Hi everyone! I hope you are doing alright. It feels like it has been too long since I last posted. With summer starting to wind down, I’m trying to finish up some of my reading. I’m going to be fairly busy soon. In some exciting news, a little book cafe opened up close to my home. This has proven to be dangerous for me because I can’t resist a cheap, secondhand book. My TBR isn’t going to shrink any time soon. If nothing else, I can at least take one book off of my never-ending pile. With all of that being said, let’s talk about You Weren’t Mean To Be Human.

Content Warning: Violence and Gore, Strong Language, Explicit Sexual Content, Dubious Consent, Discussions and Depictions of Self-Harm, Attempted Suicide, Discussions of Transphobia, Graphic Scenes of Childbirth, Forced Pregnancy, Domestic Violence, Child Death, Disturbing Imagery

Several years ago, festering hives of worms and flies took root in various corners of America. These hives weren’t just clusters of bugs. They were aliens, intelligent ones at that. They promised salvation to those who served them faithfully. Soon, desperate people welcomed the influence of the hive. Crane is one of those people. After struggling with his identity, Crane decided to join the hive’s followers. He is living the life he wants. He can transition in peace, and he can be nonverbal without fear of judgment. He even got a boyfriend, who sucks, but at least he treats Crane like a man. Everything is going alright until Crane finds out that he’s pregnant. The hive demands that Crane bring this child into the world. His boyfriend, a loyal member of the hive, will ensure that the hive’s demands are met. Desperate and scared, Crane decides he will bring an end to the hive’s influence even if it means destroying everything he has ever wanted.

You Weren’t Meant To Be Human is a raw, visceral, and scathing horror novel about the fears and anxieties of those living in a world where their bodies and rights are constantly monitored. Andrew Joseph White doesn’t refrain from exploring overtly political themes surrounding trans rights and LGBTQIA+ issues. His prose is blunt, gross, and powerful. I don’t want anyone to think I am using “gross” as an insult towards this novel. On the contrary, I think the best thing that White did when writing this book was delve into body horror and the unpleasant parts of human life, specifically human reproduction. That is not to say that the book is without sympathy. The protagonist, Crane, is an incredibly sympathetic character, and I wanted him to survive this horrific situation. Speaking of the horrific situation, the aliens in this book were disgusting, and I had a hard time getting through some of the descriptions. That, however, is also meant as a compliment. You Weren’t Meant To Be Human is a difficult, yet necessary novel that serves a powerful political statement and stomach-churning body horror novel. This book will resonate with readers, in the best and worst ways.