Review: Leaving Atlanta by Tayari Jones

This books definitely kept me intrigued from the beginning to the end. This is my second Tayari Jones novel and it was so different from An American Marriage (which I really enjoyed). I love the way she develops characters and makes you feel as if you truly know them. The story telling happens through the eyes of 3 school children in 1979, the time period when the Atlanta Child Murders had begun.

The Atlanta Child Murders was something I first discovered about a year ago when stumbling upon the Atlanta Monster podcast. I was intrigued to know more about who the killer was and the stories of these poor children. Although fictional, this book was filled with lots of truth. It was definitely enlightening in so many ways. It made you feel as if you were one of the children present during that time and looking over your shoulder out of living in constant fear. I loved being able to see how these young children thought and felt during this time, especially since Tayari lived out the Atlanta Child Murders in real life. It being one of the most significant events of her childhood helped to provide a lot of insight.

This book felt like home to me with so many Atlanta references. It’s one that I truly enjoyed. You begin to sympathize with the young children as their friends seem to be picked off one by one. I rated this novel ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️. I’m looking forward to continuing on with more of Tayari’s work.