Seven starred reviews and instant New York Times & Indie bestseller
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 accidently 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?
Illustrator: Evangeline Gallagher
"... a stunning testament to the intertwining realities of politics and queerness, as well as community focused ideologies and the impact of those ideals in the face of oppression."
"...[T]his tremendously suspenseful, queer coming-of-age thriller confronts the impact of economic injustice, local political corruption, and generational trauma."
"...a thrilling tale of what happens when people trapped in cycles of trauma and poverty decide to bite back—and about the strength that can come from healing, empathy, and creating community."
"...explores the violent realities of capitalism and transphobia while simultaneously celebrating the resilience and collective strength of the committed working class."
"... nuanced and incisive in its exploration of violence (at times extreme and graphically depicted) and its impact on individual and collective psyches."
"Unputdownable, unbelievably powerful, deranged, and magnificently defiant. Hold on to your humanity for dear life, readers."
"... another unflinching, creative, disturbing, and incredible book by White "
Art by Mars Lauderbaugh
Art by Pond Sized Ocean
Art by Carolina Rodríguez Fuenmayor, Design by Jane Tibbetts
Art by Niky Motekallem, internal edge papers by Adams Carvalho