a breath of fresh air.

I had started a completely different book when I decided to DNF it and pick up Atmosphere by Taylor Jenkins Reid instead. There was no grand plan behind the switch. I chose it on a whim to fulfill a reading challenge prompt, fully prepared for a fun story about astronauts, NASA, the 1980s, and maybe a little romance.

Instead, I sobbed.

Not once. Not just at the end. Atmosphere kept catching me off guard with its emotional impact, swinging me between goosebumps and tears until I was forced to admit that I had stumbled into something special.

Taylor Jenkins Reid’s story of Joan Goodwin, the space shuttle program, and the people she loves is ultimately about so much more than going to space. It’s about passion, courage, identity, family, and the meaning we choose to give our lives.

And apparently, I needed to read it right now.

*Spoilers will be hidden and labelled so you can choose to read or skip.

Where did I hear about this book: Instagram

Curiosity or Awareness: Awareness

Would I read it if no one was talking about it? Maybe

What I want from this book: I want the hype to be right and this to be an amazing book. I have heard a lot about Taylor Jenkins Reid’s recent books, and I want to like them because other people like them. I did read the description, and it is giving For All Mankind vibes. If it rings true, I’m sure I’ll be hooked.

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The composition of Atmosphere’s cover shows a great deal of balance while still being dynamic. The palette helps with the eye movement in that the pink tones of the sky and the byline are broken up by the blue tones of the flightsuit and the sky. Then the red-orange of the title is mirrored in the shuttle reflection. So much to see, so delicately balanced.

Naturally, I understand the need to market books, so I get why there is a Good Morning America Book Club “sticker” on the book cover, but I would always prefer when comic book collectors call a “virgin cover” without all the hubbub.

Based on the cover alone, I expected a story about astronauts falling in love against the backdrop of NASA in the 80s.

Color Story

Pretty pastels manage to give both 80s vibes and a romance read. Capitalizing on sunset colors to create this composition was a brilliant move. It is appropriate to the subject matter and the tone of the book.

Typography Notes

Thick, blocky sans-serif type grounds (pun intended) the otherwise ethereal cover art.

Genre Signals

The cover clearly states that this is “a love story.” While the palette does fit with a traditional romance, the imagery of only one person looking up at a space shuttle launch is rather non-traditional. It leans a bit more toward literary fiction, if you ask me.

Hidden Details

Not exactly hidden, but the space shuttle launch is shown reflected in the glasses, which is a nice touch. Usually space-themed stories are more overt in their use of space imagery. I like the subtlety here, which indicates that this is a human story first, and a space story second.

Mood Check

The eyes-to-the-sky pose shot from a low angle creates a hopeful and inspiring, maybe even slightly heroic feeling. The pastel colors indicate a lightness of tone.

Beyond the Dust Jacket

Chapters are divided and titled by the date rather than by periodic breaks in the scene. Scene breaks are indicated with decorative dividing lines. This setup makes each chapter rather long, but still affords readers a natural break if they want to finish a scene before putting the book down.

Did the design affect whether I bought the book?

No, this one was a hype-driven found it on sale buy.

The kind of heroine I wish I were in real life, Joan Goodwin, is not only highly intelligent, accomplished, and kind, but also deeply loves life!

Vanessa Ford, the bad girl with something to prove, somehow manages to fit our Joann just perfectly. Not only opening her heart to love, but challenging her and growing alongside her.

The extended cast presents realistically, with flaws and nuance, but seen through Joann’s eyes, they all wear this sheen of her perception – the people she can see that they are, even if no one else does.

Third-person, slice-of-life style storytelling sets Atmosphere apart from your typical space-themed story. Jenkins-Reid captures the 1980s beautifully without being over-the-top. The writing is accessible, and while science is woven through the story, it is not the main focus.

As I mentioned, seeing the other characters through Joan’s eyes tells the reader so much about Joann herself. Her perspective notes when things are ugly, but she always looks through that to the source of the ugliness to see where the person is coming from. She is so empathetic without coming across as overly emotional. It’s such a fresh take and makes the character so lovable. You feel her emotions even as you understand her logic.

Although Joan is not Frances’ mother, their bond is deeply touching (the source of much of my sobbing). The approach Jenkins-Reid takes to exploring this relationship and contrasting it with other parent/child relationships throughout the story is so moving and makes you think about what it means to be a parent.

The arbitrary social rules that prohibit people from being who they are and loving who they love degrade the whole enterprise of being human.

Women who have broken the glass ceiling for other women have had to do so knowing that if they mess it up, it would set all of womankind back rather than moving them forward. To take on this kind of additional pressure feels like a burden no one should have to bear… and yet they did, we do.

What Worked:

• Atmosphere sneaks up on you with the emotional impact, then BLAM! you don’t even have a moment to brace yourself. Well done, Jenkins Reid, well done.
• Self-discovery at its finest. Joann’s sexual awakening and her journey to finding both courage and leadership showcase personal growth in such a relatable way.
• Atmosphere encourages empathy by showing it in action.

What Didn’t Fully Click:

No notes.

Overall:

Atmosphere delivered. I loved this book and the people in it.

Initially, I started to read a different book this week, but ended up DNFing that one. I chose Atmosphere on a complete whim as an alternate to fulfill my reading prompt. Whims for the win. Who knew?

I sobbed, like, really sobbed while reading Atmosphere. I do not remember ever having an emotional reaction to a book quite in the same way. This was not just a one-time incident either. It happened multiple times throughout the book. I swung wildly between goosebumps and tears. My only explanation is that I must have chosen to read Atmosphere at exactly the right moment, and the story is just that good.

While on the surface this is a love story, it is so much more than a simple romance. Joan falls in love with Vanessa, of course, but she also loves her niece, Frances, with the fierceness of a mother lion, and passionately loves astronomy, and her job, and her hobbies, and life! This is a story about passion for living. It uses the device of space travel and a dangerous mission to highlight the wonder that is so easily taken for granted in our day-to-day comings-and-goings.

Atmosphere lit me up and made me want to re-engage with the human experience in a way I don’t think I have ever felt before. Simply beautiful.

Read if you like:

• Stories with emotional depth.
• LGBTQ+ romance.
• Science, scientists, and space settings and themes, but not a lot of technical details
• Recent historical fiction (1980s)

Skip if you dislike:

• Slice-of-life tales about personal struggles that illustrate larger themes.
• Flashback timelines (”present” and events leading up to the “present”).
• Strong female leads who are serious yet gentle.
• Romance.

I read Atmosphere by Taylor Jenkins Reid to fulfill my Playing Card Reading Challenge prompt: Read a book with LGBTQ+ representation. Atmosphere could also fulfill the prompts:

• Read a sci-fi set in space. (Loosely–not super sci-fi, but partially set in space)
• Read a book with a one-word title.
• And I would argue that it should count for: Read a book about motherhood.

If you are wanting to set the reading mood, these songs are specifically mentioned in the book:

• Space Oddity by David Bowie
• Starman by David Bowie
• Rocketman by Elton John
• Space Baby by The Tubes
• Supersonic Rocket Ship by The Kinks
• I Don’t Want to Live on the Moon by Burt and Ernie

And Joan’s beverage of choice is a Coors Lite.

Have you ever been in a situation where your individual success or failure would impact a much larger group? Tell me about it in the comments!

May your life be as full as your bookshelf and as long as your TBR list.

Happy Reading!