Atmosphere
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Book of the summer alert!! It feels like Taylor Jenkins Reid made some sort of deal with the devil where she has to pop out a book every quarter, so I had low expectations for Atmosphere. I’m kind of a hater who believes in the TJR effect; you love your first TJR read and then the rest gradually lose their luster. Malibu Rising was my first exposure (4 flamer), followed by One True Loves (3 flamer), and The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo (2 flamer). I feel like she has a schtick that enables her to churn out these novels, and as a result, it gets old fast.
So, I’m a clear hater! The odds were stacked against Atmosphere, yet here I am, hailing it as the book of the summer! I also came into it feeling like it had too much going on; it’s a historical fiction romance starring the first women scientists to join NASA’s space shuttle program and centered on a mission gone awry. One of my book clubs (flex) even pushed back reading it a few months because the book’s description seemed daunting. It’s just like… a lot.
Upon cracking it open, you quickly realize that it’s not the least bit overwhelming. Despite tackling some larger-than-life topics, it’s stripped down by the main character’s calming presence. Joan is exceptionally well-written. As a person, she’s very likable, possessing a mixture of academic and emotional intelligence. She’s a record-breaking force with genuine humility that makes her magnetic. The journey of her self-realization unravels both compellingly and realistically. The enormity of her job at NASA– to do something that so few people have ever done before– rightfully shapes the core of her character, but she actively strives to stay true to herself and her values. Put simply: she’s a person worth reading about.
I also enjoyed the structure of the book– it starts out with a suspense-inducing scene and then works backwards, creating slow tension throughout the entire story. It’s extremely high stakes and it made me wonder how I would act in such a high-pressure situation (I would need my emotional support wieners).
Because the love story softens the scientific content, the book became this beautiful philosophical blend that encourages you to think about your own character traits and their place in the universe. It simultaneously taught me academic nuggets and captured what it feels like to fall in love. Joan has a thought-provoking take on the compatibility of science with the notion of god, and her belief that everything is interconnected informs her approach to being a scientist, lover, friend, and aunt.
I genuinely feel like this book elevated my perspective, and unlike dialogue from TJR’s other works, which felt largely expository, I keep returning to some of Joan’s conversations. For instance, one of her colleagues, Donna, gets pregnant, and they talk about what that means for her role in the program. “‘Should mothers even be in space? ‘Who takes care of your child when you’re at work?’ That I’m scared about. But I’m not scared of being a mother.’ ‘Why not?’ Joan asked her. ‘Because it feels good to love someone,’ Donna said.” Such a simple concept that really rings true in my motherhood era.
Atmosphere is a clear 5 out of 5 flames for me. I would like to lovingly point out that this is the longest time she’s had between publishing books (before Atmosphere, her last book was Carrie Soto is Back, published in 2022), and maybe that’s the move, babe!
