You Weren't Meant to Be Human: A Novel
A Washington Post and Publishers Weekly Best SF/Fantasy/Horror Novel of 2025
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.
You Weren’t Meant to Be Human is a deeply personal horror; a visceral statement about the lives of marginalized people in a hostile world, echoing the works of Stephen Graham Jones and Eric LaRocca.
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.
You Weren’t Meant to Be Human is a deeply personal horror; a visceral statement about the lives of marginalized people in a hostile world, echoing the works of Stephen Graham Jones and Eric LaRocca.
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Community Reviews
I'm having a hard time thinking about what I should rate this book. The message of the story speaks to current events and issues when it comes to body autonomy, LGBTQIA community suppression regulations, and the disability community.
Levi's toxicity towards Crane is physical abuse and violent. And psychologically picks apart his self worth and manipulating the intimate things he knows of Crane. The Hive's manipulation felt more emotional because of the trust Crane had in it.
You Weren't Meant To Be Human is disturbing. It's graphic and horrible and real and dark and miserable. And it was hard to put down without the story lingering with you. Or wondering wtf was going to happen next; like how worse could things get?
Crane has spent his entire life fighting his desire to self harm and suppressing his self loathing. I thought it was mostly tied to his dysphoria. And the pregnancy was bringing that all back only 1000x worse. But maybe Crane was fighting so hard and so long to find a place where he had something to keep him going? Something to really fight against that was on the outside and not the inside?
I don't know if all the trigger warnings is enough to prepare readers for Crane's inner thoughts, his painful fight with existing on top of the graphic, parasitic approach towards pregnancy. --- Though, ever since I saw Alien as a child, this is how I've always seen pregnancy, so that wasn't too much of a jarring experience.
Levi's toxicity towards Crane is physical abuse and violent. And psychologically picks apart his self worth and manipulating the intimate things he knows of Crane. The Hive's manipulation felt more emotional because of the trust Crane had in it.
You Weren't Meant To Be Human is disturbing. It's graphic and horrible and real and dark and miserable. And it was hard to put down without the story lingering with you. Or wondering wtf was going to happen next; like how worse could things get?
Crane has spent his entire life fighting his desire to self harm and suppressing his self loathing. I thought it was mostly tied to his dysphoria. And the pregnancy was bringing that all back only 1000x worse. But maybe Crane was fighting so hard and so long to find a place where he had something to keep him going? Something to really fight against that was on the outside and not the inside?
I don't know if all the trigger warnings is enough to prepare readers for Crane's inner thoughts, his painful fight with existing on top of the graphic, parasitic approach towards pregnancy. --- Though, ever since I saw Alien as a child, this is how I've always seen pregnancy, so that wasn't too much of a jarring experience.
Absolutely amazing. It was so crude, which I think is often necessary to write an effective horror in this style. It definitely highlighted the issues with not allowing abortions and bodily autonomy. The metaphors with the hive made for an interesting plot that didn't distract from the message at all. great book
Complicated and conflicted really explains how I feel about this book. It is well written and certainly delves deep into mental illness. It’s super graphic and not my usual style of reading. But I’ve been reading a lot of horror lately with similar themes, so I thought I’d give it a try. I’m glad I did and that I stuck with it, but I don’t think I’d read it again.
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