3.5 stars

Set in rural West Virginia in a former mining town where a brutal family feud has been raging for a century, this book functions as a compelling horror story about multi-generational family trauma and the ways that capitalism engenders violence.

This story is fast-paced and packed with multiple jaw-on-on-the-floor moments. It features disability, autism, and queer rep (including trans and nonbinary characters and aromantic and queer platonic relationships).

Alongside the suspenseful thriller that serves as the main plot of the book, there are touching and realistic portrayals of a young person dealing with the difficulties of coming out and the struggles of being neurodivergent. I thought it was especially clever how the author utilized misgendering and deadnaming as a form of violence within the text.

Overall I enjoyed the book, though I felt it started off much stronger than it ended. I'm not sure exactly where I expected the story to go, but where it wound up was a bit disappointing considering how promising I found the start of the book. By the end, some of the character motivations still felt underdeveloped. And while I mostly enjoyed the anti-capitalist musings of the main character, at times it felt preachy and repetitive.

This is the first AJW book I;ve read and while it wasn't completely my cup of tea, I am eager to read the author's other books and I'm certain this one will appeal to many readers.

CW: animal cruelty, murder, mutilation, transphobia, violence, gore

Thank you to NetGalley for providing the e-arc. I feel genuinely honoured that I got to read an ARC of an Andrew Joseph White book not once but twice.

Compound Fracture is BRUTAL. Synopsis says this book is not for the faint of heart and... yeah! They were not kidding!

The moments of tenderness and unconditional love, as a result, are even more of a breath of fresh air.

There are many things I loved about this book: the unbridled and unapologetic queer joy from Dallas; the fact that their entire family (their brother plus the coolest sister in law) exists, really, Amber is just so cool and the way she takes care of Miles makes me WEEP; the way Miles' grandparents rallied around him <spoiler>after he was outed</spoiler> despite not exactly understanding the identity of transgender, but enough to know that it was a violation and that their grandchild NEEDED their love and support; Miles' journey of learning and self discovery. He does have a good point about resiliency: it is overrated, because why is there morality associated with pushing through a godawful circumstance when they shouldn't have to in the first place. Nonetheless, I am happy for him, for Dallas and family, for the this journey that led to him discovering a community that is there for one another and the joy and love that comes from having it.

As is typical of an Andrew Joseph White book, it has amazing autism representation. Like abolition / anarchism, it is also something I have been learning more about since my partner understood that he is on the autism spectrum. While reading CF, I'd recognize things that my partner also does and show it to him while giggling. The Spirit Bares Its Teeth was his first Andrew Joseph White book btw and he sobbed for a moment after finishing it, saying he felt so seen. I am sure that he will love this one too.

I am not sure if I love this one as much as TSBIT but mostly that is just because I don't do very well with gore and injury details. I appreciate this book deeply and especially the anarchist message.

I look forward to whatever Andrew releases next!

Thank you to NetGalley and Peachtree Teen for the eARC.

This book. I don't even think I have the words to give it justice. Go into it blind, go into it with an open mind - those are my two pieces of advise. Stellar.

'Compound Fracture' is not my first introduction to the work of Andrew Joseph White, and it has been lovely to see his writing develop and mature since 'Hell Followed with Us'. This book truly has it all, starting with complex characters with well-developed backgrounds, a sense of mysticism woven throughout the atmosphere, and gory, unexpected twists that WILL make you gasp out loud on a packed tube at rush hour.

The story follows trans autistic protagonist Miles as he survives an attempted murder and is pulled into the tangled world of generational trauma and class struggle in a small Appalachian town. It also explores his gender identity and the process of unmasking his autism. It's a gripping and compelling tale of community and resilience in rural America, delivered with the tasteful horror-esque writing style White is known for. Although this book features fewer fantasy elements than the author’s previous novels, it is no less fantastical. It was a great read from beginning to end!

Thank you to the publisher for providing an ARC for review via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

This novel was great!! Andrew writes amazingly and I find his characters to be easy to grow fond of. I am giving this book 4.25 as I found the overarching story to be pretty point A to point B, and I could personally see the ending coming earlier on in the book. I will say, this book is very current politically, so if you are thinking of reading this I would read it sooner rather than later as it is quite relevant!

This was an easy 5 stars. I adore Andrew Joseph White’s books, and this one is no different. the three adjectives that come to mind when trying to describe Compound Fracture are brutal, incisive and visceral. It’s a story of hard-fought hope and what it means to truly be a family. I can’t wait to read whatever Andrew Joseph White writes next.

This was a spectacular read, I've read it in one sitting... got overwhelmed with all the stuff going on but I just couldn't stop no matter what! Authors writing style is as captivating as in any other book, though I really appreciated this one was less fantastical - everything felt just... more!

Absolutely phenomenal! Andrew always has a way of pulling me in from the very beginning. I was invested in the characters, the journey, the historical context of West Virginia, etc. I could not put the book down. We get to follow Sadie aka Miles in a corrupt small town in West Virginia with a sheriff that’s been torturing his family for a long time. Most people say to just leave but Miles refuses because this is his home.

A coming of age novel that melts horror in like butter.

Thank you so much NetGalley for an eARC in exchange or an honest review!

This book made me want to go feral in the best way possible. I loved this book! From start to finish I did not want to put this thing down. The pacing and writing were perfect. The setting and plot of this story, even fictionalized, really felt honest and truthful to how a lot of small towns are and have been for a very long time. Everyone knows everyone's business and feuds can last a century. The history and backstory of the town and the Abernathy family were intriguing to read about. I love history and historical fiction so this was a nice addition to the mystery and horror. Miles is a fantastic character who is trans and autistic. I really enjoyed his evolution throughout the book. The characters felt real and fully dimensional. I thought Miles' family dynamic was really good and the information we learn about his relatives was very interesting! The book contains hatred towards lgbtq+ characters and at times very brutal, but these things do happen and the book is honest about it. Compound Fracture combines mystery/thriller with real life horror. Andrew Joseph White hits it out of the park again with this book. The Spirit Bares Its Teeth was one of my favorite books last year and Compound Fracture has become one of my favorite books this year!

Andrew Joseph White has to be my favorite author recently. Every book I have had the pleasure of reading has been so perfect. Every character is so real and I have enjoyed getting to know them. Thank you to NetGalley and thank you to the publishers for this e-ARC. Here's to more books in the future!

Firstly, I just want to give Miles a high five and a shoulder to cry on because holy moly I would be an absolute wreck in his shoes!!

Secondly, I love how unapologetically political this was, even when it made for scenes that were incredibly difficult to read. I think one of my highlight notes was just “acab acab acab” and I really appreciate the fact that this was published because I think it’s a conversation more people need to be having.

Thirdly, along with all of that, there were so many little (and not so little) moments that made me smile. Amber throwing the water on Davies. Prince Zuko! The GROWTH we see from Miles’ family by the end of the story. Mamaw and Papaw are so strong and they made me ache for my own grandparents. I love them.

I have probably a hundred or more highlights at this point and words cannot describe how much I absolutely adored this book. 5/5 again, AJW. Thank you for this.

I'm a huge AJW fan, but the pacing and story structure of this one was.... Odd?

I felt like so much of this book was outright social commentary, rather than being seamlessly integrated into the narrative. Now, I say this very carefully, as AJW's works are well know for using story and creative narrative as a vehicle to discuss very serious and important topics. That is not the problem here - in fact, I welcome using story to make these points. Where I take issue is when these points consume the story, wherein the point being made overshadows and swallows the story that is meant to contain and convey it, thus weakening the story, and ultimately, diluting the message. This is what I call the point of no return, where it becomes immediately obvious to the reader that the storytelling is just a means to an end, and that the story was never designed to stand on its own.

Yes, there were moments that the commentary being made was raised during important narrative junctures. This was fine. And yet, at other times, this commentary was splashed across multiple pages and droned on for so long that it was essentially nothing more than monologuing that read, to me, as separate and distinct from the narrative entirely. It really took me out of the story, and I could never connect with the characters or form a deep understanding of their motives.

I loved TSBIT, but this one was a miss for me.

Andrew Joseph White's writing gets stronger with each new novel, but also more visceral. Compound Fracture is perhaps less supernaturally oriented than his previous works, but this only made the gore and violence feel even more impactful. It is often an uncomfortable read, as is characteristic of White's work, but it is also an engaging and thought-provoking one.
The cast of characters is mostly well-developed - even the more "villainous" aspects. However, the Sheriff veers towards caricature at times, and this contrasts with the rest of the book veering more towards realism. For my tastes, it dragged me out of the story somewhat, and made the conclusion feel too neat.
Despite this, Compound Fracture is a tense, engrossing work. I perhaps lack the geographic and historical context to truly appreciate some aspects relating to the Appalachian setting, but the representation of the strike, and the town's remaining sentiment towards it years later, was very interesting to me.
The autistic representation was both varied (we are shown people on different aspects of the spectrum, both formally diagnosed and who haven't realised they are autistic yet) and insightful.
3.5 stars rounded up to 4.

l don’t read horror often. However, when I read AJW’s debut novel, I fell in love with their writing. I still LOVE everything AJW stands for, writing about neurodivergent trans teens, we need more protagonists like this in the literary world. I was hoping my love for their writing would continue, but AJW appears to be a one hit wonder for me. I wanted to love this book, be able to scream on top of rooftops about its amazingness, but all we got was a lackluster history lesson. This book was so disappointing and honestly felt like I was painfully tearing my eyelashes out one by one to read it. It just felt rushed and lacked the fine tuning and driving purpose that book one had.

Compound Fracture is so much more than I anticipated it to be! It follows Miles, a trans, autistic teen who lives in rural West Virginia and is part of a long-lasting family feud. Miles' family is working class, and Miles finds comfort in far left politics. This truly felt like a love letter to the author's upbringing, as Miles explains that he loves West Virginia through and through, despite its numerous issues. This book is extremely dark, and pretty graphic - more so than I was anticipating for a book marketed as young adult. But I really appreciated how it was written. I think the author was able to convey so many important messages without feeling preachy - trans and queerness were accepted and stood up for, and the importance of community was repeated throughout. I would highly recommend this book to anyone, but particularly for queer rural teens who want to feel themselves represented in a positive way.

Thank you to Peachtree Teen and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

A queer Appalachian thriller following a trans autistic teen thrown into the general struggle between the rural poor and those who will exploit them. Miles Abernathy is a sixteen year old socialist who has just come out as trans to his parents... and when he sneaks off to a party carrying evidence that would turn the tide in the feud in Twist Creek.... proving that the county's sheriff has been killing people and purposely injured Miles's father, things take a dark turn as the sheriff's son faces off against Miles. Miles just wanted to go unnoticed but its too late when the sheriff's son catches him with the evidence and proceeds to beat him to near death to keep him silent... and when the Sheriff threatens Miles into silence, Miles accidentally kills one of the boys who had hurt him. Everyone is under the sheriff's heel but maybe Miles will be the one to finally break this cycle... even if it means bodies will start dropping and blood is the only way to end the feud. This was a bloody brutal story about a small town feud, the toxic treatment of queer individuals, and the lengths people will go to to control others. Miles was such an interesting and compelling character who is constantly being handed terrible situations and must find a way to endure and survive them. This was a twisted fun read and one I would absolutely recommend for anyone who enjoys a good thriller and complex characters. I have been a huge fan of Andrew Joseph White's stories and writing and this one did not miss at all for me. I would absolutely recommend this book!

Release Date: September 3, 2024

Publication/Blog: Ash and Books (ash-and-books.tumblr.com)

*Thanks Netgalley and Holiday House / Peachtree / Pixel+Ink | Peachtree Teen for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*

Whew, this was a hell of a ride. And a pretty brutal one at times, too. But also, hopeful, even in the darkest of places. I appreciated that balance, frankly. We meet Miles, a trans teen who also has some undiagnosed autism. He lives in West Virginia, in a very rural community, so you can imagine that it might be extra hard for him. He's come out to his parents, and he has found some information on the (extra shitty) sheriff that implicates him in a ton of bad stuff. But as you can imagine, it isn't that easy when the "good ol' boys" run everything.

The story has several components: one, of course, being the corrupt local government and Miles's determination to hold them accountable. The other is Miles's relationships with his family, his friends, and his path of self discovery. He learns a lot about who he is and what he can do over the course of the story, and it is great to read about. He meets some people along the way who he really needed to meet, and I loved that for him. I don't want to say too much about any of these folks/entities for fear of spoilers, but I felt like every character introduced had a big impact on the story, which I love.

It did start off a little slower for me- I kind of thought parts of the first third could have been pared down a tad, but when it got going, I was absolutely hooked. Of course at that point, I was also super invested in Miles as a character, which helped! Anyway, things got really intense at certain points, and maybe it required just a touch of suspension of disbelief, but I didn't struggle to do so.

I found the commentary here really thought provoking. As much as Miles has gone through it in his community, he still loves living there. I have always wondered how people who live in such red areas (especially those who face hate because of who they are in such places) can stand it, and I loved that this book shed a light on that.

Bottom Line: Another hit from Andrew Joseph White, who continues to write incredible commentary with the most wonderfully messed up plots like no other.

The pacing was off which distracted from the entire story. There was so much build up for a main event that fell flat and was unfulfilling. The characters were well written but unfortunately the concept was just not as engaging as previous works I’ve read by this author.

At this point, I honestly don't believe that Andrew Joseph White could write a book I don't love. Compound Fracture was another incredible feat!

Plot Overview:
● Miles Abernathy, an autistic trans teen, & his family are embroiled in a brutal decades-long feud with the Davies family. Sheriff Davies tried to kill his dad, who was trying to make positive changes to their small Appalachian town.
● Miles recently came out as trans to his family and community.
● Davies's son & friends savagely attack Miles.
● Miles and his friend, Cooper, decide to get revenge.

What I loved:
● White's (@ajwhiteauthor) autistic protagonists validate my thoughts, feelings, & experiences as an autistic person.
● The complexity of the characters. For example, Miles knows he's definitely trans, but he's still figuring how he defines himself in other ways, who he feels safe with, how to protect his family, & how to break the generational cycle of violence in his family.
● The realness of Googling to find out more about oneself
● Miles's whole family, even if they're confused about Miles's gender identity & thought processes, will defend each other NO MATTER WHAT.
● Validation of self-diagnosis as being autistic

What didn’t work for me:
● Absolutely nothing. I loved every part of this book.

Who I’d recommend this to:
● Fans of social thrillers & horror
● Readers looking for diversity in gender identities & sexual orientations in characters
● Readers who like descriptive writing & fast-paced plots

Thanks to @NetGalley & @peachtreepublishing for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.