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adventurous
emotional
inspiring
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death
Moderate: Fire/Fire injury
Minor: Drug use
adventurous
emotional
reflective
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Overall, an unexpected read for me that I actually enjoyed a lot. Before now, I never realized that NASA had a requirement that pilots must be from the military, which inherently built sexism into their organization. Reading about women who are passionate and determined to follow their dreams is always powerfully impactful. I loved going on Joan's journey of self-worth by understanding who she is and standing up for what she believes family and love mean. Her relationship with Frances is beautiful and a family goal.
Two factors could have made this book stronger. The progression of time leading up to the events in the shuttle for Lydia and Vanessa is great, but inserting the beginning of Vanessa's time in space so early in the narrative detracts from the empathy given towards what transpires first during Vanessa's orbit. Characters should be more developed, first, to increase care in the reader. Also, the readers deserved an epilogue of what happened AFTER the last chapter's final moments.
Two factors could have made this book stronger. The progression of time leading up to the events in the shuttle for Lydia and Vanessa is great, but inserting the beginning of Vanessa's time in space so early in the narrative detracts from the empathy given towards what transpires first during Vanessa's orbit. Characters should be more developed, first, to increase care in the reader. Also, the readers deserved an epilogue of what happened AFTER the last chapter's final moments.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Toxic relationship, Pregnancy, Lesbophobia, Abandonment
Moderate: Cursing, Emotional abuse, Sexism, Grief, Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Sexual content
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Sexism, Toxic relationship, Vomit, Grief, Lesbophobia, Outing, Abandonment, Sexual harassment
Moderate: Death of parent
adventurous
emotional
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Content Warnings
Moderate: Homophobia, Sexism, Abandonment
Minor: Death, Sexual content, Vomit, Grief, Abortion, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Lesbophobia
emotional
funny
hopeful
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
TJR did it again. Two words: Space. Lesbians.
Warning, you will cry.
Warning, you will cry.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Homophobia, Misogyny
Moderate: Death
Minor: Vomit
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
TJR <3
i love all of her books, and this one was just as good! TJR sets the scenes so good, especially historical like this one. the large, diverse cast adds to it, and the feminism, lgbtqia+, romance, tension/ticking time bomb - urgh, it's just SO GOOD! i've said "so good" too many times in this, but I REALLY DO LOVE IT AND I MISS THE CHARACTERS AFTER FINISHING THE BOOK!
i love all of her books, and this one was just as good! TJR sets the scenes so good, especially historical like this one. the large, diverse cast adds to it, and the feminism, lgbtqia+, romance, tension/ticking time bomb - urgh, it's just SO GOOD! i've said "so good" too many times in this, but I REALLY DO LOVE IT AND I MISS THE CHARACTERS AFTER FINISHING THE BOOK!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child abuse, Death, Homophobia, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexism, Sexual content, Vomit, Grief, Death of parent
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This book. THIS BOOK. I am shattered and in awe.
I'm writing this post minutes after finishing Atmosphere, and the tears are still drying on my face. This book held me in its grip from its opening pages—it starts with a bang—and it has been such a struggle to put it down each night and go to sleep, to start work in the morning instead of reaching for it. This morning, so close to the end, I put off my editing so I could cry my way to the end.
Light spoilers for the beginning of the book below, because there's no way to avoid it:
The way TJR structured this book is perfect and brilliant and so freaking mean. It opens with a disaster in space, and by the end of the first few chapters, multiple characters are dead. And then we go back four years to the start of their astronaut training, and we spend 327 pages falling in love with all of them. We see their friendships and loves and families and personal growth. And each new beautiful development in the past sections feels like a punch in the gut because of what we know happens in the present timeline.
This book is a queer love story set in the 1980s, so it explores a lot of elements of that relationship and its context, but it's also a love story about Joan and her niece Frances, and the way TJR portrayed that relationship was so gorgeous and tender. I love Frances so freaking much. I loved all of them and all of it.
This book will make you cry. And everyone should go read it right now. 10000/10. Just perfection.
I'm writing this post minutes after finishing Atmosphere, and the tears are still drying on my face. This book held me in its grip from its opening pages—it starts with a bang—and it has been such a struggle to put it down each night and go to sleep, to start work in the morning instead of reaching for it. This morning, so close to the end, I put off my editing so I could cry my way to the end.
Light spoilers for the beginning of the book below, because there's no way to avoid it:
The way TJR structured this book is perfect and brilliant and so freaking mean. It opens with a disaster in space, and by the end of the first few chapters, multiple characters are dead. And then we go back four years to the start of their astronaut training, and we spend 327 pages falling in love with all of them. We see their friendships and loves and families and personal growth. And each new beautiful development in the past sections feels like a punch in the gut because of what we know happens in the present timeline.
This book is a queer love story set in the 1980s, so it explores a lot of elements of that relationship and its context, but it's also a love story about Joan and her niece Frances, and the way TJR portrayed that relationship was so gorgeous and tender. I love Frances so freaking much. I loved all of them and all of it.
This book will make you cry. And everyone should go read it right now. 10000/10. Just perfection.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death
Moderate: Homophobia, Lesbophobia, Abandonment
hopeful
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
The beautiful (& horrible) thing about reading is that sometimes, you feel as though you’ve been irrevocably changed in the middle of a Tuesday afternoon & materially, nothing has happened.
This might be my favorite book of Taylor’s. I sobbed twice & cried less intensely countless times.
I think the subtitle really says it all, this is, to its very core, a love story. There were times I doubted it but clung to that subtitle with the hope that Taylor knew that love stories generally require happy endings. I think she pulled this one off more successfully than some of her other novels.
Joan & Vanessa, & even Barbara & the other astronauts, feel like lived in characters, they’re real people. & I love them for that. There are so many feelings & emotions in this book that I know. Taylor is a master at capturing the human experience. I also loved the things I couldn’t relate to, I loved that Joan ended up hating being in space. It felt right in a way I can’t explain.
The scene after Barbara’s wedding made me want to throw up. I couldn’t stop thinking about how Vanessa & Joan would be in their 60s or 70s when marriage equality was enacted nationwide. About how I was lucky enough to be born in a time where I got to see that when I was young enough that I wasn’t spending my whole life waiting.
I loved all of Joan’s meditations on humanity & life & god. & I loved Vanessa’s responses.
The gut punch of realization when the timeline clicked was almost too much for me. I had to go back & listen to the opening again.
I wish I had more. I know I almost always ask this of my five star reads but I do want more. I would have been satisfied with a single chapter epilogue, a glimpse what life as a family would have looked like for Joan, Francis, & Vanessa.
This might be my favorite book of Taylor’s. I sobbed twice & cried less intensely countless times.
I think the subtitle really says it all, this is, to its very core, a love story. There were times I doubted it but clung to that subtitle with the hope that Taylor knew that love stories generally require happy endings. I think she pulled this one off more successfully than some of her other novels.
Joan & Vanessa, & even Barbara & the other astronauts, feel like lived in characters, they’re real people. & I love them for that. There are so many feelings & emotions in this book that I know. Taylor is a master at capturing the human experience. I also loved the things I couldn’t relate to, I loved that Joan ended up hating being in space. It felt right in a way I can’t explain.
The scene after Barbara’s wedding made me want to throw up. I couldn’t stop thinking about how Vanessa & Joan would be in their 60s or 70s when marriage equality was enacted nationwide. About how I was lucky enough to be born in a time where I got to see that when I was young enough that I wasn’t spending my whole life waiting.
I loved all of Joan’s meditations on humanity & life & god. & I loved Vanessa’s responses.
The gut punch of realization when the timeline clicked was almost too much for me. I had to go back & listen to the opening again.
I wish I had more. I know I almost always ask this of my five star reads but I do want more. I would have been satisfied with a single chapter epilogue, a glimpse what life as a family would have looked like for Joan, Francis, & Vanessa.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death
Moderate: Homophobia, Lesbophobia, Abandonment
emotional
hopeful
tense
medium-paced
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Homophobia, Misogyny, Vomit, Gaslighting, Abandonment
adventurous
challenging
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Lesbophobia, Abandonment