Hell Followed With Us, Andrew Joseph White

mild sidenote as I quietly watch the dash I don't know how much reading you do but if you want a fantastic book suggestion for return attacking religious trauma, trans allegory in mild body horror, a whole cast of lgbt characters, & a overwhelmingly "oh this book gets it" narrative read hell followed with us by andrew white homie used bible verses as revenge attacks against the bigots 100000/10 read it 4 times in the past year

omfg. that sounds brilliant!!! i will add it to my list thank you!!!!

Books I read this fall (Reviews/Recs)

October :

- The Brilliant Death, Amy Rose Capetta, YA fantasy - fun worldbuilding (inspired by Renaissance Italy, warring families, forbidden magic), interesting MC + love interest are both genderfluid, cool villain and magic system, both plot and romance feel underdeveloped, still a fun time. Recommend ? Yes

- These Witches Don’t Burn, Isabel Sterling, YA Paranormal - wlw witches, small town shenanigans. Popular on sapphic bookstagram but I really don’t get the hype. Bland worldbuilding, no sense of magic or wonder. The MC has no character arc to speak of, begins and ends in roughly the same place except she’s slightly more over her toxic ex (who is somehow the most compelling character in the book). Recommend ? No

- The Devouring Gray, Christine Lynn Herman, YA Paranormal - creepy small town shenanigans, found family, complex family relationships. Great creepy villain and sense of suspense. Badass female characters. Slightly derivative of the Raven Cycle vibes. Recommend ? Yes

- The Deck of Omens, Christine Lynn Herman, YA Paranormal - less thrilling than the first one but still fun, focus on powerful friendships and recovery from trauma. Recommend ? Yes, if you liked the first one

- Mexican Gothic, Silvia Moreno-Garcia, Gothic Horror/Romance - One of my favorite books ever, seriously. Already wrote a review about it but wow. ‘Heroine has to stay in a mysterious manor inhabited by a creepy old family’ trope but set in 1950s Mexico. Amazing MC, one of the creepiest villains I’ve ever seen. Criticism of colonialism/racism/imperialism + very strong feminist vibes. Super poised, elegant writing. Recommend ? Absolutely, if you have a stomach for graphic horror

- Cemetery Boys, Aiden Thomas, YA Paranormal - Trans Latino MC + ghost gay love interest (who strongly pinged me as ADHD and was honestly the best part of the book). Interesting, compelling worldbuilding, very sweet romance, identity affirming ending. Importance of cultural transmission/family vibes. Set around Day of the Dead. Sadly, badly edited, with infodumping, useless dialogue, awkward sentences (and a grammar mistake in one of the most important sentences of the book ffs). Recommend ? Yes, if you can look past the bad editing

- The Year of the Witching, Alexis Henderson, Horror (YA-ish?) - Set in fantasy version of extreme Puritanism, very lovable mixed race MC, plot about overcoming religious fundamentalism, very dark themes (systemic abuse, bigotry, violence, mind control, sexism and racism, biblical plagues, famine) but not gratuitous, well written, very atmospheric, compelling plot structure if a bit slow to get started, romance that adds to the themes. Evil witches (would have been more interesting if they were more grey characters tbh). Ends up feeling quite empowering, if harrowing to read. Recommend ? Yes, if you are ok with horror and very dark themes

November :

- A Closed and Common Orbit, Becky Chambers, sci-fi. Slice of life on an alien planet, no strong central plot, more driven on character development. Focused on a sentient AI trying to fit her new, illegal synthetic human body ; and her friend, who used to be a child slave in a factory and escaped to find freedom. Big neurodiverse vibes, exploration of personhood and consciousness, lots of focus on alien cultures, alternative gender structures, characters trying to understand each other’s quirks and needs. Super cosy, feels like a great big hug, even tho the themes can be dark. The end made me cry. Another fave. Recommend ? Yes!

- The Priory of the Orange Tree, Samantha Shannon, epic fantasy. Sprawling cast and extensive worldbuilding, dragons, apocalyptic threat, religious struggles, several kingdoms in conflict with each other...the real deal. The main romance is an interracial f/f couple, between a sheltered but headstrong queen and her badass lady in waiting/bodyguard/secret assassin from a sacred order, and I LOVED them. The other main characters are an asexual dragon rider, an older (slightly annoying but complex) gay scholar, and a badass Black courtier and it is just SO refreshing to have a fantasy world where some dark shit is happening but none of it is sexism/racism/homophobia (the diversity is normalized). Also the plot is just very cool, it’s one of those books you just can’t put down, I see why it’s so popular. Can be read as a standalone, resolves its main plot. (will definitely pick the sequel tho). Beautiful bittersweet ending. Weighs a ton when read on the bus. Recommend ? Yes !!!!