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A review by wlreed312
Atlanta Burns by Chuck Wendig
4.0
Tag Line - You don't mess with Atlanta Burns.
As the book unfolds, you learn why, a little at a time. The book opens with a description of a girl waking up with the smell of gunpowder in her nose. Brief paragraph, but it draws you in. You want to know what happened to this girl. You want to know what made her into someone so hard and tender at the same time. The pacing on the back story is really well done, and I just wanted to hug Atlanta (not that I think she'd really let me).
I loved this book. One of my favorite things about it is Atlanta is such a royally fucked up character. For reasons that are completely justified. But she still has a big heart. The mess she gets herself into is predicated on the fact she sees someone being bullied and stops to help him. Which earns her the anger of some folks that she probably should have stayed away from. I love the phrases Wendig uses. "Up here, middle of Pennsylvania, her accent sticks out like a bent and broken toe". I love the characters, the way they build their own little family. I love the heart at the center of the book. Atlanta has been compared to Veronica Mars, and the comparison has merit. Sassy, wounded, tough. And awesome.
I'd say the only reason this doesn't get five stars is because of the dog fighting. It's essential to the plot, but it's pretty graphic and I honestly had to skim a chapter or two. It's definitely necessary to the story, but it was just a little too graphic for me. So, be warned if you're an animal lover.
As the book unfolds, you learn why, a little at a time. The book opens with a description of a girl waking up with the smell of gunpowder in her nose. Brief paragraph, but it draws you in. You want to know what happened to this girl. You want to know what made her into someone so hard and tender at the same time. The pacing on the back story is really well done, and I just wanted to hug Atlanta (not that I think she'd really let me).
I loved this book. One of my favorite things about it is Atlanta is such a royally fucked up character. For reasons that are completely justified. But she still has a big heart. The mess she gets herself into is predicated on the fact she sees someone being bullied and stops to help him. Which earns her the anger of some folks that she probably should have stayed away from. I love the phrases Wendig uses. "Up here, middle of Pennsylvania, her accent sticks out like a bent and broken toe". I love the characters, the way they build their own little family. I love the heart at the center of the book. Atlanta has been compared to Veronica Mars, and the comparison has merit. Sassy, wounded, tough. And awesome.
I'd say the only reason this doesn't get five stars is because of the dog fighting. It's essential to the plot, but it's pretty graphic and I honestly had to skim a chapter or two. It's definitely necessary to the story, but it was just a little too graphic for me. So, be warned if you're an animal lover.