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Graphic: Ableism, Addiction, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Child death, Deadnaming, Death, Gore, Gun violence, Hate crime, Homophobia, Torture, Violence, Blood, Police brutality, Grief, Medical trauma, Car accident, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Outing, Injury/Injury detail, Classism
Graphic: Addiction, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Child death, Chronic illness, Cursing, Deadnaming, Death, Drug abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Torture, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Police brutality, Medical content, Medical trauma, Car accident, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Outing, Injury/Injury detail, Classism
Moderate: Alcoholism, Rape, Sexual assault, Kidnapping, Death of parent, Alcohol
Graphic: Deadnaming, Transphobia, Vomit, Police brutality, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Outing, Injury/Injury detail, Classism
Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Drug abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Homophobia, Transphobia, Car accident
Minor: Death of parent
Graphic: Death, Gun violence, Violence, Blood, Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Addiction, Animal death, Drug use, Medical content, Fire/Fire injury, Outing
Minor: Deadnaming, Vomit, Alcohol
final note, non-op transmascs r so valid. no talk of surgery of testosterone taking in Miles’s future, just transness unadulterated. man. MAN
Graphic: Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Deadnaming, Emotional abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Hate crime, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Police brutality, Car accident, Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail, Classism
Can't have a blood feud without spilling a little (a lot) of blood. This was gnarly, Andrew Joseph White is so good at instilling a bunch of emotion and passion into some really dark scenarios. I was so invested in the well-being of the Abernathys. Mile's family is so loving despite their flaws (except Lady the dog, she has no flaws). While I was expecting the blood feud would have to end in some way, I had no idea who would live to see the end the whole time. I've read two of White's books now, and he's definitely on my list of authors to watch for.
Graphic: Gore, Gun violence, Blood, Police brutality, Car accident, Classism
Moderate: Animal death, Death, Drug abuse, Sexual assault, Vomit, Death of parent, Toxic friendship, Alcohol
Compound Fracture is a brutal love letter to the people who love their small town even if it doesn't love you back - "for all its problems, it's mine". It's for those hurt by a world that hurts them for existing but you can't help but care ("even if I don't like people, you know, it's hard not to give a shit about people as a whole") and fight and bleed. It's full of heart and rage and discovery. Generations of pain and love and oppression culminating in the terror of being alive, especially then, especially today, especially always. It's hard out (t)here when you're queer and disabled and you stand up for what's right.
The book follows Miles, a trans autistic teen in Appalachia striving to survive and protect his family. A family that has been at war for over a 100 years, clawing their way to survival, forced to turn to violence to save them, and the town, from the elite. We join Miles on the eve of his coming out, set on a mission to right the Sheriff's latest wrongs. A violent attack cements a drive to fight back, fuelled by the pain of his ancestors and those still living it. Stakes rise, tension mounts, and the violence escalates but in the midst of the storm a community is formed and Miles finds further self discovery and acceptance dug from the years of smoke and blood. There's also a very good dog.
The horrors of Compound Fracture are very real. Whilst there may be a supernatural guide, the monsters are men and they don't need to wear a mask. They'll smile with your blood on their hands and your money in their pocket. It does not back away from reality. It's an unflinching portrayal of trauma, with complex characters that genuinely make you feel a full spectrum of emotions. I have never felt such terror, never held my breath and urged the book onwards like chapter 45. AJW writes so compellingly that I've highlighted at least half the book. Words that are tattooed on my viscera, on my soul.
I docked half a point mostly because I am a whore for gore and revenge. Like watching a horror film where they run upstairs instead of outside, I'm screaming at them to stop being so stupid. Think of the evidence, think it through, don't leave a trace that it was you, but god if you're gonna do it, make it hurt. I was begging for some poetic torture, to string them up and butcher them as there hands have done so many times before. It was too quick of an end than they deserved. Miles has SO much empathy, far too much in my opinion but it's a testament to his character. No matter how broken, how hurt, he still cares about people. He emerges from the battle, blood stained but still merciful. Still kind. Throughout he feels undeserving of other people's kindness, when other people care. Even from the smallest of autism accommodations, he's so used to hurting that it's foreign to him. I am so grateful he got such a good community that understands him (though there were some stereotypes) and that this book can be a voice for so many to feel less alone. The disability representation/acceptance was also a welcome reprieve.
There were some little things that I didn't like, like the aforementioned stereotypes, lots of unnecessary info or sentences that can take you out of the story. I spent a good chunk of the book begging for SOMEONE to understand police procedure and to maybe NOT LEAVE EVIDENCE. Trigger warnings to be aware of: Transphobia/queerphobia including deadnaming and outing; death, murder, violence; animal death; ableism; fire/fire injury; paedophillia; addiction; medical content.
Thank you to Netgalley for the arc.
Graphic: Addiction, Animal death, Body horror, Bullying, Deadnaming, Death, Drug use, Gore, Gun violence, Homophobia, Violence, Blood, Police brutality, Medical content, Grief, Car accident, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Outing, Injury/Injury detail, Classism
Moderate: Fatphobia, Kidnapping, Stalking
Minor: Vomit
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Cursing, Deadnaming, Death, Gore, Toxic relationship, Transphobia, Violence, Blood, Police brutality, Grief, Car accident, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail, Classism
Moderate: Ableism, Addiction, Drug abuse, Drug use
Minor: Hate crime
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Bullying, Chronic illness, Cursing, Deadnaming, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Genocide, Gore, Gun violence, Hate crime, Homophobia, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Torture, Toxic relationship, Transphobia, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Police brutality, Kidnapping, Grief, Car accident, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Outing, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, Dysphoria, Injury/Injury detail, Classism
All books are political in nature, but this book speaks to the current political climate in the US, especially as it relates to small rural communities and being queer. Miles realizes throughout the book that community is truly the way to go.
Miles' identity journey in this book also feels realistic, finding pieces of himself as he goes along. Especially in his realization of being aromantic. If you can stomach the more horror aspects of the book, I'd definitely recommend this one for the fall season!
Graphic: Gore, Gun violence, Violence
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Car accident, Fire/Fire injury
Minor: Animal death, Vomit, Alcohol