"Some kids grew up fascinated with outer space. They had glow-in-the-dark constellations plastered onto their bedroom ceilings (and knowing how well those stuck, they’re probably still cemented there today), owned every Buzz Lightyear toy, and dressed up as astronauts for multiple Halloweens. Personally, I was completely terrified by space. The thought of infinite darkness, where our lives were so tiny it was almost like they didn’t exist at all, literally kept me up at night (and sometimes still does). So, when one of my favorite authors, Taylor Jenkins Reid, announced her newest book—following the first woman scientist joining NASA’s Space Shuttle Program—I was honestly a little skeptical.
because his sock drawer is full and those #1 Dad mugs are collecting dust
Instead of her past settings of glamorous 1950s Old Hollywood, the LA music scene of the ’60s, or the elite tennis world of the ’90s, I was being forced to dive into a book all about a place I try to think about as little as possible because I find it so unsettling. However, putting my trust in TJR, I picked up a copy of Atmosphere, and thank god I did.
If you’re a Taylor Jenkins Reid fan, you know that her books will draw you in and spit you out (in the best way possible). You enter completely immersive worlds, and when you’ve fallen in love with them, an unexpected twist leaves you heartbroken. I don’t often cry while reading, but I did with The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo and Daisy Jones & The Six. So, I thought I knew what I was getting into with Atmosphere. Little did I know it was her most devastating book yet—and I loved every second. Read on for my full review:
From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo and Daisy Jones & The Six comes an epic new novel set against the backdrop of the 1980s space shuttle program about the extraordinary lengths we go to live and love beyond our limits.
What is Atmosphere about?
Atmosphere follows Joan Goodwin, who has always been fascinated with the stars. She was perfectly content with her job studying them as a professor of physics and astronomy at Rice University. With her job and her niece Frances nearby, she didn’t need anything else. But when she hears that NASA was opening up applications for the first female scientist in its Space Shuttle Program, she knew she had to be one of the women traveling into space. In the summer of 1980, she’s accepted into the program and starts training alongside her fellow candidates, who quickly turn from friends into family. However, Joan’s relationship with one astronaut makes her question everything she thought she knew about herself and the universe at large. Then, in December of 1984, one mission upends everything.
My review of Atmosphere
I rarely give out five-star ratings, and for me to consider something five stars, it’s not enough for it to be a book I love. For a book to be five stars has to make me feel so deeply that long after I turn the last page, I’m still thinking about the story. I’m talking about it in everyday life, trying to convince everyone to read it, and watching fan reviews nonstop. Put simply, it lives rent-free in my mind. That doesn’t always mean the book gives me happy, butterfly feelings (though Atmosphere definitely delivered those at times). Sometimes, I’m left with a pit in my stomach, but the book goes so far beyond entertainment and reminds me how influential words on a page can be—Atmosphere was that kind of five-star read.
You can’t go into the book expecting it to be a space novel like Project Hail Mary or The Martian. It’s not a dramatic space epic, nor is it filled with the juicy gossip of Daisy Jones & The Six. It’s a fascinating character study, just as much about interpersonal relationships as it is about NASA. Taylor Jenkins Reid has always been skilled at writing developed, strong female characters, and in Atmosphere, her talent reaches new heights.
While I may have a paralyzing fear of space, the writing put me so intimately in Joan’s head that I felt like her passion for astronomy was my own. TJR pulls you into Joan’s perspective so well that no decision or choice ever feels out of character. A lot of times as a reader, I’m mentally screaming at a character to realize the obvious—that someone’s in love with them, that someone’s the killer, whatever it is they’re conveniently ignoring the whole book while we clock it on page one. In Atmosphere, I was right beside Joan every step of the way. Sure, we have more information than she does, but I was so locked into her experience that I often forgot the bigger picture.
Joan wasn’t the only carefully crafted character. Every person who graced the pages had so much detail that their motivations and actions always felt true to who they were. This character development is also what made the love story so incredible. Without spoiling too much, let’s just say it wrecked me in the best way possible, and I would read a ten-part series just following their most mundane days.
“For a book to be five stars has to make me feel so deeply that long after I turn the last page, I’m still thinking about the story…Atmosphere was that kind of five-star read.”
The themes in this book also made it so much more impactful than just a story about a crew at NASA. It’s about finding yourself and how society may try to tell you who you are or force you to be someone more palatable. TJR reminds us that the courage it takes to ignore societal pressure is just as brave as literally risking your life to go to space. Especially in a world that forces LGBTQ+ relationships to hide in order to preserve their careers, and women have to prove themselves again and again just to get the opportunities men are handed—themes that still ring true, even 40 years after the book is set.
Taylor Jenkins Reid handles these themes with such delicacy and shows that nothing is too mundane to be meaningful. Life isn’t all about career milestones and big moments—it’s just as much about learning someone’s coffee order and watching TV together while eating takeout. Atmosphere reminds us that achievements aren’t worth celebrating if you don’t have people to celebrate with you and that family is so much more than just who you’re related to. Only Taylor Jenkins Reid could make orbiting the Earth as one of the first women in space and a first kiss between lovers feel equally thrilling.
While the book goes far beyond the space program, I do think it served as the perfect backdrop for this story. The way TJR manages to make something as vast as space feel so accessible and even relatable is unbelievable. While I’m perfectly comfortable with my feet planted firmly on the ground, I could identify with Joan’s willingness to launch herself from Earth in a literal rocket just to try and make sense of our world.
Should you read Atmosphere?
If you’ve made it this far, I think the answer should be pretty obvious. Atmosphere should be required reading, no matter what your book tastes are. It transports you across decades and launches you into a new, endlessly entertaining world. Atmosphere is the kind of book that reminds you why you love reading in the first place. The story slowly builds, and while it may take a few chapters to get into, push through—because the experience is well worth the wait.
Lauren Blue, Assistant Editor
As an Assistant Editor for The Everygirl, Lauren ideates and writes content for every facet of our readers’ lives. Her articles span the topics of must-read books, movies, home tours, travel itineraries—and everything in between. When she isn’t testing the latest TikTok trend, she can be found scouring Goodreads for new releases to feature on the site.
Feature graphic images credited to: Isabella Severson | Dupe