Hell Followed With Us

Obwohl Body-Horror und queere Identitäten einen grossen Platz einnehmen, stammte der echte Horror für mich von der religiösen selbstgerechten Verblendung der Fanatiker. Die Auseinandersetzung wie es ist, aus einer extremen Sekte auszubrechen selbst in einem Weltend-Szenario war hart. Denn Benji kann das Gedankengut auch nicht von einem Moment auf den anderen ablegen. Dieses Buch enthält viel brutale Gewalt, die auch graphisch beschrieben wird. Doch nicht der Gore oder Body-Horror ist mir unter die Haut gegangen, sondern wie Aussenstehende versuchen die Deutungshoheit über fremde Identitäten zu erlangen und diese Personen so zu kontrollieren. Hell Followed With Us ist ein wütendes Buch. Der Missbrauch, den Benji erlebt durch eine intolerante religiöse Gesellschaft, war schwer zu lesen. Die Unterschiede innerhalb der queeren Community wurden ebenfalls gut gezeigt. So war Benji beispielsweise einem anderen Trans-Jungen nicht trans genug, weil Benji keinen Brust-Binder trägt. Es war schön zu lesen, dass die queere Gemeinschaft eben auch nicht homogen ist. Es gibt gute und schlechte Personen und Vorurteile auf allen Seiten. Das Buch ist geeignet für Personen, die authentische Trans*Repräsentation mögen, sich nicht schnell in ihren religiösen Gefühlen verletzt fühlen und nicht zimperlich sind, wenn es um graphische Gewaltszenen geht.

Plot: Benji is on the run. On the run from the girl everyone sees in him, when he is actually a boy. On the run from the cult he has grown up in over the past few years. On the run from the monster they have planted inside him to summon Armageddon. They need him, but Benji finally needs allies, friends, and people like him. By chance, he comes across the group known as the ALC, and they offer him refuge. Here, he also meets the autistic Nick, who is full of secrets himself and leads the group, which he would defend until death. Design: The book immediately stands out with its cover, which could not fit the story better. Benji is depicted as a Seraph, marked with stigmata, which appropriately highlights the religious influences of the cult. In the background is what remains of his city after Judgment Day. White’s writing style immediately draws you in. I find the way he writes very vivid; you can picture the character of the person whose perspective the story is told from. The religious quotations and the anger between the lines fit perfectly and deliberately convey the atmosphere to the reader. The characters are diverse, lovingly created, and quickly grow close to your heart — or, in some cases, the opposite. I find the story itself unique. The combination of dystopia, horror, and queer literature appealed to me greatly and will continue to fascinate me in the future. As an autistic person myself, I also found Nick very well written and could see myself in him. Instead of working with clumsy stereotypes, White skillfully engages with the queer and neurodivergent community. Conclusion: One of the best books I have read this year. Therefore, it absolutely deserves 5 out of 5 stars, and this is definitely not going to be the last book by White that I read.

I couldn't get enough of this book. Its gory, captivating and just amazing! All the plots and stuff I couldn't even imagine would happen. I finished it a few days ago and seriously think about just starting it again!

Charaktere sind sympathisch und die bildlichen Beschreibungen sind super. Ich konnte mich kaum abhalten es zu lesen und war demnach nach einigen Tagen durch. Ich habe vor, es demnächst direkt nochmal zu lesen und habe es auch einer Freundin schon empfohlen, die daran interessiert ist und der ich es ausleihen würde. Anfangs ist die Menge an LGBT-Themen ungewohnt (selbst für mich, der zur LGBT-Community dazugehört), aber mit der Zeit findet es eine gute Balance und sticht nichts mehr ins Auge. Ich glaube, ich zähle das Buch zu meinen Lieblingsbücher <3

If you can't stomach gore, it's probably time to turn away- but if a queer, post-apocalyptic horror novel sound like a dream to you, this is your pick! Running from the christofascist terrorist cult that brought the end of the world as we know it, Benji meets a group of queer kids trying to survive in the abandoned LGBTQ Youth Center. Being trans is already hard enough, housing the angelic bioweapon to end all of humanity for good doesn't really make his situation better, but he tries to make the best of it, while the angels are desperate to get him back into their ranks. I devoured this book in two, maybe three days. I love Benji with all of my heart (to a point where it's like, concerning) and all the side characters were interesting and likable. The worldbuilding was amazing, just the right sense of impending evangelical doom that lingers over the entire narrative made this one of my favourite reads. The representation in this book is mindblowing, from casual trans rep, to neurodivergency (with an autistic love interest) and people of diverse ethnicities all just trying to survive this mess. My absolute favourite book to recommend to queer people, horror fans, people who enjoy a good critique on religion, and all those who just really want to read some epic post- apocalyptic ass kicking!