This was a great follow-up to The Shining. It had its own plot while also tying together lore from The Overlook Hotel. It tied all loose ends and plot holes. Honest, emotional, raw. This is one of the greatest sequels I’ve read.

This book was good, but, for me, didn't stand up to the standard of the Spirit Bares its Teeth. Hell Followed with Us is a masterful exploration of religious trauma, body horror and the complexity of family dynamics both within found family or biological family. The world building felt detailed and interesting. Where it fell short for me was in the characterization. Aside from a few main characters, the wider world of characters felt flat and hard to differentiate, and even within the core cast of the book, I felt that the characters felt more like predictable tropes than fully-realized human beings.

Where the book was particularly good for me was in the way it navigated the complexity of its relationships around who we protect, and what that protection looks like. And its exploration of religiosity and mythmaking and the horrors committed in the name of righteousness.

I think the book is worth reading if you love a "if the world wants to see me as a monster, I will become monstrous" processing of queer rage and religious trauma. I'd also recommend this if you delight in truly grisly body horror. I'm not normally queasy in books and this one had me truly uncomfortable in a rather delightful way.