PLEASE READ TRIGGER WARNINGS.

this book contains one of the worst instances of violence against an animal that i've ever read. (grain of salt: i typically avoid books with this kind of content, but wanted to read this one as... a person from appalachia also queer, non-binary, and neurodivergent.) click here if you want to know what happens: a girl rejects one of the antagonists in this story. he and his friends film themselves stabbing her pet dog to death because she rejected him. i don't share this to deter anyone from reading this but you need to know that it's graphic and it keeps coming up OFTEN in this book.

i feel extremely divided on this. on the one hand, i was appreciative of the trans and autistic rep. i liked the writing and despite this being a book with some really tough topics (violence, coming out, transphobia, opioid addiction).

i'm really struggling with a lot of things, though. this book had a lot to say about how democrats view people in rural areas as "stupid" or all trump supporters which... listen, that's a great conversation to be have. if i had a nickel for every time i saw a left-wing voter say "just saw the red states off and let them exist by themselves" while also refusing to acknowledge the fact that left-wing voters EXIST in red states and 10 times out 10 our states are gerrymandered to shit to secure a republican future i... well, i wouldn't have to live in a poor, rural town anymore. this book lacks depth in that it refuses to dissect WHY so many people in small, rural towns are right-wing voters, how they've been manipulated, how different ignorances and fears are played upon.

here's the other thing - there's no mention of race in this book at all. no racism, none. and i think that's a gigantic lapse in the writing. sure, there's a lot of discussion about transphobia but not one word about the way living in these towns impacts black and brown people to an even worse degree. but more than that - it doesn't seem like conservatism is addressed at all beyond "hey not all poor people in appalachia are trump supporters". the antagonists were snidely whiplash characters with not a lot of depth imo and there was very little discussion about how their prejudices played into their behavior, especially given this book was about a long-standing blood feud between two families.

i found a similar issue within other left-wing characters. they're running an anarchist cafe and handing out fliers and they have colored hair and pro-abortion pins. i mean, that's cool, but i really wish there'd been more depth to the characters in this.

the ultimate plot of the book was fine, i guess. i like a revenge story and i have a strong sense of morality that was making me rage at every single character in this book, including miles. it's truly not hard for me to imagine a corrupt cop and bad men taking from people because they feel as though they're entitled to it, but i found it extremely frustrating when miles' empathy button went off for a character that was complicit in abuses and physical assaults, including against miles himself.

anyway, i'll be thinking about this book for a while. the bones were all there, i'm just not sure that the book was as thorough as it could have been.

Thank you to NetGalley and Peachtree Teen for providing me with an ARC of this story.

This is one of those stories that is hard to give a star rating to, because how do you quantify your reaction to a story like this? It’s about neurodivergent queer kid coming to terms with his gender, sexuality, and likely autism diagnosis, and how all of those have impacted his life and relationships in rural West Virginia. The other part of the story is about class violence and generational trauma through a blood feud with the sherrif’s family a la the Hatfields and McCoys. It also delves into the politics of unions, capitalism, and communism, and touches on the unchecked power we give to “justice” departments in the United States.

In Compound Fracture, the author discusses the generational patterns that people fall into. Miles says often that he had no choice in his life because he was born an Abernathy. This also seems to be a pattern of many of the ancillary characters; they were born into a role, a system, a society, and now they are forced to continue the song and dance of their predecessors.

The story also discusses how other people are forced into making gruesome decisions, because those decisions allow for short-term safety for themselves and their loved ones. However, the story does not seem to be terribly sympathetic towards these people that are cogs in a broken machine. Instead, the story treats these people as too broken to be redeemed, and therefore the violence is justified. Most of the conflict in the story is solved by retributive justice, and that seems to be the only type of justice that actually works in this narrative. It’s odd to me to treat people as irredeemable, especially when the book has far left-leaning politics and is critical of the justice system in the United States. The ending felt upsetting as well. It didn’t feel like real justice was served in a cruel world. Instead, the blood-feud ended, but it ended in total annihilation; it was an ending of a blood line, but it was ok because they were The Bad Guys. I just don’t know how to feel about that.

Ultimately this book was mixed for me. I felt that Miles’ journey of self-discovery was important to the story, but juxtaposed against the action and violence sequences of the book, these segments slowed down the plot. I appreciate the author discussing politics in this book, but I found the philosophy of the story questionable. In the end, I don’t know. The Abernathys seem like pride got in the way of safety, since they decided to stay in a place where they knew their family was doomed to subjugation and alienation, but I suppose this decision was made out of love for their town. I guess I just don’t understand that decision.

???(3.5?)/5 stars

[All my special thanks to NetGalley and Peachtree Teen for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book!]
 
This is the first book in a very long time that managed to make me struggle to form feedback. Admittedly, it got me into quite a slump and felt like a chore to push through.
 
First and foremost, I treasure the fact that because of this book, I've learned many an important historical fact regarding coal mining, poverty, and injustice in the Appalachian, which I have never been taught or heard of in my life. I always appreciate it when novels can bring you knowledge through a fictional and interesting story.
 
Since I don't fall into any category represented in this book, I often feel that I'm unfit to give a detailed review of how well they were executed. However, I cannot stop myself from thinking how AJW was trying to fit in as many representations as he could, to the point that it felt unrealistic and comical. That leads me to the point about the characters. Many of them felt like caricatures, especially the antagonists, whose wrongdoings seemed all too overexaggerated for me. I'm not saying that these things cannot happen in real life, but at least, you should make it more subtle and believable in order to achieve a stronger effect. Instead, everything felt so stiff and… stereotypical. The protagonist's character-building also had the same issue, but it was only with a couple of them that felt forced. (I apologize for being unable to go into details lest of spoiling).
 
The pacing of this book is really odd to me because, at some points, the plot felt dragged out. It could've been 100 pages less and the plot would've been more concise. This feeling was particularly strong when it some of the plotlines, such as that about the hundred-year-old ghost or the Red Hollers. (Also, reading other reviews, the latter also seemed somewhat unrealistic considering the background settings.) Again, maybe it's owing to the fact that Miles's traits and mine don't really match up, I found it a challenge to connect with the protagonist and the plot, both of which felt very distant and made me sleepy.
 
Also, the ending proceeded kind of abruptly. In fact, when I got there, I couldn't believe that the book was finished.
 
Overall, I liked this book somewhat, but I'm quite sure that I'll forget about it completely by the end of this month, as I've already forgotten much by the time I finished it. In fact, I consider it to be the least compelling book I've read so far this year. It was quite a disappointment because, for something built on a unique and intriguing premise, it was given quite a dull execution. Having said that, it is highly likely that this book simply does not work for me, so if you're a huge fan of AJW, you shouldn't shy away from it. Until this point, it seems like this book is still receiving a plethora of raving reviews from readers, and you might also be one of them. I suggest that you read others' reviews to get for yourself a comprehensive picture.

P/S: This review is likely to be altered later. The one uploaded on Goodreads would be more up-to-date.

Compound Fracture was an incredible read. White has the ability to write stories that are so raw, real, and difficult, while weaving in a thread of hope for the future, and Compound Fracture was no different. The Appalachin setting felt authentic, as did the feelings of growing up queer and neurodivergent in a small town. I absolutely loved Miles’s interest in his family’s history and how he found connections with ancestors he had never met, beyond just the feud that impacts them both. In the end, community coming together is what finally combats the decades long power struggle this town has faced, allowing for that classic thread of hope.

I ADORE THIS BOOK. As a trans west virginian who works with queer appalachian youth, this book spoke to me so deeply. Especially the MCs experiences of despite eveything that happened, still feeling so connected to WV and not wanting to leave
I am so excited to reccommend this to so many other queer appalachian

Thank you so much to Netgalley and Peachtree Teen for providing me with an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review!

It’s truly a wonderful thing when the execution of a story exceeds your expectations. This book was a fast-paced rollercoaster from beginning to end. It definitely leaned more into the thriller aspect than expected, which was a pleasant surprise. The first thing I have to commend this book on is its originality; it is completely unlike anything else I’ve ever read in the best way possible. The characters and settings are also wonderfully written, with the characters being nuanced in a way that makes you unable to decide if they are good or bad and the setting creating the perfect atmosphere for the story. Each scene unfolds in a way that feels straight out of a movie and keeps you turning the pages to see what will happen next. It also didn’t shy away from heavy content, whether it be the political themes or the gore, and all of them were handled excellently.

One of the things happened at the end of the story I had mixed feelings on however, and since I can’t say too much without spoiling, all I’ll say is that some characters seemed a little too calm when they found out about certain things Miles had done. Other aspects of the ending also sort of wrapped up pretty quickly and neatly, but despite that I enjoyed it.

The only other thing I can even begin to criticize isn’t something that is the fault of the story at all, and that’s the blurb, which I personally think gives away a bit too much information. The part where it mentions Miles accidentally kills one of the boys who beat him up didn’t actually happen until about the 25% mark, so throughout the beginning of the story, although it was just as interesting, I was wondering when this was going to happen. I feel like it would have worked better had that bit not been revealed in the blurb, that way when it happened readers could have been just as surprised as Miles was in that moment.

Overall, there’s no many bad things I can say about this book (the only criticisms I did have were nitpicking to begin with). It has well written characters, a unique plot, and was engaging throughout the whole thing. Oh and the cover’s beautiful as always, I’m looking forward to buying a hard copy and seeing it sitting on my shelf when this comes out in September!

~Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★ ✰ .75~

This is my first book from AJW, and after reading it, I can't wait to explore more of his work. I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Although there were some parts that were a bit slow, the topics discussed in the book were incredibly relevant. The portrayal of undiagnosed autism in this book was phenomenal. I've never come across something that accurately captures the experience and emotions of living with undiagnosed autism and finally realizing it. It felt like someone else finally understood me.

One of my favorite quotes from the book was, 'It's everything I tried to cover up, everything I thought was me being weird or weak, a cluster of quirks and failures coming together like a constellation.'

Overall, the story was gripping and kept me hooked. It covered a range of topics that resonated with me personally. The only aspect that bothered me slightly was the repetitive emphasis on political ideas. While I understand that it was used to highlight the conservative nature of certain states, it did come across as a bit preachy at times.

Despite that, I would still highly recommend reading this book for an exciting roller coaster ride. It's definitely worth it.

This novel is about a bloody family feud spanning a hundred years. The Abernathys are descended from poor rural miners whose lives were treated as expendable by ruthless capitalists. The rebellion was quashed by cops. Now, the county lives in fear of its corrupt sheriff and his son, who have no qualms murdering anyone who threatens their authority.

Miles Abernathy discovers evidence that could unseat the sheriff. Unfortunately, the sheriff’s son finds out and beats him almost to death, then the sheriff comes around and threatens him into silence. Miles also starts seeing his ancestor’s ghost, the one who started it all. He gets caught up in a clash that sweeps across the whole county and it is up to him to end it once and for all.

This is not a feel-good read. There is violence, gore, corpses, and explicit descriptions of psychopaths cutting up animals and people. Other triggers include transphobia, homophobia, and queer teens getting outed in front of their family. But this is also a story about self-discovery, bravery, abolition, neurodivergence, finding community, family, and most importantly, fighting back.

Special thanks to NetGalley and Holiday House / Peachtree / Pixel+Ink | Peachtree Teen for the ARC copy they provided.

Holy. Hell.

Those are the first words that come to mind when sitting down to review this book. I fell in love with Andrew Joseph White’s writing with Hell Followed With Us, and while I don’t think any book can take the place of Andrew’s first book in my heart, Compound Fracture is a close second.

Let me start by saying, as a queer, autistic person, reading Andrew’s books is like finding a bit of myself in every page. In Compound Fracture, I found myself in Miles’ self discovery of being autistic. The realization emotions, and showing them being physical work that has to be thought through. Every. Single. Time. Hit me like a brick. Because that’s me. What are emotions and why do they exist?? Like, it’s hard to get why things hit people so hard, while I’m sitting in a corner going, “What?” Knowing that this isn’t just me, and that I’m not alone, is relieving. And validating. I’m not alone in working hard to relate to the people I love and care for.

Thank you for that assurance, Andrew. I needed it.

As for the story itself… Holy. Hell.

I was pulled in immediately, and though I knew there wouldn’t be any traditional “happy ending,” because that isn’t what Andrew has written thus far, and Compound Fracture isn’t a departure from his previous style, I was still floored by several of the twists and turns this book took.
And the rep for trans people in the age before gender affirming care? Top notch. I wasn’t expecting it and I loved it. I think I fell head over heels for Saint Abernathy, and wish I could have more of him and his story. That in itself would make an amazing book.

One thing in particular I found interesting with Compound Fracture is the fact this is the first book by Andrew I've read that’s set in the present day, with little to no supernatural elements. Sure, Saint lingering around long after his death lends this a magical realism element, but it is not a huge focus of the book, and is almost unnoticeable, given for most of the story Miles doesn’t know if he’s just hallucinating because of his head injury. I love seeing authors try new things, and this setting, and lack of supernatural forces driving the horror, was a great turn. Truly can’t wait to see what Andrew will write next.

Seriously. I think Andrew Joseph White has taken the place of my favorite author of this age of my life, and I look forward to more from him. And if you are into horror and queer characters, raging against societal injustice, you’re going to love his books, too.

Andrew Joseph White is an author who’s been on my radar since his debut, but Compound Fracture is the book that finally broke the seal. Even though I wasn’t born in West Virginia, it is still the place I consider “home” so I knew I needed to get my hands on this book, and it was the perfect kind of intense. I love the mining town history elements alongside the ripple effects of history on small communities where families live for generations, as do their grievances and harm. I also really appreciated the aromantic representation, and the way Miles is allosexual aromantic, which sometimes I feel like isn’t allowed to be expressed. What really got me, though, was Miles’s autism and especially his experiences with feelings. This was too relatable on many fronts and I just kept having to clutch my chest because I felt too seen. This was a really intense, nuanced story of trying to do what means survival, but survival isn’t always pretty, especially when you’re dealing with a family history so full of taboo and blood. I found this so hard to put down, and I look forward to more from Andrew!

Andrew Joseph White continues to amaze me with his writing. The fact that his characters are neurodivergent only adds to the story and my ability to relate to his characters, on top of being wonderfully written. I can't wait to see what else this author comes up with. He's truly amazing.

i dont know why but once i finished this book i was crying. i was a mess. i was on the fence whether i was going to give this a 3-star or 4-star rating but i believe if a book can immerse me that well it deserves an additional star.
the novel follows miles abernathy, certified proud socialist, redneck, and trans kid just trying to get by in a town where his family name is mud. his lineage also follows some certified badasses, namely saint abernathy, who was also a socialist. abernathy’s get treated like dirt in twist creek, namely by the resident asshole, sherriff davies, who has lied, stole & killed to keep his position. we follow miles as he Fucks Shit Up, and becomes entangled in seeking revenge for himself and all those wronged by the davies family.
let me start off with what i absolutely adored;
the way ajw uses chapter-formatting to his advantage is on full display here. every chapter starting off as a black page is feeding into my love of books with “mixed media”, and im a sucker for one-paragraph chapters.
the characterisation of the main antagonist of this story, sheriff davies? chefs kiss. impeccable. ajw NEVER fails to make his villains menacing, and i know whenever im reading an ajw book im in for a TREAT in the villain department. ugh theyre always so well written. you know where else ajw doesnt miss? when writing about being trans & autistic. i love that that is ajw’s “calling card” in his books, and yet again as an autistic & nonbinary person, the descriptions were very true to reality. i also really adored the brief touching on what it means to be afab & autistic, and how we are often underdiagnosed.
this story reminded me a lot of heathers (1988), both tonally and at some plot points. im not mad at that at all god that movie is a masterpiece. but i do think there are many differences between both stories to not completely conclude “oh yeah this book is an adapted retelling”, but i will say the “heathers” elements of this book SLAPPED.
the overall story did take a while to get started, which i think is a bit of a flaw. when it got going, this book was GOOOODDD. eat it for breakfast lunch and dinner. but it took more than half of the pages for the plot to really entice me. compared to ajw’s other stories, i’ll say this one took the ‘longest’ to really pick up its pace.
i think one minor slip with this book’s fundamental story is regarding setting it in a time period. the story gives the vibe of a country-western movie (ive never watched one), and although yeah its quite obvious once reading what the time period is based on things like phones, references, etc. but… i dont know hearing about contemporary events in this book was incredibly jarring. this brings me to a bigger issue - i will say i am also a socialist. do not mistake what i am about to say as me disagreeing with the points raised. but there are paragraphs throughout this book that include what seem to be think-pieces about socialism, police, communism, capitalism, etc. all fine and dandy, but the way they were written and how they were woven into the story and dialogue itself felt clumsy. one minute we’d be talking about miles’ opinion on something going on in the town itself, and then it would move on to an overall opinion of how the world works. i dont know how else to properly to describe what exactly im referring to without spoiling the story, but i will say it felt a bit… awkward. this issue of clunky dialogue extended to any dialogue about a character being lgbt+ and/or disabled. let me also preface, i am all of these things! i am autistic, a nonbinary lesbian & physically disabled. i promise i am not saying this because i am ableist or homophobic or transphobic. but, yet again, any dialogue regarding a character being autistic, or having physical deformities, or discovering their identity, was so fucking heavy-handed. for example, there is a line of dialogue, word for word, “I know they’re a they – it’s hard to miss the Suck my they/them dick pin”. or for another example, “I mean, [redacted name for no spoilers] didn’t know [pronoun] was being threatened, the autism will do that”. there is a whoooole bunch of dialogue like this, and im sorry every time i saw it i wanted to cry. because this book was so good but im so serious dialogue like that reminds me of fan fiction and i just cant do it man. im all for representation, theres so much in this book!!!!! and none of the actual representation itself feels forced, its just the way these “quirks” (as so written in the book dont @ me) are divulged to the reader feel so amateurish compared to what i am used to, just coming off finishing what i am calling his magnum opus, the spirit bares its teeth.
all in all, although there are a few imperfections with this book, honestly, i had a good time! by the end i was fully devouring this book, and i need art of miles this minute.
anyways if you wondered what heathers the musical would be like if it was canonically filled with awesome lgbt+ and disabled representation set in a contemporary period, this book is for you!

Thank you to Netgalley and Peachtree Teen for a digital ARC of this book.

Compound Fracture is another amazing, tense, and thrilling read from AJW. Easily one of my favorites this year, I loved how this books tackles the complexities of being trans and disabled through very hostile political moments, especially in tight communities like Twist Creek. The community itself felt flat outside of the families core to the conflict and felt empty or faceless with a few core repeating people, which took some impact out of the ending.

While I cant speak to the quality of representation, each character's struggles and self discovery was well paced and felt genuine. Dallas and Cooper's parallels were really well crafted and represent great questions to put forward about how people recover from police violence and state inflicted traumas.

The horrors in this book were different than in White's previous novels while still being compelling and terrifying. I loved how the history between the Abernathys and Davies added an eldritch quality to the book.

Overall a stunning and memorable read. 4.75☆

This was really good. I have read all the other books from this author and the books seem to be getting better and better. I love that there is good trans representation and that it shows the struggles you can go through and come back stronger. It is also cool that Miles also had a relative that was also trans and no one knew.

I received a copy of this book via Netgalley in exchange for providing an honest review.

*Compound Fracture* by Andrew Joseph White has big shoes to fill, coming after *Hell Followed With Us* and *The Spirit Bares Its Teeth*, and although it is not my favourite of his books, he has once again delivered us an excellent story.

In *Compound Fracture*, Andrew Joseph White’s character work shines. Each character is truly unique, and the way the pressures of this small town’s past impacts each of them is clearly demonstrated. From our morally-gray lead, Miles Abernathy, to his friends Cooper and Dallas, who each respond to the hardships they’ve been through very differently, the cast of antagonising characters and the rest of the town, each person has a different story to tell.

I always love seeing how differently Andrew Joseph White portrays the identities of his characters and their experiences. While I can’t speak to the autistic or aromantic representation in this book, I appreciated seeing once again a new facet of the trans experience in this book. Although Miles’ parents are generally fiercely supportive of him in general throughout the book, they (particularly his mother) struggle when he comes out to them. I really felt for Miles here, who naturally was hurt by his parents lack of acceptance, but his parents were certainly not downright awful parents either, which makes it hard to express that hurt. This tension is something a lot of trans (and queer people in general) can experience, and it’s very challenging to have someone love you so much, except for once key aspect of who you are.

I think this book didn’t suck me in quite as much as his previous books because while neither of the previous settings were any more relatable to me than this one, they also do not exist in this world. The small Appalachian town *Compound Fracture* takes place in could very well exist, as far as I know. This is not my story, but it is someone else’s story, and I appreciated getting to experience and understand the worldview of a person who, despite having suffered due to the local social and political climate, is loyal to the place they are from, and wants to change it for the better, rather than simply moving away to somewhere more accepting.

Once again, an excellent book from Andrew Joseph White and I’m very excited for his upcoming adult debut.

While their newest novel does not delve into the supernatural as heavy as " Hell Followed With Us".
Compound Fracture is an unsettling and heartbreaking novel set in the Appalachia mountains between two families with a feud that spans centuries which gets worse after the events of the first chapter and filled with political turmoil that hits too close to home in 2024.

Just as unique and fascinating as the author's other titles. Unfortunately, the setting didn't grab me quite as much as its predecessors. Nevertheless, I had a lot of fun reading it!

Thank you to Netgalley for providing a free copy for an honest review.

4.5 Stars, rounding it off to five.

I honestly had no idea what to expect with this, going in knowing absolutely nothing about Appalachian coal mining production. So this book took me completely by surprise and I was very delighted to be engulfed by the story. As a queer, neurodivergent myself, I loved seeing so many relatable things in all the characters not just one. Also thoroughly loved that there was more then just trans, gay representation as most trans books focus on. Aromantic was added and a character that still hadn't quite found themselves fully yet as they question if they should change their pronouns again. I really wish more representation of the smaller identities in the queer community would be used in books, even if it's just a glimpse as this book had done.

Oh and the dog gets a 10/10 for being the best and deserves all the headpats.

Some of the best stories on paper you will ever read reflect your reality back at you and for Compound Fracture, Andrew Joseph White captured the quintessential rural pecking order and small town Appalachia perfectly. I felt like I could've been watching this play out in the textile mills and furniture factories of northwestern North Carolina just as much as I could have the coal mines of West Virginia. And given trans/disabled/leftist representation in media about Appalachia feels so sparse nowadays, AJW couldn't have put this book out at a better time.

If you live in a rural community like Twist Creek County, we all know an Abernathy family or we are that family. In Compound Fracture, White introduces us to Miles, a trans boy on the cusp of graduating high school who has to say *something* about something he's found related to an accident to his friend, Cooper. Poking his nose where it don't belong catches the wrong type of attention from the son of the Sheriff, a boy who reads just as rotten as his Daddy and after an incident at a party opens up old history and bad blood, Miles finds himself grappling with ghosts of the past and struggling against his name making him a pariah in his own community.

AJW has a LOT of great lines of dialogue & exposition in this novel and given his prior books like Hell Followed With Us, I'd expect no less. I loved grappling with the very real things that affect rural communities like mine and Twist Creek County- the opioid epidemic, housing insecurity, corruption, and what things look like when industry pulls out of a community like in the book. The emotions and stakes were high, everything was so visceral that it kept me on the edge of my seat.. if you've read anything from White before or are looking for queer lit/fic in general, this book is a CAN'T MISS.

i cannot believe this is the first book i ever read from this author. it certainly won't be the last, i felt so seen with the trans and autism representation