The Atlas of Us by Kristin Dwyer
Publication Date: January 2024| Thanks NetGalley for an ARC
Overall Verdict: A slow paced but intimate picture into the mind of a teenager consumed by grief.
3/5 Stars
Book Summary: Atlas lost her father after a battle with cancer. Now she is trying to pull her life back together when all she can focus on is what is missing. Following one of her fathers passions, Atlas works for a community service project rehabbing trails. On the trails everyone goes by a nickname and Atlas wants to feel immersed in nature while trying to start anew. Little did she think that the strangers she started out with would get to know her better than anyone in their month together.
My Analysis: This book has a lot of emotion packed into it. I really enjoyed the development of the characters – and not just Atlas, the secondary ones too. I would almost consider this a YA version of Wild by Cheryl Strayed, being in nature hoping to find answers. It is an intriguing premise and not one that you find a lot in YA lit. Let’s talk about what this book really is though…an extremely intimate look into a teenager actively working through grief. This is a constant throughout the book, almost to the point of it being a little too much. But, it does fit with the character and how she would be thinking and acting based on how she is feeling. I will say however, if you are a reader who is currently grieving, this may not be the best option for you right now. It is an accurate portrayal of emotions, but I can also see it being triggering for someone who feels too closely to how Atlas does. If you are a reader that would like to see this perspective from someone going through it however, this will accomplish it. The thing that I didn’t care for with this book was the pacing. It moves very slowly, slow enough to make me not super excited to keep reading, but not enough for me not to finish.
The Shelf Life 