’m really happy this book exists. I love Andrew Joseph White’s writing, and the representation of trans people and people with autism. I also adored the family dynamics of this book, and watching the parents grow alongside our main character.

I think a few points were a little heavy handed, but that’s also to be expected for YA, where subtle points might be completely missed. I also thought the plot dragged a bit, but I think that’s just me.

Overall an important read and I’m so glad this book exists, especially for teens!

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC!!!

I have heard nothing but good things about the author's other works, so I went into this book excited, but trying to temper my expectations in case I got let down.

Y'all. This book is pure FIRE.

This book is horrifying and visceral, but at the same time, it's moving and sincere. While this book tackles heavy topics like transphobia and classism, it's also very much about the importance of family and community.

Not to mention that the story/plot is absolutely gripping. I was tempted to finish this in one sitting, but I made myself pace it out so that I could enjoy it longer. Every chapter ended on a cliffhanger that made me want to keep reading. The author does a great job of interspersing the really dark moments with hopeful ones, so the book never gets too bogged down in despair.

One thing I have to mention is that I was very much NOT prepared for how dark this book got. I think I underestimated it because it's categorised as young adult, but this book gets really heavy.

If I had to critique something, it would be the formatting. The first page of each chapter is all black with white text, and all the other pages are the regular white with black text. The changes in page and text colour threw me out of the story a little, but TBH this is like a really minor nitpick, and also the only negative thing I have to say about this book.

The message is heavy handed here. Blatantly obvious. It’s a revenge story at heart, a family ghost story and a story that needs to be told. ARC was provided by Peachtree Teen via NetGalley. I received an advance review copy for free and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

The first non-romance I’ve read in a long time, and what a good time it was. I used to love reading all kinds of thrillers, and this might be one of my favorites. The entire story felt like nothing I’ve read before. It was like I could see and smell the rural West Virginia environment with every page, and I could feel every character’s frustration and hopelessness.

The main character, Miles, is a transgender boy and neurodivergent, and it is written so well. One of the most interesting stories I’ve read in a long time, and all of the characters felt original and distinct, no matter how big or small part they played in the story. Everyone was flawed. The exploration of generational trauma, structural poverty, abuse of power, capitalism, etc. might sound like a lot, like it would feel forced to drive the political thriller side of the plot, but it felt so natural and seamless.

There’s no romance in the book, but it does explore Miles’ sexuality and gender identity, which I thought was done well in the middle of all the violence and plot.

This book is graphic and brutal. It’s honest and unromantic, and I loved it. Highly recommend.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC.

4.5/5 stars!

Thank you to Peachtree Teen and NetGalley for this arc. I loved Hell Followed With Us so much that I immediately ran to request Compound Fracture! Andrew Joseph White has a way of writing horror and characters that resonates so deeply. It’s dark, yet hopeful. I’ve never read anything quite like his books.

He also manages to write his stories in geographically accurate voices; this book is set in WV, so the grammar lines up with how a lot of people speak in rural WV. I really appreciate this because sometimes books are set in a certain location, but the writing pulls you out of it because it just FEELS inaccurate. The author doesn’t just do this I the dialogue either, the whole book is written this way, which makes it even more immersive.

As for the story itself, I really enjoyed reading it. I won’t go into too much detail, but reading about Miles and Saint connecting really got me. I really grew attached to Miles, as I find myself doing every time I read a book by this author.

“Let me put it another way. It's like, it's like everyone else got to take a class in elementary school that was 'How to Interact With and Talk to Other People and nobody ever told me about it.” I also love and appreciate how inclusive his books are to not only sexualities and identities, but also neurodivergence. It’s rare to find and I’m so appreciative of it.

Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Police brutality, Child abuse, Murder, Blood, Body horror, Addiction, Drug abuse, Outing, Gore, Violence, Child death, Gun violence, Deadnaming, Animal death, Fire/Fire injury, and Medical content
Moderate: Car accident, Vomit, Animal cruelty, and Death of parent

When I say graphic I mean graphic. Like at one point there's an entire chapter dedicated to just describing the most gory and drawn-out death I've ever read in a book and that's not even all the gore there is.


Representations: https://trello.com/c/PaFot8iC/115-compound-fracture-by-andrew-joseph-white

Thank you Netgalley for an eARC in exchange for an honest review!

I think this book is a perfect example for why the genre "New Adult" should exist. It's incredibly gory and graphic, politics while fine to read where pretty complicated and heavy on that front and in general.. considering YA is sold to kids as young as 13 I don't think it's really something that kids that young would have a good time with.

I thought the characters where as good as always with AJW's books, it's pretty impressive imo how he can take a queer autistic teen story and create such different and unique stories! Representations where as great as always, really love how different the characters across the spectrum are from him, and just how raw the emotions are from them all. Not all the characters here feel properly fleshed out though, there's a lot and we're told more than we're shown for most of them.

The story was a fair bit wild, it kinda was there but wasn't at the same time. Generational trauma and using that as a device to just write gore and politics ig? The character stories are where this book really stands out imo. It might be set largely in reality but don't go into it thinking it reads as realistic. It's batshit insane and everything just works out like clockwork in a way. But if you're going in expecting that - and you probably should be if you've read his other works, it's pretty similar - then you'll have a good time with it. I can't really think of any major issues with the plot other than "how the hell did it reach this level" lol.

Some very nice explicit aromantic rep, and the new side of the autism rep from him was really excellent to read! The shower scene just made me tear up with just how much it made me re-think everything around that!! Honestly this book made me tear up a few times with it's representations oop... It's just the really insane levels of gore that really is what kinda took me out of the book. I've read a ton of horror, I've watched a ton of horror, a lot of gory slashers too. But especially for something marketed and sold as YA... I'm not sure about that one. It was a slightly hard to stomach read for me as a 23 yr old horror veteran - I dread to think how a 13 yr old would handle it. Please can more people advocate for New Adult to become a book age range!! Books like this really just fall into that gap that age range would perfectly cover in my opinion!

*Thank you so much to Netgalley and to Peachtree Teen for the e-Arc in exchange for an honest review!*

Thrilling, bloody and as exciting as it is horrifying, Andrew Joseph White never ceases to amaze me in his writing and the stories he tells from the trans, autistic perspective in a setting where his characters are dealt a shitty hand.

Granted, for me it doesn't match up to the experience I had reading The Spirit Bares its Teeth, but it was still a good read nonetheless: Miles is an interesting character and one I enjoyed reading his POV. The side characters matched energy-wise and vibes-wise, and I found myself very interested in Dallas' and Cooper's character developments throughout the novel.

The Appalachia setting and aspects of the novel play well into the story, in terms of description of the setting and of the atmosphere. The story of the family rivalry/bad blood with the Abernathy and Davies families had me intrigued, especially Saint Abernathy.

Main reason I give this 4 instead of 5 stars is because it didn't stand out from previous reads. However, that doesn't take away from me enjoying this read, and I appreciate the e-book Arc!

ANDREW JOSEPH WHITE ONLY GETS BETTER!!!!

Thanks so much to Holiday House / Peachteen / Pixel+Ink for the arc!

This thriller/ horror book holds a punch. The way that Whites books suck you in, no one does it like him for me. His books are a warm place for comfort (no matter how brutal and bloody the subjects sometimes get) I feel so seen, so moved. 50 pages in and i already cried twice. lol.

This tale of a century long feud between these two families is messy and bloody. It´s about more than themselves, it´s about freeing the working class of the "elite" who´s only desire is to keep on profiting off of them. About community, what happens when a bunch of people come together and say "STOP! You´re no longer treating us like this." About finding your place in the world under the conditions laid out before you. It´s about fighting, for yourself, your family, your community.

White is able to put all these subjects together and create this books that feels comforting and inspiring. To fight for one´s life!

P.S. Thanks for the dog!

Where do I even begin? Andrew has become one of my “instant read” authors and did not disappoint with COMPOUND FRACTURE. There were several points in this book where I wanted to cry from how real and honest the MCs experiences were. This is not a book that’s politically neutral or a book where the characters make all the “right” choices. The story is gritty, the characters are messy, and it all makes for an emotional roller coaster of a ride.

**Race was not really discussed in this novel, but this seemed within the realm of possibility to me due to the demographics of West Virginia.

Thank you to NetGalley and Peachtree teen for the ARC!

This one had me crying at work. I know I'm not the first queer in my bloodline, I know there have to be more who came before me, and this story made me ache with grief over never being able to know them. This book was difficult to put down, I breezed through the first third in one night. White's story combines classic elements of a queer coming of age story with the generational trauma of poverty and class warfare. Top that with a realistic depiction of coming out and coming to terms with disability without "permission", and you've got a story that will make your skin crawl, your heart glow, and your inner commie rage.

I loved this book, it’s my favorite book by AJW so far. That being said, I’m going to do my best wrangle my thought into coherent sentences but I make no promises.

I don’t think I’ve ever related to a character or story as significantly as I did with Miles. As an autistic person that has a specific blanket they need to sleep with (lookin’ at you squishy pillow) and has been told by multiple people that, “I thought you hated me when we first met” due to my flat affect, I felt so seen while reading this book. I also related to Miles’s love/connection with his home state. I was born and raised in Montana a very red and rural state. I’m queer and autistic and I love how despite all its problems, West Virginia is and always will be Miles’ home. This is how I feel about Montana.

One of my favorite things about AJW’s works is that they center around the terrible things that humanity is capable of. Compound Fracture looks at social justice, the struggles of the rural poor (particularly those who are also members of another marginalized class) and challenges readers to fight for better world. This story is brutal. It’s definitely not an easy read, but it is a necessary one. This is not a tale about revenge. This is a story about oppressed and exploited people fighting to not just survive but thrive.

Thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for this ARC!

Rural trans anarchocommunist punk horror? YES PLEASE, MORE PLEASE.

This felt like classic AJ White with his trademark autistic transmasc teen MC navigating manmade horrors, but with a modern-day slasher twist. I am OBSESSED with how White has shed light on the socialist roots of the rural working class, and Stone Butch Blues should be prerequisite reading. Like, were there numerous self-indulgent political soapbox inserts? Yes. Did I love every bit of it though? Also yes.

White did not shy away from the realities of U.S. rural living, including addiction (the opioid industry strategically targeted blue collar communities), healthcare access and literacy barriers, fanatical conservativism, and unmitigated multigenerational trauma born out of structural poverty combined with isolation. I loved how small realities of rural poverty--like the necessity of hunting for survival and paying off the car inspector--were portrayed without shame or excuses. Some of it had me choked up having grown up in a similar socioeconomic, geographic, and political environment. It hurt to see Miles’ family fumbling with his autism and identity, and the expectations of conformity (especially from women) with social punishment of any deviation hit close to home. On the flip side, the ride-or-die community and take-no-shit attitudes were my favorite part.

My one gripe is that--for all of its beautiful intersectionality in terms of class, rurality, gender, queerness, neurodivergence, and disability--the book didn’t address race at all. This was glaring especially given the book’s focus on police corruption and brutality.

Sometimes I think the more important a book is to you, the harder it is to discuss it. That’s true in terms of attempting some form of objectivity, but it’s also true for me in terms of simply…finding words that are able to hold all of your thoughts and emotions.

I knew I’d enjoy Compound Fracture because overwhelmingly I enjoy Andrew’s work. I didn’t expect it to be like this.

What I can say: White knows how to craft a plot that runs on pure adrenaline, dread, and rage, and Compound Fracture has a tank full of all three. The characters are complex and real in their imperfections. This is not a clean-cut book where queer identity is parsed out and celebrated in a shiny glittery extravaganza. It’s gritty and punk and complex and raw. It’s truthful to the experiences of so many southern queers that can’t afford to care if target has a pride collection or not. The portrayal of a bevvy of undiagnosed or self-diagnosed autistic adults as well as Miles’ own autism on the page is a straight-up gift to autistic people. It shows us at our best and worst, in all the ways we adapt to survive, and teach others to do the same, even when it hurts. Compound fracture faces head-on the lived experiences of a region the rest of the US straight up craps on without any sense of shame, and the people who have always always deserve better. Andrew explores poverty, politics, addiction, medical scarcity, corruption, a strapped education system, and faces head on the systemic injustice at the heart of all of it. He’s created a teenage character we believe can see with a clear eye all of these things, a leftist to root for even while we scream at the page DONT DO IT MILES THATS NOT GONNA BE GOOD, and honestly I think that’s beautiful.

This book is going to stay with me for a while, for a lot of reasons that mean more to me than any other reader. Even with that being the case, trust me when I say it’s worth reading.

I'm always going to love a book from Andrew Joseph White. I think that's pretty clear by now.

This one is a bit different from his other books: there are minimal supernatural elements (#onlyoneghost), it's set in the relatively-real relatively-present, and the body horror is less intense than in the previous two.

I loved a lot about this book, and I'm waffling between a four and five-star rating. Ultimately, there were some clarity elements at the end that were my big hangup. Something goes wrong (that isn't even a spoiler, that's just good writing) but I'm not clear what was SUPPOSED to have happened. I also felt that there were parts of the backstory that could have benefitted from a more explicit breakdown, because I was a bit confused about the logistics, which was a bit distracting. All that said, I was reading an early ARC copy, and some of those things may have been adjusted in the final release.

This book felt a lot more personal than the first two, both for me and, one assumes from the notes, for the author. While I did have a few logistical questions, I loved the characters, the story, the off-the-charts tension, the book's politics... all of it. I do highly recommend this book, but check the TWs as usual!

I read this book as an ARC, as stated above. My thoughts are my own. Also, ultimately going with five stars because while I did have questions, I feel like the best parts were AJW's strongest writing to date, and it's my rating so I do what I want. xD

The representation of gender queer characters and neurodivergent characters ties for first for my favorite part of this book. The other candidate is Lady, the dog on the cover, the best girl, who is totally fine btw if you were concerned,

I loved the descriptions in this story, the imagery and beautiful writing. The working class culture of Appalachia absolutely shines in this entire book and is probably the main reason I was so hooked. As most good thrillers, this was fast paced in the best way and kept me continually coming back for more. This was the first book I’ve had the pleasure of reading by White (I know, a travesty) and I will absolutely be picking up more (because I know they’re already in my never ending TBR.) I highly recommend this to anyone who enjoys YA horror, thrillers, Appalachia, dogs, supportive families and too-relatable neurodivergent tendencies.

This review is also posted on Goodreads! Thank you so much to the publisher and the author for the opportunity to read this ARC for free, I am eternally grateful.

I absolutely loved Hell Followed with Us and The Spirit Bares Its Teeth but unfortunately Compound Fracture is my least favorite of the three. I loved the representation in this story - Miles as a main character who is potentially autistic and a best friend who is non-binary was fantastic - I loved how accepting Miles's family is about what he is going through and how supportive they are.

I still really enjoyed this book and although it wasn't nearly as gruesome as the first two it still had moments that I was truly shocked was in a YA book. Andrew Joseph White is a master of descriptions and showing the harsh realities of our world.

Andrew is an auto-buy author for me at this point and even though this was my least favorite of the three I still had a good time reading and was shocked at those final few chapters

Andrew Joseph White can do no wrong. He has done it yet again and wrote an absolutely perfect horror book. This one is now officially my favorite as someone who grew up in a strict religious community. This book was perfect and I can't do anything but ramble about how perfect.

4⭐️

Miles Abernathy's family has been in the middle of a blood feud with the Sheriff's family for centuries, made only worse following the 'accident' that injured Miles father, killed several people and stopped the effort to remove the Sheriff from office. On the night that sixteen year old Miles comes out to his parents as trans, he sneaks out to attend a party armed with photos that would prove the Sheriff was behind the accident. Miles ends up being attacked and almost killed by the Sheriff's son and in the aftermath he starts seeing the ghost of his ancestor, Saint Abernathy, he began the family feud. While Miles fights back against the oppression his family is under, he finds others in Twist Creak who want out from under the Sheriff's influence as well and he finds that he'll have to work with Saint and other town members to stop the Sheriff's reign.

This was every much as graphic as AJW's other books and that's something I absolutely love about them. This was a great look at the prejudices that a lot of people from the Appalachia area and further in the South see, especially the poor. The struggle we see for Miles, Cooper, and Dallas face while just trying to make ends meet felt very relatable. While I grew up north of Appalachia, I did grow up in a small town and the family feud aspect also felt very believable and lead to a lot of tension that kept the 'lower class' from getting ahead. I do wish we had gotten more history about the family feud outside of it starting with Saint, especially what lead to it surviving for so long.

I did like how Miles' entire family was neurodivergent, even if not diagnosed. Miles' parents had many work arounds for things like food sensitivities, over stimulation and hyperfocus that Miles honestly doesn't realize that a lot of his own habits and struggles might stem from autism. His complaints about showering (the noise, the water temperature, being wet afterwards, etc.) stand out specifically and when he learns about someone else with autism who has work arounds for all his complaints, it's life changing. Another things that stood out was Miles' sense of justice and always needing to be right. At times, it almost came across as unauthentic to follow this person who is so morally good all the time, but as this was told from Miles' POV, that autistic sense of justice plays more into the story rather than Miles just needing to always be right.

For anyone concerned about the dog on the cover, Lady was the goodest girl and made it through everything just fine!

Thank you to Netgalley and Peachtree Teen for providing this ARC to me!

Thank you to Netgalley and Peachtree for the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Compound Fracture is a young adult queer thriller that I really enjoyed as someone who doesn't usually read books in this genre. I've been meaning to read from this author for a while and I'm so glad I finally got the chance. I love the covers of his books and I knew White was the one for me to get out of my comfort zone so I can start diving a bit more in the horror and thriller genres. While this is young adult, the author does not shy away from gruesome elements and, as an adult who studied children's literature, I believe it's great and needed in a literature for young people (as my thesis director would say, kids deserve a “complete literature” meaning every genre and every topic). This is a book that also shows the trans experience (+ autism spectrum and aromanticism) and I am so glad young adults have representation, even when the characters are rather morally grey.

I found myself particularly interested in the Appalachian culture represented in the book. To be quite honest, I didn't know a single thing about it, which is a shame because I studied American literature; we covered a lot but I don't recall any professor ever mentioning it. And not only you can tell the author wrote a love letter to the Appalachian region, but it's also what drew me into picking up the book every day: portraying West Virginia, discussions about politics (it's interesting to see Americans’ relationship to leftist politics and how the Cold War and specifically McCarthyism influenced it), about class, poverty, characters that don't come from a culturally bourgeois background (you don't have to be amongst the rich to grow up in a culturally bourgeois environment, meaning you were privileged if you had access to culture, to literature such as libraries, if you had family encouraging cultural activities, learning an instrument, taking dance classes, if you lived in a city…). These are the type of characters I want to read about now, another example is Concerning My Daughter by Kim Hye-jin.

As I believe any good thriller should, this one was quite fast paced but still had moments to catch your breath. Definitely check the trigger warnings! (Lady the dog is fine). I recommend Compound Fracture, especially if this is a new genre to you as the young adult aspect may help you dive into thrillers.

Compound Fracture was phenomenal! The rich history of West Virginia's working class shines as Miles struggles to finish the blood feud between the Abernathy's and the Davis'. The acknowledgement of older trans ancestors was deeply moving, and at no point did I find any of the world forced or unrealistic.