I had heard such great things about this book so I was very happy when a copy ended up in my hands. And let me tell you, those people that gush about this story didn't lie. It really is as great as they say it is. Astrid was just utterly enjoyable.She was just one of those characters that you immediately like. She breaks your heart, makes me laugh and then breaks your heart again. She was relatable and for a story like Ask The Passengers she needed to be. If you didn't find yourself caring what would happen to Astrid then the book could have easily been a bad read for you. Luckily King write Astrid in a way that you understood why she felt what she felt, but you didn't think she was being over the top and dramatic. It took a lot for her to say what she was feeling out loud so she didn't really have that whinebag feel to her and that I think is what made this such a great read. Basically Astrid was just a teenager that didn't feel love in her own family, was confused about her sexuality and was trapped in a small town. She was average in every way and that worked in her favor. 
 Really a very very strong book by King. It was emotional and heartfelt without being over the top. It was about real things and real people. It was about growing up and figuring out just who you are and how you fit it. Definite A book on my grading scale.