A review by chuckstafer
The Atmospherians by Alex McElroy

challenging dark mysterious medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

What an interesting read! The concept of a cult focused on rehabilitating problematic men sounded a bit cooky from the synopsis, but the addition of the man hordes to the story took things up a notch! I liked this story and the exploration of how social media, the desire for success/fame, and the effects of cyberbullying were fleshed out pretty well and I could certainly relate to the struggles of both Sasha and Dyson. I did not however ever really connect with Sasha as a character. Right when I started to root for her, she would do something that would make me dislike her or do something that didn't seem to make much sense and I couldn't ever get a good feel for her and didn't like her all that much. Was she a villain? Was she just misunderstood? I don't know.  

I liked the concept of this novel, but the execution fell a bit short for me. I got a bit confused on the purpose of The Atmosphere at times, confused on Sasha and Dyson's overall objective, and the ending didn't help me feel any less confused on the overall "mission" of the novel. 

Not a bad novel, but not an overall great novel either. 

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