Reviews

Compound Fracture by Andrew Joseph White

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shrikebait's review against another edition

adventurous dark hopeful fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Compound Fracture really drew me in with a sense of community. Generational trauma does not fade when society stagnates, it simmers until it boils over. In rural Twist Creek, the people are being crushed under the same boot... And these underdogs bite back!

This is a page-turner. I was up reading until early this morning because I just had to know what happens next. If you enjoy queer horror and thrillers but usually avoid YA novels...you're missing out! Based on my recent reads, YA horror is undergoing one hell of a renaissance at the moment. I highly recommend this book to both YA and adult genre fans.

That being said...Definitely look into content warnings for this one. A few big ones are anti-LGBTQ+ bigotry, outing, police brutality, animal cruelty, and child death. I personally like to reference StoryGraph - readers may add content warnings when leaving a review.

Thank you to White, Peachtree Teen, and NetGalley for the chance to read this ARC for free. I'm leaving this review of my own accord.

Content Warnings

rays_of_sunshine_08's review

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dark tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

Thank you Netgalley and publishers for the amazing Arc of Compound Fracture by Andrew Joseph White, a queer horror-thriller and political page turner.

30/05/2024
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5/5
 TRIGGER WARNINGS: Gore and graphic violence, transphobia, abuse from an intimate partner, drug dependency and withdrawel, animal harm, political abuse of power, vomitting. Check the author's website for more in depth descriptions of the trigger warnings.

This was insane...  

I am not normally into horror or thrillers, I didn't think it was my genre at all... Until reading this book. From the very start, the tone of the book was creepy, painting a picture of something being wrong. This book is not an escape from reality, but rather a book to read to face reality, look reality in the eye and accept the ugliness of it.

The story follows the protagonist, Miles, a transgender and autistic boy, after an accident that sucks him into a blood feud that his family has been a part of for centuries.

The main way I'd describe Miles is, simply put, angry. He is angry at the unfair life that he has been dealt, at the political situation of his home, which despite all he expresses a deep love for, and angry at the cruel cycle that he is forced into, that he has watched his grandparents and parents live through.  

The author weaved in all these different characters, with flaws, and in depth personalities. This book was a testimony to the fact that the villains are often times villains due to the consequences of their live.
 
I have to seriously applaud White for the way he wrote Cooper. Even before my favourite line of the entire book, ("What's a few more?") (Seriously... My jaw DROPPED) there was something slightly off about him... It almost felt like foreshadowing.

Miles's parents were also wonderful to read. They were not perfect, but at the end of the day they tried, and it was real and authentic to read about. 

I of course have to mention Dallas, my favourite character from the moment I met them.

The writing in general was beautiful, easy to read, impactful, and delightfully horrifying when it wanted to be. When I wasn't reading the book, all I could think about was what would they do next? The short chapters created a sense of suspense, and added to the terrifying undertones of the story.

If you're looking for a queer YA thriller that has a dark, creepy tone and nuanced characters this is a great book to add to your tbr.

boseph's review

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challenging dark reflective tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

chloethewriter's review against another edition

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dark emotional tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes

5.0

henrygravesprince's review against another edition

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challenging dark hopeful reflective tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.5

In the interest of full disclosure, this review is specifically regarding a DRC copy of the book from Net Galley, so while I imagine this eBook was pretty close to finalized, some details may have been changed between my copy and the official release.

Most specifically, I would reccomend this to LGBT young adults in Appalachia, the rural American south, and culturally similar areas—but also to adults in a similar position that did not have the opportunity to see themselves in media as a teenager; this is one of the YA books that I can read and not only think “this would have meant a lot to me when I was younger” but also to still find a sense of healing in reading it. The strongest aspect in Compound Fracture is the author’s ability to show the nuance of Appalachia, especially Appalachian politics and the history of the labor movement within West Virginia specifically, with clarity and compassion, and there are no major issues I have with this book. The brevity of some scenes is perhaps the weakest element to me—I think a little more time dedicated to the development of the characters and their dynamics would only make the book that much better. I’m hoping to check out Andrew Joseph White’s backlog going forward, and I’m also hoping to reread Compound Fracture when it’s published in its finalized form and it’s very likely that I may up the rating upon doing so.

Compound Fracture as a work comes across as very confident in what it has to say and how it says it. Its themes and the overall message are very clear and handled effectively; this is not the kind of book that meanders and asks readers to project their own views onto its subtext at every turn. The thematic throughline of literal and metaphorical lineage—blurring the edges between that of queer and trans, familial, and even political lineages, branching throughout history and that long-lasting lineage of harm as processed within a community—is something that resonates deeply with me, and stands out as a prominent aspect of Appalachian literature.

I enjoyed the writing style, which is consistent and lends to a storyteller’s voice (which is a narrative element that consistently ranks high for me), where the Appalachian cadence comes naturally and is both accurate and easy to process, especially in comparison to the way the accent is (often) written by people who aren’t intimately familiar with the area. The use of description is very strong; it has moments that are visceral imprinted into the text, but it still feels within the narrator’s depth and doesn’t sacrifice immersion or character voice. The structure is interesting; I like the fast and loose sort of utilization of varying chapter length (some being one page or even just one sentence). It’s fresh and I can always appreciate an author willing to play with conventions in narrative structure and form. In terms of technical elements such as grammar, syntax, and verbiage, the book is consistent, clear, and coherent. Pacing is quick, but ultimately very steady, and consistently maintained.

This book features a well-crafted and cohesive narrative, and is classified as a young adult thriller; personally I would also go so far as to call it an example of a modern Proletarian (or social) novel, targeted towards progressive youth. Exposition is seamlessly woven into the story with the addition of mixed media/modern epistolary narrative tools like wikipedia articles and text messages. Some scenes as they stand in the ARC do feel a bit sudden/short, kind of like the bones of a fuller moment, and I’m curious to see how they compare in the final copy of the book.

The portrayal of teenagers exploring and coming to terms with their identities feels incredibly authentic, especially in the way Miles and Dallas joke about it together. I was a young adult coming to terms with my identity around the time this book is set (this book is set in 2017, the year after I started coming out as transgender to my close friends), and it feels incredibly familiar in the kind of “awkward, youthful, still learning to empower oneself” sort of way. The relationships among the cast ring true to me, and feels very authentic to Appalachian social and family dynamics. I appreciated the arc of

Miles’s parents processing his coming out differently and still, ultimately, accepting him despite some very hurtful moments

. As I’ve discussed in other reviews of trans literature, complicated experiences in coming out is something I think is important to represent, and it’s one that I relate to quite personally.

Characterization is strong and consistent, and I’m curious as to why people think

Cooper’s

in particular seems unnuanced;

to me, he feels like an earnest take on how people can sour and become radicalized in the wrong direction, something I’ve seen happen time and time again. People who could have done good, instead using the idea of justice to justify their desire to hurt people and to get revenge, unfortunately does happen, and often, it ends badly

. Maybe it’s that I’ve seen people in my own life go down similar paths before that makes this a perfectly believable character arc to me.

To close out this review, I want to share a quote that I was frequently reminded of when reading this book and that I consider words to live by as someone who is invested deeply in leftist politics and the ideal of a better world: “The true revolutionary is guided by a great feeling of love. It is impossible to think of a genuine revolutionary lacking this quality.” — Che Guevara

Content Warnings

onehtl1ama's review

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challenging dark tense

5.0

Content Warnings

kodyreadseverything's review

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dark reflective tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

criticalmiss's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional sad tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes

5.0

Thank you Holiday House/Peacetree Publishing for the arc
This book was brutal and truthful. So much generational trauma is dealt with in this book. Lots of non binary and trans rep, autism rep as well. These characters were so vivid and flew off the pages for me. Andrew Joseph White’s books just keep getting better. Please check trigger warnings as this book does not pull it’s punches.

onceuponatime's review

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dark emotional hopeful informative sad tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

I'm a big fan of AJ White's writing, however I think this is my least favourite of his books I've read so far. The book is still decent and has familiar aspects of White's writing; the supernatural element, while much smaller here, is still present too.

I found the setting really interesting, however I think that perhaps setting it in such a specifically contemporary time is what worked against this book. It might work for a young queer audience, but I got the impression the very frequent explanations of basic queer and leftist terms and ideas to be almost equal in volume to the actual plot or character explanations (definitely an exaggeration), which I didn't really care for.

I think this book doesn't work for me personally and I wish it were different, but could work for a younger teen audience.
And as always be mindful of the triggering topics in the book.

Content Warnings

blackbird300's review

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adventurous dark emotional funny hopeful informative mysterious relaxing sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

Content Warnings

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