A slice of life story about bringing back a piece of childhood and attempting to do some good for a neighborhood at the same time. It's an easy read, nothing too exciting, just a bit of domestic drama at times. The characters are pretty realistic and many of them are likeable.

This was a fun read following a Louisiana boy’s dreams to adulthood in Atlanta. The writing wasn’t very artful, but it didn’t need to be. The author is telling a story like you’re sitting with him in the backyard. Some parts got a bit repetitive, but the characters were real and ordinary folks. There were a lot characters that had small parts but big personalities that you can easily picture living in your own neighborhood.

I enjoyed this prepub copy provided by the publisher.

This was a quick, upbeat look at the importance of family, community, and culture. The prose was very straightforward and the plot moved fast. The lessons Joiner wanted to impart were obvious, almost like a fable. I don't think this had a ton of emotional impact for me but I didn't dislike it.

NetGalley ARC Educator 550974

This is a bit autobiographical and fiction. Gentrification is on the rise everywhere and it's hit AJ's neighborhood. He gathers his neighbors together to save their community. This will appeal to some and not others. I enjoyed it as it read like a story from someone with La roots placed in Georgia. Both states have their own way of speaking. I enjoyed the community twists and turns as well.

Atlanta Fish Fry by Anthony "AJ" Joiner is an enjoyable story—easy to read, uplifting and insightful. The plot is straightforward: A neighborhood in Atlanta faces gentrification and the people living there confront the challenge by hosting an authentic Louisiana-style fish fry, two of them in fact, the goal of which is to raise money to somehow stop, or slow down, the inevitably soulless new urban development. The adventures (and misadventures) of the intense planning for the events brings the community together while also revealing problems that certain key characters can no longer ignore. The prose is clean and straightforward, and chock-full of wit and clever metaphors. The characters are well-drawn, easy to visualize and memorable. I especially enjoyed Renee, the main character’s wife. She provided a balance of gravity, joy and realism to the novel. Given the author’s background noted at the end of the book, however, it was unclear to me if the writing is supported by AI tools, which is not a disqualifier by any means, indeed, it’s an intriguing aspect. But if so, transparency on this issue would be appreciated so the reader is able to factor this into the evaluation of the story and writing. We are in a brave new world in terms of AI support for prose of all kinds, and knowledge of what is and is not AI-supported is useful. Either way, I conclude this review with appreciation for a well-written, upbeat and refreshing story, and recommend the book.

I am a little confused if this was a memoir or a light fictionalization of Anthony’s actual life.
The book centers around AJ and Renee who live in a neighborhood in Atlanta that is threatening to be torn down and yuppi-fied.
The first part reads a little slow, AJ was a little kvetchy at times, with his wife taking better care of him, than he of her (in the book). He gets the idea to organize a fish fry like his grandmoh used to throw in Louisiana. It’s about a neighborhood rallying and coming together and has some really tender moments. Towards the end he deals with some health issues (which I read were true) and changed the tone of book. The book was ok.

This novel tells the story of Anthony, a born and raised Louisiana native living in Georgia with his wife in a house passed down from a family member. The neighborhood is filled with many kooky but authentic personalities. When city developers try to buy the neighborhood property-by-property, Anthony and his wife, Renee, take action and host Louisiana-style fish fries to try and save the neighborhood. Through it all, Anthony is working a job he hates, battling threatening health symptoms, and facing marital problems only worsened by his current situation.

This was a sweet story, but hard for me to get into. At times, the "plot" felt slow-moving, highlighting mundane events that didn't seem too important to the story. The struggles faced by the characters seemed surface-level at best, and much of the dialogue was very cheesy, it-all-works-out-in-the-end type writing.

Overall, the concept was interesting, and left me hungry and wanting to go to a fish fry. Bonus points for some very punny fish jokes, too.


Link to Goodreads review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/5364048234

Honestly, I wasn't sure what to expect. The cover caught my eye, but aside from that I went into the book without having any background information. It seems there isn't much that happens plot-wise. It was really difficult for me to get into this one, but it may be for someone else.

Atlanta Fish Fry
by Anthony "AJ" Joiner
Life's a Fish and then you Fry!!OMG, I loved this book so much, I was laughing and loving how A.J. always saw the good side of life. His Grangmah from Louisanna, where he learned to love weekly fish fries and the memories of family gatherings to party, eat, drink, and dance.
Then in Atlanta, his neighborhood was full of colorful characters, yet he saw it as Grandma taught him your home is where you are".
A.J. decides to host a real "Louianna fish fry to meet his neighbors. It was a great success as it was Atlanta Fish fry". But, things happen. I will not add spoilers, but you better not miss this wonderfully written gem.
The best for last...AJ is Anthony"AJ" Joiner the author of the book!! Which makes the book much better than great.