4.75 stars*

This felt very different from White’s previous two novels, but I really enjoyed it. Definitely a little less horror and a little more thriller. The anger and teeth I’ve come to expect were still very much at the forefront of this story. I felt very seen in the autistic rep in this book.

I think the protagonists in Compound Fracture took a lot more premeditated action against their oppressors than previous books and have to come to terms with what they’re willing to do to survive and protect their loved ones. I really liked that we got to see Miles discover more about himself even as he’s dealing with this overwhelming threat looming over him. Instead of religious trauma we have a lot of class conflict and an interesting look at the history of unions and violence in West Virginia.

The second half of the book felt a little rushed to me, I would have liked it to be a little longer and more fleshed out.

I really loved this book and, just like his other books, this was impossible to put down.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC of this work. All opinions in this review are my own.

Thank you to NetGalley, Holiday House / Peachtree / Pixel+Ink | Peachtree Teen, and Andrew Joseph White for an ARC of "Compound Fracture." in exchange for a fair and honest review.

I first discovered Andrew Joseph White last summer and have fallen in love with his writings. When I saw "Compound Fracture" available as an ARC, I was very happy. Even without reading it, I knew it would be great, and White managed to exceed my expectations.

"Compound Fracture" follows Miles Abernathy, a queer teen in Appalachia, West Virginia, who is caught up in a generational blood feud.

I grew up in a small, rural Appalachia-adjacent town, and while there's no blood feud I know of, I greatly sympathize with Miles. Everyone knows everyone else's business; there are strict socio-economic divides; being queer/different in any way usually puts a target on your back; politics in small towns are the absolute worst (especially when you disagree with the majority of your neighbors). This puts enormous pressure on the younger generations to grow up faster, and Miles is no different. He is constantly warring with himself about whether to do the right thing or protect his family and friends. No seventeen-year-old kid should have to be worried about that. Instead, they should be enjoying their childhood and summer vacation.

The book opens with a celebration that should be fun and happy, but it soon turns deadly for Miles simply because of an old blood feud. Miles then has to recover from the terrible attack without remembering anything that happened. He is also faced with growing pressure not to remember who attacked him. As the story progresses, he slowly gains more confidence to do what is right and what is needed to protect his family, no matter the cost. Miles is determined to put an end to the blood feud. He also realizes that while other town members aren't directly involved in the blood feud, they would still benefit from it ending. When another teenager mysteriously disappears and another is found dead, Miles realizes that the blood feud must end. By any means necessary.

I loved so much about this book, the first being the relationship Miles has with his dog and the relationship he has with his family. His family has tried their best to protect him from the gruesomeness of the blood feud, but unfortunately, it's something that Miles had learned about because he was an Abernathy, and nothing they could do could protect him from that. His dog is his best friend, and he's constantly worried about her being killed in retaliation for him being an Abernathy. Another thing that I loved about this book was its talk about politics and how so many people assume everyone living in West Virginia is conservative. Historically, those living in Appalachia were the first US socialists. I think having those discussions about politics is very important in today's world. There's also a bit of a "found family" trope that I absolutely adored.

The only thing that bothered me a bit about this book was that the end felt rushed, but it still didn't detract from the storytelling, and I can understand why White decided to increase the pacing drastically in the last few chapters. Another thing that I didn't like about the book was a death that occurs. To me, it seemed unnecessary, but once again, I can understand why it was necessary and how it keeps the story moving.

This is such a fantastic read; I can't wait for it to come out so I can purchase it. I will definitely recommend it to all my reader friends.

Overall Rating: 5/5 stars.

Once again I am reminded why Andrew Joseph White is one of my favorite authors. Everything he writes has me gripped from the first page until the very last.

"What's law enforcement except a group of people legally allowed to hurt you without cause? I don't trust no one with that kind of power."

A burtal story of the struggles of the working class and the ones who exploit them.

I adored Miles as a main character and loved being inside his head throughout this book. White's trans and autistic rep in his books is so important and I cannot wait to see what he writes in the future.

✨ ARC review – Compound Fracture by Andrew Joseph White ✨

(No quote this time cause I accidentally reset my kobo and lost my notes on the ebook 💀)

⚠️ cw: transphobia, death, murder, detailed injury, gun violence, fire injury, car accident, disfigurement, vomit, animal cruelty (and more, but the book contains content warnings itself!)

Second @netgalley ARC done and dusted (a while ago actually) and I finally got around to reviewing it. I picked this one up cause I really enjoyed White's debut, and when I saw the announcement it was available on NetGalley, I jumped on the hype train. Thanks for sending it my way!

The story is set in the Appalachia region of the United States. It follows Miles and his attempt to end the feud that has been impacting his family for generations, beginning with the miner strike that led to Miles' great-grandfather's murder. The war between the Abernathy family and the oppressive authority of Sheriff Davies could end with the evidence Miles has found – however, just as he's about to find a way to reveal them, he's brutally attacked and left severely injured.

Man, this was GOOD. I enjoyed Hell Followed With Us, but you can very clearly see a stark improvement from White's debut both in the content and the form of this latest release. The writing is mature, the voices are distinct, the story is elaborate and detailed, and everything simply begs you to turn the page and find out what's going to happen next.

I love White and his gay transmasc autistic MCs. Miles comes out at the very beginning of the book, and while his transness is an important characteristic of his being and something that is used against him, it's never the focus of the story. But damn if it doesn't make me feel seen all the same.

The focus, instead, is family. By blood or by choice, Miles gets results because of the support of those around him, because of community and love and care, and I think that's an absolutely fantastic message to send, especially to trans teens. Not everybody is gonna get it, or say or do the right things immediately, but that doesn't mean they won't be there for you when it matters.

Overall, go preorder this – it's 100% worth it!

Compound Fracture is my first real delve into Andrew Joseph White and truly wasn't a disappointment.

This is Andrew Joseph White's best book. Hands down.

The pacing in this book is wonderfully done. There were no lulls or boring stints that took you out of the book. The multiple points of representation were expertly handled and were very realistically represented. The characters were fully fleshed out and relatable. The strength and drive of the main character was a high point for me as a reader. Lady is the bestest girl there ever was. I loved the animal bestie.

I will recommend and scream this book praises from every rooftop that there is. I wish I could give it more than five stars.

4.5
Once again White gives us a book that is beautifully written, full of great (main) characters and wonderful representation. As an autistic person it can be so hard to find a book with actually GOOD autistic rep, and just like with his last book this one was great. Seeing a character, and a badass at that, experience the same things I do feels so validating. Along with the autism rep there is also great trans and aromantic rep!
It's a strong and compelling story with very important conversations, espacially in the political climate we live in now.
The only 'issue', and I hesitate to call it that, was with the pacing I think. (Please keep in mind I am not an American, have never been to America and live in a non-English speaking country so this could very well be just on my end!)

E-ARC provided by the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for honest review, thank you!

There were several things I liked about this book and several I didn’t. Overall, I enjoyed it, and it’s a book I’d read again, but it is my least favorite of White’s books so far.

What I liked:

Miles’s family felt very real. They were messy and tight-knit and looked out for each other. The clumsy way they handled him coming out felt realistic and reminded me of how people I know have handled me coming out to them. It was refreshing to see a reaction that wasn’t entirely negative or entirely positive, the messy and awkward makes it feel real. I can heavily relate to the way Miles’s parents handled his autistic traits as a child. The line (to paraphrase) “they’ll think our [son’s] special” to get him to stop stimming reminds me of how my parents reacted to me as a child. His parents care about appearances, but they also care about Miles and do their best to help him navigate a sensorially hostile environment in the best way they know how.

I enjoyed all of Miles’s interactions with Saint, and I especially enjoyed it never being clarified as to if Saint was some sort of hallucination or an apparition. Saint’s appearances or lack thereof acted as a visualization of Miles’s moral compass; when Saint distances himself or disappears entirely, it’s at times Miles internally knows that what he’s doing is wrong. I enjoyed the details of Miles finding out Saint was trans; he already looked up to his ancestor, but this gave him an extra special connection and insight into who Saint was as a person.

Many of the side characters were great. Dallas was by far my favorite and I wish we had gotten to see more of them; their family was also good. I have mixed feelings about Cooper, I liked him a lot in the beginning, but that started to dwindle as time went on, and his characterization took a sharp turn part way through without there being much of an explanation for it, which I suppose leads into…

What I didn’t like:

The plot and pacing felt like they were all over the place at times. The beginning of the story was very cohesive and enjoyable, but as the book progressed things started to get confusing in a way I don’t believe is a narrative device. Characterization became inconsistent with no on page reasoning. Certain characters had information without any clear explanation of how they found out (for example: Noah outing Miles, it was never explained how Noah found out he was trans/went by Miles unless I missed something).

This book a lot like watching a gymnastics trick that starts out great, falters in the middle, then stumbles on the landing. It wasn’t by any means a bad book, but it certainly isn’t the author’s best work. There were more things I liked about it than things I disliked, but the issues with consistency and pacing take away from what would otherwise be a very good book.

I loved this book! I will forever read anything written by this author, and I was thrilled to get a copy of his third book. As someone who is non-binary and autistic, I always relate to his main characters in a way that I just haven't really felt with any other books I've read. And growing up in a depressed area of Appalachia, this one hit home even more. The last 20% of the book had me crying, shaking my head in disbelief and crying some more. What an emotional ride this book was! I can't wait for the book to be released later this year so I can own the hardcover of it!

Compound Fracture is a book that I've been looking forward to since Andrew Joseph White started posting about it, ESPECAILLY with it being set in Appalachia. White has an absolute talent for writing horror in ways that are new, different, and horrific for each of his books, and that's part of the reason I love his writing so much. I could see so much of myself in the main character of Compound Fracture, Miles as a trans autistic myself. The book being set in more recent times made it much different that Hell Followed With Us and The Spirit Bares Its Teeth, but I loved it as it was able to use things like cell phones as narrative devices, and there were several text conversations throughout. All in all, I am anxiously awaiting the release of Compound Fracture so I can purchase a copy and proudly display with all my other Andrew Joseph White books!

Andrew Joseph White is a must buy author for me. I was so excited to receive the arc of his newest book. I do think this was a good book, but it was also very dark. I personally love that, but being targeted to a younger audience I think it should come with the proper warnings. That being said I will still recommend it to those I find mature enough to read it.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed here are my own.

And another book were my expectations were a bit too high. I loved HFWU and TSBIT so obviously I thought I'd absolutely love this one too. And it was good! But that's about it. The characters were compelling, the plot was good, I loved the politics aspect, the writing was good but still easy to read (as a YA book should be) but in the end I just don't care that much about it.
But I am very happy that there now is another autistic trans YA book out there!

(I'm also very glad the dog is alright)

Compound Fracture
By Andrew Joseph White
A Review by Jamilla (@ LandsAwayBooks, a wordpress blog)

“We’ve already killed one of them. What’s a few more?”

Compound Fracture is White’s third published novel, his first grounded in the present, though the past haunts every page, in a face we know but have forgotten.

Did you know, at the Battle of Blair Mountain, strikebreakers dropped leftover World War I bombs onto the miners from planes?

Its americana condensed, violence and community; a history deliberately broken, redneck: union red, proud, hard fought socialist, painted over a red cap: America First, but it never meant you. Crabs in a barrel pulling each other down, down, down. Money over lives.

White typical style of body horror pervades: skin flayed, viscera exposed, mouth left a gaping, dripping ruined thing from a railroad spike, his descriptions render art out of the macabre.

And there’s more to be found than that, Compound Fracture, reacquaints us with the story of coal miners and their fight against injustice, of how essential community is to this life and how family may have it’s faults but there’s nothing like them loving you and having your back.

You can’t open a book on the laws of physics and find a chapter labeled “Exploiting Workers for Profit and Killing Them When They Ask You to Stop.”

He unveils the American present, how the dream was always defective, how authority figures in small towns can corrupt, how doctors pushed drugs into a community whose epigenetic traumas could lead them down the path to addiction, how medical debt crushes and how even when people are drowning, drowning, drowning, they can still be there to warm others.

The word boyfriend flits through my head and it makes me—I don’ t know, I can’t tell, I can never tell—uncomfortable? Unsteady? What?

This is the protagonist of his that I relate the most to (neurodivergent aromatic peeps, stand up!) even as Miles seems himself as on the outskirts of social life, unable to manage basic conversations without a script, he’s the one that sees to the heart of those around him, his compassion and empathy blossoms and blooms even as gunshots sound out. He shows us that sometimes community care, means the sheriff has to go and a system that puts each other first needs to rise up instead.

There is also a discussion here about anger, in it’s nebulous motivations, but the one that resonates most, that broke me a little, other than anger at injustice which is the story’s core, is the anger of we misdirect to those closest to us, or as White puts it:

Expressing anger in the only way you know how, towards someone safe enough to weather it?

I love that White had time in this Magnus opus to let us know that trans is not new, we were there in the past, are here in the present, and will be there in the future.

Once again, an essential read to teens… that, you know, can stand gore.

Thank you to the publishers and Netgalley for the opportunity to read an eARC in exchange for a honest review.

Queer Appalachian horror/thriller about a trans, autistic teen who will do whatever he can to protect his family (especially his dog, Lady!)? Yes please!

Thank you to Peachtree Teen for my NetGalley ARC of this! I’m beyond appreciative!

This is my first Andrew Joseph White book and I can assuredly say that it will not be my last. This book is dark, and heavy, but it is incredible. The blood feud and generational struggles were depicted in such a compelling way! The unashamed political nature of this story was also extremely well-written.

Miles is such a strong and brave main character! Even though he does some questionable things, you can’t help but hope he succeeds. His development throughout this story and his acceptance of his trans, neurodiverse, and possibly aromantic identities was so enjoyable to witness. I also adored the character development seen through all of Miles’ family!

Lady, the dog that you are 🫶🏼🫶🏼🫶🏼
My hero!

This book isn’t out until September, but as soon as it releases, you HAVE TO get your hands on it! This was an incredible read!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

4.5 rounded up to 5 stars.

This book is equal parts a love letter and a desperate plea to the South. The author does an incredible job of depicting the love and community that can thrive in the South while also expressing the desperate need for the South to also accept and fight for those who don't have power. The perspective and nuance of this book is incredibly unique and the author does a great job of explaining why a simplistic political view of rural and conservative areas only hurts those who are marginalized in those areas and want better.

The characters in this book are absolutely incredible; every character feels like a real person with complex emotions. This book showcases a lot of people who aren't perfect, but are trying their best to come to terms with and deal with situations they never anticipated being in. The characters also all care so deeply for each other. The formation of the communities in this book was very bittersweet, as it was really beautiful to see so many people come together to fight for the same goal, but it was also heartbreaking that they had been pushed down for so long and needed to come together out of such rage.

This book doesn't shy away from exposing brutal truths and the themes are loud and in your face so you can't mistake them. This book doesn't have the same fantastical elements as AJW's other books, but that doesn't make the story or world any less vivid.

The one thing I had minor issues with in this book was the paranormal elements. I think that the amount of explanation versus impact on the plot that the paranormal elements wasn't balanced correctly. Either the level of explanation/world-building needed to be increased to match the level of impact it had on the plot, or the impact on the plot needed to be lessened so it didn't feel like any explanation or world-building was necessary.

This story is full of rage and anger and love; this book showcases point blank what the brutality of oppression and what fighting against that oppression may require.

Thank you to the author for providing me with an E-ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Holy shit, this book was insane. It was messed up and scary, but in such a different way than "Hell followed with us" and "The spirit bares its teeth". It wasn't accompanied by angels, or spirits (well, except for one), or other otherworldly creatures. Instead it slapped you in the face with very real and realistic issues that the southern states of America might genuinely be facing. It was terrifying, and I loved it.

A.J White truly knows how to mess with the reader's emotions, because mine sure were all over the place. My blood boiled over Davis and Noah's actions and my heart broke for Miles, Saint, Dallas, Cooper and everyone effected by the Davis family's utter bullshit because it isn't fair. I was also scared for Miles and his family. Scared of what might happen to them or sweet Lady. There weren't a single moment reading this book were I wasn't at least a little bit stressed out, but at the same time I couldn't put it down. Seeing how fucked up the justice system was frustrating and so on point with today's society, so getting to see the socialist and anarchist youth and grown-ups sticking it to the man was very satisfying.

The representation were on point, as always. Seeing Miles struggling with accepting not only his autism, but also his aro-spec identity was very relatable, and made me feel seen, as I've struggled with the same. Though, ADHD and not autism. The historical elements were really interesting to learn about, and I loved that we got them through Miles and hyperfixations. It made it all the more enjoyable. The general queerness was represented beautifully, and the QPR rep made me very emotional.

Oh and dear Saint, I loved his character as well. There's just something so comforting about knowing Trans people has always existed, even 100's of years ago. His story was so sad, and it was really nice seeing Miles seeking justice for him, and looking up to him. So thank you, Andrew Joseph White, for writing this very important book, for bringing the Abernathy family even a little bit of justice with a rather symbolic, even slightly hopeful ending, and for keeping Lady safe.

I need to start this review by sobbing violently into my kindle. I am so incredibly grateful to have received an ARC of Compound Fracture by Andrew Joseph White, my favorite author. Thank you.


“Does that make it easier to swallow?”
I like to say I am AJW’s biggest fan. I have read all of his published books and seek out special editions etc. I love and relate to the characters and truly feel what they feel. However, I have not read a book thus far in my life that shook me quite like Compound Fracture. Growing up as a queer fat kid in poor America is a uniquely terrible experience and this book captures the wrestling feelings in a way that I have never seen before. I laughed, cried, I gasped so loud I woke my wife up out of bed. Do yourself a favor and read this book, and check your trigger warnings!

Andrew Joseph White is not interested in your comfort, as a reader. Let’s get that out of the way right now. His novels, this one included, go right for the jugular. They draw you in and implicate you and liberate you and force you to look at your mind, habits, motivations, and behaviors. I love them for that.

I have so many thoughts, I don’t know how to condense and formulate them for a review. Let’s try, together. It is important to know that this novel skews far more thriller than horror, especially in comparison to his previous two novels. There is a supernatural element, but it is not at the heart of this story, nor my favorite part. If you go in expecting some of the apocalyptic body horror of HFWU or the Victorian, gothic horror of TSBIT then you will be disappointed. If, instead, you are looking for an emotional thriller that is about inherited trauma and violence, class solidarity, and what it means to define and defend your self, home, and family, then you will be ensnared from the first page. This story is graphic and gut-wrenching, but with moments of incredible joy and solidarity, filled with perseverance and hope against all odds.

This is White’s least metaphorical book. There are explorations of socialist ideology/class solidarity, neurodivergence, and queer & trans identity and experience that are very straightforward, and almost didactic at times. White doesn’t give us any fantastical elements to hide behind; there is an immediacy, a refusal to let you look away. Sometimes this felt a little more preachy and a little less interesting than the way similar things were explored in his other novels. I always appreciate the ways genre can let you hyperbolize something to make a salient point more resonant and immediate in our real lives, but while the emotional journey and violence here can be overwhelming at times, there is no hyperbole. So that wasn’t my favorite. But the more I thought about it, after finishing the story, the more I came to appreciate it. Because I am reading this novel as an adult who has already studied a lot of these things. I already am invested in anti-capitalism and class solidarity, I already know a lot about queer experience and visibility and identity, and I have done work studying neurodivergence and disability politics. This is technically a YA novel, and the narrator is a teenager that is overwhelmed with these ideas, they are the super-focused center of his life. It makes sense for there to be an almost didactic feel to the way he explains some of these things. And there is a huge audience who won’t come in with my experiences, and to have a character be so bluntly explaining how even victimizers are victims caught in a web of capitalism and severe wealth inequality can actually be quite powerful. As I read the book I wanted more metaphor and less preaching, but as I contemplate the book I realize there was a huge benefit to the tone, approach, and structure. It was made jagged and sharp on purpose, and I have come to appreciate it.

The character work is, as usual, incredible. I feel invested in not just the protagonist but the whole bevy of ancillary characters, too. I see myself and people I know in them, they feel genuine and personal and complicated. And, importantly, there is growth and change and journey. There were a few small character moments, specifically related to family (and found-family) dynamics that made me literally tear up in public as I was reading this, because they are sometimes overwhelming in their simplicity, in how easy they should and can be but are far too often not. I also thought the plotting and timing was, for the most part, good. The story kept me invested and wanting to keep going the whole time—I devoured this novel in less than two days. Occasionally the plotting was a little stunted feeling, but it was always done for the sake of developing character moments, and so I never felt pulled away or distracted.

There are some things that I didn’t love, which I suppose worth noting. The supernatural element to this story felt like an afterthought. I liked the way it resolved, and the inherent ambiguity even in the resolution (I have already read other reviews that interpreted it differently than me), but it felt like it existed in this weird peripheral place that was frustrating. If the supernatural element had been either more prominent (without changing the resolution) or not there at all, that would have been better. I appreciate the narrative journey it facilitated for our protagonist, so I am glad it was there, I just wish it were more there. Secondly, this story is set in a very specific time and place. I understand why, given there is a family history and legacy that plays a big role in the story. It just felt like locking it to a specific presidency and time period penned it in a little. There is an explicit recognition that the violence experienced exists through bloodlines, spanning hundreds of years, and it isn’t new or unique to a Trump presidency, but still it felt more isolated, and less explosive, then maybe it could have been.

This story is confrontational, and makes no attempt to hide its bloody knuckles or battle scars. While there were some elements that I didn’t love, the intense passion, and compassion, at the center of this story kept me engaged. It was heavy-handed at times, but was doing so in such a way as to always offer an invitation to the reader, wanting you to be a comrade, to work for justice for all oppressed, marginalized, and victimized people. The story was visceral, intimate, and showed a different set of strengths to White’s writing. Even after having been given an eARC to read I have already pre-ordered a physical copy, because I want to make sure there is a copy easily available for my siblings and niblings and friends and even myself to return to, White has given us an immersive experience and I definitely recommend it.

(Rounded up from 4.5 stars).

I want to thank the author, the publisher Peachtree, and NetGalley, who provided a complimentary eARC for review. I am leaving this review voluntarily.

I usually stay aware from violent, emotionally difficult books but Andrew Joseph White's books have found a way into my heart.

Miles Abernathy is a sixteen-year-old trans and autistic kid living in West Virginia. He gets caught up in the generational violence inflicted on poor, rural families like his own by the sheriff and his cronies.

This book is very political, with Miles describing himself as a socialist. It is overtly anti-law enforcement for obvious reasons. It is also pro-union and and at times very anti-patriotic. Where I sit on the west coast of Canada, these ideas are not unusual. But where Miles is rural Appalachia is an entirely different story, as the violence he and his friends and family face shows.

This is the second Andrew Joseph White book I've read with trans masculine autistic main characters. I am not autistic, but I do find it fascinating to learn how the author portrays his autistic characters. It's nothing like Sheldon Cooper stereotypes we often see.

Despite the gruesome political violence, I love how quickly Miles' family comes around to him being trans. This is an oasis of love in an otherwise brutal story. The author hints in the acknowledgement that Miles' family was based on his own. I also appreciate that Miles does not need to medically transition before people take his identity seriously. There is a T4T relationship in this book, which I also appreciate the representation of.

This is a young adult book I suppose because the main character is a teenager, not for the easy breezy subject matter. This book is certainly not for all young adults, and probably not for all adults either!

Compound Fracture was on my must-read queer fiction list for 2024 and it did not disappoint. I feel incredibly lucky I got a copy so far in advance of publication.

I am writing this review more than a week after finishing the ARC. I needed time to gather my thoughts. Not because it was bad, on the contrary. It was too damn good! I have no idea how I can put into words how incredible this book is and what it already means to me. I hope my review can do it justice.

One thing that’s always spot on for me in Andrew’s writing is the representation. I am trans and autistic and nowhere else I feel so seen as in Andrew’s books. Compound Fracture is no different, if not better. I was so happy to read about stimming, hyperfixations and even the difficulties of getting a (late) diagnosis.

Compound Fracture follows trans autistic teen Miles Abernathy, who gets stuck in a violent feud that’s been going on for generations. Miles and his family live in Twist Creek; a rural Appalachian town with a gruesome mine worker’s history. A century ago, Miles’ great grandfather, one of the mine workers, was brutally murdered. This was the starting point of the ongoing feud between the exploited working class and a dangerous rich family that’s been abusing their power. And just like a century ago, this family doesn’t shy away from violence, or even murder. Now Miles has become their next victim.

Compound Fracture is a story full of rage, angst and frustration. It’s about fighting for justice. They try to silence everyone who stands up. But Miles keeps fighting. For his town, his family, his ancestors, his identity and himself.

It’s a brutal story. Miles has to endure so much and I was so scared for him. While I didn’t want to stop reading, I had to put away the book sometimes to catch my breath. But despite all the violence, the book was very human. The characters and the world felt real and complex. Andrew J White has a way of writing that made me feel like I was there with Miles. The pacing was perfect and everything flowed so well. There were one-page chapters and blacked out pages. It just fits.
I loved how the book combined the past with the present. The historical elements were very interesting, and it showed the hyperfixation and special interests of Miles as well. And I can’t not mention Miles dog Lady, what a wonderful doggo and thank you Miles and Andrew for keeping her safe. 💚

I want to thank Netgalley, Peachtree Teen for giving me the possibility to read this ARC in exchange for an honest opinion. And Andrew J White, thank you so much for writing this book.