Hi all! 

Today I am sharing a spoiler-free review of Atmosphere by Taylor Jenkins Reid. Check out my ranking of her works here. She’s the queen of contemporary tales, amazing concepts, evoking feels and leaving me gobsmacked. Whatever she releases, I’ll read it. There is a lot to say, so without further ado, let’s get into it! 

THE PLOT 

Joan Goodwin has been obsessed with the stars for as long as she can remember. Thoughtful and reserved, Joan is content with her life as a professor of physics and astronomy at Rice University and as an aunt to her precocious niece, Frances. That is, until she comes across an advertisement seeking the first women scientists to join NASA’s Space Shuttle program. Suddenly, Joan burns to be one of the few people to go to space. Selected from a pool of thousands of applicants in the summer of 1980, Joan begins training at Houston’s Johnson Space Center, alongside an exceptional group of fellow candidates. As the new astronauts become unlikely friends and prepare for their first flights, Joan finds a passion and a love she never imagined. In this new light, Joan begins to question everything she thinks she knows about her place in the observable universe. Then, in December of 1984, on mission STS-LR9, everything changes…

THE CHARACTERS 

As always, Taylor Jenkins Reid creates the most complex, multi-faceted characters that somehow feel like real people. Her experience as a mother certainly inspired the relationship between Joan and Frances. The love she had for her niece rendered me a sobbing mess by the end. When Atmosphere was first announced, I expected the romance to be the most touching part, but honestly, it was the familial storyline that hit harder. Having said that, Joan and Vanessa’s partnership was absolutely beautiful. Their commitment, support and unconditional love stole my heart. Taylor mentions in her acknowledgements how important it was for her to write a sapphic romance and I absolutely see why. In a world where women have to work ten times harder just to be considered worthy, a heterosexual relationship would’ve cheapened Joan’s rise to success at NASA. She earned every accolade on her own, whilst also maintaining a secret relationship from her peers. Chosen family is paramount in this novel, where co-workers are more home to Joan than her own parents/sister. Each connection had a relatable depth to it. I saw myself in Joan but also in the people surrounding her. That is the true mark of a gifted author. 

THE WRITING STYLE 

Taylor Jenkins Reid loves to build up to a significant event in her books. We saw that in Malibu Rising. In Atmosphere, she switches between past and present day. There is no mystery to what is taking place, yet tensions remain high. We want the team to succeed and remain safe. We desperately hope for a happy ending, terrified that Taylor will yank it away at the last minute. As the end draws near, we learn how we got there, falling for these complex characters along the way. I really appreciate and respect the amount of research Taylor had to do in order to write this story. I am always amazed at her ability to get me to care about professions I would normally have no interest in. I’ve become invested in surfing, tennis and now space-travel, thanks to her. At the beginning, I thought the story was a little slow-paced and straightforward. However, the last 100 pages opened up to something much more. I have not had such an intense emotional reading experience like this in quite some time. I should’ve known she would take me to another universe (pardon the pun). 

STAR RATING 

I gave it 5/5 stars. Yet another masterpiece! 

Thank you so much for reading! Have you read Atmosphere yet? 

Peace & Love xoxo