Thank you Netgalley and publishers for the amazing Arc of Compound Fracture by Andrew Joseph White, a queer horror-thriller and political page turner.

30/05/2024
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5/5

TRIGGER WARNINGS: Gore and graphic violence, transphobia, abuse from an intimate partner, drug dependency and withdrawel, animal harm, political abuse of power, vomitting. Check the author's website for more in depth descriptions of the trigger warnings.

This was insane...



I am not normally into horror or thrillers, I didn't think it was my genre at all... Until reading this book.
From the very start, the tone of the book was creepy, painting a picture of something being wrong. This book is not an escape from reality, but rather a book to read to face reality, look reality in the eye and accept the ugliness of it.

The story follows the protagonist, Miles, a transgender and autistic boy, after an accident that sucks him into a blood feud that his family has been a part of for centuries.

The main way I'd describe Miles is, simply put, angry. He is angry at the unfair life that he has been dealt, at the political situation of his home, which despite all he expresses a deep love for, and angry at the cruel cycle that he is forced into, that he has watched his grandparents and parents live through. 


The author weaved in all these different characters, with flaws, and in depth personalities. This book was a testimony to the fact that the villains are often times villains due to the consequences of their live.


I have to seriously applaud White for the way he wrote Cooper. Even before my favourite line of the entire book, ("What's a few more?") (Seriously... My jaw DROPPED) there was something slightly off about him... It almost felt like foreshadowing.

Miles's parents were also wonderful to read. They were not perfect, but at the end of the day they tried, and it was real and authentic to read about.


I of course have to mention Dallas, my favourite character from the moment I met them.

The writing in general was beautiful, easy to read, impactful, and delightfully horrifying when it wanted to be. When I wasn't reading the book, all I could think about was what would they do next? The short chapters created a sense of suspense, and added to the terrifying undertones of the story.

If you're looking for a queer YA thriller that has a dark, creepy tone and nuanced characters this is a great book to add to your tbr.

Received as a free e-book from Net Galley.

I'm not usually drawn to the horror or even thriller genres--too much attention is often paid to the ways people can be hurt (abuse, violence, graphic depictions of suffering). This book, however, caught me with the badass trans masc autistic narrator and Appalachian justice/revenge storyline. There were definitely moments of brutality, but they always served a narrative purpose and a lot was left to the imagination.

I'd love to hear the author speak sometime and might check out another of his books.

I don't want to give too much away but I would recommend it for folks interested in horror, trans fiction, and neurodivergent narrators.

Review also posted on goodreads.

Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher's and the author for the opportunity to review this book!

This is my second delve into Andrew Joseph White's work, and again I was incredibly impressed.

The queer representation is awesome, the gore is graphic and the horror is intense, but in the best way. Please look up trigger warnings if you are squeamish.

I highly recommend Andrew's work. This was easy to read, even from an outsider perspective (I'm Australian, and have no real knowledge of American politics) and delved into transitioning, coming out to family and realising that you are autistic, and the steps to come to terms with that.

There is also an element of revenge, which always gets me interested.

I will be reading everything Andrew has and will write in the future.

4.5 stars!

4.75/5 stars

Compound Fracture is a queer Appalachian thriller that follows the story of a brutal blood feud between two families and the trans socialist teenager who finds himself involved after an attempted murder.

Well, folks, Andrew Joseph White has done it again! This book is a little different from the author’s first two, as it's more "thriller" than "horror", but it's just as dark and just as good. It's scarier, even, because unlike the first two, it’s set in the real world, and all that dark stuff is grounded in reality. And the contemporary setting didn’t discourage the author from his usual gore and body horror, either: if you’re easily bothered by blood and guts, this is NOT the book for you. It was incredibly gross but also so fucking cool.

And Compound Fracture is not just a thriller! At its core, this book is a coming-of-age story about a teen finding words to describe himself, learning he’s autistic, and coming out as queer. People are also not wrong when they call this book a “political page-turner.” I was initially surprised by the number of political references and stances within this book, but it only added to the powerful characters and conflicts.

And it WAS powerful. The story was brutal, the characters wild, and the writing utterly fantastic. Though White’s biggest strength, once again, is his character’s emotions. Reading this book, I was blown away by the visceral fear and fury and the raw exhaustion leaking through these pages. I loved it.

Compound Fracture is definitely not for those looking to escape reality or for the faint of heart, but for anyone who loves bloody thrillers, queer and neurodivergent characters, and stories packed with vicious emotion.

Big thanks to the publisher for allowing me a chance at an early copy!

I'm pretty torn about this because there are definitely things that I absolutely loved about this. But, on the flip side, there are absolutely things that I *hated* about it. First off, I have to commend AJW for sticking to his guns when it comes to making his protagonists radically angry trans guys who dent fuck around when it comes to themselves or their friends. I think out of AJW's three protagonists so far, Miles is definitely the best of the trio. Getting to see his world and get to know his family was an absolute treat. I'm always a sucker for centuries old turmoil and fighting between families, and so reading about the the blood-soaked feud between The Abernathy's and The Davies' was something that I absolutely loved. I also deeply loved Saint Abernathy, mostly in the vagueness of his character. You never really got a clear answer about whether or not he was actually a real ghost, which really added to the intrigue about whether or not Miles actually got a sign from Saint or whether it was just Miles' unhinged nature coming out in full force. I also really loved getting to know the history of Appalachia and the history of the coal miners. I'm from the deep south of Georgia, so I really related to the small-town feeling of Twist Creek and it's way of life.

However that's not to say that Compound Fracture has some problems, because it does. For one thing, Miles would not shut the fuck up about his stance as a socialist. I'm not opposed to characters being vocal about their beliefs, far from it. But for this book, it felt so much like every other page, Miles would go on such a tangent about being a socialist and it would just grind the story to a hault .I also felt that the villains of the story, The Davies, were probably the most underdeveloped villains I've read about this year. They felt very cartoony and not at all like real people, which was weird as hell because the entire book revolved around a blood feud between two families that've murdered and maimed each other for over several decades, so it would have been cool to see other shades of the Davies, like maybe some cousins or other sons of the Sherriff, or I don't know, another narrative in which the Davies believed that they had been right about murdering Saint Abernathy? Just a hunch.

Overall, I think this is a solid book from AJW. It has all of his signature gore and mean characters, as well as tons of conversations about transness.

thanks to NetGalley for the eARC

⭐️=4.5 | 😘=2.5 | 🤬=5 | ⚔️=5 | 🍺/🚬=4 | 16/17+

summary: after a trans autistic boy living in rural West Virginia survives a murder attempt by an ancestral rival, he starts seeing the ghost of his great-great-great(?) grandfather. potential revenge plot, potentially more murder, inevitable identity exploration et cetera et cetera I would like to personally apologize to Andrew Joseph White for this summary

thoughts: Andrew Joseph White the author that you are!! this is incredible. White just gets queer horror—he gets it, and he executes it near-flawlessly. I love this book. I love its anger and its compassion. I love its characters and voice. I love its themes about family and ancestry. I love its specificity. its time period is so necessary (like yes, this book had to take place in 2017 and no other time) and I love when authors know their stories so well they can pinpoint the exact year in which it must exist. so good. there were occasionally some didactic moments, but tbh I believe that was more a function of the YA genre than any serious flaw on White’s part.

4/5 ⭐️

I really enjoyed White's, "Hell Followed With Us" and found that there were quite a few similarities between the two books. "Compound Fracture" leans more as a thriller rather than horror and there is less gore in this book. The protagonists and several of the friend characters in both HFWU and CF were written pretty similarly and had analogous arcs. I feel that while I enjoyed the plot of HFWU a bit better, there was more of a complexity and nuance to many of the characters and their arcs in CF. White in both books does a nice job writing about life as a young trans man and in CF there is some great autism representation.

It's clear that Miles has a love for his home in Appalachia but has to struggle and fight against oppressors and bigots while simultaneously carving out a space of community to feel safe and survive. A great read for anyone, but especially for YA readers.

Thank you to NetGalley, Andrew Joseph White, and Peachtree Teen for my early access to this.

Andrew Joseph White you have done it again! I bought a signed copy of The Spirit Bares Its Teeth at Underground Books in Carrollton, Ga on the recommendation of Megan. I have torn through a number of books in my day, redusing to set them down until I've seen the plot through to the end, but that book was everything I was looking for at the time, I felt represented, expectant, and appropriately disgusted throughout.

When I heard that White was releasing yet another book, I had to request a copy, and I can finally say, he has done it again.

As someone from the Southeast, White painted such a, for lack of a better word, correct atmosphere. The setting was so clearly described and oh so familiar. I think White, more than most, is able to create a sense of time and place that feel so real that even when the plots themselves are more fantastical, I feel as though I am there.

This book was equal parts brilliant and horrific, as I have come to expect from White's writing. You can't help but worry for Miles's safety throughout, both as it relates to his part in the hundred-year feud his family is embroiled in, as as it relates to being trans in the South. It is this desired safety, alongside a cliché and potentially naive level of excitement about hopefully seeing the underdog succeed that propelled me so quickly through the story.

I cannot recommend this book highly enough. Andrew Joseph White has become and auto-buy author for me, and he should be for you as well. BUY THIS BOOK!

Andrew Joseph White has been an auto-buy reader for me since reading Hell Followed With Us, and this book absolutely reinforced that view. Compound Fracture is a book about community coming together and finding good people even in a place that others (mostly liberals) find "backwards" such as a tiny town in West Virginia.

Compound Fracture begins with a discussion on the Twist Creek mining massacre, a fight that began a centuries long blood feud between the current sheriff of the town and Miles' family, that culminated recently in an accident that severely injured Miles' friend and father and killed his friend's mother. When Miles tries to bring proof to the town that the sheriff caused the accident, he is beat near to death by the sheriff's kid, saved only by an old friend who he hasn't spoken to in years.

Compound Fracture is gory, poignant, and absolutely incredible. The action and suspense kept me hooked and also kept a pit of dread in my stomach the entire time. However it also gave me hope, seeing how the community comes together eventually. I cannot recommend this book enough, I think everyone should read it.

Another five star book from Andrew Joseph White.

“Compound Fracture” is a poignant portrayal of the complexities within rural conservative states as well as a stomach-turning thriller. AJW intertwines information on poverty, autism, drug addiction, police oppression and other themes, through a gripping, suspenseful plot that you can’t put down (I finished this within 24 hours of starting!). They are heavy handed themes, yes, don’t expect lyrical subtlety in with these topics. They are there and loud and obvious. I felt that the challenges of coming out are addressed in a beautiful way, with parents who don’t quite understand but are trying.

This book is also an important reminder that villainizing conservative towns/states oversimplifies societal issues in these areas, and puts down LGBTQ+ people who live there.

I finished this book with tears in my eyes and ready to re-read it again and again. Thank you AJW.

I received a free ARC via NetGalley for this book. Thank you to NetGalley, publisher and author!

I don’t know how Andrew Joseph White keeps doing it, but each book is better than the last.

I received an ARC of this via NetGalley. This does not affect my review. Thank you PeachTree teen for approving my first ever arc on NetGalley, I am so thankful it can be used on a book as excellent as this.

This book masterfully weaves several storylines and themes: worker's rights and leftism; queer identity (both trans and later aromantic); autism; Appalachia; and a long-standing blood feud. All topics lead into each other and allow complexity and deepening of each one individually. It is a fantastic read and I highly recommend it; if White's previous books were too gore-heavy for you, I find that this one leaned more into the suspense and didn't describe things as graphically.

On that topic of suspense, the book wonderfully split intense moments into short paragraph chapters, which really helped with the pacing and I found fit perfectly.

I also liked that each first page of chapters was black with white text! Small detail but I found it fun.

This is a very heavy book, and there are a lot of warnings for the content that one should be aware of before going in. The author lists it in his Goodreads review, but I'll list them again here (with a few of my own): Graphic violence and gore; politically motivated abuse of power, particularly of law enforcement; transphobia (public outing, misgendering, deadnaming, unaccepting family (resolved)); internalised aphobia, drug dependency and its effects (cigarettes and opioids, main character also undergoes opioid withdrawal after quitting without medical supervision); ableism (internalised and external); vomiting, animal harm (off page harm to a dog, butchering of deer on page); abuse from an intimate partner (physical/emotional); mentions in passing of recordings of a child in the shower by an antagonist (shown as wrong but it made me feel viscerally so I'm warning about it here).

Slight spoilers ahead, if you don't want any don't read the next part!

Early on in the book, our main character, Miles, is beaten up by several boys involved in the blood feud. This injury is described with several chapters like "I don't remember what they did." "Only that there was a lot of blood, and all of it was mine." While this could have been tagged on at the end of the last chapter, having them as two separate chapters really worked for me and is a great example of how the writing in this book was phenomenal.

This book in unashamedly leftist and queer, which is so refreshing to see, especially in YA fiction.

I also really love the end of the book so I will end my review with the final few lines (I hope that's okay :) )

"But while you're here, officer, why don't you hold this railroad spike for me? Hold it in your hand and tell me how heavy it is. Tell me which one of us you'd use it on. See what happens if you try."

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for giving me access to this stellar eBook. This review may contain spoilers.

Most specifically, I would reccomend this to LGBT young adults in Appalachia, the rural American south, and culturally similar areas—but also to adults in a similar position that did not have the opportunity to see themselves in media as a teenager; this is one of the YA books that I can read and not only think “this would have meant a lot to me when I was younger” but also to still find a sense of healing in reading it. The strongest aspect in Compound Fracture is the author’s ability to show the nuance of Appalachia, especially Appalachian politics and the history of the labor movement within West Virginia specifically, with clarity and compassion, and there are no major issues I have with this book. The brevity of some scenes is perhaps the weakest element to me—I think a little more time dedicated to the development of the characters and their dynamics would only make the book that much better. I’m hoping to check out Andrew Joseph White’s backlog going forward, and I’m also hoping to reread Compound Fracture when it’s published in its finalized form and it’s very likely that I may up the rating upon doing so.

Compound Fracture as a work comes across as very confident in what it has to say and how it says it. Its themes and the overall message are very clear and handled effectively; this is not the kind of book that meanders and asks readers to project their own views onto its subtext at every turn. The thematic throughline of literal and metaphorical lineage—blurring the edges between that of queer and trans, familial and even political lineages, branching throughout history and that long-lasting lineage of harm as processed within a community—is something that resonates deeply with me, and stands out as a prominent aspect of Appalachian literature.

I enjoyed the writing style, which is consistent and lends to a storyteller’s voice (which is a narrative element that consistently ranks high for me), where the Appalachian cadence comes naturally and is both accurate and easy to process, especially in comparison to the way the accent is (often) written by people who aren’t intimately familiar with the area. The use of description is very strong; it has moments that are visceral imprinted into the text, but it still feels within the narrator’s depth and doesn’t sacrifice immersion or character voice. The structure is interesting; I like the fast and loose sort of utilization of varying chapter length (some being one page or even just one sentence). It’s fresh and I can always appreciate an author willing to play with conventions in narrative structure and form. In terms of technical elements such as grammar, syntax, and verbiage, the book is consistent, clear, and coherent. Pacing is quick, but ultimately very steady, and consistently maintained.

This book features a well-crafted and cohesive narrative, and is classified as a young adult thriller; personally I would also go so far as to call it an example of a modern Proletarian (or social) novel, targeted towards progressive youth. Exposition is seamlessly woven into the story with the addition of mixed media/modern epistolary narrative tools like wikipedia articles and text messages. Some scenes as they stand in the ARC do feel a bit sudden/short, kind of like the bones of a fuller moment, and I’m curious to see how they compare in the final copy of the book.

The portrayal of teenagers exploring and coming to terms with their identities feels incredibly authentic, especially in the way Miles and Dallas joke about it together. I was a young adult coming to terms with my identity around the time this book is set (this book is set in 2017, the year after I started coming out as transgender to my close friends), and it feels incredibly familiar in the kind of “awkward, youthful, still learning to empower oneself” sort of way. The relationships among the cast ring true to me, and feels very authentic to Appalachian social and family dynamics. I appreciated the arc of Miles’s parents processing his coming out differently and still, ultimately, accepting him despite some very hurtful moments. As I’ve discussed in other reviews of trans literature, complicated experiences in coming out is something I think is important to represent, and it’s one that I relate to quite personally.

Characterization is strong and consistent, and I’m curious as to why people think Cooper’s in particular seems unnuanced; to me, he feels like an earnest take on how people can sour and become radicalized in the wrong direction, something I’ve seen happen time and time again. People who could have done good, instead using the idea of justice to justify their desire to hurt people and to get revenge, unfortunately does happen, and often, it ends badly. Maybe it’s that I’ve seen people in my own life go down similar paths before that makes his a perfectly believable character arc to me.

Compound Fracture is an intense and wild horror/thriller about feuding families in a small Appalachian town. It really comes across as a bit of a love letter to the history and working class people who live in Appalachia, as well as having a focus on trans and autism representation. All of these are good things but together feel like they might only appeal to a very niche market and as I couldn't relate to most of the themes, I didn't ever feel connected to the story.

Miles is a trans, autistic kid in an impossible situation. This is a town that protects it's own but also doesn't get involved in each others business. There has been a feud between the Davies and the Abernathy's for many generations, starting back at protests due to unsafe working conditions in the mines and union disputes. The Davies have held power through law enforcement or political positions while the Abernathy's have upheld the rights of the lower class, working to survive and trying to make things safer for everyone in the town. We follow Miles trying to encourage change but gets caught up in the cycle of history between the two families.

Where this book really falters for me is the pacing and the repeating of information over and over. There was a lot of reliving and experiencing trauma and I just couldn't get myself invested in the characters, who are all really morally grey if not outright bad people (though their situation made them that way and that's also kinda what the book is about)...

TL;DR: It's impossible to really talk about horror/thrillers without a lot of spoilers and I think this is a case of a book being "not meant for me". While I didn't enjoy it, I think that there is an audience out there who will and I hope the book finds it's way to them. I really liked Hell Followed With Us so I will look for more speculative work by the author in the future.

A bloody, angry contemporary where a generational blood feud in rural West Virginia propels a fierce, hopeful demand for community and solidarity. Thoughtful exploration of discovering autistic and aromantic identities.

5 stars!

Thanks to NetGalley for an eARC of this title!

Compound Fracture is Andrew Joseph White's 3rd published novel, and may just be my favorite so far. The way he writes his characters is once again phenomenal, and I was so invested in the story I read 50 pages in a single sitting (a feat for me due to my ADHD, so props for managing to hold my attention that long!).

Miles has just come out as trans and is on the verge of revealing the town sheriff's involvement in an "accident" that disabled his father 5 years prior when the sheriff's son attacks him and leaves him for dead. While recovering, Miles notices the figure of a bloodstained miner that looks eerily like his great great grandfather Saint, a union worker who was killed by his towns sheriff a century ago. He knows that if any justice is to be had, it will have to be by his own hand.
Unlike White's other books, Compound Fracture contains few fantastical elements. This gritty realism does well to highlight the acts of brutality the characters commit against each other. There isn't an apocalypse or magic system that would justify their actions. These are people who are angry and scared trying to protect what they have left. I wanted so badly to know if the characters would make it that I ended up reading long past the time I said I would stop to work on something else (oops).

My favorite part of this book would have to be the discussions around autism. Miles shows many of the symptoms but has muscled through them for his entire life. He has internal monologues where he berates himself for being unable to complete certain tasks or his inability to stop fidgeting. As a neurodivergent person, I felt very seen by this aspect of his character. White never presents autism as a "superpower", but as a disability that can be accommodated for with the proper resources. Miles is autistic, and it affects his character, but it's not who he is. To see such a complex neurodiverse character was amazing, and I hope we see more like Miles in the future.

If you're someone who may see yourself in this trans autistic MC, or if you're just looking for the next big YA thriller, look no further than this absolute materpiece.

An exquisitely horrific gem of a book. Compound Fracture carries White's trademark narrative styles and ability to ask the questions most of society turns away from. I will be thinking about this book for a long time.

Compound Fracture is a contemporary novel about a queer Appalachian teen, Miles Abernathy who's determined to bring down the corrupt Sheriff Davies, while also being haunted by the ghost of his great-grandfather, Saint Abernathy.

This book is *brutal*, not hesitating to pull any punches, providing an insight into Appalachian politics, queerness, and what happens when enough people are tired of the shitty hand being dealt to them, and decide to rise up.

As someone who's kinda in a 'am I neurodivergent or not' camp, Miles felt relatable to me. I don't think I'm neurodivergent, but I found Miles's doubt very, very relatable tbh.

Overall, five stars. This book is for you if you want a book about politics, figuring out your identity and books about horrible people getting their just desserts.

I try to reserve judgement to each individual book that an author writes - but Andrew Joseph White is currently 3 for 3 solid edge of my seat can't stop reading fantastic books. I read this in my least favorite reading format (on my tiny phone screen- it was the format that Netgalley provided) and I still couldn't put it down and devoured it in about a day and a half. I felt my heart racing during certain chapters and I haven't wanted to stay up past my bed time to read a book in actual years and this one had me doing the "just one more chapter" move.

Compound Fracture follows Miles, a trans autistic teenager in a small town in West Virginia, trying to survive a generations old feud while also figuring out who he is and trying to find community among all of it. It hits the ground running in the first few chapters and doesn't stop.

As with his other books I highly highly suggest reading the forward at the beginning and paying attention to the content warnings that are provided. This book is bloody and brutal and doesn't hold back its punches.

This book was brutal and truthful. So much generational trauma is dealt with in this book. Lots of non binary and trans rep, autism rep as well. These characters were so vivid and flew off the pages for me. Andrew Joseph White’s books just keep getting better. Please check trigger warnings as this book does not pull it’s punches.

My man Andrew, you never disappoint.
I got the absolute honor of getting an arc of Hell Followed with Us back in 22'. It was amazing and it's stuck with me all this time. When I saw Compound Fracture I knew I had to request it at least. When I got it I was at work and I nearly lost it shouting HELL YEAH LETS GO, but I kept my cool in front of everyone. So yeah, you can say I was excited about this one.
Mainly because it's so different from HFWU, but it's the same at the same time. They both share common elements like the trans MC, the autistic and neurodivergency representation, the supportive parent/parents, a lot of blood and anger. But still, this is so so different.
I have to say Andrew's style is impecable, like comparing both stories and how different they are but they feel so good because of the way they're written. The characters and their ambitions and fears are so good, I personally felt so drawn to Cooper and his little crooked ways and desires.
It also has a bit of a supernatural elemen with a very important and lovely character who's there but not really. Thing that I loved so much.
There's a general feeling of anger over any AJW book and I love it. Like HFWU is anger at church and religious indoctrination and fanatism, and then on CF there's anger at police brutality, abuse of power and corrupt politics.
Just can't wait to see what Andrew has in store for the future. He's slowly solidifying in my book as one of the greater queer writers of the decade.
Highly recommended!!!

This book may contain things that can trigger sensitive readers like: murder, gore, abuse, abuse of power, graphic violence, mentions of death, mentions of murder, transphobia, dead naming and use of guns and knives