Atlanta Burns (Atlanta Burns, #1) in Adventures in SciFi Publishing

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Atlanta Burns (Atlanta Burns, #1)

Chuck Wendig

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Feb 26, 2015 Mr. Matt rated it really liked it

Shelves: 2015, young-adult

Atlanta Burns is one seriously messed up young lady. Somewhere between 17 and 18 years old she has seen far more than anyone her age should see. Living in rural Pennsylvania, she tries to hold it together. She tries to fit in, but somehow, after you've blown the nards off of your mother's perverted boyfriend you don't really fit in. The world of ordinary teenagers in out of her reach. She doesn't do facebook or talk for long hours on the phone. She's damaged. Atlanta undoubtedly has PTSD. She de Atlanta Burns is one seriously messed up young lady. Somewhere between 17 and 18 years old she has seen far more than anyone her age should see. Living in rural Pennsylvania, she tries to hold it together. She tries to fit in, but somehow, after you've blown the nards off of your mother's perverted boyfriend you don't really fit in. The world of ordinary teenagers in out of her reach. She doesn't do facebook or talk for long hours on the phone. She's damaged. Atlanta undoubtedly has PTSD. She definitely has a reputation. And she definitely isn't putting up with bullshit any longer.

Returning to school and her old life, she encounters a couple of punks picking on a Hispanic kid, she steps in, kicks some ass and saves the kid, Shane. And so begins her long journey through the underbelly of her rural PA community - keelhauled might be a better description. Atlanta encounters Neo-Nazis, gay-bashing and murder, dog fighting rings, and corrupt cops. She threatens to break several times, but rather than weaken her, her traumatic past has tempered her into something hard and unyielding. No more bullshit. Despite being only 17 or 18, she takes names and settles scores.

This was a powerful book. Being the father of two girls about Atlanta's age, I already know how traumatic being a teenage girl can be. The author takes that and piles on another layer of pain and angst. I felt for Atlanta. I wanted to give her a big hug and tell her that it would be OK, but I know that she wouldn't like that. She'd push me away. I thought Wendig captured her spirit well. She wanted her mother - she wanted someone to help her - but she was not sure how or was unwilling to ask for that help.

It was also powerful for someone with two (rescue) dogs. Wendig gives his readers a glimpse into the dark underbelly of dog fighting. I was both revolted and compelled to read. I seriously cannot believe that this is really a thing - that people do this. But they do. Unfortunately. On that note, Atlanta's attachment to Whitey was perfect. It softened Atlanta and also tugged at the heart strings. Well done.

Four and a half stars rounded down to four. I really liked the book, but I wonder who really is the market for the book. Is it really young adult? What parent would let their 13, 14 or 15 year old read this? It deals with some really seriously heavy stuff - rape, suicide, drugs, etc. A kid who is on the edge and dealing with shades of this stuff might react poorly. Maybe. I don't know. Really good book, but pretty heavy stuff. No sunshine, unicorns and rainbows here. ...more

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Jan 16, 2015 Eric rated it really liked it

As I was planning this review, I was going to describe ATLANTA BURNS as 鈥淰eronica Mars turned vigilante,鈥� but then Chuck Wendig tweeted that it was 鈥淰eronica Mars on Adderall. Nancy Drew meets Justified.鈥� Ah well, close enough. The point is, yes, this is a YA novel, but it is dark and violent and sometimes brutal. But it is also honest and even funny and hopeful at times. So if you can handle issues like absentee parents, bullying, drugs, sexual assault, hate crimes, and dogfighting, I think you As I was planning this review, I was going to describe ATLANTA BURNS as 鈥淰eronica Mars turned vigilante,鈥� but then Chuck Wendig tweeted that it was 鈥淰eronica Mars on Adderall. Nancy Drew meets Justified.鈥� Ah well, close enough. The point is, yes, this is a YA novel, but it is dark and violent and sometimes brutal. But it is also honest and even funny and hopeful at times. So if you can handle issues like absentee parents, bullying, drugs, sexual assault, hate crimes, and dogfighting, I think you鈥檒l enjoy this book immensely.

ATLANTA BURNS is the story of a teenage girl who is returning to school after experiencing a severe trauma. She鈥檚 used violence against violence, and she鈥檚 not afraid to do it again. She鈥檚 hurt and angry and trying to find her place in the high school jungle when people can only look at her and think of the rumors they鈥檝e heard about her. She鈥檚 also got a stubborn streak as deep and wide as they come. She knows it鈥檒l get her in trouble, but she can鈥檛 help herself. She鈥檚 not one to let bad guys win, not without fighting back that is.

Atlanta takes on some neighborhood bullies, but actions have consequences. Mess with someone鈥檚 kids, and parents tend to get involved. And when the kids are bullies, odds are their parents are worse. This is no exception. She ends up tangling with corrupt, racist, violent adults who have no problem coming after Atlanta and the people closest to her.

Atlanta is a Wendig heroine: tough, foul-mouthed, and troubled. But she is also a teenager, and Wendig has portrayed that stage of life with an honest eye and heart. Atlanta is on that cusp of adulthood, and she is is struggling to find out just how powerful she really is, what kind of person she is, and what her limits are. She also suffers from PTSD, and Wendig also handles that admirably, describing the surges of fear and adrenaline, as well as the desire to overcome it.

I also quite enjoyed the other characters in ATLANTA BURNS. The book takes place in Central Pennsylvania, or 鈥淧ennsyltucky鈥� as it鈥檚 called. But Wendig doesn鈥檛 resort to stereotypes. The cast is diverse, and Wendig is able to create substance in each of the characters, even if they are only present for a little while. His take on high school life is a hard one, and a mature one, but I think it鈥檚 an honest and unflinching look at those darker aspects of what can be a very difficult time for many people.

And is the case with other Wendig books, I was tickled to once again find text crackling with descriptions, metaphors, and similes that I found funny, shocking, clever, subtle, and gut-wrenching. Wendig knows how to write a page turner, and I stayed up late, telling myself, 鈥淛ust one more chapter.鈥�

And that is true even when Atlanta enters the world of dogfighting. Those chapters were very hard for me to get through (I鈥檓 a big dog person, I have a rescue dog, and I volunteer with a rescue agency). I do not envy Wendig the research he had to do for this book. But it is a credit to his writing that while things were at times graphic and tragic, I don鈥檛 think he crossed any lines. I never had to put the book down and walk away. That being said, I made sure to give my dog extra hugs and treats after reading it.

ATLANTA BURNS is a revision of the novella 鈥淪hotgun Gravy鈥� and the novel BAIT DOG. They share common characters, and the pieces are stitched together well, but there is a noticeable shift between the two. But think of it more as a bump in the road rather than a reason to derail your reading entirely.

This is not the easiest read. But it鈥檚 a very good read, and I think YA readers who are able to handle more mature themes will get a lot out of it鈥搉ot just the enjoyment of a good book, but a message of standing up against bullies and being your best, truest self. Heck, I鈥檓 34, and even I benefitted from that. ...more

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