Rate this book

Clear rating

1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

Leaving Atlanta

by Tayari Jones (Goodreads Author)

3.91 of 5 stars 3.91 · rating details · 707 ratings · 98 reviews

An award-winning author makes her fiction debut with this coming-of-age story of three young black children set against the backdrop of the Atlanta child murders of 1979.

Paperback, 272 pages

Published August 1st 2003 by Grand Central Publishing (first published January 1st 2002)

more details... edit details

Get a copy:

More…

Friend Reviews

To see what your friends thought of this book, please sign up.

Lists with This Book

Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe by Fannie Flagg

The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd

Great Books of Southern Fiction

52nd out of 93 books — 270 voters

The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao by Junot Díaz

Interpreter of Maladies by Jhumpa Lahiri

Best Reading for the Contemporary Writer

39th out of 90 books — 128 voters

More lists with this book...

Community Reviews

(showing 1-30 of 1,532)

filter | sort: default (?) | rating details

Jun 27, 2012 Jamilla Rice rated it 3 of 5 stars

In this, her first novel, Tayari Jones illustrates the fears and joys of children on the cusp of adolescence within the backdrop of one of the most frightening national tragedies that most people have not even heard of: the Atlanta Child Murders. Narrating the stories of three 5th graders, (Tasha, Rodney, and Octavia) using third, second, then first person point of view, the story flows like a classic jumprope game, with two of the three children taking a background role while the third stands i...more

5 likes · like · see review

Nov 18, 2008 Maythee rated it 4 of 5 stars

I've been wanting to read this book for awhile now. Tayari is an ASU MFA grad and has a great literary blog. I'm glad I finally got to it because this is a really good story. Somehow I never heard about the Atlanta child murders despite the fact that they occurred during the time when I was growing up. Nevertheless, I completely related to how her young characters experienced the events (the novel is told from the perspective of three different children). Jones does a wonderful job of capturing...more

1 like · like · see review

Jun 05, 2013 William Galaini rated it 4 of 5 stars

Leaving Atlanta is a surprising novel. It has a multitude of strengths mired by a fairly minor weakness, but in the end what this novel sets out to do it does with astounding accomplishment and robust prose.

The stories of three children are presented back-to-back to accomplish the narrative of Atlanta, 1980 during a heinous rash of serial murders. These murders targeted mostly black children, and some of their bodies were discovered in the woods having been smothered. This grim reality is what h...more Leaving Atlanta is a surprising novel. It has a multitude of strengths mired by a fairly minor weakness, but in the end what this novel sets out to do it does with astounding accomplishment and robust prose.

The stories of three children are presented back-to-back to accomplish the narrative of Atlanta, 1980 during a heinous rash of serial murders. These murders targeted mostly black children, and some of their bodies were discovered in the woods having been smothered. This grim reality is what haunts each of the three stories and it combines with their regular childhood and schoolhouse traumas to create a surreal setting that is all too familiar.

This novel is extraordinary for two reasons: its marvelous layering of conflict and its mastery of the written language. Tayari Jones is a complete and total master of the English language on the level of some of the greatest writers I've encountered. She moves between these children while juggling their third person, second person, and first person narration naturally, achieving just the right balance between childish language and eccentric vernacular.

The conflict presented is completely real and engaging. As I read about Tasha weathering the brutal judgement of her fourth grade peers, I felt more for her plight than any character in The English Patient. Jones channels children and their fears, desires, and needs like a lightning rod and she does so just as gently. We feel for these kids, and wish for nothing more than to rescue them. Rodney's perceptions of human frailty are fascinating and tragic. As for Octavia and her mother, they are both caught in circumstances and social stigmas that they cannot escape reminding us that prejudice occurs far too often within its own racial subset.

Lovable characters and amazing writing, this book stands above so many others. Why in the HELL do we teach The Catcher in the Rye when this book would touch on all the same standards of learning and THEN some? It is a book of the modern generation, better written, and of far greater emotional and intellectual value. Oh, and we actually LIKE these characters!

The only weakness in the book is that the plot is meandering at times, and simply vacant at others. This, while not a plot driven book, harms the book enough to hinder its near perfection. I would still assert that this book is transcendent, however. I see it as a contribution to literature overall, and I will read more of this author's work in the hopes that I can get the same level of artistry, but within the vehicle of a more defined and present plot.(less)

like · see review

Jan 26, 2013 Rachael rated it 4 of 5 stars

What did it feel like to be a child in Atlanta during the terror of the Atlanta child murders (1979-1981)? What would it feel like to live under that cloud of darkness, not knowing if you or someone you knew would be the next victim? Tayari Jones does a wonderful job of inhabiting the minds of three children living in Atlanta during that terrifying time.

Readers get a sense of the fear and unease that settled upon the African American community of Atlanta. Children, already grappling with the tou...more What did it feel like to be a child in Atlanta during the terror of the Atlanta child murders (1979-1981)? What would it feel like to live under that cloud of darkness, not knowing if you or someone you knew would be the next victim? Tayari Jones does a wonderful job of inhabiting the minds of three children living in Atlanta during that terrifying time.

Readers get a sense of the fear and unease that settled upon the African American community of Atlanta. Children, already grappling with the tough issues associated with coming-of-age, also have to contend with the fear of being snatched. We see the story through three children: Tasha, Rodney, and Octavia. Each in some way develops a connection to the murders. What is most heart-wrenching are the connections that children start to form with each other, the incipient boy-girl relationships, that are then torn apart because of the crimes.

These children are forced to grow up quickly. Innocence is not long for this world. We probably all remember the time we were confronted with very adult issues. It's a rich subject matter, and Jones handles it with deft and compassion.

The strength of this book is the voice. Somehow Jones writes consistently from a fifth-grader's point of view throughout the entire book without missing a step. I most enjoyed Octavia's voice. Octavia lives near the projects (across the street, she would emphatically add, not actually "in" the projects), and her voice is exactly what I would imagine a child's voice to be who lives in that time and place.

There's always a danger in writing separate stories, and the three children's stories are each separated into their own parts in the book (though they intertwine slightly as all three are in the same class). I wouldn't say any section is weaker than the other necessarily, but the first story (Tasha) was so strong that when it ended, I was disappointed. I would have happily read the entire book from Tasha's point of view. The change was a little abrupt and it took me a while to get into Rodney's story. Then when Rodney's story ended, I had to make a significant shift to Octavia's story.

The end was heartbreaking. There, we get to see the full consequences of this time and the actions parents felt they were forced to take. Though the story is told from the point of view of children, we come to understand how difficult this time was for parents, too. (less)

like · see review

Oct 08, 2012 Kwesi Brookins rated it 4 of 5 stars

I enjoyed listening to the audio version of this book. It was well written and performed although the writing for the 2nd act, the story of one of the kind of nerdy young men who was eventually abducted and killed was less realistic, from my point-of-view. This was mainly due to the language that was used which, although written in the third person, did not "feel" or read like a realistic narrative of an early adolescent. Nevertheless, in the end that even worked to some extent by being a part o...more

like · see review

May 17, 2012 Megan rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: owned

'Leaving Atlanta' is an exceptional historical fiction novel that chronicles the murders of over twenty black children in Atlanta in the late 1970s and early 1980s. Told from the perspectives of three young elementary school students, Tayari Jones weaves a tale of fear, mystery and coming of age in a world so terrifying and uneasy for so many children.

I thoroughly enjoyed this novel and would definitely recommend it to those who enjoy more modern historical fiction, true crime novels (though thi...more

1 like · like · see review

Aug 11, 2011 Jenny rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: read-in-2011

Leaving Atlanta is a story that definitely left its mark on me. Even as I moved on to reading other books, I found my mind returning to the characters in this book, wondering about them as if they were real people I interacted with in my life. Maybe it's because the main characters were children, naive to the world, that I wanted to reach out and protect. Whatever the reason, I was thoroughly impressed with this novel, and probably even more so because of the depth of the story despite its simpl...more Leaving Atlanta is a story that definitely left its mark on me. Even as I moved on to reading other books, I found my mind returning to the characters in this book, wondering about them as if they were real people I interacted with in my life. Maybe it's because the main characters were children, naive to the world, that I wanted to reach out and protect. Whatever the reason, I was thoroughly impressed with this novel, and probably even more so because of the depth of the story despite its simplicity.

Leaving Atlanta is told against the backdrop of the Atlanta child murders of 1979. This true event involved the kidnapping and murder of over twenty African American children in Atlanta, Georgia between 1979 and 1981. Childhood can be difficult enough, fitting in at school, trying to make friends, without having to worry that you'll be the next child snatched off the street and murdered. Yet, such was the reality for the children of fictional Oglethorpe Elementary. They were faced with trying to understand the frenzy their parents were placed in, worrying about their children coming straight home after school. Worrying about who the murderer could be. Told in three parts (each focusing on a different child), Jones worries less about a specific plot and more about bringing the reader into the mind and daily life of a child caught in this scary situation. And although the murders are the main thing on everyone's minds, the children are also learning about the world around them and dealing with issues such as race, poverty, abuse, peer groups, and bullying.

Jones's character development was superb. The writing was told from a child's perspective (first in third person, then in second, then in first) but didn't revert to childlike language. I thought it was such an astute manner of writing because other than the use of the child's language in dialogue, the only other "childish" part was the perception of the child. I was able to appreciate the writing while still feeling as though I was in the child's thoughts. I became so attached to the character of Tasha in the first part of the book that I was devastated when I realized the second part was told from the point of view of another character. But just like part one, I grew to care about the second and third characters immensely. The ending of the second part gave me chills. The significance of what life meant for that child, and the decision he makes... it's one I won't forget. I wish I knew someone else who read this just so I can discuss that one part!

Leaving Atlanta is a book about children and about the big bad world. Its quiet subtlety masks a surprising intensity that will leave you thinking about it for a long time after turning that last page.

Looking forward to reading more by this author!

Taken from my blog at www.takemeawayreading.com (less)

2 likes · like · see review

Jun 13, 2012 Michelle rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012, 60s-70s-80s

Coming of age story set against the backdrop of the 1979 Atlanta child murders. This book centers on three young African American children (fifth grade). The writing is pretty simplistic but the author does an excellent job showing how a child might react to big and small things, what would stick out, how current events might be interpreted. The juvenile voices/thoughts/actions are real and true. I liked the second two narrators (Rodney and Octavia) more than the first and about midway through t...more

like · see review

Feb 23, 2013 ☯Emily rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Recommended to ☯Emily by: College Station Library Book Club

Shelves: fiction, read-in-2013

Between 1979 and 1981, many black children in Atlanta, GA were killed. Ms. Jones explores how these murders affected the children of Atlanta. The novel relates this terrifying time through the eyes of three children. The first story is told in third person, the second in second person, and the last is told in first person. All the stories are horrifying, although the second one about Rodney is especially troubling.

This novel is not just about the murders, but about the trials of growing up in t...more

like · see review

Sep 28, 2012 Hattie Norman rated it 5 of 5 stars

I had no idea how Tayari Jones would handle this true story told in the form of a novel. I remember it being such a sad time for parents and children and friends. LEAVING ATLANTA is about a time in 1979 when the world seemed to have lost its mind in Atlanta, Ga. The only known fact was that children were disappearing with no rhyme or reason. No one could point a finger at a neighbor or a person lurking by a school yard. It just seemed like a dreadful, unending nightmare that haunted the streets...more I had no idea how Tayari Jones would handle this true story told in the form of a novel. I remember it being such a sad time for parents and children and friends. LEAVING ATLANTA is about a time in 1979 when the world seemed to have lost its mind in Atlanta, Ga. The only known fact was that children were disappearing with no rhyme or reason. No one could point a finger at a neighbor or a person lurking by a school yard. It just seemed like a dreadful, unending nightmare that haunted the streets in the South.

The author, Tayari Jones, handles this time in American History with a poignant delicacy. What could have been written with gore and horror is written without even the mention of a blood stain. However, we catch the fear and pain from the lips of the children as they go to and from school. At home we hear the voices of the worried parents. On the telephone we catch the worried voice of a grandmother. In all twenty children were taken away never to come back home again. Truly, I don't know how Ms. Jones got her point across so elegantly without making the book an imitator of pulp fiction. When one of the children disappears, the other children use the words "he got snatched." In the novel, the author mainly deals with four children who disappear: two little girls and two boys, Jashante and Rodney. The children left behind are left to deal with their sorrow while playing, walking to the store or eating a meal.

The children are wonderful. Unprepared for such grief they make up their own words and thoughts to deal with the pain. Sometimes their feelings are displayed or spoken more maturely than the parents. All of a sudden the children become the parents while the parents become the children not always using the right words to describe what has happened or striving too quickly to protect the children from sorrow. When Rodney is snatched, Octavia remembers just where he would have sat in the classroom. When she discovers the school teacher has removed his chair so quickly, it breaks her heart. Octavia wonders how can his presence and disappearance be dealt with so quickly. At another time the children wonder about having a moment of silence. Something that doesn't enter the minds of the adults.The adults were doing their very best for their children in these circumstances. What parent in that time expected so many children would be "snatched" from under their very eyes? As a parent, I probably would have reacted in the same way these parents reacted.I wouldn't have known whether to talk about what was happening or not to talk about it. I wouldn't have known whether to take my child to the wake.

The novel, LEAVING ATLANTA helped me to remember or realize how much I can learn from children. A child's thoughts are as intricate and as looming as the rooms in a cave. At one point, Tayari Jones did use a word for a cave formation. Also, I thought about jumping to conclusions. When a crime happens, I think it's not unusual to want answers quickly. In this instance, most of the communities thought it had to be a white man stealing the children. Well, those of us who kept up with the beginning, middle and end of the newspaper story know who perpetrated the crimes. I guess in the end it's always best to listen than to assume. I hope no crime of such magnitude will ever happen again. Our children are our innocence, our joy and our teachers. We can't afford to lose one.tayarijones.com(less)

2 likes · like · see review

Aug 07, 2012 Natalia rated it 4 of 5 stars

It took a bit for me to really fall into the everyday world and childhood perspective of this book and it was a bit jarring each time I came upon the character named after the author, but by end, I didn't want the novel to end. I wanted to continue following the lives of the characters and the communities and families they are a part of. Leaving Atlanta tells the stories of every day lives and tasks as they are impacted forever by the Atlanta child murders 1979-1981.Based on real-life events, Le...more

like · see review

Jun 15, 2011 Olduvai rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2011, library

It’s funny the things one thinks about in the early morning. After a 2 am feeding, I lay in bed trying to find my way back into dreamland (it’s usually difficult, as once I’m up, I’m up). And I was thinking about the last book I finished, Leaving Atlanta by Tayari Jones, and how it’s taken me quite a while to sit down and write about it. Because it deserves to be written about. I eventually drifted off to sleep (only to be woken by the wee reader’s grunts around 630 as he stirred but didn’t quit...more It’s funny the things one thinks about in the early morning. After a 2 am feeding, I lay in bed trying to find my way back into dreamland (it’s usually difficult, as once I’m up, I’m up). And I was thinking about the last book I finished, Leaving Atlanta by Tayari Jones, and how it’s taken me quite a while to sit down and write about it. Because it deserves to be written about. I eventually drifted off to sleep (only to be woken by the wee reader’s grunts around 630 as he stirred but didn’t quite wake until an hour later), but felt that today ought to be the day that I write about this book. And so, here it is.

The stories of three fifth-graders who attend Oglethorpe Elementary are tied to the nightmare of 1979 in Atlanta, when African-American children began vanishing and turning up dead. Tasha is desperately trying to fit in with her classmates (one day she’s buds, the next day, she’s not invited to their sleepover… kids!). Rodney just doesn’t seem to be able to fit in anywhere – at home or at school, but he begins to be friendly with Octavia, the final narrator. The kids tease Octavia for being poor and for the colour of her skin (they call her “Watusi”) but she’s a tough kid and like Rodney, a loner.

Jones has crafted some wonderful characters. The stories of these three children – though schoolmates, they are from different walks of life – weave together issues of class, race, and of trying to fit in at school, as the cloud of fear hangs over the neighbourhood. It is not so much about a plot as it is a delving into their lives, their perceptions of the disappearances, their relationships with their parents and siblings and their classmates. Their fears and troubles are all too real, and I’m not just talking about the possibility of being abducted and murdered. But of those awkward years trying to fit in at school, which Jones so convincingly portrays, and which everyone can easily relate to. I didn’t expect this book to move me the way it did, I didn’t expect that three stories from the perspectives of three children could tell me so much about the way life works. Don’t you just love it when a book overthrows all your expectations?(less)

4 likes · like · see review

Feb 28, 2011 Stoiph rated it 3 of 5 stars

Also for my online lit class. This was set during the Atlanta childhood murders that occurred in '79-'81. The murders were all of black children within relatively the same age and most came from one elementary school. Many believe that the man they convicted was the wrong one and that the murders were racially motivated. The book was written in three parts and all concentrate on three children who attend the same elementary school. Each part is written in a different narrative style (first secti...more

like · see review

Oct 18, 2010 Heidi Willis rated it 5 of 5 stars

Written from the point of view of three children, this book is not about the Atlanta child murders as much as it's about the coming of age of three kids in a terrifying time. The voices of each are distinct and vivid, their relationships and surroundings as much a part of the story as their growing pains. Beautiful and evocative, this book doesn't charge forward with a plot so much as meander through lives almost too fragile to touch.

This brought to mind the more recent spree sniper killings in...more

1 like · like · see review

Mar 18, 2011 Kimberly rated it 5 of 5 stars

I love true crime and have read/seen many things dealing with the Atlanta child murders. I listened to it as an audiobook and I felt as though I was transported back in time. I became so invested in the lives of the children that were portrayed in this book. It was so interesting to see how each family dealt with the tragedy, how it affected the children, and how the children were connected, yet came from very different situations. I went through a range of emotions from happy, mad, sad.... Mrs...more

1 like · like · see review

Mar 21, 2010 Helena rated it 4 of 5 stars

Following various middle school aged kids during a child snatching murder spree, I related to Octavia the most. Her precious boxes of hammy down clothes from a cousin in another city, not having any friends in middle school, portable trailer classrooms, waiting for her social life to start, and being better friends with a teacher than anyone her own age. This book questions disciplinary methods of parents, looks at the relativity of what it means to have or have not, portrays the nasty realities...more

1 like · like · see review

Apr 18, 2012 Leah Iannone rated it 2 of 5 stars

This was like a 2 1/2 star book. Although fictional it is based on the real life circumstances of the Atlanta murders, a time between 1978 and 1980 where black children were getting kidnapped and killed by a serial killer. The story wasn't as interesting as I had hoped, but it gets points for the style in which it was written. It is told from the points of view of 3 children in different sections of the book, and their stories overlapped at some places. So in one section one person would narrate...more

1 like · like · see review

Nov 06, 2012 Amanda rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: black-lit, historic-fiction, standalone

The Atlanta child murders of 1979 to 1980 were a real thing that overshadowed the author’s own childhood. Jones clearly remembers what it was to be in fifth grade and relates those emotions with raw detail, but she also brings along an educated adult’s understanding of race and race relations in the American south. This all combines to create a powerful story that sweeps the reader away to another place and time while simultaneously leaving them with greater understanding.

The book is divided int...more The Atlanta child murders of 1979 to 1980 were a real thing that overshadowed the author’s own childhood. Jones clearly remembers what it was to be in fifth grade and relates those emotions with raw detail, but she also brings along an educated adult’s understanding of race and race relations in the American south. This all combines to create a powerful story that sweeps the reader away to another place and time while simultaneously leaving them with greater understanding.

The book is divided into three sections. Each child’s tale is told through a different narrative method. Tasha’s uses third person. Rodney’s second person, where the reader is told “you are” in an attempt to put the reader closer into Rodney’s shoes. Finally, Octavia’s is told in first person.The reader sees three different reactions to the child murders and race relations at three different points in the crisis, in addition to the children’s observations of other people’s reactions. It provides a multi-layered perspective that clearly demonstrates the complexity of all points the story touches upon: crime, race relations, broken families, class issues, and even just the process of growing up.

I appreciate the narrative complexity that Jones chose, but I do feel the story told suffers a bit. I identified so much more strongly with Octavia than either of the other two children because her voice and personality were able to shine through so much more clearly. Of course, it’s possible that this is the whole point. In fact, it does feel a bit like the whole book is just building up to Octavia’s story. But although I had a similar level of attachment to Tasha, I simply didn’t feel that way for Rodney. Part of that could have been the narrator chosen for Rodney. His voice was rather flat and dull without the nuance of the other two narrators. But I don’t think that the second person narrative tense helped much. Thankfully, Rodney’s portion of the book was quick, and the other two sections more than made up for it.

The social justice commentary enmeshed in the book is brilliant. One cannot possibly read this book and not see how racism and entrenched classism negatively impacts children and families. Most powerful to me is how subtly Jones demonstrates the difficult choices parents and other adults must make to provide what is best for their children and how that is exacerbated by inequality. I’d be more clear, but that would give away the ending of the book. Suffice to say it’s a powerful message presented in a subtle manner through a little girl with whom it is impossible not to establish a connection.

Overall this is an engaging, thought-provoking piece of historical fiction. It brings the reader directly into a classroom of fifth graders to see how not just a kidnapping and killing spree but also enmeshed racism and sexism impact the present and future of children. Recommended to fans of historical and literary fiction.

Check out my full review.(less)

like · see review

Jul 07, 2010 Jean rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: gr-authors, af-am

I enjoyed reading this account of the Alanta child murders as related from the viewpoint of three children. It makes one remember that children are children. They don't think like adults nor should they be expected to and one should always keep this in mind when dealing with issues involving children.

Leaving Atlanta, delves into different levels of coming of age in a time of racial inequality, parental disciplinaary actions, class disctinctions and the reality that children are being taken by so...more

1 like · like · see review

Apr 01, 2011 Tonya rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: southern, historical-fiction

For me, this is the first story that I can ever remember reading that shared my voice as a child growing up in a major Southern city. It took place at a time when, first of all, it's tough growing up and being eleven years old and then to deal with a real-live nationally-known bogeyman lurking around the city (the Atlanta Child Murders case). My own memories of that time are vivid; when they found another child, we were in fear several hundred miles away. Leaving Atlanta gave life to the black c...more

1 like · like · see review

Jun 19, 2011 Libby rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Amazing story, carried me right along. This can be read in one or two sittings. I hate to admit how late I stayed up so I could finish. The story is around the cases of missing and murdered children in Atlanta around 1980. Three points of views are given, one in second person which is hard to do, but it is seemless. The third part was my favorite, with a wonderful last line. I live in Atlanta and was here as an adult during that terrible time, but Jones' story concerns three fifth graders who fe...more

like · see review

Feb 06, 2012 Melita Cobb rated it 4 of 5 stars

This was by far the most interesting ane engaging book I have read (listened to) in quite a while. Although the book itself was fiction it was based on the Atlanta child kidnappings and murders. Children narrated the book telling about what was going on at the time,how their classmates and friends were some of the victims, and how it impacted their everyday life. Despite the subject matter the book did not contain any gore or details about what happened to the children once they were taken, exce...more

like · see review

Apr 04, 2011 Notorious Spinks rated it 4 of 5 stars

Leaving Atlanta tells the story of classmates Tasha Baxter, Rodney Green and Octavia Harrison during their fifth-grade year at Oglethorpe Elementary in Atlanta.

Might nothing. Think about it. You ain’t never heard of nobody black going around killing people for no reason. That’s white people’s shit.

Tasha is eager to return to school to show off her jump rope skills after practicing all summer to perfect her moves. If she can perfect her foot work then she may gain a spot in the clique of Monica...more

1 like · like · see review

Jan 22, 2009 Jennifer rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: fans of contemporary african-american lit and various POVs

I really enjoyed Tayari Jones' debut novel. She had mentioned an article I wrote on her blog and that's how I ended up putting her books on my list. And I am not disappointed!

She fluctuates between POVs first, second, and third through the lives of three kids during the time of the Atlanta Child Murders. Part 1 following Tasha brings us into the world of a young girl preparing to come into her own, struggling with popularity, and wondering if her family is as bad as is gossiped about. When her...more I really enjoyed Tayari Jones' debut novel. She had mentioned an article I wrote on her blog and that's how I ended up putting her books on my list. And I am not disappointed!

She fluctuates between POVs first, second, and third through the lives of three kids during the time of the Atlanta Child Murders. Part 1 following Tasha brings us into the world of a young girl preparing to come into her own, struggling with popularity, and wondering if her family is as bad as is gossiped about. When her potential suitor goes missing it brings the Atlanta disappearances close to home for these particular characters. This is the part in third person pov.

Part 2 follows Rodney in second person pov. It definitely fits being in the male mindset as a child but not wholly being their. Rodney's family is better off than some of the kids in school and he's considered one of the good kids. Of course the tug of war between the feelings his father has for him result in tragedy for Rodney. And reveals that sometimes to children or teenagers humiliation is considered a fate worse than death.

Part 3 follows Octavia, a character that is teased and mocked through the first two sections for being "dark as night". Her section is in first person and fits. This character is very sassy even though she's an introvert due to all the name calling and gossip spread about her. But she's a spitfire and able to hold her own. She's smart and has learned to be a good liar from her mother. Even though she's gone through some things she still has her mind set on straight.

The characters, environment, situations are compelling for the reader and getting to know the main three characters you hope for safety for all of them and are hit with a pang when finding out that not everyone comes away unscathed. The story is fiction yet the Atlanta Child Murders was something real that happened during Jones' childhood. (She even inserts herself into the story with Tayari Jones being disliked by the popular girls for inadvertently putting the kibosh on a slumber party.) I'd urge others to read this novel as it pulls you in from the start. It's also a novel to learn more about how POV is learned. Rarely have I ever read second person outside of a short story by Chimamanda. Overall reading Jones' debut reminds me of how much I enjoyed ZZ Packer's short stories when I first read "Drinking Coffee Elsewhere".(less)

like · see review

May 02, 2012 Jennifer rated it 3 of 5 stars

The story is divided into 3 parts, each told by a different 5th grader in the same class in Atlanta in the 1979. The backdrop is the Atlanta child murders - over a two year period more than 20 black children were abducted and murdered. I found the narrative style interesting and enjoyed the kids' different perspectives but the structure also left the story short on plot. I also found myself wondering at the kids' cynicism about their parents as I don't remember feeling that at their age.

like · see review

Feb 21, 2012 Rebecca Renner rated it 3 of 5 stars

Jones's prose is always so easy to swallow. My biggest problem, however, was the repetition of key characterizations rendered in the observational focuses of the young main characters. Often, the two girls saw things much too similarly when they otherwise experienced the world through very different lenses.
I also have to add that I felt much closer to the first focal character, Tasha, than I did to the others. Because of the view point shift between the sections, I found myself losing interest,...more

like · see review

Jan 09, 2013 Judi rated it 4 of 5 stars

There are probably many ways to approach the subject of the Atlanta children's murders of 1982, but Jones's story, told through the eyes of three children, is compelling and wrenching. I don't know if she was one of the children living through the terror of that time, but her characters and their lives feel utterly true. I did find her insertion of her name and her brother's to be distracting and gimmicky - an unnecessary shout out in this sad, sad book.

like · see review

Aug 31, 2012 Aleatha rated it 2 of 5 stars

A first novel that read very much like a first novel. I mean that positively and negatively. There was an authenticity and genuineness that you couldn't beat; however, I felt like the story was lacking. I can't put my finger on what, I will say that the switch to second person point of view surprised me. I really wanted Tayari to go further with that and when she completely changed directions, I was disappointed. Overall Leaving Atlanta was a nice and simple read.

like · see review

Nov 16, 2012 K630 rated it 5 of 5 stars

Wow, were do I start? This book is so amazing, from the First person pov to Second person pov to Third person pov. I find that you will like one of the three, me personal I loved Rondeny's Chapter even though it started a little weird and off. I also loved Octiva's Chapter, it just what the book needed for the ending. The only problem I had was the ending it was good dont get me wrong but…you'll se when you read it.

like · see review

Jun 12, 2013 Cynthia Dorrough rated it 4 of 5 stars

The book was well written and vivid. We've heard stories of the Atlanta Child Murders growing up and I remember visiting Atlanta/Decatur in the summer during the 1980's and my aunt would not let us out of her sight, being young, my cousins and I never grasped the severity of her warnings...but it was interesting to have the stories told through the eyes of children.

like · see review

« previous 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 … 51 52 next »

new topic
Discuss This Book

topics	posts	views	last activity
Writing in second person	1	5	21 mar. 19:54

combine
Other Editions (7)

More editions...

Genres

Cultural > African American

11 users

Historical Fiction

8 users

Novels

3 users

Book Club

3 users

Mystery > Crime

2 users

Adult

2 users

Thriller

2 users

Mystery

2 users

Female Authors

2 users

Literature

2 users

See top shelves...

Readers also enjoyed similar books

About Tayari Jones

Tayari Jones is an African American author and winner of the Hurston-Wright Legacy Award for Debut Fiction. Born in 1970, she was born and raised in Atlanta, Georgia and educated at Spelman College, the University of Iowa and Arizona State University.

She started writing seriously at Spelman College, where she studied with Pearl Cleage, who published her first story, "Eugenics", in Catalyst magazin...more

More about Tayari Jones...

Books by Tayari Jones

More…

Share This Book

Facebook Twitter Your website

Trivia About Leaving Atlanta

No trivia or quizzes yet. Add some now »

title link	preview: Leaving Atlanta
avg rating	preview: Leaving Atlanta Goodreads rating: 3.91 (707 ratings)
small image	preview: click here [close]
med image	preview: click here [close]
BBCode	[url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/989563.Leaving_Atlanta?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book][img]http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1344268638l/989563.jpg[/img][/url] [url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/989563.Leaving_Atlanta?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book]Leaving Atlanta by Tayari Jones[/url]

Leaving Atlanta

Friend Reviews

Community Reviews

Share This Book

Share This Book on Your Website