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Bait Dog (Atlanta Burns #2)

by Chuck Wendig (Goodreads Author)

4.41 of 5 stars 4.41 · rating details · 80 ratings · 23 reviews

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 o...more

Kindle Edition, 507 pages

Published August 5th 2012 by Terribleminds

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Sep 24, 2012 Dan rated it 4 of 5 stars

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... wel...more

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Aug 20, 2012 Josh Loomis rated it 5 of 5 stars

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 g...more 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.(less)

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Mar 08, 2013 Liz rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: thriller

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 that lesson is a ferocious and ruthless one.

Wendig does not shy aw...more

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Oct 13, 2012 Guy Gonzalez rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: kindle-books-to-lend, my-ebooks, self-published

This is where a star rating system fails, because I'd probably give Bait Dog four stars on purely objective measures, as Chuck Wendig delivers an engaging page-turner with a compelling cast of characters that collectively rise above their stereotypes, none more so than the impressively complex lead with the too-clever name, Atlanta Burns.

Subjectively, though, it was a hard book to read, brazenly delving into unseemly territory, and it often felt a bit like picking at scabs while also cutting ope...more

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Aug 15, 2012 Steph rated it 5 of 5 stars

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 adolescen...more

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Aug 27, 2012 Mark Matthews rated it 4 of 5 stars

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 p...more 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.
(less)

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Aug 16, 2012 Mary Alice Kropp rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: e-books

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 Atlant...more 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. (less)

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Jan 14, 2013 Phil rated it 5 of 5 stars

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...more

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Sep 04, 2012 Eric rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: contemporary, crime, ebooks, young-adult

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 ki...more

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Aug 14, 2012 Daniel Swensen rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: indies, kindle

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...more

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Aug 18, 2012 Suzie Hunt rated it 5 of 5 stars

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 r...more

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Aug 13, 2012 Cameron rated it 4 of 5 stars

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, a...more

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Oct 03, 2012 LeeAnna rated it 5 of 5 stars

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 kidnapping...more

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Sep 30, 2012 Ward rated it 5 of 5 stars

My first thought was to say that this book was "visceral". Then I had to go and look up what it meant. It fit.

Chuck Wendig has yet to disappoint in anything I have read by him. With that in mind, this book definitely isn't for everyone. Bait Dog was a difficult (read challenging) read for me. Not because I didn't understand the big words (thank God for Kindle dictionary), but because, as a dog lover, the subject matter was hard to accept.

I'd like to go into detail as to why that is, but I never...more

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Dec 18, 2012 Jeremy Menefee rated it 5 of 5 stars

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.

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Aug 28, 2012 William Pepper rated it 5 of 5 stars

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/

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Jan 05, 2013 Isa Stamos rated it 4 of 5 stars

Blew me away. Was not really knowing what to expect. Atlanta Burns is amazing and I want to read more. Feels Tarantino.

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Jan 02, 2013 Patrick Thunstrom rated it 4 of 5 stars

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.

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Mar 12, 2013 Rosalind M rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: general-fiction

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.

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Aug 23, 2012 Alex Washoe rated it 4 of 5 stars

See my review of "Bait Dog" at http://www.alexwashoe.com/books-and-b...

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Feb 24, 2013 Tina rated it 5 of 5 stars

Can't wait for the next Atlanta Burns installment!

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Oct 10, 2012 sj rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: end-of-the-world-challenge

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.

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Sep 12, 2012 Anthony Laffan rated it 4 of 5 stars

Wendig does it again. I need more Atlanta Burns. So very much more.

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May 23, 2013 Abhinav marked it as to-read

May 20, 2013 Whitney marked it as to-read

May 20, 2013 David is currently reading it

May 17, 2013 Katherine rated it 5 of 5 stars

May 15, 2013 James marked it as to-read

May 11, 2013 Christine rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: ya, thriller

May 07, 2013 The Liz marked it as to-read

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About Chuck Wendig

Chuck 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 th...more

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Bait Dog (Atlanta Burns #2)

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