A review by jamieb_19
Atmosphere by Taylor Jenkins Reid

adventurous challenging emotional funny hopeful informative 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? Yes

5.0

“Bravery is being unafraid of something other people are afraid of. Courage is being afraid, but strong enough to do it anyway.”

Well, that was an experience! I'm still feeling a little emotionally wrung out hours after finishing it. The ending was quite the rollercoaster and left me with tears streaming down my face. If you've ever watched the show For All Mankind and wished there was a book that captured those same vibes, this is it. It captured all the history, drama, action, suspense, and emotions you'd find in that show and added a beautiful love story.

The events of the book take place in the early 1980s, which isn't all that long ago, and it's crazy to see how different things were then. There were a lot of thought-provoking conversations in this book about the importance of women in these programs and how their success or failures would reflect on women all over the country. It was an added layer of pressure that men never had to deal with. We've come so far over the last 40+ years in some regards, and in others, women are still saddled with similar pressure even today.

I wouldn't call this book a romance, but there is certainly a love story, and it was a beautiful one. I loved Joan and Vanessa and seeing their relationship form and grow over time. It was heartbreaking at times, though, because they weren't able to be out in the open with their relationship. Seeing how much they loved each other and how they longed to be able to love each other the way their friends and families could, tugged at my heartstrings. Once again, it was crazy to see how far LGBTQ+ rights have evolved since this time. But on the other hand, seeing these rights coming under attack again in the current day and age makes me sad. It makes no sense to me how anyone could see a love as strong and pure as the love Joan and Vanessa had and think there was anything wrong with it.

There's a lot more I could say about the book, but I won't spoil anything, and I won't be able to do it justice with anything I say anyway. It was a fast-paced read that I didn't want to put down. It was emotional and thought-provoking, exciting, romantic, and suspenseful. I'm glad it was recommended to me!