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mvanwingen's review against another edition
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
4.0
rosemwood's review against another edition
4.0
This is the debut novel of Tayari Jones. It is fiction but there are some facts in the story. The author went to school with one of the children that was murdered. She also inserts herself into the story as a minor character. This is a deep, dark, fast paced, terrifying novel that the author has chosen to tell through the eyes of three children. Each section is told from the perspective of one of the children. The first section is told in third person by Tasha. The second section is told in second person by Rodney. The third section is told in first person by Octavia. All the children are in 5th grade and go to the same school and have interacted with each other.
pdxpiney's review
dark
emotional
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
akaspiderlily's review against another edition
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
A really heart-wrenching read, especially as an ATL native, but written well and written strong
spclteach's review against another edition
5.0
You will not be able to put this book down
This author is a great story teller, she gets you so involved in the story that you’re sad when the book ends.
This author is a great story teller, she gets you so involved in the story that you’re sad when the book ends.
dinasamimi's review against another edition
4.0
Atlanta was a stop off on a long road trip this summer and I was looking for an engrossing read that propelled me into this place. This is an interesting debut that fictionalizes a small piece of Atlanta history. Jones takes great care with her characters here, especially the children. I wasn’t left with a deep connection to the city, but glad I read this.
midnightmarauder's review
emotional
informative
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Leaving Atlanta follows the story of three young children—LaTasha Baxter, Rodney Green, and Octavia Fuller—as they grow up in Atlanta, Georgia during the infamous Atlanta Child Murders.
The book is split into three parts, which follow each child's point of view and is written in a different narrative point of view. Tasha's point of view is written in third-person; Rodney's is written in second-person; and Octavia's is written in first-person.
This book touched on a few different issues. One of the main themes of the book is the concept of childhood innocence and how it can lead a child into varying pathways. For instance, Tasha desires to fit in with her classmates so much that it leads her into hanging with the wrong crowd. Rodney, who has anabusive father , is so fed up with his home life that when an unnamed man pretending to be a police officer pulls up beside him , he purposefully gets in the car with him, never to be seen alive again . Finally, Octavia, whose mother feels unsettled by the all the disappearances, is sent away to live with her father in a different state, in attempt to protect her from being hurt .
Another issue that was tackled in the novel is how black people are overlooked when it comes to disappearances and murders. Black children were coming up missing back to back during that time, yet very little external effort (i.e. law enforcement, government agencies, etc.) was made was spent trying to solve the cases or find the children. Most of the work done to get the children's faces on the news was made by the children's families and people within their neighborhoods.
What I liked the most about this book is that it shed light on how the children felt during that time. The feelings of the children who didn't get abducted/murdered were definitely drown out by all of the commotion. It was nice to get a glimpse into how they might've felt, being told through the fictionalized stories of Tasha, Rodney, and Octavia.
The book is split into three parts, which follow each child's point of view and is written in a different narrative point of view. Tasha's point of view is written in third-person; Rodney's is written in second-person; and Octavia's is written in first-person.
This book touched on a few different issues. One of the main themes of the book is the concept of childhood innocence and how it can lead a child into varying pathways. For instance, Tasha desires to fit in with her classmates so much that it leads her into hanging with the wrong crowd. Rodney, who has an
Another issue that was tackled in the novel is how black people are overlooked when it comes to disappearances and murders. Black children were coming up missing back to back during that time, yet very little external effort (i.e. law enforcement, government agencies, etc.) was made was spent trying to solve the cases or find the children. Most of the work done to get the children's faces on the news was made by the children's families and people within their neighborhoods.
What I liked the most about this book is that it shed light on how the children felt during that time. The feelings of the children who didn't get abducted/murdered were definitely drown out by all of the commotion. It was nice to get a glimpse into how they might've felt, being told through the fictionalized stories of Tasha, Rodney, and Octavia.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Kidnapping, Death, Murder, Bullying, Child abuse, Physical abuse, Child death, Classism, and Grief
Minor: Racial slurs, Drug abuse, Drug use, Pedophilia, Racism, Sexual assault, and Death of parent
marisazane's review against another edition
dark
emotional
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.5
Three fifth graders narrate their school and home lives against the backdrop of the Atlanta child murders. This is fiction, but the murders were a real event that happened between 1979-81. Tasha is on the fringe of the popular group at school, but those girls always find ways to make her feel like she doesn’t quite fit in, like when her parents separate or a boy from the projects takes interest in her. Rodney’s a loner at school and steals candy from the store to gain friends and to defy his authoritarian father. Octavia is being raised by a single mom who lies and she gets teased at school about her dark skin. Despite limits parents and teachers put on the fifth graders’ newfound freedom to keep them safe from the predator, two children from the class go missing.
—
I expected this book to be something else, so it wasn’t a hit for me. Each child had an interesting story of the difficulties in their lives and what they perceived to be difficult. I wanted their stories to tie together better, but they were told consecutively and that didn’t work well for me. Their stories were also told from different narrative perspectives (first, second, third person), and if there was a literary significance to this, it was lost on me. 🤷🏻♀️ I also expected a mystery element to the story that was just not there. I enjoyed An American Marriage by this author much more and would recommend reading that one instead.
⭐️⭐️✨
—
I expected this book to be something else, so it wasn’t a hit for me. Each child had an interesting story of the difficulties in their lives and what they perceived to be difficult. I wanted their stories to tie together better, but they were told consecutively and that didn’t work well for me. Their stories were also told from different narrative perspectives (first, second, third person), and if there was a literary significance to this, it was lost on me. 🤷🏻♀️ I also expected a mystery element to the story that was just not there. I enjoyed An American Marriage by this author much more and would recommend reading that one instead.
⭐️⭐️✨
gott75's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25