I was fortunate to receive an e-arc of Compound Fracture and I (like all his other works) devoured it with insatiable hunger. Andrew Joseph White never fails to grab the reader’s emotions in his grasp and mess with them until you are left like your innards are gouged out. White uniquely explores different nuances and experiences of gender and neurodivergence within all his works and this is no exception, it’s brilliantly written exploring tranness in less progressive states, the pressure to mask as to not appear “special” and the confusion surrounding being a teenager trying to figure out your sexuality.

My roommate was also lucky enough to receive the arc and they said something that stuck with me. They said that Compound Fracture is “an ode to the working class”, I could not put it into better words myself. I was speechless from the first paragraph, it perfectly encompasses the feeling of desperation, fear, belonging and most importantly ANGER when fighting in a class war, especially one with corrupt authorities in power.

The characters are so easy hate and love, every one of them are completely unashamed of who they are and what makes them different. The book screams “I am disfigured, I am trans, I am queer, I am a socialist and I am neurodivergent! And what of it?”. Or in some cases “I’m a gigantic asshole!” (Looking at you Pig) Its chaotic and heart warming, no, heart melting. It delves into themes of family learning and growing alongside together, LGBTQIA+ people always existing, and falling in love with a place and its people in spite of the problems it has.

Although it had less “horror” than his other works, at the end of the day capitalism and cops are the real horrors.

Thank you Netgalley for the bragging rights this opportunity gives me.

Thank you to NetGalley for the E-ARC and the opportunity to read and review Compound Fracture early! After reading and adoring The Spirit Bares Its Teeth back in March, I decided to add AJW to my instant-buy list, having total faith in his ability to blow my mind with his work. This book did not let me down. I inhaled it in 24 hours flat.

“It’s just the way it is” … but, does it have to be?

Compound Fracture is both a love letter to- and a call to action for- the working class. It forces readers to look the political state of the world dead in the eye and acknowledge how much better mankind deserves. Throughout Miles’ story, I felt grief, outrage, fear, joy, and relief so wholly, it felt completely real. White blends history and fiction and theory to create yet another masterpiece that screams “WE DESERVE BETTER”.

Miles’ character has such a beautifully clear narrative voice throughout, that grows and evolves as the story progresses, whilst still maintaining the tones and quirks that make it clearly him. The immersive nature of Miles’ narration helped to create an all-encompassing story that had me frantically turning pages to read on.

As always, White has included a wonderful diverse cast of characters that are so well written, owing both to his own experiences and evident efforts to research and accurately represent those identities. Miles’ transness and his family’s growth in accepting him was so healing to read and cracked my heart right open. As an agender person who struggles with binary gender expression due to my weight, reading about the wealth of love and acceptance in Dallas’ small community was one of the most important and affirming things I’ve had the privilege of reading. Seeing Amber’s processes and quirks that help to manage the less fun parts of being autistic—and stealing some of those tricks for myself—had me crying on public transport.

All in all, Compound Fracture is a must read—for trans folk, for autistic people, for anyone that has just had enough of the world as it is. It will be a confronting, bumpy, scary ride, but you will thank yourself for picking this one up. While you’re at it, pick up the rest of White’s work for more autistic trans kids learning to navigate the terrifying world they live in.

Andrew Joseph White is incapable of writing anything but masterpieces for me. This was, once again, an easy five stars from me. This book truly has everything I look for in a horror book, or really any genre. It starts with such a bang, in my opinion, and only gets more intense from there. It had me anxious the whole time which is usually a sign I'm enjoying a horror book. By the end of the book my heart was racing in my chest and I was trying hard not to skip ahead while reading because I was so invested in what was going on.

I immediately felt a connection to the MC, Miles. I saw myself in him and felt deeply for him throughout everything he deals with in this brutal story. I appreciated his relationship with his parents and how, even though it wasn't perfect, it felt real. Cole was a character that I found myself going back and forth on my thoughts on. On one hand, I understood where he was coming from and how he got to the places he did. But on another hand, I just wanted to hate him for a lot of the book because of how badly he frustrated me. He felt so real though. He felt like a true complex character that wasn't just one thing and had depth to him. I ultimately appreciated that a lot from his character. I wish we got to see a bit more of Dallas as a character. They were such an interesting aspect of the story and seemed like they could've had a lot of depth to them as well but I did feel like they were mostly there to aid Miles as a character rather than stand on their own.

Overall, I am not at all surprised by how much I thoroughly enjoyed this and I cannot wait for more books from Andrew in the future.

If I had to complain about something, it that this is a little teachy for me personally, but really I’m just so glad Andrew Joseph White is writing these books. I love how personal this one feels and I love the setting and premise. Queer teens deserve fucked up horror!

2 ☆

I’m in the minority on this one, but I found Compound Fracture to be a major disappointment. Having loved The Spirit Bares Its Teeth, I thought I would enjoy this as well. Based on the synopsis, Compound Fracture actually seemed much more up my alley than The Spirit Bares Its Teeth, however, clearly I was wrong in my assumption. While there was certainly some interesting scenes, majority of the book bored me. The villians were incredibly cartoonish, the feuding family war felt overdramticized and ridiculous, and the characters all felt like caricatures rather than fleshed-out people. Unfortunately, this did not live up to the hype and I wouldn’t recommend it.

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 such a fresh voice in YA and while his books are absolutely brutal, I find them necessary for this space. He’s got a sharp voice and interesting ideas and knows exactly how to execute his thoughts. This was an engaging book from beginning to end, and though it’s heavy stuff, I definitely will be recommending it to people.

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!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️