in all of ajw’s books, you can feel the rage poured into the pages. really— it’s palpable in every word! if his previous books were screams, this book is a guttural roar, filled to the brim with anger: anger at the loss of agency for pregnant persons in the country right now, anger at those who think they know best, anger at yourself, because who are we if not our own worst enemies?

this was kind of like a gross fever dream (in the best way possible, I promise!), and has such graphic descriptions of the utter horror of pregnancy, what it means to be trans and autistic in this day and age, and growing up in appalachia (a region which already most look over) that you just cannot look away. ajw pries open your eyes and forces you to look at where we’re at right now.

as his adult debut, this shines above the rest of his bibliography as a writhing and roaring monument to being your own person.

Wow. What a wild ride that was. At first I wasn't sure if I would be able to finish it, but I'm so glad I did. Body horror, weird creatures, identity crisis. Wow. Fantastic read

This was absolutely bloody disgusting in the best way possible. It was raw, it was visceral, I had an absolutely delightful time. I've loved Andrew's previous works, but this? This is the best one so far.

Andrew is very skilled when it comes fo describing gross things and gross situations. He has this way of drawing you in, of making you feel the muck on your skin. I personally love it.

I went into this knowing that it would tap into a personal fear of mine, pregnancy, oh my gods. My every fear was reflected in this book. And it was put so bluntly, so clearly, and in so many ways, so validating.

4 stars. This book is a lot. I would urge anyone considering reading to read the trigger warnings before beginning. This seems obvious, but it's definitely necessary. They're clearly stated within the first few pages, before the book even begins, and the author has also posted more detailed content warnings in a Goodreads review of the book and on his website.

This is a gnarly, nasty book that's not afraid to get gross. And I appreciated that. I spent a lot of this book uncomfortable or wincing or staring blankly ahead at a wall. I've read a lot of horror, and it takes a lot to really get me. This book tapped on a lot of my personal fears as a trans person, and I don't think I'll be able to get this book out of my head for awhile. It was hard to read but I couldn't look away. This book talked about transition in a way that was really compelling, and while that was also hard to read, I found those parts to be the most relatable.

This was probably my most anticipated release of this year, and Compound Fracture was one of my favorite reads of 2024. I can't say this disappointed. I don't think I've been this affected by a book in a long time. Thanks so much to NetGalley and Saga Press for the ARC.

I've read horror before, but now I've officially read HORROR. This book is definitely for all the HORROR fans out there.

One reason I enjoy AJW's books so much is because he can always provide a perspective (i.e. trans and transmasculine) I myself would never experience (cis-man, white, gay). I don't know if I will ever cross paths with a trans, autistic, poor, mute, sadistic, pregnant man IRL, but hey, now I feel like I have by reading this book. AJW's character building is always top-notch, and he is an excellent, excellent writer I'm always locked-in when I read his books!

The part that fell flat for me was the Hive, but I feel it fell flat because expectations weren't aligned from the beginning. About halfway through the book, Crane talks about the origins of the Hive even though I felt pretty familiar with it already, knowing that there are multiple Hive locations and humans have roles within each Hive. I wish this description of origins of the Hive were mentioned earlier in the book, to set the reader's expectations. Also, before reading this book, I thought the Hive would play a much stronger role due to the short summary of the book being described as "Alien meets Midsommar in this chilling debut adult novel from award-winning author Andrew Joseph White about identity, survival, and transformation amidst an alien invasion in rural West Virginia." But as I read first few chapters, I realized the aliens (in this case, the Hive) have already invaded. Also, in the origin story I mentioned earlier, Crane says that it is unknown what the Hive is, and they aren't necessarily aliens. So, I think this descriptor isn't true to the book.

What worked for me with this novel, and my favorite part, was the (glimmer of) hope that Crane will be able to mend the relationships with his parents and Birdie and (I think) Aspen. From what I understand, Crane ran away from home when he came out to himself as trans, but never came out to his parents due to his own anxiety. He assumes his parents wouldn't accept him for who he truly is. In this moment in time, the trans community is attacked, never accepted, so he assumes his parents will feel the same. However, as we get to the end, I don't believe that will be the case.

Thank you Saga Press for approving my request to read this novel early. It was my most anticipated read of the year and I'm so grateful I was allowed to read it early.

This book, in simplest terms, is everything I wanted it to be.

In the past I've read Hell followed with us and thought it was good, but nothing I was obsessed with. So when I heard the author was writing an Adult trans pregnancy horror book, I was beyond excited. This book was a rollercoaster of emotions that I loved every second of.

I especially loved the characters in this book, I loved Crane and reading about him in entirety. His thoughts about himself, and about Sophie were written so well. When it comes to side characters, I adored Jess and Stagger. I loved Jess and like how in a way she portrays a version of Sophie that lived. The relationship between her and Crane was the touch of sweetness that was needed. Crane went from hating her to helping her escape.
I loved Stagger too. He communicated with Crane and cared for him when no one else did. He was the most human character at heart, even if he was the least human physically.

I loved the worms, the bug horror of this book in general. The fact that even if Crane had run with the baby, the hive would have always found a way to get to the child.
This whole book really connects with current world issues and I appreciate how none of it was sugar coated.

If you want an amazing trans horror pregnancy book. this is the one.

Thank you NetGalley & Saga Press for allowing me the opportunity to read an arc of this masterpiece in exchange for an honest review.

The last book I read in June 2025:

What a way to end Pride month.

I was lucky enough to receive an arc for this book.

I have loved his books since I read ‘Hell Followed with Us’, though, ‘The Spirit Bears Its Teeth’ is still my favourite. I was beyond excited for his take on an adult novel, and it did not disappoint.

This book is creepy, and horrific, and gut wrenching, and disgusting, and visceral, and… vivid. It’s incredible story telling, not just word-wise, but I could picture absolutely everything that was described.

It made me uncomfortable, it made me smile, it made me angry, sad, hopeful. This book… is definitely in my top reads of 2025.

I want to recommend this book to everyone, but alas… you’d need to be well aware of the content and trigger warnings and understand what you’re getting yourself into.

If you do indeed think you can handle it - read it. It comes out Sept 9, 2025.

AJW - you knocked it out of the fucking park. And I can’t wait to read every damn book you write going forward.

This book comes out September 9th and that cannot get here fast enough. I read this right after a slump and it's exactly what I needed to pick me back into reading. Soon as it hit my kindle I was hooked! This is a debut novel and now I want more stories. Aliens in a small town in West Virigina. Just what?! Seriously!! Yes, and it's so dark and creepy. Basically the humans that survived are at the mercy of the aliens. It's gross and has a lot of graphic horror that some may not be ready for.

Wow! The story hooked me from the very beginning. You Weren't Meant to Be Human follows Crane, a mute, autistic trans man that leaves home and finds salvation in the Hive, an alien infestation of worms and flies. He meets Levi, one of the Hive's followers, and they start to have an abusive relationship. Levi impregnates Crane and Crane starts to spiral. He wants to end the pregnancy but the Hive forces Crane to carry the fetus and will stop at nothing to make sure this baby is born.

I was speechless when I finished this book. I felt so much for Crane and even saw a little of myself in him. The despair and anguish he felt made my heart ache for him. Andrew Joseph White did an amazing job conveying suffering and distress. The writing was phenomenal and easy to follow. I appreciated the body horror and graphic details. I think was done tastefully without feeling excessive or for shock value. I wish there was more backstory on the Hive but still loved this story. Definity one of my favorites of this year!

“You Weren’t Meant To Be Human” by Andrew Joseph White is a rollercoaster of raw, unsettling, and yet, beautiful human emotions. This is White’s first adult horror novel and please be warned, this book is scary as hell.

Crane is a mute, autistic, trans man, who has been assisting in the invasion of an alien infestation known as “the Hive”. When Crane suddenly finds out he is pregnant and the Hive demands the birth of the child at all costs, Crane’s resistance and desperation to end the pregnancy sets off a series of events that cause a whirlwind of panic, anger, and violence that no one could have anticipated.

Andrew Joseph White has literally taken the rough and gritty underbelly of small town gas stationa, added literal piles of “worms and flies” or “the Hive” and created one of the scariest settings I’ve read in a long time. White has a natural way of writing body horror that pushes every boundary and deliberately disturbs the reader with stomach-twisting imagery. The book will have readers truly gasping and screaming all the way toward the very last page. (No joke, I had a truly visceral feeling of horror upon finishing the book.)

If you are a fan of anxiety inducing films like- Hereditary (2018) and Midsommar (2019) and also love a good gore-y Alien (1979) movie, you have to check out “You Weren’t Meant To Be Human” by Andrew Joseph White when it releases on September 9, 2025.

Big shout out and thanks to NetGalley, Simon & Schuster, Saga Press, and Andrew Joseph White for the opportunity to read this ARC!

Absolutely horrifying.

Crane is a trans man, that does not speak, and works at a gas station in Appalachia. He's been taken in by a sentient insect hive and the people that serve it, but it's not a very healthy environment. Levi (Crane's...friend?) gets him pregnant. He and the hive are determined that Crane will give birth, despite its negative impact on his mental and physical health. Things get dark, fast. Reading this in June 2025 was rough. I can only imagine it will get worse from here, at least for a while.

I wound up staying up until 2am to finish. I just had to. Crane's suffering was so intensely awful, and I pretty much hated every single character in this book at some point. The ending was very disturbing, but also satisfying.

Thanks to NetGalley and Saga Press for the ARC.

This is Such a book. I'm honestly not sure how to review it. I kind of love it, I kind of hate it, I'm definitely going to keep thinking about this for ages.

This book ROCKED! It’s just the perfect blend of body horror and gore and heart and just wonderful weirdness all wrapped up in one. I totally devoured it, and am just so grateful I get to be alive a time when horror like this is getting made. (And so grateful to have horror like this to help get through the real-life horrors of the world!!)

Andrew Joseph White has such a unique writing style and this adult debut was everything I wanted.

Visceral is the best word I can use to describe this book. Crane’s life, feelings, current “relationship,” struggle with identity and gender dysphoria, exploitation, and existential dread. All of it was depicted so thoroughly and heartbreakingly. I was so sad for Crane and was also rooting for him.

This book is very dark and very graphic but it all has a purpose, none of it felt gratuitous.

I was moved by You Weren’t Meant to Be Human and Crane as a character. So well done!

White is delivering the type of horror that post-Roe America needs. I'm blown away. I'm crying in my bedroom, reeling over that last sentence. That last CHAPTER. This book pulls no punches and has no fear. As always, White is the king of body horror and I was SICKENED to my core. I felt dread in ways I did not know were possible. I want to scream at the top of my lungs and never stop. It's dark, it's disgusting, and it made me feel loved enough to keep fighting.
I'm recommending this book to everybody (check the trigger warnings!), but especially to fans of Alison Rumfitt, Chuck Palahniuk, and Logan-Ashley Kisner.

Going to start this with a heavy warning that one should definitely check the trigger warnings before starting this read if they chose to read it. It is unflinchingly grotesque in the of the sexual violence that is brought upon the main character a trans man named Crane.

Going into the book it stated as a lure into the the book that it has an Alien movie feel to it. That is what had drawn me into it but in fact it isn't that. It is more of a cultish body-horror read. The writing is good, leaving you feeling a visceral knee jerk of disgust. The novel fell short for me on multiple fronts. Be it about the Hive (bugs/aliens) and the worldbuilding.

Though I am happier that there is more trans fiction making its way to the world, I would not recommend it for its supernatural elements or world building. But it want to read know going in there is trigger warnings for a reason. The depictions of sexual, physical and emotional abuse Crane among other elements were verging on being far too much for me personally.

As Andrew Joseph White says in the acknowledgements, this book is indeed a doozy. I knew to expect body horror and gore and I read the synopsis, and even though AJW doesn’t exactly write stories that are perfectly my jam, his autistic characters speak to my own experiences and I can’t resist a book set in West Virginia, which will always be home for me. All that to say, this book is a rough ride. Crane is a difficult character to like exactly, and being in his head is a rough experience, especially with the toxic environment he finds himself in, but his story is a compelling one. I liked the pacing and how the trimesters of pregnancy were used as time reference. In some ways I don’t know how to feel about You Weren’t Meant to be Human and I don’t know that I’d want to read it again, but it was an intense read that’s definitely going to stick around.

Andrew Joseph White has done it again. But who is surprised, he never misses. I was so made for Crane for the whole book. This is my new favorite AJW. 6 stars.

When I saw alien invasion in Appalachia, I immediately needed to read this, and I was not let down! First, check your trigger warnings before reading this book. Crane is a mute, autistic trans man who has been through a lot. A sentient alien (worms, flies) saves Crane, but then when Crane becomes pregnant, they want the baby. Crane does not want to be pregnant. This book left me with such a visceral reaction to the events that I was completely grossed out (in all the best ways possible. Definitely an amazing horror book that probes the themes of unwanted pregnancy, body horror, and loss of agency amongst others.

Crane, a selectively mute autistic trans man, has been working at the gas station in Wash County, West Virginia ever since he was picked up by the hive.

He’s grown accustomed to two unpleasant things: dirty deeds for his worm overlords and painfully rough sex with his non-committal boyfriend, the latter of which he sometimes actually enjoys. It’s better than the life he’s left behind, anyway. At least you can’t get knocked up if you’re on testosterone, right? Right?

If I were to sum up this book I would have to simply say, what the fuck did I just read? — but in a good way (if you’re a sicko). Trigger warning for basically everything but especially pregnancy, stillbirth, abortion, suicidal ideation and intense physical and sexual violence.

As bleak and graphic as this book was, it was so well written. It was surprisingly tender and insightful, and it kept me reading. I kept wanting to know what happens next. I became attached to the characters and was affected by the drama. I recommend it, but only if you have a very strong stomach. Certainly the most disturbing queer horror I’ve ever read.

Thank you to Saga Press for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.