Incredibly beautiful and well-written, I liked this book a lot. The settings were so well described and I found the characters and their experiences of mental health really real and moving. Fab.

“People aren’t broken, and therapists couldn’t fix them if they were. But maybe someone can make things a little better, or help them be a little happier.”

This book was a cute quick read and the characters felt really well written. The insta love was absolutely adorable, i absolutely loved the plot line to the gravity of us so many different feelings are explored within this story and we also get a little hint of a mystery in there too! I absolutely devoured this and cant wait to read it again!

One i would highly recommend to many people

A great book which features the theme of mental health. It is dealt with brilliantly and sensitively without using the usual stereotypes that can be associated with mental health. A lovely romance book, a little simple for me - I prefer a complex, twisty turney relationship but it was a fun read all the same.

Cinematic and very romantic, a beautifully realised relationship between two well drawn characters. I really enjoy this author's work.

I requested this book from NetGalley because I read a couple of books about the 1960s astronauts and their family and I was really interested in seeing a modern day version of this, especially since it would include LGBTQ+ characters. And I both did and didn’t get this.

This book is about Cal’s dad getting a chance to be in the modern day astronaut programme and so their whole family had to move from Brooklyn to Texas, to stay in the astronaut village. Cal is unhappy about this because he is a Youtube (Flashflame in the book) star where he reports on the news, especially local news. But then he meets the son of one of the other pilots, Leo, and he decides Texas isn’t so bad.

Cal is a likeable enough character, I did sympathise with him a lot and his crush on Leo was very cute. I loved how they got together with the minimum of conflict and when they did have problems in their relationship, it was mostly because they were new and didn’t know each other yet. Leo’s mental health is a factor but it’s more about how Cal doesn’t know what Leo wants from him or how his behaviour can sometimes come across. There is a lot of the two of them going through growing pains and coming through the other side, which was really nice to see. We didn’t get as much focus on the relationship as I had expected, but what we did get, I really enjoyed.

The main plot of the book was about Cal, his social media and going against the official TV show for the astronaut families, which was interesting, especially the major third act conflict. However, I felt like after we got this conflict, we didn’t get the full impact of how Cal adjusted to things. It would have been great to see the other side of being an online personality like he was and how he rebuilt things afterwards. However, I did like how Cal fixed things by learning more about the Mars project, even though it wasn’t his thing, and did it by giving a voice to other people. By the end, I was really interested in his show and wanted to go and learn more about space and the work with it.

However, one of the problems I had with this book was how much was going on in this quite short contemporary book and how that meant some things got lost because there was no way to give them enough page time to give a satisfying plot arc and conclusion. For example, the conflict between Cal and Deb could have been more of a plot point than it was, contrasting with Cal’s success online and his relationship with Leo, but it wasn’t. It was almost as if Deb would be forgotten about as soon as she wasn’t on the page and the conclusion seemed to be more of a sweeping everything under the rug, all’s fine now than I thought it deserved. Because of so much going on, not even the main plot points with Leo and Star Hunter got as much development as I would have liked to see.

That said, the writing style was really easy to get along with and it was a fun read. It would definitely be one I recommend, even if I think the premise could have used just a little more development along the way.

3.5 stars!

Firstly the way mental health is tackled in this book, deserves a huge round of applause. There seemed to be no judgement, no magic moment where depression or anxiety was suddenly cured and no suggestion that there was no reason for the bad mental health.

I enjoyed the romance although at times it did feel a little cringe worthy. This is more of a personal reference as I like books with gritty relationships and rarely enjoy one which almost runs smoothly.

There was a lot of convenient moments which made the story seem a little unrealistic but as a fantasy reader I didn't mind too much. People who are more into contemporary reads, may find this a problem.

The Gravity of Us wasn’t something initially on my radar but I decided to give it a shot for my 2020 Goodreads Reading Challenge, inspired by the lovely Emily Foxx on YouTube. We are introduced to 17 year old, Cal, a successful online journalist who doesn’t have an easy life right now as his parents are constantly fighting. Most of their fighting revolves around his father applying to be an astronaut on NASA’s highly publicized mission to Mars, the Orpheus project despite only being a commercial pilot with none of the accolades that the other astronauts have. Cal and his mother really don’t want his father to get the job because his mother has lived in New York all her life and they would have to move to Houston and Cal doesn’t want him to get it because they would be part of a reality show called Shooting Stars and there is a clear clause in the contract that no public transmissions can be made outside of that show which would basically end Cal’s journalistic career and he would have to give up his BuzzFeed apprenticeship as well. This all come to a head when his father is accepted which is like a gut punch for both Cal and his mother and I can see things only getting worse between the family behind closed doors. Overall, the opening segment of The Gravity of Us was very gripping and I couldn’t wait to get deeper into Cal’s story.

As we approach the ¼ mark in the novel, Cal’s family are moving to Houston on Monday which means Cal might have to give up his internship as well but he isn’t the only one as we are introduced to Leon who has had to give up a potential place of the US Olympic team for gymnastics and I know from the synopsis that there might be a potential romance between this pair. As the family drive down to Texas from New York, Cal has plenty of time to observe his parents and to see how happy his father is and that happiness briefly infect the whole family so it almost seems like they are in their pre-NASA days. When they arrive, they are greeted by a NASA employee who shows them to their new home which Cal sees is a perfect blend of retro and modern and even he finds himself sort-of looking forward to what is to come but he isn’t going to allow the show to run his life and decides he is going to document the whole experience until he is forced to stop despite the contract his father signed. Cal goes live and announces to his half a million followers that his father is the final astronaut on the Orpheus mission and almost immediately all the press descend on their home. While the NASA guy tries to run damage control, Cal’s father knows it was Cal who is responsible for their current situation and he seems angry about that but keeps control of himself. Here he meets Kat and Leon, the children of another astronaut Grace Tucker. Kat is a massive fan of Cal’s and apparently Leon finds him to be cute and Kat invites him to a party her parents are throwing as he is the only other teen as the rest of the children are a lot younger so I think they are going to be spending a lot of time together.

As we cross the ¼ mark in the novel, Cal gets a cease and desist letter from the company controlling the press around the astronauts but after speaking with one of the other people picked whose wife is a lawyer, he realises he can keep pushing and decides he isn’t going to stop until he is forced completely. During this time, we also see Kat, Leon and Cal getting closer as they are all similar in age but Leon and Cal especially seem to have something more building between them which is interesting to follow. By the time the welcoming party is thrown for his parents, Cal is worried about making a good impression on Leon but during a conversation with his best friend, Deb he can already sense a distance growing between them because of how far apart they are. Leon, Cal, and Kat sneak away from the party for a while with some champagne although Kat conveniently disappears to allow her brother and Cal some alone time together where Cal tries to kiss Leon but Leon stops him. Leon asks Cal not to kiss him out of pity or to make him feel better but because he genuinely likes Leon which Cal understands as none of the other children are happy about moving to Houston and while Kat appear all in with the project, Leon is against it and Cal falls somewhere in-between. Cal also becomes really famous overnight because he refuses to stop reporting even if he can’t do his apprenticeship with BuzzFeed from Texas which is a massive blow to him but he is finding it hard to switch on and off in front of the cameras and Leon explains that while his family is able to do that, they aren’t perfect behind closed doors which is a relief for Cal that he doesn’t have to act constantly and he can just be himself around Leon. So far, The Gravity of Us isn’t anything special and apart from the brief media circus and the cease and desist order nothing much has actually happened and I am hoping it gets interesting soon because for me personally, contemporary fiction especially romance fiction can be extremely boring.

As we approach the halfway mark in the novel, things do get interesting as Cal is offered the opportunity to work with the NASA social media team as he seems to be getting more attention that the whole reality show set up around the mission and he jumps at it even if it is a blow to his dad on the first day of work. Cal doesn’t just focus on the astronauts but on everyone working behind the scenes, the scientists, engineers, and many others which his viewers eat up and he encourages some of the scientists to start their own accounts and he can send his viewers to them for more information which will help protect the funding for the mission. In between this he shares his first kiss with Leon but it doesn’t go smoothly as Cal thinks that Leon regrets kissing him and he prepares to leave but Leon explains that he doesn’t trust easily and it takes him a while to process things which Cal understands but he also makes it clear that he was badly hurt by his ex-boyfriend and he can’t go through that again. With boys now seemingly dating although they are willing to put a label on what they are which I approve of we see one of the other potential pilots basically trashing Cal’s father because he is only a commercial pilot and he firmly believes that control of the mission will be given to him or Grace Tucker who have more experience but I have a feeling that we might get a twist regarding that a little later on in the novel.

As we cross into the second half of the novel, I was finding the book fairly interesting especially when it is focusing on the space mission and all the drama that comes with that. I am not heavily invested in the relationship between Cal and Leon yet especially since Cal is still firm about moving back to New York and moving in with Deb just like they planned. Things get really interesting at this point as the three pilots, Mark, Grace, and Cal’s dad are heading to Florida for some more training when the plane crashes, Mark dies in the crash but Cal’s dad and Grace survive with minor injuries meaning that Cal’s dad might be replacing Mark as Grace’s alternate for the role of mission leader but this is overshadowed by what it means for the future and security of Mark’s family. In the aftermath of Mark’s death, the reality show try to take advantage of his grieving wife until Cal live streams the entire thing exposing them and basically shutting the whole show down with NASA threatening to terminate the contract completely. Cal thinks here he will get more publicity but he is also worried about what the show could do if they turn against NASA but they don’t have time to worry about this as his relationship with Leon is escalating and he is worried by how quickly things are changing in his life. This is made worse when Grace is announced as the leader of the mission with his dad as her alternate which means the relative peace they have enjoyed is about to come to an end and I can’t wait to see where this story goes especially since after the year ends, Cal has to make the choice between staying in Texas or returning to New York but either way he might lose someone.

As we approach the ¾ mark in the novel, Cal and Leon’s relationship is great especially them being completely open about Leon’s depression and Cal’s panic attacks and how they navigate that. However, when StarWatch begin trying to sabotage the mission especially after the explosion of the one of the antennas everything seems to be falling apart before its even begun and there are also rumours of the funding being pulled from NASA meaning a lot of people would be laid off. StarWatch also put a piece out on Cal making him seem like the villain of the story in response to what he did to them after Mark’s death and for a moment it hits Cal hard especially since it affects his relationship with Leon but he eventually has an idea to fight back. With her father’s help he goes to NASA and speaks to a bunch of people behind the scenes and why the mission is important to them from both personal and professional stand point including his father and he intends to put them out that night in a last ditch effort to save the Orpheus mission but I am not sure what one teenager can do against a well-funded organisation like StarWatch but I am really eager to see how this novel concludes not just with the mission but what is going to happen between Cal and Leon since they are having some space right now in light of recent events. I really like the honest and open way mental health is being portrayed in this novel especially with Leon’s depression as I can really identify with him as a character especially in the way he describes the feeling of being depressed and being shocked when he thinks his parents think his gymnastics caused the depression when it had actually been there for a long time before that they just didn’t see it.

As we cross into the final section of the novel, Cal decides to use all the knowledge and fame he has to save the Orpheus mission but he isn’t sure it is going to be enough. However, he has NASA and a huge portion of the general public on his side as they all wait for the decision on whether the mission is going to be cancelled or not. Hours later Cal learns that he has saved NASA Orpheus programme near enough on his own but so much more come after that as he learns his father will be the lead pilot of the Orpheus 6 mission after the return of the Orpheus 5 which Grace is leading. We see Cal and Tucker work out their relationship which was brilliant but what really made this novel great for me was the epilogue as we learn Cal has fulfilled his dream of becoming a real journalist with Teen Vogue, both he and Leon are going to the University of Texas so they will be together, his mother and father are mending their relationship and we get to see the successful launch of the Orpheus 5 which won’t return to Earth for nearly two years but Cal and Leon will have each other during this time as Leon will be without his mother for two years and following that Cal will be without his father for the same amount of time. I really enjoyed how science was a key part of this novel but it also really focused hard on the characters and the very human flaws they have. Overall, The Gravity of Us was slow to start but really picked up in the second half and I will be checking out more from this author in the future.

This book includes all of the specific things I love: marketing—especially revolutionary new forms of viral marketing as we see with the main character's popularity on the video streaming app FlashFame—and space travel, particularly Mars exploration!

I really enjoyed the story and thought it was unique and exciting. I was hooked and always wanted to know what happened next. I did struggle a bit when it came to the romance in the book because it was very insta-love-y, and they fell head over heels in just a few short weeks. I'm definitely a slowburn kinda gal. But I appreciated how they treated each other and really cared about each other's feelings.

This was fun and I'm glad to add it to my collection of sci-fi YA, and it's made better by the LGBTQ+ representation!

The Space nerd in me absolutely adored The Gravity of Us! I really need more YA books like this one. As a millenial I have no experience of what the space race in the 60s was like but I think this book re-enacted the situation in a modern setting, with the added pressure of live videos, social media and celebrity status, perfectly.
The author explores social media and media in general and how it can be used and manipulated depending on the users intentions.
The writing was very easy to follow and the inclusion of the transcripts from the aired tv show about the mission, were so fun to read. I listened to parts of the audiobook and the use of a full cast was brilliant for transcripts.
Overall, The Gravity of Us was a very enjoyable read and I can't wait to read the author's second novel!

Cal wants to be a journalist, and he’s already well underway with almost half a million followers on his FlashFame app and an upcoming internship at Buzzfeed. But his plans are derailed when his pilot father is selected for a highly-publicized NASA mission to Mars. Within days, Cal and his parents leave Brooklyn for hot and humid Houston. With the entire nation desperate for any new information about the astronauts, Cal finds himself thrust in the middle of a media circus. Suddenly his life is more like a reality TV show, with his constantly bickering parents struggling with their roles as the "perfect American family." And then Cal meets Leon, whose mother is another astronaut on the mission, and he finds himself falling head over heels--and fast. They become an oasis for each other amid the craziness of this whole experience. As their relationship grows, so does the frenzy surrounding the Mars mission, and when secrets are revealed about ulterior motives of the program, Cal must find a way to get to the truth without hurting the people who have become most important to him.

I Thought this was ok. It didn’t leave me jumping up and down but a nice read nonetheless.

This was an odd book for me, I felt like I never became fully invested in the characters and to be honest it was a bit to insta-love for me which is never a trope I enjoy reading. That said there was enough there to keep me reading. A middle of the road read for me and not one I'll be shouting about.

I think, for me, The Gravity of Us was a book that I was drawn to a) because of the gorgeous cover and b) because there was so much hype surrounding it when it was due for release. I gave into the hype, especially because many reviewers whom I trust gave it really high reviews. However, it just wasn't for me.

I liked the friendship between Cal and Deb, I thought that was explored really well. I liked the discussion of mental health. But I didn't like Cal as a person. I saw where he got his selfishness from and I know that it existed to give him some character development, but the character just didn't feel very developed by the end. I love a good book about space, but I don't think space combined with YA and reality TV is a good combination for me. It's not a secret that I dislike books about stardom/reality TV shows.

This didn't work for me, but definitely read around to find reviews from people that might recommend it to you!

Thank you to netgalley, Phil Stamper and Bloomsbury YA for providing me with an e-copy in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.

I did quite enjoy this. The story is quite different - focussing on a NASA Mars mission which is very interesting and the story felt well fleshed out. However I found the main character quite annoying (I suppose because he's a teenager and I'm not!) Some of the decisions he made were just so obviously bad and he's also constantly quite mean to his best friend which got on my nerves a lot. The romance part also felt very fast to me, especially for teens, but that is often something that I'm bothered by so maybe it's just me!

I was really excited to read this because not only is it LGBTQIA+ but its got a slight hint of mystery. I’m really enjoying contemporary lately so this was the perfect time to read this.

In the beginning when Cal finds out he has to drop everything and move to Houston for his dad I felt so bad for him, he had to give up everything but I really liked how after the initial shock he let himself adjust and figure out how to carry on doing what he loves. Cal is pretty oblivious but there was some great character development; he’s pretty much in his own bubble with falling for this new boy he’s just met and doesn’t stop to think about the best friend he left behind in Brooklyn who might also be going through stuff. While I get his dad wanted live his own dream and take a great opportunity, I think he was very selfish for not even giving his wife and child a choice and until almost the end I really didn’t like his dad for this reason.

I really loved the plot of this, I especially liked the little hint of mystery and how Cal goes about finding out things. I thought this was a really nice touch to add to a standard contemporary, it wasn’t so much a plot twist but it was a little something extra. There were also characters dealing with depression and anxiety and I thought this was really nicely written and from my experiences seems very realistic, it really makes it seem like the author has either had these experiences or done the research to write about it accurately, either way it gets points from me.

I will definitely be recommending this book, although if you’re like me then you will most definitely cry at least once in this book (literally hand to mouth crying moment because something happened I didn’t see coming at all).

This novel is a queer coming of age story and I am living for it. I had seen this book everywhere on social media and I knew that I had to read this! Cal Lewis is looking forward to becoming a journalist and writer. When Cal meets Leon, they face lots of challenges. I adored the relationship between the main protagonists and I felt like I could not put the book down. The plot about NASA and his father took a very interesting turn, I love reading about space projects. They are some of my favourite stories. There is some mental health rep in this story which was an engaging and series part of the story.

Unfortunately I was unable to get in to this story and had to put it down, however, I'm sure it is a highly loved book and appreciated by the right readers.

This was so disappointing. I thought that I was going to love it as it has an m/m romance paired with a NASA-centric plot, but sadly it didn't match my expectations.

Cal Lewis Jr is an aspiring journalist who has found fame on an app called "FlashFrame". When his dad is offered a job with NASA on the Orpheus V space mission to Mars, the family has to move their lives from New York to Texas. Cal and his family now find themselves at the centre of a media circus that will change all of their lives.

My biggest issue was with the main character, Cal. He was portrayed as being incredibly selfish, and he treated others like crap. It felt like he would use his best friends to gain outcomes that benefitted him, and him only. He also seemed to have the need to fix everyone else's problems, regardless of whether they asked for help. This character trait really grated on me and I ended up not connecting with him at all!
Unfortunately, the romance didn't feel like it had any substance to it. It just happened, and I really didn't like the concept of insta-love. There was no development or build-up with regards to the character's relationship - it all happened far too quickly for me to find it believable. Also, I couldn't stand the parts of FlashFrame and Starwatch. These aspects of the book were really boring for me as I just didn't care.
The mental health rep was fantastic though. Everything was portrayed in a very real manner but they weren't the central point of the story. A big thumbs up for that!

This book definitely wasn't for me but it was lovely to read a book that was different to my norm!

Many thanks to the author, publisher, and Netgalley for sending me a copy of this book in return for an honest review.

2.5 stars

When Cal's pilot father is placed on the shortlist for NASA's upcoming Mars mission, Cal's life is turned upside down.
Uprooted from his life in Brooklyn, Cal and his family move to Texas, disrupting Cal's plans to intern at Buzzfeed and the Brooklyn videos he films on the app FlashFame.
Now one of the families in the NASA reality show, Cal and his parents try to settle into their new lives.
Cal becomes fast friends with Leon, whose mother is an astronaut. The two grow closer and Cal finds himself getting deeper into the social media surrounding the Mars missions.
Will Cal have to give up his dream of being a journalist?

I'll admit that contemporary YA novels aren't my favourites, but the NASA element of this book really intrigued me, so I thought I'd give it a go.
Cal was a mixed character for me, and there were times when I found him quite frustrating and annoying, but I appreciated that he wasn't perfect and there were moments when I did feel sorry for him.
My favourite character was probably Deb and I would have liked to have seen more of her.
I wasn't a big fan of the romance as it was too fast for me - I prefer a slow-burn - but I really liked that it was a M/M romance.
The plot was OK, but I wasn't gripped. I definitely found the NASA elements to be the most interesting thing about the book.
The writing style was easy to follow and I liked that there were some interviews included at the end of the chapters.
I am disappointed that I didn't enjoy this more.

Overall, this was an OK read.

This was a nice, light read. Cal is an up and coming social media star in New York- he has nearly half a million followers on Flash Fame, the app where he does his news reports. He has an internship lined up and plans for his future in journalism in New York. That is, until his Dad is announced as the final astronaut on NASA's Mars mission and the family have to move to Texas. Immediately.
Cal is a difficult character- he is very selfish throughout, even as far as overshadowing his Dad at NASA and ignoring his best friend's problems at home. However, I don't mind this as its a true depiction of a 17 year old- they do tend to think that the world revolves around them! The side characters aren't that well developed, but again, I think this lack adds to Cals character as it shows his lack of awareness of the people around him.
The representation is decent. I liked the quote from Cal that he experimented with Jeremy to explore his own queerness, which he didn't have a label for himself yet. I think this shows the journey of coming out, its not necessarily a clear road. There is also mental health representation with Cal's mum and Leon. His mum suffers with anxiety and Leon suffers with depression. I wouldn't say they're the best examples of rep ever, but its ok.
Plot wise- I liked the story. You have the bad guys at Star Watch and its a classic David and Goliath tale.
This is a cute, easy to read fast paced story that I think is a perfect summer read. 4*
Thanks to NetGalley for giving me a free e-copy in exchange for an honest review.

This book had all the marks of a read that I was going to adore, but sadly ‘The Gravity of Us’ just didn’t pull me in. Part of this was due to not really connecting with Cal, as he often came across as completely selfish and didn’t give any consideration to what was going on with those around him. But the majority of this was due to slightly dubious issues of consent running throughout.

There are two big instances of this, and they completely marred my enjoyment of the rest of the novel. Firstly, when Cal knows there are cameras on himself and Leon, and that Leon isn’t out, yet chooses to take Leon’s hand and have an intimate moment with him that he knows is being filmed and will eventually be broadcast. Leon is unaware of what’s happening, and only finds out when the footage is released. There’s a brief moment where Leon is horrified about what has happened and the knowledge that Cal knew and acted with intent, but then it’s completely forgotten about and never discussed or resolved.
The second instance is the entire relationship between Cal’s parents. Cal’s father applies for the space programme without talking to his wife about it at any point. He then uproots the entire family and completely disregards his wife’s anxiety and wishes. Now maybe these are dealt with in conversations that Cal isn’t privy too, but it doesn’t seem like it, and the entire portrayal left me with a bad aftertaste.

The idea is intriguing, but it never really flies. I wanted to like it so much, but ultimately I just felt frustrated and disheartened by the issues I’ve outlined above, and they coloured my overall enjoyment of the book.