AnnaBnana's Reviews > Ask the Passengers

I loved this book. It is so beatifully written and Astrid is such a lovely and touching character.

Astrid is a high schooler with few friends and disconnected relationships with her cold mother, her high father, and her only-want-to-be-popular sister. Several years ago, Astrid's family moved from New York City to the ironically named small town, Unity Valley, for reasons still unclear to Astrid. But she's making it work. She's got a couple of good friends, a job she likes, a burgeoning, albeit confusing, romance, and a strange and sad hobby involving sending her love up to airline passengers, which she does because she's too afraid to spread it around on the ground.

Ultimately, for me, this is a story about relationships -- with both family and friends. I liked that Astrid's parents were such a big part of the story as regular everyday struggles with parent/teen relationships aren't always at the center of YA Lit. The story is also about about loyalty, trust, opening up, and growing up. The asides into the airplanes add a touch of magical realism and are a lovely addition to the story. I would read this book again and again.