You Weren’t Meant to Be Human

The supernatural horror of bestselling YA author White’s staggering adult debut (after Hell Followed with Us) is made all the more terrifying by how deeply it resonates with the very real threats facing trans people. Crane is an autistic trans man who lives and works in Appalachia. He believes he’s found acceptance with “the hive,” an intelligent mass of malevolent worms, and the rural cult that serve its needs. However, when Crane discovers that he’s been impregnated by his abusive partner, Levi, he learns that the hive and his previously supportive community values him as an incubator above everything else, and he is pressured to carry the pregnancy to term. A book about evil pro-natalist worms could easily feel silly, but White does an impressive job grounding the fantastic elements in a deeply heartfelt emotional core. Stomach-churning gore pairs with quieter but equally disturbing moments of psychological horror as Crane fights for the bodily autonomy that others are trying to strip away from him. The result is both a brilliant, page-turning piece of trans splatterpunk body horror and an earnest, heart-rending tragedy. White should win a whole new set of fans with this. (Sept.)