Review: Atmosphere by Taylor Jenkins Reid

I initially pre-ordered it for Kindle but with the reviews coming out and everyone loving it, I felt the need for getting the printed version also. I also prefer this version of the cover.

Afew days ago I paused my current read looking for something that isn’t fantasy or Sci-Fi. This book was on the shelf next to me, so I decided to give it a try. After the first 100 pages I already knew that we had a winner here 🙂

Did you read the book? If yes, did you enjoy it? If you didn’t get around to it, is it on your radar?

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Synopsis

An epic novel set against the backdrop of the 1980s space shuttle program about the extraordinary lengths we go to live and love beyond our limits.

In the summer of 1980, astrophysics professor Joan Goodwin begins training to be an astronaut at Houston’s Johnson Space Center, alongside an exceptional group of fellow candidates: Top Gun pilot Hank Redmond; mission specialists John Griffin and Lydia Danes; warmhearted Donna Fitzgerald; and Vanessa Ford, the magnetic and mysterious aeronautical engineer. As the new astronauts prepare for their first flights, Joan finds a passion and a love she never imagined and begins to question everything she believes about her place in the observable universe.

Then, in December of 1984, on mission STS-LR9, everything changes in an instant.

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Review

Easiest 5 Star rating for a while.

I fell in love with Joan, who had a strong connection to the stars from an early age. Going to space was something that sounded unrealistic for woman at the time. When her sister called on day about NASA mentioning looking for woman, she gave it a try.

Woman working in typical male jobs at the time was not something easy. There is an expectation of how to behave and to act like the male counterparts.

On top of that her relationship with her sister is not an easy one. Joan loves being an aunt but is stepping in more often than she should. Two sisters that highlight the different expectations to gender roles and priorities in life, which comes with quite a few loaded interactions.

On top of that Joan is trying to get closer to her goal while staying true to herself. Falling in love was not part of the plan. Keeping it a secret (because it is something NASA will not accept at the time and could get her excluded from the project) is heartbreaking and challenging in a lot of everyday situations. She is not allowed to share it with her family and the people closed to her.

The last few pages had me in tears and confirmed my initial impression. It is a love story at the end and while it was clearly very present, it did not feel overwhelming and highlighted the challenges woman had to overcome at the time.

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More from the author

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Interested in more?

• Review: Queen of Sorrows by Eliza Tilton
• Review: Three Shattered Souls by Mai Corland
• Book Review: The Barracks of Forgotten Pages by Sophie Dane
• Review: Fractured Fate by C. Shell
• Review: Girl Of Fierce & Fire: Schwelende Schatten by Klara Fuchs

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