You Weren’t Meant to be Human fulfills the “black” square on CBR17 Bingo
I had Andrew Joseph White on my radar from his debut, but it wasn’t until Compound Fracture that I finally read one of his books. Even though most of his books haven’t exactly been for me, I have a special spot in my heart for Appalachia, and especially West Virigina because it will always be home. So when I saw AJW’s upcoming adult debut was set in WV, I knew I needed to get my hands on it.
I wasn’t quite sure what to expect from You Weren’t Meant to be Human beyond a trans man main character who is also autistic and he’s allied himself with aliens who are essentially worms and bugs. As with previous books by White, this one has quite a bit of gore and violence. Sometimes surviving isn’t pretty, and Crane is a great example of someone doing difficult and nasty things to survive as his true self. He has had to prove himself to the worms, and that includes killing those who threaten their communities.
A theme that’s explored in You Weren’t Meant to be Human is the idea of bodily autonomy. We see this both in Crane’s experience of finally being able to transition and choose muteness, but we also see it in Crane’s forced pregnancy. He swore that if he ever got pregnant, he would abort or die, but the worms decree that he has to carry the accidental pregnancy to term. This is a big part of the horror elements of this book, especially as the book progresses and Crane’s mental stability deteriorates.
I don’t know if this is a book I would say I “enjoyed” but it’s definitely a book that dealt interestingly with themes of bodily autonomy through a horror lens, especially considering the sociopolitical climate of today. And that sociopolitical climate we’re currently living also influences the world building of You Weren’t Meant to be Human because there’s several references to how civil liberties have been stolen by politics and particularly access to reproductive care. I also really appreicate (though this isn’t a surprising element considering author’s background) how it talks about how red states don’t deserve to be abandoned when there are always people and communities who organize and work to defend civil rights and have progressive beliefs, but gerrymandering and the system working as designed keeps those voices and perspectives silenced. All that to say, this is a book worth reading if you enjoy horror that deals with themes of bodily autonomy through a trans, autistic lens and aren’t bothered by some truly messed up gore.
Major spoiler that’s also a warning of content: Crane’s way to save his baby from the worms is to literally bite her neck immediately after birth, killing her. (white text – highlight to read)
