Compound Fracture / Andrew Joseph White / Book Review

COMPOUND FRACTURE

Democrats think we're all Trump-drunk illiterate hillbillies, self-sabotaging, too stupid or too proud to accept the help we clearly need; Republicans point at our poverty and dying communities and remind us that liberals don't care about us, which is funny because neither do they.

Miles Abernathy is a lot of things his neighbors don't like. He's an Abernathy, for one, and a socialist. And he's trans. But most of all, he's a proud West Virginian, and so he'll never leave. Even when things get tough. When Miles finds some evidence that could change the upcoming local elections--and the future of his town--he feels like he has to share. Sneaking out to a party with this evidence on his person, Miles puts himself in harms way... and he pays the price.

Waking up in the hospital, Miles knows he is lucky to be alive. And he thinks, at first, that the ghost of the miner following him around is just the result of his head injury. Until he finds some old photographs from when the blood feud between his family and the sheriff began a hundred years ago. And with this new evidence in hand, Miles grows bolder... until he accidentally kills one of the town bullies.

THOUGHTS

On a technical level, I think this book is much better than Hell Followed With Us (I haven't yet read The Spirit Bares Its Teeth to compare). Up to a certain point, I was enjoying this book much more, too, than Andrew Joseph White's debut though both are brutal to read. This book balances bleak and harsh with hopeful very well. But I reached a breaking point where the melodrama here became too much for me.

PROS

Autism Rep	Miles is autistic, and his immediate family members are, too. Not that you'd hear any of them saying that (except, perhaps, Miles as he comes to reckon with this reality). I appreciated the little ways that it is clear this family have adapted to live together and live in the community, despite the alienation that Miles certainly (and his parents, probably) feels. This book is full of masking, yes, but also healthier coping mechanisms--and an emerging support system that Miles starts to find that can help him to better understand himself and how he fits into the world. And I love that.
Reclaimed History	Andrew Joseph White clearly cares about this history of West Virginia, of the poor and rural community he creates here in this book. He weaves into this story the history of the term "redneck" and its connection to labor movements--something obviously very important to Miles. He reclaims a lot of history that has been twisted to become rather, well, derogatory. And his love for West Virginia, shining through Miles, is clear. Miles recognizes the danger he is in within his community, and at the same time, he's unwilling to give up his home, his history, and his heritage. And he shouldn't have to.
Family Fumbles	Miles's family doesn't get it right when he comes out to them, and as hard as this is to read, it is also more honest than a lot of (idealistic) YA books propose. But Miles's family, though they don't understand and they do hurt him in their responses, don't mean to harm him. His mom wrestles with accepting him as he is. His Mamaw just plain can't comprehend what he's telling her. But when it comes down to it--when Miles needs them to rally around him and understand what, exactly, he's up against--they're absolutely there at his back, ready to jump into the fight when he needs them. And that's so wonderful.

CONS

This book is laced with transphobia. Miles's community isn't exactly open and willing to accept him. Miles is also still transitioning. He comes out to his family in the first chapter, and things don't go smoothly (though they don't go as poorly as they could). His deadname is sprinkled liberally throughout these pages, and this small aggression is really the least of his worries when hate crimes against him prove a very tangible future. If this is something you can't stomach (or don't want to immerse yourself in at the moment), this might be a book to set aside for a later date.	Transphobia
I know some of this ick factor was on purpose. I get that. But the love interest subplot just didn't feel necessary to me, and so because it was particularly uncomfortable to read, I wasn't a fan. Others might disagree, since it does add a layer of complexity here to these characters. I just didn't think the tradeoff was enough.	Romantic Subplot
Don't get me wrong. This book is never exactly "hinged" (and readers heading into an AJ White book really shouldn't expect that). But this book reaches such a frenzied pitch in its climax that I had a hard time enjoying. This book is particularly realist in tone (if extreme at times), so this absolutely wild ending just didn't quite jive as well as it could have with the rest of the book. Not in my estimation, anyway.	Unhinged

Rating

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
7/10

Fans of Matteo L. Cerilli's Lockjaw will love diving into this twistedly insular small town community. Those who loved Jenna Voris's Every Time You Hear That Song will adore Miles's commitment to his hometown and his messy heritage.

Details Publisher: Peachtree Teen Date: September 3, 2024 Series: N/A Add to Goodreads Buy it HERE

Note: I was provided with an ARC by the publisher through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions here are my own.