Another absolute hit for AJW, with the added bonus of being set in Appalachia! Absolute 5 out of 5. Thank you NetGalley for the ARC.

If you've read any of AJW's books, you know there is lots of queer angst and discover mixed with a healthy dose of gore/violence/grey morals. I love the contemporary setting of the story, an abandoned, traumatized coal town in West Virginia, but there is still a really strong tie to events of the past.

While Miles is the protagonist, the core of this story is family, both blood and found. Many queer folks understandably fear their family's reaction to coming out, and this story doesn't shy away from this harsh reality. Watching Miles be kicked in the gut, both literally and metaphorically, by those in power was heartbreaking to read. All I wanted to do was wrap him in a blanket. But at the end of the day, all of the people who care about Miles come together to help support him and kick it to the man!

Absolute banger of a book and a difficult but must-read!

I am so thrilled that I got an ARC of this book because it’s going to be one of my all-time favorites of this year! A BANGER.

But also there’s definitely some trigger warnings in here because it’s AJW and that means BLOOD AND GUTS BABY!

Admittedly I feel like I’ve been outgrowing YA books for the past few years, so I have been a little hesitant to pick up AJW because I know he writes (older) YA…but oh my god, this guy is good. Spirit is fantastic (and I uhh haven’t read Hell yet, oops) but I think this one is even better. I love that even though this is YA, it’s grittier and gorier than what I got when I was growing up, but more than that, I love that this book does not shy away from anything figuratively. It’s a book about politics and unions and communism and queerness and transness and disability and autism and the working class, and I think the best part about it is how human it feels. The characters are so strong, and Miles our MC is just the coolest guy you’ll ever meet…because he’s just doing his best. (Which is to say, he’s suffering ashfkjfd)

Personally, as someone who is starting to understand their own autism, it was so moving to see Miles discover that he’s probably (definitely) autistic. It’s clear the author knows what he’s talking about, and it’s part of why I loved Spirit so much too. I can feel AJW in this book even though it’s a different setting, a different set of characters than his other works. But I think this one is even more successful because it has less of a supernatural element (it’s still there, don’t worry) and more of a contemporary setting. It’s the perfect balance between actively mentioning Trump and two friends texting and a family not being able to afford hospital bills vs the looming mysteries of Saint Abernathy and his past. And even though this is an excellent exploration of Appalachia, how we write off areas that are overwhelming red states with people who can’t or won’t progress with what liberals claim to be fighting for, I love that it humanizes everyone. That age old idea that the rich people are pitting poor people against each other when we usually have more in common than in difference. It calls out a bunch of shit and advocates for change and highlights that sometimes people just get caught in the middle of a war they never asked to be apart of, whether that was because their forefathers started it or because they were dragged into it.

There is so much to chew on here and I think it’s really a fantastic contemporary book marketed as a gory supernatural story. AJW is such a talent and I will pick up anything he writes because I want to see how he sees the world. He makes me feel seen in the most unexpected ways (hello aro-Miles) and I feel so special being connected to someone as cool as him. I wish this book and his other work had been available to me as a teenager. He’s changing so many lives!!!

This book was by no means an easy read but it was an important — and phenomenal — one. This story was rife with tension and genuinely kept me on the edge of my seat the entire time. It was a brilliant book that thoughtfully handled a lot of heavy and very real topics. I’m glad that teens will have a book like this to read, and I’m already planning to read the rest of White’s books.

Queer punk trans autistic man main character who lives in the Appalachians? And references the literal battles fought between miners and coal companies? And is fiercely opposed to fascism while fighting for anarchism? I am swooning. I would love to read way more books with this protagonist, set in this universe. Any teens who are currently radicalized, just started being radicalized, or have been mostly on the fences, would enjoy this book.

As with all of Andrew Joseph White’s books, Compound Fracture is a heavy read but one that is well worth your time. Andrew excels at making his setting and characters come to life. Whether you see pieces of yourself in Miles, the trans autistic protagonist, or not, Miles feels so incredibly real. This book was a rollercoaster that left me with a broken heart and I would read it again in a heartbeat.

Thank you Netgalley and Peachtree Teen for the arc.

At this point Andrew Joseph White is becoming an instant purchase for me. I've read two of his books and absolutely loved them. Compound Fracture is so dark and anxiety inducing that I had to keep reminding myself to unclench my jaw while I was reading. The supernatural horror elements in this book were more comforting than human horror element which goes to show you how upsetting some of the humans are. Compound Fracture deals with themes of generational and community trauma through the voice of a trans and autistic teen boy who is so relatable in his anger and love for his community.
I would recommend you check content warnings before reading because there are themes that may be upsetting to some readers, but this is a must have for teen libraries (and adults will love it too).

Generations ago, Saint Abernathy was killed by having a railroad spike nailed through his throat and head by the Sheriff of Twisted Creek, West Virginia. His great great grandson, Miles Abernathy, is still fighting the bloodline feud left behind. Miles and his family have always lived in fear of the Davies family. Miles has been raised to always look over his shoulder, especially now being a transgender youth in the wake of the 2016 election.
After sending a coming out email to his parents, he attends a party with photographic evidence of how cruel the Davies really are. Photos that depict his friend's dead mom being pulled out of a burning car while. He just needs permission from his friend to show them to the town. To expose the Davies once and for all.
Walking home in the dark, he hears a noise. The Davis son and a group of friends ambush him, he ends the night in a hospital bed. After a few months of recovery and an accidental murder, his friend is ready to fight back, but not in the way Miles had planned.
Yet again, I have fallen in love with an Andrew Joseph White book. Compound fracture is an amazing novel. The main character is complex and I loved listening to the ways he processed the world and his opinions. He gave me perspectives on belonging in your hometown that I had never thought of before. He feels a connection and obligation to where he came from, even if living there means that he lives in fear.
The book tells a powerful story about family history. Saint appears to Miles through the book and shows him that his past is not full of strangers, but family and people like him. People he should continue to fight for. Miles' opinions on the politics of the town and the power dynamics are nuanced and deep. Additionally, the diction in this book is incredible. It really sets the scene.
I loved how connected all of the elements are. Every analogy and reference is connected to the overall “vibe” of the novel. The representation of the queer community, autism, disability, and a whole host of other things is incredible. I would highly recommend checking out Compound Fracture when it comes out on September 3rd.

It is difficult to hold back my repeated praise for this book by saying, "This book is one of the most incredible things I've ever read; you must read it as soon as possible." After finishing the book, it took me nearly two weeks to process everything that occurred and formulate a coherent review.

As someone who resides near Appalachia, the themes in this book were ones I am intimately familiar with. I do not believe I have read anything else that so fundamentally captures the beauty and ugliness of Appalachian culture so comprehensively. The events of the book had me on the edge of my seat the entire time. It is rare that I am unable to predict twists in a thriller or mystery, but once again, AJW kept me guessing and did the opposite of what I thought might happen.

Do yourself a favor - go ahead and pre-order this book now. I am excited for everyone else to read this book after it's published. I sincerely hope AJW continues to write books for many years to come!

Surprisingly good and refreshingly different.
Andrew Joseph White is a new-to-me author, but I've already added his other books to my tbr! This is a gripping and unapologetic thriller perfect for readers who crave a visceral and emotionally charged story that explores themes of social justice, radical change, and the struggles of the rural poor, particularly those in the LGBTQIA+ community, and are ready to be drawn into a dark and intense narrative that will challenge and inspire them. Highly recommend!

andrew joseph white has done it again!!
i really enjoyed this book and i couldn't put it down. i can't wait for his next one!

thank you netgalley for the e-arc!

happy pride month! this book contains the following LGBTQIA+ rep:
trans / aromantic / nonbinary (side character) / gay / various other sexualities/gender identifications from side characters

this book also has autism rep!

TW: gore, transphobia, emetophobia, animal violence, opioid addiction and the extreme portrayal of the cycle of violence/blood feuds. (I probably missed some TWs, check out the official TW list from the author!)

"You can't reminisce over a scar if it's still an open wound."

This is truly a different work from AJW, wholly unique in premise (as always), but fundamentally different from his other books. While HFWU and TSBIT were always in a close, but different world than ours, this book is about as real as it gets.

It's raw, it's visceral- and while those are words often used to describe AJW's writing, it is especially true in Compound Fracture. It is a scathing, if not healing, look at small town Appalachia and the daily injustices the inhabitants have suffered for generations. This book takes all expectations, mashes them down, and remolds them into something that can only be described as eye-opening.

Compound Fracture is also a look at generational violence, specifically through blood feuds. You can feel the suffering that each member of the family has gone through, feel Saint Abernathy watch you as he watched Miles. The violence here is haunting, gory, bloody, and not one bit unnecessary.

It's also political at heart. This book screeches with opinions, and they all tie back to the oppressions that small town Appalachians face from the local, state, and federal government. It tears down "acceptable" barriers to address difficult topics, and it does it unashamedly.

There's probably a million other deep, profound hidden meanings, topics, and subtle symbolism I missed in this review, but know, that CF is chock-full of them, so look in every little nook and cranny, you'll never know what you find.

God I love AJW books.

"Why the 4 star?"

For multiple factors, the main one being I didn't see the final relationship AT ALL. (no spoilers here, but it came out of left field) The second being there were some weirdly obvious plot holes, like how Cooper's number was magically unblocked on Miles's phone? I don't remember seeing that Miles unblocked him.

Other than that, this was a fierce, blazing continuation of what AJW has always done so perfectly in the past: write books about queer, autistic rage.

(4/5 stars)
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living my best life (I got approved for AJW arc!!!)

Thank you Netgalley for letting me get an early copy of this beautiful, necessary novel in exchange for my honest review! ✨

This book challenges the reader to consider whether or not revenge is justifiable when it's the only way to combat oppressors. Historical oppressors; those who have been around for generations and are integrated into almost every facet of a community and that community's way of living. Or trying to live. What does one do when the only ways to escape a foot on your back is to chew through the bone or wait until that foot reaches your throat and letting it choke you? It's not much of a choice at all. Add to that your own personal challenges; discovering who you are, coming to terms with your identity and waiting for those closest to you to understand who you are -- how is anyone supposed to survive that?

Andrew Joseph White poses these questions to his readers via one of the most tangible characters I've had the pleasure of reading about in recent years. Miles isn't a fighter: he just wants to survive. What he does to earn it (despite the fact that survival shouldn't have to be earned in the first place) is only what he believes is necessary. Among his actions, we get to know him intimately, slowly peeling back every facet of his psyche until it feels like we can finally understand him. And man, did my heart break over and over again for him.

Bursting with real-world political ideologies, familial bonds, trans / queer / neurodivergent / disability pride, ghostly(?!) apparitions, and a little dog that could - Compound Fracture might be the next best thing since the invention of the wheel. And I don't say that lightly; this book truly ticked every single box for me and it's now up up up there with my all-time favourites.

Since this doesn't come out until September, I don't want to give away too much of the actual plot, as I truly believe this is one of those books that is best read when the reader knows little to nothing about it beforehand. Just read it. Go add it to your wishlists and when it comes in, give yourself some alone time, and devour this the way I did and intend to do again once I get my hands on a physical copy.

Listen. At this point, I will automatically read anything with Andrew Joseph White's name on it, and Compound Fracture once again did not let me down. As a queer nonbinary union organizer descended from coal miners, I don't think I could ever find another book that I felt pandered so specifically to me as a unique individual, and I loved every minute of it. I like to recommend AJW to my patrons, with the caveat that it will be gory; in that regard, this may be the lightest of the three, which may make for a good starting point for a curious reader that's tentative on gristle.

Three books in and White still managed to deliver something brand new. Having read his other two books I am a bit familiar with his work, and while he does have a slight formula to the plot it still feels right to this book.

This one is definitely more gory and violent than the other two somehow (at least it felt that way to me, though it could be because there are elements in this that I am personally squeamish about). However it still feels appropriate to the audience, and I think as long as readers read the trigger warnings in the author letter it should be okay.

I like that White includes different rep in each book as well. Every reader who picks up his books gets the chance to see themself in at least a secondary character, and this one continues that with different lgbt rep than his previous two books.

If you didn't like the others due to the type of horror or content, this one is still worth a try, and I think anyone who likes horror or transmasc rep should read it.

I'm starting to feel like I shouldn't have read this.

Let's preface this review by saying that The Spirit Bares Its Teeth was my favourite book of 2023, so I'm hungry to read more from this author. After reading the synopsis to this book, I wasn't sure whether I was going to like it, since books about social justice don't always tend to work for me, even though I'm interested in politics. (Yes, I'm aware this doesn't make a lot of sense). However, since I've given the author five stars in the past, I decided to give it ago.

And now I'm writing this review.

I think I can put my lack of enjoyment down to the fact that Andrew Joseph White had some great ideas thematically but didn't know what to do with the plot. Unfortunately it felt quite uninspired which is sad for me to say, and I don't think the character work was anywhere near as strong as his previous book.

I've since seen multiple five star reviews rolling in, so take this with a pinch of salt, please!

I first read Hell Followed With Us back when it was first published and I remember eagerly waiting for the library to purchase the The Spirit Bares It's Teeth. This book has lived up to the height of its predecessors, if not becoming my favorite of these novels (though I may be bias having grown up in Appalachia myself). This novel brings up a diverse range of radical issues and confronts them in a way that settles with the reader longer after the book is done. I adore the representation in the novel as well as the subtle indicators which make Miles feel more fleshed out as a character.

Overall, this is a 4.5/5 star read for me! AJW has become an auto buy author for me and his stuff is genuinely amazing. This story was face paced, heart racing, gorey, and emotional. I loved the autism representation and the main character being Trans.

Thank you NetGalley/ Holiday House/ Peachtree Teen/ Pixel+ink for my first ARC ever!

“Actually, this book is kind of like moonshine. It’s gonna burn like hell going down.”

I’ve been following along with the process of this book on White’s TikTok and it was so fun seeing pieces of it to the almost complete product. I’m really looking forward to the audiobook version being released since that’s how I read Hell Followed with Us and The Spirit Bares Its Teeth, both being amazingly done.
Whether Compound Fracture is your introduction to White’s writing or not, I highly advise to check out the TWs because WOAH. The pacing was a good balance for me and receiving the background information didn’t feel overwhelming or info dumpy. Not gonna give anything away but Saint and Dallas really stole my heart ( and Lady of course). Dallas truly became my favorite character, obviously because of the nonbinary representation but more specifically because of the nonbinary rep. with an iconic pin collection that I hope to make my personal reality. I always admire the way White writes his MCs to be relatable yet so layered that I’m learning right along with them but the side characters always get my heart (except Cooper and I stand by that). I really wish I had the brain cells to explore how White gives his MCs something both separate from them but is also always connected to them as the story progresses, like how Beni has the Graces, Silas his white rabbit and Miles with Saint. I find it so fascinating but really all I got on that topic is I like it and please do it again.
Overall, White continues to do queer rage stupendously and I can’t wait to read his next book You Weren’t Made to be Human in 2025! <3

I had to stop a day or so and process my feelings. Andrew Joseph White is now an auto-buy author for me. This became the 6th five star read for the year out of 84 books. It is nuanced and layered but never sags. I cannot express enough about how valuable it is to have representative authors write and publish. What a powerful book and his career is just kicking off! Bravo.
This is actually a love story to the south, specifically Appalchia. Told in a Hatfield v. McCoy set up its violent, brutal and wrenching in a way that only the south can be. It is also tender, heartbreaking and inspirational in the same way. The interaction between Miles and his friends and family under the pressure of a self appointed regime is spot on. I was exhausted along with Miles. I was Peepaw racking his shotgun. You can smell the fear of the townsfolk right off the page. The way his family compensates for their "station" and endure with steel in their spine. Their economy of words, perfect. The letter at the beginning and its counterpart at the end...well I cried. Having fled the south with my kids (two of which happen to be in the LGBTQ community) I'm still torn about not being "in the fight" any longer. Watching them thrive, grow and love safely under appropriate informed medical care makes it sting much less. I acknowledge all my privilege that allowed us to move.
Thank you for the book Mr. White, I loved it.

I have yet to read anything bad by Andrew Joseph White and that still stands. I love the queer stories spun in dark and fantastic ways. Love love LOVE