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Ask the Passengers

A.S. King

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Nov 05, 2012 Mrs. S rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: read-in-2012, 2012-books

Wow. As good as everyone says it is. I can't stop thinking that it reminds me of Speak, and somehow doesn't suffer in comparison: about the highest praise I can give a YA Contemporary novel. (Oh how I would love to teach a unit with Ask the Passengers and Speak. If any books could ever make people be a little less awful to each other, I think that's the pair that would do it.) What I mean when I compare this with Speak is that both books have protagonists who feel so real, and who need and deser Wow. As good as everyone says it is. I can't stop thinking that it reminds me of Speak, and somehow doesn't suffer in comparison: about the highest praise I can give a YA Contemporary novel. (Oh how I would love to teach a unit with Ask the Passengers and Speak. If any books could ever make people be a little less awful to each other, I think that's the pair that would do it.) What I mean when I compare this with Speak is that both books have protagonists who feel so real, and who need and deserve so much love, and who have such difficult journeys through their small towns and high schools, and that both books just overwhelm me with how deeply I care about the characters.

I'm also really, really happy to find a book that has a main character who is truly questioning--not just reluctant to come out, but really trying to figure out how to define herself romantically and sexually, and struggling with the idea that she has to define herself that way to begin with. I appreciate books that come from different places, too: there absolutely should be more books about teenagers who are happy and confident in their sexuality across the spectrum, and more books about teenagers who are certain of their sexuality but meet with obstacles that make it hard for them to express what they know about themselves. But I think this is the first book I've read that gives so much honest space for questioning. The bottom line is, we need more books of all stripes in which young characters have the kinds of real, honest experiences of figuring out their sexual and romantic identities (and I love that this book refused to make those be the same thing). Ask the Passengers is going to set a nearly-impossible-to-top standard, but man, I would love to see more people trying to hit the high, high bar that has been set.

This is a book about questioning. It's a book about love: between parents and kids, sisters, friends, strangers, and couples. It's a book about what people say and how far that can be from the truth. It's about philosophy and brain people and tiny towns and airplanes. This is the kind of book (like Speak that I think should be required reading for everyone, full stop. You don't have to like it or feel the way I felt about it or have any particular reaction. But read this book. It will have an effect on you. ...more

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