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421 reviews
Compound Fracture by Andrew Joseph White
adventurous
dark
emotional
inspiring
reflective
sad
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? No
5.0
"Monsters don't get to be innocent. Monsters don't get to beg for mercy. They don't deserve it."
I began this book without even reading the blurb, so I was delighted to be thrown into a heart-racing action scene with that amazing writing style I've loved in AJW's past books.
This book is set in a county in West Virginia called Twist Creek in 2017. Its been ruled by the same horrible family of sheriffs for a century, who are willing to hurt others to keep their dirty secrets. For example, as the blurb will tell you, Miles is seriously injured by Sheriff Davies's son at the very beginning because he had photo evidence of the sheriff causing Cooper's mother's death. It's also fiercely far right-wing, hating all diversity. Every single family is white American. So yeah, definitely not the ideal place for any member of a marginalised community to live.
Our protagonist is Miles, a sixteen-year old autistic trans boy. He's a socialist, and he loves his state of West Virginia. He is honest, unafraid of his opinions unless they stand a physical threat to his family. Also sensible, brave, wary. I absolutely adored him as a protagonist, he was relatable in some ways, and had a strong personality. He also had the best dog, Lady.
Cooper, Miles's old friend, immediately stood out as an important character to me. Through his kindness in the opening chapters, I assumed he was a good guy. Well, that opinion changed. I won't say anything more because of spoilers.
Dallas, the brave enby who wasn't afraid to share their political views openly in a community that opposed them, was easy to love as a character.
Miles's father and mother were kind, caring, resilient. I love reading about supportive parents, who care fir their children no matter what.
Sheriff Davies, the man who made an entire family fear for their safety due to his and his ancestors' brutality, was the antagonist of this story. He was also sexist, at one point assuming Miles's mother had been cooking when it had been his father upon barging into their house unannounced. It's safe to say I loathed him. And Noah, he was also pure evil.
This book is, overall, about a family who have for a generation been harmed by their society because of an ancestor's rebelling actions and their fate of being harmed by the sheriff. This is how that stops.
There was a paranormal aspect, if it can be called that. Miles sees the ghost of his great-great-grandfather, Saint Abernathy, but even at the end he isn't sure if Saint was real or not (though one event proves it, which I can't mention).
The trans rep was perfect, as was the autistic rep. Thank you, Andrew Joseph White, for providing the trans autistic protagonists we need in literature.
Overall, I think this book is something else. Something unique, brilliant.
Brutal is the word I'd use to describe it, purely brutal, both the things that happen in this novel and its affect on the reader.
It is clearly a 5-star read.
Listen, this book is very heavy. There is a lot of violence, multiple murders, the transphobia is quite harsh, and if any trigger listed below is something you can't read, please don't force yourself to.
TWs: violence, transphobia, outing of a trans person, gun violence, abelism, murder, bullying, torture, kidnapping, blood, injuries, drug use, deadnaming, hate crime, death, emotional abuse, police brutality, gore, classism, child death
The next TWs occur before the events of this book, but are still mentioned: pedophilia, car accident, death of a parent, fire, animal cruelty, animal death
Queer rep:
Transmasc protagonist
Queer sc
Transmasc sc
Non-binary sc
Aromanic (questioning) character (won't spoil who as it's near the end)
Other rep:
Autistic protagonist
ADHD side character
Side characters with PTSD x2
Autistic background character
I began this book without even reading the blurb, so I was delighted to be thrown into a heart-racing action scene with that amazing writing style I've loved in AJW's past books.
This book is set in a county in West Virginia called Twist Creek in 2017. Its been ruled by the same horrible family of sheriffs for a century, who are willing to hurt others to keep their dirty secrets. For example, as the blurb will tell you, Miles is seriously injured by Sheriff Davies's son at the very beginning because he had photo evidence of the sheriff causing Cooper's mother's death. It's also fiercely far right-wing, hating all diversity. Every single family is white American. So yeah, definitely not the ideal place for any member of a marginalised community to live.
Our protagonist is Miles, a sixteen-year old autistic trans boy. He's a socialist, and he loves his state of West Virginia. He is honest, unafraid of his opinions unless they stand a physical threat to his family. Also sensible, brave, wary. I absolutely adored him as a protagonist, he was relatable in some ways, and had a strong personality. He also had the best dog, Lady.
Cooper, Miles's old friend, immediately stood out as an important character to me. Through his kindness in the opening chapters, I assumed he was a good guy. Well, that opinion changed. I won't say anything more because of spoilers.
Dallas, the brave enby who wasn't afraid to share their political views openly in a community that opposed them, was easy to love as a character.
Miles's father and mother were kind, caring, resilient. I love reading about supportive parents, who care fir their children no matter what.
Sheriff Davies, the man who made an entire family fear for their safety due to his and his ancestors' brutality, was the antagonist of this story. He was also sexist, at one point assuming Miles's mother had been cooking when it had been his father upon barging into their house unannounced. It's safe to say I loathed him. And Noah, he was also pure evil.
This book is, overall, about a family who have for a generation been harmed by their society because of an ancestor's rebelling actions and their fate of being harmed by the sheriff. This is how that stops.
There was a paranormal aspect, if it can be called that. Miles sees the ghost of his great-great-grandfather, Saint Abernathy, but even at the end he isn't sure if Saint was real or not (though one event proves it, which I can't mention).
The trans rep was perfect, as was the autistic rep. Thank you, Andrew Joseph White, for providing the trans autistic protagonists we need in literature.
Overall, I think this book is something else. Something unique, brilliant.
Brutal is the word I'd use to describe it, purely brutal, both the things that happen in this novel and its affect on the reader.
It is clearly a 5-star read.
Listen, this book is very heavy. There is a lot of violence, multiple murders, the transphobia is quite harsh, and if any trigger listed below is something you can't read, please don't force yourself to.
TWs: violence, transphobia, outing of a trans person, gun violence, abelism, murder, bullying, torture, kidnapping, blood, injuries, drug use, deadnaming, hate crime, death, emotional abuse, police brutality, gore, classism, child death
The next TWs occur before the events of this book, but are still mentioned: pedophilia, car accident, death of a parent, fire, animal cruelty, animal death
Queer rep:
Transmasc protagonist
Queer sc
Transmasc sc
Non-binary sc
Aromanic (questioning) character (won't spoil who as it's near the end)
Other rep:
Autistic protagonist
ADHD side character
Side characters with PTSD x2
Autistic background character
Content Warnings
Graphic: Police brutality, Injury/Injury detail, Outing, Gun violence, Gore, Death, Deadnaming, Transphobia, Violence, and Blood
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Animal death, Torture, Toxic relationship, Mental illness, Medical content, Alcohol, Car accident, Animal cruelty, Bullying, Misogyny, Kidnapping, Death, Fire/Fire injury, and Death of parent
Bitter by Akwaeke Emezi
adventurous
emotional
reflective
sad
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? No
5.0
The Spirit Bares Its Teeth by Andrew Joseph White
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
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? No
4.75
A phenomenonal historical horror fantasy fiction novel from the author of Hell Followed With Us, similarly featuring a trans protagonist.
The plot was a brilliant concept, very gripping all the way through. I really had no clue how it would end, and kind of didn't want it to. That being said, I believe it was the perfect length, and more content wouldn't be necessary.
The pacing was very well done, I found it fast-paced, which I think is good for a horror novel.
The society in which this novel was set was cruel and unwelcoming to any sort of diversity. This made life very difficult for our protagonist and love interest. It is also why any girl who seemed anything other than a perfect obedient little baby-maker of a wife was locked away in the school.
The magic aspect was very cool, though what spirits could do was not fully dived into.
The terrible school was, I felt, slightly under-described. I can't envision it in my head, which I always like to do with settings.
Silas, our brave trans autistic protagonist, who loves learning how the human body works, who is constantly rejected by society unless he buries who he is, was such a fantastic character. I really felt like I knew him, as if he were real. I'm glad he didn't bow to the cruel world he lived in, and didn't accept the transphobia.
Daphne, the loyal trans love interest, who would protect Silas at any cost, was definitely my favourite character! She was very resourceful, which I liked.
The side characters were very well-developed. I particularly liked Mary and Isabella, while I loath the headmaster.
I found the transgender representation perfect, unsurprising considering the author is also trans.
The autistic rep was also perfect, I like how Silas stimmed and had an aversion to many foods, something many autistic people can relate too. I felt sorry for how the world didn't understand what he was.
Overall, a great book that I certainly recommend to everyone!
Queer rep:
Transmasc protagonist
Transfem love interest
Mspec protagonist
Sapphic side characters
Note: in this book, both Daphne and Silas are constantly deadnamed, so if that triggers you maybe don't read this one! There are many other TWs, which I will list below:
Transphobia, gore, rape, miscarriage, pregnancy, sexual assault, abelism, and medical content.
The plot was a brilliant concept, very gripping all the way through. I really had no clue how it would end, and kind of didn't want it to. That being said, I believe it was the perfect length, and more content wouldn't be necessary.
The pacing was very well done, I found it fast-paced, which I think is good for a horror novel.
The society in which this novel was set was cruel and unwelcoming to any sort of diversity. This made life very difficult for our protagonist and love interest. It is also why any girl who seemed anything other than a perfect obedient little baby-maker of a wife was locked away in the school.
The magic aspect was very cool, though what spirits could do was not fully dived into.
The terrible school was, I felt, slightly under-described. I can't envision it in my head, which I always like to do with settings.
Silas, our brave trans autistic protagonist, who loves learning how the human body works, who is constantly rejected by society unless he buries who he is, was such a fantastic character. I really felt like I knew him, as if he were real. I'm glad he didn't bow to the cruel world he lived in, and didn't accept the transphobia.
Daphne, the loyal trans love interest, who would protect Silas at any cost, was definitely my favourite character! She was very resourceful, which I liked.
The side characters were very well-developed. I particularly liked Mary and Isabella, while I loath the headmaster.
I found the transgender representation perfect, unsurprising considering the author is also trans.
The autistic rep was also perfect, I like how Silas stimmed and had an aversion to many foods, something many autistic people can relate too. I felt sorry for how the world didn't understand what he was.
Overall, a great book that I certainly recommend to everyone!
Queer rep:
Transmasc protagonist
Transfem love interest
Mspec protagonist
Sapphic side characters
Note: in this book, both Daphne and Silas are constantly deadnamed, so if that triggers you maybe don't read this one! There are many other TWs, which I will list below:
Transphobia, gore, rape, miscarriage, pregnancy, sexual assault, abelism, and medical content.
Bunny by Mona Awad
dark
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Clap When You Land by Elizabeth Acevedo
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
sad
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? No
5.0
This is a brilliant book, from which I learnt a lot about grief and the Dominican Republic.
The writing style is different to any novel I've read, each line containing only 4-5 words. It made it extremely easy to read, and I finished it in two sittings.
The plot was very well-written, I liked how both girls had such separate personalities and lives, and how they merged. It was also fast-paced.
The characters were very lovable. Out of the two sisters, I preferred Yahaira because she was more trusting, but Camino was so strong and her wariness was understandable.
Their father, I am still unsure if he was a good person. Both girls loved him, and him them, but he did keep each family a secret from the other up to his death.
Overall, a very brilliant book!
Queer rep:
Sapphic protagonist
The writing style is different to any novel I've read, each line containing only 4-5 words. It made it extremely easy to read, and I finished it in two sittings.
The plot was very well-written, I liked how both girls had such separate personalities and lives, and how they merged. It was also fast-paced.
The characters were very lovable. Out of the two sisters, I preferred Yahaira because she was more trusting, but Camino was so strong and her wariness was understandable.
Their father, I am still unsure if he was a good person. Both girls loved him, and him them, but he did keep each family a secret from the other up to his death.
Overall, a very brilliant book!
Queer rep:
Sapphic protagonist
Don't Want You Like a Best Friend by Emma R. Alban
emotional
funny
hopeful
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
A historical sapphic romance? Named after a Taylor Swift lyric? I had quite high expectations for this one!
Gwen and Beth were such well developed protagonists! Gwen was shameless, proud, confident, with a large sense of humour. Beth was shy, polite, gentle, with a fun side too of course. They went so well together!
A large plot point was the girls trying to pair up their parents, both very strong characters. I really enjoyed their opposing personalities.
The background characters were all very well developed also.
The romance between the protagonists was very well-written, not forced. I'd like to remind you that this is an adult book, so don't expect it to be YA in terms of romance.
The historical setting seemed good to me, though I honestly don't know enough to comment on it.
I really loved this book, and highly recommend it!
Queer rep:
Sapphic protagonists
Gwen and Beth were such well developed protagonists! Gwen was shameless, proud, confident, with a large sense of humour. Beth was shy, polite, gentle, with a fun side too of course. They went so well together!
A large plot point was the girls trying to pair up their parents, both very strong characters. I really enjoyed their opposing personalities.
The background characters were all very well developed also.
The romance between the protagonists was very well-written, not forced. I'd like to remind you that this is an adult book, so don't expect it to be YA in terms of romance.
The historical setting seemed good to me, though I honestly don't know enough to comment on it.
I really loved this book, and highly recommend it!
Queer rep:
Sapphic protagonists
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexism
Moderate: Addiction and Alcohol
Minor: Sexual assault, Pregnancy, and Domestic abuse