Ask the passengers

King, A.S. (2012). Ask the passengers. New York : Little, Brown & Co. Astrid Jones spends a lot of time watching airplanes pass by and sends them love from her backyard picnic table. You see, this is Astrid’s safe haven. She doesn’t have anyone she can open up to about the feelings that she has bottled inside without being judged. Astrid is senior in high school and not quite sure about her own feelings and fearing reactions from her superficially accepting family and openly intolerant community. Astrid’s best friend Christina and her boyfriend Justin, homecoming court candidates, are holding a secret of their own that Astrid keeps for them. One day, Astrid’s cover was blown when she was persuaded to go to a gay club with them and there was a raid. The next day, the rumor mill throughout town and all those judgmental small town people were ready to pin the whole escapade on Astrid. Her girlfriend Dee, told her multiple times to come out without caring about anyone. At the end, Astrid realized that Dee was right that it really doesn’t matter what anybody thinks but how you see yourself. I loved the twist on the homecoming court candidate’s secret. Who would ever have imagined two popular kids dating to keep the common secret of being gay between them? Their secret being revealed as well threw everyone in the community for a loop. Why not Christina and Justin? Related books: Tessa Masterson Will Go to Prom by Emily Franklin and Brendan Halpin, Beautiful Music for Ugly Children by Kirstin Cronn-Mills, The Miseducation of Cameron Post by Emily M. Danforth