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4.54 AVERAGE
4.54 AVERAGE
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
challenging
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
tense
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:
Yes
adventurous
emotional
inspiring
reflective
sad
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:
Complicated
Holy crap. I have no other words, mostly because I’m still sobbing.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Homophobia, Misogyny
Minor: Miscarriage
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
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:
No
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
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:
No
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
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:
No
Gorgeous story and beautiful writing. Have not cried that much at an ending in a long time. Might be my new fave TJR!
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
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
3.75 ⭐
Let’s start with the title: Atmosphere. At first it struck me as vague, maybe even lazy. But the more I thought about it, the more it clicked. The title seems to work on two levels—the literal atmosphere an astronaut must break through, and the metaphorical atmosphere of fear, shame, and societal pressure the protagonist feels trapped in. Just as she must conquer her fear of space and risk her life, she must also risk everything to embrace love. That parallel gave the title more meaning for me.
Now, to the big question: Is this as good as The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo or Daisy Jones & The Six? For me, not quite. While there are some tense space-set moments, don’t expect a nonstop thrill ride. The real heart of the novel is in Reid’s character work—which is mostly excellent. Most of the main cast feels layered and real, though one slipped into caricature, and a couple of side characters were forgettable.
The 1980s setting works perfectly for exploring a “forbidden” romance, though the circumstances behind that romance stretched believability at times. Still, the emotional stakes carried the story.
In the end, Atmosphere delivers an engaging, character-driven story with flashes of Reid’s brilliance, even if it doesn’t soar to the heights of her best work.
Let’s start with the title: Atmosphere. At first it struck me as vague, maybe even lazy. But the more I thought about it, the more it clicked. The title seems to work on two levels—the literal atmosphere an astronaut must break through, and the metaphorical atmosphere of fear, shame, and societal pressure the protagonist feels trapped in. Just as she must conquer her fear of space and risk her life, she must also risk everything to embrace love. That parallel gave the title more meaning for me.
Now, to the big question: Is this as good as The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo or Daisy Jones & The Six? For me, not quite. While there are some tense space-set moments, don’t expect a nonstop thrill ride. The real heart of the novel is in Reid’s character work—which is mostly excellent. Most of the main cast feels layered and real, though one slipped into caricature, and a couple of side characters were forgettable.
The 1980s setting works perfectly for exploring a “forbidden” romance, though the circumstances behind that romance stretched believability at times. Still, the emotional stakes carried the story.
In the end, Atmosphere delivers an engaging, character-driven story with flashes of Reid’s brilliance, even if it doesn’t soar to the heights of her best work.
adventurous
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
fast-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:
No