

5/5 ⭐
Like in other A. J. White's books, through all the blood and hurt what stands out the most is the deep love between the characters - flawed characters written in a way that makes me feel so close to them.
5/5 ⭐
Like in other A. J. White's books, through all the blood and hurt what stands out the most is the deep love between the characters - flawed characters written in a way that makes me feel so close to them.
Fantastic! Taking place in rural West Virginia, a trans-autistic teen has to stand up and fight for the right of himself and his family and friends as the bad apple of the small town‘s sheriff‘s department continues to live and act above the law. Things begin to get out of hand as this thriller turns to murder and gore. I asked a colleague today if she‘s read it to find out it‘s her current read. Can‘t wait to discuss it when she finishes 😊
The scariest thing about Andrew Joseph White's work is how real and gritty real life can be. In a highly politicized mining town in Appalachia, a trans teen must combat the heavy violence, governing corruption, and extremist views plaguing the community and long standing historical feud between the struggling and the wealthy. Guiding him is an ancestral spirit that will force him to face his deepest fears in this teen/YA novel
AJW has taken us to: an eco-Christofascist apocalypse, a Victorian asylum full of spirits and mediums, and now an Appalachia haunted by blood feuds and class war. This is his most unputdownable book yet, a bloody tour-de-force, mining and queering West Virginia‘s buried socialist history, with a lovable, neurodivergent, rage-fueled transboy at the center and a whole lot of gore all around him. Prepare to be hurt, haunted, and ultimately heartened.