Fae’s vtuber model next to the cover of Compound Fracture by Andrew Joseph White

Of all of Andrew Joseph White's stories this one feels the most grounded in reality, and I think for me that serves as a slight detriment. The true horror in this novel, and by extension a lot of Andrew's works, is violence that comes from unchecked extremist beliefs - in this case conservative, authoritarian, evangelical forces in parts of rural america. I did like Compound Fracture but for some reason it just didn't click for me until the last third of it. The villains of Compound Fracture are cruel and rage-inducing (/pos) and I wanted to see justice dealt in the worst ways. If nothing else I love the queer rep and the way it upholds trans peoples' historical presence. 3/5

Fae’s vtuber model next to the cover of Where Darkness Blooms by Andrea Hannah

YA HORROR CAN BE GOOD! I think the genre gets a bad rap. I've read my fair share of young adult horror that felt toned down, melodramatic, and at worst infantilizing towards its main characters. It's my opinion that while Where Darkness Blooms can teeter towards that end of the spectrum, for the most part I really enjoyed it. The isolated nature of Bishop lends itself well to the plot of the story - the perpetual cycle of malevolence maintained by an unknown force creates tension in the subtleties of the environment. Quiet moments only create a false sense of peace felt by everyone but our main cast. The building resentment between the girls felt real to me - An overbearing older sibling trying to hold things together, while not being completely honest, is going to cause issues with someone who wants to question the continued violence in their community that they've all experienced. There are definitely frustrating character decisions/recurring arguments that slow the pace of the story, and I've seen some plot elements that go beyond other reader's suspension of disbelief but at its core I think Where Darkness Blooms does a good job of getting us to want our heroes to achieve justice against the horrors they've faced.

The theme for today is rural horror! Some of the best scary stories take place in isolated towns/parts of the country where the societal pressures can be just as violent as the supernatural. #CompoundFracture and #WhereDarkness Blooms are great examples of that #horror #bookreviews