The Gravity of Us

This is a sweet story about Teens falling in love, making mistakes and figuring shit out. One of the things that makes this book so great, is that Stamper has such a great grasp on the age of social media (for lack of a better way to put it).

Cal is living in NY when the book begins. He’s rockin’ the social media world with his guerilla journalism and planning his future. I love that Cal is a planner! Then everything changes when his Dad is accepted into the Astronaut program and the entire family is uprooted and moved in a weekend. A move to Texas means leaving his best friend, Deb and his newly acquired internship at Buzzfeed.

When Cal meets one of the other astrokids, Leon … things change. The two connect immediately and it’s show more not long before Leon reveals that he’s dealing with depression. One of the things I loved about this story was the way that Stamper lets Leon explain his depression. He’s clear that he doesn’t need to “be fixed” and Cal immediately begins the journey of learning how to meet Leon where he’s at rather than trying to fix things.

The relationship between Leon and Cal isn’t without its speed bumps, but it’s sweet and hopeful and I enjoyed it immensely. As much as Cal enjoys being in front of the lens, Leon is stifled by it and there is a lot of push and pull as these two try to find the sweet spot where they can both be happy being themselves.

Cal also becomes bogged down in the world of being onscreen on a reality show. As he navigates the complex road of blossoming celebrity, he gets caught in traps, sideswiped and is left wondering if everything will crumble around him. But, Cal has heart and determination and the courage to keep trying to do what’s right and hope for change. That is a message we can all use in this day and age.

This book is for people whose heart and imagination are big enough that they are still trying to change the world. You don’t have to be in NASA to reach for the stars. Stamper handles this young relationship with care and humor and it’s a joy to have read about it. show less

Literary Merit: Great
Characterization: Great
Recommended: Yes
Level: High School

I picked up this book hoping for a cute romance related to space, and was not disappointed. The premise is intriguing, the characters are fun and likeable, and the romance (while a tad rushed) is sweet and heartfelt. As the author himself states in his Author's Note, it's so important to represent queer teens on the page, as he grew up without seeing himself represented in media. While this is only one of many books for young LGBT readers, I think it's just as important to see a cute, happy gay romance as it is to see a traumatic, drama-filled one. Overall, I thought it was a really cute book, and I'm glad I decided to give it a shot.

The Gravity of Us focuses show more on the story of 17-year-old Calvin Lewis, a New York teen with big dreams to become a heavy-hitting journalist. When his father, Calvin Lewis Senior, is selected to be an astronaut on an enormous new expedition to Mars, Cal feels like his life is over. Forced to move from their New York City apartment to a house in Texas, Cal is leaving behind his best friend Deb and a promising internship with Buzzfeed. Worst of all, he's leaving behind his very famous live news stream on an app known as FlashFame, a stream that has helped put him in the public eye and given him a huge following. When he arrives in Texas, however, Cal finds a friend (and potential boyfriend) in Leon Tucker, the son of another famous astronaut. He also learns that there might be a way to continue reaching for his dreams in Texas... while potentially saving NASA in the process.

This book had a lot of great commentary on various subjects, but I think my favorite part was the way it addressed mental illness and therapy. I, much like Cal's mom, suffer from anxiety, and I loved that the book made a big deal of encouraging therapy and working with those who have mental illness instead of berating them for it. In the beginning of the novel, Cal's parents fight constantly because of his mom's anxiety and reluctance to leave New York, and in the end Cal notices that his dad is making a great effort to understand her and meet her halfway. Similarly, Cal and Leon's parents have to learn how to navigate Leon's depression, giving him much-needed time and space (along with therapy) to help him work through his mental illness. As someone with a mental illness, I applaud any YA book that normalizes both it and healthy methods for dealing with it, as there are very few people in this world unaffected by this issue.

Another thing I think this book handled well was the idea of media manipulation a d fake news. Kiara is a really fun character in that she isn't a mustache-twirling villain, but she's not entirely kind and honest either. She starts off acting as an ally to Cal and his FlashFame stream, then turns on him for her own interests in the end. Like a real person, however, Kiara has morals and doesn't always agree with the slimy things her news show StarWatch is doing. For example, she teams up with Cal to expose StarWatch for exploiting the grief of Mara Bannon, the widow of one of the astronauts after a tragic accident. She also appears to relate to Cal, being someone from Brooklyn who felt out of her element in the world of journalism at first. Kiara strikes me as being a warning to Cal about what could happen if he begins to lose integrity, while also giving him hope that she could turn things around and lean into her good side.

Kiara, however, is not the only representation of media manipulation in the story. The show StarWatch, led by a man named Josh Farrow, is also heavy on both exploitation and fake news, manipulating the audience to follow his agenda. In the beginning, StarWatch was a big part of why NASA was able to fund the expedition to Mars, but throughout the book they begin to turn on NASA, making viewers question whether or not they should be funded. StarWatch also chooses to focus on manufactured drama and rivalries rather than the science, which they believe nobody will care about. Cal's honesty and genuine interest in the subject prove them wrong, however, reminding the reader that what you see on TV may not be the entire truth. In our day and age, when all the information in the world is at our fingertips, it's important for everyone to be mindful of where their information is coming from. I thought this was a very important message for teen readers, and appreciated its inclusion here.

While I really enjoyed the family dynamics and the friendships in this book, the romance felt extremely rushed. Don't get me wrong; Cal and Leon are insanely cute, but it feels like they fall for one another almost immediately. Even before Cal had even met Leon for the first time, I could see the author setting up the romance by focusing on how attractive Leon is to Cal. While I must admit that I'm asexual, and therefore have never experienced such intense feelings for someone at first glance, it still felt a little awkward and rushed to me. That being said. Stamper himself is gay, so he likely knows a lot more than I do what it is to fall in love with someone instantly as a gay teen. Because this is an Own Voices novel, I will trust that this experience is realistic, but in my personal opinion it felt much too fast.

Despite the romance feeling forced, I did find myself enjoying a lot of the other relationships between characters. For example, Cal and his friend Deb have an interesting dynamic, being childhood friends who attempted to date before Cal realized he liked boys instead of girls. Throughout the book, Cal tends to forget about Deb's problems while focusing on his own, and realizes in the end that it's important to discuss her life as well. It's an excellent example about how friendships can be unintentionally one-sided, and how even someone with the best of intentions can come across as self-centered and selfish.

Similarly, Cal and his dad have trouble seeing eye to eye, as both are focused on their own dreams without considering the consequences those dreams can have on others. Cal's dad moves them to Texas with little consideration for input from his family, while Cal himself does risky things that potentially break the NASA media contract in order to keep his stream going in Texas. In the end, the two are able to work together, and end up seeing the value in the work the other does. There's also an underlying theme of how celebrity can muddy the waters, as Cal's notoriety takes a lot of the spotlight away from his extremely intelligent and capable dad, making people think that he only got his position because of his social media star of a son. As with the commentary on media, friendships, and mental illness, there is also poignant commentary on the dangers of fame and notoriety, and how it can put strain on our social and emotional relationships.

While I admittedly had a few issues with the pacing of this book, I have to say it was an overall great read. I liked the quirky characters, I appreciated the messages, and it was fun to see the author inject his own massive enthusiasm for NASA and space exploration into a work of fiction. The novel tackles a number of important subjects without ever feeling preachy or insincere, and the characters actually learn and grow from their mistakes throughout the story. While there are many YA stories that highlight LGBT characters, I think it's occasionally refreshing to see two characters instantly fall in love, without the drama or conflict of the book being about their sexuality. LGBT books about coming out and finding acceptance are fantastic, but sometimes it's also cool to just see an LGBT relationship portrayed as a happy, cute relationship with normal relationship issues (i.e deciding on the future as opposed to battling constant homophobia). I would definitely recommend this to fans of realistic romance, especially if you have an interest in space exploration or journalism. There's something for everyone in this cute little gem of a book, and I look forward to seeing what Phil Stamper writes in the future. show less

This is a sweet story about Teens falling in love, making mistakes and figuring shit out. One of the things that makes this book so great, is that Stamper has such a great grasp on the age of social media (for lack of a better way to put it).

Cal is living in NY when the book begins. He’s rockin’ the social media world with his guerilla journalism and planning his future. I love that Cal is a planner! Then everything changes when his Dad is accepted into the Astronaut program and the entire family is uprooted and moved in a weekend. A move to Texas means leaving his best friend, Deb and his newly acquired internship at Buzzfeed.

When Cal meets one of the other astrokids, Leon … things change. The two connect immediately and it’s show more not long before Leon reveals that he’s dealing with depression. One of the things I loved about this story was the way that Stamper lets Leon explain his depression. He’s clear that he doesn’t need to “be fixed” and Cal immediately begins the journey of learning how to meet Leon where he’s at rather than trying to fix things.

The relationship between Leon and Cal isn’t without its speed bumps, but it’s sweet and hopeful and I enjoyed it immensely. As much as Cal enjoys being in front of the lens, Leon is stifled by it and there is a lot of push and pull as these two try to find the sweet spot where they can both be happy being themselves.

Cal also becomes bogged down in the world of being onscreen on a reality show. As he navigates the complex road of blossoming celebrity, he gets caught in traps, sideswiped and is left wondering if everything will crumble around him. But, Cal has heart and determination and the courage to keep trying to do what’s right and hope for change. That is a message we can all use in this day and age.

This book is for people whose heart and imagination are big enough that they are still trying to change the world. You don’t have to be in NASA to reach for the stars. Stamper handles this young relationship with care and humor and it’s a joy to have read about it. show less

It's not a bad story by any means, and it could have just been me, but I had a difficult time forming any attachment to the story's characters. I waited for some surprises in the plot, but I never seemed to find them. I read enough m/m romances that I readily recognize the signs of attraction/love between the characters, and I know these are teens, and neither boy has had any experience, but they seemed more like very good friends that were experimenting. I have a great deal of respect and praise for the author to present the feelings and discoveries that the two boys experienced. As the mother of a gay son, I see so much of what my own child experienced while growing up at a time that he was never sure how he was going to be excepted. show more The author did a great job of showing how the boys learned life lessons that are not only important for teens, but also for adults. It's not only the boys that grew in this novel but some of the adults also. The NASA mission complication was also interesting. Overall... It seemed like the author was having a hard time finding a good way to make the two main stories work together. I'm going to reread the book at some point this year to see if perhaps my perspective has changed. show less

*I received a free digital ARC from Edelweiss for an honest review!*

The Gravity of Us follows the story of Cal, a teen in New York who aspires to be a journalist and is quite successful in using social media to present news and stories to his followers. When his life is abruptly uprooted and his family moves to Texas after his father joins NASA, we follow Cal as he meets and falls in love with a boy - Leon - while also dealing with the consequences of the move for both him and his parents.

It's an insta-love romance, but one that gives you warm and gushy feelings, and addresses themes like mental health issues, such as anxiety and depression, as well as the power of social media. The story felt a bit jarring with how much back and forth show more it had between all of different plot points and themes, and I admit I felt tired at times because there was SO much going on that you never got a break from, *BUT* conversely, I couldn't put it down because I was immediately invested in the characters! I especially appreciated seeing how mental health was addressed; a few characters, Cal included, had a mix of anxiety, grief, depression, and more, and many of those issues were portrayed realistically and dealt with in a healthy manner. It's a conversation that needs to happen more, and I really like how Stamper started it with his novel.

I also enjoyed how intense the relationship between Cal and Leon was, instalove or not. It threw me back to the days of teenage angst and hormone-riddled bodies, and the two boys together were perfect. Some of my favorite bits were the videos that Cal took at NASA - the excitement and passion from the characters was palpable, and it got me excited too for all the potential that science and passionate people can have. That's some powerful writing.

All in all, I really enjoyed this and I would *HIGHLY* recommend it! show less

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 show more 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. show less

The Gravity of Us is about Cal, a social media journalist from New York whose father gets selected to be an astronaut on NASA's mission to Mars. Cal must leave behind his whole life in Brooklyn, including his best friend Deb, to move to a new life in Houston with all he other astronaut's families. He soon meets Leon, a fellow space-kid, and finds himself falling head over heels. But things within the space program aren't always as they seem, and the television show that's following the families around likes to play games. Cal tries to figure out the best way to put a light on what really needs to be shown in the best way possible without hurting others.

The Gravity of Us is a typical YA love story, but with space themes put into it. I show more felt like the relationship between Cal and Leon was quick and almost out of nowhere. They mentioned the other was cute and then they were kissing and together.

Cal is always prepared and seemed to know what he wanted to do with his life and how he was going to do it. That's great! I wish I knew that as a kid his age, but the way he seemed to react when others weren't on the same path line as him made me uneasy. He also made a few questionable decisions that I could never really wrap my head around.

I loved all the parts where it focused on NASA or the mission. When it talked about all the stuff scientists, not just the astronauts, were doing my little nerdy self was in heaven.

Overall, I didn't personally like the main character much, but I still enjoyed the book. show less