4.5⭐️s. The kind of book that makes you want to release an inhuman screech from the depth of your soul after finishing. Expertly captures the complex love one has for their rural community. I was expecting the paranormal elements to be more horror related, and was pleasantly surprised that the ghost stuff was more sad and personal, and the horror true and realistic, visceral and haunting with short but effective description.

This was my first book by this author and immediately adored his writing style. The trans and queer representation is immaculate. I'm not much of a horror reader but I simply couldn't put this book down even while I was on vacation and traveling a lot. I'm so excited to read more of White's works!

This book was raw and scary and honest and made me viscerally react at the gruesome parts. I loved every part of it.

Compound Fracture is a novel that comes at you full force and doesn’t stop. It’s a love letter to those in Appalachia who may not feel like they fit in, but will do anything to protect their home and those they love.
It’s a story that tackles the struggles of the working class and facing a system that was made to spite you and keep you down.
A century long feud that spans generations comes to a head with Miles Abernathy, a trans & autistic teen who is starting to come into his own, much to the dismay of the community around him.
But don’t worry. Miles has a fantastic support system who fight for him and will do everything to keep him safe.
I read the novel from start to finish in just a few hours. The intensity of it all made me want to keep going, and it paid off immensely.

A beautiful love letter to Appalachia and its working class through a queer, autistic teen’s lens. I was so touched by this story. It’s horrific, it’s raw. There were moments of this book that made me hold my breath because they felt so real. Reading the writing of the protagonist, Miles, and hearing his accented voice through the page was so wonderful. I felt a swell of pride on behalf of the spirit of this book.

As for the terrors within it, I feel privileged to have been spared them growing up, and equally as privileged to receive this point of view in my adulthood. Looking into the unstable, abusive state of the police force that can be swept under the rug is continued learning for me, and I’m happy this book was a stepping stone in that journey.

As always, Andrew Joseph White bears his soul in an impeccable work full of candor, grit, and determination. I simply can’t wait for everyone to have access to this. It’s gonna blow up for sure!

While I enjoyed the book overall I felt the ghost character was under utilized. It also felt like the characters sexually was a last minute addition rather than a flushed out part of his character. Overall however the story was beautifully written and dark and memorable in all the best ways.

Andrew Joseph White simply cannot miss.

I have to say I put off finishing this book for a really long time even though I was probably 60% of the way through because I was too scared and stressed about what would happen! I’m really not great with horror and suspense in particular so I had to get the gumption to finally finish, but wow. I’m mad at myself for waiting but also I really did need to gear up for it (and also not read it before bed lol). This one is definitely not for the squeamish but god it’s so fucking good.

Miles and his family, the story of Twist Creek, the homage to history and the hard fights fought by those before… it all makes Compound Fracture both a horror novel and in many ways a political thriller, but not in the ways you’d expect. The way Miles is deeply rooted in the fight of his ancestors, and the connection they share, make this story feel so real and grounded.

As a tiny point of bias, Miles’ dog Lady is a Blackmouth Cur, which is the same breed of dog I have. It’s such a small, silly thing in the grand scheme of the story, but it was an extra element that made me feel even more connected to Miles. Especially as a breed that most people don’t know about (in Canada in particular) it was so cool to see Lady do her thing and be celebrated for her fierce protectiveness and loyalty.

It’s honestly mind blowing how AJW has crafted 3 YA horror novels with autistic trans masc main characters that can’t even be compared due to their individuality and breadth. In all of these stories, both transness and experience of their autism is integral to the narrator’s identity, but each in a different way, and faces a unique set of challenges. These stories drive home the point that the trans experience is not universal, nor is the autistic experience. That there is no “correct” way to be trans, and that you don’t need a formal diagnosis to be autistic. I honestly don’t understand how people can think there “just so happens to be no books with diverse characters that are interesting to me” or that somehow stories with trans and/or disabled characters aren’t vast and varied.

In addition to the lead characters being incredibly special, the side characters, world building, narration / voice in each is so unique that I know I’ll simply never get bored of reading his works. I can’t wait for the next one!

Major trigger warnings for: gore, body horror, violence, murder/death, and medical content / injury description (as the result of assault and as the result of car accident / fire)

i LOVE everything that Andrew Joseph White writes. I feel lucky to be able to live at the same time as him.

I really enjoy the author's books overall. I love that there is a space for radical queerness in YA and that there are books like this out there.

I love that the author never portrays transness in a way that makes it look inherently linked to those cishet ideas of what the "perfect trans person" looks like. His characters rarely even speak of transitioning in the medical sense and I think that's refreshing. Not that there is something wrong with medical transition, but sometimes it feels like that's all trans characters are allowed to be.

Horror is definitely not my genre, but there is something that always hits in his books about the way it is constructed: the feeling that the world the characters reside in is somehow off kilter (I mean it is quite literally in all three instances, but there is also a subtle dimension to it), this big bad that is toying with their reality like one would with a world globe.

And I respect the fact that the ending is never a "happily ever after", it's always raw, dark and perhaps unsatisfying, but that's real life. One thing remains though, the characters' resilience and their will to push forward.

Anyway, I loved it and I can't wait for all of the future books to come (and the gorgeous covers, my God!).


Thank you NetGalley for the ARC.

Compound Fracture pulls together so many things – learning who you are and staying true to yourself, living in a home where you are loved and accepted but living in a larger space that sees you as an object to torment, the working class in a rural America, gender, politics, generational trauma, and how people can pull together when they have to. It’s written in a way that pulls you along, even if you haven’t lived in this world before. It’s heart breaking, devastating, and hopeful, all at the same time. Thank you NetGalley for the ARC.

Compound Fracture is a gripping, tough-as-nails thriller woven into the Appalachian landscape, featuring a trans, autistic teen at the heart of a decades-long blood feud that spirals into violence and supernatural reckoning. Andrew Joseph White knows how to land emotional punches—this isn't fluffy horror, and the brutality is unfiltered. But it’s matched by a fierce sense of purpose and humanity that keeps the narrative from tipping into nihilism .

From the get-go, Miles Abernathy is established as both deeply vulnerable and fiercely resilient. He’s beaten nearly to death by the sheriff’s son, and yet he refuses to collapse under cruelty. The intrusion of Saint Abernathy’s ghost adds a spectral layer to the tension—metaphorical and literal—and ties past injustice to present reckoning . That blend of the supernatural with gritty political reality gives the story a haunting edge.

Levy’s sense of place deserves mention: the beaten-down West Virginia setting echoes the oppressive legacy of coal, corruption, and systemic violence. White’s descriptions of poverty, community pride, and distrust feel lived-in and textured . It’s a world that sees too few YA books, and this authenticity pays off.

That said, the violence here is relentless—and not always easy to digest. The plot sometimes leans toward revenge tropes: vigilante justice feels partly cathartic, partly troubling . Miles’s actions teeter between self-defense and moral ambiguity, and while White walks that line boldly, it occasionally leaves tonal imbalance in its wake.

Still, Compound Fracture lands as both urgent and unforgettable. The pacing is relentless, the prose vivid, and the thematic core—justice, rage, identity—resonates hard. It's a harrowing ride that doesn’t let up but also refuses to forget the people behind the rage: survivors, families, and those fighting for a place in a broken system.

Final Take: If you're up for a visceral, socially attentive thriller that stakes its heart on a trans teen's journey through violence, grief, and resistance, this novel delivers. It’s not easy, but sometimes the hardest reads are also the most necessary.

4.5 rounded up.
Loved it, as I come to expect from AJ White. This was the case even before this book, but he's absolutely an auto-buy author for me.

Compared to his previous two books Compound Fracture is much more rooted in reality and it is a very timely read.

It didn't evoke quite the same "I can't put this down" energy from me that I had with Hell Followed with Us and The Spirit Bares Its Teeth, but I still found myself thinking about this in the back of my mind between reading sessions.

I don't have much more to say other than please read this but mind the content warnings (easily found on the author's website).

3.75.
This was the second book by this author that I have read. The first one being Hell Followed With Us. Hell Followed With Us was like a 10/5. Compound Fracture was not a bad book, but it wasn't my favorite one.

I really enjoyed the subject and the vibes of a small conservative town in rural America. I loved the story about family feud, socialism, power imbalance, union, history of workers, and mystery. The characters were interesting, especially the teenagers. I appreciate how Andrew Joseph White writes complex characters who act because of how they have to live, and the tragedies in their life.

I think the main issue of the book is the pacing. There are parts where nothing happens, and I was kind of bored.

Beautifully written. A great example of life in a small rural community while living on the spectrum and being LGBTQIA.

Thank you Netgalley and Peachtree Teen for an ARC of this book.

We follow Miles, who has come out to his parents that he is Trans. One night he goes out to a party in rural West Virginia and is the victim of a hate crime. He also see's the ghost of his ancestor who died in the coal mines.

While he is trying to get justice for his have crime when one of the culprits is the son of Sheriff, there is just so much that happens.

I really enjoyed this book and I am happy that I had to opportunity to read it.

Gahhhh this is such a good book. So many books about rural small towns in the south and Midwest forget that they are not just stereotypes. Queer people and POC live there. Labor laws that protect you were born there. These are complicated beautiful communities that I beg people to see as real places. This book captures that so well.

Ahh, I can't believe it's taken me so long to write this! I had the privilege of reading this book a while ago, and honestly, it blew me away. I've been interested in Appalachia, and the people who inhabit the region, for quite some time now. These are people who have lived through intense hardship and pain, and have fought every step of the way. If everything Andrew Joseph White has released (that I've read) to this point, this is the one most grounded in our present reality.

I really love reading this author's depictions of autistic characters, as well as those from the LGBTQIA+ community, like myself. He is especially talented at putting us into the heads of these characters, so that we can feel everything they do, and understand their motivations and fears every step of the way.

I also really love the history of the true "rednecks," and how these brave men stood up to the greedy mine owners back in the day, and I love that the fighting spirit has never left their families, both in the book, and in the real world. Parts of this almost felt like The Legend of Billie Jean, one of my favorite 80's films. The main character is smart, and likeable, and I really liked the way that he grew through the book, going from wanting to avenge what had been done to him, to wanting justice, not just for himself, but for the community as a whole.

This book is really a timely read, and I suggest anyone that is looking for ways to push back against current systems that are keeping us down, and trying to make us victims, go read this book and find hope that when people band together and push back, we can win.

Lastly, I just want to add that I loved this book so much that in addition to reading my digital advance copy (thank you to the publisher!) my partner actually bought me a signed, hardcover first edition for our anniversary in April.

Do yourself a favor and go read this book!

This was my first AJW book & he has become an auto read/buy author!! This was so gritty & dark, it sucked me in from page one. This was something like I’ve never read before, especially in the YA genre. It was so brutal but was so unapologetically queer.

I truly am so excited to read more from AJW!! Especially his new one in the Adult Horror genre.

Compound Fracture by Andrew Joseph White is a gritty, unapologetic thriller that dives deep into themes of economic injustice, generational trauma, and identity. Set in rural West Virginia, the novel follows Miles Abernathy, a trans autistic teen caught in a century-old feud that has plagued his family. When Miles uncovers damning evidence against the corrupt sheriff responsible for past tragedies, he becomes the target of brutal violence—only to find himself entangled in a fight for justice that threatens to consume him.

White’s storytelling is visceral and relentless, capturing the raw intensity of survival and rebellion. The novel doesn’t shy away from violence, oppression, and the weight of history, making it a powerful and emotionally charged read. With its queer representation, gripping suspense, and deeply personal stakes, Compound Fracture is a must-read for fans of dark, thought-provoking thrillers.

Forgot to put my feedback here. Andrew Joseph White has become a must read author for me and this book confirmed it, despite not being a genre I usually read. I devoured it, thanks to the flowing and gripping narration. Like in all his other books, the trans experience was masterfully explored. I really appreciated how the author also portrays the aro identity of the mc, as this kind of representation is really rare to find and even more to find it well done.