Ask the Passengers by A.S. King

No one really sees or understands what Astrid is dealing with. She’s so busy keeping others’ secrets that no one suspects her of having one big secret of her own. Astrid’s best friend is busy living a double life, her mother doesn't really care about what she wants, her sister just wants to keep the peace, and her father is oblivious to everything but his own escape. And so Astrid spends her time sending all of her love and emotion to the passengers of the airplanes that fly far above her back yard. It's easier than dealing with the fact that she is in love with a girl and not ready to face what that means for her while she lives in such a small town…but it’s nearly impossible to keep secrets when it comes to love.

A.S. King has written yet another absolutely brilliant book. Ask the Passengers is emotional and true and it imaginatively addresses all of the angst, heartache, and wonder of discovering yourself and learning how to deal with the pressures of family and society without giving into them. Astrid is a conflicted yet strong character; she's a bit sarcastic and very smart, and she is slowly figuring out what she wants and what she’s willing to open up to people. Astrid knows that being gay doesn't completely define her, and she must figure out a way to come out on her own terms, without anyone else telling her how to think or feel. Throughout this process, she must learn how to stand up for herself, deal with her parents' disinterest, her best friend's lies, and even her girlfriend's pushiness. The characterization is excellent, and King drops little gems of surprising wisdom throughout the book that will make you ponder love, acceptance, and tolerance. Ask the Passengers is inventive, important, a little weird, and beautifully written; it is King's best book yet.

Cover Comments: I love this cover--the use of light, the colors, the perspective. Everything it pretty but not conventionally so.

Review copy provided by publisher.