Ask the Passengers

De: A.S. King

Narrado por: Devon Sorvari

Astrid Jones desperately wants to confide in someone, but her mother’s pushiness and her father’s lack of interest tell her they’re the last people she can trust. Instead, Astrid spends hours lying on the backyard picnic table watching airplanes fly overhead. She doesn’t know the passengers inside, but they’re the only people who won’t judge her when she asks them her most personal questions . . . like what it means that she’s falling in love with a girl.

As her secret relationship becomes more intense and her friends demand answers, Astrid has nowhere left to turn. She can’t share the truth with anyone except the people at thirty thousand feet, and they don’t even realize she’s there. But little does Astrid know just how much even the tiniest connection will affect these strangers’ lives—and her own—for the better.

Ask yourself why you must read this book, NOW!!!

What did you love best about Ask the Passengers?

A.S. King has an amazing ability of creating characters of depth and complexity that we can understand and empathize with while placing them in heart rendering situations that are soul deep. She has done her finest work with ASK THE PASSENGERS by showcasing a teenaged girl named Astrid Jones, a girl that is trying cope with the fact that her family is totally dysfunctional, that she might be gay and why she has to keep sending love to all the passengers on the planes that fly overhead.

What other book might you compare Ask the Passengers to and why?

EVERYBODY SEES THE ANTS because it is another well written novel by the same author

Which scene was your favorite?

When Astrid finally looses it.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Yes, once I started I did not want to stop.

Any additional comments?

The reader for this novel did a fine job of conveying all the emotions that were conveyed in the book. She also sounded like a teen and not an older person trying too hard to sound like one. It was well done and I truly enjoyed this audiobook.

Book handles the topic of teen sexual and consent in a thoughtful, mature way

Astrid Jones is confused. She's questioning. She doesn't have all the answers. And that's OK, or, it would be if it weren't for the all people in her life that push for answers in absolutes. Astrid Jones is full of love. But who should she send it to? This is an excellent novel full of magical realism so believable it feels true, about a high school senior on the cusp of adulthood, figuring out not just her place in the world, but the truth of who she is and what it means to be a person who loves. This book handles the topic of teen sex and consent in a thoughtful, mature way. Highly recommended. Read-alikes: The House You Pass on the Way by Jacqueline Woodson, and The Truth About Alice by Jennifer Mathieu.

4.5 stars; well done coming of age story

This is one of the few AS King books I haven’t read and I was excited to finally pick it up to read. It ended up being a very engaging book but didn’t have as much magical realism as King’s other books have had.

I listened to this on audiobook and the audiobook was very well done. The narrator sounded exactly like I imagined the main character would sound and did a good job of conveying emotion.

Astrid Jones has a secret; she is in love with a girl she works with. They steal secret kisses in the freezer room and secret moments by the lake. Astrid wants to confide in someone; but her mom is too pushy, and her constantly stoned dad isn’t interested. Her best friend, who is also gay, wants to put Astrid in a neatly labeled gay box. Astrid doesn’t know if she is gay or if she just happens to be in love with a girl and she is struggling. To cope she goes and lays out on a picnic table in her backyard and sends her love to the passengers that fly over her in airplanes.

This story has a lot of interesting elements to it. Astrid lives in a small town and moved there from New York City. She is adjusting to the small town vibe and with how vicious rumors are in that setting.

Astrid is also really into philosophy and is taking a honors humanities course; to help her cope with all the pain and trouble around her she’s made herself an imaginary friend name Frank Socrates that she can talk to.

When Astrid sends her love to the passengers in the plane we occasionally get a glimpse into one of the passengers lives and what they are dealing with. This was interesting and I was impressed with how quickly I became engaged with these airplane passengers’ stories and wanted to know more about them.

As with other of King’s novels there is a bit of magical realism. When Astrid sends her love to a passenger the passenger actually seems to be affected by her questions/love/concern in some way. Also Astrid seems to see Frank Socrates hanging around sometimes (although she admits he is in her imagination).

Mostly though this story is about society and definition and expectations of society. It’s about how much people need labels and boxes to make themselves feel in control. It’s also about a teenage girl who is struggling to figure out what it means to be gay and what it means to be in love.

Overall this was another incredibly well done AS King novel that breaches a number of societal questions while providing an engaging story with a heroine you really care about. I continue to be impressed with how much King can pack into a story and with how much these books leave me to think about. The story and characters are completely engaging and very hard to put down. I would highly recommend everyone read this book. We can all stand to learn more about tolerance and equality.

Soo good!

This book is funny, tender, and so valuable. It asks great questions of society and its need for boxes, labels, and "perfection." I highly recommend it.

great book!

I love the story, the characters, and the way they treated coming out, amazing book!