BOOK REVIEW: Atmosphere: Waiting for Liftoff ⭐⭐⭐

Atmosphere has all the right ingredients, but never quite lifts off.

Author Taylor Jenkins Reid, like Kristin Hannah, excels at writing romantic historical fiction centered on women at pivotal moments in American history. Her latest book, Atmosphere, follows that formula, dropping Joan, one of NASA’s first female astronaut trainees, into the 1970s Space Race. The twist: she falls in love with a woman and fellow trainee, a risky secret in an era when homosexuality was taboo at NASA.

The setup is rich with potential, especially when Reid dives into the group dynamics of astronauts in training. But instead of fully exploring that tense, fascinating world, the novel narrows its focus to Joan’s personal journey: her coming out, her passion for astronomy, and her devotion to a niece and narcissistic sister I didn’t care much about.

Unlike the magnetic stars of Evelyn Hugo or Daisy Jones, Joan is too timid to carry the story alone. I wanted more of the other women: Donna, torn between love and ambition; Lydia, bristling with competitive energy. Vanessa, a self destructive bomb ready to go off. I wanted gossip, tension, fallout. Instead, Reid plays it safe. Atmosphere had all the right ingredients, but never quite lifts off. #netgalley #Atmosphere For more book reviews, follow me on Good Reads, Storygraph, or Substack. -- Jenie Dahlmann