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ASK THE PASSENGERS

King, A.S. (2012). Ask the passengers. NY: Little Brown

Media Type: Hardcover book

This book has 293 pages.

Summary:

This novel is about a teenager named Astrid. Like many girls, Astrid is not sure where she fits in. She doesn't fit into her dysfunctional home. Her self-absorbed mother is not someone who understands her. Her dad smokes too much pot, and her sister Ellis is favored by her mother. Astrid's mother and sister go out on bonding nights where the sister is allowed to drink, and Astrid is never invited . All Astrid knows is that she has feelings for her coworker Dee. She likes kissing her, but is not sure what to make of that. Does that make her gay? She'd love to talk to someone about it, but there is no one in her small town to turn to, not even her best friend Kristina. Instead, Astrid turns to the teachings of the classic philosophers to learn and accept just who she really is. Astrid and her girlfriend come close to having sex, but do not because Astrid is not sure of what she wants. They even come up with a code word to signal when they are ready for the next step: abracadabra! Astrid and her friend end up getting caught in a gay bar and that is when everything gets thrown out of proportion. In the end, Astrid accepts that she is gay and even introduces Dee as her girlfriend to her family. Astrid also sends messages of love to passengers on the planes and they seem to actually reach them. This is a book about learning who you are, accepting who are, and finally, loving who you are. It's offers a valuable message for anyone, gay or straight.

Response:

Ask the Passengers was extremely touching. I honestly hadn't heard much about the book before reading, so I really didn't know what to expect going into it. I was really surprised by how touching and heart warming the book was though. This is the first of A.S. Kings books that I've read but was really glad I read this book though, I haven't read many books that I can think of dealing with the subject in this book, so it was something a little new to me. But the way it was written was beautiful, and you really can't help but to love this story.

Connection to the textbook:

Chapter 1- Books like this one can also serve as "windows" when reading for curiosity.

Chapter 3- Realistic fiction is the subgenre for this novel.

Chapter 4- YA literature mirrors concerns that adolescents face and draws upon a sense of how they develop.

Other books by the author