Rate this book

Clear rating

1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

Ask The Passengers

by A.S. King (Goodreads Author)

3.97 of 5 stars 3.97 · rating details · 2,314 ratings · 557 reviews

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...more

Hardcover, 296 pages

Published October 23rd 2012 by Little, Brown BFYR

more details... edit details

Get a copy:

More…

Friend Reviews

To see what your friends thought of this book, please sign up.

Lists with This Book

Mock Printz 2013

8th out of 75 books — 296 voters

The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky

Will Grayson, Will Grayson by John Green

Best YA Fiction with GLBTQQI themes / characters

115th out of 387 books — 1,119 voters

More lists with this book...

Community Reviews

(showing 1-30 of 3,000)

filter | sort: default (?) | rating details

Sep 26, 2012 Tatiana rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012, ya

As seen on The Readventurer

3.5 stars

If you've read as much YA as I have, I am sure this story will sound VERY familiar to you. I myself have read it once, twice or three times, in one form or another, and each version was of a different quality. I want to repeat the blurb and say that Ask The Passengers is a "truly original portrayal of a girl struggling to break free of society's definitions," but it just isn't.

Astrid's is a story that's been told before. A teen who lives in a small town full...more As seen on The Readventurer

3.5 stars

If you've read as much YA as I have, I am sure this story will sound VERY familiar to you. I myself have read it once, twice or three times, in one form or another, and each version was of a different quality. I want to repeat the blurb and say that Ask The Passengers is a "truly original portrayal of a girl struggling to break free of society's definitions," but it just isn't.

Astrid's is a story that's been told before. A teen who lives in a small town full of close-minded people, possibly falls in love with a girl and questions her sexuality. She keeps her questions to herself for the time being, not sure of her own feelings and fearing reactions from her superficially accepting family and openly intolerant community. But one day Astrid's cover is blown and she is forced to face the fallout...

Although the book is an assemblage of popular tropes, especially the second part, abundant with acts of homophobia and fake gay-supportiveness, King's writing abilities and her unique touches of magical realism and quirk elevate this story from the been-there-done-that level. The novel shines because of its memorable, vivid characters and interesting family dynamics (you can't be bored by Astrid's high-strung NYC-nurtured mother and her laid-back, pot-smoking dad). The elements of magical realism brighten up the story as well. (If you are into that sort of thing; in my relationship with A.S. King's books, it's a hit or miss, sometimes the quirky and weird is too much for me to handle.) In Ask The Passengers imaginary Socrates follows Astrid through her troubles and infuses the book with old time philosophical musings, and Astrid's habit of sending her love to the passengers of flying-by planes adds another layer to the narrative, when these anonymous passengers return the favor by sharing their love and life stories with us, readers. These bits are refreshing and entertaining.

Besides the familiarity of the story I think my most acute concern is the one that Flannery talked about in her recent Something Like Normal review, easy and unearned forgiveness. There are many harsh things Astrid has to go through in this novel, thanks to people closest to her, things she doesn't deserve. But all is forgiven and forgotten in the end. This is not what a realistic resolution entails, at least not for cold-hearted me.

In her last three novels A.S. King has already undertaken the subjects well-used in YA - death and grief (Please Ignore Vera Dietz), bullying (Everybody Sees the Ants) and struggles of gay teens (Ask The Passengers). While I enjoy King's spin on all of these subjects (and she herself is a one cool lady and an author whose approach to her craft I respect immensely, based on this podcast), I wish she would stretch her wings of creativity and write about something... fresher.(less)

28 likes · like · see review

Dec 09, 2012 Isamlq rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: need-want-must-have

"I start to feel resentful. You mean to tell me it's 2011 and this guy gets paid to have remedial talks with high school students about how they shouldn't hate other people? Isn't this elementary? Shouldn't it be automatic? What kind of species are we if we gave to have people come talk to us about this crap?"

Astrid is yet another MC from AS KING who is not quite like the rest in refusing to be just one thing. That and the fact that she asks questions... at least, she does eventually. She's fig...more

6 likes · like · see review

Nov 12, 2012 ALPHAreader rated it 5 of 5 stars

Here is what they say about Astrid Jones and her family in their small-town of Unity Valley:

• Their mother hardly ever leaves the house. But she’s stuck-up, and thinks she’s above it all for keeping her fancy New York job.
• The dad is a stoner – if he’s not making birdhouses, he’s taking a toke in the shed.
• Youngest daughter, Ellis, is a mean hockey player. She fits right in here, a real small-town girl.
• That Astrid Jones is a weird one – don’t know how she came to be friends with the nice Ho...more

9 likes · like · see review

Jun 03, 2013 Mark rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: bullying-peer-pressure, coming-of-age, family, glbtq, humor, mean-girls, printz-hopeful, relationships, romance-star-crossed-or-otherwise, sibling-relationships, young-adult-literature, re-read

"'I don't know. I'm still not even sure, I don't think. I mean, how do I know?'

'It's not a guy?'

I shake my head.

Justin hoots. 'Dude! You're one of us!'

I keep shaking my head, and I add a shrug, but I'd be lying if I told you that his excitement and invitation into -one of them- isn't making me cringe. Because I'm not in this to be a member of some club. I'm not going through this so I can lock myself into the -one of them- box.

'So, you're questioning?' she says.

'I guess.'

Astrid Jones goes to Un...more "'I don't know. I'm still not even sure, I don't think. I mean, how do I know?'

'It's not a guy?'

I shake my head.

Justin hoots. 'Dude! You're one of us!'

I keep shaking my head, and I add a shrug, but I'd be lying if I told you that his excitement and invitation into -one of them- isn't making me cringe. Because I'm not in this to be a member of some club. I'm not going through this so I can lock myself into the -one of them- box.

'So, you're questioning?' she says.

'I guess.'

Astrid Jones goes to Unity Valley High School, in what can best be described as a quaint, and very narrow-minded, small town near Philadelphia. Her family moved to UV from New York City, and the transition has taken its toll on Astrid, her parents, and her younger sister, Ellis, in different ways. Astrid works part-time for a local catering company, and she's been fooling around a little with Dee Roberts, an out lesbian from a neighboring school district. Astrid knows she feels differently about Dee than she has with past boyfriends, and Astrid's friends Justin and Kristina, each secretly seeing a partner, try to pry a definitive "gay or not?" answer out of Astrid. But Astrid simply isn't sure, and she resents the way everyone around her keeps pushing her to choose one side or another. For Astrid, the question of whether she's gay has nothing to do with sex, but is wrapped up in feelings of love.

Astrid copes with the gossip around the town, and her family dynamics, by watching airplanes pass over her house, and sending her love up to the passengers above. She feels she doesn't need it for herself, so she might as well give it away to those who might need it. The interactions between Astrid and the passengers on flights throughout the book will remind King's fans of the chorus of ants, or the talking Pagoda, from earlier novels. That supernatural strain in her work is evident here, but it's most effective (for me) because King introduces it subtly, and doesn't overuse the device.

After a fateful night at a local gay club, where Astrid feels she can finally be herself, events come to a head - Astrid's parents press her for some definition of her identity, as do her friends. And Astrid can't figure out why the boxes that others seek for us need to be so definite and final.

I've read everything King has published, and I honestly think this might be my favorite, as well as her best work. All the trademark elements of her novels that readers have come to expect - the aforementioned supernatural, the humor, the strong primary and secondary characters, and the crystal-clear depiction of high school culture - are here, to tremendous effect. For me, _Vera Dietz_ and _Everybody Sees the Ants_ were outstanding, and began at points where the plot elements were already stirred up (beginning with Charlie's funeral, etc.); from there, those novels worked to gradually "settle down," and let the plot resolve itself. In this book, it worked in reverse for me - this book started quiet, and got louder as it went along (literally loud, in Astrid's case). The pacing is fantastic, and Astrid's situations with her family, friends, Humanities class are woven together tremendously. I've already read a few reviews of this book, that seem to take King for task for avoiding the word "bisexual," but I think that misses the larger point of the novel. I appreciate the questioning and unsure nature of Astrid - that's what adolescence is, regardless of sexual identity, but it's complicated even more by what Astrid is going through. Really, just read the book - if you've read other King books, you won't be disappointed, If not, this would be a fantastic place to start.

(less)

3 likes · like · see review

Dec 14, 2012 Christina (A Reader of Fictions) rated it 5 of 5 stars

Recommended to Christina (A Reader of Fictions) by: Bekka (Pretty Deadly Reviews)

Shelves: glbt, favorites-contemps, needs-more-hype

Originally posted on A Reader of Fictions.

Okay, it's official. I think A.S. King is one of the very best YA writers out there. Ask the Passengers is only my second experience with King, but I loved it just as much as, perhaps even more than, the first one I read, Everybody Sees the Ants. Even better, King falls into that realm of authors who can do something totally new every time. She has some themes in common, but the books themselves are very different. One has a younger male teen lead, one a...more Originally posted on A Reader of Fictions.

Okay, it's official. I think A.S. King is one of the very best YA writers out there. Ask the Passengers is only my second experience with King, but I loved it just as much as, perhaps even more than, the first one I read, Everybody Sees the Ants. Even better, King falls into that realm of authors who can do something totally new every time. She has some themes in common, but the books themselves are very different. One has a younger male teen lead, one an older female teen, and both voices come through completely authentic. I am always so incredibly impressed by authors who can vary their subject matter, style and characters so much, sort of reinventing themselves with each book.

I just adore King's writing. She is, for me, one of the most quotable authors. Her writing isn't overly complex, but it gets the feelings and the point across so incredibly strongly. There are so many lines that I wanted to read aloud to my friend on vacation with me so that she could appreciate King's brilliance, but I couldn't because I'm so making her read this book next.

Ask the Passengers focuses on the theme of belonging, of identity, of self-discovery, and of peer pressure. Astrid Jones doesn't want to be put into boxes, doesn't want to be forced to be any one thing. She just wants to be Astrid Jones, whoever that is. Why does it have to matter so much whether we're gay or straight, white or brown, religious or agnostic, male or female, wealthy or poor, popular or unpopular? Astrid struggles with everyone's expectations and perceptions, afraid to be who she is but also unwilling to pretend to be something or someone else.

These themes resonated with me, because, really, who the fuck cares about those things? I mean, COME ON, it's the 21st century and we're still so caught up in defining things one way or another and on what's right that gay marriage is legal hardly anywhere. King brings up a lot of powerful issues and looks at the issue of being a girl in love with a girl in a different way than I have yet seen, and really made me consider the issue from a new angle. Plus, I sympathized with her desire to not have anyone know her business, because that's totally how I am. Why does everyone need to know?

Of course, the book also has humor, because the best issues books are imbued with humor, because a spoonful of sugar really does help the medicine go down. The whole opening plot is about how Astrid is weighed down by all of these secrets, those of her friends, her family and herself. Her friends, Justin and Kristina, are a power couple at school, the kind to be nominated for Homecoming King and Queen. Every Friday, they go on double dates with another couple, Donna and Chad. Actually, though, Justin's dating Chad and Kristina's dating Donna. SCANDAL! The only one who knows is Astrid, who's trying to decide whether to confess that she's actually dating a girl too, Dee, who works with her. I thought the whole situation was a hot mess, but I loved how theatrical it was. This would make a fantastic indie film. Just saying.

Another thing that I loved about the book, one which I could definitely see alienating some readers is Astrid's newly developed fascination with philosophy in general and Socrates in particular. I love philosophy myself, but the frequent discussions of it could put off some people. Even more than that, the philosophy takes a weird turn, in that Astrid creates an imaginary friend version of Socrates, who she dubs Frank Socrates; he helps her out along the way, making her question her behavior and what she holds true. I thought this worked, because of how motivated Astrid was by him and just her sheer exuberance about the class in general, but I do think it's interesting that both of her MCs I've read so far have had imaginary friends. Very odd, that.

My very favorite thing, though, was the part that gave the book its title: Astrid's love of planes and their passengers. Astrid does this thing where she will lie on the ground or on picnic tables and stare up at the sky, watching for planes. When she sees planes, she sends the passengers her love, along with her questions and frustrations, in a way of trying to help other people feel more loved and comfortable than she herself does. That was awesome just in and of itself. Better still, though, were the snippets of other people's stories (though a couple were too off the wall for me), showing the effect her little bits of love sent into the universe had on someone or other on the plane. These were all incredibly touching and moving, and I loved this little dose of magical realism.

I do know that everyone probably won't love A.S. King; I suspect her books will just be too weird for a lot of people. I, however, love them and want to strongly urge everyone who liked thought-provoking, quirky, clever books to read them. From what I can tell, A.S. King does not have anywhere near the name recognition and popularity she deserves. (less)

2 likes · like · see review

Jun 30, 2012 Sasha rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: fans of Please Ignore Vera Dietz and good character driven stories.

Shelves: hachette, contemporary, young-adult, read-in-2012-favorites, heartwrenching, ya-qc-6, read-in-one-sitting, read-in-2012, 2012-publication

Another great work from A.S. King. In Ask the Passengers, we meet Astrid Jones, who is struggling with not only figuring out who she is but also publicly displaying it. She is falling in love with another girl but doesn’t quite know what to make of it – add in her slightly odd family – and the fact that she lays on a picnic table in her backyard and you’ve got an interesting story!

I LOVE the way the A.S. King writes. (And though she did get a Printz Honor Award for Please Ignore Vera Dietz, I d...more

2 likes · like · see review

Mar 27, 2013 Renee rated it 5 of 5 stars

Some authors try really hard to write brilliantly- with A.S. King is seems effortless. My coworker and I were discussing how to write a review that would capture the essence of an A.S. King book- because they're so complex and have subtle layers- anyhow here's my attempt:

Know thyself.
-Ancient Greek Aphorism
Question everything.
-Euripides
Question everything. Astrid Jones is doing just that; whether it’s her small town and mom’s fakeness, her dad’s new habit of smoking up, whether or not she likes...more

2 likes · like · see review

Mar 20, 2013 Sarah Rosenberger rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: jca, glbt, teen-fiction, audiobook, philosophy

When she was 8, Astrid's family moved from New York City to Unity Valley, a small town in Pennsylvania where gossip and conformity are the order of the day. While Astrid's image-obsessed mother and her wholesome, small-town sister fit in pretty easily, Astrid has a harder time. Especially once she starts dating a girl and feels the pressure from her family, friends, girlfriend, and others to define herself.

Dealing with her feelings is just too confusing, so Astrid 'sends her love' to strangers...more

1 like · like · see review

Jun 01, 2013 Kelly Austin rated it 5 of 5 stars

Astrid Jones...you are my hero.

3 likes · like · see review

Jun 11, 2013 Jenni Arndt rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: purchased-ebook

Actual rating is 4.5

Ask The Passengers is the third A.S. King novel that I have had the pleasure of reading. Having read a few in the past I have come to have some pretty high expectations when it comes to her work and this one did not let me down at all. A touching story about identity, love and acceptance this novel had my heart and took me on a journey of discovery.

Astrid Jones is in love with a girl and she doesn’t know what that means. We watch her explore the possibilities and try to figur...more Actual rating is 4.5

Ask The Passengers is the third A.S. King novel that I have had the pleasure of reading. Having read a few in the past I have come to have some pretty high expectations when it comes to her work and this one did not let me down at all. A touching story about identity, love and acceptance this novel had my heart and took me on a journey of discovery.

Astrid Jones is in love with a girl and she doesn’t know what that means. We watch her explore the possibilities and try to figure out what the emotions that she is having mean. I loved the questioning approach to all of this. There were no strong definition lines and through her philosophy projects at school we really get to explore the issue with her deeply. I loved how she applied these projects to what was happening in her life and got into debates with people at school. A.S. King tackled how a teen trying to figure out if she is gay or straight feels as everyone tries to put her into one box or the other. Astrid didn’t know where she belonged, she knew what she was feeling at the time and didn’t know what it meant for the future. I can’t even express enough how I loved that this story stressed that it’s OK to be in the middle and not be sure.

The characterizations here were so strong. In the beginning I actually found that I was having trouble getting into the story, despite that I had an intense hatred for Astrid’s mother and a spot in my heart for Astrid. To me that screams great characterizations, I was having some trouble with the plot, but warmed up to the characters fast. Claire, the mother, was so worried about what everyone thought about her and this feeling extended to much of the small town that the characters were living in. Her favoritism towards her other daughter drove me crazy and her way of ignoring her husband really got to me as well. But Astrid had my love from the beginning. The inner turmoil that she was facing and the pressure from the people around her felt like a weight on my chest and I wanted to help her in any way that I could (even though I couldn’t because it was a book, but that was how into it I was!) We also meet friends of Astrid who are dealing with a lot of the same issues that she was. We see their ups and downs on the path to coming out to the community and it isn’t pretty.

As I mentioned before I did have a settling in period with this one. For about the first 20% I just wasn’t getting into the story as I had expected to. I think that may be due to the strange storytelling that was used to convey the story’s message. As Astrid lies on her picnic table in her backyard she looks up to the sky and watches planes fly by. While she does this she sends all of her love up to the passengers on the planes because she doesn’t know what to do with her love herself. We get short snippets where we are a passenger on the plane and the moment that they feel the love that Astrid sends. This took me out of the story a few times at the beginning because I wasn’t too sure where that element of the story was going but once I got a feel for it and began to understand the meaning I adored those parts. I loved how in the end they really came full circle, it was incredibly heartwarming.

I think this is an important novel and is one that any teen who is questioning their sexual orientation should have available to them. The message conveyed is strong and it definitely has the power to make people feel like they are not alone and that it is OK not to know for sure. I am happy to have gotten to go on this journey with Astrid and thank A.S. King for writing such an important story.

--

You can read all of my stories at Alluring Reads.(less)

1 like · like · see review

Jun 18, 2013 Kailia rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012, young-adult, read-in-2012, review-book, hard-to-like-potag-but-still-good

Originally reviewed on my blog Reading the Best of the Best.

Have you ever come across a book/author that sounds like your type of book? Something you think you will love and you read it with the highest of hopes and you are utterly disappointed? Well, for me Ask the Passengers would be that book. After so much hype surrounding this book and A.S. King, when I received the chance to review it, I took it! While I did finish this book rather quickly, I didn’t enjoy it as much as I thought I would.

I...more Originally reviewed on my blog Reading the Best of the Best.

Have you ever come across a book/author that sounds like your type of book? Something you think you will love and you read it with the highest of hopes and you are utterly disappointed? Well, for me Ask the Passengers would be that book. After so much hype surrounding this book and A.S. King, when I received the chance to review it, I took it! While I did finish this book rather quickly, I didn’t enjoy it as much as I thought I would.

I think I should point out the writing style that A.S. King has. For this book, Astrid narrates the majority of it but we get brakes in between the chapters with stories about out flight passengers. I ended up liking this aspect of the book very much because Astrid was a character I could neither connect with nor care about. It’s true. Yet there was something…calm about King’s writing. It wasn’t always fluid and sometimes it was choppy but other times, it was almost in a stream of conscious form. While I will give that King is a masterful storyteller, I didn’t connect well with her characters and as many know, characters can either break or make the book for me.

While many people loved her, I could not understand the hype around Astrid. She seemed rather judgmental and she was very “physiological” about life. I tend to like this “philosophical” aspect in books but I just could not care about it in Ask the Passengers. It bugged me that Astrid couldn’t see anyone else’s point of view. I can understand that she’s was upset about not having her relationship out in the open but it didn’t give her the right to judge. What’s wrong with her sister and mother having dinner together? Occasionally Astrid would want to go out but then she would just end up mocking the event. It goes with her mother. I saw that while her mother wasn’t always fare, I think had Astrid not kept all of her feelings bottled up inside, things could have gone better.

The plot also didn’t help in Astrid’s character development. While the cover jacket says it’s a “truly original” novel, I can’t help but doubt that. Nothing about Ask the Passengers seemed original (other than her sending love to everyone and everything). Maybe I’m being mean or maybe I haven’t read that many books about this subject topic (LGBT topics) and maybe the book just isn’t for me, but I wasn’t a fan. I honesty feel a little bad about that but it’s taken me almost three months to come up with this conclusion.

Overall, Ask the Passengers wasn’t the worst book out there but it wasn’t the best either. I find that I’m in the minority when it comes to this book. There are people who absolutely love this one and I have yet to meet anyone who didn’t. It was a fast read and I enjoyed it overall and I do plan on reading more by A.S. King but Ask the Passengers just didn’t work out. (less)

1 like · like · see review

Dec 20, 2012 Rebecca rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: glbtq-ya, mock-printz-2013, problem-novel, read-in-2012, ya-lit, favorites

Astrid’s love isn’t safe with her fractured family, her judgmental town, her secret girlfriend, or her supposed friends. So Astrid sends her love to the passengers of passing airplanes, and silently asks the passengers her questions about the complicated nature of identity, the possible existence of perfection, and dangers of emotional honesty. King subtly weaves together several heavy themes while maintaining a direct, engaging narrative voice; and rather than distracting the reader, her deft t...more

3 likes · like · see review

Dec 14, 2012 Hannah (The Irish Banana Review) rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: ya-contemporary

Ask the Passengers is exactly the type of book you think you’re getting when you read the summary: It’s a book about a teenage girl who is trying to sort out her life and figure out who she is and who she wants to be. And yes, it has the added twist of the main character coming to terms with her sexual orientation.

I was a little surprised at how ordinary Astrid felt. Not that I expected her to be some dramatic, overblown character, but I felt like there was nothing spectacular that set her apart...more

1 like · like · see review

Oct 23, 2012 Liviania rated it 5 of 5 stars

A.S. King is one of the best young adult authors writing today. Every single one of her books is a gem. I'd say the only truly comparable author is John Green, although their books don't much resemble each other aside from being contemporary YA.

King's newest book, ASK THE PASSENGERS, is about Astrid Jones. Astrid's a pretty normal teen - she has a mom, a dad, and a younger sister, she hangs out with her best friends who are dating, and has a job with a local caterer. But her mom has a special bo...more

2 likes · like · see review

Jun 10, 2013 MRB rated it 4 of 5 stars

The happiest surprise of this book for me was discovering that I'm totally enamored with this author's writing style. If writing style factors heavily into your overall opinion of a book, I'd recommend downloading a sample of this one and seeing if you find it as engaging as I did. There's wit, insight and, for lack of a better way of putting it, an effortless 'flow' that's lacking in a sad number of stiffly or pretentiously written books these days!

I also found the theme an interesting one, and...more The happiest surprise of this book for me was discovering that I'm totally enamored with this author's writing style. If writing style factors heavily into your overall opinion of a book, I'd recommend downloading a sample of this one and seeing if you find it as engaging as I did. There's wit, insight and, for lack of a better way of putting it, an effortless 'flow' that's lacking in a sad number of stiffly or pretentiously written books these days!

I also found the theme an interesting one, and thought the narrative was really well paced.
Be forewarned that this isn't one of those young adult books where a string of Very Dramatic Events occur. In fact, there aren't even many surprises or twists along the way. I can totally understand how that might make this story feel flat and lackluster to some, and if you're up for a twisty and plot-driven read, this probably won't prove too satisfying. I actually found the lack of melodrama to be refreshing, though, and appreciated that the main character, Astrid, was so relatable.

A couple of minor criticisms:

As many reviewers mentioned, random anecdotes about various flight passengers who in no way factor into the overall story are tacked on to the end of certain chapters. The point here seems to be 'look, see, all over the country, different people are confused about love and identity just like our main character!' But, honestly, it's kind of a stretch, and rather than enriching the book's themes, it just feels like a distracting, pointless gimmick to me.

I also agree with those who felt that some of the minor characters and relationships, while interesting, ultimately failed to resonate as deeply as they could have. For example, I found Astrid's mom amusingly and very relatably flawed, and give the author credit for creating that character. Her relationship with Astrid, however, was underdeveloped and ultimately without much change or depth. And the sister remained sort of a nonentity to me despite ultimately playing a fairly important role.

Overall, I'd recommend this book to teens and to those of us who enjoy young adult literature despite being past our own adolescence! And I want to stress that the fact that I'm straight in no way precluded me from relating to the book's themes and characters, so please don't feel that this book must appeal solely to the LGBT population. Anyone who's ever dealt with any confusion related to who we are and to the mysteries of love can relate to this book---in other words, pretty much everyone ;) Despite the minor, aforementioned flaws, I found it extremely well written, smart and compelling. Enjoy!(less)

like · see review

May 22, 2013 Lizzy W rated it 3 of 5 stars

I picked to read Ask the Passengers by A.S. King. I chose to read this book when one of my friends was reading it. I wanted to challenge myself and read something different for once. Granted it was a young adult book about teenagers but it had a twist, and wasn't what I normally read. This book was hard for me to keep reading it. There was parts that kept me reading and parts that were pretty blah for lack of better words.

The main character in this book is Astrid Jones who is a typical teenage...more I picked to read Ask the Passengers by A.S. King. I chose to read this book when one of my friends was reading it. I wanted to challenge myself and read something different for once. Granted it was a young adult book about teenagers but it had a twist, and wasn't what I normally read. This book was hard for me to keep reading it. There was parts that kept me reading and parts that were pretty blah for lack of better words.

The main character in this book is Astrid Jones who is a typical teenage girl living in a small town where only certain things are accepted. Astrid feels like a loaner where no one loves her. Quite frankly, when you are growing up it is important to have love and support but she doesn't. So how does she deal with this? This is probably the best aspect of the book because it is very unique. Not many people would come up with the solution. But, hey if it works you may as well do it.

King has the main character Astrid send her love to the airplanes up in the sky, the passengers then in return usually have something going on in their lives where they wake up and realize what to do once Astrid's love is sent to them. Astrid deals with this fairly well considering her family and personal life.

Her dad is a stoner, who used to be her best friend but now all he does is smoke weed. Her mom is stuck up snobby person who is not cut out for parenting. Her sister is a big shot hockey player who fits in perfect and gives her sister endless crap. Let alone her family life, her personal life is just as big of a disaster. She works at a catering company where she finds someone that actually loves her and cares about her. However, this someone is a girl. Just like her. Astrid is no doubt questioning her sexuality. But, who can she talk to about it besides the passengers? No one, her society does not think this acceptable.

She is also hiding the secret of her two best friends. They are gay as well, but they know for sure. Astrid is still really in question and this is hard for her to figure out, when there is no one to support her. I think that King did a really nice job portraying a teenager where it is not acceptable to deviate from the straight lines and narrow corners of their society.

Overall I think that this book was fairly good. I think that the writing could have been more creative and better. However, the message within the book was quite enjoyable and has a lesson for everyone to learn. Especially that it is okay to deviate from what is "normal". (less)

like · see review

May 22, 2013 Kristy Feltenberger Gillespie rated it 4 of 5 stars

Astrid Jones is good at keeping secrets. Some of those secrets include: Astrid’s best friend Kristina is gay. Kristina’s “boyfriend” Justin is gay. Her father smokes pot. She lies on a picnic table in her backyard and sends love to airline passengers. She has faux conversations with Socrates. But she holds the biggest secret from herself…

“Every airplane, no matter how far it is up there, I send love to it. I picture the people in their seats with their plastic cups of soda or orange juice or Sco...more

like · see review

May 17, 2013 Pinkie Pie rated it 5 of 5 stars

Read this review and more like it at Pretty Deadly Reviews.

AS King is one of my favorite authors, having won me over 100% with The Dust of 100 Dogs. With every new book, King just keeps getting better and better. I had no idea she had another book on the way, so when ASK THE PASSENGERS was in a swag bag at BEA I had a heart attack!

ASK THE PASSENGERS has everything we can expect from King: beautiful prose, remarkably fleshed-out characters, and while it is contemporary, this story hints at a sub...more Read this review and more like it at Pretty Deadly Reviews.

AS King is one of my favorite authors, having won me over 100% with The Dust of 100 Dogs. With every new book, King just keeps getting better and better. I had no idea she had another book on the way, so when ASK THE PASSENGERS was in a swag bag at BEA I had a heart attack!

ASK THE PASSENGERS has everything we can expect from King: beautiful prose, remarkably fleshed-out characters, and while it is contemporary, this story hints at a subtle supernatural-ness that is basically King's trademark. Astrid Jones sends her love up into the sky to the passengers on the airplanes, and in turn, the passengers receive it and make changes in their lives. There are sporadic interludes featuring the passengers in question, and I loved getting to know them. They're suddenly hit with Astrid's love and each damaged passengers who receives it actually does something with it. Unlike Astrid, who is stuck in her small town school with closed-minded classmates and family.

I had no idea going in that this book would be about sexual identity. Honestly, reading the blurb of ASK THE PASSENGERS, it's not clear at all what it's about. But the themes sneaked up on me, and burrowed in my head, and the book just wouldn't let me go. I feel like sexual identity is such an important topic to write about, especially in young adult fiction. It brings me back to the YA saves movement. I wish I could just hug King for writing this.

I really loved Astrid. I felt like she was easy to relate to, having been moved from a city out to the middle of nowhere Amish country. She voiced all the things I felt when I had to make that change. I loved that she tried so hard to see eye-to-eye with her ridiculous mother. I loved that even in the heat of argument she took the time to mentally send love to her family and her friends. She was just so real: her fear, her love, her forgiveness, and her healing. Astrid is someone I would have wanted to be friends with, even if she was an introvert.

There is only one problem I have with this book and it is the complete lack of the word bisexual. I wanted to scream in frustration with Astrid's parents, I wanted to smack Astrid's sister silly, and sometimes I wanted to shake Astrid herself. But these things are realistic. What isn't realistic is leaving out the term 'bisexual', basically just ignoring it and pretending it doesn't exist. That was frustrating. In a world so black and white, us and them, in a book about opening up horizons instead of shutting us up in boxes, you would think that the term bisexual would come up at least once. But it didn't, and it was disheartening. There was definite hint at "you're either gay or you aren't" and I feel that's really divisive and a little alienating.

I would definitely recommend ASK THE PASSENGERS if only because I love AS King. But beyond her being my ultimate girl crush, ASK THE PASSENGERS is a beautiful, heartbreaking book filled with true-to-life characters. It doesn't beat around the bush, and it isn't afraid to push the boundaries of these boxes we all put ourselves in. (less)

like · see review

May 14, 2013 Rebecca rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: depressing, teenage-angst, young-adult

A.S. King must have gotten an A in every assignment she handed in for Creative Writing. She really comes up with some interesting ways to tell stories.

I've loved her other books but "Ask the Passengers" didn't work for me. Astrid is a New York city girl who's parents have moved her to small town Pennsylvania. She doesn't fit in, even with her own family, and spends a lot of time lying on the picnic table in the backyard. With a highly dysfunctional family (Dad's a pothead, Mom seems to be from a...more

1 like · like · see review

May 12, 2013 Diane Ferbrache rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: audiobooks, family-stories, fathers, glbtq, high-school, mothers, young-adult

Astrid Jones needs someone to talk to. Her father is always in a pot haze, her mother is too self-involved, her younger sister just doesn't understand, her best friend is too involved with her own boyfriend, so she lies on a picnic table and talks to passengers in an airplane. She has questions and concerns and no one to really talk to. Her biggest dilemma? Is she gay?

This is a fantastic story about growing up and need and self-awareness.

SEMI-SPOILER --

When Astrid and best friend, Christina, a...more

like · see review

May 11, 2013 Melissa rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: lgbt-characters, ya-fiction

I really really really wanted to like this book. Small town teen questioning her sexuality with a dash of magical realism and Socrates as an imaginary friend sounds cool, right? Sadly, this is another good premise ruined by poor execution.

It was the characters that killed the story--or rather the lack thereof. Instead of well rounded people we get cardboard cut outs: the best friend who's gay and popular, the other friend who's gay, the 'cool' AP Humanities teacher, the girlfriend who plays fiel...more

like · see review

Apr 26, 2013 Julia rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: contemporary, young-adult, lgbt

This was an enjoyable book.

Astrid doesn't fit in in her small suburban town, where gossip is life and fitting in with meanness is key to success. She has some people to rely on though, best friends Kristina and Justin, who are in a perfect "relationship" and girlfriend, maybe, Dee.

I appreciated the fact that Astrid was confused about her sexuality and struggling with where to classify herself. I've read a lot of lgbt books where the person is confident and knows who they are, they are just bull...more

like · see review

Apr 21, 2013 Joan rated it 1 of 5 stars Recommends it for: no one

Shelves: female-characters, fiction, ya-books

Well, I think it is official. I didn't like her Vera Diaz book and I don't like this one. I just do not like this author. Or maybe it is that I don't like YA fiction anymore. I remember thinking that after I finished the other book too. I don't like the YA fiction that is nothing but negative, life sucks, and then suddenly everything is ok. Or else even worse than before. Why is it that so few YA books end with something along the lines of life is often lousy and that is what life is like? Punct...more Well, I think it is official. I didn't like her Vera Diaz book and I don't like this one. I just do not like this author. Or maybe it is that I don't like YA fiction anymore. I remember thinking that after I finished the other book too. I don't like the YA fiction that is nothing but negative, life sucks, and then suddenly everything is ok. Or else even worse than before. Why is it that so few YA books end with something along the lines of life is often lousy and that is what life is like? Punctuated by the times life is ok and occasionally even great if you're lucky. All this mock philosophizing (Socrates is an important character in this book) is just plain irritating. This book is about a girl fumbling her way to the realization that she is gay, living in a world that still basically hates and fears gays. Well, maybe that world still exists, but I think it is becoming smaller and smaller. I don't see what good a book about a girl fumbling her way to being gay in a gay hating world does. How about a book about a girl fumbling her way to being gay in a world that really doesn't give a damn either way? A book about the usual attempt of teens to make sense of their basically not sensible world. I have listened to my kids and their friends. They don't get what is the big deal about gays. Hopefully I am not listening to the only young adults and teens in the world who think this way and this is actually a fairly common opinion among that age group. I have just wasted an afternoon of my life reading this stupidity and I think I better go do something to retrieve what is left of the day. Why do I feel so strongly negative about this book? Because I am not sure it is so wise to be reinforcing teens' opinions that the world sucks but that there is a good ending at the end of it. And before you point out the last chapter to me as an argument against me concluding this is a good ending, it is. After she has struggled through it all, she has a good ending even if the other young lady doesn't. It is as though the story switched at the last minute and the author felt she had to put in something of the real life. It is jarring and unconvincing because you know nothing of that young lady. How can you relate to someone who charges in on the last pages of the book and tries to tell you life is horrid after all? It feels as though the author wanted the "life is actually good for ever after" and the "life is bad ever after" motif in one book. Rather a bit of a cheat because both are extremes and both are not really true. I must make a note to myself to not read this author any more! Sorry if the author is on Goodreads, and I am not saying you aren't doing the best job you know how. I am saying that I strongly disagree with the message you are sending to teenagers in general. (less)

1 like · like · see review

Apr 16, 2013 Melanie Blum rated it 5 of 5 stars

Genre: Coming of Age, Young Adult

Series: No

Awards: 2013 Cooperative Children's Book Center Choices pick, A 2012 Lambda Literary Award Finalist, A 2012 L.A. Times Book Prize Finalist, A 2013 Capitol Choices book, An ALA GLBTRT Rainbow List Top Ten pick, A Kirkus Best Book of 2012, A School Library Journal Best Book of 2012, A Publishers Weekly Best Book of 2012, A Library Journal Best Books 2012: Young Adult Literature for Adults book, Six starred trade reviews, A Fall 2012 Junior Library Guild...more

like · see review

Apr 14, 2013 Marlyn rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: young-adult

When Astrid Jones was nine, her family bought the house her grandmother grew up in. In a small town called Unity Valley, it was originally intended as a vacation home for the family, but a year later, they left New York City, which Astrid and her sister Ellis thought of as home, and moved there.

Ellis seemed to adapt to her new life, but Astrid just couldn't. Even seven years later as a high school senior, Astrid feels like an outsider. Sure, she's editor of the school lit magazine, but she has n...more

like · see review

Apr 01, 2013 Elizabeth rated it 5 of 5 stars

Great book! This book treats a delicate subject masterfully. Astrid is in high school and she is really enjoying philosophy class. This makes sense because she is smart and a thinker and feeler who is just trying to make sense of her world. She has a job at a catering firm on weekends where her major responsibility is deveining shrimp. And she likes to de-stress by laying down on the picnic table in her backyard and sending up love to the airplanes flying overhead--she likes to send love to the...more

like · see review

Mar 29, 2013 Basil rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: young-adult, books-i-wish-i-had-written, realistic, lgbt

The beginning: Girl questions her sexuality. The end: Girl comes out of the closet. You've read this story before.

But you haven't read THIS story before.

A.S. King is one of those writers whose prose somehow manages to rearrange the way your thoughts form themselves inside your head. While you're reading her work, you have to get up and dart to the computer once in a while, because old ideas have suddenly presented themselves to you in new ways, and you want to get them out before you forget them...more

like · see review

Mar 24, 2013 Rebecca rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: drama, family-story, glbt, romance, school-story, young-adult

Because no one in Astrid's family seems to want her love, she lies on picnic tables and sends it up to passengers in planes flying overhead (and they do feel it, in several small, poignant vignettes). Her life since her mother moved them to small town Unity Springs has not been easy. Astrid has never been much of a conformist, and only her friendship with the popular Kristina--who has secrets of her own that Astrid keeps for her--has kept her afloat. Her mother doesn't love her, her father is co...more

like · see review

Mar 19, 2013 Chris rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: life, love, not-graphic, ya, voice

A.S. King has this uncanny ability to write characters that are both realistically flawed and believably admirable; and to write about issues that require entire books to capture their complexity while reducing them to simple, insightful common sense wisdom in the process.

She also has a way of making connections between people both magical and tangible. We can all relate to and understand each other, if only we take the time to really do so. Yet doing so can be so hard that accomplishing it can...more

like · see review

Mar 19, 2013 Annette rated it 5 of 5 stars

I've enjoyed all of A. S. King's books, and Ask the Passengers is no exception. In fact, it's my favorite -- I think it's brilliant. King's books are quirky and unique, but they make sense.

Like I said, this book does make sense, but when I describe it, I think it sounds kind of silly. Astrid is having a hard time. She's struggling with her teen identity and feeling like no one cares about her. So, she decides she will send all her love to airplane passengers. She also asks for their opinions and...more

like · see review

« previous 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 … 99 100 next »

new topic
Discuss This Book

topics	posts	views	last activity
YA Buddy Readers'...: Ask the Passengers by A.S. King -> Start date: June 14th	5	9	Jun 16, 2013 03:58am
Goodreads Feedback: Combining Editions	3	44	Apr 06, 2013 06:22pm
Mock Printz 2014: Ask The Passengers by A.S. King	7	47	Dec 10, 2012 04:21pm
Mock Printz 2014: Ask The Passengers by AS King	3	38	Sep 27, 2012 12:03pm

combine
Other Editions (5)

More editions...

Genres

Young Adult

241 users

Contemporary

71 users

Realistic Fiction

63 users

Glbt

55 users

Romance

40 users

Young Adult > Teen

39 users

Glbt > Queer

17 users

Young Adult > High School

15 users

Magical Realism

14 users

Young Adult > Coming Of Age

14 users

See top shelves...

Readers also enjoyed similar books

About A.S. King

A.S. King is the author of the 2012 Los Angeles Times Book Prize winner, ASK THE PASSENGERS, YALSA Top Ten EVERYBODY SEES THE ANTS and the Edgar Award nominated and 2011 Michael L. Printz Honor Book PLEASE IGNORE VERA DIETZ. She is also the author of THE DUST OF 100 DOGS and MONICA NEVER SHUTS UP, a short story collection for adults. Next up: REALITY BOY coming October 2013.

p.s.- If I don't accept...more

More about A.S. King...

Books by A.S. King

More…

Share This Book

Facebook Twitter Your website

Trivia About Ask The Passengers

1 trivia question

More quizzes & trivia...

Quotes from Ask The Passengers

“All those people who are chained here thinking that their reputations matter and this little shit matters are so freaking shortsighted. Dude, what matters is that you're happy. What matters is your future. What matters is that we get out of here in one piece. What matters is finding the truth of our own lives, not caring about what other people think is the truth of us.” — 29 people liked it

“Look, this is a loan. I don't know if love is something I will run out of one day. I don't know if I should be giving it all to you guys or not. Today, I feel like maybe I should have kept some for myself for days when no one else loves me.” — 17 people liked it

More quotes…

title link	preview: Ask The Passengers
avg rating	preview: Ask The Passengers Goodreads rating: 3.97 (2314 ratings)
small image	preview: click here [close]
med image	preview: click here [close]
BBCode	[url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13069935-ask-the-passengers?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book][img]http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1334812723l/13069935.jpg[/img][/url] [url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13069935-ask-the-passengers?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book]Ask The Passengers by A.S. King[/url]

Ask The Passengers

Friend Reviews

Community Reviews

Share This Book

Share This Book on Your Website