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A review by corabookworm
Compound Fracture by Andrew Joseph White
adventurous
dark
emotional
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.75
Initial Thoughts:
Holy shit he did it again. Andrew Joseph White never misses. Full review to come.
Full Review:
Compound Fracture is a queer Appalachian thriller that follows the story of a brutal blood feud between two families and the trans socialist teenager who finds himself involved after an attempted murder.
Well, folks, Andrew Joseph White has done it again! This book is a little different from the author’s first two, as it's more "thriller" than "horror", but it's just as dark and just as good. It's scarier, even, because unlike the first two, it’s set in the real world, and all that dark stuff is grounded in reality. And the contemporary setting didn’t discourage the author from his usual gore and body horror, either: if you’re easily bothered by blood and guts, this is NOT the book for you. It was incredibly gross but also so fucking cool.
And Compound Fracture is not just a thriller! At its core, this book is a coming-of-age story about a teen finding words to describe himself, learning he’s autistic, and coming out as queer. People are also not wrong when they call this book a “political page-turner.” I was initially surprised by the number of political references and stances within this book, but it only added to the powerful characters and conflicts.
And it WAS powerful. The story was brutal, the characters wild, and the writing utterly fantastic. Though White’s biggest strength, once again, is his character’s emotions. Reading this book, I was blown away by the visceral fear and fury and the raw exhaustion leaking through these pages. I loved it.
Compound Fracture is definitely not for those looking to escape reality or for the faint of heart, but for anyone who loves bloody thrillers, queer and neurodivergent characters, and stories packed with vicious emotion.
Holy shit he did it again. Andrew Joseph White never misses. Full review to come.
Full Review:
Compound Fracture is a queer Appalachian thriller that follows the story of a brutal blood feud between two families and the trans socialist teenager who finds himself involved after an attempted murder.
Well, folks, Andrew Joseph White has done it again! This book is a little different from the author’s first two, as it's more "thriller" than "horror", but it's just as dark and just as good. It's scarier, even, because unlike the first two, it’s set in the real world, and all that dark stuff is grounded in reality. And the contemporary setting didn’t discourage the author from his usual gore and body horror, either: if you’re easily bothered by blood and guts, this is NOT the book for you. It was incredibly gross but also so fucking cool.
And Compound Fracture is not just a thriller! At its core, this book is a coming-of-age story about a teen finding words to describe himself, learning he’s autistic, and coming out as queer. People are also not wrong when they call this book a “political page-turner.” I was initially surprised by the number of political references and stances within this book, but it only added to the powerful characters and conflicts.
And it WAS powerful. The story was brutal, the characters wild, and the writing utterly fantastic. Though White’s biggest strength, once again, is his character’s emotions. Reading this book, I was blown away by the visceral fear and fury and the raw exhaustion leaking through these pages. I loved it.
Compound Fracture is definitely not for those looking to escape reality or for the faint of heart, but for anyone who loves bloody thrillers, queer and neurodivergent characters, and stories packed with vicious emotion.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Child death, Deadnaming, Death, Gun violence, Transphobia, Violence, Murder, Outing, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Gore, Hate crime, Panic attacks/disorders, Police brutality, Medical content, Kidnapping, Grief, Death of parent, and Fire/Fire injury
Minor: Alcoholism, Drug use, Rape, and Vomit