With Us Review

 

"I will be good. I will make them suffer. And I will take the Angel's greatest weapon and turn it against them. But I'm still terrified." (130).

"It's harder for someone to pin you down as a girl when they need a moment to pin you down as human" (207-8).

Content Warnings: Body horror, transphobia, Religious abuse/Christian terrorism, Emetophobia, and more listed here, and in more detail.

The novel Hell Followed With US by Andrew Joseph White is about the end of the world and what comes after a group destroys the planet on purpose, and what happens when the next part of their plan is a person who runs away and finds a group that makes him want to fight back. At first glance, the story has a very simple premise that gets complicated as both the characters and readers learn more about the world and the people in it. The story is a grotesquely beautiful look at queer revenge and the way queer people always manage to survive.

The characters are well thought out and their story lines are interesting and keep the reader invested in the plot. The main character Benji's story line is realistic and relatable, as least as much as it can be considering the world. The emotions the characters feel are genuine and especially with the ALC, completely justified. White writes characters who could easily exist and whose choices are reasonable, but also ones that teenagers, especially ones in their situations would make.

The writing is outstanding, with details that work to both amaze and disgust the reader. The world and Graces that live inside are descriptive and work to make the world feel real. Beyond that the emotions and the thought processes of the characters make sense and let the reader sympathize and root for the characters.

Overall, the book offers a sense of hope that can only be found in the freedom of finally getting to be yourself, and being surrounded by other people who will understand. It offers hope in a world that has been purposefully destroyed by people who actively want you dead.

 

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