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You're No Better
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Expected 27 Oct 26Win a free print copy of this book!
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U.S. only
Bestselling author Andrew Joseph White returns with another horrific YA thriller: a profound portrait of a struggling teen trying to convince the world—and himself—that he’s better than the serial killer who raised him.
Morgan Slaughter, a seventeen-year-old trans boy with autism, put his serial killer father in prison years ago. Despite that, everyone thinks Morgan will grow up to be just like his dad: including his volatile mother, the documentary crew following their family, and maybe himself.
Desperately, Morgan latches onto his father’s final victim—the only one who was never identified—hoping that if he unravels the mystery, he’ll finally prove he’s better than the man who hurt him. But this puts Morgan in the crosshairs of classmate Felicity Keating, who knows the truth about Morgan’s childhood—that he wasn’t just a witness to his father’s brutality, he was an accomplice. And if he doesn’t let them help with his investigation? They’ll tell everyone.
Forced to confront his past, Morgan’s ugly but carefully controlled world unravels. The film crew is manipulative. His mother’s temper spirals into malice, then violence. And Morgan and Felicity may be more tightly intertwined than either of them can stomach . . .
You’re No Better is a gritty and unapologetic coming-of-age suspense about teens who grew up surrounded by cruelty and are clawing their way to adulthood the only way they know how.
Morgan Slaughter, a seventeen-year-old trans boy with autism, put his serial killer father in prison years ago. Despite that, everyone thinks Morgan will grow up to be just like his dad: including his volatile mother, the documentary crew following their family, and maybe himself.
Desperately, Morgan latches onto his father’s final victim—the only one who was never identified—hoping that if he unravels the mystery, he’ll finally prove he’s better than the man who hurt him. But this puts Morgan in the crosshairs of classmate Felicity Keating, who knows the truth about Morgan’s childhood—that he wasn’t just a witness to his father’s brutality, he was an accomplice. And if he doesn’t let them help with his investigation? They’ll tell everyone.
Forced to confront his past, Morgan’s ugly but carefully controlled world unravels. The film crew is manipulative. His mother’s temper spirals into malice, then violence. And Morgan and Felicity may be more tightly intertwined than either of them can stomach . . .
You’re No Better is a gritty and unapologetic coming-of-age suspense about teens who grew up surrounded by cruelty and are clawing their way to adulthood the only way they know how.
384 pages, ebook
Expected publication October 27, 2026
About the author
Andrew Joseph White
16 books7,211 followersAndrew Joseph White is the trans, autistic, and bestselling author of Hell Followed With Us, The Spirit Bares Its Teeth, Compound Fracture, and You Weren't Meant to be Human. Born and raised in the Shenandoah Valley, he received his MFA in Creative Writing from George Mason University, and lives in Virginia with his wife and their antisocial cat.
He can be found at andrewjosephwhite.com or on Twitter and Instagram at @AJWhiteAuthor.
He can be found at andrewjosephwhite.com or on Twitter and Instagram at @AJWhiteAuthor.
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February 20, 2026Hi y'all - early review copies are out in the world, so it's time to post the content warnings for YOU'RE NO BETTER.
YOU'RE NO BETTER discusses the aftershocks of extreme childhood violence in plain, straightforward detail. This is one of my rougher YA novels, and I urge you to take care of yourself. Content warnings include:
Backstory, mentions, or discussions of:
* Kidnapping, rape, torture, and murder
* Child abuse and grooming, including forcing a child to witness or participate in the above
* The troubled teen industry, the adoption industry, mental health struggles, past hospitalization, and psychiatric mistreatment
On-page:
* Narrative focus on child abuse (physical and emotional) and true crime’s exploitation of abuse and trauma for “content”
* Graphic violence, including manslaughter
* Sexual harassment and assault
* Queerphobia, transphobia, and ableism; forced closeting, misgendering, and medical/psychiatric neglect
* Mental health crises; intrusive thoughts, autistic meltdowns, self-medication with alcohol/alcohol abuse, self-harm (physical and emotional), suicidality
* Confinement
* In epilogues: hospitalization after injury, the justice system, and foster care
This story has a happy ending, or at least a hopeful one. These content warnings can be found on my website, and a more general list also exists in the author's note at the front of the book.
YOU'RE NO BETTER discusses the aftershocks of extreme childhood violence in plain, straightforward detail. This is one of my rougher YA novels, and I urge you to take care of yourself. Content warnings include:
Backstory, mentions, or discussions of:
* Kidnapping, rape, torture, and murder
* Child abuse and grooming, including forcing a child to witness or participate in the above
* The troubled teen industry, the adoption industry, mental health struggles, past hospitalization, and psychiatric mistreatment
On-page:
* Narrative focus on child abuse (physical and emotional) and true crime’s exploitation of abuse and trauma for “content”
* Graphic violence, including manslaughter
* Sexual harassment and assault
* Queerphobia, transphobia, and ableism; forced closeting, misgendering, and medical/psychiatric neglect
* Mental health crises; intrusive thoughts, autistic meltdowns, self-medication with alcohol/alcohol abuse, self-harm (physical and emotional), suicidality
* Confinement
* In epilogues: hospitalization after injury, the justice system, and foster care
This story has a happy ending, or at least a hopeful one. These content warnings can be found on my website, and a more general list also exists in the author's note at the front of the book.
February 21, 2026
Got to read this early by virtue of being the Andrew Joseph Wife
When AJ and I moved in together he would sometimes sit in the room while I watched my tv shows because this boy does not watch tv, and somewhere along the way he started tuning in for this cop show with the guy who played Jesus in the Walking Dead called Prodigal Son I was watching and eventually he got really invested and asked if we could start it over from the beginning.
Picture it, Domino meme:
Tiny Domino is labeled “Alice watches Prodigal Son (2019) on Fox”
Big Domino is labeled “YOU’RE NO BETTER (Peachtree Teen, October 2026)”
God damn, yall.
If you’ve read Courtney Summers’ entire bibliography and need something new to be destroyed by, this is it. It’s a rough one, but rough in a different way from the doomsday cults and the angry ghosts of his previous books, because sometimes the most horrifying you can imagine is the fear that what’s wrong with your parents is also wrong with you. This is an angry book. it’s bloody and hateful and I can tell it’s not gonna be for everyone, but it will find its audience. And to that audience I say: you are not your worst thoughts, you are not the darkest parts of yourself, and you are worthy of love. Read the CWs, go in prepared, and have a great time being devastated; you wouldn’t expect any less from an AJW book.
When AJ and I moved in together he would sometimes sit in the room while I watched my tv shows because this boy does not watch tv, and somewhere along the way he started tuning in for this cop show with the guy who played Jesus in the Walking Dead called Prodigal Son I was watching and eventually he got really invested and asked if we could start it over from the beginning.
Picture it, Domino meme:
Tiny Domino is labeled “Alice watches Prodigal Son (2019) on Fox”
Big Domino is labeled “YOU’RE NO BETTER (Peachtree Teen, October 2026)”
God damn, yall.
If you’ve read Courtney Summers’ entire bibliography and need something new to be destroyed by, this is it. It’s a rough one, but rough in a different way from the doomsday cults and the angry ghosts of his previous books, because sometimes the most horrifying you can imagine is the fear that what’s wrong with your parents is also wrong with you. This is an angry book. it’s bloody and hateful and I can tell it’s not gonna be for everyone, but it will find its audience. And to that audience I say: you are not your worst thoughts, you are not the darkest parts of yourself, and you are worthy of love. Read the CWs, go in prepared, and have a great time being devastated; you wouldn’t expect any less from an AJW book.
August 17, 2026
When I read Hell Followed With Us, I said that book would haunt me forever and that I’d pick up everything Andrew Joseph White would write. So yeah, I’ve read all his books. And am still in awe of his writing and the way he can make me feel things.
Not only are memories imperfect, but they’re malleable. Every time you remember something, it’s like playing a game of telephone with yourself. Things get lost or twisted along the way.
With Compound Fracture, Andrew Joseph White already went in a bit of a different direction, and with You’re No Better, he took yet another path. Because, like another reader already said, You’re No Better is most of all psychological suspense, a genre that’s one of my favorites. And therefore, for me, You’re No Better might be Andrew Joseph White’s best book so far.
Oh, Morgan…
People are so complex and unpredictable, so alive, and it makes me angry. It’s too much. I’ve never been able to understand it like everyone else.
Some books make goosebumps jump on my skin, like all the time, and You’re No Better is one of them. Morgan is such an unreliable character, and he’s so f*cked up.So much so that I’d be desperate to get back to him the moment I stepped away, and still, I kept hesitating, putting off picking up my e-reader again because I wasn’t ready to go back into his head. This book feels so incredibly real, and as a mom, the horrific way Morgan grew up, with a serial killer father and an insane media-focused mother, cut deep into my soul. At the same time, I needed to be back with him because I wanted to protect him with my life. But I also know he probably wouldn’t have let me…
I’m scared. I’ve always been scared. I’ve been scared my whole life.
Somehow, I’m always drawn to dark and gritty stories, and this is one of them. Unreliable, lying, manipulating Morgan crept under my skin and wouldn’t let me go. He’ll be occupying my mind for a long time, just like Jude does, a character from C.G. Drews’ You Did Nothing Wrong. I think if you like that book, you’ll love this one too, even though You Did Nothing Wrong is adult and You’re No Better is marketed as YA. With all the themes in You’re No Better, though, this one could easily fit into adult fiction as well, in my opinion.
Thank you, Daphne Press and NetGalley, for this amazing ARC.
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Not only are memories imperfect, but they’re malleable. Every time you remember something, it’s like playing a game of telephone with yourself. Things get lost or twisted along the way.
With Compound Fracture, Andrew Joseph White already went in a bit of a different direction, and with You’re No Better, he took yet another path. Because, like another reader already said, You’re No Better is most of all psychological suspense, a genre that’s one of my favorites. And therefore, for me, You’re No Better might be Andrew Joseph White’s best book so far.
Oh, Morgan…
People are so complex and unpredictable, so alive, and it makes me angry. It’s too much. I’ve never been able to understand it like everyone else.
Some books make goosebumps jump on my skin, like all the time, and You’re No Better is one of them. Morgan is such an unreliable character, and he’s so f*cked up.So much so that I’d be desperate to get back to him the moment I stepped away, and still, I kept hesitating, putting off picking up my e-reader again because I wasn’t ready to go back into his head. This book feels so incredibly real, and as a mom, the horrific way Morgan grew up, with a serial killer father and an insane media-focused mother, cut deep into my soul. At the same time, I needed to be back with him because I wanted to protect him with my life. But I also know he probably wouldn’t have let me…
I’m scared. I’ve always been scared. I’ve been scared my whole life.
Somehow, I’m always drawn to dark and gritty stories, and this is one of them. Unreliable, lying, manipulating Morgan crept under my skin and wouldn’t let me go. He’ll be occupying my mind for a long time, just like Jude does, a character from C.G. Drews’ You Did Nothing Wrong. I think if you like that book, you’ll love this one too, even though You Did Nothing Wrong is adult and You’re No Better is marketed as YA. With all the themes in You’re No Better, though, this one could easily fit into adult fiction as well, in my opinion.
Thank you, Daphne Press and NetGalley, for this amazing ARC.
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Want to Read
October 18, 2024AJW does nothing but cook up amazing stories and I’m sure this will be no different
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
The most uncomfortable I’ve been reading a book in recent years, and I’ve read Tender is the Flesh and Earthlings.
A 17-year-old trans boy with autism was responsible for putting his serial killer father in prison years ago. Everyone thinks Morgan will be just like his dad: his controlling, manipulative mother, the documentary crew filming every move, and maybe himself.
When a new classmate blackmails Morgan, they reluctantly join forces to discover the name of his father’s final unidentified victim.
This is one of those books where you will NOT be able to look away. Quite like most of AJW’s books. This is classed as YA, but I felt disturbed and uneasy.
It is traumatic, brutal, violent, crass, and piercing.
Whilst the premise is contrived and there are a lot of plot holes, I was able to look past my frustration as the deeper story was the characters and their motivations.
When everyone finally leaves, I go upstairs to my room, scrub off my makeup until my skin goes red, find a ten-hour ASMR loop of Metro sounds, and lie in bed with the clunk-clunk sound of the wheels on the tracks on repeat until I stop wanting to trepan a hole in my skull.
This is a story about queer identity and sexuality, about neurodivergence, about dysfunctional families, about destructive thought patterns.
I always appreciate the autism representation in their books. The desire, survival need, to conform, to fit in, to belong.
I am high-functioning and don’t fall neatly into any box - like most atypicals. Whilst getting a diagnosis is affirming, it can still cause imposter syndrome and more confusion. AJW shows that life, diagnosis, and behaviour is messy.
My thumb starts to tear up my hangnail, sending a sharp jolt of pain up my finger. Dr. Lý’s eyes lock onto it, and I almost growl—Jesus, this isn’t self-harm, it’s a stim, leave me alone.
But it does hurt. I wrap the offending thumb in my fist, hands searching for anything else to mess with before landing on my nail polish. A chip comes off almost immediately, and I don’t like the way my nails are sitting on my fingers. I put one in my mouth to jam my lower teeth into the delicate skin underneath. I’m convinced I’ll taste blood.
Like I said earlier in my review, you have to suspend your belief for the plot, but the character study following a teenager who feels unsafe in their home, unsafe around those who should protect them, and forced to pose according to people’s expectations (especially due to their serial killer father) is darkly well executed (lol).
Morgan is not a likeable character. You will dislike them and sympathise with them.
I would recommend checking the trigger warnings, especially if buying for a younger reader.
Physical arc gifted by Daphne Press.
Bookstagram
Tiktok
A 17-year-old trans boy with autism was responsible for putting his serial killer father in prison years ago. Everyone thinks Morgan will be just like his dad: his controlling, manipulative mother, the documentary crew filming every move, and maybe himself.
When a new classmate blackmails Morgan, they reluctantly join forces to discover the name of his father’s final unidentified victim.
This is one of those books where you will NOT be able to look away. Quite like most of AJW’s books. This is classed as YA, but I felt disturbed and uneasy.
It is traumatic, brutal, violent, crass, and piercing.
Whilst the premise is contrived and there are a lot of plot holes, I was able to look past my frustration as the deeper story was the characters and their motivations.
When everyone finally leaves, I go upstairs to my room, scrub off my makeup until my skin goes red, find a ten-hour ASMR loop of Metro sounds, and lie in bed with the clunk-clunk sound of the wheels on the tracks on repeat until I stop wanting to trepan a hole in my skull.
This is a story about queer identity and sexuality, about neurodivergence, about dysfunctional families, about destructive thought patterns.
I always appreciate the autism representation in their books. The desire, survival need, to conform, to fit in, to belong.
I am high-functioning and don’t fall neatly into any box - like most atypicals. Whilst getting a diagnosis is affirming, it can still cause imposter syndrome and more confusion. AJW shows that life, diagnosis, and behaviour is messy.
My thumb starts to tear up my hangnail, sending a sharp jolt of pain up my finger. Dr. Lý’s eyes lock onto it, and I almost growl—Jesus, this isn’t self-harm, it’s a stim, leave me alone.
But it does hurt. I wrap the offending thumb in my fist, hands searching for anything else to mess with before landing on my nail polish. A chip comes off almost immediately, and I don’t like the way my nails are sitting on my fingers. I put one in my mouth to jam my lower teeth into the delicate skin underneath. I’m convinced I’ll taste blood.
Like I said earlier in my review, you have to suspend your belief for the plot, but the character study following a teenager who feels unsafe in their home, unsafe around those who should protect them, and forced to pose according to people’s expectations (especially due to their serial killer father) is darkly well executed (lol).
Morgan is not a likeable character. You will dislike them and sympathise with them.
I would recommend checking the trigger warnings, especially if buying for a younger reader.
Physical arc gifted by Daphne Press.
Bookstagram
Tiktok
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Thank you to Andrew Joseph White, Daphne Press & NetGalley for this free ARC in exchange for my honest review
Rating: 4.25/5 ⭐
CW: Explicit |
Moderate |
Mild |
CWs as stated by the author | You're No Better contains discussions and/or depictions of the following: If you think this book will hurt more than it'll help, and you need to put it down, that's fine. I get it. This is a rough one.
My chosen soundtrack(s): Family Tree (Intro) - Ethel Cain | Like Him - Tyler, the Creator (feat. Lola Young)
╰┈➤ ☰♪ Book-specific playlist
Representation
╰┈➤ Queer characters and dynamics
✴︎ Trans masc MC
✴︎ Nonbinary demigirl MC
✴︎ Bi/Pan MCs
✴︎ Trans fem lesbian SC
✴︎ (Past) T4T dynamic
✴︎ Trans fem BGC
╰┈➤ Mental health, disability and neurodiversity presented by MCs
✴︎ Explicitly stated:
✴︎ Implied/up for interpretation:
Themes
Control, desensitisation, exploitation, gender based expectations, growing up while constantly observed, how we make sense of trauma, orchestrating wild situations for the sake of "good" (reality) TV, lack of agency/bodily autonomy, nature vs nurture, optics, privacy, self-fulfilling prophecy, sensationalization/commodification of tragedy, sexism, the ethics of true crime documentaries, "there is nothing money can't buy", trauma porn, truth/lies, using others and being used.
Tropes/What to expect
❥ Serial killer father haunts the plot
❥ Closeted trans masc MC
❥ Nuanced complex characters
❥ (Un)reliable narrator?
❥ A deal of mutually assured destruction
❥ Mixed media format
❥ Meet ugly
❥ "So, do I look like him?"
❥ The cost of survival
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What I liked/loved
✧ I already decided to check out more of AJW's books after I read Hell Followed with Us, but the premise for this one made me extremely excited to read it!
Morgan Slaughter, son of the serial killer Graham Nathaniel Slaughter, whom he put behind bars at age 10, grew up in the public eye. The cameras didn't stop rolling after the court case was concluded.
His father, and in turn himself, became a staple hot topic on social media. Constantly observed and scrutinised, he is left with everyone's ever-present expectations weighing him down.
His mother expects him to be the picture-perfect asset to keep her social-media career running, and those who consume and produce ethically questionable true crime content expect him to turn out exactly like his father.
Now, rehashing the past through the production of a Slaughter family documentary Morgan is forced to be a part of, the tightly wound facades begin to unravel.
✧ The format enhanced the narrative.
✵ I loved the mixed media aspect. Online discourse about our characters is intrinsic to the narrative.
The inclusion of article excerpts, audio transcripts, podcast descriptions, comments, forum discussions, social media posts and even interruptive ads/sponsorships underline the capitalistic and commodifying elements of true crime content.
It does a great job of establishing truth versus a curated/created narrative around the Slaughter family.
✵ I won't give specifics, but the lack of content/text on certain pages also served as a narrative device.
✵ Formatting and line breaks as a way to illustrate the state of the POV, like being inebriated or dissociated.
✧ There is an intriguing plot in this book, but the character-driven aspect and their dynamics with each other are what stood out to me.
✵ Everything about our main character, Morgan, feels intentional. The choices he makes in appearance, like wearing nail polish for a specific reason or leaning into hyper-femininity for a semblance of control over those who desire him (which gave me a whole revelation about myself and made me type up a small essay in my notes... just, wow!), are all consciously made character-writing choices.
I can't stop thinking about how "being really good at being a girl" is something so difficult to navigate when it doesn't align with your gender identity. Morgan, I get you...
What intrigued me as well is the raw manner in which his thoughts, feelings, behaviour and intentions were presented, which made it clear these aren't always aligned.
The fact that he is trans, deals with mental health issues/trauma and constantly has to mask his autism made him incredibly relatable. I enjoy how he wasn't made palatable for the cis neurotypical POV.
What hit me the most, aside from Morgan's feelings and behaviour around gender and dysphoria, were his struggles with intrusive thoughts. He isn't always sure which thoughts truly represent him and constantly questions his own intentions and morality, especially when it comes to choices he had to make for the sake of survival or actions that are trauma responses.
It ties in with his internalised victim-blaming and does a lot of complex things to his idea of active versus passive participation in traumatic/destructive events.
Morgan isn't always likeable; he fucks up, says the wrong things, and can be mean. Even though he has lovable qualities as well, it's this unapologetic, nuanced, uncensored portrayal that made me enjoy him as a character.
✵ I love when books explore complex dynamics between (best) friends. In this case, Morgan and Alyssa are bound together by a shared past, for better or for worse.
✵ The child-parental dynamics in this read are intense. I don't think I could do it justice within the limited word count of a review. Which is why I will share some non-spoiler sentiments that stayed with me, while leaving lots for other readers to discover themselves.
Abusive parents can be hard to fully condemn, especially when they weren't 100% bad at all times.
Fear of turning into your parent, both in appearance and behaviour, is a central theme in this book and can be hard to read because of its relatability.
Who we have to become to survive (our parents) isn't necessarily a true reflection of our morality, norms or identity.
We can have sympathy and understanding for our parents without excusing their behaviour.
✵ The turbulent yet enthralling dynamic between Morgan and Felicity. If you've read more of my reviews, you might know that I love messy, complex, hard-to-categorise dynamics; meet ugly, reluctant allies, enemies-to-lovers, frenemies, hatred for someone who is able to see 'you', type dynamics will almost always be a hit for me. I won't go into specifics, but know that they belong in the aforementioned category, and I ate up every interaction they had.
✧ This read contains commentary on:
✵ The true crime industry. Sensationalization, exploitation/commodification of trauma/tragedy and the idolization of criminals.
✵ Kids/minors groomed for social media and the sexualization, exploitation, and oppressive, claustrophobic feelings that come with it.
✵ Growing up in the public eye, always analysed, criticised, and judged and how this shapes self-image.
✵ Self-fulfilling prophecies and the danger of expectations.
✧ There was a big focus on otherness and "performing" a version of yourself. A theme that might be one of my all-time favourites.
In this case, it is presented in portrayals of transness, femininity as a performance, hiding queerness for the sake of survival, binary versus nonbinary gender ideation, neurodiversity and masking, and questioning how much of one's otherness, like sexuality and gender, is shaped by trauma. This exploration isn't just limited to Morgan as a character but includes other unique lived experiences as well.
✧ Exploration of victimhood and survivorship
✵ It questions who we have to become to survive and if we should or can be held accountable for such nuanced actions (especially when they involve minors).
✵ Seeking out destructive situations on purpose to experience them as an active participant or the one to initiate, instead of something "happening to you". Trauma reenactment, as well as self-harm (through purposefully sought-out danger), is heavily explored.
✧ Grooming, sexual violence and the murder of women are big themes in this read, which isn't a negative or a positive, but it is something you should know going into this book.
Morgan's father, Graham, killed, raped, kidnapped and tortured women, and though not every detail happens on-page, it is still an aspect heavily featured. Please check the content warnings if you need them and take care of yourself while reading!
What I didn't like/felt lacklustre about
✦ There were some technical issues with the ebook that will probably be ironed out for the final release. But I did want to mention it since it affected my ability to annotate it and my reading speed, which might make this review a bit less structured.
✦ The plot twist wasn't plot-twisting. Unfortunately, I saw it coming from a mile away. I still had a good time though!
Conclusion/Notes
For some reason, I had a really hard time writing this review. Probably because it hit me on such a personal level, and I found it difficult to write about without referencing my own lived experiences (some of those slipped through the cracks).
Plus, writing reviews for complex and layered books that you loved tends to be a little harder, even more so when leaving it spoiler-free. I'm not quite happy with how this one turned out, but at some point it's time to leave it be.
Hopefully I was still able to communicate what makes this book special and worth checking out!
I recommend this book to any reader who likes their books dark, with morally ambiguous characters, a focus on how family does or doesn't shape who we are, complex dynamics and social and political commentary on the true crime industry.
You're No Better is set to release on 27 October 2026. Add it to your TBR and/or pre-order it. Make sure to follow @ajwhiteauthor on Instagram to stay up to date with future projects.
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Want to buddy read this book now or in the future? You can do so on StoryGraph.
Follow me on Spotify for specific reading playlists like these: 📚 This Connection Is Muddled With Rot | 📚 Horror/Thriller Reads | 📖 You're No Better by Andrew Joseph White
GoodReads | StoryGraph | Instagram | TikTok | Spotify | Overview of all reading playlists | last.fm
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Immediate thoughts after reading (1 October 2026)
Wow! That was a WILD ride!! I loved the premise and really enjoyed the execution.
Some of it hit close to home, which probably added to how immersed and invested I was. Plus, I had no issue with motivating myself to finish this one today. This is always a good sign!
FULL REVIEW TO COME. RATING MIGHT CHANGE.
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Pre-Read (17 August 2026)
I don't know what type of witchcraft Teru pulled, but shortly after messaging her about how I NEED this ARC, it suddenly got approved!!! I'm so excited about it!!!
⋆⁺₊⋆ ━━━━⊱༒︎ • ༒︎⊰━━━━ ⋆⁺₊⋆
Rating: 4.25/5 ⭐
CW: Explicit |
Moderate |
Mild |
CWs as stated by the author | You're No Better contains discussions and/or depictions of the following: If you think this book will hurt more than it'll help, and you need to put it down, that's fine. I get it. This is a rough one.
My chosen soundtrack(s): Family Tree (Intro) - Ethel Cain | Like Him - Tyler, the Creator (feat. Lola Young)
╰┈➤ ☰♪ Book-specific playlist
"You’re No Better is a gritty and unapologetic coming-of-age suspense about teens who grew up surrounded by cruelty and are clawing their way to adulthood the only way they know how."
Representation
╰┈➤ Queer characters and dynamics
✴︎ Trans masc MC
✴︎ Nonbinary demigirl MC
✴︎ Bi/Pan MCs
✴︎ Trans fem lesbian SC
✴︎ (Past) T4T dynamic
✴︎ Trans fem BGC
╰┈➤ Mental health, disability and neurodiversity presented by MCs
✴︎ Explicitly stated:
✴︎ Implied/up for interpretation:
Themes
Control, desensitisation, exploitation, gender based expectations, growing up while constantly observed, how we make sense of trauma, orchestrating wild situations for the sake of "good" (reality) TV, lack of agency/bodily autonomy, nature vs nurture, optics, privacy, self-fulfilling prophecy, sensationalization/commodification of tragedy, sexism, the ethics of true crime documentaries, "there is nothing money can't buy", trauma porn, truth/lies, using others and being used.
Tropes/What to expect
❥ Serial killer father haunts the plot
❥ Closeted trans masc MC
❥ Nuanced complex characters
❥ (Un)reliable narrator?
❥ A deal of mutually assured destruction
❥ Mixed media format
❥ Meet ugly
❥ "So, do I look like him?"
❥ The cost of survival
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What I liked/loved
✧ I already decided to check out more of AJW's books after I read Hell Followed with Us, but the premise for this one made me extremely excited to read it!
Morgan Slaughter, son of the serial killer Graham Nathaniel Slaughter, whom he put behind bars at age 10, grew up in the public eye. The cameras didn't stop rolling after the court case was concluded.
His father, and in turn himself, became a staple hot topic on social media. Constantly observed and scrutinised, he is left with everyone's ever-present expectations weighing him down.
His mother expects him to be the picture-perfect asset to keep her social-media career running, and those who consume and produce ethically questionable true crime content expect him to turn out exactly like his father.
Now, rehashing the past through the production of a Slaughter family documentary Morgan is forced to be a part of, the tightly wound facades begin to unravel.
✧ The format enhanced the narrative.
✵ I loved the mixed media aspect. Online discourse about our characters is intrinsic to the narrative.
The inclusion of article excerpts, audio transcripts, podcast descriptions, comments, forum discussions, social media posts and even interruptive ads/sponsorships underline the capitalistic and commodifying elements of true crime content.
It does a great job of establishing truth versus a curated/created narrative around the Slaughter family.
✵ I won't give specifics, but the lack of content/text on certain pages also served as a narrative device.
✵ Formatting and line breaks as a way to illustrate the state of the POV, like being inebriated or dissociated.
✧ There is an intriguing plot in this book, but the character-driven aspect and their dynamics with each other are what stood out to me.
✵ Everything about our main character, Morgan, feels intentional. The choices he makes in appearance, like wearing nail polish for a specific reason or leaning into hyper-femininity for a semblance of control over those who desire him (which gave me a whole revelation about myself and made me type up a small essay in my notes... just, wow!), are all consciously made character-writing choices.
I can't stop thinking about how "being really good at being a girl" is something so difficult to navigate when it doesn't align with your gender identity. Morgan, I get you...
What intrigued me as well is the raw manner in which his thoughts, feelings, behaviour and intentions were presented, which made it clear these aren't always aligned.
The fact that he is trans, deals with mental health issues/trauma and constantly has to mask his autism made him incredibly relatable. I enjoy how he wasn't made palatable for the cis neurotypical POV.
What hit me the most, aside from Morgan's feelings and behaviour around gender and dysphoria, were his struggles with intrusive thoughts. He isn't always sure which thoughts truly represent him and constantly questions his own intentions and morality, especially when it comes to choices he had to make for the sake of survival or actions that are trauma responses.
Did I like it?
I must have. Why else would I have done it so many times?
It ties in with his internalised victim-blaming and does a lot of complex things to his idea of active versus passive participation in traumatic/destructive events.
Morgan isn't always likeable; he fucks up, says the wrong things, and can be mean. Even though he has lovable qualities as well, it's this unapologetic, nuanced, uncensored portrayal that made me enjoy him as a character.
✵ I love when books explore complex dynamics between (best) friends. In this case, Morgan and Alyssa are bound together by a shared past, for better or for worse.
✵ The child-parental dynamics in this read are intense. I don't think I could do it justice within the limited word count of a review. Which is why I will share some non-spoiler sentiments that stayed with me, while leaving lots for other readers to discover themselves.
Abusive parents can be hard to fully condemn, especially when they weren't 100% bad at all times.
Fear of turning into your parent, both in appearance and behaviour, is a central theme in this book and can be hard to read because of its relatability.
Who we have to become to survive (our parents) isn't necessarily a true reflection of our morality, norms or identity.
We can have sympathy and understanding for our parents without excusing their behaviour.
✵ The turbulent yet enthralling dynamic between Morgan and Felicity. If you've read more of my reviews, you might know that I love messy, complex, hard-to-categorise dynamics; meet ugly, reluctant allies, enemies-to-lovers, frenemies, hatred for someone who is able to see 'you', type dynamics will almost always be a hit for me. I won't go into specifics, but know that they belong in the aforementioned category, and I ate up every interaction they had.
✧ This read contains commentary on:
✵ The true crime industry. Sensationalization, exploitation/commodification of trauma/tragedy and the idolization of criminals.
✵ Kids/minors groomed for social media and the sexualization, exploitation, and oppressive, claustrophobic feelings that come with it.
✵ Growing up in the public eye, always analysed, criticised, and judged and how this shapes self-image.
✵ Self-fulfilling prophecies and the danger of expectations.
✧ There was a big focus on otherness and "performing" a version of yourself. A theme that might be one of my all-time favourites.
In this case, it is presented in portrayals of transness, femininity as a performance, hiding queerness for the sake of survival, binary versus nonbinary gender ideation, neurodiversity and masking, and questioning how much of one's otherness, like sexuality and gender, is shaped by trauma. This exploration isn't just limited to Morgan as a character but includes other unique lived experiences as well.
✧ Exploration of victimhood and survivorship
✵ It questions who we have to become to survive and if we should or can be held accountable for such nuanced actions (especially when they involve minors).
✵ Seeking out destructive situations on purpose to experience them as an active participant or the one to initiate, instead of something "happening to you". Trauma reenactment, as well as self-harm (through purposefully sought-out danger), is heavily explored.
✧ Grooming, sexual violence and the murder of women are big themes in this read, which isn't a negative or a positive, but it is something you should know going into this book.
Morgan's father, Graham, killed, raped, kidnapped and tortured women, and though not every detail happens on-page, it is still an aspect heavily featured. Please check the content warnings if you need them and take care of yourself while reading!
What I didn't like/felt lacklustre about
✦ There were some technical issues with the ebook that will probably be ironed out for the final release. But I did want to mention it since it affected my ability to annotate it and my reading speed, which might make this review a bit less structured.
✦ The plot twist wasn't plot-twisting. Unfortunately, I saw it coming from a mile away. I still had a good time though!
Conclusion/Notes
For some reason, I had a really hard time writing this review. Probably because it hit me on such a personal level, and I found it difficult to write about without referencing my own lived experiences (some of those slipped through the cracks).
Plus, writing reviews for complex and layered books that you loved tends to be a little harder, even more so when leaving it spoiler-free. I'm not quite happy with how this one turned out, but at some point it's time to leave it be.
Hopefully I was still able to communicate what makes this book special and worth checking out!
I recommend this book to any reader who likes their books dark, with morally ambiguous characters, a focus on how family does or doesn't shape who we are, complex dynamics and social and political commentary on the true crime industry.
You're No Better is set to release on 27 October 2026. Add it to your TBR and/or pre-order it. Make sure to follow @ajwhiteauthor on Instagram to stay up to date with future projects.
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"When they talk about me, or turn the camera to an actor who’s supposed to be me, I get stuck on it. For days. Weeks, sometimes. I listen to it or watch it over and over, until I have it all but memorized. As if I’ll finally understand it better the next time around."
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Want to buddy read this book now or in the future? You can do so on StoryGraph.
Follow me on Spotify for specific reading playlists like these: 📚 This Connection Is Muddled With Rot | 📚 Horror/Thriller Reads | 📖 You're No Better by Andrew Joseph White
GoodReads | StoryGraph | Instagram | TikTok | Spotify | Overview of all reading playlists | last.fm
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Immediate thoughts after reading (1 October 2026)
Wow! That was a WILD ride!! I loved the premise and really enjoyed the execution.
Some of it hit close to home, which probably added to how immersed and invested I was. Plus, I had no issue with motivating myself to finish this one today. This is always a good sign!
FULL REVIEW TO COME. RATING MIGHT CHANGE.
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Pre-Read (17 August 2026)
I don't know what type of witchcraft Teru pulled, but shortly after messaging her about how I NEED this ARC, it suddenly got approved!!! I'm so excited about it!!!
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Want to Read
August 20, 2025uhhhhh, excuse me??? i will be thinking about this for the next year, thanks
Want to Read
April 11, 2025I need this book like right now
October 5, 2026
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for this eARC.
_______________
Andrew Joseph White never misses, and this new book is no exception. There's something so addictive about reading his books, and I felt that here with You're No Better. As always, he writes such interesting and nuanced characters, and doesn't shy away from delving into gender, sexuality, mental health, and abuse, while neither demonising nor glorifying nor ignoring the really difficult parts that come with all of them. I can't wait to get the physical edition to match the rest of his books on my shelf.
PUBLICATION DATE: OCTOBER 27 2026
_______________
Andrew Joseph White never misses, and this new book is no exception. There's something so addictive about reading his books, and I felt that here with You're No Better. As always, he writes such interesting and nuanced characters, and doesn't shy away from delving into gender, sexuality, mental health, and abuse, while neither demonising nor glorifying nor ignoring the really difficult parts that come with all of them. I can't wait to get the physical edition to match the rest of his books on my shelf.
PUBLICATION DATE: OCTOBER 27 2026
Read
August 8, 2026RTC!! (doing a lot of theatre reviews this month so may take a minute, I loved it tho!!! AJW always hits)
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
This review was originally published on Before We Go Blog
4.25 stars
Look, I will have to admit that I was a bit nervous about You’re No Better because the whole serial killer and true crime business has never really interested me, but leave it to Andrew Joseph White to get me absolutely obsessed anyway. Just like all his other books, this story is angry and unhinged and hella queer and absolutely NOT for the faint of heart, and also just like all his other books, I inhaled it in a single sitting because I could not look away from this perfectly executed (ha!) trainwreck.
Now, Morgan Slaughter might be one of the most complicated and painfully messy characters I have read in a while, and I honestly loved him all the more for that by the end. He’s a seventeen-year-old closeted trans boy with autism who put his serial killer father in prison years ago, and now, in an attempt to convince everyone (including himself) that he is not like his dad, he goes on a desperate mission to identify the last woman his father ever killed, all while also dealing with the documentary crew filming his family, a volatile and social-media-obsessed mother who forced him into it, and blackmail from a fellow student who knows his darkest secrets. Safe to say, my boy is spiralling, and I really can’t blame him for that.
There is no denying that it is uncomfortable being in Morgan’s head, but I loved how White allowed him to be difficult and frustrating and sometimes just plain wrong while still giving us enough context to understand why he behaves the way he does. He lies, manipulates, and wrongs the important people in his life in order to survive in a system that has failed him all his life, but I deeply appreciated that his neurodivergence, childhood trauma, and transness are never used as neat excuses for his actions. We really get to see him fuck up and he having to deal with the consequences of his actions, which not only made his journey feel much more honest to me, but also gave me a constant level of anxiety and anticipatory dread that I absolutely adored.
His deep internal struggle with this identity was honestly one of my favourite aspects of You're No Better, and I especially loved how his whole fear that transitioning could somehow make him more like his father tied so neatly into the book’s exploration of nature versus nurture. Like, he is so afraid of what his dad made him and so desperate to prove that he is different that he only spiralling further down darker paths, and it was almost tragically entertaining to see him slowly confront the fact that becoming his own person is probably a lot messier than simply proving he is not his father.
All the emotional turmoil and complex relationships truly had me in a chokehold, and I was honestly surprised to find out that the dynamic between Morgan and his dad was not even the most fucked-up one in You’re No Better. Like, I genuinely don’t know how White managed to make me hate Morgan’s mother more than the man who is literally a serial killer, but here we are. She really showcases how child neglect and abuse can come in much more sinister ways than straight-up violence, and it truly made my heart ache for Morgan to see how she failed him so badly while pretending to be the picture perfect social media mom.
I also really loved the complicated friendships with Morgan’s other trans and queer friends, and I appreciated that these bonds were never treated as some perfect little queer support system where everyone always knows exactly what to say or does the right thing. Alyssa and Felicity are just as flawed and angry in their own ways, and I was completely caught off guard by their personal character arcs and the way those relationships developed in such a messy yet beautifully human way. There is so much heart and hurt woven into all of their interactions, and I thought White did a really good job of showing how complicated it can be to love and care for people while also being so damn angry with them.
And look, maybe the way the plot unfolds requires some suspension of disbelief at points, but for me the psychological suspense and horror in You're No Better were always much more important and thrilling than the main mystery anyway. The way that White tackles topics like autism, transness, nature versus nurture, dysfunctional families, the true crime industry, and social media through such a deeply intimate yet unreliable narration is so brutally honest and deeply uncomfortable in the best way, and I really appreciated how loudly angry the whole thing is without ever distracting from Morgan’s personal journey.
Andrew Joseph White is now 5 out of 5 for me with his novels, and just when I thought he could get no better, he once again proved me wrong with this absolutely unhinged gutpunch of a book. Despite being marketed as YA, I think You’re No Better feels like an adult book that happens to be following struggling teenage characters who have had to grow up way beyond their years, and I would absolutely recommend it if you are in the mood for a darkly addictive queer thriller that you can devour in no time but which will leave you spiralling for a long time to come.
Thank you to NetGalley and Daphne Press for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review, all opinions are my own. You're No Better is scheduled for release on October 27th, 2026.
4.25 stars
Look, I will have to admit that I was a bit nervous about You’re No Better because the whole serial killer and true crime business has never really interested me, but leave it to Andrew Joseph White to get me absolutely obsessed anyway. Just like all his other books, this story is angry and unhinged and hella queer and absolutely NOT for the faint of heart, and also just like all his other books, I inhaled it in a single sitting because I could not look away from this perfectly executed (ha!) trainwreck.
Now, Morgan Slaughter might be one of the most complicated and painfully messy characters I have read in a while, and I honestly loved him all the more for that by the end. He’s a seventeen-year-old closeted trans boy with autism who put his serial killer father in prison years ago, and now, in an attempt to convince everyone (including himself) that he is not like his dad, he goes on a desperate mission to identify the last woman his father ever killed, all while also dealing with the documentary crew filming his family, a volatile and social-media-obsessed mother who forced him into it, and blackmail from a fellow student who knows his darkest secrets. Safe to say, my boy is spiralling, and I really can’t blame him for that.
There is no denying that it is uncomfortable being in Morgan’s head, but I loved how White allowed him to be difficult and frustrating and sometimes just plain wrong while still giving us enough context to understand why he behaves the way he does. He lies, manipulates, and wrongs the important people in his life in order to survive in a system that has failed him all his life, but I deeply appreciated that his neurodivergence, childhood trauma, and transness are never used as neat excuses for his actions. We really get to see him fuck up and he having to deal with the consequences of his actions, which not only made his journey feel much more honest to me, but also gave me a constant level of anxiety and anticipatory dread that I absolutely adored.
His deep internal struggle with this identity was honestly one of my favourite aspects of You're No Better, and I especially loved how his whole fear that transitioning could somehow make him more like his father tied so neatly into the book’s exploration of nature versus nurture. Like, he is so afraid of what his dad made him and so desperate to prove that he is different that he only spiralling further down darker paths, and it was almost tragically entertaining to see him slowly confront the fact that becoming his own person is probably a lot messier than simply proving he is not his father.
All the emotional turmoil and complex relationships truly had me in a chokehold, and I was honestly surprised to find out that the dynamic between Morgan and his dad was not even the most fucked-up one in You’re No Better. Like, I genuinely don’t know how White managed to make me hate Morgan’s mother more than the man who is literally a serial killer, but here we are. She really showcases how child neglect and abuse can come in much more sinister ways than straight-up violence, and it truly made my heart ache for Morgan to see how she failed him so badly while pretending to be the picture perfect social media mom.
I also really loved the complicated friendships with Morgan’s other trans and queer friends, and I appreciated that these bonds were never treated as some perfect little queer support system where everyone always knows exactly what to say or does the right thing. Alyssa and Felicity are just as flawed and angry in their own ways, and I was completely caught off guard by their personal character arcs and the way those relationships developed in such a messy yet beautifully human way. There is so much heart and hurt woven into all of their interactions, and I thought White did a really good job of showing how complicated it can be to love and care for people while also being so damn angry with them.
And look, maybe the way the plot unfolds requires some suspension of disbelief at points, but for me the psychological suspense and horror in You're No Better were always much more important and thrilling than the main mystery anyway. The way that White tackles topics like autism, transness, nature versus nurture, dysfunctional families, the true crime industry, and social media through such a deeply intimate yet unreliable narration is so brutally honest and deeply uncomfortable in the best way, and I really appreciated how loudly angry the whole thing is without ever distracting from Morgan’s personal journey.
Andrew Joseph White is now 5 out of 5 for me with his novels, and just when I thought he could get no better, he once again proved me wrong with this absolutely unhinged gutpunch of a book. Despite being marketed as YA, I think You’re No Better feels like an adult book that happens to be following struggling teenage characters who have had to grow up way beyond their years, and I would absolutely recommend it if you are in the mood for a darkly addictive queer thriller that you can devour in no time but which will leave you spiralling for a long time to come.
Thank you to NetGalley and Daphne Press for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review, all opinions are my own. You're No Better is scheduled for release on October 27th, 2026.
September 2, 2026
Gonna need time before I can review this with a clear head since it ripped my guts out
Review of advance copy received from Edelweiss+
This book is simultaneously too much and not enough.
Woof. I feel bad rating this so low, especially since I think I'm one of the first reviewers. I RAN to read this book on Edelweiss as soon as it became available. I'm a big AJW fan and (up to this point) I've loved all his other books. But this one didn't hit, and I think the seams are starting to show.
AJW has a "type" of book he writes, and he's very good at writing it. You can expect to find similar beats in each: similar main characters, similar love interests, similar content warnings. There's a niche he likes to explore, and usually, it's something he does with talent. But. But. This book felt very "2D," for lack of a better term. It all felt.. caricature-ish? Morgan is super flat as a character, and it's hard to sympathize when the antagonists in his life are just SO overblown and cartoonish. His evil mother is such an overblown parody of vapid influencer parents that anything (ANYTHING) she does feels mustache-twirlingly, bizarrely, cartoonishly evil. Felicity is irritating, and a little nonsensical in her motivations. The stakes don't feel high, and honestly, it feels like petty teenage drama which is deeply disappointing when there's literal serial murder getting investigated. The conclusion is both too climactic and unsatisfying at the same time.
I think that's the thing which made me so disappointed in this in comparison to his other books: it felt petty and flat, and Morgan didn't feel real. It veers into some of the common YA pitfalls (Everything Happening All At Once; bland first-person prose; The Grownups Are The Enemies) and kind of splashes around in a shallow kiddie pool of trauma. Things are either glanced over, or melodramatic, or somehow both at the same time. I really don't know why this one didn't work for me like the others did: maybe it's because I know how GOOD AJW's books can be, and therefore the bar is higher. I think this book would've benefitted from being "smaller" -- focusing on Morgan's internal struggles rather than going off on a goose chase of murder investigations. I can't help but compare it to Just Like Home by Sarah Gailey, an excellent novel about a daughter of a serial killer reckoning with who she is.
Sorry AJW I wish I could've rated this higher :( will still be reading the next one, though!
Woof. I feel bad rating this so low, especially since I think I'm one of the first reviewers. I RAN to read this book on Edelweiss as soon as it became available. I'm a big AJW fan and (up to this point) I've loved all his other books. But this one didn't hit, and I think the seams are starting to show.
AJW has a "type" of book he writes, and he's very good at writing it. You can expect to find similar beats in each: similar main characters, similar love interests, similar content warnings. There's a niche he likes to explore, and usually, it's something he does with talent. But. But. This book felt very "2D," for lack of a better term. It all felt.. caricature-ish? Morgan is super flat as a character, and it's hard to sympathize when the antagonists in his life are just SO overblown and cartoonish. His evil mother is such an overblown parody of vapid influencer parents that anything (ANYTHING) she does feels mustache-twirlingly, bizarrely, cartoonishly evil. Felicity is irritating, and a little nonsensical in her motivations. The stakes don't feel high, and honestly, it feels like petty teenage drama which is deeply disappointing when there's literal serial murder getting investigated. The conclusion is both too climactic and unsatisfying at the same time.
I think that's the thing which made me so disappointed in this in comparison to his other books: it felt petty and flat, and Morgan didn't feel real. It veers into some of the common YA pitfalls (Everything Happening All At Once; bland first-person prose; The Grownups Are The Enemies) and kind of splashes around in a shallow kiddie pool of trauma. Things are either glanced over, or melodramatic, or somehow both at the same time. I really don't know why this one didn't work for me like the others did: maybe it's because I know how GOOD AJW's books can be, and therefore the bar is higher. I think this book would've benefitted from being "smaller" -- focusing on Morgan's internal struggles rather than going off on a goose chase of murder investigations. I can't help but compare it to Just Like Home by Sarah Gailey, an excellent novel about a daughter of a serial killer reckoning with who she is.
Sorry AJW I wish I could've rated this higher :( will still be reading the next one, though!
Want to Read
January 21, 2026I’m going to give White one last try. The blurb sounds pretty intriguing, not gonna lie, but I’m afraid—after the disappointments that were HFWU and CF—that this is going to be another formulaic, flat book of his. I seriously hope this one won’t have a , telling instead of showing, badly-written side characters, comically evil antagonists, didactic prose about some societal issue(s), cringy Tumblr-esque lines, or an all-White cast. So yeah, I’m waiting.
Update 25/02: badass cover
Update 21/07: the publisher dropped the first six chapters as a free excerpt and it actually looks decent! I think I’ll like it more than CF, it’s definitely breaking the two-star ceiling. The prose has improved and the characters are enjoyable to read about; Morgan is more active than Miles and I hope he stays that way. I like how both he and Felicity do questionable shit. Though on the other hand, we have Morgan’s mum, who is already fighting Sheriff Davies in the Over-The-Top Villain Olympics. I’m not super optimistic about Daniel’s character either. Nevertheless, pretty stoked for this one.
Update 25/02: badass cover
Update 21/07: the publisher dropped the first six chapters as a free excerpt and it actually looks decent! I think I’ll like it more than CF, it’s definitely breaking the two-star ceiling. The prose has improved and the characters are enjoyable to read about; Morgan is more active than Miles and I hope he stays that way. I like how both he and Felicity do questionable shit. Though on the other hand, we have Morgan’s mum, who is already fighting Sheriff Davies in the Over-The-Top Villain Olympics. I’m not super optimistic about Daniel’s character either. Nevertheless, pretty stoked for this one.
Read
August 8, 2026Thank you so much to Netgalley for the advanced copy!
I don't even know where to start with this review. I've read all of AJW's work - he is an auto-buy author for me - but none of them have given me The Horrors quite like this one has. Is it the lack of supernatural element? Is it the fact that people really do thirst over serial killers? This one just felt so damn real, and it genuinely did give me the heeby jeebies.
Morgan is not a likeable character, but I think what the point of that is to show how kids are formed by their parents, and my god are there no more horrible parents than a literal serial killer and a mommy blogger who pretends to be high and mighty online but actually hates her life. I wanted to shake Morgan a few times, but I despised this woman, so I can't really blame him.
I do always love the framing device of switching between a documentary and narrative; this was a little different in that the documentary was happening within the narrative, but it was still compelling.
The reveal of who Jane Doe is did in fact surprise me despite me having questions on how she became a Jane Doe, which were of course answered with the reveal.
My final point is that I don't think this is a YA book - it's an Adult book about teenagers. The content is really heavy and graphic and I know that AJW toes the line of Upper YA with his work and we love him for it, but this genuinely shook me as being YA, because I could not see a resolution for anything that was going on here, only believing it when it was presented to me on the very last page. But that's my opinion!!!!!
I don't even know where to start with this review. I've read all of AJW's work - he is an auto-buy author for me - but none of them have given me The Horrors quite like this one has. Is it the lack of supernatural element? Is it the fact that people really do thirst over serial killers? This one just felt so damn real, and it genuinely did give me the heeby jeebies.
Morgan is not a likeable character, but I think what the point of that is to show how kids are formed by their parents, and my god are there no more horrible parents than a literal serial killer and a mommy blogger who pretends to be high and mighty online but actually hates her life. I wanted to shake Morgan a few times, but I despised this woman, so I can't really blame him.
I do always love the framing device of switching between a documentary and narrative; this was a little different in that the documentary was happening within the narrative, but it was still compelling.
The reveal of who Jane Doe is did in fact surprise me despite me having questions on how she became a Jane Doe, which were of course answered with the reveal.
My final point is that I don't think this is a YA book - it's an Adult book about teenagers. The content is really heavy and graphic and I know that AJW toes the line of Upper YA with his work and we love him for it, but this genuinely shook me as being YA, because I could not see a resolution for anything that was going on here, only believing it when it was presented to me on the very last page. But that's my opinion!!!!!
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
3.5 rounded up. as usual, ajw delivers a fantastic examination of teenage trans life, and how compounding pressures weigh on the shoulders of those struggling with gender dysphoria. this book is very dark, and while i thought it was fast and readable, i worry about the impact this could have on a young teen. i think the examination of the true crime 'industry' was very well done, but the crimes themselves were so horrible to read about, and im a full grown adult. i do wonder… if a teenager who is obsessed with true crime read this…. what they would take away from it.
ultimately i would put this really in a new adult genre - 16 and up would be where i'd pitch it.
thank you to netgalley and the publisher for the e-arc :)
ultimately i would put this really in a new adult genre - 16 and up would be where i'd pitch it.
thank you to netgalley and the publisher for the e-arc :)
Want to Read
January 10, 2025"In You're No Better, Morgan Slaughter must contend with his fame-hungry mother, a true crime-obsessed classmate, and his own destructive impulses to prove he is nothing like his serial killer father."
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
3.5⭐️
This was a decent enough read for a YA psych horror. I probably liked it even more than I typically would
Have due to the sheer a memoir of representation going on which was very well done. So
On that note it’s a book that I would absolutely recommend to teen and other YA readers.
I have never read this author before so I had nothing to compare it to but it made me want to
Read his backlist.
I read the audiobook that I got through the PRH audio influencer program. The narration by Lachlan Watson was greats it sounded age appropriate for the characters and their tone was consistent with the prose.
This was a decent enough read for a YA psych horror. I probably liked it even more than I typically would
Have due to the sheer a memoir of representation going on which was very well done. So
On that note it’s a book that I would absolutely recommend to teen and other YA readers.
I have never read this author before so I had nothing to compare it to but it made me want to
Read his backlist.
I read the audiobook that I got through the PRH audio influencer program. The narration by Lachlan Watson was greats it sounded age appropriate for the characters and their tone was consistent with the prose.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Absolutely amazing and chilling horror novel about the son of a brutal serial killer navigating trauma, autism, blackmail, an abusive mother, an exploitative documentary crew, being a closeted trans kid, and the fear of people finding out he was not as uninvolved in his father's crimes as it seems.
Please mind the content warnings, which you can find at the front of the book, here, or on the author's website.
Part of me is genuinely stunned that this is a YA horror novel, both due to the horrifying content and because it's one of the most psychologically complex books I have read. The only books that are on the same level are the author's other books. Being in Morgan's mind and experiencing his trauma, desires, and intrusive thoughts, most of which he is often unable to keep apart and which are full of violence against himself and others, was quite the experience. Adding his autism and gender dysphoria made for an even more jarring mix. I related to Morgan as much as I was fascinated and disturbed by him. Even so, I was always fully immersed in his narration.
Morgan was not an easy protagonist, but I really appreciated that. He is a terrible friend, he lies and manipulates, but he is also a deeply hurt teenager, struggling, and denied the help, resources, and support he needs from the adults around him, especially his mother and the documentary production crew that wants to turn his life into a spectacle.
I really enjoyed the juxtaposition of Morgan's friendship with Alyssa, who is sort of a childhood friend and has been there for him forever, but is overwhelmed by his needs, and with Felicity, who enters Morgan's sphere suddenly and violently, yet despite their constant clashing, the two can't help but be drawn together by each other's messes.
The book deals a lot with trauma, mental health, the pitfalls of true crime, the troubled teen industry, and how the voyeurism of social media ties into all of these.
My one complaint is that I just wanted more from all of it. I would have enjoyed more details about the cases, more details about Felicity and their story, more details about where Morgan's life is headed next, and also maybe more from the finale. It wasn't that it didn't meet my expectations, this is a YA horror novel after all without any supernatural elements, so only so much could happen at the climax. It was a great release of all the tension, don't get me wrong, but it also felt like it ended a bit suddenly.
Overall I had a great time with this, and my criticism is based on my mind still being tied up in the book and not quite having come to terms with it being over yet. What a ride. I cannot wait to see more from this author, and I am also impressed and relieved and proud that books with complex characters and thematics like these, that are not easy to read, can still be published.
I received an ARC and reviewed honestly and volutnarily.
Please mind the content warnings, which you can find at the front of the book, here, or on the author's website.
Part of me is genuinely stunned that this is a YA horror novel, both due to the horrifying content and because it's one of the most psychologically complex books I have read. The only books that are on the same level are the author's other books. Being in Morgan's mind and experiencing his trauma, desires, and intrusive thoughts, most of which he is often unable to keep apart and which are full of violence against himself and others, was quite the experience. Adding his autism and gender dysphoria made for an even more jarring mix. I related to Morgan as much as I was fascinated and disturbed by him. Even so, I was always fully immersed in his narration.
Morgan was not an easy protagonist, but I really appreciated that. He is a terrible friend, he lies and manipulates, but he is also a deeply hurt teenager, struggling, and denied the help, resources, and support he needs from the adults around him, especially his mother and the documentary production crew that wants to turn his life into a spectacle.
I really enjoyed the juxtaposition of Morgan's friendship with Alyssa, who is sort of a childhood friend and has been there for him forever, but is overwhelmed by his needs, and with Felicity, who enters Morgan's sphere suddenly and violently, yet despite their constant clashing, the two can't help but be drawn together by each other's messes.
The book deals a lot with trauma, mental health, the pitfalls of true crime, the troubled teen industry, and how the voyeurism of social media ties into all of these.
My one complaint is that I just wanted more from all of it. I would have enjoyed more details about the cases, more details about Felicity and their story, more details about where Morgan's life is headed next, and also maybe more from the finale. It wasn't that it didn't meet my expectations, this is a YA horror novel after all without any supernatural elements, so only so much could happen at the climax. It was a great release of all the tension, don't get me wrong, but it also felt like it ended a bit suddenly.
Overall I had a great time with this, and my criticism is based on my mind still being tied up in the book and not quite having come to terms with it being over yet. What a ride. I cannot wait to see more from this author, and I am also impressed and relieved and proud that books with complex characters and thematics like these, that are not easy to read, can still be published.
I received an ARC and reviewed honestly and volutnarily.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
Forgive me for the low-hanging fruit, but this book is truly No Better than the author’s other works.
It doesn’t feel great being this book’s first one-star review, but I honestly can’t give it any higher than that. I checked out Peachtree Teen’s 6-chapter sample and have no interest in reading any further.
This book is exactly what I feared it would be: the exact same stuff we always get out of White. He has clearly found a formula that does well financially and good for him I guess, but his actual writing is suffering badly for it. I don’t think he has meaningfully improved as a writer across the five books he has written. Gender expression and autism are two things that exist on spectrums, and yet he keeps giving us same protagonist, different aesthetic. I frankly think it’s insulting to his audience of trans kids that he is unwilling to give them anything new. Also, is White seriously incapable of writing a trans woman who doesn’t exist to dote on the male lead? Good lord, Andrew.
This book has an edge factor that just doesn’t work for me. Morgan is an interesting enough character, but White doesn’t know how to handle a decent concept to save his life. His writing and this book especially is reminding me increasingly of CK Walker’s work. That is not a good thing.
I’m no longer surprised by this stuff. It’s genuinely disappointing to see White stagnate like this, but he’s clearly found his niche; for better or for worse.
October 17, 2025
Is it out yet? No. But will this be an absolute banger book? Yes.
Want to Read
May 20, 2026you guys just don't understand how fucking excited i am right now
August 20, 2026
4,5⭐️
Received an arc from NetGalley in exchange for honest opinion, thanks!
As a long time AJW reader, it pleases me to see how his protagonist's portrayal matured. You're No Better takes a different than his usual perspective on the main character, meaning Morgan being a selfish, mean figure that makes sympathizing with him harder. But in my opinion that is the point – Morgan does not want anyone's pity. He wants to be left alone, something that his murderer-father and neglecting mother made sure to never happen.
AJW tackles a lot of themes with Morgan's story: from a depiction of true crime and its detachment from reality in order of pursuing one's fantasy, through a real collection of ways to abuse your child, to questions such as how much actually passes from parent to child and what form morality takes when taken to extreme. And I think it hits the point. Morgan's actions can be uncomfortable or wrong, his treatment of friends certainly leaves a lot for reader to reconsider, but underneath it leads a strong will of surviving. Of getting better. Of desire to be a better human.
I like how Morgan isn't the easiest person to be around, just like I found fascinating his inside battle of finding the real self: does transitioning mean you will resemble more of your father's monstrous side? Does "comforting" to being perceived as a woman means you choose the path of your mother's abuse and suffering? Just as much as I liked the plot happening simultaneously. It's messy, raw and full of rage. Just the way I like my AJW books. The only complain I have is that I somehow wish it was longer, I feel like some sideplots could have been explored a bit more, but maybe that's just the sign of how captivating the book is: leaving you wanting more.
As I always say, AJW books are not for everyone, but they certainly hit the spot for me. I will forever be grateful to have the opportunity to receive their early arcs.
Received an arc from NetGalley in exchange for honest opinion, thanks!
As a long time AJW reader, it pleases me to see how his protagonist's portrayal matured. You're No Better takes a different than his usual perspective on the main character, meaning Morgan being a selfish, mean figure that makes sympathizing with him harder. But in my opinion that is the point – Morgan does not want anyone's pity. He wants to be left alone, something that his murderer-father and neglecting mother made sure to never happen.
AJW tackles a lot of themes with Morgan's story: from a depiction of true crime and its detachment from reality in order of pursuing one's fantasy, through a real collection of ways to abuse your child, to questions such as how much actually passes from parent to child and what form morality takes when taken to extreme. And I think it hits the point. Morgan's actions can be uncomfortable or wrong, his treatment of friends certainly leaves a lot for reader to reconsider, but underneath it leads a strong will of surviving. Of getting better. Of desire to be a better human.
I like how Morgan isn't the easiest person to be around, just like I found fascinating his inside battle of finding the real self: does transitioning mean you will resemble more of your father's monstrous side? Does "comforting" to being perceived as a woman means you choose the path of your mother's abuse and suffering? Just as much as I liked the plot happening simultaneously. It's messy, raw and full of rage. Just the way I like my AJW books. The only complain I have is that I somehow wish it was longer, I feel like some sideplots could have been explored a bit more, but maybe that's just the sign of how captivating the book is: leaving you wanting more.
As I always say, AJW books are not for everyone, but they certainly hit the spot for me. I will forever be grateful to have the opportunity to receive their early arcs.
May 29, 2026
5⭐️
Inhaling AJW’s books in a disturbingly short amount of time has become one of my favorite hobbies.
I finished this in less than 24 hours (it would have been one sitting if I hadn’t needed to wake up early for work the next morning). AJW is masterful at fully immersing his readers. Even when Morgan was making poor decisions that had me wanting to scream, I couldn’t help but root for him. The raw emotions bleed off the page and had me holding my breath.
One of my favorite aspects was the examination of exploitation within the true crime scene. Given the popularity of the genre, I think it’s an incredibly important discussion to have. This novel heavily focuses on mental health and trauma—not only how they shape a person, but also the struggle to find oneself in the midst of crisis. White also sheds light on the strange nature of social media: how things are not always as they seem, the rise of apathy in online spaces, and the harm of parasocial relationships.
AJW once again delivers a delightfully horrifying and impactful experience. He continues to be one of my favorite authors, and I will absolutely read everything he releases.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC!
Inhaling AJW’s books in a disturbingly short amount of time has become one of my favorite hobbies.
I finished this in less than 24 hours (it would have been one sitting if I hadn’t needed to wake up early for work the next morning). AJW is masterful at fully immersing his readers. Even when Morgan was making poor decisions that had me wanting to scream, I couldn’t help but root for him. The raw emotions bleed off the page and had me holding my breath.
One of my favorite aspects was the examination of exploitation within the true crime scene. Given the popularity of the genre, I think it’s an incredibly important discussion to have. This novel heavily focuses on mental health and trauma—not only how they shape a person, but also the struggle to find oneself in the midst of crisis. White also sheds light on the strange nature of social media: how things are not always as they seem, the rise of apathy in online spaces, and the harm of parasocial relationships.
AJW once again delivers a delightfully horrifying and impactful experience. He continues to be one of my favorite authors, and I will absolutely read everything he releases.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC!
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
I really want to like this book. I really do. It sounds like a good book! But the problem is that all of AJW’s books sounded like good books, yet all of them, without exception, were incredibly poorly written, borderline racist, and in the case of his one adult book, incredibly degrading towards rape survivors. The fact that AJW has already published a book where he got away with blatantly fetishizing rape probably just means he’s going to think he can do it again with this YA book, and that’s not even getting into how he clearly wants to write protagonists that are unsympathetic or morally grey, yet fails because he’s more excited to write graphic rape scenes than he is to write a plot that makes sense or characterization that feels human. Morgan seems like such an interesting character, but this character’s probably going to be nothing except Tumblr discourse quips, cringe homicidal thoughts that are passed off as intrusive despite being ego-syntonic, and entirely passive characterization. I guess only a dumbass would give a shitty author a 5th chance, but at the very least, I can have a good laugh if it’s as bad as I expect.
April 22, 2026
I’ve been hyped about this book since it was announced. I cheered when my request got approved. This absolutely exceeded all of my expectations. It’s jumped to the top of my rankings of AJW’s books. Morgan is probably my favorite main character so far. This book is definitely gnarly, but I couldn’t stop reading. It does such a good job of examining/criticizing the true crime community/industry. I can’t wait for this book to come out so I can get a copy for my library. Thank you so so much to Edelweiss for the ARC!!
Review of advance copy received from Edelweiss+
There's no one writing YA like AJW, this was book was a fucking explosive journey. I'm not the fastest reader, so when I finish a book in two days you know I'm hooked. Thank you Edelweiss for the eARC, my first 5 star YA read of the year.
June 11, 2026
aj white never fails
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
I might have found a new favorite author here, because this was just incredible. I have been wanting to get into this author’s books for a very long time now and I think I started this off with the darkest one. Or at least that seems to be the general consensus. I can’t believe I got to read this book early, I feel incredibly lucky because of just how much I enjoyed it (for lack of a better word), as I know I would. I love it when I’m right about these things.
One thing I’ve gathered is that when authors know what they’re talking about, when they have lived experiences similar to those of their characters, it shows. I could immediately tell he was, like Morgan, autistic. And trans. Not because there’s a giveaway to it, but because some things just don’t translate the same when you don’t have first hand experience. And while he and Morgan are very different people, like he said in the acknowledgments, he’s a pro at writing things like that so realistically. Now, onto the actual story.
Morgan’s the son (or, daughter, to most people, as he isn’t publicly out yet) of a very notorious serial killer who’s murdered countless women in the span of many years. Morgan’s the reason he got caught. He’s got a complicated relationship with his father (now way, really?) and his mother both. She’s the classic “hashtag-autism-mom” and incredibly transphobic on top of that. His life is hard. They’re making a documentary about the murders now, it’s been years but people are still very interested, also because out of the 51 (yes, 51) women Graham Nathaniel Slaughter (very conveniently named) has murdered, one remains just Jane Doe. Nobody knows who she was. Morgan ends up pairing up with this one Felicity, it’s a whole thing.
As I said, it’s dark. There’s mentions of all kinds of gore, assault, mutilation, what have you. There’s even a present-day SA scene, and I would generally just look up trigger warnings before getting into it. Because you’re going to need a strong stomach (but most of all, mind) to read this book.
I appreciated all the countless kinds of rep that are in this book. Neurodivergent representation, queer and trans rep, you name it, it’s in here. From the trans autistic male lead, to the bi demigirl, to the trans lesbian side character. I believe it’s a common theme in his books, which only makes me more interested in reading them.
I did guess the little twist there towards the end but that didn’t bother me at all, I wasn’t reading the book because of that, I was simply entranced. This is was really all I could’ve hoped and more. It’s not for the faint of heart, I’ll tell you that much, but it was for me.
It’s like this very realistic kind of horror, as realistic as it can be to the average person. All the struggles Morgan faces, with his parents, his disability, his mental health. His inability to even admit he might be scared. That he was that the whole time, scared. Scared when he was eight, ten, seventeen.
This was really such a brilliant book. I can’t wait to read more of his work. Would definitely recommend. Five stars.
Thank you to NetGalley for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
One thing I’ve gathered is that when authors know what they’re talking about, when they have lived experiences similar to those of their characters, it shows. I could immediately tell he was, like Morgan, autistic. And trans. Not because there’s a giveaway to it, but because some things just don’t translate the same when you don’t have first hand experience. And while he and Morgan are very different people, like he said in the acknowledgments, he’s a pro at writing things like that so realistically. Now, onto the actual story.
Morgan’s the son (or, daughter, to most people, as he isn’t publicly out yet) of a very notorious serial killer who’s murdered countless women in the span of many years. Morgan’s the reason he got caught. He’s got a complicated relationship with his father (now way, really?) and his mother both. She’s the classic “hashtag-autism-mom” and incredibly transphobic on top of that. His life is hard. They’re making a documentary about the murders now, it’s been years but people are still very interested, also because out of the 51 (yes, 51) women Graham Nathaniel Slaughter (very conveniently named) has murdered, one remains just Jane Doe. Nobody knows who she was. Morgan ends up pairing up with this one Felicity, it’s a whole thing.
As I said, it’s dark. There’s mentions of all kinds of gore, assault, mutilation, what have you. There’s even a present-day SA scene, and I would generally just look up trigger warnings before getting into it. Because you’re going to need a strong stomach (but most of all, mind) to read this book.
I appreciated all the countless kinds of rep that are in this book. Neurodivergent representation, queer and trans rep, you name it, it’s in here. From the trans autistic male lead, to the bi demigirl, to the trans lesbian side character. I believe it’s a common theme in his books, which only makes me more interested in reading them.
I did guess the little twist there towards the end but that didn’t bother me at all, I wasn’t reading the book because of that, I was simply entranced. This is was really all I could’ve hoped and more. It’s not for the faint of heart, I’ll tell you that much, but it was for me.
It’s like this very realistic kind of horror, as realistic as it can be to the average person. All the struggles Morgan faces, with his parents, his disability, his mental health. His inability to even admit he might be scared. That he was that the whole time, scared. Scared when he was eight, ten, seventeen.
This was really such a brilliant book. I can’t wait to read more of his work. Would definitely recommend. Five stars.
Thank you to NetGalley for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
Thank you @PRHAUDIO for the gifted audiobook!
#PRHAudioPartner
🎧 Audiobook Review 🎧
Title: You're No Better
Author: Andrew Joseph White
Narrator: Lachlan Watson
Duration: 10 hours
Genre: YA Thriller
Pub Date: October 27, 2026
🎧 Synopsis 🎧
A profound portrait of a struggling teen trying to convince the world—and himself—that he’s better than the serial killer who raised him.
🎧 My Thoughts 🎧
It's just not a AJW story if it doesn't viscerally destroy you in every way imaginable. Never easy to consume, deeply uncomfortable, and yet so necessary.
Morgan is an incredibly nuanced and realistic character. Deeply flawed and constantly backed into a corner by outside forces. I felt the claustrophobia dripping off the pages. I am in awe of how he holds it together while surrounded by the worst people imaginable. While also trying to be different than those people. But also while seeing every worst thing in themselves. Ugh it was so much!! But so well done!!!
This story will stick with me for a long long time.
🎧 Narration 🎧
As always, immaculate. Lachlan Watson has the unique ability to really bring characters to life!
~~~~~~~~~
🎧 Read if You Like 🎧
* Stories with teeth
* True Crime
* Coming of Age
~~~~~~~~~
🏷️
#audiobookreview #andrewjosephwhite #prhaudiobook #yourenobetter
#PRHAudioPartner
🎧 Audiobook Review 🎧
Title: You're No Better
Author: Andrew Joseph White
Narrator: Lachlan Watson
Duration: 10 hours
Genre: YA Thriller
Pub Date: October 27, 2026
🎧 Synopsis 🎧
A profound portrait of a struggling teen trying to convince the world—and himself—that he’s better than the serial killer who raised him.
🎧 My Thoughts 🎧
It's just not a AJW story if it doesn't viscerally destroy you in every way imaginable. Never easy to consume, deeply uncomfortable, and yet so necessary.
Morgan is an incredibly nuanced and realistic character. Deeply flawed and constantly backed into a corner by outside forces. I felt the claustrophobia dripping off the pages. I am in awe of how he holds it together while surrounded by the worst people imaginable. While also trying to be different than those people. But also while seeing every worst thing in themselves. Ugh it was so much!! But so well done!!!
This story will stick with me for a long long time.
🎧 Narration 🎧
As always, immaculate. Lachlan Watson has the unique ability to really bring characters to life!
~~~~~~~~~
🎧 Read if You Like 🎧
* Stories with teeth
* True Crime
* Coming of Age
~~~~~~~~~
🏷️
#audiobookreview #andrewjosephwhite #prhaudiobook #yourenobetter
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