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Bait Dog
This book contains both the novella Shotgun Gravy as well as the follow-up novel, Bait Dog.
The last time shotgun-wielding Atlanta Burns tangled with the town bullies it seemed like she and her friends had won the day. But then her cohort Chris Coyne ended up dead -- dead by his own hand if you believe the reports.
Atlanta and her pal Shane are not so sure.
Atlanta, afraid of once again stirring up the hornets by investigating her friend's apparent suicide, instead focuses her efforts on looking into the death of a local teen's beloved dog. But solving a dog's murder is no easy task, and soon Atlanta ends up embroiled in a rural dog-fighting ring. Stranger still, looking into the events surrounding the dog's death sheds new light on the death of her friend.
Once more she finds herself face-to-face with bullies of the worst sort, staring down a corruption that's seeped into the town like a septic infection. It's all too much for one girl to handle and she knows that she and her trusty .410 squirrel gun must go up against the cruel and callous malefactors of her world. No good can come of this, and yet, Atlanta cannot abide letting bad men do awful things to those who don't deserve it.
This, then, is Bait Dog: one girl, her single-barrel Winchester shotgun, and a whole town full of terrible that deserves her brand of teenage justice.
The last time shotgun-wielding Atlanta Burns tangled with the town bullies it seemed like she and her friends had won the day. But then her cohort Chris Coyne ended up dead -- dead by his own hand if you believe the reports.
Atlanta and her pal Shane are not so sure.
Atlanta, afraid of once again stirring up the hornets by investigating her friend's apparent suicide, instead focuses her efforts on looking into the death of a local teen's beloved dog. But solving a dog's murder is no easy task, and soon Atlanta ends up embroiled in a rural dog-fighting ring. Stranger still, looking into the events surrounding the dog's death sheds new light on the death of her friend.
Once more she finds herself face-to-face with bullies of the worst sort, staring down a corruption that's seeped into the town like a septic infection. It's all too much for one girl to handle and she knows that she and her trusty .410 squirrel gun must go up against the cruel and callous malefactors of her world. No good can come of this, and yet, Atlanta cannot abide letting bad men do awful things to those who don't deserve it.
This, then, is Bait Dog: one girl, her single-barrel Winchester shotgun, and a whole town full of terrible that deserves her brand of teenage justice.
507 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 5, 2012
5 people are currently reading
259 people want to read
About the author
Chuck Wendig
182 books7,236 followersChuck Wendig is a novelist, a screenwriter, and a freelance penmonkey.
He has contributed over two million words to the roleplaying game industry, and was the developer of the popular Hunter: The Vigil game line (White Wolf Game Studios / CCP).
He, along with writing partner Lance Weiler, is a fellow of the Sundance Film Festival Screenwriter's Lab (2010). Their short film, Pandemic, will show at the Sundance Film Festival 2011, and their feature film HiM is in development with producer Ted Hope.
Chuck's novel Double Dead will be out in November, 2011.
He's written too much. He should probably stop. Give him a wide berth, as he might be drunk and untrustworthy. He currently lives in the wilds of Pennsyltucky with a wonderful wife and two very stupid dogs. He is represented by Stacia Decker of the Donald Maass Literary Agency.
You can find him at his website, terribleminds.com.
He has contributed over two million words to the roleplaying game industry, and was the developer of the popular Hunter: The Vigil game line (White Wolf Game Studios / CCP).
He, along with writing partner Lance Weiler, is a fellow of the Sundance Film Festival Screenwriter's Lab (2010). Their short film, Pandemic, will show at the Sundance Film Festival 2011, and their feature film HiM is in development with producer Ted Hope.
Chuck's novel Double Dead will be out in November, 2011.
He's written too much. He should probably stop. Give him a wide berth, as he might be drunk and untrustworthy. He currently lives in the wilds of Pennsyltucky with a wonderful wife and two very stupid dogs. He is represented by Stacia Decker of the Donald Maass Literary Agency.
You can find him at his website, terribleminds.com.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 32 reviews
August 15, 2012
Finished it in one big sweep last night. There was a lot of momentum to this story, especially at the end.
This is not a book for the faint of heart. It's vicious, hard, unforgiving, and very hard to put down. It's got a lot of the hallmarks of noir fiction: a slightly tarnished protagonist, moral ambiguity, murky politics and connections, and a general sense of things happening in the shadows that you shouldn't look at too closely. Combine that with the cruelty, confusion, and anger of adolescence, and you've got a volatile story.
Much like it's prequel, Shotgun Gravy, this was a little too close to home to be a comfortable read. Atlanta Burns is relate-able enough that I winced when she did something she shouldn't, because those are mistakes I could make. For my money, this was a truer representation of high school than most YA fiction. A lot of those leave out the truly shitty parts, or at least blunt their edge. Here they're all lined up to see, hyped on Ritalin and vodka and looking for an ass to kick.
There was also one point (relax, no spoilers) where I thought something had happened, and a little voice in my head was whimpering "nononononononono" over and over. Hard to do to me.
I have thoughts on the ending as well, but I'll keep my spoilers to myself. Let me just say that the resolution fits well with the story and with Atlanta's character.
A good read. Just make sure you buckle up for the ride.
This is not a book for the faint of heart. It's vicious, hard, unforgiving, and very hard to put down. It's got a lot of the hallmarks of noir fiction: a slightly tarnished protagonist, moral ambiguity, murky politics and connections, and a general sense of things happening in the shadows that you shouldn't look at too closely. Combine that with the cruelty, confusion, and anger of adolescence, and you've got a volatile story.
Much like it's prequel, Shotgun Gravy, this was a little too close to home to be a comfortable read. Atlanta Burns is relate-able enough that I winced when she did something she shouldn't, because those are mistakes I could make. For my money, this was a truer representation of high school than most YA fiction. A lot of those leave out the truly shitty parts, or at least blunt their edge. Here they're all lined up to see, hyped on Ritalin and vodka and looking for an ass to kick.
There was also one point (relax, no spoilers) where I thought something had happened, and a little voice in my head was whimpering "nononononononono" over and over. Hard to do to me.
I have thoughts on the ending as well, but I'll keep my spoilers to myself. Let me just say that the resolution fits well with the story and with Atlanta's character.
A good read. Just make sure you buckle up for the ride.
August 20, 2012
Bait Dog is one of the hardest reads I've ever experienced. Not because any of the language was obtuse, mind you: Chuck Wendig, as always, writes smoothly and conversationally. It also wasn't because there are any plot problems or discordant character moments. It was hard to read because it deals with the ugly and absolutely repulsive world of dog fighting.
Atlanta Burns is a girl who gets shit done. We established this in Shotgun Gravy . Word has gotten around, and now other people want her to get shit done for them. A rich girl hires her to find out why her dog crawled home missing her claws and teeth. Atlanta isn't much of a dog person, but she needs the money so she takes the case. Her friend Shane seems to think this means she's given up on finding who killed their gay friend Chris, while evidence suggests the young man committed suicide. The more Atlanta kicks over the rocks hiding this depraved world of dogs teaching other dogs to kill, the more she finds animals far worse behind them, the sort of animals who would stage a suicide just to murder a boy who likes other boys.
Gritty tales such as this are necessary in worlds where people would much rather invest in canned sequels and safe but mediocre remakes. People may think that sordid affairs and underhanded people of this nature only exist in certain places far from their homes. Stories like Bait Dog remind you that nothing could be further from the truth. Having lived near and moved through the areas of Pennsylvania described in the world of Atlanta Burns, the idea of dogs being tortured and murdered for profit so close to my home is absolutely chilling. And that's only part of the story.
So many people say "it gets better" when it comes to bullying, to hatred, to racism and homophobia and every other type of evil, ignorant behavior that seethes in the hearts of human beings. But when you see a friend with an eye swollen shut because of bullies, or crying because of narrow-minded hate, or hanging from the end of a rope, it's hard to believe that it will ever get better. Atlanta has her own way of making things better. It usually involves a squirrel gun, a collapsible baton, or a big can of bear mace.
It can be hard to remember that Atlanta's a teenager. She goes about her business with what seems like certainty to the outside observer. But from inside our head, we see how much she flies by the seat of her pants. We keenly feel her lack of confidence in herself, her concerns for her mother and her friends, and her absolute intolerance for the intolerant. In a world where polite society would have her working out a compromise, learning to forgive and forget, where compassion is expected to be levied against hatred, Atlanta answers hatred with hatred, blood for blood. So all-consuming is her thirst for basic, natural justice that she will risk everything, anything, to see it done. She's a pint-sized pubescent Punisher.
Atlanta's stories, so far, work on very basic levels and play on raw nerves. This both makes it hard, at times, to read, but also worth the time and effort to read it all the way to the end. The story builds in a very organic and visceral way, pulling off plot twists and character revelations in a fantastic way. As difficult as some of the mental imagery can be to process, by the time you're in a hard-to-read section the tale's already got you by the balls, and you can't not finish reading it.
If you like very human protagonists who kick ass, if you want to see true evil punished, if you love your pets, Bait Dog is for you. Know going in that it's going to hurt. Remember that the hurt will be worth it. Take a deep breath, and dive in.
Atlanta Burns is a girl who gets shit done. We established this in Shotgun Gravy . Word has gotten around, and now other people want her to get shit done for them. A rich girl hires her to find out why her dog crawled home missing her claws and teeth. Atlanta isn't much of a dog person, but she needs the money so she takes the case. Her friend Shane seems to think this means she's given up on finding who killed their gay friend Chris, while evidence suggests the young man committed suicide. The more Atlanta kicks over the rocks hiding this depraved world of dogs teaching other dogs to kill, the more she finds animals far worse behind them, the sort of animals who would stage a suicide just to murder a boy who likes other boys.
Gritty tales such as this are necessary in worlds where people would much rather invest in canned sequels and safe but mediocre remakes. People may think that sordid affairs and underhanded people of this nature only exist in certain places far from their homes. Stories like Bait Dog remind you that nothing could be further from the truth. Having lived near and moved through the areas of Pennsylvania described in the world of Atlanta Burns, the idea of dogs being tortured and murdered for profit so close to my home is absolutely chilling. And that's only part of the story.
So many people say "it gets better" when it comes to bullying, to hatred, to racism and homophobia and every other type of evil, ignorant behavior that seethes in the hearts of human beings. But when you see a friend with an eye swollen shut because of bullies, or crying because of narrow-minded hate, or hanging from the end of a rope, it's hard to believe that it will ever get better. Atlanta has her own way of making things better. It usually involves a squirrel gun, a collapsible baton, or a big can of bear mace.
It can be hard to remember that Atlanta's a teenager. She goes about her business with what seems like certainty to the outside observer. But from inside our head, we see how much she flies by the seat of her pants. We keenly feel her lack of confidence in herself, her concerns for her mother and her friends, and her absolute intolerance for the intolerant. In a world where polite society would have her working out a compromise, learning to forgive and forget, where compassion is expected to be levied against hatred, Atlanta answers hatred with hatred, blood for blood. So all-consuming is her thirst for basic, natural justice that she will risk everything, anything, to see it done. She's a pint-sized pubescent Punisher.
Atlanta's stories, so far, work on very basic levels and play on raw nerves. This both makes it hard, at times, to read, but also worth the time and effort to read it all the way to the end. The story builds in a very organic and visceral way, pulling off plot twists and character revelations in a fantastic way. As difficult as some of the mental imagery can be to process, by the time you're in a hard-to-read section the tale's already got you by the balls, and you can't not finish reading it.
If you like very human protagonists who kick ass, if you want to see true evil punished, if you love your pets, Bait Dog is for you. Know going in that it's going to hurt. Remember that the hurt will be worth it. Take a deep breath, and dive in.
August 14, 2012
I've read damn near everything Chuck Wendig has published, and of all his characters, Atlanta Burns is by far my favorite. Miriam Black is a close second, but that's another story.
Bait Dog picks up where Shotgun Gravy leaves off -- with the brusque, tough, tenacious Atlanta Burns in over her head. Atlanta Burns is like a tiny, redheaded, female John McClane -- you can slow her down, but you can never stop her.
Wendig reminds me a bit of Stephen King in his Richard Bachman mode (and I mean that in the most positive way imaginable) -- he writes fiction that's rough without being harrowing, gritty without wallowing in misery, and bursting with memorable characters.
Wendig says in the liner notes that he wrote the Atlanta Burns books like one would a TV series, and man, I would love to see that series come to life. I hope to see lots more Atlanta Burns in the future.
Both this and Shotgun Gravy come highly recommended.
Bait Dog picks up where Shotgun Gravy leaves off -- with the brusque, tough, tenacious Atlanta Burns in over her head. Atlanta Burns is like a tiny, redheaded, female John McClane -- you can slow her down, but you can never stop her.
Wendig reminds me a bit of Stephen King in his Richard Bachman mode (and I mean that in the most positive way imaginable) -- he writes fiction that's rough without being harrowing, gritty without wallowing in misery, and bursting with memorable characters.
Wendig says in the liner notes that he wrote the Atlanta Burns books like one would a TV series, and man, I would love to see that series come to life. I hope to see lots more Atlanta Burns in the future.
Both this and Shotgun Gravy come highly recommended.
August 13, 2012
Second installment in Wendig's sizzling teenage-detective-with-a-shotgun series. Absolute blood boiling fire on the page. His approach to high-school trauma and drama is pragmatic and honest without being hopeless, and his characters, even the villains, spark and jump. Also, I now know more than I ever wanted to about dog fighting. If you need me I will be in the shower, weeping.
If you'd told me last year I'd be reading a self-published YA high school mystery novel, I'd have called you a liar, and probably called the police. Kudos to Wendig for putting out a polished classy product all by hisself.
If you'd told me last year I'd be reading a self-published YA high school mystery novel, I'd have called you a liar, and probably called the police. Kudos to Wendig for putting out a polished classy product all by hisself.
December 31, 2019
The sequel to Shotgun Gravy. I say sequel but realistically it feels kind of like it’s just the second half, Shotgun Gravy had a very abrupt ending. I really want to like Wendig more than I do -- I've been a big fan of his blog for a long time but haven't really connected with any of his stories I've picked up. Still, this read is basically fine. It's fun, the story rolls right along and Atlanta is the kind of character you're either going to love or hate. Definitely don't read this as your first Atlanta Burns novel though as you'll be very confused.
August 28, 2012
I have been following Chuck Wendig’s blog and reading his ’how-to’ writing books for some time. I find these books to be incredibly original and consistently motivating and told with a voice that speaks my language. Bait Dog is my first piece of his fiction I have read, partially inspired by curiousity in how it covered the topic of dog fightin since is is covered in my own novel Stray
I only read Bait Dog, and not Shotgun gravy, but felt there were enough references and flashbacks that I could piece together the story.
Bait Dog is the story of Atlanta Burns taking on a dog fighting establishment, and then taking revenge on the larger backdrop that could let this happen. Atlanta is at first the reluctant hero, but then becomes emboldened to take her fight through to its full conclusion, never compromising, never settling into any sense of stoicism or pragmaticism, but she's full balls to the walls. And yep, she had them
Atlanta Burns is a character the author clearly loves. You could tell this from the start, and after ten pages or so I was enamored as well. She shines and cuts through the story with a razor’s edge yet also a feminine fragility that makes her frightenly vulnerable to the world and the establishment around her. I couldn’t help but picture the movie Winters Bone as I read. Her dialogue was incredibly personal-fitting, unique, and revealing, and it seemed as if I would notice her voice in a crowded coffee shop.
Atlanta finds herself in some fantastic predicaments were I had the “oh no, how the hell is she going to get out of this one now” puzzling in my head, and I loved this. Yep, it was the proverbial trapped in the trash compactor of the death star moments where everything was crushing in on her.
But that just brought out the best of Atlanta, and the best of the story, and as the author suggests in the after notes, Atlanta Burns seems to be a part of him, one of the voices in his head which can easily take over.
The plot seemed a bit too episodic at times, with a ‘conflict, crisis, revenge tango’, which would have been fine but all the episodes were just not equally as appealing, and even within the context of the novel’s world there were some “no way does that happen,” moments for me, but this was made up for by the brave twists the novel takes that kept me following the fun trail.
But Atlanta starred, like a modern day mythological rural comic-book heroine. You’d love to see her dropped into the dome of the Hunger games or playing some Quidditch, because she’d blast them posers and come up smiling.
I only read Bait Dog, and not Shotgun gravy, but felt there were enough references and flashbacks that I could piece together the story.
Bait Dog is the story of Atlanta Burns taking on a dog fighting establishment, and then taking revenge on the larger backdrop that could let this happen. Atlanta is at first the reluctant hero, but then becomes emboldened to take her fight through to its full conclusion, never compromising, never settling into any sense of stoicism or pragmaticism, but she's full balls to the walls. And yep, she had them
Atlanta Burns is a character the author clearly loves. You could tell this from the start, and after ten pages or so I was enamored as well. She shines and cuts through the story with a razor’s edge yet also a feminine fragility that makes her frightenly vulnerable to the world and the establishment around her. I couldn’t help but picture the movie Winters Bone as I read. Her dialogue was incredibly personal-fitting, unique, and revealing, and it seemed as if I would notice her voice in a crowded coffee shop.
Atlanta finds herself in some fantastic predicaments were I had the “oh no, how the hell is she going to get out of this one now” puzzling in my head, and I loved this. Yep, it was the proverbial trapped in the trash compactor of the death star moments where everything was crushing in on her.
But that just brought out the best of Atlanta, and the best of the story, and as the author suggests in the after notes, Atlanta Burns seems to be a part of him, one of the voices in his head which can easily take over.
The plot seemed a bit too episodic at times, with a ‘conflict, crisis, revenge tango’, which would have been fine but all the episodes were just not equally as appealing, and even within the context of the novel’s world there were some “no way does that happen,” moments for me, but this was made up for by the brave twists the novel takes that kept me following the fun trail.
But Atlanta starred, like a modern day mythological rural comic-book heroine. You’d love to see her dropped into the dome of the Hunger games or playing some Quidditch, because she’d blast them posers and come up smiling.
November 27, 2014
I started Bait Dog 13 months ago and was reading it slowly while being distracted by life.
Then we got a dog.
Suddenly this story became a lot harder to read.
Finally I overcame my dread and powered through it, and I'm glad I did, because Bait Dog is a worthy successor to Shotgun Gravy - a book full of heart and fire, much like its protagonist, the amazing Atlanta Burns. I love Atlanta - she's angry and ignorant and righteous and kind of doomed and kind of wonderful and always, always right even when she's making appalling fucking mistakes. Other Wendig readers may be in the tank for Miriam Black or Mookie Pearl, and those guys are cool, but I'm on Team Atlanta 4 Life.
The book's not perfect - the rest of the characters aren't as well realised, and the well-meaning epilogue is unnecessary and kinda clumsy - but it's a balltearer read none the less and one that that will kick you right in the goddamn feels.
Especially if you have a dog.
Then we got a dog.
Suddenly this story became a lot harder to read.
Finally I overcame my dread and powered through it, and I'm glad I did, because Bait Dog is a worthy successor to Shotgun Gravy - a book full of heart and fire, much like its protagonist, the amazing Atlanta Burns. I love Atlanta - she's angry and ignorant and righteous and kind of doomed and kind of wonderful and always, always right even when she's making appalling fucking mistakes. Other Wendig readers may be in the tank for Miriam Black or Mookie Pearl, and those guys are cool, but I'm on Team Atlanta 4 Life.
The book's not perfect - the rest of the characters aren't as well realised, and the well-meaning epilogue is unnecessary and kinda clumsy - but it's a balltearer read none the less and one that that will kick you right in the goddamn feels.
Especially if you have a dog.
August 18, 2012
This is a hard book to read. Heart-wrenching. It isn't fluffy and it isn't feel good. At some points you feel like you are drowning in everything nasty and wrong about people. You keep reading even though you don't want to, even though you can see that is no way out that isn't going to be uglier and more horrible.
This is not escapism. It is not sparkly vampires and unicorns and a world where being the hero is just about picking the side of light and good. This book is hard, because there is no right answer and because it is real.
This is the kind of story that stays with you, that makes you angry and sad in equal measure. It forces you to look at the terrible things in this world, and then issues a challenge: do something about it.
This is not escapism. It is not sparkly vampires and unicorns and a world where being the hero is just about picking the side of light and good. This book is hard, because there is no right answer and because it is real.
This is the kind of story that stays with you, that makes you angry and sad in equal measure. It forces you to look at the terrible things in this world, and then issues a challenge: do something about it.
January 6, 2013
Blew me away. Was not really knowing what to expect. Atlanta Burns is amazing and I want to read more. Feels Tarantino.
March 12, 2013
It has been a long time since a book sucked me in so completely and left me so shaken when I finally put it down.
October 6, 2013
Bait Dog follows on from Shotgun Gravy, which I gave a very cursory review. I can easily say I liked this better than Shotgun Gravy, not for its tone or characters or even content but simply because it had a deeper, more intriguing mystery. Chuck Wendig turns Atlanta Burns into Encyclopedia Brown: Pet Detective. She agrees to find someone’s missing dog because she needs the money; the bad guys from the first book have used their pull with the bank to get her and her mother’s farmhouse foreclosed. What Atlanta doesn’t realize is that she will soon become mixed up in underground dog fighting and once again fight for her life, not just the lives of adorable puppies.
Remember how in my review of Shotgun Gravy I mentioned that you should avoid it if you like puppy dogs and rainbows? Yeah, that goes double for Bait Dog. I would not be surprised if Wendig goes after rainbows in the third book.
Still, this book benefits from having a more structured story. What begins as Atlanta grieving for her best friend’s apparent suicide—which she refuses to believe is anything other than a set-up—quickly turns into a mystery involving missing dogs and white supremacists. Once again, Wendig doesn’t sugarcoat anything. The same unvarnished hatred and cruelty and racism from the first book washes up here, with some animal cruelty thrown in for good measure. You might need to wash your e-reader after reading this.
While some of Wendig’s minor characters remain fairly one-dimensional (Atlanta’s mom, for example), he does have a go at fleshing out others. Chomp-Chomp, aka Steven, becomes more chaotic neutral in this book. He aids Atlanta at several turns. Similarly, Shane is now Atlanta’s sometime sidekick, and while she tries to shield him from the harshest parts of this case, she obviously values what support he can provide.
Perhaps the biggest change in Atlanta is that little sliver of hope for healing. She has friends—well, had, until Chad died, and now she only has a friend—friends who were “normal” in the twisted, messed up definition of normal one can apply to the diverse ecosystem of adolescence. For the first time in several years, Atlanta is forming meaningful relationships with people who don’t want to hurt her. In this light, Bait Dog is the universe attempting to slap her down again.
Without spoiling too much, I’m happy to report that it largely does not succeed. That doesn’t mean Atlanta always wins … I’d say she mostly gets what she wants, but not without fighting tooth-and-nail for it. Things seldom go according to plan, and more than once she finds herself fighting with her back against the metaphorical wall, no matter how well-prepared she thought she was.
Much like Shotgun Gravy, Bait Dog is a difficult book to enjoy for all its bleakness. I feel a little hypocritical saying this, because dark stories don’t have to be difficult to enjoy: A Fine Balance cut me up, yet it is one of my all-time favourites. However, the latter differed both in setting and style, and Mistry includes many humorous and uplifting moments amid the downturns of fate. Wendig also has humour, but for the most part it is like a postmodern abstract painting: black upon black.
Remember how in my review of Shotgun Gravy I mentioned that you should avoid it if you like puppy dogs and rainbows? Yeah, that goes double for Bait Dog. I would not be surprised if Wendig goes after rainbows in the third book.
Still, this book benefits from having a more structured story. What begins as Atlanta grieving for her best friend’s apparent suicide—which she refuses to believe is anything other than a set-up—quickly turns into a mystery involving missing dogs and white supremacists. Once again, Wendig doesn’t sugarcoat anything. The same unvarnished hatred and cruelty and racism from the first book washes up here, with some animal cruelty thrown in for good measure. You might need to wash your e-reader after reading this.
While some of Wendig’s minor characters remain fairly one-dimensional (Atlanta’s mom, for example), he does have a go at fleshing out others. Chomp-Chomp, aka Steven, becomes more chaotic neutral in this book. He aids Atlanta at several turns. Similarly, Shane is now Atlanta’s sometime sidekick, and while she tries to shield him from the harshest parts of this case, she obviously values what support he can provide.
Perhaps the biggest change in Atlanta is that little sliver of hope for healing. She has friends—well, had, until Chad died, and now she only has a friend—friends who were “normal” in the twisted, messed up definition of normal one can apply to the diverse ecosystem of adolescence. For the first time in several years, Atlanta is forming meaningful relationships with people who don’t want to hurt her. In this light, Bait Dog is the universe attempting to slap her down again.
Without spoiling too much, I’m happy to report that it largely does not succeed. That doesn’t mean Atlanta always wins … I’d say she mostly gets what she wants, but not without fighting tooth-and-nail for it. Things seldom go according to plan, and more than once she finds herself fighting with her back against the metaphorical wall, no matter how well-prepared she thought she was.
Much like Shotgun Gravy, Bait Dog is a difficult book to enjoy for all its bleakness. I feel a little hypocritical saying this, because dark stories don’t have to be difficult to enjoy: A Fine Balance cut me up, yet it is one of my all-time favourites. However, the latter differed both in setting and style, and Mistry includes many humorous and uplifting moments amid the downturns of fate. Wendig also has humour, but for the most part it is like a postmodern abstract painting: black upon black.
August 16, 2012
As with the first Atlanta Burns story, Shotgun Gravy, this is a firecracker of a ride that doesn't ever let go. When we left Atlanta at the end of Shotgun Gravy she had dealt with the bullies that threatened her friends. Or so she thought. Then Chris, her gay classmate, is found hanged. Suicide, the police say. Atlanta and Shane don't think so, but what can they do? And then along comes another classmate, who wants Atlanta to investigate the torturing and murder of her dog. And that leads Atlanta right into the very unsavory world of dog fighting. And that leads her right back around to the people responsible for Chris' hanging.
This is not a pretty story. Nor is it for those who can't handle the bare knuckles reality of the world it portrays. It's cruel, harsh, and ugly- for the dogs, and the people invovled. It's heart-wrenching- more than once I was reading with tears in my eyes. It's gritty- no pulled punches here. This is not a YA story that tones anything down. Drugs, violence, hatred, cruelty are all here in full measure. But it is not a story without hope or good. They're there, just buried under the nail-biting reality of life.
Wendig's style is a lot like the plot: staccato, sharp, and quick-moving. The words come at you like the pellets from Atlanta's squirrel gun. They sting like a slap. And they are perfect for Atlanta herself, because she's quick and sharp and reactive. She's flawed and hurt and doesn't trust easily. She also knows what's right and what's wrong, and if she doesn't always pick the former, she never puts up with the latter. He also has a way of pulling you into the world he creates, dark and scary as it is, and of building tension until you can barely stand it. There is one part near the end of the book, (No spoilers, I promise)where you will want to scream "No NoNoNONO!" and toss it across the room (not recommended if you are reading on a computer or other ebook reader). But you WILL go get it immediately, because you have to know what happened next.
Now I come to the hard part: If I loved the story so much (and I did), why not 5 stars? Because the e-book copy I read had errors. I know you rarely get a book these days without one or two, but there were too many to just ignore. Misspellings, tenses that changed mid-paragraph, words that seemed not to fit, as if they were missed on editing or revision. Maybe some were intentional, but they tended to pop me out of the story as I sorted them out. But still, read it anyway. It's that good.
This is not a pretty story. Nor is it for those who can't handle the bare knuckles reality of the world it portrays. It's cruel, harsh, and ugly- for the dogs, and the people invovled. It's heart-wrenching- more than once I was reading with tears in my eyes. It's gritty- no pulled punches here. This is not a YA story that tones anything down. Drugs, violence, hatred, cruelty are all here in full measure. But it is not a story without hope or good. They're there, just buried under the nail-biting reality of life.
Wendig's style is a lot like the plot: staccato, sharp, and quick-moving. The words come at you like the pellets from Atlanta's squirrel gun. They sting like a slap. And they are perfect for Atlanta herself, because she's quick and sharp and reactive. She's flawed and hurt and doesn't trust easily. She also knows what's right and what's wrong, and if she doesn't always pick the former, she never puts up with the latter. He also has a way of pulling you into the world he creates, dark and scary as it is, and of building tension until you can barely stand it. There is one part near the end of the book, (No spoilers, I promise)where you will want to scream "No NoNoNONO!" and toss it across the room (not recommended if you are reading on a computer or other ebook reader). But you WILL go get it immediately, because you have to know what happened next.
Now I come to the hard part: If I loved the story so much (and I did), why not 5 stars? Because the e-book copy I read had errors. I know you rarely get a book these days without one or two, but there were too many to just ignore. Misspellings, tenses that changed mid-paragraph, words that seemed not to fit, as if they were missed on editing or revision. Maybe some were intentional, but they tended to pop me out of the story as I sorted them out. But still, read it anyway. It's that good.
October 3, 2012
Wendig has done it again. This book is just as fast and emotionally evoking as strapping a rocket between your legs and zipping down a test track at spine snapping speeds.
Atlanta Burns is a high school student with a reputation for shooting the balls off a grabby boyfriend of her mother's. Her mother is unemployed, she lives in a house with a drunken lean, and has very few friends. One of them has just committed suicide. Atlanta must deal with grief while investigation a string of dog kidnappings.
The two plots are woven together with a deft hand. They don't drag at any point, galloping along and drawing the reader in. Just the dog plot alone had me hugging my dog with a tightness that he didn't appreciate. It is potent and evoking, but can be difficult to read since it focuses on the topic of dog fighting. (I cried, a lot.)
Atlanta herself is a shotgun toting badass despite her vulnerabilities. What makes her a strong female protagonist is that she fights through her weaknesses no matter how much she wants to run. She tackles her fears to defend those that are preyed upon by others. Atlanta burns takes no shit. Every young woman could learn a thing or two from her.
Unlike Wendig's Miriam Black novels, his Atlanta Burns stories are more young adult friendly. I won't say they are young adult because he still deals with some adult themes. Anyone who worries about what they put in front of their high school aged girl (or boy), rest assured. I wouldn't mind my kid reading this, if I had kids. I've read more disturbing things in my high school classes. Like I said, young women should be exposed to a protagonist like Atlanta.
Before reading, catch the novella Shotgun Gravy. My e-book of Bait Dog came with it's own copy before the sequel.
I can't wait for more Atlanta Burns!
Atlanta Burns is a high school student with a reputation for shooting the balls off a grabby boyfriend of her mother's. Her mother is unemployed, she lives in a house with a drunken lean, and has very few friends. One of them has just committed suicide. Atlanta must deal with grief while investigation a string of dog kidnappings.
The two plots are woven together with a deft hand. They don't drag at any point, galloping along and drawing the reader in. Just the dog plot alone had me hugging my dog with a tightness that he didn't appreciate. It is potent and evoking, but can be difficult to read since it focuses on the topic of dog fighting. (I cried, a lot.)
Atlanta herself is a shotgun toting badass despite her vulnerabilities. What makes her a strong female protagonist is that she fights through her weaknesses no matter how much she wants to run. She tackles her fears to defend those that are preyed upon by others. Atlanta burns takes no shit. Every young woman could learn a thing or two from her.
Unlike Wendig's Miriam Black novels, his Atlanta Burns stories are more young adult friendly. I won't say they are young adult because he still deals with some adult themes. Anyone who worries about what they put in front of their high school aged girl (or boy), rest assured. I wouldn't mind my kid reading this, if I had kids. I've read more disturbing things in my high school classes. Like I said, young women should be exposed to a protagonist like Atlanta.
Before reading, catch the novella Shotgun Gravy. My e-book of Bait Dog came with it's own copy before the sequel.
I can't wait for more Atlanta Burns!
September 4, 2012
Bait Dog (which includes the earlier novella Shotgun Gravy) tells the story of Atlanta Burns, a troubled teenage girl trying to deal with the aftereffects of standing up to her molester. The molester happens to have been her mother's boyfriend, and Atlanta shot him with a squirrel gun.
In Shotgun Gravy, something about that act of standing up for herself has awakened in Atlanta the desire to help others stand up for themselves as well. This new-found urge gets Atlanta involved with a few other kids at her school as she shows them how to fight back against their tormentors.
Unfortunately, no one exists in a vacuum, and some of the tormentors are connected to bigger and badder elements in the town.
Bait Dog picks up where Shotgun Gravy leaves off. A girl from her school, having heard through the grapevine that Atlanta helps people who need it, hires her to find the people who hurt her pet dog.
Once again, righteousness and a refusal to let the evil have their way lead Atlanta into something bigger and more dangerous than she even anticipated.
Wendig's writing style has a loose, conversational feel to it. It flows smoothly through the story, with an edge of stream of consciousness to it that livens up the narrative and keeps you engaged with the narrator (Atlanta).
I like the way that Atlanta's decisions have consequences that come back on her, and that her inexperience shows in her plans and expectations. She's a very believable character, and the grounded response of the people around her keeps the story feeling real.
In Shotgun Gravy, something about that act of standing up for herself has awakened in Atlanta the desire to help others stand up for themselves as well. This new-found urge gets Atlanta involved with a few other kids at her school as she shows them how to fight back against their tormentors.
Unfortunately, no one exists in a vacuum, and some of the tormentors are connected to bigger and badder elements in the town.
Bait Dog picks up where Shotgun Gravy leaves off. A girl from her school, having heard through the grapevine that Atlanta helps people who need it, hires her to find the people who hurt her pet dog.
Once again, righteousness and a refusal to let the evil have their way lead Atlanta into something bigger and more dangerous than she even anticipated.
Wendig's writing style has a loose, conversational feel to it. It flows smoothly through the story, with an edge of stream of consciousness to it that livens up the narrative and keeps you engaged with the narrator (Atlanta).
I like the way that Atlanta's decisions have consequences that come back on her, and that her inexperience shows in her plans and expectations. She's a very believable character, and the grounded response of the people around her keeps the story feeling real.
February 11, 2016
Bait Dog This story is far off the beaten track for me and difficult to characterize. You could say it's YA because our protagonist is a teenager in high school but the themes and situations that Atlanta finds herself in are very much on the adult end of the spectrum. Since she is basically raising herself (her mother is barely present and no role model) Atlanta has to figure out that common decency is not as common as she might think and it is a ferocious and ruthless lesson.
Wendig does not shy away from the ugly and brutal here; dog fighting, white supremacists, suicide and bullying are all part of this ambiguous story. Our gal Atlanta is fighting against a corrupt town with just her wits and a squirrel gun for protection while she finds herself narrowly surviving so many dangerous situations by the seat of her pants that there were parts that had me cringing as I read! Add to that the fact that she is a teenager and making half baked, wrong choices is practically a given and you are in for one bumpy tale of vengeance and retribution! But if there is something to be said about this girl it is that she doesn't give up and her moral compass, despite some pretty heavy sh*t being dealt her way, is dead set on the straight and narrow as she keeps on struggling to make things right. Does she succeed? Yes, mostly. Is it and uncomfortable and ugly? Also yes, but the story is richer for it.
Wendig does not shy away from the ugly and brutal here; dog fighting, white supremacists, suicide and bullying are all part of this ambiguous story. Our gal Atlanta is fighting against a corrupt town with just her wits and a squirrel gun for protection while she finds herself narrowly surviving so many dangerous situations by the seat of her pants that there were parts that had me cringing as I read! Add to that the fact that she is a teenager and making half baked, wrong choices is practically a given and you are in for one bumpy tale of vengeance and retribution! But if there is something to be said about this girl it is that she doesn't give up and her moral compass, despite some pretty heavy sh*t being dealt her way, is dead set on the straight and narrow as she keeps on struggling to make things right. Does she succeed? Yes, mostly. Is it and uncomfortable and ugly? Also yes, but the story is richer for it.
July 22, 2013
Bait Dog is the follow-up novel, continuing the story of Atlanta Burns, a teen girl who has a knack for getting in and out of trouble. There's a lot of ways to describe her, but in fact she's the perfect heroine in a bleak, damaged world. Wendig does an excellent job of filling this book with believable and yet twisted folk, and that gritty setting drives many of Atlanta's adventures, if you can call them that.
I'll be brief. This was a 5/5 book. I devoured it over about 24 hours, even though it left me feeling hollow inside. This book is a reminder that the world can be a nasty place, but somehow Wendig manages to fill that void with a character who is truly endearing, and despite her damaged state, is a character that I found it very easy to cheer for and empathize with. Without a character like that, Bait Dog would have been a bleak tour through a depressing world.
Who is going to like Bait Dog? Well, the protagonist is a teen girl, but her concerns tend to run a little differently than most teens. That said, it's a story of struggling with and confronting the nasty things that sometimes make up life on our world, and I wouldn't hesitate to recommend this book to most teenagers. Of course, if you're a fan of Wendig, then this book is packed with his magnificent and foul-mouthed prose, so you're certain to enjoy. And finally, if you like a good, gritty story where the bad guys get theirs, then pick this one up.
I'll be brief. This was a 5/5 book. I devoured it over about 24 hours, even though it left me feeling hollow inside. This book is a reminder that the world can be a nasty place, but somehow Wendig manages to fill that void with a character who is truly endearing, and despite her damaged state, is a character that I found it very easy to cheer for and empathize with. Without a character like that, Bait Dog would have been a bleak tour through a depressing world.
Who is going to like Bait Dog? Well, the protagonist is a teen girl, but her concerns tend to run a little differently than most teens. That said, it's a story of struggling with and confronting the nasty things that sometimes make up life on our world, and I wouldn't hesitate to recommend this book to most teenagers. Of course, if you're a fan of Wendig, then this book is packed with his magnificent and foul-mouthed prose, so you're certain to enjoy. And finally, if you like a good, gritty story where the bad guys get theirs, then pick this one up.
September 24, 2012
I think Atlanta Burns is my favorite Chuck Wendig character. I called Shotgun Gravy (included in Bait Dog) "revenge porn," or something to that effect, because Atlanta is all about giving bad people their due. She's oppressed and has been wronged and now those people are going to pay.
The start of Bait Dog (teased in Shotgun Gravy, back when that was a standalone novella) nearly made me cry. It certainly made me furious, filled with the sort of impotent rage that revenge porn remedies.
Then... well, this isn't just another comeuppance story. Which is good, because I read another of those in the first issue of Fireside Magazine and it seemed to be missing the same punch. Instead, Bait Dog introduces you to more horrible people and scenarios (the terribly real world of dog fighting), gets you to root for Atlanta to jump in and dole out vigilante justice, then pulls you and her up short with a reminder that things aren't quite that easy, and oh crap now you're in over your head.
I Kickstarted this book, and the project raised enough to get a second one written as well. I look forward to reading the Further Ill-Advised Adventures of One Mme Atlanta Burns.
The start of Bait Dog (teased in Shotgun Gravy, back when that was a standalone novella) nearly made me cry. It certainly made me furious, filled with the sort of impotent rage that revenge porn remedies.
Then... well, this isn't just another comeuppance story. Which is good, because I read another of those in the first issue of Fireside Magazine and it seemed to be missing the same punch. Instead, Bait Dog introduces you to more horrible people and scenarios (the terribly real world of dog fighting), gets you to root for Atlanta to jump in and dole out vigilante justice, then pulls you and her up short with a reminder that things aren't quite that easy, and oh crap now you're in over your head.
I Kickstarted this book, and the project raised enough to get a second one written as well. I look forward to reading the Further Ill-Advised Adventures of One Mme Atlanta Burns.
January 14, 2013
Wow, just WOW!
I've read Chuck Wendig before, and when I saw this book I did assume it would be more of the same. How wrong was I? Yes this book has all the trademark Wendig. A sassy female lead (think Miriam Black without the powers), some dark subject matter, oodles of bad language. But this book has something everything else Wendig I've so far read didn't have. No superpowers, no vampires, no walking dead, no monsters.
Well that's not totally true, there were monsters, but the monsters in this book were true real life monsters, which in a way made them 100 times more scary. Shotgun Gravy and Bait Dog deals with a very emotive subject, or subjects. Bullying, racism, animal cruelty. But Wendig doesn't dress it up and make it into a neat little story where everything is resolved, no, he makes it as true to life as he can and there is no neat little ending with the good guys coming out on top.
Yes the good guys do win, but only the battle, the war carries on. I was shocked by this book, shocked by how this sort of stuff goes on, in plain sight sometimes. It is a real eye opener and raises a lot of uncomfortable questions, questions that there are not always clean answers for.
I've read Chuck Wendig before, and when I saw this book I did assume it would be more of the same. How wrong was I? Yes this book has all the trademark Wendig. A sassy female lead (think Miriam Black without the powers), some dark subject matter, oodles of bad language. But this book has something everything else Wendig I've so far read didn't have. No superpowers, no vampires, no walking dead, no monsters.
Well that's not totally true, there were monsters, but the monsters in this book were true real life monsters, which in a way made them 100 times more scary. Shotgun Gravy and Bait Dog deals with a very emotive subject, or subjects. Bullying, racism, animal cruelty. But Wendig doesn't dress it up and make it into a neat little story where everything is resolved, no, he makes it as true to life as he can and there is no neat little ending with the good guys coming out on top.
Yes the good guys do win, but only the battle, the war carries on. I was shocked by this book, shocked by how this sort of stuff goes on, in plain sight sometimes. It is a real eye opener and raises a lot of uncomfortable questions, questions that there are not always clean answers for.
April 17, 2014
So, I’ve decided that Atlanta Burns is sort of a white trash, more brutal version of Veronica Mars, and I honestly mean that in the best way. I like Atlanta and I like Veronica. Atlanta isn’t actually trashy, but it’s just that she’s surrounded by all of these white trash people and she’s forced to sink to their level. [Hey, I’m from rural north central Pennsylvania where this is supposed to be set, so I feel qualified to comment on rednecks.] This story is just as a gritty and well-written as Shotgun Gravy, and I loved it.
Fair warning that this isn’t for the weak-stomached animal lover. The descriptions of the dogfighting parts made me want to vomit.
Here’s my favorite passage from this one:
“Plus, cat smell? Makes that dog odor smell like Old Spice. Cat stink crawls deep. Into carpets. And subflooring. Wood will hold a cat piss smell until the sun flares up and burns out and all of mankind is left to die in a cold godless galaxy. On a hot, windy day, the cross-breeze coming from the Cat Lady’s house next door smells like a doom-wind. Rankling ammoniac smell heralding the end of days.”
Fair warning that this isn’t for the weak-stomached animal lover. The descriptions of the dogfighting parts made me want to vomit.
Here’s my favorite passage from this one:
“Plus, cat smell? Makes that dog odor smell like Old Spice. Cat stink crawls deep. Into carpets. And subflooring. Wood will hold a cat piss smell until the sun flares up and burns out and all of mankind is left to die in a cold godless galaxy. On a hot, windy day, the cross-breeze coming from the Cat Lady’s house next door smells like a doom-wind. Rankling ammoniac smell heralding the end of days.”
Read
September 21, 2013What is it with Chuck Wendig and dead cats? It's becoming repetitive, or I keep running into Chuck Wendig books with injured/dead cats.
This books is not an easy read. Some call it YA, but it's not, it's way too brutal (you don't usually read about chilli peppers and peanut butter being shoved up gay boy's anus so that he s***s blood for a week). The characters don't just hold hands and kiss at the end, either -- their only answer is to keep fighting the bad guys, but the reader is very aware the fight is far from over, and the characters will probably get hurt really bad again, and again, and again.
On the other hand, perhaps this IS a good read for teenagers -- while extremely brutal, the books also tells them that they're neither alone nor freaks, and that might be just what they need to hear.
This books is not an easy read. Some call it YA, but it's not, it's way too brutal (you don't usually read about chilli peppers and peanut butter being shoved up gay boy's anus so that he s***s blood for a week). The characters don't just hold hands and kiss at the end, either -- their only answer is to keep fighting the bad guys, but the reader is very aware the fight is far from over, and the characters will probably get hurt really bad again, and again, and again.
On the other hand, perhaps this IS a good read for teenagers -- while extremely brutal, the books also tells them that they're neither alone nor freaks, and that might be just what they need to hear.
December 11, 2014
Wendig rules... Shotgun Gravy and Bait Dog aren't as great as Blue Blazes but it's up there close to the Miriam Black books. I really enjoyed these two reads which, being a dog lover, this book touched a part of me that not many books often do. Atlanta Burns is, although not all that believable, a whole lot of fun. I felt like this book could have been a 5 if it didn't try to maintain the YA feel. It shouldn't be considered a YA because it has a lot of adult themes and they are describe in detail that are suitable for adults. However at the climaxes, Wendig backs off a little here. I also couldn't give it a 5 because there were a plethora of typos (I don't know if that is a kindle thing or a publishing thing) but it was annoying. As far as the story goes though, I would highly recommend this.
January 12, 2016
#1.2 Atlanta Burns
** NOTE:**The author lists this as a YA book, but the themes are very intense and I don't recommend it for sensitive readers.**
This was a very well written book. I enjoyed the strong female protagonist. She had a lot of spunk and character and was very tough minded.
The book is pretty intense, and I don't recommend it for sensitive people. There is a lot going on in it and the realism of the story makes it feel heavy.
I don't normally enjoy stories like this, (or this long,) but because it was so well conceived, I am glad I took a chance and read it.
Five stars.
** NOTE:**The author lists this as a YA book, but the themes are very intense and I don't recommend it for sensitive readers.**
This was a very well written book. I enjoyed the strong female protagonist. She had a lot of spunk and character and was very tough minded.
The book is pretty intense, and I don't recommend it for sensitive people. There is a lot going on in it and the realism of the story makes it feel heavy.
I don't normally enjoy stories like this, (or this long,) but because it was so well conceived, I am glad I took a chance and read it.
Five stars.
October 11, 2012
This was a hard read. Take the warnings up there seriously. If you have a hard time reading about animal cruelty at all, you should maybe skip this. I had to put it down and walk away a few times. That being said, I completely adore Atlanta. I want to give her a hug.
I also wrote about Shotgun Gravy here.
I also wrote about Shotgun Gravy here.
December 18, 2012
Some people have called this YA, but I disagree. The writing style is reminiscent of that, but the story is definitely adult (no sex, it isn't erotica, but violence and other adult themes). The main character is very compelling, and I couldn't put the book down until I had read it all.
September 12, 2012
Wendig does it again. I need more Atlanta Burns. So very much more.
August 24, 2012
See my review of "Bait Dog" at http://www.alexwashoe.com/books-and-b...
August 29, 2012
So much awesomeness. That's the review that comes to mind. Actually, at the risk of crass self-promotion, I did write a longer review at my blog www.williamallenpepper.wordpress.com/
January 2, 2013
I can't praise Wendig's works enough. He's to the point, hits your emotions hard, and you just sort of believe in the characters.
February 25, 2013
Can't wait for the next Atlanta Burns installment!
July 11, 2014
I don't think I have the words to do this book justice. It was disturbing, but very well written.
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