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4.14 AVERAGE
4.14 AVERAGE
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
sad
tense
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
medium-paced
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
very white-centric and YA vibes but it had an exciting plot so i was locked in lol
Content Warnings
Moderate: Transphobia
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
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
adventurous
dark
tense
medium-paced
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
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
4.5. First of all, I think this book wins for cover of the year already full stop. Thank you Netgalley for allowing me to read this early!
Secondly, I loved so much about this book. I didn't expect to enjoy the gore and body horror but have found that I'm into it! I think this novel does it particularly well - the descriptions are evocative, poetic, dark and lovely and painful. The transformation of anger and trauma manifesting outward, dealing with a toxic cult upbringing? MONSTERS? It was so good. I thought it was well-paced, though the ending happened very quickly - I would have been happy to let the conclusion draw out just a bit longer. The bits of lore scattered throughout - both in the pages of the novel and right at the very beginning of each chapter, with different biblical or cultish quotes - were fascinating, and given in just the right amount. I think spending a little more time in the climax could have answered any questions I had about the worldbuilding, and is the main reason I give it a 4.5 rather than a five.
I found all the characters interesting, and there's a nice diversity in the group of teens that I don't think I've seen in any other novel - not just in race/sexual orientation, but also neurodiversity! There were a few side characters that I felt had some unresolved tension in the group, and I would have liked to see more time with them together - I know they aren't the focus of the novel, and I think the focused characters are done extremely well, but some of them feel like sidenotes, and at a certain point there were so many that I had to make sure I was remembering everyone correctly.
Love the hope, the anger, the turning on those who have abused you. Will be reading more from this author.
I recommend you read the trigger warnings pinned by the author/in the beginning of the book, because it's a heavy one even if you're prepared for it.
Secondly, I loved so much about this book. I didn't expect to enjoy the gore and body horror but have found that I'm into it! I think this novel does it particularly well - the descriptions are evocative, poetic, dark and lovely and painful. The transformation of anger and trauma manifesting outward, dealing with a toxic cult upbringing? MONSTERS? It was so good. I thought it was well-paced, though the ending happened very quickly - I would have been happy to let the conclusion draw out just a bit longer. The bits of lore scattered throughout - both in the pages of the novel and right at the very beginning of each chapter, with different biblical or cultish quotes - were fascinating, and given in just the right amount. I think spending a little more time in the climax could have answered any questions I had about the worldbuilding, and is the main reason I give it a 4.5 rather than a five.
I found all the characters interesting, and there's a nice diversity in the group of teens that I don't think I've seen in any other novel - not just in race/sexual orientation, but also neurodiversity! There were a few side characters that I felt had some unresolved tension in the group, and I would have liked to see more time with them together - I know they aren't the focus of the novel, and I think the focused characters are done extremely well, but some of them feel like sidenotes, and at a certain point there were so many that I had to make sure I was remembering everyone correctly.
Love the hope, the anger, the turning on those who have abused you. Will be reading more from this author.
I recommend you read the trigger warnings pinned by the author/in the beginning of the book, because it's a heavy one even if you're prepared for it.
It was just too trauma filled for me and was not an enjoyable experience to read.
adventurous
dark
emotional
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
You ever just have a book reach out and like grab you by the throat and shake you? That's kind of the feeling. I get reading this book in the best way possible. Hell Followed With Us Is a book that really does set fire to your heart. It's visceral, and it's gory and has buckets of body horror. But sometimes you need to turn into a monster to fight the things that you fear and the things that have hurt you. I recommend looking at the tags for this book before reading because it has a whole lot of content warnings. But it's so fucking good at doing what it's supposed to do. If you need to be angry and you need to process some trans rage, or religious trauma this book is certainly a way to do so.