Introduction

“To look up at the nighttime sky is to become a part of a long line of people throughout human history who looked above at that same set of stars. It is to witness time unfolding.”

I have mixed feelings on Taylor Jenkins Reid’s previous novels. There are some that I love: Daisy Jones and the Six, The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo; and others that just didn’t impress me: Malibu Rising and One True Love. I haven’t read one of her books in a while, but when I saw that she was releasing Atmosphere, a new fiction book about female astronauts in the 80s, I was intrigued enough to pick it up. Atmosphere sucked me in right off the bat. It starts with a dramatic and intense prolepsis that keeps readers itching to find out what happens. 

Story Structure and Synopsis

The book is structured with an intercut narrative. You spend most of the book following Joan as she trains to become one of the first female astronauts at NASA along with her crew. Between watching Joan work towards her dream of going to the stars, you see glimpses of the future, a few years down the road, where a catastrophic event is going down. The more you learn about Joan and the other characters in the novel, the more invested you become in the inevitable and potentially heartbreaking chaos the story is hurtling towards. The pacing of the book is so well done and between the two storylines I had a hard time putting it down. 

As for the rest of the overview, that’s all I’m going to give. I would highly recommend going into this book blind and learning more about it all as you go. While it is a book about the first women astronauts, it’s so much more than that and will take you on a journey that I, for one, did not expect. 

Taylor Jenkins Reid’s Writing

“Let the world be as I see it for just tonight. Without too many gray areas and caveats. Where I know I’m mortal but I’m not sure you’re not a god.”

Taylor Jenkins Reid has an amazing talent of balancing the writing in her stories to be both streamlined and profound. She tells her story in an approachable and engaging way but seamlessly ties in philosophical and thought-provoking lines. I loved how she ties in Joan’s fascination of science and astronomy with plot points that readers can relate to. It makes you reflect on your own life through the lens of the book which I found thoroughly enjoyable. Reid’s characters dive into philosophical topics like God and the meaning of human life, which I often don’t enjoy in books. However the characters approached such topics with a curiosity and subjectivity that leaves room for readers to connect with the concepts better.

Conclusion

This book was beautifully executed and will be one that sticks with me for a while. It’s the type of book that makes you see the world just a little differently and miss people that don’t actually exist. It’s changed the way I look at the stars and the way I think about our place in the Universe. If you love women’s fiction books, novels about space, or stories that will make you tear up and cheer for characters out loud, this book is for you.

Rating 5/5 stars

Book cover image from Random House Publishing.

Buy The Favorites either online or at your local bookstore!

Also check out our latest post on Abiotic Factor Review!