Great read! it touches on some taboo subjects, such as eating disorders, suicide, and sexism. I thoroughly enjoyed it.. Thanks to Netgalley for an advanced reader copy of this awesome book.

This book was a little outside of my comfort zone for what I usually read. All in all the writing was amazing and the characters were actually pretty interesting. Not so much my style but I do think this is a great one to try to read!

This is not my normal genre or book, but I must admit I loved it! It was so well written, with a topic that truly is so in our faces today! I found it to be flawlessly written, with perfect characters, making it nearly impossible to put down! Lots of dark humor, but still important, in my opinion! So highly, highly recommend, even to those who wouldn’t normally pick this one up! It’s a quite captivating read, that’s unique, fun, and just plain good!

I finished the book all of five minutes ago, and I can’t wait to gush and recommend it to everyone I know. The Atmospherians is an under the radar, cutting satire destined to make my best of the year list. Yes the topic is timely and seems a bit ripped from the headlines, but the approach is so fresh, the dark humour so perfectly balanced, that I didn’t feel like I was reading yet another “anti-toxic masculinity manifesto.”

The story follows disgraced influencer and wellness guru Sasha, who is recruited by her childhood best friend Dylan to co-found a cult to reform problematic men. What could possibly go wrong?

The 5 Part journey that follows is a surreal, disturbing and veeery tongue-in-cheek critique of the wellness industry, the futility and fragility of cultivating an online persona, cancel culture, and yes, toxic masculinity. All of these daunting themes are addressed in a clever and cheekily disdainful fashion, I often found myself re-reading massages multiple times just to let the bite of them sink it. Quips about beloved “masculine” pop culture come fast and furious and never failed to make me giggle- offhand I can recall Joe Rogan’s podcast, Hans Zimmer’s Inception soundtrack, Jeremy Renner and Mark Wahlberg movies (can’t you immediately just picture the EXACT white, cis-gender, heterosexual bro who loves all of these things?)

The most impressive thing about The Atmospherians, is that despite the snarky tone and insane premise, the novel’s big ideas never feel one note or overstay their welcome. The story is well plotted and the characters, while all awful people, are compelling enough that you remain invested in where their self-absorbed antics take them next.

Many thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me an ARC in exchange for this rambly, but honest review!

As a wellness influencer, Sasha has always wanted a following. But after fighting with an online troll, she loses everything - her sponsors, friends, boyfriend and social media support. Soon, her old childhood friend Dyson is knocking on her door, inviting her to co-lead The Atmosphere, his self-proclaimed cult designed to reform toxic men. The goal is for these men to "evolve" over the span of several weeks, proving that different types of "terrible men" (for example, the Cheating Man and the Man Obsessed with His College Glory Days) could "transform" through their rehabilitation program.

"The Atmospherians" is a slow build into absolute chaos. It's deceivingly slow as The Atmosphere becomes unmanageable, and Sasha and Dyson start to lose control. Cults are so fascinating - I was sold as soon as I read the description - and this fictionalized version is so good. Sasha and Dyson are isolated in a wooden cabin with these men, and it just spirals.

Sasha is desperate and doesn't always make the best decisions, but she is such a good antihero. Almost everything she and Dyson did was wrong. But you know that gif from Arrested Development of Lucille Bluth saying "Good for her"? That was me while reading this book. I just wanted Sasha to find success as she rebuilt her image through a literal cult.

"The Atmospherians" felt very fresh and modern with layers to unravel. There are funny moments, and overall, it's a smart commentary on social media, public image, wellness and toxic masculinity. While the middle drags a bit (especially when a character is suddenly recruited outside The Atmosphere), the beginning and end are gripping. It's a quick read and Alex McElroy packs in so much content through great writing.

Since finishing the novel, I haven't stopped thinking about it. It was really unlike anything I've read recently. A solid and original debut novel - I'm excited to see McElroy's next work.

This was a hilarious and fun read. The plot was entertaining and thought provoking, as it addresses social media and the control it has over some.
Many thanks to Atria Books and to NetGalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

I would like to thank the author, publisher, and Net Galley for providing a free e-ARC copy of this book in exchange for my review.

This is a difficult book for me to review simply because I don't think I've read anything like it before at all, and I'm not really sure how I feel about it. I tried to read it a few times and just wasn't in the right mood, then finally decided to just dive in and read it. I'm glad I did read it, but my mood probably wasn't the best for this book. I can't think of much else to say different from other reviewers, so I'll leave it here. I'm struggling between a 3 and 4 star review, but I think I'll bump it up just for being different and something to think of.

I really struggled with this book. I couldn't decide if it was supposed to be science fiction. It was definitely topical but sort of unbelievable that Sasha would be treated the way she was after the Lucas Devry incident. It didn't help that Sasha and Dyson were both such unlikable characters as were all the men at the Atmosphere. It was well written but I just don't think it was for me. Thanks to NetGalley for the digital ARC.

I imagine it must be difficult to write fiction about issues such as toxic masculinity with being cloying, or at worst didactic. For that reason, I usually avoid works that overtly address this topic. However, I think I’ve finally found a book that addresses the issues successfully, in Alex McElroy’s debut novel, The Atmospherians.

Popular social media wellness coach Sasha is “canceled” for allegedly driving an internet troll to suicide. Sasha suggests that the world would be a better place without said troll, so knowing how his actions could destroy her career, he chooses to live-stream his own suicide. Sasha is labelled a bully and a murderer.

Sasha’s friends stop calling, all except one of her oldest friends, Dyson. Dyson has set up a camp to reform problematic men, and wants Sasha to come on board. See, there’s a problem with men; they’ve started forming “man hordes”, grouping together and performing mindless tasks as if they were zombies. Such as fixing cars of unwilling participants with the driver still inside, trespassing and weeding gardens, and other more sinister acts.

I loved the ever-so-slightly-familiar world McElroy has created in this novel. I personally found our protagonist Sasha to be an incredibly engaging character. Flawed, yes, but absolutely human. The treatment she receives from the public, her friends, pretty much everyone she encounters, is horrifying. And also, all too familiar. But she owns her story. If The Atmospherians ever got adapted for the screen, this would be an absolute killer role for a young actor.

The Atmospherians refers to the male reform camp, which is also referred to as a cult. I can understand this concept may not appeal to everyone, but it’s really well done. Not only do we see the flaws of the male members, we also see the way Dyson and Sasha are basically fumbling their way through their new career as cult leaders. There are some real laugh out loud moments; no one in this book knows what the hell they’re doing. But does anyone?

The story is very compelling; I found the ending especially gratifying. While the novel plays with some complex ideas, the plot is very easy to follow. It’s a very 2021 novel. It’s so bizarre to think that the huge issues addressed in this book didn’t enter the public consciousness until recently. The concept of a “social media” star will always be alien to me.

There are shades of Palaniuk, and Coupland, but The Atmospherians is very much a brand new story. Okay, revenge isn’t new, but we’re inheriting new ways to enact it every single day.

A book I could not put down so well written so involving.Will not reveal anything just tell people to run grab this book sit back and begin.#netgalley #atria

The Atmospherians is a unique look at toxic masculinity. Sasha Marcus is living her best life as an influencer when an internet troll takes her down, before taking himself down and blaming her. The times feel a bit speculative, with “man hordes” who aggressively attack people and places with no rhyme or reason. Sasha needs to reinvent herself and pairs up with her childhood friend, Dyson, a professional actor who excels at getting people to buy whatever it is he’s selling in his commercials. They decide that what the world needs is a place for the misguided men in society to come and heal, so they start a cult and take in twelve men, one for each trop of toxic masculinity. But are good intensions all it takes to heal a broken society? This is social satire at its best. Funny, witty, intriguing and creative, I was enthralled from start to finish.

**Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of this book**
Well, I was so excited to read this book because, cult. I am here for cults. The book jumps right into Sasha's imperfect life—a scandal has wiped out her career as a social media influencer, so when her old friend, Dyson, comes knocking on her door with an offer to start a cult—she jumps on it. The cult is to reform men and attempt to tame them in a world quickly overcome with man hordes.

Honestly, once I started thinking about this book as an episode of Black Mirror, I was able to accept all the weird/unnecessary/frustrating plot decisions and overall terrible characters. It was a very jumpy narrative and a lot of it just kind of didn't make any sense. I wanted it to be a little more than it was, but others may disagree.

Before the review, I do want to mention that this book discusses disordered eating (bulimia) A LOT, so if that is something uncomfortable for you, I would strongly suggest choosing something else to read.

The Atmospherians is about a millennial Gwyneth Paltrow-esque influencer and her unwell best friend starting a cult in a "The Happening"-like universe, complete with company towns built around lifestyle apps. In a strange way, it kind of...works?

Some might be quick to write this off as man hating or bashing. But in a closer look, it seems that the men are mostly just caricatures and have the excuse of societal programming. The women however, are almost all written as manipulative, backstabbing social climbers who, even when given several chances to do otherwise, harm those they claim to support. Perhaps this served to satirize much of mainstream media where the roles are reversed. I'm not 100% sure what the main message of The Atmospherians was, but it effectively forces readers to think about masculinity, social media, and relationships.

I thought the plot started out very strong for the first 65% or so, but became a bit choppier towards the end. There were a few arcs that seemed more abrupt, which left out opportunities for worldbuilding. But otherwise, I found the book to be quite interesting and it's clear that the author was thoughtful and creative in their work.

Note: I received a free ebook copy of The Atmospherians from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I was drawn in pretty quickly to this book. Sasha, a woman who made a mistake online, causing a terrible turn of events, goes with her oldest friend to create a cult that tackles the problem of toxic masculinity and "man hordes." All the while, Sasha is still dealing with fallout from her mistake, and a potential saving-grace job opportunity.
The Atmospherians is dystopian-adjacent with a unique problem that the world is facing. Overall the story is very interesting with a touch of creepy throughout. I honestly couldn't see where things were going or what would happen. I could almost see this book as a mini-series on tv where each episode ends with some kind of cliffhanger or spectacle. Good book, and definitely recommend if you are okay with feeling almost as unhinged as the main narrator of the novel!

Thank you to Netgalley and Atria Books for an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! No spoilers. Beyond amazing I enjoyed this book so very much. The characters and storyline were fantastic. The ending I did not see coming Could not put down nor did I want to. Truly Amazing and appreciated the whole story. This is going to be a must read for many many readers. Maybe even a book club pick.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for sending me a review copy of this book! It’s due to release later this year.

<i>The Atmospherians</i> is a modern cultural satire about a cult/rehabilitation group centered around changing men and ridding the world of toxic masculinity. Our main characters are a disgraced social media star and her longtime friend.

This is a hard book to rate, but I think I’m going with 3 stars simply because I feel so indecisive. As I was reading the book I enjoyed it, but I feel it dragged a bit too long—the main character’s leaving randomly toward the end, only to come back a couple chapters later, feels random and misplaced—and a few logic breaks make the ending itself feel rather unrewarding.

Still, this is an entertaining novel, one sure to spark some conversation on topics like groupthink and social media etiquette and toxic masculinity, all topics covered in length here. The author has done a good job of covering these things well, in a respectful and readable way.

I must point out a trigger warning (something I don’t usually do in reviews—maybe I should?) for those who’ve struggled with eating disorders: this book might not be a good experience for those readers.

The Atmospherians is a novel based in a time like ours, but with some unusual twists, like "Man Hordes" that plagued the country, in which a group of men would spontaneously form and engage in either positive or negative behaviors as a group, without having and conscious knowledge of what they are doing, during or after the event. In this time, we meet Sasha Marcus, an influencer who is crushed by an unfortunate decision made by one of her followers to kill himself after she told him that the world would be a better place without him. Overnight she became a hated individual and lost all the following she had built, and had no where to go to find refuge, until her friend Dyson shows up on her doorstep with an idea for a cult he would like to create with her, to help men struggling from "toxic masculinity." Together they create the Atmosphere, where they begin to teach men how to feel, how to be open and honest and complete. Seems like a dream come true in the beginning but will it stay that way?

I wanted to like The Atmospherians, but I really couldn't get into it. I did not see the humor in it, and it took me a long time to work my way through it. I wondered throughout if perhaps I was missing something as I read this novel, as others seemed to really like it.... and so perhaps it just was over this readers head.

Thanks to Atria Books and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for my honest review.

The mixed reviews on this offering aline with my feelings about this book. It took me three tries to get through to the ambiguous ending. I couldn't identify with or really care about any of the characters. I understand the satyrical point of view the writer used but some of the disturbing behaviors offered as a way to change the men in the cult were over the top. I must give credit to the author for a well written story. I was able to picture quite clearly where the cult started out and where it wound up. For all the above reasons I give a middle of the road rating of 3 stars.

I received an Advanced Reader's Copy from Atria Books through NetGalley. The opinions expressed are entirely my own.
#TheAtmospherians #NetGalley

A book that kind of grows on you. I wasn't sure at the beginning if I liked The Atmospherians, but the more I read the better it was. Kind of pulls you into the story and doesn't want to release you. It's a little "darkish" . Definitely unique.

I love a good cult book, don't get me wrong. And I love books that comment on the toxic masculinity concept. However, for whatever reason, these two elements that I love did not meet well in this book. I did not connect to the characters and did not find myself needing to know how this book ended.