This story shines a light on so many issues near and dear to my heart from growing up in the south, but I find that the authentic portrayal of the autistic main character and the unspoken strain it causes with their relationships to me the most unexpectedly memorable part of this book. There is a palpable spectrum of rage and fear as you go on this journey with Miles that makes it impossible to put the book down. White’s writing takes pieces of the brutal honesty from history and carves it into the pages in a way that makes you wince the rose-colored glasses from your face. Five stars.

Compound Fracture is a very impressive book, at first I was a bit worried about it being too similar to "The Spirit Bares Its Teeth" due to the paranormal vibes but I'm so glad to say that it wasn't like that and Andrew know pretty well how to give each story its own personality despite sharing treats with his past books, this doesn't apply only to the paranormal but to his main characters too.

I think that is wonderful that the author doesn't hold back when it comes to moments depicting graphic violence even when his books are YA, I deeply appreciate this, he doesn't belittle his audience and is more than willing to show that the world can be such a cruel, nasty place yet you can find support and certain beauty in it. Another positive thing that I highly appreciate is that we are shown villains that are evil purely by the sake of evilness, there's not a sad background to justify their actions, they're simply evil and I think we need to see more villains like these, it's refreshing.

Some of the most valuable things from this book is the way we're shown the coming out of Miles to his family and friends and the diversity of reactions we get from them, it feels very real and relatable, also the way Miles and his family are close and are willing to do anything to keep each other safe was so special to see, we almost never see a family this close and present in the life of a main character and it's good and moving to see a change like this for once. The inclusion part doesn't fall behind and it's wonderful to see such a diversity when it comes to the queer community, we get to see representation for groups that are not often included in media and the disability representation was on point, it was amazing to have so many disable characters and showing their struggles and strength in their daily life.

I'm my personal experience, the politics included in the book while interesting were a bit too heavy since I feel they're mostly focused for an American audience and at times was hard to catch on some terms, names and situations, though the book does a good job in educating the reader about certain historical events and awake your curiosity so you can do more research on your own.

As a final note, is that Andrew's narration is so well done that through the whole story it constantly makes you feel like a hunter and the prey, it's such a chilling feeling once you notice it and adds a lot to the narration.

Overall a perfectly written book with lots of suspense, tension and inclusion.

Thank you to Peachtree Teen and NetGalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

There is something about AJW’s writing that continues to leave me speechless and on the edge of my seat. His stories paint every scene and emotion in such vivid detail. I feel like if I blink I will miss out on an important word or moment or descriptor. I finished this book a few days ago, and I have been sitting with it to hope I can make a congruent review that’s understandable and conveys just how much I appreciate this book.

Miles is an autistic, trans teen who lives in West Virginia, and has been surrounded by a deep feud within the families of this Appalachian town for generations. He becomes a victim to the blood feud by nearly being beaten to death.

The suspense in this book lasts almost until the very end of the novel. I felt like reaching in between the words to grab Miles and comfort him. Part of the description of this book says that this novel is “a visceral, unabashedly political page-turner that won’t let you go until you’ve reached the end, Compound Fracture is not for the faint of heart, but it is for every reader who’s ready to fight for a better world. Hand this story to teens pushing for radical change.” And I couldn’t agree more. There are so many important topics and discussions of what needs to change. There are moments of Miles realizing who he is and who his real found family is, and these moments were so special. I love when people understand what the other needs when they are beat down, tired, scared, overstimulated, etc and help however they can to allow the person to feel what they’re feeling, while also carrying some of the burden for them.

This book was phenomenal, and I’m excited for others to join in praising this work of art.

CW: murder, death, violence, gun violence, fire/fire injury, blood, body horror, transphobia, deadnaming, homophobia, animal cruelty, vomit

A gorgeous story of generational trauma and resilience, this book is extremely political and that is what makes this book great. This is also a love letter to working class and the struggles they face in smaller towns that neither political party touches. Instead the town has to solve issues on their own which creates trauma but through it all it also creates community.

Miles coming out story was well told and often when I was thinking "well that's unfair..." the character would think that as well which added to make him feel like a really well fleshed out character. There's so much representation in this book - Autistic, Trans, nonbinary, aromantic and it was all so great to read. I hope this becomes more common in books, it's always refreshing to read books about less represented LGBTQA+ communities.

It is not often that we get stories of rural America where the MC is a progressive person in a small town, it shows that small towns have their communities in which the marginalized can stand behind. Throughout the book we find ourselves rooting for Miles and the adversities he has to triumph over to just be able to live a safer (not completely safe) life.

There was a decision in the end that I did not understand, Miles' parents who had treated him as a child most of the book suddenly felt okay with sending their son the mines so they could capture Davies' son. From what I saw both of his parents cared a lot for him so the idea of them letting him go just with a phone in hand was a little out of left field. The book does come back around once he's found by his parents so it's just a small thing that bothered me but its not a huge enough issue.

Overall this is a YA book that holds no punches which I feel like Andrew Joseph White does so well.

5 ⭐️!!!

If I could give this book one word for how I felt while reading, it would be simple: home.

Sure, a book about a trans teen committing homicide isn't exactly what I would think of when I think of the word "home." But it's so much more than that. Miles' character IS home for all the Appalachian teens who are now adults, wishing they could've had a word for why they felt different during their formative years. Autistic & trans? Those words weren't even on my radar.

AJW does a fantastic job of immersing the reader into the main character's headspace. Miles' thoughts and actions and emotions and reactions made clear sense to me. Is Miles morally correct? Absolutely not. Is he a kid trying to protect his family and do the best he can? Yes, but that doesn't excuse his actions.

Turns out, emailing the publisher for a physical ARC actually does work. Thank you SO much to Peachtree Teen for the advance copy!!

Thank you NetGalley and the publishers for a copy to review!

One day I'll find a book bt Andrew Joseph White that will disappoint me, but todays not that day!! His first book set in current times, it still manages to blend horror, fantasy and rage at society that betrays us. I especially enjoyed the setting and historical background: not being from the USA, a lot of my understanding of West Virginia came from media that wasn't wery kind to this state. But Miles love and criticism for his home mafe me also look at it differently.

5 stars!

Andrew Joseph White does it again, this time combining the horrors real people are capable of and stringing together a generational tale set in mining country deep in the Appalachia. Miles, a transboy, is one year away from graduating from his small town when over the summer he discovers evidence that the local Sheriff has intentionally tried to kill his family as well as two others when they start a campaign to change the town's government. When Miles attempts to make this known, he himself is attacked and is told to stay quiet. When Miles accidently intimidates one of his attackers and the attacker winds up dead, Miles teams up with a former friend, Cooper, with the goal of getting to them before they get got.

White does a great job of lyrically layering accents, and as a person from the South, its incredibly refreshing to hear the voices of my ancestors reflected in the speech patterns that White channels. Its also a gem to see queer and radical representation set in 2017, deep in Trump country. This novel is an excellent social commentary while also just being a kickass story that uplifts the common folk in an age of stigmatization.

An absolute throat punch of a story and a real barn burner of a setting!

Miles is about as different as you can get in Twist Creek, West Virginia: trans, autistic, and part of the Abernathy/Davies family feud. Just as he's come out to his parents as trans (...well, he sent them an email), he gets into trouble on a walk home from a party with Noah Davies, whose father, Sheriff Davies, lets his son get away with everything he wants and once drove Miles' dad off a road to much death and destruction! A whole lot of history between the Abernathy and Davies families, including one Saint Abernathy, who is now visible to Miles post-traumatic head injury...

The raw rage of Miles and his family is something to behold. The socialism throughout, fighting against powerful people who mean you harm, and how queer people develop in rural areas are all such enjoyable parts of this roller coaster of a novel. The body horror aspect is a lot, so definitely check trigger warnings.

Highly recommend!

Thanks to Peachtree Teen and NetGally for an advanced reader copy.

This is one of my new favourite books. The moment I started reading, I knew it was going to be a one-sitting read. Miles was a relatable narrator and I found his thoughts interesting to listen to.
Overall, I highly recommend this book, especially to my fellow trans & autistic people.

My first Andrew Joseph White novel and definitely not my last!! Really enjoyed this, perfect read for the fall.

Andrew Joseph White writes the most brutal but oddly touching horror I have ever read. So bloody and amazing.

This is a very fast-paced read about a blood feud in Appalachia and the ways it has impacted the families on each side and the bystanders in the town for generations. Our protagonist Miles is trans, autistic, and aromantic, and we get to see him figure these things out in real time, which feels like a real privilege. Miles’ family and the families of his childhood best friends Dallas and Cooper had their lives changed forever after an accident caused by the antagonist family. Miles is a great character because even after all he has been through, he is still able to really find sympathy and the grey areas in dealing with all kinds of antagonists throughout this book. I enjoyed this book a lot!

I continue to be impressed by Andrew Joseph White's depictions of trans and autistic characters, and I loved getting to know Miles throughout 'Compound Fracture'. White's characters are complex and distinctive, and that keeps drawing me into his books. Being trans and autistic myself, seeing this great representation is so encouraging, and it's amazing this book is being published (as well as White's other books). Reading Miles's interactions with his family around gender was sometimes hard, but it was a realistic portrayal of the difficulties family members can have with others coming out as trans.

Another thing I love is White's writing throughout – it's accessible and keeps me interested and reading. It's easy to overlook prose, but having read 'The Spirit Bares Its Teeth', it's one of the key things that made me want to read this latest book.

I did struggle with really understanding the familial feud as it's introduced without much explanation. It's easy enough to gather the details as you read on, but I think the book could have benefitted from an initial chapter that better laid out some of the foundational concepts for the story. I also found the first half of the book very slow and felt the pacing could have been improved, but it picked up in the second half!

Overall, it was a good read that I'm so thankful to have had the opportunity to read early!

Andrew Joseph White is back at it again, this time with a political thriller set in Appalachia. Known for his excellent dystopian and paranormal books, Compound Fracture was a turn from White’s sci-fi roots. His vivid and bloody descriptions are still here, as well as excellent trans characters and is unabashedly queer and leftist.
And yes, the dog survives!

Ah! Okay first off thank you to netgalley for allowing me to read an advanced reader copy of my most anticipated read of the year!

Andrew Joseph White is one of my favorite authors. Its hard to put it into words but just know his work is incredible. He is passionate and real in his depictions of queer and neurodivergent lives. He manages to put words to things I never could.

Okay! I loved Compound Fracture! It brought out all of my emotions but I want to emphasize how well they depict autism and being on the spectrum. I saw myself so much in Miles, I felt so understood for one of the first times in my life. This quote in particular resonated with me.

“And it’s hard trying to bridge the gap between me and everyone else. To do all the work, mold yourself into what you think people want, only to have it fall apart when you’re too tired to keep it up anymore.”

Just wow, sums up so much.

I also loved how Miles’ parents grow throughout the story. Its absolutely beautiful and shows that people can be wrong and confused but make up for it by trying. Without giving any spoilers, the references to our current political world was STAGGERING. I felt that scene in the Red Holler through my soul.

This is an amazing novel that is real, gritty (oftentimes hard to read), and such a symbol of rebellion. I loved it and White continues to knock it out of the park. 100000/5 stars ⭐️.

4.5 stars, rounded up
——————

Andrew Joseph White knocks it out of the park once again.

When I see an AJW book, it’s an instant request and oh, how happy I am to get an advanced copy because I could not wait any longer to read it. The story focuses on a family feud and the fall out for the small town the families live in, while also including a healthy dose of found family in the mix. The found family was so good. The horror was horror-ing in this one. I’m not very squeamish but this one was gross in the absolute best way. The research this one must have taken on death is unimaginable. The trans aspects were really well done, but I expected no less from reading other AJW books. We love a good supportive family, enough if they don’t get it at first. The story was well written, the plot was interesting, the setting was realistic and I stayed engaged the entire time. I wish there had been a little less politics, but I understand its use in the context of the book.

I cheered Miles on for this entire book. I supported his rights and his wrongs equally. I loved seeing his relationships flourish and even fail. The flaws of the characters made them more realistic. The characters are all complex, which makes them really stand out. Again, I loved seeing Miles’ family being so supportive and the feud was really well done. Noah was grotesque, but that really made the story that much better.

I have basically no complaints over this one. I loved every minute. AJW never seems to let me down.

COMPOUND FRACTURE is gripping and visceral, staunchly supportive of the essence of a place and people without pretending away their flaws. Instead, Andrew Joseph White wraps them together into an intense and periodically informative thriller with Miles Abernathy, an Appalachian, trans, autistic boy in a small West Virginia town, distilling a hundred years of Socialist and Anarchist history into the most salient parts: fuck capitalism, support workers, and protect those you love by doing a whole bunch of things that make for an excellent thriller, but a pretty nerve-wracking existence.

Still partly in the closet, Miles is beaten nearly to death by the Sheriff's son and his crew, two boys who might be his friends but are definitely accomplices. It's another moment in a hundred years of violence between their families, going back to when Miles' ancestor, Saint Abernathy, was killed by the Sheriff's ancestor when he incited a miners' rebellion.

Worldbuilding and characterization are deeply intertwined as Miles shows his West Virginia town through his love for it as a place, his fierce need to not let the bigots take it over and run his family out. He's a trans boy in a place where the Sheriff uses the letter of the law the warp the spirit of it, and his own whims to warp the letter. Miles describes so many small moments of his difficulties masking various autistic traits and general neurodivergence that I was surprised when, late in the book, it becomes clear that he hasn't actually realized that this is another place where he can claim a label and take up space for himself. It's really nice to see this, where Miles goes from having just one person who's slightly not shitty but is inconsistent in his support of Miles (Cameron, the friend who saves his life), to having a community of queer and neurodivergent people who also want to fight for their town. He starts in a place that's very precarious, not quite unsupported, but uncertain, and ends up fighting a bloody battle to get to somewhere largely better for those who remain.

Things I love, in no particular order: supportive parents (with a slight learning curve), neurodivergent solidarity, queer solidarity, class solidarity, ACAB, Miles finding connection with his ancestor.

If you like this you may like:

Exit, Pursued by a Bear by E.K. Johnston
The Cost of Knowing by Brittney Morris
Summer Sons by Lee Mandelo
Graphic/Explicit CW for transphobia, outing, fire/fire injury, blood, gore, violence, injury detail, gun violence, murder, child death, death.

Moderate CW for alcohol, misgendering, deadnaming, bullying, ableism, classism, PTSD, vomit, medical content, medical trauma, car accident, animal cruelty, animal death, child abuse.

Minor CW for sexual content, pregnancy, panic attacks, drug use, drug abuse.

Since reading this book a few days ago I have actively convinced multiple people to pre-order it. I just love this book with everything I am and while it is harsh and unforgiving it has such a beautiful community that lives inside it. Miles is a a-romantic, autistic, trans-boy (as he would put it). He has the bestest doggo in the world by his side named lady. I would do anything to protect them both, but as what happens in this story will show they don’t necessarily need me to protect them.
Miles goes through so much pain in this book. Pain that enraged me and made me cry and made me want to erase lines from this book if it meant that Miles wouldn’t have to suffer so much. However, Compound Fracture’s justice in the end would not have been nearly as satisfying without the pain. Because, that pain is real. It’s what so many people suffer at the hands of people who hate just because their ideals don’t align and sometimes you got to take justice into your own hands.

I loved the twisted sense of justice this book had. I loved the grassroots uprising building up against the sheriff. I loved that even though Miles family didn’t understand his transness and couldn’t fully support him at first, they stood by his side when he needed it. Those were the moments of relief that fully had me sobbing.

The Abernathy’s had been standing up for what was right for generations. Even if it meant fighting back with as much horror as what was inflicted on to them. In this book there’s plenty of horrors to be found.

With everything that I am I give my wholehearted recommendation to everyone with even the slightest of interests in this book to pick it up. Reading this is something you will not regret. It’s a top book for me for the year and for all of my time reading as well. This book is what humanity is broken at times, full of hope, and persistent in the path for change and becoming better as a whole. I love this book so much. I hope you will too.

(Side note: the authors note at the end had me bawling my eyes out. I felt so happy for Andrew and his wife and I wish them every happiness together. It means everything to me to see someone living their truth.)

AHHHH this is so hard for me because on its own, I did quite enjoy this book—but when I compare it to AJW's other books (especially HFWU, which grabbed me by the throat the MINUTE the narration started), I did find this to be quite underwhelming. Hence, I'm rating this 3.75 stars. In terms of the positives—I adored the main character & setting, as well as the horror elements! As well, AJW's writing style continues to be top-tier in YA horror! Plus this book sets itself apart in YA on so many fronts - AJW is definitely a favourite author for me. However, I do think that this book in particular didn't have the kick that other AJW books have had for me - part of it is the setting, I suppose I found it difficult to be immediately hooked onto the setting & its relationship with the main character, and I don't think the rural setting quite worked for me the way AJW's other settings have. I also didn't really care for the cast of characters beyond Miles, which thus made me not truly care about the stakes and the general plot of the book. As well, I didn't care about the politics (which I initially thought would be my favorite part of the book as I love political thrillers or horror!). All in all, as a book it was interesting enough to hold my attention, but I've certainly loved the author's other works far more than this. However, I am so glad AJW is an author teens can read from - as every idea that comes out of AJW's brain is so utterly unique! I can't wait to read more from him - my opinion on this book certainly hasn't killed my love for AJW's work.

currently 3 for 3 on five star reads by AJW because he seriously just does not miss when it comes to YA books (i'm waiting for the day there's an adult release because i can just IMAGINE how it would turn out) this one specifically was perfect all around, the pacing was great, the characters had me on their side from the beginning to end and just. WOW.