Andrew Joseph White blew me away with his debut Hell Followed With Us and followed it up with the phenomenal The Spirit Bares Its Teeth so I went into Compound Fracture with high expectations and wow did he meet them.

One thing that's important to know is that while his first two books are YA horror, this is a thriller. Yes, there are gruesome elements and some depictions of graphic violence, but it is by far the least gory of his books. It does have the same rage that I love and have come to expect from an Andrew Joseph White book.

I had the opportunity to hear White speak at the National Book Festival just before this book was released and he talked about how this book was a love letter to Appalachia and his apology to young adults who feel helpless about the work they'll need to put in to clean up the messes of older generations and all of that absolutely shines through. This book takes place in modern times and follows Miles, a young trans boy who loves his small West Virginia town as much as he hates it. I loved that AJW wrote about an autistic trans boy who doesn't want to leave. Honestly Miles's drive to make his hometown better was so compelling to me in ways that I probably can't articulate very well but I deeply related to Miles love of his hometown despite all the bad.

I also loved that this book highlighted West Virginian history. In modern times, WV is seen as a deeply red backwater, but West Virginia only became a state separate from Virginia in 1863 because of the Civil War. AJW also pulls in real life socialist history by including Miles's great great grandfather who led a miners' rebellion in the 1920s. The hardcover edition even includes photos saved in the Library of Congress of the West Virginia coal wars.

Overall, I really loved this book and I highly recommend it, especially for those who have been interested in his work but have maybe been turned off by the gore of his previous releases. I cannot wait to see what White writes next as he has absolutely become an auto-buy author for me.

This book I requested from NetGalley because I had heard many good things about this author (and already owned one of his books to read). This is a book about Miles Abernathy, whose family is in a blood feud with the Davies family, especially Sheriff Davies. Along the way, Miles comes out as trans to various people (some who take it better than others), wrestles with labels and finds a way to fight back when the fight has already left him seriously injured in hospital (it happens in the first 10% of the book).

This book is graphic and brutal with it, it doesn't shy away from the damage bigotry and oppression can do. When Miles is terrified of the escalation of the blood feud, he is not just looking back at what the Davies family did to his ancestors, but what the Sheriff has done to his family and his friends in very recent past. His fear is very rational and I think the author does a good job of showing how that paralyses Miles, as well as showing the stubborn core of the family that keep on staying in a town where the existing power structure works against them. The whole family is bitter and resentful about what has been done to them but they are also loving and proud and so very determined. The feud does escalate and again, the book doesn't shy away from showing you the impact of this. Teenagers are killed and the narrative shows them compassion, because even though they did horrific things, they were still children who were shoved into a corner most adults can't get away from. It shows how the people in power hurt others, but also how they hurt themselves, their children and everyone around them.

Miles coming out is almost a subplot but not really, because it is woven into the main plot as well. It happens in the very first chapter when he comes out to his parents and then to various friends and enemies, deals with being called by his dead name (by accident as well as on purpose) and the very real possibility of corrective rape. I love how this author handled Miles' parents dealing with Miles' revelation. There is a line about how there is total acceptance and complete rejection but there is so much in between those two polar opposites and Miles' parents fall along that line. Miles doesn't have to persuade his parents to accept him, he's just very honest with them and they deal with their own reaction on their own (so off page).

While I enjoyed Miles and Cooper and the strange relationship between the two of them, I didn't find Dallas as compelling. Maybe because they showed up later or because they felt more like a character to help with the plot, I'm not sure. I did appreciate seeing someone else dealing with the trauma and the fear of what the Davies family had done and seeing how all three of them (Miles, Cooper and Dallas) handle it differently. Miles' family is important to him but so is his friend group and I appreciated that we got to see how complicated both sets of relationships are. No one is perfect and everyone has their own shit going on.

I really liked the ending and how Saint's ghost played a part. I enjoyed how the book's compassion with the younger characters, even the teenagers who did horrible things, continued with the ending.

The writing style of this book was compelling, even as the subject matter was distressing. Despite all the small town stuff going on, the author didn't shy away from real world politics and the wider look as well. It felt like it's own world and yet we were constantly reminded that small towns like these made up a big portion of the USA.

And regarding the dog, they survive.

4.5 stars!

09/12/2024 || Compound Fracture by Andrew Joseph White || #CompoundFracture #NetGalley #queer

Please note: This review may not be reproduced or quoted, in whole or in part, without explicit consent from the author and myself.
All of my thoughts are my own~

Thank you NetGalley, Andrew Joseph White, and Holiday House / Peachtree / Pixel+Ink | Peachtree Teen for making this e-ARC available!

5 stars

CW/TW: please heed and acknowledge all content warnings! They are there for your safety and mental health!!
From the author himself over on GoodReads:
"COMPOUND FRACTURE is about Appalachian history and blood feuds. While it isn’t as gory as my other work, there are still topics that may be difficult for some readers. These include:

*Graphic violence, with a focus on politically motivated, cyclical feud violence involving law enforcement and/or children
*Queerphobia and transphobia: deadnaming, misgendering, family conflict regarding trans identity (resolved), internalized queerphobia from a character on the aromantic spectrum (resolved)
*Opioid dependency and its effects on family; main character uses opioids after surgery and undergoes withdrawal after quitting without medical supervision
*Physical force and emotional manipulation by intimate partner
*Animal harm (butchering deer, off-page revenge killing of a dog)
*Discussions of ableism, including internalized ableism; brief mention of disfiguremisia
*Emetophobia (vomiting) warning

The dog named Lady is fine, I promise."

The Spirit Bares Its Teeth was my first Andrew Joseph White novel, then recently over the summer I listened to Hell Followed With Us and just this week finished up this ARC of Compound Fracture. AJW has really found his voice and footing when writing and it shows in Compound Fracture so much- the prose, the complexity of the characters and events, the atmosphere. He has been really evolving and honing his craft and I await, with much anticipation and excitement, what he will come out with next!

Compound Fracture follows Miles Abernathy- a 16 year old socialist from West Virginia, who recently came out as trans to his parents in light of school ending for the summer. What follows next is a series of horrid events that play their role in a bigger mess- a long standing, bloody feud between the hard working coal mining families like the Abernathy's vs the greedy, capitalist and their bastard cop family, the Davies. There were many times I had to stop, put this book down, and decompress. The subject matter is intense and very real and very heavy. This book contained little tid-bits of book titles to check out yourself if you feel the same as Miles and his family.

I cried a few times, and as usual- AJW provides us with an ending that is both great but also feels like the calm before the next storm. I loved this one, hope you do too.

As always thank you Net Galley and Publisher for a copy!!

Compound Fracture follows Miles, as they start uncovering just how twisted and awful their town is, and how rotten people can become from it. Their family name has been plagued for hundreds of years and he feels as if it is his time to fix the wrong doings against not only his family but his friends as well. After being beaten half to death by the sheriff's son and his friends, Miles sets out on path to try and stop the bloodshed once and for all.

I felt as though this story was much more tummy turning for me than the other stories as it felt much rawer and more open. I fell in love with all of the characters for both their good and their bad traits and even the antagonists. The way White writes always finds a way to take hold of me and leaves me constantly wanting more. The whole time I was waiting and anticipating what could happen next, while also dreading the outcome. Miles story felt like such a raw transgression that only got more aggressive as the story went on.

Again, Andrew Joseph White with another fantastic YA novel. This one, however, holds a special place in my heart.

This book is a tribute to the people who do what needs to be done, to the hundreds of thousands of Appalachians who have been denigrated and bullied by the powers that be. This book’s focus on being queer in Appalachia alongside the long history of labor unrest in the mountains, and the effects that has on the present and future, work together to weave an interesting narrative of resilience and generational trauma.

Thanks, Net Galley for the ARC! I had already preorder the book back when it was announced.

PS the dog doesn’t die, and she’s the goodest girl.

[Review text lifted from Goodreads.]

I received a digital copy of Compound Fracture through Netgalley. Many thanks to both the site and the publisher.

☆☆☆.5/5 rounded up. Great read. Spoilers present briefly, but said spoilers are important to the story.

"It's like everyone knows there's something off about me, and they don't like it, and they don't quite know what to do about it." —Miles Abernathy

I have been a fan of AJW for some years now, and hearing about Compound Fracture's (at the time) upcoming release elated me. I was thoroughly captivated by TSBIT, more so than HFWU, but knowing that Compound would have less of an abundant supernatural aspect left be curious as to how I may feel about the book.

I felt that, as always, White's portrayal of autism was stunningly accurate to not only my experiences, but experiences that I know about and want to learn more of. For Miles' part of not knowing about his disorder, I appreciated how bluntly he narrated his autistic traits while also providing a sense of subtlety. He clearly knows about and accepts these traits, but the subtlety comes from the lack of someone describing him as autistic every time he does something autistic. We are given these things to know about him—for instance, his special chewing shoelace is mentioned outright in the beginning of the story—and they are left there for us to do with what we please.

The politics were a little convoluted for my liking. I appreciated the depiction of a Southern anarcho-commie alliance, but the line between socialism, communism, and anarchism is not clearly drawn and these terms tend to be used interchangeably. Any issues I have with this topic throughout any of White's published works I choose to attribute to YA publishing restrictions. Perhaps my views will change with his upcoming adult novel.

I also felt the supernatural presence of Saint as a character was underdeveloped. While I've never been super fond of stories that introduce exactly one supernatural element and then do not explain how it came to be, I can accept that the explanation I desire may not be necessary for this story to fulfill itself. Miles' motivations are pulling him towards personal vendettas and familial scores to settle, not discovering the supernatural nature of his world, and that is okay with me. It didn't majorly detract from the writing.

As a reviewer, I tend to focus on the things that didn't work for me, even in a story I loved, because I don't know how to process my favorite parts into speech sometimes. I will point out clearly now: I loved this novel. I loved how similar Miles was to me, while also not feeling like a depiction of myself on page—I like to read about a character that I can understand, but don't necessarily relate to entirely. Miles was this for me. Not to say that I couldn't connect with him, because I do feel that I did. He was fascinating to me, and I personally loved that WV dialect was heavily present in his speech as well as the side characters'. I am southern but from the opposite side of the south, you could say. While I do wish I had more depictions of my own life and childhood in the Western South to read about, this novel did not need to give me that and I'm glad it didn't. I love to learn about southern experiences that aren't my own.

Overall, while some aspects took me out of the story as a reader, White's writing style and characterization ultimately kept me entranced. Highly recommend to those who enjoy teenage horror pushing the limits of what YA will allow and a love story about a boy and his homeland that can't treat him wrong—only the folks inhabiting it. TSBIT is still my favorite, but Compound Fracture ain't half bad. :)

3.5 stars

Set in rural West Virginia in a former mining town where a brutal family feud has been raging for a century, this book functions as a compelling horror story about multi-generational family trauma and the ways that capitalism engenders violence.

This story is fast-paced and packed with multiple jaw-on-on-the-floor moments. It features disability, autism, and queer rep (including trans and nonbinary characters and aromantic and queer platonic relationships).

Alongside the suspenseful thriller that serves as the main plot of the book, there are touching and realistic portrayals of a young person dealing with the difficulties of coming out and the struggles of being neurodivergent. I thought it was especially clever how the author utilized misgendering and deadnaming as a form of violence within the text.

Overall I enjoyed the book, though I felt it started off much stronger than it ended. I'm not sure exactly where I expected the story to go, but where it wound up was a bit disappointing considering how promising I found the start of the book. By the end, some of the character motivations still felt underdeveloped. And while I mostly enjoyed the anti-capitalist musings of the main character, at times it felt preachy and repetitive.

This is the first AJW book I;ve read and while it wasn't completely my cup of tea, I am eager to read the author's other books and I'm certain this one will appeal to many readers.

CW: animal cruelty, murder, mutilation, transphobia, violence, gore

Thank you to NetGalley for providing the e-arc. I feel genuinely honoured that I got to read an ARC of an Andrew Joseph White book not once but twice.

Compound Fracture is BRUTAL. Synopsis says this book is not for the faint of heart and... yeah! They were not kidding!

The moments of tenderness and unconditional love, as a result, are even more of a breath of fresh air.

There are many things I loved about this book: the unbridled and unapologetic queer joy from Dallas; the fact that their entire family (their brother plus the coolest sister in law) exists, really, Amber is just so cool and the way she takes care of Miles makes me WEEP; the way Miles' grandparents rallied around him <spoiler>after he was outed</spoiler> despite not exactly understanding the identity of transgender, but enough to know that it was a violation and that their grandchild NEEDED their love and support; Miles' journey of learning and self discovery. He does have a good point about resiliency: it is overrated, because why is there morality associated with pushing through a godawful circumstance when they shouldn't have to in the first place. Nonetheless, I am happy for him, for Dallas and family, for the this journey that led to him discovering a community that is there for one another and the joy and love that comes from having it.

As is typical of an Andrew Joseph White book, it has amazing autism representation. Like abolition / anarchism, it is also something I have been learning more about since my partner understood that he is on the autism spectrum. While reading CF, I'd recognize things that my partner also does and show it to him while giggling. The Spirit Bares Its Teeth was his first Andrew Joseph White book btw and he sobbed for a moment after finishing it, saying he felt so seen. I am sure that he will love this one too.

I am not sure if I love this one as much as TSBIT but mostly that is just because I don't do very well with gore and injury details. I appreciate this book deeply and especially the anarchist message.

I look forward to whatever Andrew releases next!

Thank you to NetGalley and Peachtree Teen for the eARC.

This book. I don't even think I have the words to give it justice. Go into it blind, go into it with an open mind - those are my two pieces of advise. Stellar.

'Compound Fracture' is not my first introduction to the work of Andrew Joseph White, and it has been lovely to see his writing develop and mature since 'Hell Followed with Us'. This book truly has it all, starting with complex characters with well-developed backgrounds, a sense of mysticism woven throughout the atmosphere, and gory, unexpected twists that WILL make you gasp out loud on a packed tube at rush hour.

The story follows trans autistic protagonist Miles as he survives an attempted murder and is pulled into the tangled world of generational trauma and class struggle in a small Appalachian town. It also explores his gender identity and the process of unmasking his autism. It's a gripping and compelling tale of community and resilience in rural America, delivered with the tasteful horror-esque writing style White is known for. Although this book features fewer fantasy elements than the author’s previous novels, it is no less fantastical. It was a great read from beginning to end!

Thank you to the publisher for providing an ARC for review via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

This novel was great!! Andrew writes amazingly and I find his characters to be easy to grow fond of. I am giving this book 4.25 as I found the overarching story to be pretty point A to point B, and I could personally see the ending coming earlier on in the book. I will say, this book is very current politically, so if you are thinking of reading this I would read it sooner rather than later as it is quite relevant!

This was an easy 5 stars. I adore Andrew Joseph White’s books, and this one is no different. the three adjectives that come to mind when trying to describe Compound Fracture are brutal, incisive and visceral. It’s a story of hard-fought hope and what it means to truly be a family. I can’t wait to read whatever Andrew Joseph White writes next.

This was a spectacular read, I've read it in one sitting... got overwhelmed with all the stuff going on but I just couldn't stop no matter what! Authors writing style is as captivating as in any other book, though I really appreciated this one was less fantastical - everything felt just... more!

Absolutely phenomenal! Andrew always has a way of pulling me in from the very beginning. I was invested in the characters, the journey, the historical context of West Virginia, etc. I could not put the book down. We get to follow Sadie aka Miles in a corrupt small town in West Virginia with a sheriff that’s been torturing his family for a long time. Most people say to just leave but Miles refuses because this is his home.

A coming of age novel that melts horror in like butter.

Thank you so much NetGalley for an eARC in exchange or an honest review!

This book made me want to go feral in the best way possible. I loved this book! From start to finish I did not want to put this thing down. The pacing and writing were perfect. The setting and plot of this story, even fictionalized, really felt honest and truthful to how a lot of small towns are and have been for a very long time. Everyone knows everyone's business and feuds can last a century. The history and backstory of the town and the Abernathy family were intriguing to read about. I love history and historical fiction so this was a nice addition to the mystery and horror. Miles is a fantastic character who is trans and autistic. I really enjoyed his evolution throughout the book. The characters felt real and fully dimensional. I thought Miles' family dynamic was really good and the information we learn about his relatives was very interesting! The book contains hatred towards lgbtq+ characters and at times very brutal, but these things do happen and the book is honest about it. Compound Fracture combines mystery/thriller with real life horror. Andrew Joseph White hits it out of the park again with this book. The Spirit Bares Its Teeth was one of my favorite books last year and Compound Fracture has become one of my favorite books this year!

Andrew Joseph White has to be my favorite author recently. Every book I have had the pleasure of reading has been so perfect. Every character is so real and I have enjoyed getting to know them. Thank you to NetGalley and thank you to the publishers for this e-ARC. Here's to more books in the future!

Firstly, I just want to give Miles a high five and a shoulder to cry on because holy moly I would be an absolute wreck in his shoes!!

Secondly, I love how unapologetically political this was, even when it made for scenes that were incredibly difficult to read. I think one of my highlight notes was just “acab acab acab” and I really appreciate the fact that this was published because I think it’s a conversation more people need to be having.

Thirdly, along with all of that, there were so many little (and not so little) moments that made me smile. Amber throwing the water on Davies. Prince Zuko! The GROWTH we see from Miles’ family by the end of the story. Mamaw and Papaw are so strong and they made me ache for my own grandparents. I love them.

I have probably a hundred or more highlights at this point and words cannot describe how much I absolutely adored this book. 5/5 again, AJW. Thank you for this.

I'm a huge AJW fan, but the pacing and story structure of this one was.... Odd?

I felt like so much of this book was outright social commentary, rather than being seamlessly integrated into the narrative. Now, I say this very carefully, as AJW's works are well know for using story and creative narrative as a vehicle to discuss very serious and important topics. That is not the problem here - in fact, I welcome using story to make these points. Where I take issue is when these points consume the story, wherein the point being made overshadows and swallows the story that is meant to contain and convey it, thus weakening the story, and ultimately, diluting the message. This is what I call the point of no return, where it becomes immediately obvious to the reader that the storytelling is just a means to an end, and that the story was never designed to stand on its own.

Yes, there were moments that the commentary being made was raised during important narrative junctures. This was fine. And yet, at other times, this commentary was splashed across multiple pages and droned on for so long that it was essentially nothing more than monologuing that read, to me, as separate and distinct from the narrative entirely. It really took me out of the story, and I could never connect with the characters or form a deep understanding of their motives.

I loved TSBIT, but this one was a miss for me.

Andrew Joseph White's writing gets stronger with each new novel, but also more visceral. Compound Fracture is perhaps less supernaturally oriented than his previous works, but this only made the gore and violence feel even more impactful. It is often an uncomfortable read, as is characteristic of White's work, but it is also an engaging and thought-provoking one.
The cast of characters is mostly well-developed - even the more "villainous" aspects. However, the Sheriff veers towards caricature at times, and this contrasts with the rest of the book veering more towards realism. For my tastes, it dragged me out of the story somewhat, and made the conclusion feel too neat.
Despite this, Compound Fracture is a tense, engrossing work. I perhaps lack the geographic and historical context to truly appreciate some aspects relating to the Appalachian setting, but the representation of the strike, and the town's remaining sentiment towards it years later, was very interesting to me.
The autistic representation was both varied (we are shown people on different aspects of the spectrum, both formally diagnosed and who haven't realised they are autistic yet) and insightful.
3.5 stars rounded up to 4.

l don’t read horror often. However, when I read AJW’s debut novel, I fell in love with their writing. I still LOVE everything AJW stands for, writing about neurodivergent trans teens, we need more protagonists like this in the literary world. I was hoping my love for their writing would continue, but AJW appears to be a one hit wonder for me. I wanted to love this book, be able to scream on top of rooftops about its amazingness, but all we got was a lackluster history lesson. This book was so disappointing and honestly felt like I was painfully tearing my eyelashes out one by one to read it. It just felt rushed and lacked the fine tuning and driving purpose that book one had.