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congressbaby143's review against another edition
4.0
Very well-written. I wish I had read it like 2 years earlier so I didn't have to be such a Kristina to some people I care about who must be dealing with what Astrid is dealing with in this novel.
P.S.
The discussion about Zeno's "Motion is Impossible" and all that Frank Socrates going on made it very enjoyable. And it's already a fast read as it is.
P.S.
The discussion about Zeno's "Motion is Impossible" and all that Frank Socrates going on made it very enjoyable. And it's already a fast read as it is.
threegoodrats's review against another edition
4.0
My review is here.
"I don't have a soul, so I don't believe in soul mates." -a passenger
"Dad, I love you for saying what you said at dinner. I know it was hard because Mom has chopped off your balls and baked them in a testes casserole, but thank you for trying. It means a lot."
"I don't have a soul, so I don't believe in soul mates." -a passenger
"Dad, I love you for saying what you said at dinner. I know it was hard because Mom has chopped off your balls and baked them in a testes casserole, but thank you for trying. It means a lot."
wanderingjedi's review against another edition
3.0
I liked this book, but it would have been so much better if the author had decided to make Astrid bisexual. I actually thought that might have been what was going to happen. She spent the entire book being very unsure of her sexuality, and when people asked her if she was a lesbian she would tell them that she didn't know. That seemed like the perfect setup for her to be bisexual, but then (like most books with a lesbian character) she suddenly realized that yes, she was indeed a lesbian. I was actually really disappointed because I was really hoping for a good book with a bisexual main character, and once again I was let down.
reader4evr's review against another edition
3.0
I am a big fan of the other A.S. King novels that I have read but this one doesn't top it like those did. I liked this story but I didn't love it. A lot of LGBT books for YA out there doesn't always have a female character so it was interesting to listen/hear her point of view. I think many teens will like this but not sure if they will like the part were the author has included parts of the side stories about people that are flying to different places around the U.S. I found those parts to be kind of boring and I just wanted the story to continue.
I liked Astrid. I thought she portrayed what a teen would be going through with having these kind of feelings and finding it hard to confine in people in their life. I can't even imagine living in NYC and then moving to their town. So much hatred but unfortunately it is true even today which is so sad. I hated her mother, she was a straight up wackadoodle (yes, I just used that word!!). Dad was the complete opposite. Not a good representation of parents that I have seen in YA literature.
I think fans of David Leviathan will enjoy this book.
I liked Astrid. I thought she portrayed what a teen would be going through with having these kind of feelings and finding it hard to confine in people in their life. I can't even imagine living in NYC and then moving to their town. So much hatred but unfortunately it is true even today which is so sad. I hated her mother, she was a straight up wackadoodle (yes, I just used that word!!). Dad was the complete opposite. Not a good representation of parents that I have seen in YA literature.
I think fans of David Leviathan will enjoy this book.
helenmeigs's review against another edition
5.0
This book is a not a great work of literature but as a budding queer person and as a slightly older queer person, it remains important to me as the first book I read about a girl who loved girls. Holds a special place in my heart.
stephen_arvidson's review against another edition
5.0
The only thing that Astrid Jones hates more than trigonometry is being labeled. Thoughtful and intelligent, she refuses to be pigeonholed into a categorical box. Recently transplanted from the Big Apple to small-town suburbia, this bookish high school senior is unsure which sexual identity fits her. Is she gay, or is she straight? In a well-trod theme of self-discovery, A.S. King’s latest YA novel challenges heteronormative conventions and reveals the glaring limitations of definition.
Astrid’s life is complicated, to say the least. When her apathetic father isn’t building birdhouses in the backyard, he’s stealing a toke up in the attic. Her best friends are closeted queers and her agoraphobic mother warrants a place on the Mount Rushmore of shrews. Stifling and unsupportive, this alpha-mom is all about façades and maintaining status in a cloistered Pennsylvania hamlet buttressed by Stepford-esque values. What’s worse, Astrid’s younger sister, Ellis, the very picture of normalcy and ultra-femininity, epitomizes the clash between Astrid’s desire to fit in and her sense of individualism.
Lacking any suitable outlet for her consuming emotions, Astrid resorts to sending her love to the passenger jets overhead, a cathartic outpouring that connects her to humanity without any expectation of return. No one in this story has a firm handle on love. Interspersed throughout the narrative are vignettes of the anonymous passengers affected by her earthbound love, and King artfully juxtaposes their preoccupations with Astrid’s quest for self-enlightenment, evoking epiphanies and life-altering clarity to their relationship problems. Love is neither straightforward nor classifiable, as King masterfully illustrates, and her deft touches of magical realism hint at a deeper connectedness beyond the details of the plot. Soul-to-soul, we’re all somehow connected, as many spiritual philosophies agree. King’s use of magical realism in Ask the Passengers shows how the complexities of Astrid’s emotions inform those existing 30,000-ft above her, adding further dimension to the deep and mundane mysteries of life.
After a misbegotten night of clubbing outs Astrid and her friends, the fog of gossip closes in around them. Our questioning protagonist desperately searches for answers even as those closest to her demand an orderly definition for her sexuality. Astrid, however, is determined to unveil herself on her own terms and refuses to let narrow-mindedness dictate who she chooses to be. A philosophy buff, she turns to the teachings of the classic philosophers to better understand her blossoming sexuality, her dysfunctional family, and increasingly intense relationship with her secret girlfriend, Dee. Finding solace and guidance through imaginary conversations with Socrates, Astrid discerns what’s most important to her and remains stolid and wise in the face of bigotry.
A.S. King breaches some delicate social issues—homophobia, familial dysfunction, the demands of high school academia, peer pressure, and consent, to name a few—while simultaneously offering an engaging story with a strong, sympathetic heroine. Astrid’s spiritual strength seems anchored in love and hope—hope that no matter what the outcome, love will always find a way. This beautifully progressing story is assisted by Astrid’s distinct narration that brings King’s storytelling abilities to the fore, and readers will draw inspiration from this touching journey of identity and self-acceptance even if they don’t belong to the LGBTQ alphabet soup.
This witty and tender bildungsroman is an invaluable addition to young-adult literature. Rich stories like this share universal appeal because they convey something about the human condition that speaks to all of us. Ask the Passengers offers perspective on the paradoxes and complexities of the varied human experience that will appeal to audiences regardless of how they label themselves.
Astrid’s life is complicated, to say the least. When her apathetic father isn’t building birdhouses in the backyard, he’s stealing a toke up in the attic. Her best friends are closeted queers and her agoraphobic mother warrants a place on the Mount Rushmore of shrews. Stifling and unsupportive, this alpha-mom is all about façades and maintaining status in a cloistered Pennsylvania hamlet buttressed by Stepford-esque values. What’s worse, Astrid’s younger sister, Ellis, the very picture of normalcy and ultra-femininity, epitomizes the clash between Astrid’s desire to fit in and her sense of individualism.
Lacking any suitable outlet for her consuming emotions, Astrid resorts to sending her love to the passenger jets overhead, a cathartic outpouring that connects her to humanity without any expectation of return. No one in this story has a firm handle on love. Interspersed throughout the narrative are vignettes of the anonymous passengers affected by her earthbound love, and King artfully juxtaposes their preoccupations with Astrid’s quest for self-enlightenment, evoking epiphanies and life-altering clarity to their relationship problems. Love is neither straightforward nor classifiable, as King masterfully illustrates, and her deft touches of magical realism hint at a deeper connectedness beyond the details of the plot. Soul-to-soul, we’re all somehow connected, as many spiritual philosophies agree. King’s use of magical realism in Ask the Passengers shows how the complexities of Astrid’s emotions inform those existing 30,000-ft above her, adding further dimension to the deep and mundane mysteries of life.
After a misbegotten night of clubbing outs Astrid and her friends, the fog of gossip closes in around them. Our questioning protagonist desperately searches for answers even as those closest to her demand an orderly definition for her sexuality. Astrid, however, is determined to unveil herself on her own terms and refuses to let narrow-mindedness dictate who she chooses to be. A philosophy buff, she turns to the teachings of the classic philosophers to better understand her blossoming sexuality, her dysfunctional family, and increasingly intense relationship with her secret girlfriend, Dee. Finding solace and guidance through imaginary conversations with Socrates, Astrid discerns what’s most important to her and remains stolid and wise in the face of bigotry.
A.S. King breaches some delicate social issues—homophobia, familial dysfunction, the demands of high school academia, peer pressure, and consent, to name a few—while simultaneously offering an engaging story with a strong, sympathetic heroine. Astrid’s spiritual strength seems anchored in love and hope—hope that no matter what the outcome, love will always find a way. This beautifully progressing story is assisted by Astrid’s distinct narration that brings King’s storytelling abilities to the fore, and readers will draw inspiration from this touching journey of identity and self-acceptance even if they don’t belong to the LGBTQ alphabet soup.
This witty and tender bildungsroman is an invaluable addition to young-adult literature. Rich stories like this share universal appeal because they convey something about the human condition that speaks to all of us. Ask the Passengers offers perspective on the paradoxes and complexities of the varied human experience that will appeal to audiences regardless of how they label themselves.
dembury's review against another edition
5.0
It's been awhile since a book has made me cry, but boy oh boy, this one had me leaking happy and sad and frustrated and painful tears all over the place.
inook_u's review against another edition
5.0
5 stars This is my first a.s king and first f/f novel. I didn't know this going into it and it did however caught me by surprise. However I loved it, it touched on many basis of coming out and the hardships following it. It's was a beautiful novel and I see why people love a.s kings writing. It flows and just beautiful to read. I'm excited to read other books by her. Added them too my to-read list. Full review to come.
daynap's review against another edition
4.0
I think this is a super important read, not only for young adults struggling to discover who they are, but for anyone who may be a little lost in their lives.