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You Weren't Meant to be Human

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You Weren't Meant to be Human

By: Andrew Joseph White
Narrated by: Max Meyers
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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.

Festering masses of worms and flies have taken root in dark corners across Appalachia. In exchange for unwavering loyalty and fresh corpses, these hives offer a few struggling humans salvation. A fresh start. It's an offer that none refuse.

Crane is grateful. Among his hive's followers, Crane has found a chance to transition, to never speak again, to live a life that won't destroy him. He even met Levi: a handsome ex-Marine and brutal killer who treats him like a real man, mostly. But when Levi gets Crane pregnant—and the hive demands the child's birth, no matter the cost—Crane's desperation to make it stop will drive the community that saved him into a devastating spiral that can only end in blood.

©2025 Andrew Joseph White (P)2025 Bonnier Books UK Coming of Age First Contact Genre Fiction Horror Literature & Fiction Neurodiversity Science Fiction Science Fiction & Fantasy Scary
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Critic reviews

'A defining voice of our generation.' (H.E. Edgmon)
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It’s a very emotional story with a serious and graphic undertone but fantastically written and brilliantly read.

Amazingly graphic but amazingly good

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I love how hard this goes. It’s a wonderful, awful story. Perfect narrator too. Check the content warnings if you need to!

Amazing and gruesome

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Please make sure you listen to the content warning before embarking on this story - the author has not held anything back in this book!

The writing was fantastic, with the "setting the scene" parts expertly imparting a wonderful image. I swear I could smell the various locations depicted in the story and I could feel Crane's despair and hopelessness. It left me feeling very uncomfortable - well done!

I have read and watched many horror stories, but this is probably the most graphic and gruesome encountered.

My only criticism comes from the reader's delivery. Their voice is extremely dynamic, which means the volume needs to be high to hear the quiet parts - especially when in the car. This is fine but when the Hive's voices are played, the difference in volume is so extreme that it's way too loud! I found the solution was to listen using headphones - not really ideal when driving, but hey! The voices for the Hive are really difficult to hear clearly. I think a less extreme approach may have been better. That said, it made me feel sick when I heard them the first few times, so I guess the overall effect was justified.

A visceral journey into shocking body horror

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the reading of this audio book was amazing! it did take some time to get into but it is a great depiction of an autistic trans man who navigates an alien cult who let's him be him and accepts him for this. the description of pregnancy from their point of view is very vivid and one that I'm sure some people have thought of!

Great narrative

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When I say Max Meyers makes this book enjoyable, its not a slight against the author. I tried reading the book first and had difficulty getting into it. I really wanted to give it another go so I decided to listen to the audiobook instead. Max Meyers, you have done a fantastic job at making this story truly thrilling. The voices, the suspense added by the work you have done is AMAZING.

Max Meyers makes this book enjoyable

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