Reviews tagging 'Outing'

Hell Followed with Us by Andrew Joseph White

27 reviews

scifi_rat's review against another edition

adventurous dark sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Plot: 4★
Prose: 3★
Pace: 4★
Concept/Execution: 5★/4.5★
Characters: 3.75★
Worldbuilding: 4★
Ending: 3.5★

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Religious bigotry, Transphobia, Death of parent, Injury/Injury detail, Gore, Death, Violence, Deadnaming, and Vomit

Moderate: Child death, Confinement, Gaslighting, Homophobia, Murder, Domestic abuse, Dysphoria, Blood, Fire/Fire injury, Grief, Self harm, Cursing, Hate crime, Mass/school shootings, Outing, Physical abuse, Bullying, Child abuse, Gun violence, Suicide attempt, Emotional abuse, Terminal illness, Genocide, Medical content, Misogyny, Sexism, Torture, and Toxic relationship

Minor: Panic attacks/disorders, Alcohol, and Racism

alphabetmafiamember's review against another edition

dark emotional hopeful tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gore, Religious bigotry, Body horror, Violence, Injury/Injury detail, Transphobia, Blood, Deadnaming, Death, Sexism, and Misogyny

Moderate: Outing, Child death, Pandemic/Epidemic, Homophobia, Grief, Toxic relationship, Panic attacks/disorders, Dysphoria, Death of parent, Cursing, and Confinement

Minor: Drug use, Domestic abuse, Xenophobia, Gun violence, and Racism

emjams's review

dark emotional sad 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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Deadnaming, Forced institutionalization, Injury/Injury detail, Medical trauma, Murder, Pandemic/Epidemic, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Blood, Body horror, Chronic illness, Death, Death of parent, Dysphoria, Genocide, Gore, Grief, Gun violence, Hate crime, Kidnapping, Medical content, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Religious bigotry, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Transphobia, Violence, Vomit, and Child death

Moderate: Xenophobia, Self harm, Mental illness, Medical content, Abandonment, War, Torture, Suicidal thoughts, Physical abuse, Outing, Domestic abuse, and Mass/school shootings

Minor: Sexual content, Sexual violence, Animal death, and Alcohol

This book has basically every imaginable TW on it EXCEPT for sexual assault, but even that is briefly touched on. Benji has trauma from assault, but only from physical/emotional abuse, not SA.

vixenreader's review

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful informative inspiring mysterious reflective sad 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? It's complicated

5.0

One of my favourite books this summer, this book portrays what it means to find chosen family, confronting dogmatic prejudice, escaping past abuse (especially biological family), and going through Hell and back. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Blood, Body horror, Child abuse, Homophobia, Medical content, Transphobia, Death, Chronic illness, Confinement, Violence, Body shaming, Domestic abuse, Gore, Murder, Dysphoria, Fire/Fire injury, Vomit, Grief, Medical trauma, Mental illness, Toxic relationship, Cursing, Deadnaming, Emotional abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Mass/school shootings, Death of parent, Outing, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, and Religious bigotry

Moderate: Misogyny, Sexism, Stalking, Sexual content, Child death, Classism, Bullying, and Gun violence

Minor: Sexual harassment, Alcohol, Pedophilia, War, Pregnancy, and Racism

The scenes of the protagonists barging up their organs is creative and grotesque, and the dogma of the cult could be triggering for anyone who has experienced abuse from a zealous community. Be warned that there is also maternal abuse, critique of religion being used for violence and genocide, an almost forced marriage, biological experimentation on unwilling victims, and bodily mutation.

percys_panda_pillow_pet's review

adventurous dark mysterious reflective 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

5.0

There's honestly not much to say here. Hell Followed With Us by Andrew Joseph White is a fantastic book that had me gripped from the dedication page all the way until the end. I read it so quickly that I had extra time on my hands I didn't account for because I thought it might take me a little longer to read. The pacing was fantastic, the switch between character points of view was masterful, I loved all the little in-universe epigraphs, and, of course, the writing was amazing.

White definitely knows his craft because the descriptions of the horror and apocalyptic world were disgusting and terrifying how realistic he made it all seem. The commentary of current society and religion and politics, and how adults actually act like kids and the kids are forced to grow up faster than they were supposed to, was so on point it hurt. The fact of the matter is that the world depicted in Hell Followed With Us actually feels like a possibility in our future is insane. 

As well, White is the first author who has been able to write LGBTQ+ characters with a modern tone/use of internet knowledge and slang without me wanting to rip my hair out in frustration or cringe at the attempt. He actually made it believable that a character can have xe/xem/xyr pronouns and not seem out of place, or for a character to outright state they're trans without a long tirade on what it means to be trans. He made it seem natural and normal, which it is.

Truly, hats off to Andrew Joseph White for accomplishing what so many authors have attempted with not great success. I look forward to reading his new book, The Spirit Bares Its Teeth. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Genocide, Blood, Eating disorder, Torture, Terminal illness, Abortion, Dysphoria, Grief, Pandemic/Epidemic, Injury/Injury detail, Religious bigotry, Gun violence, Child death, Murder, Gore, Vomit, War, Death, Fire/Fire injury, Body horror, Violence, Transphobia, Deadnaming, and Death of parent

Moderate: Sexual content, Ableism, Misogyny, Confinement, Racism, Panic attacks/disorders, Alcohol, Toxic relationship, and Domestic abuse

Minor: Toxic friendship, Mental illness, Outing, Body shaming, and Chronic illness

satsumaorange's review

dark emotional 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

3.5

Great book! Well-written and impactful, even the very heavy-handed parts were not overdone. Very overly dramatic at times, but you can kinda understand why when you remember that the narrator is a teenage trans boy with deep religious trauma. 
It was a good read to get me out of my comfort zone, but ultimately, not the perfect book for me. Enjoyed it though! 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Hate crime, Homophobia, Injury/Injury detail, Violence, Transphobia, Toxic relationship, Body horror, Child abuse, Genocide, Death of parent, Death, Child death, Gun violence, War, Emotional abuse, Dysphoria, Domestic abuse, Vomit, Religious bigotry, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Pandemic/Epidemic, Blood, Body shaming, and Gore

Moderate: Misogyny, Medical trauma, Classism, Cursing, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual content, Sexism, Physical abuse, and Deadnaming

Minor: Alcohol, Bullying, Grief, Outing, and Gaslighting

This book is FULL OF GORE. And violence. And death. There's a whole opening note from the author warning about potential triggers. Reader beware. Dead dove do not eat.

charliegalazzy's review

adventurous challenging dark emotional inspiring sad 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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Gore, Blood, and Religious bigotry

Moderate: Transphobia, Child abuse, Torture, and Gaslighting

Minor: Deadnaming, Rape, Sexual assault, and Outing

Extremely, extremely detailed body horror.

antimonium's review against another edition

dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

This book was good but so hard to read. I thought the gore, body horror, christofacism, and pandemic (TOO SOON) were bad but then the dead naming happened. I get the metaphors but it feels too close to reality.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Deadnaming, Transphobia, Violence, Gun violence, Outing, Body horror, Dysphoria, Genocide, Murder, Pandemic/Epidemic, and Religious bigotry

magellen's review

adventurous dark emotional reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

I wish teen me had this book 20 years ago - the body horror and dysphoria were visceral reflections of what it's like being trans in an unwelcome world. Benji's strength and sense of self carry the book well, even through his poorly made teen choices.
Loved it 💖

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body shaming, Body horror, Death of parent, Death, Cursing, Murder, Dysphoria, Blood, Physical abuse, Violence, Religious bigotry, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Transphobia, Injury/Injury detail, Grief, Outing, Deadnaming, Suicidal thoughts, Gaslighting, and Gore

cheshiredownunder's review

I wasn’t a fan of a lot of the content in the book. It was too gory for my taste and it just made me uncomfortable to read it. How graphic the book gets at times is way out of my comfort zone and while I was recommended this book, it went past a lot of my hard “no’s” for media I want to consume. It really effected my mental health and I just absolutely was not a fan. This book is great for what it is but it’s not the book for me. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Body horror, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Homophobia, Kidnapping, Medical trauma, Mental illness, Outing, Sexism, Transphobia, Abandonment, Deadnaming, Domestic abuse, Murder, Physical abuse, Religious bigotry, Ableism, Eating disorder, Genocide, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Panic attacks/disorders, Self harm, Hate crime, Violence, Biphobia, Chronic illness, Death of parent, Dysphoria, Gore, Death, Misogyny, and Gun violence