The Gravity of Us

Meh. Average. I do not have anything deep to say. Just felt rushed and characters lacked dimension. But it wasn't bad. It's fine.

Hopefully I'll like the author's other books because I've seen those synopses and like them. Then again I liked this synopsis as well so who knows? My main reason for not liking this book was solely due to the main character, Cal. I didn't like him at all. I think it was how he saw the world and thought. And because the book is written from his point of view, we unfortunately see all his thoughts.

I did see a bit of Leon (the love interest) before I dnfed and I much preferred him and would maybe even finish the book if it was from his point of view. It also looked like a certain trope was in their budding relationship, one I very much dislike, so that was even another reason for me to not want to read any further.

Another reason I didn't like Cal is that I thought his focus and idea of media and his view on social media was weird? Like he thinks badly of some media personnel because ‘they act a certain way' (I'm paraphrasing) but Cal has nearly half a million followers and you're telling me he HASN'T taken some type of media/marketing course or maybe acts a different way off camera so he can be ‘himself' off camera? Maybe I feel this way about him because (to me) it doesn't feel like he's been written to have so many followers, if this makes sense. I also feel that Cal is a bit self-absorbed and he tries to show that he isn't, which makes me dislike him more.

Oh, and also the formatting in the e-arc was really annoying me too. Bits of interviews meshed into the paragraphs and it was difficult to read. I tried to force myself to read it and fizzled out before the 50% mark. Once again, don't force yourself to read a book! There's no merit in that!

But then again, my best friend read the book and loved it. So, two different people, I guess.

An engaging and entertaining narrative that depicts a future Space Race. While i am aware this is a fictional story, the portrayal of StarWatch, a gossip reality show that disregards boundaries, closely mirrors the behavior of such shows in reality. StarWatch serves as the most non-fictional element in this fictional story. Overall, this book is highly captivating, particularly for those interested in a light contemporary queer love story with a little NASA sprinkled in. I enjoyed it and I recommend it to anyone seeking a similar read.

The MC is really self-absorbed in my opinion and in general I didn't like his point of view that much.
I was hoping at least the romantic interactions in the book would make it bearable to read, but instead I realize I've come across an insta-love story with a little bit of tension between the characters.
Sorry, but this is not for me

I dropped this book so hard. I was not even half-way through the first chapter when I knew this is just a no from me. The first three paragraphs made me wonder why they are there. I don't think I ever read a weaker start of a novel ever, and also one that made me instantly dislike the main character. Cal is a narcissistic brat, he gives off strong vibes of Gary Stu and that just ain't for me. I need real characters, thank you very much.

I found it strange how this amazing journalist (who is a teenager, mind you) is so dedicated and so good at this job he doesn't even seem to like. He reports on the kind of news that makes him 'secretly want to vomit in a bucket than talk about it anymore'. Well, why are you doing it then? Find other subjects, it's not like he had a boss breathing down his neck and telling him what to talk about, he had the freedom to talk about whatever. Later he has a 'dilemma'. Quote: Do I want to report on things people care about? Yes. Do I want more followers and viewers? Also yes. What's the dilemma there? You have two questions with two affirmative answers, no 'but', no 'or', no 'why'. Cal does not know what a dilemma is (also, we encounter a contradiction here). This whole part makes no sense to me. It's okay to not like the subject you are talking about (or writing about like I do right now) and still do it because of your own reasons. Pray tell, where is a dilemma there?

Apart from Cal's amazing talents, his way of making news so that the 'real ones' get pushed back and he single-handedly makes so that people lose elections, he is also toxic. Here's this quote: The irony of him 'loving' my posts when he couldn't even commit to 'liking' me. Oh MY G! This makes me so angry. That's not how it works, you brat! People can love your content and not feel any kind of attraction to you. No one has to like you just because it makes 'rage burn inside you' if they don't. There is no irony here, you are just being a piece of entitled shit. Holy f!

The second half of the chapter made me see Cal in a kinder light, but not better. He has a tough situation at home, parents shouting and fighting, not paying attention to their kid, okay, yeah, he has some troubles. The end of the chapter made me say 'what?' out loud. I don't get what Cal's aversion towards the Mars mission is, why his dad potentially going on it bothers him so much and, you know what? I don't want to find out. I've seen enough of Cal to know I don't want to deal with him. (Reading the synopsis I am made to believe Cal doesn't want his dad on the mission because he'd be pushed into the spotlight of media. You know, the exact thing he does to others. Now that, Cal, is irony.)

I didn't even reach the other main character, but that's fine, I'm not interested.

You know, I was ready to come here give The Gravity of Us 2 stars while complaining about how the premise is a bit wonky, how no politician would ever defund NASA shortly before a launch, etc... etc... and one more effing etc... Then I realized I'm being pedantic while focusing on the wrong things! I didn't buy the book to read a realistic political drama with NASA as the core.

It's a great book! I had fun and even though the whole social media thing is totally lost on me (seriously what is ‘Condé Nast'?!) I came to like Cal's obsession with it. Leon was amazing and sweet and deserves all the kisses he can get.

Anyway, I don't have much more to say about it. It's fun and gay which makes it just infinitely better:D

The audio book (thanks to LibroFM's eARC program!) was fantastically done with a full cast, including some of my faves (looking at your Bahni Turpin, Michael Crouch, and January LaVoy!). Done in this way, it helped to integrate the StarWatch interstitials into the narrative and make that tension more suspenseful. It had enough great details about NASA and space flight that Liz, a NASA fangirl, was mostly interested listening in the car (that's my litmus about how real the space sections were). The queer romance was well done and I appreciated the focus on navigating anxiety and depression in relationships, whether romantic, friend, or familial. The only piece that grated was Cal always felt overly-entitled and that didn't seem to be on purpose. It didn't sit well and often overshadowed other parts of the narrative that were supposed to be the focus. A great first book, will definitely find an audience, can think of kids already who'd pull this after a booktalk.

I liked the general plot and the romance was super super sweet. I found the writing a bit clunky here and there. Some issues brought up in the book could have been more fully developed where other explorations felt repetitive. But overall, a timely and enjoyable read that I would recommend to a teen.

2,75*

Une histoire de David contre Goliath, un jeune aspirant journaliste entrant en lutte contre une chaîne de télé-réalité poubelle, sur fond de projet spatial, de NASA et de romance. J'ai vraiment passé un très bon moment, rapidement emballé par les rebondissements de l'histoire de Cal & Leon ainsi que de leurs familles. Seul petit bémol pour moi: le fait qu'au final peu des astronautes de la mission fassent leur apparition dans le récit. Mais un chouette livre, qui redonne envie d'explorer l'espace !

What I love about this book:
- people being flawed and being allowed to be flawed
- space and gays
- not too forced love story without the drama of labeling
- loveable characters
- portrayal of mental illnesses as illnesses and not as character flaws or weaknesses


What I didn‘t love:
- DUDE, CALL DEB BACK!!
- people my age being called old
- my youth becoming something retro and hipster for the youth of today
- kind of a ‚been there, done that‘ feeling


In the end it is, what it wants to be - a contemporary YA story with queer characters and space.
And I like it.
Not every book has to be innovative.
Nevertheless it /is/ nice to have a gay couple just being themselves and not „oh-no-i-am-gay“ or „they-won‘t-accept-me-for-who-i-am“ and also to not have yet another comig out story (even though they are important and I live them every once in a while).

An easy, light read that is good fun with a m/m romance that is very sweet.

I am not typically either a YA or Romance reader so if you're in the same boat; I found this definitely worth the read. It's easy to read, first-person story told by Cal, an internet-famous 17 year old whose life is uprooted when is dad is (unexpectedly) accepted into a space program to Mars. The family moves from New York to Texas to take up residence in Houston for the father's astronaut training.

It is written in the lexicon of a teenager in 2020 and I feel that lends to a more authentic feel as a personal coming-of-age story under exceptional circumstances. The romance is key to the story but not 100% central so you can't get sick of too much soppy stuff. Not that there's much anyway as Cal and Leon are more the kind of sweet young love than the drippy overly saccharine sort.

Besides the queer romance, the book deals with themes of mental health, loss, fame and integrity and does so very well. All of these aspects come together to build the story up and to ensure it has the strength to stand on it's own and is not just a romance novel. It is clever, funny and moving.

This and my other reviews are on my website: Aspects of Me.

I'm sorry to say that I was disappointed by The Gravity of Us. The description hit all of my buttons - teen M/M romance, space travel, science nerd stuff - but the execution was a major let-down. The narrator, Cal, is so self-centered and self-righteous that I wanted to smack him numerous times, and even when he supposedly realized the error of his ways (this is a YA book so you expect the MC to grow and learn from his mistakes), he was still pretty insufferable. The way he treats his best friend Deb when he finds out she is homeless and couch-surfing was jaw-droppingly selfish, and it was impossible for him to redeem himself after that point. The object of his affection, Leon, is a nice guy with an interesting history (former competitive gymnast with ongoing clinical depression) but I didn't buy their instant attraction and extremely quick declarations of love, and I didn't feel the chemistry that Cal described.

The plot was intriguing and, frankly not at all far-fetched: in order to get public support (and funding) for a mission to Mars, NASA has been forced to partner with a cheesy TV reality show that insists on making all of the prospective astronauts and their families live in houses weirdly decorated to look like they are from the 1960s heyday of space travel. Every move they make is closely scrutinized, and they are subject to frequent interviews in which they always have to look and sound positive. As you would expect with this powder keg setup, there is intrigue, tragedy and the threat of delaying or scrapping the mission, all of which should have had more impact than it did. When Cal rides in to save the day, it felt completely unrealistic, even for a genre in which the teen protagonist is expected to defy the odds and claim a victory for his side.

Maybe part of the reason for my disappointment was the fact that I was on the waiting list for this book for months while my public library was closed for the pandemic, so it couldn't have possibly lived up to my expectations. Even if that is the case, Phil Stamper will have to do better with his follow up to keep me interested in his work.