Thank you NetGalley and Peachtree Teen for providing me with an eARC of Compound Fracture by Andrew Joseph White in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Summary:

After coming out to his parents as trans via email, Miles goes to a party with pictures that prove the sheriff caused an accident that killed his former friend’s mom and injured Miles’s dad. At the party, Miles gets jumped by the sheriff’s son and his friends. The blood feud between the sheriff and the Abernathy family continues. But now Miles is ready to fight back.

Review:

This is an amazing story. It shows the different ways people fight back against injustice either with community building or more nefarious methods. Miles does the best he can all the while, he’s learning about himself as a person. He’s realizing that he’s autistic, he’s learning that he’s aromantic, he’s learning how to talk to people about his realization that he’s a trans boy. He’s seeing that he can ask for help and there are people around him who he can depend on. He’s learning to depend on himself as well.

I love how much Miles loves West Virginia. It’s his home and he’s not going anywhere even when it doesn’t necessarily love him back. And even though there are rocky parts, Miles’s family is really loving and even when they don’t understand everything about his identity, they accept Miles for who he is.

This book is well-suited for teens who are ready for a brutally honest story about fighting for change.

5 out of 5 stars

Compound Fracture is scheduled to hit the shelves on September 3, 2024.

Andrew Joseph White has once again written a story that will stay with me forever. If I could give this book more than five stars, I would.

First and foremost, we have to talk about Miles. He has such a distinct character voice that I was reading in an accent. I loved him. Out of all of White's books so far, I think I connected the most to Miles. The struggles he faced as someone different in a small town just hit home for me.

Which makes sense considering it takes place in the real world, during current modern times. A lot of the horror from this book comes because this all feels very real and possible. This is more than a horror story though, this story explores a small group of people, different from the majority of their small town, fighting for their right to exist in the space. Fighting the corruption of their leaders. Leaders that have no problems playing dirty to get what they want.

White wrote a letter to us all, to remind us to come together and fight against the wrongs in this world, even if it gets bloody.

I can't say that this book is tame on the horror, suspense vibes that are in all of White's stories, but I will say this one was less on the body horror. (So if you're not the biggest fan of gore, this could be the book for you). However, like with all of White's books, I never knew where the story was going to end up.

I highly recommend adding this to the top of your TBR list. You'll want to read this one.

Thank you to the publishers and netgalley for allowing to review this book! Everything is my honest opinion.

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.5 Stars

Compound Fracture by Andrew Joseph White is a queer Appalachian thriller that follows a trans autistic teen who finds photos that prove the county’s sheriff was responsible for an “accident” that injured his dad.

My oh my! Once I started I could not put this down. Genuinely not surprise considering how much I also loved Hell Followed With Us and The Spirit Bares Its Teeth.

Andrew yet again has written deeply complex characters that feel real in every way. I will always recommended AJW as an author to anyone who will listen.

Content Warnings
- Graphic violence, with a focus on politically motivated, cyclical feud violence involving law enforcement and/or children
- Queerphobia and transphobia: deadnaming, misgendering, family conflict regarding trans identity (resolved), internalized queerphobia from a character on the aromantic spectrum (resolved)
- Opioid dependency and its effects on family; main character uses opioids after surgery and undergoes withdrawal after quitting without medical supervision
- Physical force and emotional manipulation by intimate partner
- Animal harm (butchering deer, off-page revenge killing of a dog)
- Discussions of ableism, including internalized ableism; brief mention of disfiguremisia
- Emetophobia (vomiting) warning

Compound Fracture was a wonderful book that explored growing up trans and autistic. Andrew Joseph White excels at writing messy and raw characters, and this book was no exception. I think this story captured the complicated feelings of loving a place that doesn’t necessarily love you back, showcased primarily through Miles’ relationship with his hometown.

This book does cover some hard themes like violence, transphobia, power abuse, and drug addiction in pretty graphic ways, so if any of that is triggering for you, you might want to pass on this book.

I recommend Compound Fractures for anyone who is angry at injustice, looking for a story with complex and compelling characters, or has a complicated relationship with their family, hometown, or community.

E-ARC generously provided by PeachTree Teen in exchange for an honest review! Thank you so much!

4 stars. Gritty, harrowing, and containing all of the edge-of-your-seat gore and horror you'd expect from Andrew Joseph White, Compound Fracture is a searing socialist manifesto of a YA novel.

AJW's writing transports me into his works in a way that few other authors consistently do for me. Every scene is easy to visualize and imagine that I’m an observer in the room due to the clear and descriptive writing. He also clearly loves the topics he writes about, as everything is crafted with an amount of care that is obvious in every line. In Compound Fracture it would have been extremely easy for Miles, a trans, autistic boy whose family works hard and yet is always struggling to pay the bills, to hate his environment and want nothing more than to leave. Instead, Miles loves his home, wants to make it better, and fights for it in everything he does. The love that he has for his home, a place that many may have preconceived notions but little knowledge about, carries him through some of the worst experiences of his life and gives him purpose in a way that really makes the setting come to life. This story is a powerful story of people who are oppressed by the system fighting against it. I highly recommend this book, as I do with all AJW’s works.

I received a digital ARC of this book through Netgalley, many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley.

Overall Rating: 4.5 / 5 (rounded down to 4)

I am now officially caught up on all of Andrew Joseph White’s works and they never miss. Compound Fracture is a much more grounded story than his previous works but in a lot of ways that made it feel all the more brutal.

Overall I found this book to be one that was both hard to read yet so very important. Between the representation and the messaging I believe this is a story that, if you can handle the brutal nature of it, is one that needs to be read by as many people as possible. My favorite aspect was how the story was able to show how strong community is, especially in oppressive systems that have kept people down across multiple generations.

If you are interested in picking this book up, I will say that this is a book where the content warnings should not be taken lightly. There were moments that I had to glance away from the pages to settle my stomach and I wouldn’t classify myself as a particularly sensitive reader. Despite that, I can’t emphasize enough how much I rooted for the wide cast of characters to bring down all the terrible people. Andrew Joseph White really has a knack for writing villains that you absolutely loathe and people in circumstances that you want to fight alongside. This work has proven that they will stay on my list of auto buy authors.

Thank you netgalley for my ARC copy. So excited I got to read this early. Now, contrary to AJW’s other books, this book was not as gruesome on the body horror side in my opinion, but still gruesome in many other ways. Once again, this book provides vivid descriptions of everything the main character is feeling and seeing. The representation in this book is awesome, there is definitely a wide spectrum of identities and beliefs. Definitely will be reading again at some point.

Damn, AJ White doesn't know how to write a bad book, and he only gets better with each new release. This book definitely confirms that he's an autobuy/read author.
I love that teens these days can see themselves in the protagonist Miles : trans, autistic, aromantic (!), a SOCIALIST - we love to see that.
You can feel how much the author loves West Virginia, Miles knows that the place has its problems, but that's still his home, with very important history and ancestors you can look up to. Everything that has to do with coal companies' exploitation, the workers' rebellion, the socialist ideals to aspire to were amazing to read, so much care was written into it. I was hooked from beginning to end, to see how this violent blood feud would transpire, and I was not disappointed. Maybe the whole ordeal was wrapped up a little too neatly at the end, but it didn't bother me at all, sometimes after all the grit and violence you need a happy ending.
Also, so nice to see some alloaro rep, which is still so rare to encounter in any media.

This story shines a light on so many issues near and dear to my heart from growing up in the south, but I find that the authentic portrayal of the autistic main character and the unspoken strain it causes with their relationships to me the most unexpectedly memorable part of this book. There is a palpable spectrum of rage and fear as you go on this journey with Miles that makes it impossible to put the book down. White’s writing takes pieces of the brutal honesty from history and carves it into the pages in a way that makes you wince the rose-colored glasses from your face. Five stars.

Compound Fracture is a very impressive book, at first I was a bit worried about it being too similar to "The Spirit Bares Its Teeth" due to the paranormal vibes but I'm so glad to say that it wasn't like that and Andrew know pretty well how to give each story its own personality despite sharing treats with his past books, this doesn't apply only to the paranormal but to his main characters too.

I think that is wonderful that the author doesn't hold back when it comes to moments depicting graphic violence even when his books are YA, I deeply appreciate this, he doesn't belittle his audience and is more than willing to show that the world can be such a cruel, nasty place yet you can find support and certain beauty in it. Another positive thing that I highly appreciate is that we are shown villains that are evil purely by the sake of evilness, there's not a sad background to justify their actions, they're simply evil and I think we need to see more villains like these, it's refreshing.

Some of the most valuable things from this book is the way we're shown the coming out of Miles to his family and friends and the diversity of reactions we get from them, it feels very real and relatable, also the way Miles and his family are close and are willing to do anything to keep each other safe was so special to see, we almost never see a family this close and present in the life of a main character and it's good and moving to see a change like this for once. The inclusion part doesn't fall behind and it's wonderful to see such a diversity when it comes to the queer community, we get to see representation for groups that are not often included in media and the disability representation was on point, it was amazing to have so many disable characters and showing their struggles and strength in their daily life.

I'm my personal experience, the politics included in the book while interesting were a bit too heavy since I feel they're mostly focused for an American audience and at times was hard to catch on some terms, names and situations, though the book does a good job in educating the reader about certain historical events and awake your curiosity so you can do more research on your own.

As a final note, is that Andrew's narration is so well done that through the whole story it constantly makes you feel like a hunter and the prey, it's such a chilling feeling once you notice it and adds a lot to the narration.

Overall a perfectly written book with lots of suspense, tension and inclusion.

Thank you to Peachtree Teen and NetGalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

There is something about AJW’s writing that continues to leave me speechless and on the edge of my seat. His stories paint every scene and emotion in such vivid detail. I feel like if I blink I will miss out on an important word or moment or descriptor. I finished this book a few days ago, and I have been sitting with it to hope I can make a congruent review that’s understandable and conveys just how much I appreciate this book.

Miles is an autistic, trans teen who lives in West Virginia, and has been surrounded by a deep feud within the families of this Appalachian town for generations. He becomes a victim to the blood feud by nearly being beaten to death.

The suspense in this book lasts almost until the very end of the novel. I felt like reaching in between the words to grab Miles and comfort him. Part of the description of this book says that this novel is “a visceral, unabashedly political page-turner that won’t let you go until you’ve reached the end, Compound Fracture is not for the faint of heart, but it is for every reader who’s ready to fight for a better world. Hand this story to teens pushing for radical change.” And I couldn’t agree more. There are so many important topics and discussions of what needs to change. There are moments of Miles realizing who he is and who his real found family is, and these moments were so special. I love when people understand what the other needs when they are beat down, tired, scared, overstimulated, etc and help however they can to allow the person to feel what they’re feeling, while also carrying some of the burden for them.

This book was phenomenal, and I’m excited for others to join in praising this work of art.

CW: murder, death, violence, gun violence, fire/fire injury, blood, body horror, transphobia, deadnaming, homophobia, animal cruelty, vomit

A gorgeous story of generational trauma and resilience, this book is extremely political and that is what makes this book great. This is also a love letter to working class and the struggles they face in smaller towns that neither political party touches. Instead the town has to solve issues on their own which creates trauma but through it all it also creates community.

Miles coming out story was well told and often when I was thinking "well that's unfair..." the character would think that as well which added to make him feel like a really well fleshed out character. There's so much representation in this book - Autistic, Trans, nonbinary, aromantic and it was all so great to read. I hope this becomes more common in books, it's always refreshing to read books about less represented LGBTQA+ communities.

It is not often that we get stories of rural America where the MC is a progressive person in a small town, it shows that small towns have their communities in which the marginalized can stand behind. Throughout the book we find ourselves rooting for Miles and the adversities he has to triumph over to just be able to live a safer (not completely safe) life.

There was a decision in the end that I did not understand, Miles' parents who had treated him as a child most of the book suddenly felt okay with sending their son the mines so they could capture Davies' son. From what I saw both of his parents cared a lot for him so the idea of them letting him go just with a phone in hand was a little out of left field. The book does come back around once he's found by his parents so it's just a small thing that bothered me but its not a huge enough issue.

Overall this is a YA book that holds no punches which I feel like Andrew Joseph White does so well.

5 ⭐️!!!

If I could give this book one word for how I felt while reading, it would be simple: home.

Sure, a book about a trans teen committing homicide isn't exactly what I would think of when I think of the word "home." But it's so much more than that. Miles' character IS home for all the Appalachian teens who are now adults, wishing they could've had a word for why they felt different during their formative years. Autistic & trans? Those words weren't even on my radar.

AJW does a fantastic job of immersing the reader into the main character's headspace. Miles' thoughts and actions and emotions and reactions made clear sense to me. Is Miles morally correct? Absolutely not. Is he a kid trying to protect his family and do the best he can? Yes, but that doesn't excuse his actions.

Turns out, emailing the publisher for a physical ARC actually does work. Thank you SO much to Peachtree Teen for the advance copy!!

Thank you NetGalley and the publishers for a copy to review!

One day I'll find a book bt Andrew Joseph White that will disappoint me, but todays not that day!! His first book set in current times, it still manages to blend horror, fantasy and rage at society that betrays us. I especially enjoyed the setting and historical background: not being from the USA, a lot of my understanding of West Virginia came from media that wasn't wery kind to this state. But Miles love and criticism for his home mafe me also look at it differently.

5 stars!

Andrew Joseph White does it again, this time combining the horrors real people are capable of and stringing together a generational tale set in mining country deep in the Appalachia. Miles, a transboy, is one year away from graduating from his small town when over the summer he discovers evidence that the local Sheriff has intentionally tried to kill his family as well as two others when they start a campaign to change the town's government. When Miles attempts to make this known, he himself is attacked and is told to stay quiet. When Miles accidently intimidates one of his attackers and the attacker winds up dead, Miles teams up with a former friend, Cooper, with the goal of getting to them before they get got.

White does a great job of lyrically layering accents, and as a person from the South, its incredibly refreshing to hear the voices of my ancestors reflected in the speech patterns that White channels. Its also a gem to see queer and radical representation set in 2017, deep in Trump country. This novel is an excellent social commentary while also just being a kickass story that uplifts the common folk in an age of stigmatization.

An absolute throat punch of a story and a real barn burner of a setting!

Miles is about as different as you can get in Twist Creek, West Virginia: trans, autistic, and part of the Abernathy/Davies family feud. Just as he's come out to his parents as trans (...well, he sent them an email), he gets into trouble on a walk home from a party with Noah Davies, whose father, Sheriff Davies, lets his son get away with everything he wants and once drove Miles' dad off a road to much death and destruction! A whole lot of history between the Abernathy and Davies families, including one Saint Abernathy, who is now visible to Miles post-traumatic head injury...

The raw rage of Miles and his family is something to behold. The socialism throughout, fighting against powerful people who mean you harm, and how queer people develop in rural areas are all such enjoyable parts of this roller coaster of a novel. The body horror aspect is a lot, so definitely check trigger warnings.

Highly recommend!

Thanks to Peachtree Teen and NetGally for an advanced reader copy.

This is one of my new favourite books. The moment I started reading, I knew it was going to be a one-sitting read. Miles was a relatable narrator and I found his thoughts interesting to listen to.
Overall, I highly recommend this book, especially to my fellow trans & autistic people.

My first Andrew Joseph White novel and definitely not my last!! Really enjoyed this, perfect read for the fall.

Andrew Joseph White writes the most brutal but oddly touching horror I have ever read. So bloody and amazing.