What do you think?
Win a free print copy of this book!
10 days and 09:34:10
5 copies available
U.S. only
Accelerant
Not yet published
Expected 20 Oct 26Win a free print copy of this book!
10 days and 09:34:10
5 copies available
U.S. only
After his best friends are attacked at a Pride demonstration, anime nerd Briar Stokes grabs a length of pipe, dons a Japanese demon mask, and hops on his street bike with one to enact violent revenge against the white supremacists infesting his rural Missouri community.
What he doesn’t know is how deep the roots of hate grow, nor how much they’ve entangled his own family. But when his quest for vengeance pits him against his own stepbrother, who faces radicalization by that same hate group, Briar soon learns the hard way that violence doesn’t stop violence . . . It accelerates it.
What he doesn’t know is how deep the roots of hate grow, nor how much they’ve entangled his own family. But when his quest for vengeance pits him against his own stepbrother, who faces radicalization by that same hate group, Briar soon learns the hard way that violence doesn’t stop violence . . . It accelerates it.
336 pages, Paperback
Expected publication October 20, 2026
About the author
T.L. Simpson
3 books73 followersT.L. Simpson is an award-winning journalist and novelist living in Arkansas. He is currently the editor of his hometown paper. His fiction draws from his experiences growing up in the Ozarks, covering both sports and crime. Simpson lives in the Arkansas River Valley, between the Ozark and Ouachita Mountains with his wife and four children.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
Review of advance copy received from Author
This one is for the hate haters
September 30, 2026
✨✨Tour Stop✨✨
Accelerant is a heartbreaking, emotional roller coaster. We follow two ex step brothers, Briar whose mom just got out of jail and is trying to rebuild their lives together, and Asher a young man who was dealt a bad hand in life and is trying his best to figure out who he is and what he wants.
When Briar’s friends get attacked at a peaceful rally, Briar decides to take matters into his own hands and creates his alter ego “Accelerant” but Briar learns that revenge sometimes has massive consequences.
If you are looking for a powerful YA book with a deep message this may be the perfect read for you!
Accelerant is a heartbreaking, emotional roller coaster. We follow two ex step brothers, Briar whose mom just got out of jail and is trying to rebuild their lives together, and Asher a young man who was dealt a bad hand in life and is trying his best to figure out who he is and what he wants.
When Briar’s friends get attacked at a peaceful rally, Briar decides to take matters into his own hands and creates his alter ego “Accelerant” but Briar learns that revenge sometimes has massive consequences.
If you are looking for a powerful YA book with a deep message this may be the perfect read for you!
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Briar. Asher. Brothers, or used to be. When their messed-up family throws them into the opposite directions and the circumstances force them to fight each other, who wins and who loses?
It's getting hard to be objective with T.L. Simpson's novels since each of them brings something I love, namely sport (Strong Like You), pop punk music (Cope Field) and shonen anime (Accelerant). I might roughly sum up this book with 'Chuunibyou gone wrong'. Even so, the story is objectively good; a well-written male-protag YA that's equally entertaining and important.
Written in deeply personal first person POV, both Asher and Briar's chapters flow seamlessly. Their distinct voices and interchangeable perspectives give us understanding (and so much emotion) of their situation, and I think that's the strongest part of this book. Another great point from Accelerant is body image issue, something that I often come across more in female-lead stories. It's a great addition to the topics that are always brought in T.L. Simpson's books—masculinity and father-son relationship, as well as the big theme specifically discussed in this book: hate crime.
Brothership (brothers found family) is also one of my favorite subgenres and here I found Briar and Asher's dynamics complete each other. They have their own flaws and privileges that made me root for both, not just one of them. I especially loved the ending. After the seemingly endless tension building (the fight scene is straight out of manga), I finally could breathe in relief for their closure.
One more thing about T.L. Simpson's YA that I anticipate is the villain portrayal and the plot twist, but unfortunately I didn't really enjoy the reveal as much as two previous books. Maybe because I could see it from the beginning? Sure, there's depth in them, and the whole thing mirrors the protag's own journey which makes the story cohesive. Or maybe that's why it's predictable. Still, it's bone-chilling, indicating that the author would never shy away from necessary dark content though still keep it YA.
Great storyline, great characters (I just want to hug Briar and Asher tight), great representation, great relatable and important theme, Accelerant is all around a great book. My expectation for the next book is skyrocketed, I'm sorry.
***
Finally the shonen variant. I need to watch Akira first I guess...? Maybe this is kind of its retelling?
(Also i literally said this in Cope Field review: "With Strong Like You and Cope Field being my favorite cups of tea, I'm afraid the next book will be specifically written for me... LOL we'll see."
Me: is in three animanga fandoms, two of them are shonen, for two decades more or less
WELLLLLL...)
It's getting hard to be objective with T.L. Simpson's novels since each of them brings something I love, namely sport (Strong Like You), pop punk music (Cope Field) and shonen anime (Accelerant). I might roughly sum up this book with 'Chuunibyou gone wrong'. Even so, the story is objectively good; a well-written male-protag YA that's equally entertaining and important.
Written in deeply personal first person POV, both Asher and Briar's chapters flow seamlessly. Their distinct voices and interchangeable perspectives give us understanding (and so much emotion) of their situation, and I think that's the strongest part of this book. Another great point from Accelerant is body image issue, something that I often come across more in female-lead stories. It's a great addition to the topics that are always brought in T.L. Simpson's books—masculinity and father-son relationship, as well as the big theme specifically discussed in this book: hate crime.
Brothership (brothers found family) is also one of my favorite subgenres and here I found Briar and Asher's dynamics complete each other. They have their own flaws and privileges that made me root for both, not just one of them. I especially loved the ending. After the seemingly endless tension building (the fight scene is straight out of manga), I finally could breathe in relief for their closure.
One more thing about T.L. Simpson's YA that I anticipate is the villain portrayal and the plot twist, but unfortunately I didn't really enjoy the reveal as much as two previous books. Maybe because I could see it from the beginning? Sure, there's depth in them, and the whole thing mirrors the protag's own journey which makes the story cohesive. Or maybe that's why it's predictable. Still, it's bone-chilling, indicating that the author would never shy away from necessary dark content though still keep it YA.
Great storyline, great characters (I just want to hug Briar and Asher tight), great representation, great relatable and important theme, Accelerant is all around a great book. My expectation for the next book is skyrocketed, I'm sorry.
***
Finally the shonen variant. I need to watch Akira first I guess...? Maybe this is kind of its retelling?
(Also i literally said this in Cope Field review: "With Strong Like You and Cope Field being my favorite cups of tea, I'm afraid the next book will be specifically written for me... LOL we'll see."
Me: is in three animanga fandoms, two of them are shonen, for two decades more or less
WELLLLLL...)
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
4.5 stars
This book is angry, resistant, but most of all, hopeful. Hopeful for a future not so filled with hate.
“Accelerant” by T.L. Simpson tells the story of Briar, a boy who moves back in with his mom after her return from prison. After she went to prison, he lost his closest ally, his step-brother Asher. Asher struggles with addiction while having a father who is also addicted. His family moves from place to place before he ends back up in Advent. There, they move into a neo-Nazi compound where Asher is given one piece of advice: keep his head down and don’t trust anyone.
After Briar’s friends are attacked by the leader of Asher’s new compound, he swears to get revenge on those who have harmed so many. He dons the disguise of Accelerant, a terrifying creature who is scary, but good. As Briar begins to live a double life as himself and Accelerant, he learns that the revenge he seeks may be more harmful than helpful.
This book was an absolute roller coaster and I devoured it in less than 3 hours. I haven’t read any other books by T.L. Simpson, but I will definitely look into more of them.
eARC received from NetGalley
This book is angry, resistant, but most of all, hopeful. Hopeful for a future not so filled with hate.
“Accelerant” by T.L. Simpson tells the story of Briar, a boy who moves back in with his mom after her return from prison. After she went to prison, he lost his closest ally, his step-brother Asher. Asher struggles with addiction while having a father who is also addicted. His family moves from place to place before he ends back up in Advent. There, they move into a neo-Nazi compound where Asher is given one piece of advice: keep his head down and don’t trust anyone.
After Briar’s friends are attacked by the leader of Asher’s new compound, he swears to get revenge on those who have harmed so many. He dons the disguise of Accelerant, a terrifying creature who is scary, but good. As Briar begins to live a double life as himself and Accelerant, he learns that the revenge he seeks may be more harmful than helpful.
This book was an absolute roller coaster and I devoured it in less than 3 hours. I haven’t read any other books by T.L. Simpson, but I will definitely look into more of them.
eARC received from NetGalley
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
With his third book, T.L. Simpson has upped the game once again. With characters as textured as tree bark and their lives as gritty as Ozark dirt, ACCELERANT launches readers into a clash between far-right extremism, love, abandonment, acceptance, and dependence. Simpson continues to prove that sometimes the most gut-wrenching stories of kith, kin, and chaos are in our own backyard.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews