This Place Has No Atmosphere (2006) - Plot & Excerpts
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.
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.
What do You think about This Place Has No Atmosphere (2006)?
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.
—Julie K.
4 STARS"In the year 2057 people live in malls, take classes in ESP, and get detention from robots. Fifteen-year-old Aurora loves everything about her life. She's part of the coolest group of kids at school and has just started dating the best-looking guy in her grade. Then her parents make the announcement that she's sure will ruin her life—the family's moving to the moon! What with water rationing, no privacy, and freeze-dried hamburgers, how will Aurora ever feel like she's home again?" (From Amazon) A great fun read for teens looking into the future. Very funny.
—Kris - My Novelesque Life
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.
—Jamie
