Description
A furious, queer debut novel about embracing the monster within and unleashing its power against your oppressors.
“A long, sustained scream to the various strains of anti-transgender legislation multiplying around the world like, well, a virus.” —The New York Times
INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER
Sixteen-year-old trans boy Benji is on the run from the cult that raised him—the fundamentalist sect that unleashed Armageddon and decimated the world’s population. Desperately, he searches for a place where the cult can’t get their hands on him, or more importantly, on the bioweapon they infected him with.
But when cornered by monsters born from the destruction, Benji is rescued by a group of teens from the local Acheson LGBTQ+ Center, affectionately known as the ALC. The ALC’s leader, Nick, is gorgeous, autistic, and a deadly shot, and he knows Benji’s darkest secret: the cult’s bioweapon is mutating him into a monster deadly enough to wipe humanity from the earth once and for all.
Still, Nick offers Benji shelter among his ragtag group of queer teens, as long as Benji can control the monster and use its power to defend the ALC. Eager to belong, Benji accepts Nick’s terms…until he discovers the ALC’s mysterious leader has a hidden agenda, and more than a few secrets of his own. Perfect for fans of Gideon the Ninth and Annihilation.
Reviews
“‘Hell Followed With Us’ bristles with energy and intensity, written with a kind of gleeful ferocity. . . . It shines in crystalline moments when Benji considers himself and his body, the viciousness of the virus taking hold and the irony of its unexpected gifts. . . . White’s novel . . . [responds] with a long, sustained scream to the various strains of anti-transgender legislation multiplying around the world like, well, a virus.”—The New York Times
★ “[An] astounding and exhilarating debut. . . . This fast-paced adventure is chaotic in the best way, featuring diverse and relatable characters that readers will fall in love with, despite their flaws, and a heartrending love story that reminds us that humanity seeks comfort even in the most painful of times.”—Booklist, Starred Review
★ “This cinematically gory apocalyptic horror not only delivers high stakes, fast-paced action, and fraught romantic drama, it engages critically with the intertwining impacts of colonialism, capitalism, and White supremacy. The resistance truthfully depicts diversity within queerness while also holding White queer people accountable for gatekeeping and upholding White supremacy. . . . A restorative, hopeful resolution brings the story to a satisfying close without turning Benji into a savior. A gloriously ferocious and scorching blaze.”—Kirkus Reviews, Starred Review
★ “Using evocative and visceral language, compact storytelling, and inventive worldbuilding, White delivers a transformative depiction of apocalypse through a queer lens. This debut is a moving and timely tale of queer perseverance, offering hope for those fighting for the right to exist without apology.”—Publishers Weekly, Starred Review
“This authentic story of consuming fury and the power of found family to heal is an excellent choice. . . .”—School Library Journal
“Rippling with righteous fury. . . . Ultimately a story of both queer survival and queer perseverance. . . . Hell Followed With Us is, truly, like nothing else you’ll read this summer, and its deft balance of destruction and rebirth offers a satisfying, if far from saccharine, end.”—Paste
“A compelling, powerful, and ultimately reassuring message for teens deep in their own varied versions of misery.”—The Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books
“This book made me feel as understood and validated as I was unsettled and pissed off. With vivid prose and a mirror held up to the ugliest parts of ourselves, Andrew Joseph White is poised to become a defining voice of our generation.”—H.E. Edgmon, author of The Witch King
“Gloriously dark and immersive, Hell Followed with Us cuts straight to the core. With its endearing cast, detailed worldbuilding, and breathtaking horror, this novel kept me at the edge of my seat. Hands down the best YA horror book I’ve read.”—Aden Polydoros, author of The City Beautiful
“A timely and riveting tale of queer teens surviving and resisting fundamentalism any way they can. Andrew Joseph White holds a mirror up to the monstrosities within all of us, and I couldn’t look away.”—Ray Stoeve, author of Between Perfect and Real
Awards
William C. Morris Award Finalist―YALSA, 2023
Top 10 First Novels for Youth ―Booklist, 2022
Best Books of 2022 ―Publishers Weekly, 2022
Blue Ribbon Book ―The Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books, 2022
L.A Times Book Prize Finalist ―Los Angeles Times, 2022
Southern Book Prize Finalist―SIBA, 2023
More Details
BISAC 1: YAF015000 Young Adult Fiction – Dystopian
BISAC 2: YAF031000 Young Adult Fiction – LGBTQ+
BISAC 3: YAF041000 Young Adult Fiction – Monsters
