Sasha was an influencer and was really starting to make a name for herself on social media. That is, until one night she told one of the trolls on her page that he should off himself and then he did. Her fall from grace was immediate and she has to go off grid.

One of Sasha's childhood friends, Dyson, tries to recruit her to help co-lead/co-found his project called The Atmosphere, which is essentially a cult to help bring fame to Dyson and Sasha. Without other prospects, Sasha begrudgingly agrees. There is a group of men that were signed up for the group under false pretenses and end up in the woods for their camp.

I wanted to enjoy this book, but in the end, I struggled to connect with it.

3 out of 5 stars.

This is one of those books that won't likely stand the test of time, but it's great for our time. Toxic culture as a whole is the forefront of this cult-y satire novel about two friends trying to reinvent themselves after some internet mishaps and failed careers take them both out..

I feel like the satire in this was done well - it was dark at times, I cringed at times, and I laughed out loud a couple of times. I'm not sure about anyone else, but the best satire always leaves me feeling like wow this is bleak, and there were moments of that as well. Overall I'd suggest this to anyone who enjoys that style of book, very contemporary settings, and 'bounce back' stories. I would also recommend it to book clubs! There could be some fun conversations born from this one.

Actual rating is 3.5, rounding up.

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.

I received an advanced digital copy of this book from the author, publisher and NetGalley.com. Thanks to all for the opportunity to read and review. The opinions expressed in this review are my own.

The premise was excellent. The writing was well done but the execution of the storyline fell apart just a few chapters into this book. There isn't one likeable or relatable character in this novel. The story ends up trite and does not stand up to the suspension of disbelief.

1 out of 5 stars.

The Atmospherians is a strange one and I love a good satire however this one has some heavy themes and the combination didn’t work for me.

The premise of this book was interesting, however I think the more it dealt with the day to day in the atmosphere, the more it floundered. It really hit gold in the concept phase where Sasha and Dyson are trying to define a way to manage the atmosphere. The cause and effect really demonstrated the satire and provided reflection on the issues that are supposed to be managed and worked through. The truth is that a lot of our influencer and health and wellness world deals with this microfacets of society and the fact that the atmosphere becomes what it does is a huge reflection on how messed up our world in regards to gender roles. Thanks for the ARC, NetGalley. This book had a lot to say, however it just did not make it.

What a strange book what did I just read??
Sasha Marcus is horrified everything was going so well she Just recently became a social media star who was running a wellness brand for women, that was until everything fell down when she responded to one troll...which then had devastating consequences. Now, the world hates her, people camped outside of her apartment shouting death threats, and she has also been fired from her waitressing job.

She feels abandoned...

Her best friend, Dyson, comes up with a brilliant idea. They should start a cult. They name the cult is The Atmosphere, and it will consist of rehabbing white men who suffer from toxic masculinity. The men are called The Atmospherians.
Unfortunately, Sasha and Dyson don’t have any experience as cult leaders, and there are many unfortunate incidents that take place.

But what horrors await her as the resident female leader of a crew of washed up, desperate men? And what exactly does Dyson want?

Toxic masculinity. It's hard to define but you'll definitely know it when you meet it. Two friends faced with the doomsday outlook in their present "life as it is lived online" will join together to redeem their online reputations and launch themselves as superstars. Told in the first person narrative of Sasha, our soon to be erradicator of that pesky toxic masculinity, will open a "cult" with the help of her friend Dylan that is sure to keep your imagination spinning and that semi-disbelief suspended. Definitely a different kind of story that will find a much larger audience than you would think. Probably that cult and toxic masculinity picture you now have in your mind.

I’ve written and erased this review at least five times. The problem is I can’t write it without stepping on a soapbox about the plot. If you’ve read as much as I have and stick to this genre, you’ll understand once you read it.

It is a good book, well written, and I liked it for the most part. I think the injustices in this book, so many others I’ve read lately, and the world are what is setting me off. I will not get into that because I could be here all day. You just want to know if I recommend this book. The answer is yes.

Thank you Netgalley for letting me read and review this book. I don't always enjoy satire, but the author did it right for this book. It is a funny and relevant read. "A novel about two best friends—a disgraced influencer and a struggling actor—who form The Atmosphere, a cult designed to reform problematic men." I enjoyed following the characters and reading through this book. It was an important but funny read. A good balance of both.

This quirky novel was not what I expected... it was better. When you pick up a book about a cult or an influencer you probably have some notion of what you're going to encounter between the pages but this, though, focused on both, was too weird to be predictable-and that's exactly what I look for in fiction.

The Atmospherians is dripping in satire.

While I appreciate the attention given all of the themes represented in this book - mainly the rise and influence of social media and white man dominance, I couldn't tell if this was present day, sci-fi or some post apocalyptic world. I know I'm clearly missing the point, so it may not be fair for me to write the review because this just wasn't the right for for me. It got me thinking though because I it highlights the fact that I clearly turned my head from real truths when I want to read a good book.

The ideas of internet influencers, troll, masculine toxicity, and retreats to relearn in the_atmospherians by Alex McElroy are clearly picked from today's headlines. There are some truths to be found in this premise. I wanted to like this book for those truths, particularly the influence of social media on so many. Unfortunately, I find neither the characters nor the story engaging, and I find myself walking away from the book, clearly not the reader for it.

Read my complete review at http://www.memoriesfrombooks.com/2022/10/theatmospherians.html

Reviewed for NetGalley.

A brilliant debut! Incisive, yet heartfelt. I can't wait to see what McElroy does next.

Thanks to the publisher for the e-galley.

The problem with cults has always been the bad apples, Dyson explains.

“But the model is perfect,” he insists to his childhood friend Sasha, a wellness influencer. She’s been in hiding ever since she made a casually cruel quip on Instagram that led to a commenter’s death and her own very public vilification.

How the two join forces kick-starts “The Atmospherians” (Atria/Simon & Schuster, $27), Alex McElroy’s wry, thought-provoking exploration of how we define connection, purpose and identity. The book is the June selection for the Texas Book Festival Club with Austin360, and McElroy will discuss it virtually June 29 with Lit Crawl Austin’s Jill Meyers.

“The Atmospherians” is a darkly funny book, but it’s also unsettling. That’s by design, McElroy, who uses the pronoun they, said in a phone interview.

“I want them to rethink the way that they live,” they said of their readers. “I want (the book) to do what any great work does, which is defamiliarize the world and destabilize the world and leave this book seeing the world fresh, and maybe not being OK with the world. The books I love are the ones that make me feel uneasy in the world, and make me see things I hadn't previously.”

'The Atmospherians are the men Dyson hand-picks to serve as a test cluster.

He and Sasha will gather the men, part of Dyson’s phone-therapy clientele, in a wooded compound and subject them to a regimen the pair invents. The idea is to purge the toxicity from this all-white, emotionally stunted group. (Emphasis on purge, as part of the regimen involves regular post-meal regurgitation.)

“We’re only two people,” Sasha worries out loud.

“Revolutions have started with fewer,” Dyson reassures. “First, we perfect a model of rehabilitative love and compassion for twelve men; then we broaden the scope and recruit.”

How men define themselves and relate to each other emerged as a theme over the novel’s drafting, McElroy said, in part reflecting their own personal journey.

“I came out as trans/nonbinary last year … I think that was a huge part of what I was trying to think through in this book, whether masculinity could be salvaged,” they said.

That dovetails with the book’s fantastical element of “man hordes,” a phenomenon in which a group of white men suddenly assemble for a shared activity and then disband, with no memory of their time in the horde. Initially, the man hordes perform intrusive but relatively harmless tasks – changing a stranger’s tires, or breaking into a home to fold laundry. As the story continues, the hordes become more dangerous. That unpredictability mirrors human nature, McElroy noted, and it also underscores how explaining away small misbehaviors can fuel bigger problems.

“What starts out as, ‘Oh, they're just guys being nice,’ becomes more and more sinister and as they continue to be excused for the actions committed, the acts get more devious and sinister,” they said. “Those defenses of their condition are enabling them.”

McElroy also delves into the value – both perceived and real – of virtual connection.

“Dyson and Sasha have actual love for each other, but they are driven by and look for attention,” McElroy said. “It's really easy, especially for people who spend a lot of time online, to confuse those two.”

Given that, it might be easy to imagine the novel’s takeaway is that the Internet, with its dopamine-fueling likes, is bad. But that’s a reductive take, McElroy argued, which doesn’t leave room for the genuine bonds forged by some, especially those who might struggle in a less inclusive town or workplace.

“The internet is both things,” they said. “It’s never a substitute for actual love and actual conversation with other people, but it can also be an extremely profound thing for people looking for connection.”

I really loved this book but the ending left me feeling lost. I'm not sure what the main character was doing or what her motivation was. Maybe I missed something along the way but it left me feeling like I needed more explanation. Overall a really great story though.

What a very strange novel. I found that I couldn't put it down, utterly fascinating. That being said, it was also horrifying. A real triumph of a debut. However, I don't think our usual customers would be drawn to it.

This book was not for me at the time that I sat down to read it; I look forward to the opportunity to pick it up again a later date in time.

Wasn't a huge fan of this book. I got bored in some spots and confused in other. I didn't hate it but it wouldn't be on the top of my recommendation list.

If you read this as satire like I did and like I think the author intended it’s pretty dang good. It’s kinda wacky and bizarre but super unique and fresh.