About the Book
-
Author:
- Kristin Dwyer
- Genres:
- Boy-Girl Romance
- Contemporary
- Voices:
- Cis Girl
- Straight
- White (Non-Specified)
Cover Story: Slow Burn
BFF Charm: Natalie Imbruglia
Talky Talk: In Medias Res
Bonus Factors: Hiking, Friendship, Grief
Relationship Status: Trail Lead
Cover Story: Slow Burn
This cover sums up the main couple’s relationship perfectly: the distance between them, the darkness around them, the wariness of their postures, but also the warm, bright campfire in the center. The smoke forming the letters of the title is an especially nice touch.
The Deal:
Who names their daughter “Atlas”? A hiking enthusiast, that’s who. After her father dies of cancer, Atlas James volunteers to restore his favorite trail in his memory. Grieving as she is, however, cooperating with her fellow volunteers is more of a challenge than the wilderness itself – especially King, her strict (and attractive) trail lead. It’s one of the rules to leave your past behind along with your name, but Atlas a.k.a. Maps finds herself taking it too far. How long can she keep the truth from her teammates when their lives depend on trusting each other?
BFF Charm: Natalie Imbruglia
Atlas is the kind of protagonist who makes you want to hug her in one chapter, and shake her by the collar in another. She’s angry at the universe – understandable, after what she’s been through – and this drives her to do things she later regrets, like dropping out of school, working her hands bloody, lying about her family life or pushing away people who want to help her. At the same time, though, her loss allows her to empathize with her teammates’ problems in a powerful way. She’s also that one person around the campfire who always gets the conversation going, so as an introvert, I’d appreciate having her on my team.
Swoonworthy Scale: 8
“King’s not really that hot. Or capable. Or smart,” Atlas tells herself, but she’s not fooling anyone. He is all those things, and more. Like Atlas, he’s got a past he wants to leave behind, but while she can’t imagine a future, he’s too focused on his goals to see what’s in front of him. Their push and pull between guardedness and trust makes their chemistry crackle off the page, resulting in some scenes as explicit as a YA novel can get.
Talky Talk: In Medias Res
The story drops us right into a confrontation between Atlas and King, as painful for them as it’s confusing for the reader (at least this reader). I had no idea what was wrong, why it upset him when she insisted on being called Atlas instead of Maps, or how any of these could be actual names. I figured it out soon enough, however, when the story moved back to Atlas’ first day at the training camp. From then on, it’s a straightforward first-person, present tense narration, with just enough flashbacks to add emotional resonance without losing track of the current story.
Bonus Factor: Hiking
Full disclosure: I’ve never gone hiking and have no intention of doing so. I can’t judge the accuracy of the characters’ trek through the Sierras, but it felt very real to me. The way it helps them appreciate things like hot showers or gas station candy, the intimacy (and annoyances) of being alone together in the wild, and the heartbreaking aftermath of a forest fire, are so well described that I could smell the smoke.
Bonus Factor: Friendship
All five members of the volunteer team are well-developed, as individuals and as a group. The trail nicknames they choose all reflect aspects of their character: Maps a.k.a. Atlas feels like she’s falling to pieces, King has a lot to learn about leadership, Sugar is salty as often as she’s sweet, Junior has problems with his parents, and Books has a gift for reading people. Watching them grow from suspicious strangers into a loving, supportive found family (complete with Ghibli and Marvel references) was, hands down, my favorite part of this book.
Bonus Factor: Grief
“Not another cliché cancer book,” I thought when I started reading this, but Dwyer doesn’t rely on clichés. Atlas’ grief for her father is raw, messy and real. Sentimental moments get a twist of dark humor, and there is no such thing as total closure.
Relationship Status: Trail Lead
Dear Book, the trail you led me on was unfamiliar, but I trust you and respect your skills. Remind me never to take my daily luxuries, or my family, for granted.
Literary Matchmaking
Jessi Kirby’s The Other Side of Lost is another book about grief and hiking.
Sarah Dass’s Where the Rhythm Takes You also features outdoor activites and eventual swoon.
Emery Lord’s The Names They Gave Us is also about discovering truths in an outdoor (this time summer camp) setting.
FTC Full Disclosure: I received no compensation for this review. The Atlas of Us is available now.
