“You Weren’t Meant to Be Human” is Andrew Joseph White’s first adult novel, and it’s a visceral, haunting, and emotionally complex read. Marketed as Alien meets Midsommar, that comparison isn’t far off. This is folk horror with teeth, body horror with purpose, and speculative fiction that feels all too real.

The story centers on Crane, a trans man living within a fanatical cult known as the Hive, where he is forcibly made to carry a pregnancy. White, a trans man himself, brings deep authenticity to Crane’s experience, which makes the horror hit even harder. The body horror elements are intense, but never gratuitous. They serve the story’s emotional and political core. There are many content warnings (all thoughtfully outlined at the beginning), but none of the trauma here is written for shock value. It’s written to say something.

As someone who became even more fiercely pro-choice after having my own child, I found White’s portrayal of bodily autonomy (and its violent denial) deeply resonant. The novel is unflinching, but not hopeless. And though it is deeply disturbing at times it is also powerfully cathartic.

This is a book that will not be for everyone, but for those who can engage with it, it offers a necessary and harrowing kind of empathy. White has crafted a fiercely personal horror story that’s as political as it is emotional and I admire the hell out of that.

[4.5 stars; my second most anticipated book of 2025, and it did not disappoint!!]

if this book had a smell, it would be the metallic scent of thick black blood. if it had a physical form, it would be festering masses of thick worms slithering between your fingers or wriggling beneath your skin. if it had a taste, acidic bile burning your throat. that said, it was probably my least favourite of the a.j. white books i've read - but that doesn't really mean a lot since i adored all of them. it was almost perfect, except it wasn't, but i can't fully explain why without spoiling some things, so i'll refrain from that till its published :p

anyways, fuck him, for making me have a disgusting lump in my throat and the vague feeling i was about to throw up at any given point during the six hours i spent reading this. yes that includes the breaks i had to take to breathe & drink water & remind myself i am Fine (unlike crane) (poor guy)

this book both subverted my expectations entirely, and also exceeded them? i don't know, there's a lot going on in my brain, but all i can say is READ READ READ!!! ajw is such a great author, i rarely ever feel such physical emotional reactions while reading as i do with his books tbh

i will be SEATED for the announcement of his next release 🫡🫡

A dark, disturbing, and compelling read. A mix of invasion of the body snatchers and a handmaids tale. A great response to current political climate with a horror twist

So this book is AJW’s first adult horror, be mindful of that if you’re into his YA stuff, and it really shows. The book is about Crane, a selectively mute autistic trans man and one of the human servants to a pulsing, swarming mass of bugs that lives in the manager’s office of a West Virginia gas station. Crane’s life and his world collapses when this hive demands he continue with an unwanted pregnancy, presumably for use in its own nefarious purposes.
I’m on the record as enjoying really atmospheric horror. I’m not a huge action and super tight plot structure girlie when it comes to horror. I like it when the vibes are deeply uncomfortable and I have to sit in them. A slow burn, if you will. This book absolutely delivers on that. This is a political horror, it’s about the way that masculinity is shaped under patriarchy, it’s about the way fascism uses birth to propagate itself. Because of that, the central question of the narrative and its answers are kind of peripheral to the story itself: why is this happening. Why? Because they can. Because they always fucking do. The bugs are like, eugenics and white supremacy as expressed through control of reproductive freedom for uterus havers. But I really do think the main draw of this book is emotional. It’s really interior to the main character, aided along by the fact that Crane doesn’t speak, he hasn’t spoken since his severe autistic burnout post high school, and it keeps the narrative really close, you get a front row seat to a man destroying himself so the world can’t destroy him first. It’s nasty as hell, it’s deeply political, it’s a cry not so much for help but just so someone will hear it before the inevitable bloody end. And yet I also interpreted it as hopeful, at the very end. I had a blast, I gave this book 4.5 out of 5 stars, I think what would have taken it to a 5 star for me would be more exploration of a particular character called Stagger, everything his existence implies is so juicy and I would like more of it please.

This was not what I expected, but I still mostly enjoyed it. I thought with the description it was going to lean into the sci fi elements, but the term alien invasion definitely felt misleading and this was mainly focused on trans body horror, which probably was my favorite part so it all worked out well. However, some of the parts that weren’t body horror felt very random/not cohesive, such as his parents showing up, which felt very out of the blue. Another element that I really disliked in here was the brief mentions of bestiality… I know they were included sometimes as intrusive thoughts but felt a very unnecessary element considering all the other disturbing elements
this was going to be a 3.5, but the end was simultaneously horrific and so right, so bumping it up to four.

I genuinly don't even know how to rate this book...

Please, PLEASE make sure you are prepared for the content before going into it. That ending... It made me vomit and threw me into one of the biggest anxiety attacks of my life. My hands are still shaking and I've still got tears running down my face. And that's coming from someone who who has read two of Andrew Jospeh White's books before and was completely fine.

But apart from that, the brutal honesty and pain represented in this book as a monstrous reflection of our society is so important. The emotion and fear over forced pregnency, particularly as a trans man, expressed through this book was harrowing and real.

God, this book was brutal. It NEEDED to be brutal. But that ending... I really wasn't okay with that.

My flabbers are ghasted.

I don’t know what made me think I could handle this book. I really thought, “hmm, I want to branch into horror…” and started with THIS. I fear I girl-bossed too close to the sun with this one. I mean, I do like spooky, but gory and nasty are usually not my thing.

That being said, this was not a bad book at all. I never wanted to put it down. I was captivated and had to know what happened with these people! I really loved the writing. Shit was intense at times. I quite enjoyed it though?! But damn was it nasty.

(There’s worms on the cover. It’s gonna be fucking gross. Duh.)

Anyway, this shit was wild. I was so intrigued by the author’s reels, I requested it on netgalley. Idk what they were thinking accepting a smutty_queen to read this book but okay. I did it. The whole thing. Couldn’t stop. Damn.

Y’all I reached 50% and bought every book this author has written. That’s how much I really did enjoy the writing and the characters.

But back to this book.
I was intrigued.
I was disturbed.
I was horrified.
I was enraged.
I was sad.

Crane reminded me so much of myself while also disturbing the fuck out of me. His inner monologue was twisted. This book was a dark, boundary-pushing, uncomfortable, and unfortunately a close portrayal of some of the issues we face regarding bodily autonomy.

I’m not going to write a synopsis, but please read trigger warnings if you ever consider this. Most of you probably should not.

The last 10%. I could have never predicted. What. The. Fuck. Anyway, 5 stars. Would ride again.

4.5/5 stars.

I would highly recommend going to the reviews (on Goodreads) and reading Andrew's own book review. He shares helpful information on what his book is about as well as the content warnings. And this is definitely a book that a lot of people are going to want to browse the content warnings for.

I read this book almost completely in one sitting. This was a very real, very traumatic book to read. Andrew writes about things that will hit close to home for many people. This book heavily covers pregnancy and the emotional, physical, and mental turmoil that comes with it. The MMC is a trans man named Crane. While I don't think any of these characters were necessarily "likable," and you'll understand exactly why once you read this book, they were relatable and multifaceted.

I loved the deep insight we get as readers into Crane's struggles of coming to terms with who he is. He struggled with his self-identity and accepting who he is. We get to read the deepest, darkest thoughts of Crane. We experience his suicidal ideation, self-harm, intrusive thoughts, and darkest desires. This was the perfect book to read during Pride month. I thought it was artfully done.

Andrew was masterful in balancing out classic horror and gore with internal struggles and societal issues. Sometimes I'll read books that are trying to accomplish a discussion on current life issues while still maintaining their horror story, and it doesn't always mix well together. This book did. It all blended well together and felt seamless.

This is my first book that I've read by this author and I already know that I'll be returning for more gore. I loved the writing within this book and how complex it felt, even with it being a shorter book.

Thank you to NetGalley and Saga Press for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

CW: Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Cursing, Deadnaming, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Homophobia, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Transphobia, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Medical content, Grief, Cannibalism, Medical trauma, Abortion, Suicide attempt, Murder, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, Sexual harassment, Dysphoria, Injury/Injury detail

This is one of those books where I didn't want to keep reading but I did because I wanted to know WTF I was reading and WTF was going to happen. It was a brutal and disgusting read with a lot of things that simply made me roll my eyes. I don't think I was the correct audience for this book..........

I literally couldn't put this book down because the brain worms crawled into my eyes and AAAHHH

Okay but seriously:

In an era when we're tempted to die inside so we can survive, to listen to the seductive whispers of respectability and stealth, this book goes full-frontal on monstrosity as life force. Crane is not "good representation" in the sense of Pride merch at Target, and I love him for it with my whole trans autistic perverted little heart.

AJW rubs our noses in the weirdness and grossness of having a physical body. In a sense, body horror is the human condition. It is the flip side of sensual ecstasy and tender intimacy...the condition of being porous to another. Trans and neurodivergent folks already understand this, but we don't always want to dwell on it. It's uncomfortable, and it potentially undercuts the story we have to tell in order to get our needs met in the normie world, the story that we would never feel bad again if only you would give us HRT and shirts with no itchy tags in them...please??

What I'm saying is, I love this novel's brutal honesty and the strange sweetness that can emerge when one is no longer masking. The scene where Stagger helps Crane take a bath got me right in the heart. We should all have such a good emotional-support zombie. The ending, while shocking, had an undeniable logic to it, as the epitome of the novel's exploration of blurred boundaries between violence and love.

Andrew Joseph White has a way of writing horror that is unique and enthralling to read. You Weren't Meant to Be Human is no exception, it is terrifying, poignant, and heart-wrenching all at the same time.

I’ve often used the word ‘unflinching’ to describe White’s previous body of work, which has consisted of all YA Horror. And I stand by that word; His writing is steady as as a surgeon’s hand, certain even in the most deeply troubled, unsettling moments.
But if his YA work is unflinching, his adult work is *unrelenting*.
YOU WEREN’T MEANT TO BE HUMAN is visceral, revolting, and gut-wrenching, leaving you stunned with disbelief for something that perhaps your subconscious knew, but you wouldn’t admit to yourself it was *actually* going to happen.
It’s heavy, and steeped in the ramifications of a post Roe v. Wade, conspiracy-addled America where a mute trans man desperate for permission to simply be ends up attached to a cult following a sentient swarm of insects. And when he ends up pregnant, the Hive refuses anything but Crane carrying the child to term, no matter how much he may trash against their wishes.
I don’t want to reveal too much because I think this book really shines the more blindly you go into it— but please, PLEASE do check the trigger warnings on this one!
I was uncertain just how much I would see the difference in White’s writing style for teens versus adults but I am FLOORED by the sheer lack of mercy in this story from start to finish. This is the beginnings of an incredible adult lineup for AJW and I cannot recommend it enough, as long as you can stomach it.

Perhaps the most visceral horror is the kind that touches both the mind and its captive: the body. "You Weren’t Meant to Be Human" excels here, delving deep into body horror where creation becomes violation and memory turns feral.

Set in alien-infested Appalachia, the novel follows Crane, a young trans man, as his loyalty to his hive is tested when he’s ordered to carry an unexpected and mind-fracturing pregnancy to term—one foisted on him by a man as desired as he is cruel.

Parasitic mechanisms form the gut of the story, from the predatory nature of pregnancy and certain relationships to cultish violence disguised as care. And yet, the novel is more contemplative than its premise might suggest.

We’re confined to airless rooms and trapped states of mind as Crane endures the blunt ravages of his body. We move with him through fragmented memories, which, woven into the horror of his present, reveal the uneasy but palpable desires that once convinced him he was unworthy of a life beyond the worm-like, creeping hive: a putrid entity that sees and exploits all that makes humans alien to themselves.

While this inward focus slows the plot and leaves much of the world dimly lit, it sharpens the emotional core: the anguished reality of having your body breached, disfigured, and fed on by something foreign. Wrapped as the story is in painful twists and ruthless deeds, the mind is never left unengaged.

More than anything, this is a meditation on the cruelties inflicted upon bodies capable of creation—cruelties that remain deeply embedded in today’s discourse. For that reason alone, "You Weren’t Meant to Be Human" should be required reading for every cis man—and cis woman, where trans identities are concerned—who legislates over bodies subject to unimaginable tortures, so unthinkable that they're dismissed with ease.

The novel offers a queasy, disquieting, sultry, and wholly consuming reflection on embodiment, exploring what it means to possess a body governed by you alone, as well as the lengths the mind will go to in order to survive that struggle.

It’s a brutal, challenging reality that invites horrified scrutiny. And for that alone, it demands a reckoning—at least once, if you can stomach it.

This was a trip. The writing style was really really good. It gave plenty of detail, backstory, and character development. I felt for crane the entire time and so desperately wanted for him to have a happy ending. I won’t spoil if he does or doesn’t. I also loved the side characters and their backstory’s as well. This was a full on trip and was an excellent story. If you like splatterpunk horror this is for you, but it also has some basic horror elements as well and isn’t too splatterpunk horror, so horror fans should enjoy this too.

Honestly I was pretty much loving this book right up until the ending when the main character cannibalizes his own baby. As someone who is very much pro-choice, I would not have minded so much if the baby had not been born when Crane decides to defy the hive and kill the fetus. I absolutely *know* what AJW was getting at when he made the decision---crane essentually getting back his agency from the hive while also getting his revenge for carrying a baby he did not want, this is AJW's roe v wade book after all---to have the baby be born and *then* kill it.

But also as someone who absolutely just does not fuck with the *instant murder* of a very young, innocent child that was absolutely innocent in the circumstance leading up to its birth, I just----AJW you make fantastic fucked-up books but this one was a little too personal for my tastes.

I love all of Andrew Joseph White’s books but am having to DNF this one at 25% due to triggers. I was so excited when I saw he had a new book coming out that I requested it on NetGalley without checking the TWs and am afraid I can’t continue. Of his books, I have to say this is easily the most frightening and hits so hard in our current world.

I’m still giving it 5 stars because I have to assign a rating and all his other books were 5 stars for me!

4.5 stars—As with any AJW book, be careful if you have any trigger at all.

This BOOK! ! Andrew I love you to the depth of the sea and back, your brilliance amazes me. I loved every second of this disgusting novel. I have never had someone put to words why pregnancy is the most vile thing I have ever heard of in my life so well before. I wish we could have gotten more of Stagger but I understand why it wasn’t included. Crane is one of Andrew’s best character work and I will die on that hill.

Wow, wow, wow and again, wow. What a story this was. A literally punch to the gut would've hurt less. It was haunting. White's writing was so evocative, the feelings and emotions bled through the pages. Absolutely devastating. In a good way.

Absolutely brutal. This book is dark, haunting and delivers on giving you an absolute gut punch. I went in expecting a gritty horror novel and it was that and more.

On the surface, it’s a horror novel about a young trans man Crane, who is a part of a small family of outcasts that do the bidding of the “Hive”. The hive is the collective term for this alien(?) organism(s) that many broken and misfit people have vowed to serve under the guise of having a better life.

While, yes, the hive itself is horrifying (hello parasitic alien entities), the true horror is Crane’s self loathing and the lengths he is willing to go to once he becomes pregnant to escape the horrors of having no control over his body.

It’s dark and haunting, as Crane navigates mental illness, being trans, crazy relationships, being pregnant against his will, oh and those pesky alien hive creatures.

I very much like the character development throughout the story, and not just of our boy, Crane. The characters are all damaged in some way, and you really are rooting for many of them (except Levi, he deserves all the hate).

Absolutely check trigger warnings before reading this book. It’s traumatic, gory and the themes unsettling. This book definitely gets under your skin (much like the worms) and shows you sometimes the monsters inside us are the scariest of all.

This was such a well written story. Really sucked me in front the first chapter and had me devouring every page. AJW has the talent to write such complex characters and stories. This book is so deep and emotional in many ways that I won’t say. This book is disturbing and upsetting but the way it is done and it moves the story can’t be matched. AJW does it again (while I now need a sappy lighthearted read to recover)