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This Place Has No Atmosphere by Paula Danziger
Book by Danziger, Paula
Paperback
First published January 1, 1986
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About the author
Paula Danziger
116 books349 followersPaula Danziger was an American children's author. She wrote more than 30 books, including her 1974 debut The Cat Ate My Gymsuit, for children's and young adult audiences. At the time of her death, all her books were still in print; they had been published in 53 countries and translated into 14 languages.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 159 reviews
May 29, 2011
Full review: http://www.paperbackdolls.com/2011/05...
The year is 1986. I had recently moved (AGAIN) to a different state and was about to start school mid semester. I was the new kid once more. It seemed like just as soon as I would start to fit in my family moved. I am sure many adults can relate to the feeling of being up-rooted and moved as a child, but at the time you swear you are the only person who has ever felt that way.
So...I read...a lot. At first it was to pass the time on long cross country car trips following a moving van (remember this is back in the days before TV's in cars, ipods, cell phones...) But, as I grew older the books and stories I would read would have more purpose than just killing time. Sometimes the books actually changed my perspective on things by telling me a story in which I could so deeply relate. It wasn't a person in my face telling me that "this too shall pass". No, it was a story that I could understand and it showed me that things can get better if you change the way you confront them. I know they seem so similar, but it's a very different thing to show and not tell.
This brings me to the late Paula Danziger's 1986 release of THIS PLACE HAS NO ATMOSPHERE. I picked up the book because I thought the premise of living under a dome on the moon really cool. And it was...totally, but it was so much more.
Danziger wrote a quirky Science Fiction spoof that is at times funny and sad but if anything it is a wonderful coming of age story. The characters are all very realistic in their actions and the emotions conveyed. Readers get to see a teen, who by nature is feels like the center of the universe, discover that she is a part of that universe. Aurora deals with depression and normal teenage angst, but in the midst of it all she grows closer to her parents and realizes all that she can be and contribute to the world whilst finding her true identity.
And, lets face it . . . finding ones identity is a timeless lesson that continues to be something kids, teens and adults have issues with.
I loved this book. I am so happy to see that it is still in print...with a far less cheesy 1980's cover. ;)
The year is 1986. I had recently moved (AGAIN) to a different state and was about to start school mid semester. I was the new kid once more. It seemed like just as soon as I would start to fit in my family moved. I am sure many adults can relate to the feeling of being up-rooted and moved as a child, but at the time you swear you are the only person who has ever felt that way.
So...I read...a lot. At first it was to pass the time on long cross country car trips following a moving van (remember this is back in the days before TV's in cars, ipods, cell phones...) But, as I grew older the books and stories I would read would have more purpose than just killing time. Sometimes the books actually changed my perspective on things by telling me a story in which I could so deeply relate. It wasn't a person in my face telling me that "this too shall pass". No, it was a story that I could understand and it showed me that things can get better if you change the way you confront them. I know they seem so similar, but it's a very different thing to show and not tell.
This brings me to the late Paula Danziger's 1986 release of THIS PLACE HAS NO ATMOSPHERE. I picked up the book because I thought the premise of living under a dome on the moon really cool. And it was...totally, but it was so much more.
Danziger wrote a quirky Science Fiction spoof that is at times funny and sad but if anything it is a wonderful coming of age story. The characters are all very realistic in their actions and the emotions conveyed. Readers get to see a teen, who by nature is feels like the center of the universe, discover that she is a part of that universe. Aurora deals with depression and normal teenage angst, but in the midst of it all she grows closer to her parents and realizes all that she can be and contribute to the world whilst finding her true identity.
And, lets face it . . . finding ones identity is a timeless lesson that continues to be something kids, teens and adults have issues with.
I loved this book. I am so happy to see that it is still in print...with a far less cheesy 1980's cover. ;)
July 2, 2020
I do readily admit that it has in fact has taken me until almost the end of Paula Danziger's 1986 (but set in the future) novel This Place Has No Atmosphere (a 2057 imagined and often rather utopian future which is both a fun and intriguing consideration but also at times rather strange and not making all that much sense with regard to actual and realistic technology for the middle of the 21st century) to actually feel as though main protagonist Aurora is indeed someone who might not just be a typical (and often also a bit mean-spirited) popular girl, the kind of girl who would have either ignored me (the best case scenario) or tormented me (the worst case scenario) if I had actually and physically encountered her when I was attending middle and high school. Because yes, reading about such teenaged drama queens, their many but for the most part pretty petty likes and dislikes, their often judgemental attitudes and how annoyingly full of themselves they generally appear to be, this is generally but truly just not all that pleasant (and in particular if like with This Place Has No Atmosphere, you get everything with a first person narration, as at least from my own reading experiences, if the main character tells his or her story using mostly the pronoun I and sometimes the pronoun we, you actually often do tend to feel as though you might in fact be that same narrating individual, and this feeling is most definitely not all that much a reading joy if the latter is someone rather annoying, frustrating or spoiled absolutely and totally rotten).
But even though I could (from my personal immigration experiences) relate very well to Aurora being totally upset and also massively infuriated at her (obviously clueless) parents for simply deciding to without even asking or really in any way maturely and compassionately discussing whether this is even alright with their daughters to make the entire family move and not to some place close-by, but yes, to the Moon (which is in fact just like how people used to have to immigrate, to move to a new place and without the opportunity to likely ever visit, to see their families and friends again), I still was finding Aurora's behaviour and her nastiness annoying (even if I could sometimes relate) and was really cringing not just because of her snarkiness and bad attitudes but also at the mean-spirited manner with which Aurora was describing her fellow moon colonists. And yes, even though by the end of This Place Has No Atmosphere I had certainly come to appreciate that Aurora has matured, mellowed and grown and that she has even decided to remain on the moon and not to go back to earth to live with her grandparents, she is at the end of This Place Has No Atmosphere still way way too much of a popular girl stereotype for me to really be able to relate to her and to become book friends with her, making This Place Has No Atmosphere an interesting enough story in and of itself but also not really featuring a really and personally relatable main protagonist (and yes, if I am reading a children's or a young adult novel for pleasure, in order for me to totally be able to enjoy the given text, I also have to find especially the main characters relatable and comfortable fits for me).
Finally, while with me not being able to relate all that well to Aurora as an individual, my reading pleasure response to This Place Has No Atmosphere is generally about two to two and a half stars, I am still going to be upping my rating to a solid three stars. For yes, even though much of the future technology shown and encountered in This Place Has No Atmosphere often does tend to feel more than a bit unrealistic if one actually and with contemporary eyes considers the time setting of 2057 (only 37 years from now, and well, we are in 2020 in no way even remotely ready for and close to a colony on the moon and for space shuttles carrying passengers not clad in uncomfortable space suits), I from a sense of historic nostalgia really do appreciate Paula Danziger's 1980s optimism for the future as it is shown and featured in This Place Has No Atmosphere (for yes indeed, in my high school science classes of the 1980s, many of our teachers were in fact rather totally convinced that by the middle of the 21st century, by the 2050s, there would be moving sidewalks on earth and colonies on the moon).
But even though I could (from my personal immigration experiences) relate very well to Aurora being totally upset and also massively infuriated at her (obviously clueless) parents for simply deciding to without even asking or really in any way maturely and compassionately discussing whether this is even alright with their daughters to make the entire family move and not to some place close-by, but yes, to the Moon (which is in fact just like how people used to have to immigrate, to move to a new place and without the opportunity to likely ever visit, to see their families and friends again), I still was finding Aurora's behaviour and her nastiness annoying (even if I could sometimes relate) and was really cringing not just because of her snarkiness and bad attitudes but also at the mean-spirited manner with which Aurora was describing her fellow moon colonists. And yes, even though by the end of This Place Has No Atmosphere I had certainly come to appreciate that Aurora has matured, mellowed and grown and that she has even decided to remain on the moon and not to go back to earth to live with her grandparents, she is at the end of This Place Has No Atmosphere still way way too much of a popular girl stereotype for me to really be able to relate to her and to become book friends with her, making This Place Has No Atmosphere an interesting enough story in and of itself but also not really featuring a really and personally relatable main protagonist (and yes, if I am reading a children's or a young adult novel for pleasure, in order for me to totally be able to enjoy the given text, I also have to find especially the main characters relatable and comfortable fits for me).
Finally, while with me not being able to relate all that well to Aurora as an individual, my reading pleasure response to This Place Has No Atmosphere is generally about two to two and a half stars, I am still going to be upping my rating to a solid three stars. For yes, even though much of the future technology shown and encountered in This Place Has No Atmosphere often does tend to feel more than a bit unrealistic if one actually and with contemporary eyes considers the time setting of 2057 (only 37 years from now, and well, we are in 2020 in no way even remotely ready for and close to a colony on the moon and for space shuttles carrying passengers not clad in uncomfortable space suits), I from a sense of historic nostalgia really do appreciate Paula Danziger's 1980s optimism for the future as it is shown and featured in This Place Has No Atmosphere (for yes indeed, in my high school science classes of the 1980s, many of our teachers were in fact rather totally convinced that by the middle of the 21st century, by the 2050s, there would be moving sidewalks on earth and colonies on the moon).
September 21, 2015
This is still, I believe, one of the most fun YA books ever written. I love the story of Aurora, who wants to be an actress and live in a mall, and who thinks her life is over because she's moving to the moon colony. I love the descriptions of life in the future, almost all of which still seem futuristic, nothing has already happened and so seems silly: the mega malls, mood clothing, eyelash implants, spray stockings, etc. Get this: the president of the US is a woman . . . notice that, like the moon colony, we haven't seen that happen yet. I love that her grandparents are named Josh and Jennifer, and her best friend has to ride in the Macy's Thanksgiving parade every year because she was the first child conceived in space. I just love everything about this book!
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July 16, 2013Another attempt to re-visit the past, with another novel I remember loving as a teen.
This one, sadly, doesn't stand up to the test of time as well as others.
It's kind of a gateway sci-fi book for the reluctant sci-fi reader. The book contains a whole, fleshed out sci fi world that's mostly there to support the character-based story.
It's a bit younger than I remember - maybe I was a pre-teen when I read it? Aurora is 15 and rather shallow and stereotypical when the reader first meets her. Of course, she does have a very well-drawn character arc, but on re-read, I didn't find anything particularly moving about her story.
Also, I was sad to see that much of the cool technology isn't as revolutionary as it seemed when I first read it. The book is supposedly set in 2057 and I remember thinking how cool it would be if the future really contained the stuff Danziger predicted. Okay, so we don't have artificially intelligent robot lunch monitors, and no one has colonized the moon (and Newt didn't get elected, so I guess that's off the table for the foreseeable future, too). But TV wristwatches? Smart phones and tablet devices have far exceeded that. Yearbook vid-disks? Guess the concept of cloud storage was either too revolutionary or maybe too boring to think about . . .
The book is still cute, but I think perhaps mostly because of the nostalgia factor. Maybe it would be interesting for a pre-teen/MG reader to see what people thought the future would be like compared to what they actually have. But it would need a serious technology update to really be a viable sci fi read today.
This one, sadly, doesn't stand up to the test of time as well as others.
It's kind of a gateway sci-fi book for the reluctant sci-fi reader. The book contains a whole, fleshed out sci fi world that's mostly there to support the character-based story.
It's a bit younger than I remember - maybe I was a pre-teen when I read it? Aurora is 15 and rather shallow and stereotypical when the reader first meets her. Of course, she does have a very well-drawn character arc, but on re-read, I didn't find anything particularly moving about her story.
Also, I was sad to see that much of the cool technology isn't as revolutionary as it seemed when I first read it. The book is supposedly set in 2057 and I remember thinking how cool it would be if the future really contained the stuff Danziger predicted. Okay, so we don't have artificially intelligent robot lunch monitors, and no one has colonized the moon (and Newt didn't get elected, so I guess that's off the table for the foreseeable future, too). But TV wristwatches? Smart phones and tablet devices have far exceeded that. Yearbook vid-disks? Guess the concept of cloud storage was either too revolutionary or maybe too boring to think about . . .
The book is still cute, but I think perhaps mostly because of the nostalgia factor. Maybe it would be interesting for a pre-teen/MG reader to see what people thought the future would be like compared to what they actually have. But it would need a serious technology update to really be a viable sci fi read today.
February 15, 2013
I've been trying to remember this book for ages! It was one of the many books on my shelf when I was young that I read more than once. The most memorable part for me was the mood clothing being modelled by real people in the shop display window and one of the models must have been very sad cause her dress was plain black. This was a fantastic coming of age story about a family that moves to the moon and a girl who finds herself happy in a situation she was sure was going to be awful. I'd recommend this to young girls everywhere!
May 29, 2019
This place has no atmosphere ⭐️
Everything was perfect until she was forced to move to the moon.
This was cute, as everything she writes is.
Everything was perfect until she was forced to move to the moon.
This was cute, as everything she writes is.
January 10, 2018
This book is really hard for me to review. It was recommended as a fun light read on booktube and I really enjoy sci-fi so I thought I’d give it a try. I enjoyed Matilda and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory so why not other kids books? It’s aimed at a much younger audience so I found it very juvenile and a bit silly and corny. I think it would be an excellent book for an 11 or 12 yr old girl. There is some mention of sex and pregnancy but it wasn’t a major focus. The main character is a freshmen in high school and very interested in boys but it all remains pretty PG.
The sci-fi elements were the best! I loved hearing about the gadgets, clothes, and spacecrafts. Don’t get me wrong, this is not hardcore sci-fi even for kids, but it was fun! The main issue to me was the lightheartedness and the way the author never delved deeply into the issues being addressed. When Dahl writes his children’s books there is an undercurrent of darkness and some real life issues are addressed in a very life like way. That isn’t the case with this book. It remains very light and fun through the entirety and nothing gets to serious.
The main character is Aurora and she’s a bit snotty and selfish and instead of her really learning anything she went to the moon and had no choice but to change because all her friends were gone, the Mall was gone, so she remade herself. Sounds intense but it isn’t. All in all it’s a cute story.
The sci-fi elements were the best! I loved hearing about the gadgets, clothes, and spacecrafts. Don’t get me wrong, this is not hardcore sci-fi even for kids, but it was fun! The main issue to me was the lightheartedness and the way the author never delved deeply into the issues being addressed. When Dahl writes his children’s books there is an undercurrent of darkness and some real life issues are addressed in a very life like way. That isn’t the case with this book. It remains very light and fun through the entirety and nothing gets to serious.
The main character is Aurora and she’s a bit snotty and selfish and instead of her really learning anything she went to the moon and had no choice but to change because all her friends were gone, the Mall was gone, so she remade herself. Sounds intense but it isn’t. All in all it’s a cute story.
November 5, 2018
That was fun! I added this to my tbr like 4 or 5 years ago and didn't expect to ever get to it, but I was going through my virtual to-read shelf and did a quick search and found this one online. Pretty sure I added it because a) the cover is great and b) love me a story about space.
This one was about a 13 year old girl named Aurora who has to move to the moon with her family when her parents get offered jobs there. Aurora is an extremely realistic teenage girl character, like weirdly so. This book was like the Zenon movies if Zenon didn't have any spunk and was obsessed with fitting in. It's only set in 2057 too! I will be just 60 years old then, so im curious to see how the real 2057 compares to this book's version of it.
Overall a fun, breezy read
This one was about a 13 year old girl named Aurora who has to move to the moon with her family when her parents get offered jobs there. Aurora is an extremely realistic teenage girl character, like weirdly so. This book was like the Zenon movies if Zenon didn't have any spunk and was obsessed with fitting in. It's only set in 2057 too! I will be just 60 years old then, so im curious to see how the real 2057 compares to this book's version of it.
Overall a fun, breezy read
April 22, 2008
This is one of my favorite books. Its about a girl named Aurora and her family. Her parents get a new job on the moon because her parents are intelligent scientists. They have to move and Aurora is very sad. Everything in her life was going prefectly.
Aurora is scared to see what is going to happen to her at the moon. Aurora is your typical teenage girl who worrys about every little thing. Will she get it together? Make friends?
Aurora and her family try there best to make it feel like they were back at there own home. I would recommand this book to the girls. It is a very funny story. I love this author very much and I hope that you will too.
Aurora is scared to see what is going to happen to her at the moon. Aurora is your typical teenage girl who worrys about every little thing. Will she get it together? Make friends?
Aurora and her family try there best to make it feel like they were back at there own home. I would recommand this book to the girls. It is a very funny story. I love this author very much and I hope that you will too.
June 29, 2013
Sometimes I am afraid to reread favorites from my childhood, because what if they are not as great as I remembered them to be? I didn't have to worry about this one at all, it still rocks!
I think as a kid who was moved around a lot, it was easy for me to identify with a main character who gets unwillingly moved to the moon by her parents. Also, as an adult, I realize that this book (and Star Wars) really set off my love of Science Fiction. Just the IDEA of living in a biome on the surface of the moon....I really took all this stuff for granted when I was younger that 1. it would all exist by the time I was grown and 2. I was entitled to all of this stuff (by stuff, of course, I mean moon colonies but also hover boards, jet packs, color changing clothing, etc.)
Sigh. We were so optimistic in 1986.
This is not YA by today's standard at all, and I'll be the first to admit that Aurora's judgements of the other moon kids get old, fast. But there is a lot to love here, and a realistic solution to a problem (moving somewhere new) that any modern kid could relate to. Aurora's just a little MORE modern than today's modern teen.
I didn't read an updated edition. Some of the tiny details may be a tad dated (the supply closet has cassettes and ribbons), but nothing was so severe that it pulled me out of the story. Cellphones, that do not exist on Earth wouldn't work on the moon anyway, so there is that.
As a middle grade read, this is awesome. Personally, while I didn't get all of them, the puns were really funny. I'm just glad it was as great of a read as the first time I read it.
I think as a kid who was moved around a lot, it was easy for me to identify with a main character who gets unwillingly moved to the moon by her parents. Also, as an adult, I realize that this book (and Star Wars) really set off my love of Science Fiction. Just the IDEA of living in a biome on the surface of the moon....I really took all this stuff for granted when I was younger that 1. it would all exist by the time I was grown and 2. I was entitled to all of this stuff (by stuff, of course, I mean moon colonies but also hover boards, jet packs, color changing clothing, etc.)
Sigh. We were so optimistic in 1986.
This is not YA by today's standard at all, and I'll be the first to admit that Aurora's judgements of the other moon kids get old, fast. But there is a lot to love here, and a realistic solution to a problem (moving somewhere new) that any modern kid could relate to. Aurora's just a little MORE modern than today's modern teen.
I didn't read an updated edition. Some of the tiny details may be a tad dated (the supply closet has cassettes and ribbons), but nothing was so severe that it pulled me out of the story. Cellphones, that do not exist on Earth wouldn't work on the moon anyway, so there is that.
As a middle grade read, this is awesome. Personally, while I didn't get all of them, the puns were really funny. I'm just glad it was as great of a read as the first time I read it.
June 9, 2010
This book is set in the future, with main character Aurora. She fits in and is popular, and finally has the boyfriend of her dreams. She has all she ever wanted. Until her parent tell her that the family is moving to the moon for 5 years. Aurora doesn't believe it, and does not want it to happen at all. Her first impression of the people in the little town on the moon, is what her friends on earth would think of them. Everyone on the moon close to her age, would never be in her clique. After a project turns out right, Aurora learns that there are so many more things in life then having a boyfriend or being friends with whoever is cool.
During this book, Aurora brings up the earth. While on the moon, she can opnly remeber her memories of when she used to be on earth. She repeats this throughout the book and i think that it is showing her feelings. And because she wouldn't want anyone on earth to forget about her, she doesn't forget about them either. Also, her dream of acting is repeated throughout the story. Nothing excites her more then acting, which i think was the main detail of the story, because without the acting, she wouldn't have changed while being on the moon.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 1, 2008
This particular offering marks Danziger's foray into the world of sci fi, telling the tell of young Aurora, an aspiring high school actress whose parents have decided to move the family quite literally to the Moon. Aurora is devastated--she is part of the in-crowd at school, and has no intention of leaving Earth to go to the Moon. Her parents finally agree that she can come home after a year if she hates it. And so, Aurora, her sister, and her parents become space pioneers and Aurora must find her way in a place that has no atmosphere.
The sci fi aspect of the things is really quite silly, but it touches a chord in every kid who never wanted to move or who had issues with their parents. I never moved growing up, although I sometimes thought my life would be easier if I did, but I certainly had typical teenage issues with my parents that were hard to resolve, and I remember loving this book. When I told Judy I had it, she practically ripped it out of my hands, recalling small details I never remembered. A fun, quick read, if you want a little nostalgia mixed in with silly sci fi, you'll enjoy it.
The sci fi aspect of the things is really quite silly, but it touches a chord in every kid who never wanted to move or who had issues with their parents. I never moved growing up, although I sometimes thought my life would be easier if I did, but I certainly had typical teenage issues with my parents that were hard to resolve, and I remember loving this book. When I told Judy I had it, she practically ripped it out of my hands, recalling small details I never remembered. A fun, quick read, if you want a little nostalgia mixed in with silly sci fi, you'll enjoy it.
October 9, 2014
I think this book was entertaining at the beginning but became dull towards the middle and on. I selected this book because I saw someone reading it in class so I decided to see the back of the book and it seemed to interest me. One thing in the book that made me not fond was how the content changed so much and how the story got boring. Fore example, after she left her home to move to the moon, the story didn't progress. The characters in this book are very realistic as well as the setting. The theme of this book is that new situations may be hard to adjust to but can turn out to be good. One quote that impressed me was, "Maybe some day I'll be a star. Today, I'll just live among them." This quote really got my attention because of the detail and how the author wrote this. The book is about a girl named Aurora and her parents got a job on the moon and are accepting it. Aurora must leave her friends, new boyfriend, popularity, and everything behind as her and family move to the moon for the next 5 years. Aurora has trouble adjusting to her new life but gets the hang of it towards the end.
July 5, 2015
I give this book three stars because I thought some parts of it were mildy amusing and it was well written. I probably would have given it one otherwise. The characters (almost every single one of them), were stupid, materialistic and annoying. I didn't like any of them at all, either because you never really got to know them, or would rather not have in the first place. I think that maybe you need to have the same point of view as a immature 13-year-old obsessed with popularity and boyfriends in order to enjoy this. I get that she gets better in the end, but she definitely doesn't change enough in my opinion. Only enough to make me not want to strangle her. I can't tell you if you will like this book or not, I think it depends totally on how much you have a sense of humor about this kind of situation and can have patience with the characters. Try it, there is a big chance you will like it a lot more than I did.
April 21, 2011
I really loved this book when I was young, and I just now realized why. It's about a girl who moves to a small town where there are very few people with whom to socialize and she finds herself through acting. Which is pretty much the story of my life. Growing up as an Air Force brat, I moved around a lot. This story really spoke to me, since it's about a family that gets uprooted and all the members have to make new friends. Just say "Army post in Germany" instead of "colony on the moon."
Anyway, besides the fact that it deals with an issue that lots of teenage girls experience (as most Paula Danziger books do), it's a sweet, quick read with cute situations (SHOWING me romance instead of telling me about it-- hooray!) and characters that feel real.
Anyway, besides the fact that it deals with an issue that lots of teenage girls experience (as most Paula Danziger books do), it's a sweet, quick read with cute situations (SHOWING me romance instead of telling me about it-- hooray!) and characters that feel real.
July 9, 2011
I may be somewhat biased, because this book was one of my favorites growing up and it took a long time to remember the title and author and to actually find it, but I really LOVE this book. It's well-written and touches on lots of important subjects - conflicts with family, dealing with uncomfortable thoughts and feelings, having to change and mature, friends and fitting in. It seems to me that the book, although written in the 80's, is still a book that a teenager today could read and relate to. It's funny, moving and has some great one-liners too.
February 15, 2015
This book might be better than I remember it, but I was given it to read when I was a 6th grade boy. It's about a girl who moves to a moon colony (COOL!!), but spends most of her time missing her boyfriend back on Earth (LAME!!!). I remember that there was a scene involving a hickey which scandalized me as a child. Ken Stamatis is to blame for the trauma of this one.
December 1, 2008
It has been awhile since I read this book. Having done acting on my own I do remeber liking the lesson she learns about acting. That the show stopping part may not be the star part. It also has the plus that when girls have to read a sci-fi novel and they don't want to this is a good choice.
March 16, 2012
The first great teen science fiction book I ever read. Loved this. Paula Danziger was also the first Real Author I ever met. She dressed all in purple and signed books with a purple pen, and I fell in love with every last bit of her. I only wish I'd had a copy of this for her to sign.
May 21, 2015
Loved this book as a teen <3
February 27, 2017
Like The Other Side of the Moon, which I reviewed yesterday, This Place Has No Atmosphere is also a middle grade novel set in a moon colony, but with a much more superficial twist. Aurora is a high school student in the year 2057, when people live in malls and schools issue "yeardisks" in place of yearbooks. Her parents are successful scientists, and when they are given an opportunity to live and work on the moon for five years they decide to accept it and move Aurora and her sister Starr with them to the moon. Aurora is horrified at the thought of leaving her friends and her boyfriend, and she is sure she will be heading back to Earth in a year to stay with her grandparents. After she and some of the other teens on the moon begin planning a production of Our Town, however, her outlook on moon living begins to change.
I very distinctly remember finding this book on display in the YA section at my childhood library not long after the librarian (who later became a coworker and a friend!) made me aware that there was a section for middle school and high school readers. I read it several times over a period of several years, and then eventually, it ran its course and I moved on to something else. My memory has always been that this was a fast-paced romance novel about a girl who lives in a mall on the moon. Reading the book last week, however, showed me the weakness of my memory.
First of all, Aurora does not live in a mall. None of the characters in the story do - not on Earth, and not on the moon. There is some romance, but it's minimal, especially compared with other Danziger books that had a lot of kissing and hand-holding in them. This book has some, but it's not the sole focus. The story itself also dragged. Aurora's concerns seemed so superficial, and the idea of teenagers in a moon colony putting on a play just struck me as ridiculous. I wish I knew what was so appealing about this book when I was 11 or 12, because it is completely lost on me now.
One thing I did notice that went right over my head as a kid were references to fertility drugs. I'm sure I was unaware of any interventions that could help women achieve pregnancy when I was in middle school, but the casual mention of them in this book did give me pause. They aren't enough of a plot point for me to feel that the whole book is inappropriate, but I think most Catholic parents would at least want to be aware that these casual references are included in the book. This book is not the kind of thing I'll be rushing to share with my girls anyway, because it just isn't that good, but the author's clear approval of the use of such drugs would be something I'd have to think about if I did plan to have them read the book.
Overall, this book, though futuristic, is actually terribly dated. Half of its futuristic technology has already come and gone and the other half seems even more impractical now than it did in 1986 when the book was first published. I think there is probably a certain kind of contemporary kid who would still enjoy this book, and it is surprisingly still in print, so if you know that kid, you can easily purchase a copy. It is by no means, however, the must-read I imagined. (I am curious about how other Danziger titles hold up now, though. I might have to snag a few and binge-read them!)
This review also appears on my blog, Read-at-Home Mom.
I very distinctly remember finding this book on display in the YA section at my childhood library not long after the librarian (who later became a coworker and a friend!) made me aware that there was a section for middle school and high school readers. I read it several times over a period of several years, and then eventually, it ran its course and I moved on to something else. My memory has always been that this was a fast-paced romance novel about a girl who lives in a mall on the moon. Reading the book last week, however, showed me the weakness of my memory.
First of all, Aurora does not live in a mall. None of the characters in the story do - not on Earth, and not on the moon. There is some romance, but it's minimal, especially compared with other Danziger books that had a lot of kissing and hand-holding in them. This book has some, but it's not the sole focus. The story itself also dragged. Aurora's concerns seemed so superficial, and the idea of teenagers in a moon colony putting on a play just struck me as ridiculous. I wish I knew what was so appealing about this book when I was 11 or 12, because it is completely lost on me now.
One thing I did notice that went right over my head as a kid were references to fertility drugs. I'm sure I was unaware of any interventions that could help women achieve pregnancy when I was in middle school, but the casual mention of them in this book did give me pause. They aren't enough of a plot point for me to feel that the whole book is inappropriate, but I think most Catholic parents would at least want to be aware that these casual references are included in the book. This book is not the kind of thing I'll be rushing to share with my girls anyway, because it just isn't that good, but the author's clear approval of the use of such drugs would be something I'd have to think about if I did plan to have them read the book.
Overall, this book, though futuristic, is actually terribly dated. Half of its futuristic technology has already come and gone and the other half seems even more impractical now than it did in 1986 when the book was first published. I think there is probably a certain kind of contemporary kid who would still enjoy this book, and it is surprisingly still in print, so if you know that kid, you can easily purchase a copy. It is by no means, however, the must-read I imagined. (I am curious about how other Danziger titles hold up now, though. I might have to snag a few and binge-read them!)
This review also appears on my blog, Read-at-Home Mom.
December 11, 2010
This is not a great classic, and I doubt many people remember it from the '80s despite the fact that it's written by Paula Danziger. But I loved this book when it first came out, and so when I found it again at the Friends of the Library sale, it was a no-brainer!
It is 2057 and Aurora, a popular, pretty high school student is shocked when her parents announce the family is joining the colony on the moon. One nice thing is although she's popular, she's not particularly mean (at least no meaner than any 13-year-old, popular or not.) She has friends, a new boyfriend, a fashionable wardrobe, a solid B average, and no desire to leave all of that. However, the family goes together. Once Aurora gets to the moon, she finds it's not so bad as she thought. For one thing the school is way too small to even have cliques, so for the first time she hangs out with kids who would have been unpopular back home, and finds out they're not so bad as she thinks. This book also introduced me to the play "Our Town." Eventually Aurora learns to expand her horizons, care about more than the next mood dress or Rita Retrograde music video, and that she can actually be more than just a cute, fun girl.
In 1986 this book was all conjecture about the future. 25 years later, there are a few glaring gaps, such as no ability to communicate electronically (they have to wait for vid-disks to be physically mailed.) But of course, Ms. Danziger did the best she could with the information she had! Also a lot of the guesses about pop music and fashion have a decidedly 80s-twinge to them. One futuristic thing I really appreciated was her attention to names. The grandparents, who were born around 2000, were named Josh and Jennifer. The teens in 2057 were named Aurora, Starr, Juna, Joandrew, Brandonetta, Cosmosa, and Tandy. There are also kids with ordinary names like Matthew and April and Julie, but I really appreciate that Ms. Danziger is aware of the changing nature of popular names, and made an effort to keep up with that.
While the book is obviously dated and not at all the kind of book that is popular now, it has a good message, is pretty unique, and is a quick, easy read. On the young side of YA (just a couple of light kissing scenes), it's perfect for a junior high girl with a light interest in sci fi.
It is 2057 and Aurora, a popular, pretty high school student is shocked when her parents announce the family is joining the colony on the moon. One nice thing is although she's popular, she's not particularly mean (at least no meaner than any 13-year-old, popular or not.) She has friends, a new boyfriend, a fashionable wardrobe, a solid B average, and no desire to leave all of that. However, the family goes together. Once Aurora gets to the moon, she finds it's not so bad as she thought. For one thing the school is way too small to even have cliques, so for the first time she hangs out with kids who would have been unpopular back home, and finds out they're not so bad as she thinks. This book also introduced me to the play "Our Town." Eventually Aurora learns to expand her horizons, care about more than the next mood dress or Rita Retrograde music video, and that she can actually be more than just a cute, fun girl.
In 1986 this book was all conjecture about the future. 25 years later, there are a few glaring gaps, such as no ability to communicate electronically (they have to wait for vid-disks to be physically mailed.) But of course, Ms. Danziger did the best she could with the information she had! Also a lot of the guesses about pop music and fashion have a decidedly 80s-twinge to them. One futuristic thing I really appreciated was her attention to names. The grandparents, who were born around 2000, were named Josh and Jennifer. The teens in 2057 were named Aurora, Starr, Juna, Joandrew, Brandonetta, Cosmosa, and Tandy. There are also kids with ordinary names like Matthew and April and Julie, but I really appreciate that Ms. Danziger is aware of the changing nature of popular names, and made an effort to keep up with that.
While the book is obviously dated and not at all the kind of book that is popular now, it has a good message, is pretty unique, and is a quick, easy read. On the young side of YA (just a couple of light kissing scenes), it's perfect for a junior high girl with a light interest in sci fi.
December 5, 2009
When I first read this book as a young teenager, it was probably still about 10 years or so past it's original publish date. What I remembered from it (except for perhaps the mention of mood clothing) was the overarching themes--young girl, happy on earth, moves to moon with family to be pioneers in a new settlement against her adamant wishes, and eventually grows to love (or at least appreciate) her new life. So the technology in this book is largely irrelevant, and in fact, the theme is universal, still as applicable today as it was in 1986 or will be in 2057.
But like reading any kind of near-future science fiction 20 years past the date it was written, it's fun to play "how well did the author get it right?" I love the technology in this book, from the always musically wired Brandonetta, to the aforementioned mood clothing. (Not ever actually worn by the main character Aurora, but there's a great image where she's watching the models in a shop display the mood clothing. "Their mood clothes are like rainbows, except one gray tunic that never changes. The model is obviously not having a great day.") The technology underscores the themes of the book--for example, Aurora's friends communicate with her by sending physical letters and viddisks, (vs email) emphasizing her isolation on the moon, whereas Brandonetta, who always listens to her music, finally takes out her "Walkperson earrings" and then decides to leave Aurora's original group of friends at around the same time Aurora realizes she probably wouldn't fit in with them anymore, either. Even the mood clothing comes up again--in contrast to the fancy fashions Aurora wore on Earth, on the moon, everything is gray.
I have to admit, I got impatient at times with Aurora at the beginning of the novel--at times, she's as shallow as her group of friends, and really, does anyone walk around thinking their life is wonderful as much as a teen in the beginning of a YA novel? She's probably not someone I would have wanted to be friends with. But she's clever, and has some obvious passions and flaws before the moon is even mentioned, so I forgive her her occasional shallowness. It's a quick read--I finished it in an evening--but enjoyable, and I'm glad I hunted it down again.
But like reading any kind of near-future science fiction 20 years past the date it was written, it's fun to play "how well did the author get it right?" I love the technology in this book, from the always musically wired Brandonetta, to the aforementioned mood clothing. (Not ever actually worn by the main character Aurora, but there's a great image where she's watching the models in a shop display the mood clothing. "Their mood clothes are like rainbows, except one gray tunic that never changes. The model is obviously not having a great day.") The technology underscores the themes of the book--for example, Aurora's friends communicate with her by sending physical letters and viddisks, (vs email) emphasizing her isolation on the moon, whereas Brandonetta, who always listens to her music, finally takes out her "Walkperson earrings" and then decides to leave Aurora's original group of friends at around the same time Aurora realizes she probably wouldn't fit in with them anymore, either. Even the mood clothing comes up again--in contrast to the fancy fashions Aurora wore on Earth, on the moon, everything is gray.
I have to admit, I got impatient at times with Aurora at the beginning of the novel--at times, she's as shallow as her group of friends, and really, does anyone walk around thinking their life is wonderful as much as a teen in the beginning of a YA novel? She's probably not someone I would have wanted to be friends with. But she's clever, and has some obvious passions and flaws before the moon is even mentioned, so I forgive her her occasional shallowness. It's a quick read--I finished it in an evening--but enjoyable, and I'm glad I hunted it down again.
July 21, 2016
Aurora is a teen living in the not-too-distant future, and she's more or less living the dream--she's a turnip (uh, the name for her popular social group), she's got a cool boy interested in her, and she's loving her high school life. Too bad her parents decide to make a colonist out of her by moving the whole family to the moon. Aurora is devastated, but after some obstinacy and mourning, she begins to embrace her new future and finds meaning in the life she's been handed.
Except for being set in the future, this book is surprisingly predictable; there probably isn't a "moving to a new place" book for teens that doesn't portray the "moving from" setting as idyllic and perfect and the "moving to" setting as bland, off-putting, or otherwise horrible, only to push the protagonist toward embracing it (usually because of human relationships, and almost always because of a romantic relationship that helps the character put down roots there and conclude "maybe it's not so bad"). Despite the disappointingly common resolution for this book, I was happy to see that the character began to see why her parents' work on the moon was important, ecologically speaking, and that she became less shallow. That said, the way "the future" was portrayed irritated me. People have mood clothes (because hey, of course we want those! wait, why would we ever?), silly space slang, and of course for some reason since it's the future they are taking classes in psychic powers. I wonder why science fiction writers seem to think we're all psychic in the future?
Except for being set in the future, this book is surprisingly predictable; there probably isn't a "moving to a new place" book for teens that doesn't portray the "moving from" setting as idyllic and perfect and the "moving to" setting as bland, off-putting, or otherwise horrible, only to push the protagonist toward embracing it (usually because of human relationships, and almost always because of a romantic relationship that helps the character put down roots there and conclude "maybe it's not so bad"). Despite the disappointingly common resolution for this book, I was happy to see that the character began to see why her parents' work on the moon was important, ecologically speaking, and that she became less shallow. That said, the way "the future" was portrayed irritated me. People have mood clothes (because hey, of course we want those! wait, why would we ever?), silly space slang, and of course for some reason since it's the future they are taking classes in psychic powers. I wonder why science fiction writers seem to think we're all psychic in the future?
November 28, 2014
I choose this book because it had a fascinating title,'This Place Has No Atmosphere.'It made me wonder what place has no atmosphere.As I read the novel it shows how life can change in the future and can effect us greatly.It also reminded me about how scientist research if human can live on any planets and the moon.
Character
Aurora's family is moving to the moon,she has to leave her perfect life behind her.She's apart of the coolest group of kids at school,Turnips and has just started dating the best-looking guy in her grade.She can be very contrary."Aurora, the company's arriving. I want you to come downstairs."It's my father. "Go away,"I yell."I'm not going to a party to celebrate my having to go away from place that I don't want to leave."He opens the door and comes in. I pretend that he's not there. He e steps over the boxes filled with all my stuff that's to be put in storage and sits down on the chair next to my bed.He doesn't even move the stuffed animals that I'm putting into storage.It's a shame that they don't bite."Aurora."He leans over and moves my hair from in front of my eyes."Honey believe us.We don't want you to be so unhappy." "If you didn't want me to be so unhappy,you wouldn't move just hen I've started high school and love it'"I cry."This shows how stubborn she is about the idea going to the moon.
Character
Aurora's family is moving to the moon,she has to leave her perfect life behind her.She's apart of the coolest group of kids at school,Turnips and has just started dating the best-looking guy in her grade.She can be very contrary."Aurora, the company's arriving. I want you to come downstairs."It's my father. "Go away,"I yell."I'm not going to a party to celebrate my having to go away from place that I don't want to leave."He opens the door and comes in. I pretend that he's not there. He e steps over the boxes filled with all my stuff that's to be put in storage and sits down on the chair next to my bed.He doesn't even move the stuffed animals that I'm putting into storage.It's a shame that they don't bite."Aurora."He leans over and moves my hair from in front of my eyes."Honey believe us.We don't want you to be so unhappy." "If you didn't want me to be so unhappy,you wouldn't move just hen I've started high school and love it'"I cry."This shows how stubborn she is about the idea going to the moon.
February 13, 2020
I had been thinking about this book a lot as I prepared to jump into the future of 2020, and I was really disappointed to learn that it's not at my local library and seems to be out of print! Luckily, my mom found a used copy and gave it to me for Christmas, so I could finally settle in for a re-read.
Written in 1986, this book takes place in 2057 and follows Aurora, a popular high school freshman whose world comes crashing down when her parents announce that the family is moving to the moon. Aurora has to leave her clique, her new boyfriend, and her grandparents Jennifer and Josh, and figure out where she fits in the small-town moon colony. I love weird predictions about the future, and this book is full of them: Aurora’s dad is a dentist who implants gemstones in her teeth to fix her knee, the school has robot lunch monitors and classes in ESP, and Aurora and her friends back home mail each other videodisks...no talk of the internet or email in sight!
All of my favorite lines are just as good as I remember them...my #1 is when the family is driving to the launch site and Aurora’s mom tells her to entertain her younger sister in the car. Aurora sasses, “what should I do with her? Teach her to dance? Pickle her?” Good question!
Written in 1986, this book takes place in 2057 and follows Aurora, a popular high school freshman whose world comes crashing down when her parents announce that the family is moving to the moon. Aurora has to leave her clique, her new boyfriend, and her grandparents Jennifer and Josh, and figure out where she fits in the small-town moon colony. I love weird predictions about the future, and this book is full of them: Aurora’s dad is a dentist who implants gemstones in her teeth to fix her knee, the school has robot lunch monitors and classes in ESP, and Aurora and her friends back home mail each other videodisks...no talk of the internet or email in sight!
All of my favorite lines are just as good as I remember them...my #1 is when the family is driving to the launch site and Aurora’s mom tells her to entertain her younger sister in the car. Aurora sasses, “what should I do with her? Teach her to dance? Pickle her?” Good question!
October 9, 2015
Aurora thinks she has it made, belonging to the "cool" group of kids and starting her freshman year of high school. Unfortunately, just days into the school year her parents inform Aurora and her younger sister that they've volunteered to move to the moon colony for five years. Aurora is devastated and is convinced that this is basically the end of her life.
Aurora is super dramatic and a lot of this book is just telling us stuff and is not particularly deep, but she does have reasonable and visible character growth. A good illustration of this is when she tells her sister, "It doesn't have to be all or nothing . . . You can like computers and boys . . . and lots of other things." This is a realization for Aurora herself as she says it.
The best part of this book are the hilarious ideas about what the future will look like in 2057 (as imagined when written in 1986). They live on the moon and have ridiculously advanced medical techniques, but they don't have the ability to communicate instantaneously (i.e. the internet, cell phones). These ideas were a pleasure to read. Aurora herself wasn't interesting at all. :-)
Aurora is super dramatic and a lot of this book is just telling us stuff and is not particularly deep, but she does have reasonable and visible character growth. A good illustration of this is when she tells her sister, "It doesn't have to be all or nothing . . . You can like computers and boys . . . and lots of other things." This is a realization for Aurora herself as she says it.
The best part of this book are the hilarious ideas about what the future will look like in 2057 (as imagined when written in 1986). They live on the moon and have ridiculously advanced medical techniques, but they don't have the ability to communicate instantaneously (i.e. the internet, cell phones). These ideas were a pleasure to read. Aurora herself wasn't interesting at all. :-)
October 10, 2016
I read this sometime in high school?? I remember it was on one of those spin racks at the library with a much different cover. I only remember small details about it. The year is 2057, and a teenage girl who is used futuristic Earth living is being moved to the moon with her family who want to start a colony on the moon. (Not exactly sure why). I remember that the girl has grandparents who were born in 1981 who are staying on earth. (That detail really stuck with me because that's the year I was born). The girl's best friend is kind of famous because she was the first baby conceived in space. The girl doesn't like moon living at first, and when she makes friends they comment on how it's funny not dressing for the weather, because there is no weather on the moon. Eventually she adjusts and then wants to stay. It was a pretty good teen read.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 20, 2009
This book was a really great book. It showed Aurora's change through out the beginning of the book to the end. I didn't expect it to end like the way it did. This book was about a book a girl in high school named Aurora, her and her parents are going to move to the moon. Aurora doesn't want to move to the moon because she is in the popular group at school and she just started to date the guy she liked. When she finally got to the moon she kept comparing people to her group in school. She was to upset about moving to the moon that she didn't relize how much she liked it. She had the choice to move back down to the earth but she loved it to much that she stayed up at the moon. She thought that she wouldnt fit in with the kids at school anymore. This book took place in the year 2057
August 30, 2008
Unfortunately, this book's ending was predictable and the attempts to insert future weirdness sometimes fell flat out of the author's need to insert wacky hijinks with new future inventions and/or developments, just because . . . "Well, it's THE FUTURE!!!" . . . but other than that, it was actually kind of an enjoyable read and I think I liked the concept more than the way it was handled. The main character has to move to the moon because her family is doing so, and like any moving story she has to leave her friends and is upset and completely prejudiced against the new place until she really gets to know it and starts liking it there. (And having a love interest there doesn't hurt.) I liked thinking about what it would be like to move offworld when I was a kid.
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