Review: Ask the Passengers

Ask the Passengers by A.S. King

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



While magical realism isn't really my favorite genre, I had heard really good things about King's Ask the Passengers, so I gave it a try. I'm very glad I did. King's novel explores a complicated and difficult subject, and it does so with sincerity and humor. Astrid's exploration of who she is and how to define herself, and her struggles with what it even means to "be" something, was very relatable.

I particularly appreciated the way that King was able to show various forms of the coming out narrative. While Astrid isn't sure how to define herself and resists the efforts of others to force definitions upon her, Kristina and Justin seem to be less concerned about defining themselves but are terrified of how others will react, while Dee is out and doesn't seem to care who knows. It was refreshing to see a spectrum of experiences and the difficulties associated with them.

King seems to have a real grasp of the intricate and tumultuous relationships, both platonic and romantic, that teens have. The book does an excellent job showing both the intensity and the fragility of feeling that teens experience.



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