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A review by crybabybea
Hell Followed with Us by Andrew Joseph White
dark
emotional
tense
fast-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
2.75
LOVED the horror but this book was really hard to stay interested in for some reason that I can't quite put my finger on.
The body horror is top tier, grotesque and twisted and creepy and descriptive. I liked how the horror served as a metaphor for a lot of things, and the monsters fit really well into the world that Andrew Joseph White built.
The characters are interesting enough, with main character Benji's internal dialogue very sympathetic and unique. He had a realistic struggle with internalized shame and moral purity.
At times I felt the actual world lacked any depth and a lot of things weren't explained as much as I thought they would be. Personally I felt like we didn't spend enough time with the cult? Like the majority of the book is Benji's deconstruction away from the cult and that's fine, but I felt like it was missing an element of internal struggle that would have made it feel more realistic.
The writing had a very choppy, Tumblr style that I wasn't the biggest fan of. It felt like it lacked description (except for the horror bits which were well done) and was just kind of annoying to read. I think it does fit the book but just wasn't for me.
The ending didn't hit at all for me, because we spent time away from the cult characters, their involvement at the end just felt rushed and a bit unbelievable. I did like seeing Benji's arc and his acceptance of who he was, and realizing what true family looks like.
Also, I think that I'm just maybe not interested in religious horror, and I can't connect very well with deconstructing narratives. I think if you like that kind of thing this is really great. It felt similar to Parable of the Sower at times, and the religious messaging was reminiscent of The Handmaid's Tale.
The body horror is top tier, grotesque and twisted and creepy and descriptive. I liked how the horror served as a metaphor for a lot of things, and the monsters fit really well into the world that Andrew Joseph White built.
The characters are interesting enough, with main character Benji's internal dialogue very sympathetic and unique. He had a realistic struggle with internalized shame and moral purity.
At times I felt the actual world lacked any depth and a lot of things weren't explained as much as I thought they would be. Personally I felt like we didn't spend enough time with the cult? Like the majority of the book is Benji's deconstruction away from the cult and that's fine, but I felt like it was missing an element of internal struggle that would have made it feel more realistic.
The writing had a very choppy, Tumblr style that I wasn't the biggest fan of. It felt like it lacked description (except for the horror bits which were well done) and was just kind of annoying to read. I think it does fit the book but just wasn't for me.
The ending didn't hit at all for me, because we spent time away from the cult characters, their involvement at the end just felt rushed and a bit unbelievable. I did like seeing Benji's arc and his acceptance of who he was, and realizing what true family looks like.
Also, I think that I'm just maybe not interested in religious horror, and I can't connect very well with deconstructing narratives. I think if you like that kind of thing this is really great. It felt similar to Parable of the Sower at times, and the religious messaging was reminiscent of The Handmaid's Tale.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Deadnaming, Death, Gore, Toxic relationship, Transphobia, Blood, Vomit, Religious bigotry, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Dysphoria, Injury/Injury detail, Pandemic/Epidemic
Minor: Domestic abuse, Genocide, Sexual violence