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etemp 's review for:
Compound Fracture
by Andrew Joseph White
dark
hopeful
tense
woof, what a read. i'm not much of a horror-girly, but i'll read anything by AJW, so his novels always take me out of my comfort zone in the best way. he has such a solid perspective and writes from it so well that every book is completely immersive and fleshed out. miles is not a perfect person, but he is a perfect narrator for this kind of story because the reader can feel his fear and his joy and the weight of his heritage the whole time.
the setting is spooky and alive and an integral part of the story itself, just like miles, and i loved his commentary about belonging there, even if his small Appalachian town hasn't always been kind to him.
as per usual, there are a lot of grizzly, horrific details in this book, and it doesn't shy away from transphobia or homophobia or bullying or police violence or a number of other potential triggers for people. miles is constantly being deadnamed, even after he's publicly outed as a form of revenge, but the balm that AJW gives for this is the sweetness of miles being accepted and protected by his closest community (LOVED the communist/anarchist family friends, btw).
the villains in this book are truly terrifying and all too real, unfortunately. whether its a corrupt cop with a boot on everyone's necks or a close childhood friend who becomes warped beyond recognition by loss or a medical system that passively encourages drug addiction, they are all rooted in a painful reality. but the funny thing about AJW's books is that there is always hope, and it is always loving community. and we love to see it.
the setting is spooky and alive and an integral part of the story itself, just like miles, and i loved his commentary about belonging there, even if his small Appalachian town hasn't always been kind to him.
as per usual, there are a lot of grizzly, horrific details in this book, and it doesn't shy away from transphobia or homophobia or bullying or police violence or a number of other potential triggers for people. miles is constantly being deadnamed, even after he's publicly outed as a form of revenge, but the balm that AJW gives for this is the sweetness of miles being accepted and protected by his closest community (LOVED the communist/anarchist family friends, btw).
the villains in this book are truly terrifying and all too real, unfortunately. whether its a corrupt cop with a boot on everyone's necks or a close childhood friend who becomes warped beyond recognition by loss or a medical system that passively encourages drug addiction, they are all rooted in a painful reality. but the funny thing about AJW's books is that there is always hope, and it is always loving community. and we love to see it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Animal death, Body horror, Deadnaming, Homophobia, Transphobia, Police brutality, Fire/Fire injury, Outing
Moderate: Bullying, Gun violence, Car accident, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury
Minor: Addiction, Drug abuse, Physical abuse, Grief, Injury/Injury detail