Book Summary and Reviews of Compound Fracture by Andrew Joseph White

Book Summary

A queer Appalachian thriller that pulls no punches—following a trans autistic teen who's drawn into the generational struggle between the rural poor and those who exploit them.

On the night Miles Abernathy—sixteen-year-old socialist and proud West Virginian—comes out as trans to his parents, he sneaks off to a party, carrying evidence that may finally turn the tide of the blood feud plaguing Twist Creek: Photos that prove the county's Sheriff Davies was responsible for the so-called "accident" that injured his dad, killed others, and crushed their grassroots efforts to unseat him.

The feud began a hundred years ago when Miles's great-great-grandfather, Saint Abernathy, incited a miners' rebellion that ended with a public execution at the hands of law enforcement. Now, Miles becomes the feud's latest victim as the sheriff's son and his friends sniff out the evidence, follow him through the woods, and beat him nearly to death.

In the hospital, the ghost of a soot-covered man hovers over Miles's bedside while Sheriff Davies threatens Miles into silence. But when Miles accidentally kills one of the boys who hurt him, he learns of other folks in Twist Creek who want out from under the sheriff's heel. To free their families from this cycle of cruelty, they're willing to put everything on the line—is Miles?

A visceral, unabashedly political page-turner that won't let you go until you've reached the end, Compound Fracture is not for the faint of heart, but it is for every reader who's ready to fight for a better world. Hand this story to teens pushing for radical change.

Please be aware that this discussion guide will contain spoilers!

1. The novel is set in Appalachia, specifically in a small county of West Virginia. Discuss what you know about the region, including depictions in other media and the news. Why do you think the people within West Virginia and Appalachia are stereotyped as backwards or anti-progressive? Who benefits from this stereotyping?
2. This book takes place in the summer of 2017. Discuss the American political climate in 2017.What events occurred? What conversations were being had about gun violence, minority rights, law enforcement, and government? How does Miles's perspective as a trans, disabled socialist from West Virginia fit into these conversations? Discuss the American political ideologies present in the book: socialism, communism, ...