At Dawn

by Jobie Hughes

Caught in a riptide of haphazard underemployment, at turns violent and unpredictable, suffering under a bad economy with no family or friends to speak of, Stratton Brown longs for the chance to escape his small-town past and build a new life. He sets out for Chicago, where he meets a new and fresh a nine-to-fiver in a nondescript, meaningless company, and an obsessive love affair with woman who may be a bit too attached to her abusive ex-boyfriend. Is this all America has to offer its twentysomethings? He’ll soon have to figure out that beneath the gruff labor of building a new life lies the presence of something much more a way past his violent childhood and a new path to the American dream.At Dawn is a literary debut of a fresh and powerful male voice in fiction.

Genres: Fiction

352 pages, Kindle Edition

First published October 1, 2012

About the author

Jobie Hughes was raised in Spencer, Ohio. He was a high school state champion in wrestling, attended Ohio University on an athletic scholarship, and graduated with a business degree in Management Information Systems, a major he had little interest in and one chosen for no other reason than, at age 20, he hadn't the slightest idea of what he wanted to do. What followed were five wayward years earning minimal pay working shitty jobs, several of which he was fired from. He started writing when he was 24 and, at age 27, left capitalism behind and moved to New York City to attend Columbia University's School of the Arts. He graduated in May 2009 with an MFA in Creative Writing.

Hughes is the coauthor of two previous novels, both of which were #1 New York Times Bestsellers and have sold over five million copies worldwide. His work has been translated into 27 languages and published in 49 countries.

He currently lives in New Hampshire.

Reviews

[Karyl · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely phenomenal. I couldn't put this book down, and devoured all 300 pages in about 24 hours. Stratton isn't a very likeable person; his problems in life are almost entirely self-made, but considering his early life, you understand why he screws up so horrifically. Hughes does an excellent job fleshing Stratton out as a man, as flawed as he is, and even though you wouldn't necessarily want to be his friend, you want him to succeed in life. And when he goes down the wrong path yet again, you want to reach through the book and smack him silly. That's how invested you get with Stratton. It's been a while since I've been so sucked in by such an unlikable guy. The book is so raw, so powerful, that you can just see Hughes's heart pulsing through every line. Highly recommended, even though it's very depressing. This book will stay with you for a while.

[itchy · Rating 4 out of 5]

eponymous sentence:
p280: An agony at dawn to top all the others and a weary wish that the day prior was nothing but a dream.

grammar
p84: She looked like the shy type, and conversing with the quiet ones are like solving a Rubik's Cube when sleep-deprived and half drunk.

le mot juste:
p253: During the times my father was in one of his moods, she'd ask him to open ajar, claiming that its lid was screwed on too tightly for her to manage herself. Once I even witnessed her tightening it further before handing it over to him, and afterward, my father always seemed a little better, and thus I'd learned that the easiest way for a woman to restore a man's virility is by asking him to open ajar.

I wasn't ready for a depressing read but I guess I got through.

I didn't say unscathed.

[Kirstie · Rating 1 out of 5]

I'm not sure if someone recommended this book to me personally or not but for some reason, it has almost a 4/5 star recommendation on GoodReads, which makes me even more irate as it definitely doesn't reflect reality.

If we are all to realize our lives are short and finite, we must also understand the depth that our time is too short to waste on reading inane novels. The gravity of our moments is such we must take seriously at any age and, had I realized how much I would dislike this book, I never would have kept reading. Most of my reading I do at the gym, however, and this was the book I picked up and brought one day. In a work out, I typically read 75-100 pages so after I had gotten that far, I felt it would be stupid to put it down just because I didn't like it. Perhaps, I thought, this book will get better and redeem itself. Not so much.

What did I really hate about the book? Well, I didn't especially like any of the characters in it. The protagonist is someone I think Hughes wanted us to feel sorry for because he witnessed something tragic early on in his life. He spends the rest of his life making idiotic decisions and being a crappy friend, lover, worker. Just about every role he could have he turns to excrement. There's this idea through the book that "a leopard can't change his spots" as if he's doomed to be the domestic abuser his father was instead of learning from this. What hope does that bring? How does that message change the world at all?

Also, none of the characters are believable. At all. The writing itself is poor, which makes me seriously wonder how Hughes was even able to publish this nonsense. I think I read after the fact that this was a best seller. Well, if you like reading the dribble the masses enjoy I guess you'll want to read this. Otherwise, I recommend avoiding literally like you would avoid a plague of words that go nowhere and do nothing for you. Next time I fire up the fireplace, this will make some kindling. I suppose that's the only way I can redeem purchasing it.

[Paige · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a phenomenal book. Stratton Brown is a well-developed, multidimensional character. His journey to Chicago in attempt to run from his past pulls him into a series of events which both transforms and exposes him.

The novel is dark, and the subject matter of Stratton's past (once revealed) is heavy and will stun the reader. Hughes has dug deeply into the psychological side of Stratton, and Stratton's narration is stunning and honest and, at times, beautiful. One cannot help but yearn to understand where Stratton is coming from.

Addicting, this book will absolutely pull you in. All of the characters are believable, the settings are vivid, and the pace is fast and carried forward at a great pace. Though the subject matter and overall mood of the novel was a bit dark for me (and that is purely my personal taste) I'm still glad that I read it, as it didn't leave me the same. It's a book that will stick with you, and I think that everyone probably has something to gain by reading it.

[Erin Cataldi · Rating 4 out of 5]

It took me a hot second to get into this book about a young man down and out on his luck, but once I did get into it, I read it in one sitting.

Stratton leaves New York life and heads to Chicago with nothing but a duffle bag and $300 in his pocket. He soon learns that achieving the American dream isn't going to be easy. Stratton is desperate for anything, anything that will help him forget his troubled past, but he soon discovers that he has to reconcile the horrible things that happened in his youth or he'll lose everything he's tried so hard to achieve.

There are some pretty good characters in the book and I particularly enjoyed getting to learn about Gene, a former Vietnam vet and Stratton's landlord. He seems a perfect elderly gentleman who I would love to have a drink with.

Overall, this book isn't quite a beach read but it is good nonetheless. Just don't expect to be in a chipper mood at the end. It's a gritty look at life, but it's real and relatable.

[Silverpiper · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved this book. I eagerly await more from this author.

[Tyler Gordon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautifully written

[Leah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rating: 4.5 of 5

At Dawn was that hidden treasure rarely unearthed: a story so relatable, so personal, I wondered if the author possesses telepathy or some psychic ability which allowed him to tap into my life, my innermost thoughts and feelings. Did I agree with everything Stratton Brown did or said or assumed? Hell no. But I understood him, and I suspect many readers will. How many children from highly dysfunctional homes promise themselves they will never turn out like their parents, only to do just that? Breaking the cycle whilst following one's passion isn't an easy journey.

I'm giddy and surprised by how good this book was: it grabbed me right from the start and I did NOT want to put it down. Fully realized characters, perfectly paced, provocative themes, and deeply moving. Seriously good stuff.

Side note: This is not Young Adult; it's straight up literary fiction with profanity, domestic violence, and a few somewhat explicit sex scenes.

[Natalia · Rating 1 out of 5]

A compelling description of the struggle that connecting with others entails in this city and major urban centers - I never quite warmed to Stratton, but I identified with aspects of his struggle to emerge, and found it very interesting to see the world from his point of view.

[Csimplot Simplot · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent book!!!

[Tracy Parker · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great read! Hated the ending! Still Good read

[Ryan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very good, though depressing. With some editing it could've been excellent.