Thank you Hachette Audio for the ALC and Grand Central Publishing, #partner, for the advanced copy of Atomic Anna in exchange for my honest review.
Publisher: Grand Central Publishing / Hachette Audio
Published: April 5, 2022
Summary:
Three generations of women work together and travel through time to prevent the Chernobyl disaster and right the wrongs of their past.
Three brilliant women.
Two life-changing mistakes.
One chance to reset the future.
In 1986, renowned nuclear scientist, Anna Berkova, is sleeping in her bed in the Soviet Union when Chernobyl’s reactor melts down. It’s the exact moment she tears through time—and it’s an accident. When she opens her eyes, she’s landed in 1992 only to discover Molly, her estranged daughter, shot in the chest. Molly, with her dying breath, begs Anna to go back in time and stop the disaster, to save Molly’s daughter Raisa, and put their family’s future on a better path.
In ‘60s Philadelphia, Molly is coming of age as an adopted refusenik. Her family is full of secrets and a past they won’t share. She finds solace in comic books, drawing her own series, Atomic Anna, and she’s determined to make it as an artist. When she meets the volatile, charismatic Viktor, their romance sets her life on a very different course.
In the ‘80s, Raisa, is a lonely teen and math prodigy, until a quiet, handsome boy moves in across the street and an odd old woman shows up claiming to be her biological grandmother. As Raisa finds new issues of Atomic Anna in unexpected places, she notices each comic challenges her to solve equations leading to one impossible conclusion: time travel. And she finally understands what she has to do.
As these remarkable women work together to prevent the greatest nuclear disaster of the 20th century, they grapple with the power their discoveries hold. Just because you can change the past, does it mean you should?
My thoughts:
This is the first book I’ve read by Rachel Baunbaum but it certainly will not be the last. This was a most anticipated read when it came out this past April, which is when I did read it – I’m a bit behind on getting this review written – and it certainly did not disappoint!
Time travel is always a little tricky for me but I had no issues here. In fact, I loved the way the author used it. The characters come to life in this story – they have such depth that they feel like real people. I was so swept up in this story that even though life kept getting in the way of me reading this book, I remember thinking about it whenever I wasn’t reading it and I still think about it now – this is definitely one I would like to read again – it’s the type of book that puts a spell on you so to speak.
While this book is classified as science fiction and historical fiction, I’d say it’s more a family saga. It is centered about the Chernobyl disaster and the jumps around the 20th century. But the real beauty of the story is how the author explored the different generations of women, weaving their stories into one cohesive book. Each is struggling with their own demons and you can’t help but be pulled into it all, hoping that at the end of the day, they find their own identity and acceptance in whatever way works for them. This is what kept me engaged and wanting more!
I loved this one so much and highly recommend it!
Audio thoughts:
I started off reading this one and then switched to the audiobook and just loved the narration…Traci Odom, Natalie Naudus, Emily Lawrence and Zachary Johnson hit it out of the park with this one. They really made the story come to life!
