King, A. (2012). Ask the passengers: A novel. New York: Little, Brown.  Astrid Jones is a young teenager that is trying to understand life.  Growing up is difficult, and without the support of her family, she is left to confide in a very unexpected “person.”  As she lies on the ground starring at the sky, the planes that cross above become her best friend.  It is with them that she begins to open up and expose some of her most revealing secrets: her sexuality.  Though she is not sure, she feels she is falling in love with a girl.  Though most of her friends are bisexual, no one has revealed or demonstrated the possibility of her being gay.  As the story is being told, her genuine personality allows the reader to understand that Astrid Jones is simply a girl trying to make sense of what is going on.  She is uplifting, positive and sends her love to all those around her-even when it is not reciprocated.  Her ultimate goal is to make the decisions that are right for her and not let anyone dominate who she truly wants to be.  There are many books that have been created to show how teenagers struggle while growing up and often in many books, pressured to feel one way due to society.  What I loved about this book was the simplicity and how Astrid’s outlook of life remained optimistic.  She did not want to feel as if she was giving in to the world, but simply understand it.  An appropriate age level for this book is geared towards 14-18 years old.  Furthermore, it is a great book that encourages many high school students to feel and provide an acceptance towards others.  It’s about having the courage to speak up about problems or doubts and feel that you are not alone.  Criteria: There is a very huge theme set for this book, acceptance of you are and being vocal about it. Figurative language, along with symbolism was also incorporated to demonstrate how certain objects represented something else.  For example, the airplane represented her freedom.