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A review by speculationss
You Weren't Meant to Be Human by Andrew Joseph White
challenging
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
5.0
This book is beautiful, haunting, and visceral.
It interrogates what it means to be a man, or even to be human. It dug its claws into me and didn’t let go, evoking intense, physical reactions through its grit and raw emotion all without our protagonist uttering a single word.
This story pulses with queer rage, toxic relationships, overwhelming grief, and gore—plus a side of alien parasitic worms. It’s bold, brutal, and unrelenting.
I highly recommend this novel, but please read the trigger warnings first. I read across genres, including splatterpunk, and even I found myself deeply unsettled at times. That discomfort, though, is clearly by design and only heightens the story’s impact.
It’ll be a long time before I forget this book. Easily one of the most powerful and unforgettable reads of my year.
It interrogates what it means to be a man, or even to be human. It dug its claws into me and didn’t let go, evoking intense, physical reactions through its grit and raw emotion all without our protagonist uttering a single word.
This story pulses with queer rage, toxic relationships, overwhelming grief, and gore—plus a side of alien parasitic worms. It’s bold, brutal, and unrelenting.
I highly recommend this novel, but please read the trigger warnings first. I read across genres, including splatterpunk, and even I found myself deeply unsettled at times. That discomfort, though, is clearly by design and only heightens the story’s impact.
It’ll be a long time before I forget this book. Easily one of the most powerful and unforgettable reads of my year.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Violence, Pregnancy
Moderate: Body horror, Child death, Death, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Rape, Self harm, Transphobia, Cannibalism, Abortion
Minor: Vomit