Country: USA
Genre: YA/Crime
Pages: 530 kb (eOriginal)
Synopsis:
Atlanta Burns is a little girl who grew up too fast. Fear and dreams have been beaten out of her at the same time. Atlanta is a survivor. She knows what you have to do to get through the day. Those who fuck with her pay the price with their health. Bullied kid Chris comes to her after being severely beaten and humiliated by an unlikely duo of tormentors. Will she accept the responsibility? To become a protector to other kids in need?
Way he says "shotgun", he knows. And it doesn't scare him. Which scares her. You're going to get hurt, she thinks. Maybe there's truth to what the worst of men say. Maybe you do this to yourself. Maybe you really are asking for it. You go fucking around with rattlesnakes, maybe you get bit.
It's no secret I'm very critical of YA literature. It's hip right now, so it's full of bizarre people trying to make money off writing for teenagers or even worse, seeking a purpose to their lives. But I'm also very high on Chuck Wendig, a writer who puts his money where his mouth is. The combination of Wendig and YA isn't as out there as it first seem. The man loves to teach, write and has an undeniable talent to do so. It's maybe not a natural fit, but it's an intriguing combination. If I understood properly, Atlanta Burns is supposed to be his hardboiled Nancy Drew. So did it worked? Damn right it did. It worked just fine and dandy. SHOTGUN GRAVY might not be as stellar as BLACKBIRDS was, but it's a rugged, in-your-face novella that deals with tough issues with great class.
There are several factors that make Atlanta Burns such a memorable character. Chuck Wendig understands very well the principle of creating great fiction through contrasting images. Atlanta's badass but her life is in shambles. She's violent and yet, she's always scared. She inspires respect and admiration and yet there's a burden on her shoulders. I know the novella is called SHOTGUN GRAVY, but the shotgun in question makes a very late apparition here. Better yet, there's a shroud of mystery around the weapon. Something happened involving a shotgun. Something horrible, altering Atlanta's life and to some extent, the life of everything gravitating around her. You feel it, it's everywhere and yet it's put into light very late into the book. This is real scarring, real trauma. It floats in the air. Not unlike what happens in Laurie Halse Anderson's SPEAK.
That brings me to a point I'm more torn about...
Bullying is an issue with tentacles. It has many forms, it's hard to define and it's even harder to bottle up. Chuck Wendig does a valiant effort at portraying it properly, but it's hit-and-miss. The kids get absolutely ZERO help from adults, which is realistic. Nobody thinks their kids are being bullied, nobody knows what to do about it. Kids are left to fend off for themselves and they end up dialoguing with violence because it's a clear language and both parties understand the consequences. But the bullies in this case are an easy target. Neo-Nazis * are an overused avatar of evil. They can do no good, no matter what they do, because what they believe in absurd and racist. ** Russians, Arabic people and zombies often receive the same treatment. It's not always black and white like this. Most bullies ignore they are bullies. They're bored, privileged kids with a bone to pick. Their apparent normality is unsettling. The reality of it hits them a lot later. I know SHOTGUN GRAVY's a DRAMATIZATION, but still. I thought it was an easy swipe to pull the Nazi card.
"Tornadoes in the heartland. Child soldiers in Somalia. Homeless people on the streets worldwide. Everybody's got problem. Everybody knows tragedy. Life is short and hard. Do the work. Don't make me fail you. Have a good day, Miss Burns."
The sky is blue for Atlanta Burns and the forecast is positive. Chuck Wendig is on the way up and he has plans for her. From what I understand, the follow-up novella BAIT DOG is coming soon and there are two others schedules after that. She's a character that allies the empowering aspect and the sense of responsibility of Harry Potter and the damaged coming-of-age aspect of "tortured teen" YA. There's a little thing for every YA lover in her. As Chuck Wendig's Myriam Black trilogy will bring him to celebrity, Atlanta Burns will follow up on her trail and rightfully so, for she is a hybrid of Nancy Drew and Batman. Yeah, I said that and I mean it.
FOUR STARS
* Don't worry, it's not a spoiler, it's written in the Amazon blurb.
** Although, I'll give thumbs up to Chuck Wendig for actually doing research on Neo-Nazi ideologies. I had the misfortune of meeting many skineheads in my life and this is exactly the speech they have.