Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an e-copy on this book!

Ok, so I don't really know how I feel about this book . On the one hand, it was written very well. This book juggled a bunch of different themes (gender, sexuality, generational violence, community, etc) but I actually didn't mind it. I feel like normally when I read a book that is trying to tackle a lot of different themes at least one part feels underdeveloped or just isn't very engaging, but that wasn't the case with this book. Also, this book helped me to understand what aromanticsm is, so that was cool. Miles was also very vocal about being a communist. I thought his monologues would annoy me, but they actually worked quite well because of the type of character that Miles is. It felt less like the author trying to push their views on the reader and more like a young character who was simply expressing their frustrations and trying to find their place in the world.
Now, as for why I have mixed feelings on this book... it is so dark. I literally had to put the book down on multiple occasions and step away for a bit. This book put me in a bit of a reading slump because I just didn't want to read it. I <i>couldn't</i> read it. I have read White's other books, so I knew it was going to cover dark themes and have some horror scenes and what not, but this was next level. There were 2 scenes in particular that made me feel like I was going to be sick (and many others that made me nauseous). I just don't know... Honestly, even just reflecting on it now to make this review is making me feel a little nauseous again. I don't really read a lot of horror (I literally only started getting into the genre because of White's other book The Spirit Bares Its Teeth), so maybe this amount of disturbing imagery is normal. But if that's the case, I'm gonna have to bow out and go back to my fantasy books because I think it's too much for me.
While I think this book is written well and has a good story, it was a struggle to get through. If you are thinking about giving this a read, I recommend going over the trigger warning first to make sure this book is for you.

This book is outstanding and feels like a much-needed story about what being a community means, after the years of political unrest tearing the country apart. The plot at times feels like Heathers but is set in the dystopic wasteland that the world felt like it fell into after the 2016 elections when the world felt off-kilter and like it was ending, but individual people and communities had to find a way to make the world bearable and keep surviving.

White's attention to detail is key to world-building, and each new thing the reader learns about the world flows seamlessly into the story and never feels awkward or like forced worldbuilding. The characters feel like real people, and the history of Twist Creek would fit in perfectly within an American history book. Beyond that, the characters are compelling, and White's writing allows the reader to sympathize with their plights, and smile as the characters grow and learn.

At times the plot feels almost overwhelming with how much is happening, but it works quite well because it reflects the way reality often feels, with medical, political, and safety issues, all coming up at once and not giving a person a chance to breathe. The characters handle it with grit and keep hanging on even as the world feels like it is falling apart.

Overall, the book was fantastic, and Miles is an amazing protagonist to experience the book with.

This is out of my usual genre, and I wasn’t expecting much, all though it did sound interesting. This is a triumph. Andrew Joseph White you have done it again!

(4.5 stars, rounding up to 5)

This book was so amazing and definitely lived up to Andrew Joseph White’s standard! I have read and loved both of his previous books and I can’t wait to buy this one and put it with the others on my shelf.

As an autistic transmasculine person, Miles as a character was super relatable to me. His irritation at having to read social cues, his stim habits like chewing on a shoelace around his wrist and rocking, and how distraught he was at activities others consider no problem, such as showering, all hit so close to home for me. I will never get tired of the way White writes autistic characters. His transness was also so well represented in my opinion, from his reaction to finding out his ancestor was trans to the conversations with his parents about it (Chapter 22 made me tear up and I had to pause reading for a good ten minutes to breathe, just btw.) I also really related to Miles just as a teenager, with how confusing that time is and how much built-up anger and irritation Miles had built up.

I also loved so many of the characters in this book (as with all White’s books.) Dallas, Amber, and Miles’ parents, just to name a few. They were all so complex and well-written, and I just loved them. The plot didn’t fall flat, either, it was incredibly engaging and kept me hooked! This book was such a well-done thriller.

In conclusion, this is a book I think any autistic or trans person should add to their collection, as well as a great one for allies of those communities to expand their perspective. I would recommend it to almost anyone. I feel so glad and lucky I got to read it early!

Thank you #netgalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Compound Fracture by Andrew Joseph White @ajwhiteauthor is a YA horror novel, but it's also a novel about familial love, the political nuances of Appalachia, unions, police brutality, and intergenerational trauma. It follows Miles- a left wing trans boy in Appalachia and the descendant of a socialist coal miner killed by police for union activity- as he is attacked by the descendent of the cop that killed his ancestor, begins seeing his ancestor's ghost, and seeks vengeance against those out to harm him and his loved ones. 

I've really enjoyed all of Andrew Joseph White's books but I really connected with this one and it may be my personal favourite. I liked how it went into how circumstances shape people, examined the idea of vengeance and of necessary violence vs unnecessary cruelty, and how it challenged a lot of the stereotypes around Appalachia. I liked the nuances in the characters' flaws and personalities.

I also liked how not only was the protag Autistic, but that it dealt with a lot of the issues commonly faced, like how some of our family members are often undiagnosed and the barriers to obtaining a diagnosis. As well as what autism acceptance coming from others can look like.

Not really much else to say besides that this is great and you should read it!

#compoundfracture

I thoroughly liked this book, but I also found it difficult to read more than a few chapters at a time. I liked the characters, the plot, the world building, and White's writing style, but I think the emotional response to this story overwhelmed me frequently.

Miles' story is an important one. While the main plot is about his family's multi-generational feud with the sheriff's, the real story is about Miles coming to terms with his own identity as an individual and how the people in his life respond to that.

At no point could I have predicted all the twists the plot would take, but that's something I've come to terms with in White's writing.

Overall, I would absolutely recommend reading this book.

I absolutely loved The Spirit Bares its Teeth. I was so excited to read this novel by Andrew Joseph White. Unfortunately it was really hard for me to get into. I appreciate the publisher and NetGalley allowing me this ARC. I wish the story would have hooked me like other of White’s books. I do think if you enjoyed Hell Followed Us then you will also enjoy this one.

In Compound Fracture Andrew Joseph White takes us to a forgotten small town in West Virginia with a blood feud spanning a century and the teenagers at the center of it now. Miles comes out to his parents as trans the same night he sneaks out to a party with evidence that an "accident" his father and some close family friends were involved in isn't what the sheriff claims it was only to end the night in a hospital bed, having had his own "accident" just as the summer starts off.

I found the start of this book reminding me what it felt like to be right at the end of high school, on the edge of becoming a new person, only for Compound Fracture to backslide into a horror story that had me sick to my stomach with worry and dread. By the halfway point I was certain that the only way it was going to end was with everyone dead (even sweet Lady, the dog that I knew was going to be okay). You understand exactly how the cycle in this town was born and how it continued on and on until it landed squarely on Miles' shoulders.

This is a love letter to parts of America that many people are happy to write off as a lost cause, and AJW's love for West Virginia practically bleeds off the page. At times, parts of this book almost feel more like a memoir than a YA Horror. It's clearly personal for AJW. The messages of this book are about as subtle as a brick through a window, but that's kind of the point.

By the time we meet Miles, he's firmly rooted in his political ideology and what he thinks those around him deserve. He encounters some things that may rattle this idea, but he's never really moved from that conviction. A lesser book would maybe have made Cooper the main character. I find his anger easier to understand, I remember being seventeen and that spitting mad at the world. I think the inner narration does a good job of bringing the reader up to speed, and Miles has a very good understanding of how the history of Twist Creek brought him exactly to where he is today. This does have the consequence of action scenes pausing for a big chunk of monologue that can leave the pacing feel haphazard at times.

Overall, I think this is the least fantastical of AJW's work up until this point, and it would serve as an excellent entry point to the uninitiated. I also think the message that the southern states are not full of people that the left can write off as a lost cause is an unfortunately important one right now. Miles still has a lot to discover about himself over the course of this book, so there is also a quiet, beautiful coming of age story to be found entwined with the horror.

Thank you to NetGalley and Peachtree for the eARC.

Set in rural West Virginia with a plethora of complicated characters and a trans main character, this novel packs a strong emotional punch while still having horrifying moments. Miles has it hard enough coming out as trans but a family feud, class issues, and a list of violence keeps that from being his only issue this summer. It was a strong and very entertaining novel, I absolutely loved it.
Gosh the representation of queer and neurodivergent characters was so well done. It feels authentic and doesn't feel forced in, they feel like real experiences the characters have. Especially the way autism is portrayed and the ways different characters view it. I especially enjoyed the representation for an aromantic character who isn't also asexual. I really enjoyed the use of language in the book to immerse you more into Miles perspective and the setting. The discussion of class issues and generational trauma were compelling and helped to add to the struggle in the novel. The only thing I might criticize is the overly evil behaviors of the Davies, though to a degree it still feels based in reality. It just feels a little exaggerated. But it adds to the story rather than detracts in my opinion.
This is a strong recommendation from me to any trans or autistic readers, but also just any reader who wants a damn good Appalachian YA horror. I'm definitely going to buy a copy upon release!

Once again, Andrew Joseph White shows that he is one of the best authors out there. Compound Fracture is raw and tender, harsh, and accepting. White balances generational trauma with the joys of finding oneself even in the darkest of times. I've never felt so fully eviscerated by a novel, and I can't wait for his next book so I can experience the feeling all over again. Compound Fracture will take you to the darkest edge of humanity while holding you firmly and whispering that you are never truly alone.

I absolutely adore Andrew's previous works, both Hell Followed with Us and The Spirit Bares its Teeth were 5 star reads for me.

Compound Fracture did not make the same impact on me. While it still had the tone I enjoy, the plot felt a little too simple and overly character driven. I found all of the issues the story discussed really interesting and wanted to know more about the background characters.

I also really loved the families, chosen or blood, that were portrayed in the story. The good and the truly awful were represented in this book and it was very interesting to delve into the complexities of how different characters interacted with their families.

Lady is best girl.

Thank you Netgalley and the publishers for an arc for this book.

AJW may be my favorite author of all time. His characters are written so beautifully and the tension!!! I keep finding myself so immersed in the world, even though I usually don't like violence at all.

This book was less horrory than Hell Followed With Us. I think that's why I kind of prefered that one, but I still adore this one.

The things AJW writes about are so relatable, it's actually frightening. While HFWU was more fantasy/scifi (still realistic 😭), this one was even more realistic and therefore more disturbing.

I love love love Miles and Dallas. I hope Lady is getting all the hugs and kisses.

Genuinely so happy about the trigger warnings in this book, I don't think I need them that much, but it's so considerate and necessary, it should be much more common in my opinion.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC of this book!

3.75/5 rounded to 4 stars.

I’ve been a big fan of Andrew Joseph White’s writing for a long time. I devoured Hell Followed With Us in a day when it came out. Spirit Bears It’s Teeth took more time, but both tore something visceral out of me at multiple points. I loved thé found family aspects of them and the objective horror of the situations they found themselves in that leaned heavily on the supernatural happening around them.

Compound fractures is a little different. The supernatural element is very much toned down compared to the other two. Not that I mind. Saint is really interesting as a character and I am very much left wondering if he was real as a specter or part of Miles’ trauma.

The book was a little slow at times. I found myself struggling to get through some parts due to it. The character moments were important, I know, but the overall threat felt very minuscule until the last third of the book. Everyone was jumpy over it, but it was hard to stick to the line.

If you like gore, though, there is plenty to be had. Andrew never fails to write good body horror and it’s something I love about his writing. One character death had a visceral reaction from me, and the sense of Justice is, as always, really solid.

The social commentary in the book comes off a little heavy handed at times, but very solid over all. It’s very “history repeats” in terms of messaging, where social well-being and community wins out over the cycle of violence, thought it took a lot to finish.

A beautiful novel. AJW impresses me more and more with each new release. The language is gorgeous in how precise it is, and the horror of classism is tackled in an absolutely perfect way. One of my favorite books of the year!

Andrew Joseph White's COMPOUND FRACTURE will knock the wind out of you. Like his other books, COMPOUND FRACTURE is dark, but this novel in particular refuses to pull any punches (literally and figuratively). This is not a lighthearted book--there's graphic violence and transphobia--but it's masterfully crafted and an important story for the current political landscape. My only criticism is that its discussions of workers' rights and socialism/communism occasionally come across as preachy. As an educator, I can't imagine adding this book to my curriculum (the parent blowback would be FIERCE), but I can certainly see myself recommending it to specific students.

"Compound Fracture" by Andrew Joseph White is a gripping psychological thriller that will keep readers on the edge of their seats until the very end. White masterfully crafts a tense and suspenseful narrative, filled with unexpected twists and turns that will leave readers guessing at every page. With complex characters and a compelling plot, "Compound Fracture" explores the darkest depths of the human psyche, offering a chilling glimpse into the mind of a killer. Fans of thrillers won't be able to put this book down.

rated: 3 stars

i have loved ajw's other books, so this not living up to my expectations was even more disappointing.

lots of this book was good for me. i really liked miles and his family, both blood related and otherwise, and the discussion of community through this felt really strong to the point that i wished we had gotten more time with them. there were some decisions made at the end by miles' family, specifically following miles into making some very VERY poor decisions, that would have been a lot more impactful with some more consideration as to why they were making those decisions. the health care inequality conversation also was so well done, especially through saint and lucille but also through miles' family overall again.

my biggest let down in this book though was cooper. his morally grey ideals, apathy and desire to get revenge were so interesting to me, and as the story continued on he became more and more of a caricature. miles' autism led to a really black and white narration where things were either good or bad, and bad things that happened could easily be justified away, which i understand but really didn't like as a story choice. cooper's role in the story was teetering at the edge of nuance here that i didn't see anywhere else in the book, and i think would have made this story so much better.

cooper was the only not-villain character that i saw that had these deep conservative leanings. it felt to me a very strange narrative choice to completely cut out any discussion of conservatism in the south in favour of this "everyone in the south is secretly a leftist theyre just being oppressed right now so they can't realise it" message, because it doesn't feel true. the ending where the whole town stood by, watched, and covered it up? i get the point of trying to bring hope to people in these communities, but it still felt too unrealistic to me. more so than the ghost.

i also despised that miles justified the deaths of three children. i think it really soured the effect of him getting revenge on the people that hurt him. yes, what they did was unforgivable, but they were also just children still who were being shaped that way by the people above them and around them too. i really hated the messaging that killing those children was okay, because as evil as they were portrayed its so early in their lives to make the permanent decision that the world is better off without them. this is all tied into my wish that we got to see more of the conservativeness of the deep south spoken about in this book. sure i wish these kids didn't have to die, but what do you do with them if they live? i would have much rather discussion surrounding that.

the pacing issues that i had with spirit have also carried over to this book in a worse way. the plot juxtaposes itself between very slow nothing and then extreme violence and murder, which was quite jarring to read.

i did enjoy this book though, and it was a really gripping page turner that made me want to keep going back to it even when it was gory and tense and i had to look away. the messaging that ajw wants to get across with this book is still really important, but i feel like that messaging has worked better in his previous books, because they are not confined to reality the way this one tried to be.

Rating: 3.75 rounded up.

First off, I am incredibly fond of AJW's writing. There is just a certain quality that sucks me in almost immediately and I feel connected to the text.

Out of the three major titles, this is definitely my least favorite, but I think it mostly boils down to suspension of disbelief in the contemporary time period. There were certain aspects that did take me out of the story and lowered my general enjoyment, but I don't believe they would have the same effect on the target audience.

In true Andrew Joseph White fashion, this book has twists, gore, and genuinely scary moments. But beneath all that is the underlying theme of teens discovering their own power and fighting back against their oppressors. 
In Compound Fracture, Miles is a closeted trans boy living in a small Appalician town. A decades-old family feud has him pitted against the power-hungry sheriff and his son. When Miles survives a beating that was meant to kill him, he starts to fight back, tentatively at first, as he learns who to trust and how to trust himself. 
This book tackles issues of poverty and oppression, institutionalized power and broken government systems, all while taking you on a thrilling ride. 
I received this digital ARC from @netgalley and publisher @peachtreeteen in exchange for an honest review.
Compound Fracture will be released on September 3, 2024.

i received an advanced review copy from the publisher via netgalley in exchange for an honest review. this did not affect my rating.

compound fracture - a bone fracture that is accompanied by breaks in the skin, causing the broken ends of bone to come into contact with the outside environment;

i've been a fan of andrew joseph white's works since i first got an arc of “hell followed with us” and i think it's safe to say he's one of my favourite authors as of now. absolutely everything he's published so far were works i've devoured in like a day or two. “the spirit bares its teeth” was among my favourite books of last year and “compound fracture” is my first 5☆ of this year. i read this while on an 8-hour train ride and, truthfully, i was so immersed in it that someone could’ve stolen all my belongings and i wouldn’t have noticed.

the book isn't as gory as their previous ones and i think it leans more on thriller at times than horror, so if you didn't pick up the other books because you're not a fan of horror - perhaps you can give this one a go. i think it's one of those books that lets you simmer in their anger, with the action slowly building towards a satisfying climax. i’ve always been a fan of andrew’s endings - i think he always chooses the perfect conclusion to all his stories.

the writing is on par with what i’ve come to expect based on his other books - the perfect combination of dialogue, descriptions, and the main character’s inner monologue. the descriptions of places/actions especially are quite well written, they’re poetic without being too flowery. the dialogue aids in showing the personality of each character and i think every one of them has a distinct, unique personality.
after reading the author’s previous books, i’ve come to notice how meticulously crafted all his main characters are. i feel like all ajw’s characters’ are very complex, with a full scope of feelings and traits and i’m not exactly sure how he does it, but they always feel real. they’re relatable characters and they’re messy and i absolutely eat it up each times. Miles, the protagonist of “compound fracture” is angry at the world for what it did to his family, but he’s so loveable in spite of all his flaws. his evolution throughout the novel is a joy to observe and i’ve went through all the feels – from joy, to hope, to despair, you’ll feel it all. the side characters are well developed, with their own personalities and feelings, and i loved their interactions with the main character.

the plot itself was so interesting that i was constantly on the edge of my seat – we’ve got blood feuds and an appalachian setting, with a dash of horror and supernatural. in a true ajw manner, the body horror was so, so well-done. i love the way he writes the horror bits, as they’re truly creepy and they make you very uncomfortable while reading, which isn’t an ability to ignore. still, as i mentioned before, it’s got less horror parts than his previous works, so it’s more accessible if you’re not a fan of that.

overall, “compound fracture” is a wonderful book with a complex cast of characters and an insane plot. i love andrew’s books and will probably continue to do so until my days as a reader are over.