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4.54 AVERAGE
4.54 AVERAGE
adventurous
emotional
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
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
I didn’t know if I was going to buy into the hype around this book. It started a little slow and I was curious where it was going to go. But about halfway through I was completely locked in on Joan and her story of navigating NASA and her relationships. I found myself completely invested in the other characters as well. The book is fast paced- giving you insights into what happens over years and you feel like you’re getting a peek in on their lives. The ending had me shattered. I haven’t cried this hard at a book in a LONG time. Thank god I was listening because no way I could read with my eyes filled with tears.
This is probably my top pick of the year so far. I’m going to be rereading this one for sure.
This is probably my top pick of the year so far. I’m going to be rereading this one for sure.
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
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
adventurous
emotional
inspiring
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
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:
Complicated
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
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
challenging
emotional
hopeful
informative
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
Sometimes a book finds you at exactly the right moment, and Atmosphere was that book for me. It follows Joan Goodwin, a quiet, thoughtful physics professor who has always loved the stars but never truly imagined herself among them. That changes when she’s accepted into NASA’s space shuttle program in 1980, joining a diverse and complicated group of candidates—including the magnetic pilot Vanessa Ford, who becomes both her closest friend and, eventually, her partner. Joan is steady and kind, but her inner world is vast, especially when set against her strained relationship with her sister and her deep bond with her niece.
I was surprised by how much this story moved me. Reid doesn’t shy away from portraying the sexism Joan and her fellow women astronauts faced, but it’s woven so naturally into the narrative that it never feels didactic—just honest. What I loved most, though, was the balance between the human and the cosmic. The novel constantly reminded me of the smallness and the greatness of being alive, of how we are simultaneously tethered to earth and reaching for the infinite. Joan’s reflections on her place in the universe mirrored my own after a recent life event, and I felt comforted and seen in her words.
The friendships, the rivalries, the love story—everything felt beautifully grounded, even when it was reaching for the stars. And the ending… I won’t spoil it, but it left me stunned, grieving, and yet oddly hopeful. Atmosphere isn’t just about space exploration; it’s about the fragile, fleeting brilliance of being human.