Compound Fracture is a rallying cry to young queer people who never give up, a warm hug for family that is doing their best, and a love letter to hometowns that are messy, but still yours.

This is Andrew Joseph White’s first book set in our world exactly as it is now (just a handful of years ago, right after Trump was elected), and while there are extreme antagonists and ghostly moral compasses, it’s truly about teenagers fighting for (and envisioning) a better future.

Miles didn’t ask to be part of a 100-year-old blood feud. But he’s sure as hell not going to let his family continue to be beat down. Yet on the very night he decides to both come out to his family as trans AND pass along photo evidence that proves power-hungry Sheriff Davies caused a tragic car accident, he’s attacked and nearly dies.

He’s a ferocious researcher and a budgeoning socialist – and he’s obsessed with the start of the feud, when his great-great-grandfather started miners’ rebellion and ended up with a railroad spike through his head. So when a ghostly miner appears at the foot of his hospital bed, Miles is even more certain that it’s up to him (maybe with some help from his trusty dog, Lady) to break the cycle. 

Miles’ love for his home is uncomplicated and unwavering, and so much of this book felt personal & vulnerable. He challenges small-minded thinking and doesn’t accept nonsense from anyone, but there’s also a lot of compassion and care for his hometown. Plot points covered (some briefly) include opioid addiction & fear of that happening to you, access to healthcare, and the many realities of rural poverty. Though Miles feels isolated in some ways, he finds such a strong micro community throughout the book - and his parents and extended family are open and earnest to connect with him, even though they don’t quite understand. All of the characters (except a handful of villains) charmed me and felt very whole and very real.

I adored Miles’ narration! He’s full of nerves about coming out, but he’s secure in his identity. He’s smart, unwavering in his convictions, and pretty darn angry. I actually would have loved the chance to see a bit more growth from him - to see him stumble with a friend and really sit with those consequences and learn how to be better. But his mistakes are glossed over very quickly.

Let’s talk about the disability rep – I thought it was incredible. While I’m not autistic, my chronic illness comes with a lot of similar sensory issues, and I had several moments of “wait, I’m not the only one that does this?” and “AJW, kindly extract yourself from my brain”! There are also some wonderful scenes where Miles begins to discover his aromantic identity. 

I would have loved to get a fuller picture of Sheriff Davies and Noah. AJW’s antagonists are always distressingly foul, but here they felt particularly like cartoon-style villains. I also think the closing was very neat - people came together almost too quickly and there didn’t seem to be any true consequences - but sometimes it’s nice to have a happy ending.

All in all, Compound Fracture was an incredible story. There’s teeth and fangs and gore like always (but don’t worry about Lady the dog - she’s a very-alive-hero by the end of the story). There’s earnest community and optimism that maybe we really can reshape all the systemic pain of our world. There’s a beautiful reminder that trans people have always existed.

CW: murder, death (parent/child), gun violence, gore, transphobia (deadnaming, misgendering, outing), police brutality, animal cruelty/death, addiction, hate crime, grief, classism, fire, car accident, ableism, torture, panic attacks, mental illness, vomit

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(I received an advance reader copy of this book; this is my honest review.)