This Place Has No Atmosphere
📘 About This Book
A gorgeous new package for Paula Danziger’s backlist with an introduction from Ann Martin! 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? Paula Danziger’s novels are hilarious, genuine, and full of dynamic female characters that have won the hearts of her readers and turned her books into beloved classics. These playful covers full of charming details capture the spirit of Paula’s stories and will brighten up the bookshelves of her fans and a new generation of readers.
📖 Summary
This Place Has No Atmosphere by Paula Danziger is a classic juvenile fiction novel set in the futuristic year of 2057, where society has evolved to include living in massive malls, taking unique classes like ESP, and receiving disciplinary action from robots. The story centers around fifteen-year-old Aurora, a teenager who is completely content with her terrestrial life. She has secured her spot among the coolest group of kids at school and has recently begun dating the most attractive boy in her grade, making her world feel practically perfect. Everything changes, however, when Aurora's parents deliver an announcement that she is certain will completely ruin her existence: the entire family is packing up and moving to the moon. Overnight, her comfortable, social teenage reality is upended as she is forced to leave behind her friends, her budding romance, and the only home she has ever known for a lunar environment that operates entirely differently. Life on the moon is nothing like Earth. Aurora quickly discovers that her new home comes with a steep set of inconveniences and extreme adjustments. She has to get used to strict water rationing, a complete lack of privacy, and an unfamiliar diet consisting largely of freeze-dried hamburgers. The technological advancements and futuristic novelties that might excite others only serve as daily reminders of what she has lost. As she navigates this bizarre new frontier, Aurora is forced to grapple with a fundamental question: how can she ever feel like she is home again when she is separated from everything that defined her identity? Danziger brings her trademark humor, genuine emotional resonance, and talent for creating dynamic female characters to this lunar adventure. Through Aurora's struggles, the novel explores themes of adaptation, teenage angst, and identity during times of major upheaval. Even in a setting defined by futuristic absurdity, such as robot detention monitors and lunar living, the emotional core of the story remains deeply relatable. Aurora's journey captures the universal teenage fear of being uprooted and the resilience required to find a sense of belonging in entirely unexpected circumstances.
🎯 Key Lessons
⚖️ Pros & Cons
✅ Pros
Humorous and engaging writing style
Relatable and dynamic main character
Fun futuristic concepts and setting
Addresses universal themes of teenage adjustment
⚠️ Cons
Dated futuristic predictions from a 2006 perspective
May feel predictable for older readers
✍️ About the Author
❓ FAQ
Who is the author of This Place Has No Atmosphere? +
The book was written by Paula Danziger, with an introduction by Ann Martin in the 2006 edition.
What is the main character's name? +
The main character is a fifteen-year-old girl named Aurora.
Where does Aurora's family move? +
Aurora's family moves to the moon, turning her life upside down.
What is life like on the moon in the story? +
Life on the moon involves water rationing, zero privacy, and eating freeze-dried hamburgers.
What year is the story set in? +
The story is set in the futuristic year of 2057.
