I’ve been waiting for Andrew Joseph White’s adult debut for so long and it was so good! It’s very much a “check the trigger warnings first” book, but it strikes the right balance between horror and statement. Keep reading this book review of You Weren’t Meant to Be Human for my full thoughts.
Summary
Festering masses of worms and flies have taken root in dark corners across Appalachia. In exchange for unwavering loyalty and fresh corpses, these hives offer a few struggling humans salvation. A fresh start. It’s an offer that none refuse.
Crane is grateful. Among his hive’s followers, Crane has found a chance to transition, to never speak again, to live a life that won’t destroy him. He even met Levi: a handsome ex-Marine and brutal killer who treats him like a real man, mostly. But when Levi gets Crane pregnant—and the hive demands the child’s birth, no matter the cost—Crane’s desperation to make it stop will drive the community that saved him into a devastating spiral that can only end in blood.
Review
(Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher. This has not impacted my review which is unbiased and honest.)
You Weren’t Meant to Be Human is a horror story about choice. But it’s also about belonging and what we would do to break free or belong. It balances this line between a surface level story about horror and hives while also presenting this simmering layer underneath of the horrors of living as a marginalized person in this world. In this world where our rights are being taken away from us, where we face the fears of being exposed, and the dangers – physical, mental, and emotional – from all around us. You Weren’t Meant to Be Human also showcases the emotional pull of belonging, of what we would do to be one – even though they mean One – and what that relationship would demand.
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I don’t read a lot of horror, but You Weren’t Meant to Be Human has to stand out not only for this genre, but in my reading year so far. It explores and tries to unpack a story about what we can be forced to do and the beliefs we have about ourselves, our worthiness. There’s this toxic guilt of agency, anger, and pain. It’s a story that is gory, horrific in many ways according to the genre and the themes, but it’s also tender in a way. It showcases moments of vulnerability, of fear, sacrifice, and of love. Find You Weren’t Meant to Be Human on Goodreads, Storygraph, Amazon, Bookshop. org, Blackwells, & Libro. fm.