This book is like a raw flesh – awfully naked, terrifying to look at, with the uncomfortable thought like it's not supposed to be, and yet so warm, so familiar to human creature on a primal level.

Andrew Joseph White do not write for everyone, but oh baby, he sure speaks right into my soul. Third book, and third time he enchanted me with his words. Emotions keep buzzing, style is evolving, stories become more terrifying and heartbreaking, and I follow like a faithful dog.

Miles' story is raw and complicated. It crawls under your skin, shape-shifting there, from a beating heart to sharp tusks, comforting you just to tear your mortal shell to pieces. And it doesn't stop there. The atmosphere of West Virginia – gods, I've never been there, but I sure as hell felt like I did. It's beautiful and iniquitous, habituated by people neither good nor bad. Yet between them awaits true evil – yet you can't be sure where to look for it.

Of course I'm recommending it. How could I not, after it left me in state of want to tear my teeth out of my mouth, dip my fingers into tree bark and howl?

tw // graphic violence, queerphobia, transphobia, opioid dependency, physical and emotional manipulation, animal harm, discussion of ableism, vomiting

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Peachtree Teen for providing this eARC in exchange for an honest review!!

God that was A LOT!! I absolutely adored Andrew Joseph White’s previous works, and this is no exception - I loved it!!!

More detailed thoughts to come closer to the release date!!

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC copy.
Having read AJW’s previous works I was excited to read and review this book. Unfortunately, I came away disappointed. The book is by no means bad. The character voice is strong and White has a talent for flowing prose and dynamic descriptions. And yet this novel seemingly failed to hit the mark on the things I have come to expect for him as an author.
To begin, the novels strays from the supernatural elements found in HFWU and TSBIT, yet is unable to divorce itself entirely from the subject. This result in Saint Abernathy’s ghost sometimes being real and other times not. The final reveal where he becomes ‘real’ by speaking made me audibly sigh. The book would be better off without this moment. Let Saint be ambiguous - figure or fiction who knows? If the character, hypothetically, was taken back to the drawing board I would have had him be an active character in the murders. I wanted Miles to speak with and learn from Saint, not have him hover in the background on occasion.
On that note, very early on Miles makes a comment in the hospital regarding the attack that made my stomach twist. It was a very real reality when he realizes he doesn’t know the full extent of what the boys may have done to him (while I am avoiding the name of this topic AJW has mentioned that his fourth novel will include this as a pertinent part of the plot), and then it is never touched on again. I thought that might become a focal point when he hunts his attackers down yet Miles never once mentions it. Let Miles be angry. Let him interrogate Paul or Noah about what happened to him. Instead, he is White’s weakest protagonist. Miles comes across as wishy-washy and incredibly performative. There was a balance that needed to be struck between politics and family that simply did not hit. It felt like White danced around the topic and that Miles focuses heavily on the physical harm that occurred to his face and not the deeper bodily trauma he may or may not have experienced because we as readers will never know. Which in contrast I did like the sections on Dallas. It was nice to see a disabled character intersecting with a queer identity. I would have liked White to have included at least one more conversation on this topic. Perhaps, seeing as Miles’ dad requires a cane and refused to use it, Dallas could have used a cane as well to serve as a generational contrast. This could have played into a discussion on toxic masculinity.
The novel noticeably sags in the middle. The characters do a lot of talking and not a lot of showing. Sheriff Davies and Noah are laughable as a villain in that they are to the point of moustache twirling caricatures. Eddie is ham-fistedly and repeatedly described as ugly to really hammer home how disgusting he is. The novel needs to make these characters despicable so that killing them is justifiable to the plot. Meanwhile Paul gets a slight redemption. In fact, the scene where Miles confronts him is one of the better scenes in terms of ambience. Here you see White’s knack for unsettling environments and tension on dazzling display.
And then it falls apart. Characters are inherently flat or rushed. The ending with Miles and Dallas confused me. It came so suddenly that I felt instead of giving their relationship a label the novel should have left them off as friends with the potential for a relationship in the future. Cooper was alright. I, again, would have rather replaced him with Saint. Cooper becomes nearly an antagonist of his own with his treatment of Miles and it was disappointing to see his character spiral.
Therapy is barely touched on, as the therapy group is only a stepping stone to get Miles to reconnect with Dallas and to find the Red Holler. I would have wanted at least one more scene in the restaurant to flesh it out more. The novel tries to hit you with several shocking twists in quick succession and this only diminishes what could have been an emotional moment when Davies and Noah show up. This scene is again one of those laughably evil moments. In contrast, when Noah gives his speech at the Fourth of July festival this felt like a good villain moment. It felt more real. As terrible as his actions were, they fit within the narrative. There is a very brief comment from Miles’ family that Noah outed him in order to get Miles’ family to turn on him but this is barely explored. As I mentioned earlier, I would have also liked the novel to at least touch on the toxic masculinity present instead of briefly brushing past it. With Miles’ dad struggling to be the provider of his family due to his injuries this would have been fascinating to see the father-son duo discuss.
With all that said, what did the novel do well? Because despite my complaints I did still enjoy it overall.
White as always has a knack for quickly ratcheting up the tension near the end. The environment was well described and I liked the way Miles’ dialect was naturally included into his dialogue and internal monologue. I enjoyed the representation of a queer teen in a poor rural community, and Miles’ personal discovery that he has autism. The parallel between Miles and his father regarding opioid dependency and the touching scenes of his family supporting him give the novel a strong heartfelt tone at its center. Had the novel leaned away from Cooper and more towards Miles’ family dynamics I believe it would have rated higher for me. The pro-strike and communist rhetoric were good albeit preaching at times, still these are important topics to bring to the YA genre. And, of course, the cover design is once again fantastic as always.
For a gore-filled action novel about community and activism, Compound Fracture felt oddly shy of itself. I do feel a bit sad giving this book a rating below four stars. It feels like it was almost there, but needed a bit more reworking. White has consistently good premises. It is the execution of said ideas that needs work. Compound Fracture was for me, simply put, the weakest link in a trio of overall excellent novels. With that said, I am looking forward to his fourth novel and any future work he produces.

I've read all of AJW's books so far and he has a great talent for writing about the grotesque and the horrific alongside supernatural worlds as in HFWU and TSBIT, but in this book, he grounds us more in the reality of small town America and the fight between the privileged and the underprivileged. This book is about all of these things, but it's also about community and finding hope where it has previously been stolen. I loved these parts of this book, and the themes that continue to thread through AJW's work. However, this book didn't land as strongly as his others did for me. There was something off about the pacing and plot of this one; it felt like nothing really happened for a while, and then when things did start happening, I found myself aggravated by both the actions and inactions of the characters. This seems like one of those books where you're not supposed to love most of the characters, but even then, I found myself not connecting with anyone and spent most of it being frustrated rather than intrigued by and rooting for their actions. Overall though, this book is still pretty solid. The prose is great, the shell of what this could have become is strong, and as with his other work, it makes you consider your own position in society. I'm excited to read White's adult debut next year as well, and hope his future YA continues to improve.

I'm going to copy the review I've posted on Goodreads, so here goes.

Copy: I don't know how he does it, but Andrew's writing always grabs me by the throat from the first page, dare I say the first sentence. Massive fan of Hell Followed with Us, so when I had the opportunity to read this as an ARC on NetGalley, I had to take it. I'm only seventeen pages in, and I'm already sat here reading wide eyed, feeling the exact same feeling of excitement I'd felt while reading Hell Followed with Us. I'll update this once I get further in.

Update: I was right. This book is AMAZING. If I could marry Andrew's writing I would. It's some of the BEST I've ever encountered in my life.

Compound Fracture follows Miles, a trans boy living in poverty, who is haunted by a generational blood feud between miners and local government. This book has a similar framework to the iconic movie Heathers, as Miles gets involved in a string of murders.

This isn't my first Andrew Joseph White rodeo. Hell Followed with Us and The Spirit Bares its Teeth both solidified AJW's narrative voice in the horror genre, but Compound Fracture really adds a modern flare to an age old story. And the author gets to show off a Southern dialect, which really added to the story for me.

Aside from that, Compound Fracture is a fantastic political commentary on socioeconomics, the two-party system, drug abuse and healthcare, and rural American living--and, of course, the intersectionality of all of those.

But still, I'm giving this tree stars, mostly because the pacing felt messy. The first 30% was very exciting, but the whole novel slowed down dramatically until the 60% mark. While that whole section was a slog, the last 40% was amazing.

I'd also say this is my favorite "romance" of all AJW's books (I use the word romance VERY lightly). The dynamic between Miles and Cooper is awful and compelling and upsetting, and it kept me very interested in their friendship.

Also: why is the description of Dallas's room LITERALLY identical to my room? Cannibal Corpse and the Lady and the Unicorn tapestries...I feel called out, but also seen.

Actual rating: 3.5 stars rounded down.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Miles Abernathy has lived his life under the shadow of a century's long feud between his family and that of the sheriff. When Miles sneaks out to a party, leaving behind an email coming out to his parents as trans, with proof of how the sheriff killed folk who tried to unseat him, Miles knows he is more likely than not to end up paying for that audacity. Even after the sheriff's son nearly beats Miles to death, Miles works to find a way to say that this is enough. Only then, it is not just the stories of the past that are haunting Miles. Some vision or ghost has stayed with Miles since he woke in the hospital to either witness or aide Miles' stand.

White describes this book as his ode to West Virginia and the people who shaped him. That care comes through with every description and every moment of community with in Compound Fracture. The characters are messy and loving and put the love of community and family above all. It is unwaveringly about choosing to fight for that community even when the cost is high. All of this is blended beautifully with White's signature approach to horror. The ratio of "ew gross" per page has always told me what a great time I'm having with a horror novel, specially that of an American horror and White truly seems to understand and encourage that in every book. This novel is a distinctly American tale and one that I think offers a kind approach to who people can be even when it is hard because it always is.

Andrew Joseph White has a way of writing the most visceral but optimistic YA novels, and I'm constantly amazed at his ability to do this. Compound Fracture is no exception. Miles is an autistic trans boy who was unfortunately born into one of the oldest, violentest family/labor disputes known to man. As he struggles to just...survive being an Abernathy, he navigates his ever-changing world of growing up, learning about his sexuality, his autism, and what it means to be a part of a community.

First, I devoured this novel. I couldn't get enough of the narrative and found it difficult to stop after every chapter. The pacing was on point and the characters interesting. Second, eff Cooper. I really don't care that he had underlying issues, he was going to hurt someone eventually (he in fact did hurt someone who arguably was surrendering but...) and unfortunately he was got first.

Here in lies where I struggled. I am not the target audience for these books, or YA in general and I think I'm really starting to feel that. Four children (yes teens are children) were killed and two were maimed but we're all just willing to...glance over that because "that's they way things are" and there are no consequences for any of those actions? Now I'm not from West Virginia or that rural of a blue collar town, but it's really like that there? In this day in age? Where 4 kids could die and nothing would happen? Or even more so, an autistic boy, who already had the crap beaten out of him, would be the one to solve it? Which leads me to my next issue, this is just a "chosen one" YA story in a different wrapper. Our protag isn't riding a dragon or a poor normal girl, but he certainly was framed to be the only one who could do anything to stop the cycle including ALL OF THE ADULTS IN THE STORY. And not in a Mala or Greta way, but in a "send him down in the coal mine to have a fight with another kid way." Also, the way Miles was written that even though he was still figuring himself out, that everything he knew and stated was "the correct thing." I just...I know these are supposed to be optimistic, triumphant stories for queer youth, I get that, and they are. But reading this as an adult I just can't help but feel like this one in particular has a real rough time of that. I think also because this one is more actually real-world violent than the others. There isn't much paranormal going on here. Everything is routed in the present with the exception of Miles seeing a dead relative. I think the fact that the violence is so real, so guttural, that the idea that it's up to this 17 year old boy to stop this cycle perpetuated by adults is just...awful.

Anyway, still 4 stars because I couldn't put it down and it genuinely is written extremely well. I just think I'm too jaded for YA anymore. Looking forward to his debut adult novel.

After reading The Spirit Bares its Teeth last year and having it become one of my favorite books of all time, it's needless to say that I was excited for Compound Fracture.

A complete switch from the overly cautious and anxious Silas of Spirit, we have Compound Fractures rough and tumble trans teen Miles. Right from the start Miles voice is so strong and has so much character that you want to listen to him speak forever. The way his thoughts run into others, the way you can feel him parse through his emotions in order to make them make sense, how he processes the horrific things that happen to him in this novel - it's all done so well and it makes for an experience that truly feels like you live inside the characters head. Miles may be a piece of work as a young kid learning how to navigate this truly terrifying world while trying to keep those he loves safe, but his outward strength is countered by moments of weakness and emotional pain that you as the reader truly feel when you read it.

I compared this book to how I feel about movies like Uncut Gems and Good Time, incredible works of art but also the most anxiety inducing thing I've had to experience. There are some small moments of levity in Compound Fracture, but for the most part it doesn't take it's foot of the pedal. And by pedal I mean paranoia. With the way the atmosphere and societal climate of the book is set up you feel like Miles a lot of the time - looking over your shoulder, constantly afraid of what might happen to you or those you care about at every page turn. It's such a harrowing experience but it only serves to elevate the book by creating such an air of unease. Twist Creek county isn't a place I think I could ever feel safe, but for Miles and the Abernathys it is home and they love it and fight for it, warts and all.

Miles family and the relationship he has with them is so real at times you can tell, as mentioned in the authors note, that this was based on lived experiences with real family members. As a trans person myself, some of the conversations between Miles and those around him hit very close to home and really did feel honest in regards to its depiction of coming out to a family who either wants to try their best by you or rejects it entirely. There is no perfect way to come out or exist in a place where you are one of the few LGBTQ+ individuals and Compound Fracture reflects these experiences with a truth that hit home for me a few times.

Also this book is violent, much more so than Spirit was. It's grimier, dirtier and with more malice behind many of the violent scenes. But is is also a world that treats violence as an everyday occurance, if it is something as natural as breathing. Family members are murdered, people are beat up and left to lick their own wounds, building are destroyed but it all has a sense of this is the order of things - just pay it no attention. And I think that makes it all the more terrifying.

I truly did enjoy Compound Fracture, anxiety inducing and all as it was (which I believe was the point). It is a must read for any LGBTQ+ or Neurodivergent teens growing up in places where they othered by those around them. Where they feel beat down and treated as lesser just because of who they are, for those who feel let down by the people who claim to have our best interests at heart, for those who want to release a screech of rage at an unfair world.

While Spirit is still my favorite, Compound Fracture will stick in my mind like Saint Abernathy does in Miles'. It is a marvel of a novel, truly one that is filled with truth, lived experiences and a nuance that could only comes from someone who understands those he writes about, I will endlessly recommend this upon it's release, but for now I need to lie down.

absolutely loved this!!! which is how i feel picking up anything from andrew joseph white tbh

i think out of all of his books, this one had the least appealing plot to me personally, but i still really liked it!! it was gritty and thrilling and attention-grabbing and heartwarming at all the right parts.

it has a trans/queer autistic main character living in a small town, a sprinkle of found family(?) and romance, a centuries-long generational feud, a lot of politics, a dog(!), and is (unlike ajw's previous books) set in a contemporary setting. fantasy/supernatural themes are light but still present.

the actual horror/body horror part came in quite late but it still hit really hard, and made me feel sick to my stomach (as ajw usually manages to do.)
sounds weird that thats a compliment, but it is.

to anyone who wants to pick this up i'd definitely tell them beforehand that it has a lot of politics, with a socialist/communist mc, which doesn't take away from my enjoyment of the book but i'd say would probably appeal more to someone from the US.

going to end this with: MILES ABERNATHY I LOVE YOU 😭😭😭

Compound Fracture is a vicious, heartwarming thriller that touches on the important themes of growing up queer/trans in a small town. I also grew up in a small town and while it wasn’t as centered around a specific resource, like coal, I still felt represented, as it captured the otherness a queer trans person can feel growing up (and loving) the small town that hasn’t always been welcoming to them. This book is for the small town outcasts who, while they may find themselves in the big city, never lose the love they have for their small town and the community that does accept them for all that they are. This book is to remind people that queer people exist everywhere, not just in the cities/countries that are safest for us.

While Compound Fracture lacked some of the horror aspects of AJW’s writing, I was still enraptured by the bloody, brutal, and honest writing that follows Miles, our aromantic, autistic trans MC, through his struggles of finding belonging and acceptance within his community while also fighting the corruption that is rampant throughout the police force and the weight of a century long generational fight. I also found Miles’ relationships quite compelling, especially as Miles himself as well as the others around him struggle with what morality is and how it affects how they view and enact social justice, as Miles and many of the other characters deal with poverty, disability, homophobia and transphobia perpetuated not just by the system that controls the small town but people abusing that system to continue to victimize Miles and his family and friends. Overall, I continue to love AJW’s writing and the rawness of queer and trans rage that is a continuing theme throughout his books. I already can’t wait to see what he writes next!

"Respect is earned, not given, officer."

Thank you, Netgalley and Peachtree Teen for letting me be an ARC reader for this marvellous novel.

Now, let's get to the nitty gritty.

Calling it a generational war against two families feels absolutely not right. It feels like it is a little to little. It's so much more. It's a sheriff using his power to actively make people's life a constant pain. It's a family constantly ruining others lives. In the worst way possible. It's showing your teeth against someone who wants to see you down on the ground.
And standing your ground.

And it's wonderfully done. I loved this book. I loved Miles trying to figure out what to do, trying to find a right way to handle things even though the things which happened to Miles, which has been done to him is absolutely w r o n g. And I loved Lady. And Dallas. And I just love how friends find each other again even though they have been apart for a while.
I really liked the complexity of the generational feud, the way you can find yourself somehow in Miles but also the characters around, that you're there with them.

Thanks for netgalley and the publisher for sending me this review copy because ho boi, Andrew Joseph White delivered again.

Not gonna lie, the pitch of this book got me the least interested out of his three novels, but I trusted the author that if I want some fine, gore horror, with amazngly diverse cast, I can try it without fear. The thing that got me least interested was the contemporary setting, but as turned out, ended up being one of the best parts. White can grab unease and fear by its neck and shove them to his pages, so they can lurk into our body. The rural setting, the overbearing sheriff, the bully boys, the snapping branches when the protagonist Miles goes home alone in the forest, the sudden appearance of a ghost, and many more, spoiler-filled scenes were masterfully crafted. The body horror part came in a bit late, I even thought I might have a book I can recommend to my friends with a weaker stomach, but when it arrived, it was more horrifying <i>exactly due to</i> the contemporary settings. Sure it's easy to accept gore happening in a distopia or in a hospital-like facility. Not on the doorstep.

The second, most important part for me was the on-point portrayal of the power of community. I loved, loved, LOVED the Fosters and how easily they could provide understanding and comfort to so-torn and so-so-so tired Miles, in all aspects of his life that needed help. The twist related to the ghost also filled my heart with reinforcement and screaming joy, just like it did for Miles. There was one particular scene with the Abernathy family, which was also unexpected from the leadup, but so, so heartwarming. I love to see the older generation gets the chance to improve alongside their kids.

Wow. This book felt like looking at my hometown under a microscope. I literally couldn’t put it down.

A queer Appalachian thriller with a hint of supernatural spookiness - sign me up. I can’t recommend this book highly enough!

yet another five star read for me from AJW; if he has no fans, I'm dead.

I loved this story, it grabbed my attention from the get go and refused to let go until I finished. All the characters were perfection in their own way, Lady the dog that you are though. We need more dogs surviving horror. I would have also enjoyed seeing more of Dallas and their family, stealing the spotlight in every scene that they were in.

All in all though, if Andrew Joseph White writes it, it's a yes from me.

Thank you to Peachtree and Netgalley for the e-arc!

So much to say my head is so full. I’m sorry it’s so scattered!
TW: killing of dog, addiction/drug abuse, murder (and attempted murder), hospitalization, medical trauma, pedophilia, f slur used, homophobia, transphobia, ableism, deadnaming, misgendering, physical violence and emotional abuse from an intimate partner. This book came close to making me fall in love with Appalachia again. I felt so immersed in Miles’s small town setting as someone who grew up in a similar place. At first I was thrown off by Miles’s clear Southern dialect (idk if West Virginia is considered the South? But Miles’s manner of speaking very much reminded me of the people I grew up with) but I was immersed from the first page. Miles discovering he’s autistic, comparing it to the rightness he felt discovering he was trans, really resonated with me. It was sweet seeing his parents adjust and slowly become more accepting and affirming of his trans identity!
The villains in this story are absolutely cartoonish and I love it so much. The description of Cooper’s death almost made me sick. This book was unexpectedly wacky but I’m not exactly upset about it. All in all I cannot recommend this book enough. Thank you NetGalley for the ARC!

Compound Fracture was a thrilling read that managed to keep my on my toes and had me finish it in a few days despite being the middle of a reading slump.
The pacing was great, never feeling like it went too fast or too slow.
Miles felt authentic and I loved reading about them. I wished the book dived a little more into the morality of Miles actions (even if he had his reasons it was still murdered, even if he felt bad for what he did the book itself doesn't feel like it ever considers Miles actions debatable), but I still understand why he does the things he does and I like how he still struggles to do the actions he does. Cooper also never felt too villianized, which I liked since in the end, he was also a scared teen like Miles.
I wished we saw more of the Davies, Eddie, and Paul since they feel too villianized when the book explores Miles choices. It seems like they we don't see them much other than harassing people (besides Paul) which makes they feel less like characters and more like props for the plot.
But overall, I still found this a great read, and can definitely recommend this when it comes out!

Miles, a trans autistic teen finds evidence of injustices in his Appalachian small town perpetrated by the local sheriff. After being nearly beaten to death, he and his friend Cooper, whose family has also been affected by the crime, must reckon with a generational family feud with the Sheriff.

Cooper is a golden retriever in a human body.
A retriever with teeth, sure, but big and sweet enough you don't notice.
Not to mention there’s a dog called Lady!

The representation of autism and anxiety was handled so well. Everyone experiences things differently, but Miles was such an authentic character and the stream of conciseness we sometimes got provided such a solid and convincing realistic portrayal and character.

I'm not autistic. I'm weird and socially inept and a picky eater and had to be taught how to smile and made to stop chewing my hair and can't spend more than a few minutes around people before I want to crawl out of my skin and can't take a shower without losing my shit over it and I don't understand people at all.
I'm not autistic. I'm some unsocialized dog.

White has such an addictive way of writing. It is raw. It is brutal. It is honest.
You can feel the rage dripping from their writing that makes it thrilling, pulse-pounding, and enraging.

This has a heavy theme of communism and socialism. It is basically a huge ‘F you’ to the Trump movement and the two parties dictating American politics. In this sense, beware. This is a very timely, heavy, relevant piece that could induce stress and anxiety for the current climate and future. As I don’t live in America, I don’t think this hit me as hard as it might other readers. But I could still feel the impact.

Books that make you think about the world we live in are very powerful and needed to reflect on how we are evolving as society.

I don't got anxiety or nothing. No more than I need to stay in one piece around here, at least. I just-
I don't know. People are too much work, and I don't like most of them.

This begs the question: how do we stop the cycle? Is it okay to get revenge, to strike back, if it’s to further a cause? To hurt others as you were hurt?

Thank you to the publisher for sending me an arc in exchange for a review!

First of all, I have to say that I went into this book with the absolute highest of expectations because Andrew Joseph White’s first two books both ended up being my favorite book of the year I read them in. This book is still really good, but it just didn’t quite live up to my expectations, probably because they were so very high. So all my criticism is very much just me being nitpicky and you should definitely read this book because it’s really good.

That being said, the thing that took me out of this book the most was the fact that I simply couldn’t comprehend why the family of the main character didn’t simply move away. Half the time I was reading I was shouting at them (in my head) that they should just pack up and get the hell out of there. I get it’s their home and has been for generations, but WHY would you not move away after all of these atrocious things happened to you? There is wanting to stay in your home and being proud of where you come from, and there is being a stubborn ass and risking the lives of all your family members for it. Maybe there’s something that I’m just not getting, but even in the book, there are other families who went through similar things and just ended up moving away. I know that the whole story wouldn’t work if they did that, but it made it really hard for me to get into the story when that option, in my opinion, was there the entire time (unless I missed something?).

Apart from that I really enjoyed the book. I especially loved all the characters. They are all so messy and real in a way that got me attached to them so quickly. One thing I especially want to highlight is, that this is a book with parents of the main character who are not only alive, but good (still flawed, but overall good) parents. Which is not a thing you see very often in YA books, especially YA books that center queer narratives and characters coming out to their parents (if they are even alive). There is something about the characters and (found-) families Andrew Joseph White writes in his books that is just perfect to me, and he consistently manages to pull that off in every single one of his books.

So, yeah, overall, not my favorite book by Andrew Joseph White, but still a very, very good book. The strong point of this book specifically is definitely the characters more so than the plot (in my opinion), but if you’re at all interested in a book that features a cast of mostly queer and/or neurodiverse characters going through absolute hell but sticking together through it, I would recommend you check this book out.

Another absolute hit for AJW, with the added bonus of being set in Appalachia! Absolute 5 out of 5. Thank you NetGalley for the ARC.

If you've read any of AJW's books, you know there is lots of queer angst and discover mixed with a healthy dose of gore/violence/grey morals. I love the contemporary setting of the story, an abandoned, traumatized coal town in West Virginia, but there is still a really strong tie to events of the past.

While Miles is the protagonist, the core of this story is family, both blood and found. Many queer folks understandably fear their family's reaction to coming out, and this story doesn't shy away from this harsh reality. Watching Miles be kicked in the gut, both literally and metaphorically, by those in power was heartbreaking to read. All I wanted to do was wrap him in a blanket. But at the end of the day, all of the people who care about Miles come together to help support him and kick it to the man!

Absolute banger of a book and a difficult but must-read!