ATMOSPHERE
Book Review
Atmosphere by Taylor Jenkins Reid
Published in hardback by Penguin last year and out in paperback on Thursday 9th April. Length: 352 pages.
This morning, the crew of Artemis II are at the half-way stage of their trip to the moon. I’m mesmerised by the bravery of their journey and it reminds me of Taylor Jenkins Reid’s spectacular book Atmosphere, published last year and out in paperback on Thursday. A convenient publishing coincidence.
Astronomer Joan embarks on her NASA astronaut training and doesn’t expect to find love until engineer Vanessa turns her world upside down.
The author paints a beautiful depiction of space but it’s essentially a love story against all odds. As well as incredibly romantic, the narrative is rich and immersive. It’s philosophical, educational without preaching and packed with suspense.
The Vibe: Astronomer, Joan, and aeronautical engineer, Vanessa, are new astronaut recruits training for NASA’s Navigator shuttle mission in the early 1980s. They fall in love but must conduct their relationship in secret as NASA’s guidelines forbid gay relationships. When Vanessa’s mission to space is compromised she must single-handedly navigate her way back to earth with a damaged craft, injured colleagues and only Joan’s voice to guide her from Mission Control.
Thoughts and feelings: Forbidden love is at the centre of the story but the real drama comes from the sequences in space. The camaraderie and friendship between the NASA recruits feels warm and authentic and this has all the ingredients for a dramatic, edge of the seat drama set against the striking visual backdrop of a compromised space shuttle mission.
Who will enjoy this? If you’re already a fan of Taylor Jenkins Reid’s fantastic writing (Daisy Jones & The Six and The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo) then you are in for a treat. It’s reminiscent of Alfonso Cuarón’s 2013 film Gravity and Ron Howard’s 1995 film Apollo 13.
Final thoughts: This was incredibly immersive and compelling. I felt real heartache for Joan and Vanessa and their very real struggle to fight for their hard-won places at NASA and their desire to be together was palpable. I was totally transfixed and transported and loved the book from start to finish.