You Weren't Meant to Be Human

You Weren't Meant to Be Human by Andrew Joseph White, 336 pages

After presenting as a peppy cheerful girl for most of his life, Crane had trouble fully being himself. So when Levi, a handsome ex-Marine, lures him to mysterious hive-centric cult in Appalachia, Crane finds that, for the most part, they're OK with him being a silent man. However, when Levi gets Crane pregnant, the hive forces him to go through with the pregnancy, despite all of Crane's attempts to MAKE. IT. STOP. Can this really lead to anything but horror?

The answer, of course, is no. However, the horror of this book — Crane's forced pregnancy and captivity, the lengths to which he tries to end the pregnancy and escape — is so brutally and unflinchingly told that it's a very hard read and made me want to just reach into the book and give Crane a hug (as little as he'd like that). Indeed, while reading this, there were several times that I had to set this aside and pick up something lighter, and I probably wouldn't have finished it at all if I didn't have to. There was a chance to go for something easier to read by focusing on the hive — which seemed ripe for more exploration in the text — but unfortunately for readers, White chose not to go in that direction. Not my favorite, and I wouldn't recommend it.

Mage and the Endless Unknown

 Mage and the Endless Unknown by S.J. Miller, 152 pages.

Mage wanders a strange land full of wonders, but also horrors. Little by little he loses more of himself, but also finds friends to help share the burden. Will he be able to accomplish what he was sent to do, or will the darkness swallow him whole?

This was a really effective wordless comic. I found the black and white illustrations very evocative, and they did a great job with both the magical landscapes and the horrors. As with any book with almost no explicit dialogue, there were definitely times I was a little confused about what was going on, but I did feel like I managed to follow almost everything. A very neat little book, I'm glad I read it. 

American Rapture

American Rapture by CJ Leede, 370 pages

Sixteen-year-old Sophie has lived a very sheltered life, especially since her twin brother, Noah, was taken away at age 12. Her very religious parents forbid her to read the news, watch TV, own a cellphone, or basically do anything aside attending her Catholic all-girls high school. But when a rapidly moving virus sweeps into town, Sophie finds herself suddenly alone in a brand new world where infected people become hypersexual overly aggressive zombies. A young police officer helps her out, and soon the pair have gathered a small group of people (and one dog) that works together to flee both the virus and the religious fanatics who think that the virus is God's plan to rid the world of sin.

The idea behind this book is a solid one — sheltered teen is worried that her burgeoning sexuality is a sign of the devil's infection — and for readers who just want to read some horrific sexual zombie violence (like, the zombies raping victims while they also eat their faces), this certainly has it in spades. However, the execution is a bit off. I didn't really buy that Sophie was Catholic (Evangelical, sure, but Catholic? Nah.) and there were several things she could do that didn't really mesh with a super-sheltered life. However, if you want to read about a really gross trip to all of central Wisconsin's finest tourist traps, this is the book for you. (If you'd rather read something about sheltered people dealing with a pandemic though, pick up When the English Fall by David Williams — it's fantastic.)

Cold Storage

Cold Storage by David Koepp (2019) 308 pages

I listened to the audiobook on Hoopla narrated by Chris Messina. This is a book I do not recommend. Perhaps if you have read every book by Michael Crichton and are desperate for another bioterror thriller this will fill your need. When I heard about this back in 2019 I had just read Crichton's The Andromeda Strain and its sequel The Andromeda Evolution by Daniel H. Wilson. Koepp has had a long career as a screenwriter, including often adapting books for Spielberg movies. In fact, Koepp adapted Jurassic Park and The Lost World. This is his first novel. I had high expectations that were not met. The first hour of the audiobook, which takes place back in the late 1980s felt the most like a Crichton sci-fi thriller. I didn't like most of the characters. I don't read horror often, so I was very disturbed by the disgusting, revolting, sickening fungal growth and explosions. There is something too cynical about the way the characters luck into saving the day.
 

Mongrels

Mongrels by Stephen Graham Jones (2016) 302 pages

I read this as an ebook through Libby. This is categorized as horror because the main characters are werewolves, but aside from some blood and gore, it doesn't feel too frightening. A coming of age urban (rural?) fantasy is closer to the mark. The story is somewhat non-linear as the main boy playacts different roles in his family. He is being raised by an uncle and aunt, and he yearns for the day he'll become a werewolf like them. For this indigenous author werewolves are sort of a metaphor for the outsiders of society. But in the story it is no metaphor, they really are werewolves and the boy has to learn their particular ways. He teaches us that many "facts" about werewolves in movies are false. His family is transient and poor. It is good to walk in his shoes for awhile as he struggles with never fitting in and learning who his parents were.
 

Hell Followed With Us

Hell Followed With Us by Andrew Joseph White, 416 pages.

Benji is sixteen, trans, and on the run from the fundamentalist cult that raised him, caused the apocalypse, and infected him with a virus that is slowly turning him into a monster. Benji is found and taken in by the ALC, the remnants of the Acheson LGBTQ+ Center, who are now banding together to try and survive the apocalypse and the cult that is trying to finish the job that the plague they unleashed started. A job that Benji was made to help them complete. But he figures that if he's being transformed into a monster anyway, he may as well make them suffer for it. 

For a debut novel this is pretty strong. If this was Kara's book club I would definitely have some items in the "Don't buy it" category, but it overall read very smoothly and was genuinely spooky and/or deeply disturbing in a lot of places. It's also, fair warning, very gross. There's a whole lot of body horror in this novel, and I would definitely say it's not for the squeamish. 

Side Note: this cover is so cool, I love the flat style and colors