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

This is my third Andrew Joseph White book and possibly my least favorite. That isn't to say that I didn't thoroughly enjoy myself, but it didn't have the same draw to me as his other books. I loved the community organizing, the autism rep, and the aromatic rep so much. This book just felt a little bit less visceral and horrifying than his other books. I'm so glad the dog survived.

I think the pacing of the fist 2/3rds of the book really didn't work for me as a reader. It took me a lot longer to finish it than his books normally do. I also almost wish that he'd almost gone a Communist Heathers route with the plot. I do like what we got instead, and I liked the complexity of the protagonist's feelings on violence and revenge. The last third of the book really worked for me. I do wish there was more sleuthing for the truth with his ancestor. I didn't need his ghost to be real, but I wish that Miles did a little more legwork to find info out. I liked that they were both trans, but I feel like it's hard to pull the "is the ghost really real or not" bit with the binder from the afterlife thing. It brought me out of the story a little bit. I wish he'd found a journal or other evidence inside the mine instead. It would have worked a little better for me.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for letting me read this advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

I was given the opportunity to read Hell Followed With Us before it came out, and after that I had decided to keep up with the authors work. Even though I haven't read The Spirit Bares Its Teeth yet, it's now on my list after reading this excellent thriller. The authors note lays out all the things that would make the reading uncomfortable, doesn't offer to hold your hand or shame you, just the facts.

White is such a strong writer. With how often I read, I find it hard to keep all the details of a book in my head after I finish, let alone write a decent summary of a book if I've enjoyed it without just keyboard smashing. But the way he wrote the characters and how they all connect, the pacing wasn't something I got lost on, the progression of Miles learning more about himself and the people who love him. Oh how I loved the interactions between him and his father. There were things about the main body of the story that were placed so well in the first few chapters to frame it.

I've been stuck on the word mitigation lately, the action of trying to lessen the horrors of an event if its possible and Miles journey that started with just wanting to come out and help an aspect of the blood feud only to be pushed deeper into it really showed it. Miles notices a lot. whether by calling out that they're also stuck in a pattern or just actively participating in the problem, and offers chances to all of them, while some are not received in the same way as others. But he still tries. And the people he loves tries to as well. Also loved the characterization of Dallas and Cooper, mainly how they were affected by the accident and how they grew up differently than Miles did. It was ugly, it was beautiful, it simply was.

This review will be cross-posted closer to mid-late August

Paranorman meets Hatfields and McCoys.
First of all I would like to say thank you for choosing my profile for a netgalley copy.
Second I would like to say there are far more elliquent reviews on here that pretty much sum up my feelings precisely.
Thirdly and lastly, I want to address yes I raised the rating from 1 to 2 stars. I feel I may have been a bit harsh in the aftermath of reading this book.
The book was a easy if not sparse read it took me only about 3 days to get through and im normally a slower reader. I like to take my time with books.
There were some typos here and there but that's not a big deal to me and have no part of why I reviewed it so low.
I was really excited for this book, I too am a weird autistic trans guy from down south. I thought ide enjoy the use of way alot of us talk, but sometimes it felt incorrect or forced/stilted. One of many things that may have benefitted from a bit longer in the oven.
I also think the characters were a bit lacking in different ways. Miles felt very wishy-washy in a way that didn't feel intentional. It felt like everytime he did anything it had to be rationalized he was still a good boy.
He couldn't be wrong and even when he was being kind of manipulative it was justified. Just let him be black and white this is what needs to be done and not keep backing out. I think the book suffered from this.
I felt like some of his traits being written off as his special interests felt a bit hallow or like they were mostly an aesthetic choice.
Cooper oh poor Cooper. You were a weird little golden retriever that kind of just became a vilian out of nowhere. I know he is supposed to be a tragic character but it would have been nice to see him be at least retain some tiny amount of sympathy through.
I thought Miles was going to have a cute but safe first crush thing to hold up against the scary harsh reality of things but it just turned to yet again more transphobia and cis male entitlement. I personally think the abusive behavior was not needed for this story. It felt like a way to be yet again shocking for shocking sake.
By the time of...the how to put this... the turning him into a hog ready to be roasted.. I didn't care a bit about him as a character anymore...
I have the most mixed feelings about the nonbinary character Dallas... they angered me the most. They honestly felt like a caricature of a person. Rather than a full human being.
I felt the same way about the topic communism,aromantism and the flippant use of the suffering of miners.
I don't think it was ment in that way but it felt at times exploitative.
I caught myself wondering why were things executed in the way they were instead of just reading.
I felt like most of the horror and suspense was more to shock you rather than actually have anything to say. It almost came across so distasteful it made me laugh uncomfortably.
For instance the mention of SA was just put in there to be shocking and was never really discussed again.
Also you can not boldly put oh don't worry the dog doesn't die making me think I am not going to to read graphic dog death several times. Its not cool man.
I also believe the vilians in this story were far too cartoonish for the grounded story this was trying to be. Small town cops tend be more under the thumb of a rich person who uses them like dogs and not the other way around so I will say i think that's mildy subversive.
Also grandpa ghost was under utilized and I think I would have rather read a period peice about his life. If this was a book about him I would have probably gave this 5 stars. The little tidbits you get about him kept me reading.
I was really disappointed in this book. The first two books were really solid considering some of their issues :(. I was really looking forward to this book and will most likely buy it for my shelf and read the next one.

TlDR
Pros
-Trans MC who isn't passive
-under utilized setting in use
-easy to read.
-metion of not all southerners are right wing weirdo
-ghost grandpa
Cons
- felt a little too shock jock
-hamfisted but not convincing in places
- use of communism without explaining what it is or why its important to the character. Feels more of a aesthetic choice.
-non natural exploration of some heavy topics.
-characters ages read much younger than their on page ages.

i cannot put together words. this might very well turn into one of my all time favorites. this cut me open and filled me with dirt and worms, but also anarchy and queerness and violent hope. yall, get your hands on this book as soon as it comes out. major, major trigger warnings for a whole lot of shit, but i think it was well worth it. it was gorey and gross and heartbreaking and raw and real. i love it very dearly.

Thank you, NetGalley, Andrew Joseph White, & Peach Tree Teen for sending me an eARC in exchange for an honest review! 🥰🫶
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This review is going to be all over the place - sorry. 😅
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The first thing that popped out to me while reading is that each of Andrew’s books has a different tone. Hell Followed With Us was dystopian - end of the world. The Spirit Bares Its Teeth was historical. And now Compound Fracture is set in modern(ish) day Appalachia.
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This book is messy with the small town, everyone-knows-everyone vibes, conspiracies, and tough love but a family who fights for family.
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An amazing thing this book does is its characters! 😍 Just by reading I feel like Miles is in the room talking to me. I feel like I got the essence of each of the characters while reading. They were all fully fleshed out and I was able to remember things about each and it not be overwhelming! So I loved that! It really helped add to the overall atmosphere. Andrew just really knows how to write characters to where I will hate them one minute then love them the next and vice versa! 😂
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Totally random but one thing I loved is that both Miles and I have a “squishy pillow” - just autism things! 🥰 But I really loved Mile’s journey with learning about his autism through another person. This is something similar I went through and it's very relatable. I absolutely LOVE Amber! Amber is this older autistic figure in Miles’ life and she helped him through a tough time and knew exactly how to help! Miles’ went nonverbal and Amber knew what to ask! Amber shows Miles’ how to accommodate himself which is something he didn't know he could do. I just love this so much! That whole scene will forever have my heart! Amber, you are an angel! 🫶 I also love the conversation that you don't have to get medically diagnosed with autism to be autistic and how many factors are working against an “official” diagnosis and that self-diagnosis is just as valid! 👏
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Miles also had a queer friend in Dallas who is agender (or nonbinary - there's reference to both)! I love them and they are kinda like Amber’s kid as they live with Amber and Dallas’ brother (Amber’s partner). Dallas also has ADHD. I love them and how they support Miles throughout the story. ☺️
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This is kinda a spoiler but I really enjoyed the unexplained possibly paranormal aspect we got of Miles’ great (times a bunch) grandfather, who we learn was also trans (and gay)! Was it ghosts? Was it head trauma? We’ll never know and I’m okay with that! I liked the role of Saint in Mile’s journey with both his gender and just all the stuff going on in the book.
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Out of the three of Andrew’s books, I think this may be my least favorite or tied for second favorite with Hell Followed With Us. I don’t typically read the genres Andrew writes and at the beginning of his books I question if I’m going to like it, but I always do and the books always hook me! 😊🫶 So even if you're a contemporary girlie like myself and are interested, I say give it a shot! 💕
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As with any of Andrew Joseph White’s books, please, please, please, check the content warnings! They can be found on his website! 🫶
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🌈Rep: Autistic ftm MC is a questioning aromantic (loses an eye during the book), queer nonbinary/agender SC with facial differences (burns) and ADHD, gay ftm SC, queer-platonic relationship (at the end of the book)
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💚Compound Fracture by Andrew Joseph White comes out September 3rd!💚

Every time I pick up a book by Andrew Joseph White, I can't put it down. This book kept me up at night until I caved in and finished it. Miles is such a strong, realistic character and the way he faces his problems is very relatable to me as a fellow trans autistic person. This story can be brutal at times and I was worried a bit near the ending, make sure you check the CWs. (Don't worry, the dog on the cover makes it). Like others have said, this book leans a bit more thriller than White's previous horrors, but Id say it sits comfortably in both genres.

Compound Fracture was a captivating and enjoyable read. I initially thought the premise of this book sounded interesting, and once I picked it up it was definitely hard to put down. The first person narrative made the story so personal, as well as thrilling. Including real life issues and historical factors of Appalachia and West Virginia really enhanced the story. It was wonderfully told alongside the blood feud and how it affected each of the characters.

The autistic narrative was something that I genuinely admired; it is incredibly hard to come by an accurate portrayal of autism in literature, and I believe it was spoken upon quite eloquently. It completely affected the way the story was told from this perspective. The reaction that Miles had when he came to realize his whole life he'd been experiencing autism was very well done, and I appreciated reading such a realistic perspective. Another thing that I enjoyed was the accurate portrayal of an aromantic character. I was overjoyed to finally see a genuine depiction of someones experience with aromanticism. Alongside this, the transgender perspective was incredibly done, and I truly felt and connected with the anguish of being a trans teenager in America. I felt that the author really handled all the issues throughout the story with care, from financial struggles to drug addiction, I believe that it was all captured very accurately.

There were some errors that stuck out to me throughout the book. Particularly towards the beginning, there was noticeable repetition regarding some of Miles' thoughts. He often continuously talked about the same political topics, and although I am glad it was brought up, it felt like we weren't getting anywhere with these offhand statements. Similarly, there was an abundance of telling rather than showing within the narrative. Although it is first person, much of what we were told from Miles could've easily been translated into an action or event. I wish we were shown more of the character traits rather than blatantly told about them on the page. Another issue I noticed was, funnily enough, the lack of right-wing viewpoints being portrayed. This kind of stuff was, again, told by Miles in the early chapters rather than being shown by the surrounding characters throughout the narrative. The device of this blood feud felt like an excuse or pardon from the characters expressing disagreements with, for example, the LGBTQ characters or that whole party at the Red Holler; it made the story feel pretty unrealistic seeing as we are in West Virginia.

Regardless, Compound Fracture was a well put together story, and the complexities amongst the characters involved in this century long dispute was very interesting to follow. It was an age old tale about the fight between the privileged and the underprivileged- class, it always was and always will be about class.

3.5 stars

Big thank you to Holiday House and Peachtree Teen publishing for a copy of this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

I really enjoyed this. Coming from someone who is not a mystery/thriller reader (they don’t entertain me), this book made me sit down and read it from start to finish. The suspense was great and didn’t create too much room for me to guess the plot, which I appreciated. The “horror” of the story was pretty gruesome and has hit me the hardest out of all of AJW’s books. I did like the town and characters as well, though I did feel a bit disconnected from them. I am assuming this is just cultural difference, not anything lacking in the character process.

The only thing I would deduct a star for is the way murder and crime is treated so casually in a social and moral aspect. I understand the corrupt police/political power but the family and people in the town being so chill with murder threw me off.

Compound Fracture by Andrew Joseph White

⭐️ Rating: 4 stars
📖 Format: e-ARC & physical ARC
📚 Pub. Date: 9/3/24 (coming soon!)
📕 Genre: Thriller
#️⃣ Pages: 384

✧ A huge thank you to NetGalley and Peachtree Teen for the advanced reader copy! This book releases in September of this year (2024) ✧

What I liked: Andrew Joseph White is my favorite author & I think his books are so beautifully written. I love the way he writes about transness, queer family / found family and autism. All of his main characters have been relatable & compelling. Compound Fracture is a great addition to his repertoire in this way. As a trans person who also had a difficult time recognizing / coming to terms with their autism, I relate a lot to Miles and his inner monologue about himself. I love Miles’ relationship to his family, both biological & found, and I love all of the descriptions of the leftist queer community in Twist Creek. Some of these scenes moved me to tears. I also loved the gore in this, there’s one scene in particular that had my jaw on the floor - I cannot wait to see what White does with his adult novel next year.

What I didn’t like: Both of Andrew Joseph White’s other books are easy 5 star reads for me. Compound Fracture came very close, but I didn’t feel as hooked by it. Both of his other books start immediately in the action, where CF felt like more of a slow burn. I don’t think this is a bad thing, but is a matter of preference to me. I definitely prefer horror to thrillers, so I think it makes sense that I prefer his horror novels to this one. I do also feel like the end was a little bit rushed / wrapped up a little too quickly for me, but again that’s a personal preference. I definitely think this will be a 5 star book for a lot of people!

Fav Quotes (Potential Spoiler): “Do you know how thin this line we gotta walk is? Between defending ourselves and not making things harder than they already are?”
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“I’m not autistic. I’m some unsocialized dog.”