Book Review: Atmosphere by Taylor Jenkins Reid

I flipped the book over in my hands in the centre of the small airport book shop. Although I had heard promising reviews of Atmosphere by Taylor Jenkins Reid, I hesitated. The synopsis didn’t compel me - I wasn’t much of a space girly. In high school it made me cringe when my peers would talk about the stars.

As one of my co-workers last summer had said after star-gazing with a girl he was seeing, “Talking about the stars seems like something you do because you’re supposed to, but really we all have the same things to say about them.”

I had assumed that this book would be kind of like that: a tumblr-esque collection of recycled observations about the universe and our place within it.

Still, I was curious. I wondered what it was about this book that so many people were praising.

I bought Atmosphere and decided it would be a good enough book to read during the first 15-hour-leg of a 25-hour-journey from Toronto to Western Australia.

By the end of the page-and-a-half author’s note though, I knew that not only were my assumptions about Atmosphere being cliche or ‘recycled’ wrong, but that also, I wanted to read everything else Taylor Jenkins Reid had ever written.

Atmosphere introduces its characters and setting in meticulous media res fashion. We are introduced to Jenkins’ cast of characters thoughtfully as she walks us through NASA and assesses her surroundings through the main character, Joan’s, point of view.

It is in this first chapter that tragedy strikes; from there, Jenkins takes us backwards in time in order to methodically build Joan’s story back up and shine light on everything that brought her and her team at NASA to such a point.

At the beginning of Atmosphere we do not know exactly why each character matters, or which details will be pertinent, or even what the lingo being used between Joan and her NASA colleagues necessarily means. Although this has the potential to have a confusing effect, Jenkins manages to write all of this in a way that is instead the perfect amount of slightly overwhelming in order to create a buzzing excitement and delicious, dizzying tension within the first few pages. I found myself thinking, ‘No, I don’t fully understand what is happening, but yes, I am fully committed to finding out.’

From media res to flashback, Jenkins begins to unravel Joan’s love story seamlessly and compellingly. Atmosphere is a slow burn and doesn’t point in any one particular clear-cut direction as to where the story will go which made it impossible for me to put down.

Joan Goodwin is an astronomy professor in the late 1970’s who dreams of being an astronaut. With her passion for the stars reaching far beyond the walls of her classroom, Joan shares her love for space with everyone she encounters, most importantly her young niece, Frances.

When NASA announces that they are recruiting women for the first time, Joan eagerly applies. Then, when she is accepted in 1980, Joan’s journey - and in a way, her life - begins. Joan Goodwin’s journey, however, is far from easy as Joan navigates a terse socio-political landscape at work, as well as balancing her conflicting professional and personal lives.

Jenkins writes Joan’s story and character with such attention to detail, breathing whole personhood into her, that although I knew this was a love story at its core, I almost forgot. Jenkins gives her readers so many more ways to know Joan that just through the lens of her romantic life.

Sometimes in love stories the romance part of the tale tends to overshadow and reduce its characters to simply ‘being in love,’ however with Atmosphere, that is not the case. I fell in love with Joan before I had a chance to fall in love with Jenkins’ love story - a skill of Taylor Jenkins Reid, I whole-heartedly believe is worth applauding.

I was hooked the entire way through, and even though I knew Atmosphere was a love story, I appreciated that Jenkins didn’t write it to be over-the-top or obvious as to who it was about. Some readers might not like this, however for me it was exactly what I was looking for. I loved being as uncertain of Joan’s feelings as she was and was so delighted when she (and we) found out who this love story was about.

Another aspect of Atmosphere that I adored was that, yes this is a love story between two people, however more than that, it is also a love story between Joan and the universe.

Joan’s excitement and love for life, the stars, the planets, her work, her family, and her team is infectious. You can’t help but fall in love with the world a little more while reading about life through Joan’s eyes.

Atmosphere by Taylor Jenkins Reid was not only an amazing story with loveable characters, but it was beautifully and delicately written, with great attention to detail and craft. Taylor Jenkins Reid has a unique and wonderful narrative voice that carries her story and characters all the way through. If I could have the feeling and experience of reading this book for the first time again, I would.

No matter if you don’t like romance or space, I would still suggest reading this book, as it is so much more than meets the eye.

My Rating: 5 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Age Recommendation: 16+