When I first heard about this book I knew I had to read it. Not only does it have a LGBTQ+ representation but it has strong topics throughout, they are subtle but are definitely there and made me sit up and think.

The story starts off with you meeting the main character Cal who is a FlashFame user, basically her goes live on a social media app to showcase his home town New York. He tells his followers how it is and, wants to be a serious journalist. He has it all planned out, he is going to College, he is going to share a flat with his best friend and lets not forget interning at Buzz Feed. The problem is it all stops when his Dad comes home with the news that he has been accepted as an Astronaut on the Orpheus V mission, and you guessed it he has to uproot his life.

This to me is the makings of a teen movie and I would so go and watch it. Cal is definitely a star in this book and lets not forget Leon either who I equally adored. They both bounced off one another and I really like their chemistry. Their friendship was fast but I liked that their romance was a slow burn and that boundaries were set from the beginning and that they listened and respected each other. I admit I haven't read many Queer own voices books but this has definitely made me want to rectify that. They didn't label each other, they were open and honest and didn't want to be labelled.

There were topics in this book that I always want to see more of especially in YA books and that is mental health. Mental Health is so important and voicing your feelings is a massive part (to me) no one should suffer in silence and I like that this book touches on this subject. It is 100% needed to be written about and I thought that Phil Stamper did this in the right way. The fact that Cal's parents were both struggling with not only their relationship but that his mother suffered from severe anxiety. It was all the small details that made me enjoy this book so much more.

The theme of Space and NASA fascinated me, I mean I have always found it absolutely mesmerising but it added an extra layer to this book. It didn't focus on the Astronauts, who are usually the main focus. It looked at everyone that makes up the team to send people into Space, the Scientists, the technician, the Engineers everyone was included and I think that was a big thing about the book. Inclusion.

The book at times was funny and sad. There was hope, there was death but overall there was love, friendship, respect and support. This book was a highlight of my week when I read it. I needed something like this to make me smile and read from cover to cover in quick succession. I highly recommend this book if you want an Own voices book.

Reviewed and digital copy supplied by NetGalley.

I’ve heard so much about this book and I couldn’t wait to pick it up. space, romance and mental illness rep, what’s not to love!

The story follows Cal whose Dad signs up to be a NASA astronaut. As they move from Brooklyn to Houston they unwilling enter a media circus that surrounds the NASA programme. Whilst there, Cal meets Leon another ‘astrokid’ and he immediately falls for him.

The characters warmed my heart and I loved the in-depth look into the space missions as well as the look into the detrimental effect of social media and reality tv.

Cal and Leon’s relationship will make you feel all the warm and fuzzies I promise you! I read it in one day I loved it that much!

The Gravity of Us is an extremely cute, space-centric YA book that I thoroughly enjoyed. I loved the premise of this book, the reality of NASA space missions and the impact it has not only on those chosen but the family members as well.

Told in two formats, Cal’s perspective and interviews, this book was gripping and incredibly interesting! Cal is a very relatable and realistic main character. He goes through so many changes in this book that make him more determined and focused on what he wants from life. His relationship with Leon was so sweet and I found myself really connecting with Leon and the troubles he had with his mental health.

Phil Stamper puts so much detail into this book, especially revolving around NASA and it’s processes, and I really liked his writing style. My only issue was the insta-love between Cal and Leon. I felt like not much time had passed and they were already in a serious relationship. I would have liked it to have dragged on just a tad!

Overall, this was a fun, fast-paced book that showcases how important social media can be. It also reminds us to fight for what we believe in! I recommend giving this a read if you’re a fan of anything space related.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bloomsbury Publishing for providing me with a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

I was unfortunately really disappointed by the execution of The Gravity of Us. It was such an interesting premise, with a lot of potential, and some great moments. But, I never really connected to the protagonist -- or any of the characters -- the relationships, or the plot. On the one hand, the book felt far too short for what it was trying to achieve; on the other, if it had been any longer... I don't know if i'd have finished it. It just feel like we were only getting snippets from a much bigger and more cohesive story, that I would have been pretty interested to read.

Everything's very melodramatic, which isn't necessarily a bad thing in it's essence (especially as part of the book's focus is on a reality TV show) but it just didn't feel earned. I wasn't emotionally affected or invested in any of the major plot moments or twists. There were so many parts to this story that didn't get enough scene time, so I just didn't care. And it wasn't a confusing story but I even found myself getting confused at times! There were a lot of tertiary characters who I'd forget, or mix up with another character. The romance could have been good, despite being insta-love, if we'd actually got to see more of it happening!

I didn't enjoy the writing style all that much. I found some of the dialogue, and some of Cal's inner monologue, very cheesy. And the social media story-line just didn't feel realistic. There was some disparity between how "famous" Cal was, and the views he was getting, and the opportunities he was getting, and the reactions from NASA and StarWatch. Ultimately I just didn't like Cal's attitude, especially when it came to this aspect.

As I mentioned, the book had some really great moments, especially towards the end, I just wish these had been earned, and that the rest of the book had been able to back these up. They were moments I wanted to feel moved by or excited by but I just wasn't quite there.

The Gravity Of Us is a love letter to all things space travel and i really really enjoyed it.

The book follows Cal who's New York City life is uprooted when his dad gets selected for a publicised NASA mission to mars. The whole family head for Houston, Texas meaning that Cal may have to leave his dreams of being a journalist behind.

When the family arrive in Houston, Cal finds himself thrust in the middle of a media circus. With NASA's publicity team policing everything he does, his life feels more like a reality TV show.

Then Cal meets Leon, whose mother is another astronaut on the mission, and he finds himself falling head over hells. They become an oasis for each other amid the craziness of the whole experience. As their relationship grows, so does the frenzy surrounding the Mars mission, and when secrets are revealed about the 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.

One of my favourite things about this book was the discussion on Mental Health. Cal's mother has Anxiety and Leon has depression and both characters go on a journey throughout the book and learn how to cope. I really liked that this book advocates for getting therapy for mental health issues. Too often in YA books i feel like a characters mental illness just goes away because they fall in love or whatever, but that was not the case here. I think this book definitely teaches its audience that mental illness doesn't make you broken, but it's also okay and often beneficial to seek professional help.

"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 also goes into lots of detail about the space mission which i found really interesting. It really made me think, not only about the importance of space exploration and the work that goes into it but also about the impact that it can have on the families of astronauts. Not having any contact with a parent who has gone to space is crazy to me! I think anyone who is even slightly interested in space exploration should give this book a go because that aspect plays a huge part in this book.

I also really enjoyed the social media aspect of this book. Cal has a huge following on a live streaming social media app which I thought made the book very up to date and interesting.

The relationship between Cal and Leon was nice as well. I wasn't overly invested in it but it felt realistic for me and I was definitely rooting for them to make things work. I also liked how this book had a LGBT couple who didn't face any homophobia or negative responses to their relationship. Often in books with LGBT characters there is opposition to the relationship, and while i think it's important to tell stories about the struggles LGBT people may face when coming out etc. it also nice to have stories where they can just exist and be treated like any other relationship.

However, one issue I had with this book is that it is very slow starting, the story didn't pick up for me until at least the halfway mark. But after that it was very enjoyable.

I would recommend this book to anyone interested in NASA and space exploration and who is looking for a fun read.

*huge thank you to Bloomsbury YA for sending me a finished copy to review

I'm enjoying finding more books like this with LGBTQ+ relationships but without the sexuality of the characters being the main focus of the narrative (those stories are obviously still very much needed too).
I loved the central premise of the family having to move due to the Mars mission, and the exploration of family dynamics within that context, as well as the added scrutiny of the world's media. Adding in Cal's social media fame keeps it feeling modern, and gives him some influence over events, in contrast to Leon's lack of any control over his life.
I'd have liked to see a bit more depth of feelings about the enormity of the mission, and the thought of a parent potentially being fired into space, visiting another planet, and not returning for two years! Cal Jr often seemed incredibly self-absorbed - which is not wholly unexpected given his age, and he does grow and change through the book somewhat - and perhaps a bit cliché cool with his Brooklyn style and retro tape cassettes!
Overall I did enjoy the book and the interesting way it combined family, coming of age and modern media, but struggled to really warm to Cal and found the pacing of the central relationship a little confusing at times.
I know a lot of my students will absolutely love this book, and it will definitely be going on our school library shelves!

Sadly I didn't finish this book, perhaps it wasn't the right time for me to read it. But I just couldn't connect with the characters or writing style.

I absolutely loved this story soooo much. I felt connected to the teenage characters as they were all written beautifully and the story was captivating meaning I read it in less than a day.

What with Cal relocating, LGBTQ rep between Cal and Leon, grief and social media usage being big topics throughout I was hooked at an instant. I also felt like I learnt a a lot about space and how NASA works which was very interesting.

This story follows Calvin, whose father is chosen to be the last astronaut on the Orpheus project to Mars. Cal is a teen from Brooklyn, a social media video journalist who aspires to be real and honest with his viewers. He gets uprooted from his home to live in Texas and potentially give up his journalism dream and all his plans.

The premise of this story is awesome. It's about space and it has a gay couple of two astrokids. But the writing feels bland. I didn't like the style of it. It felt too simple, jumped from one topic and emotion to the next too suddenly, it was jagged. Some things only appeared to be convenient to the plot, others outright unnecessary overall. The romance seemed to exist for the sake of existing, came into existence from nothing and was difficult to get behind, which made me so extremely sad. There were characters that appeared and disappeared, were missing and came back and you never really knew the why and where and what. I was left without answers.

Now, the story wasn't bad. The plot was fast-paced. I liked the journalism aspect, it felt real and quite authentic. I liked most of Cal's reports and coverages. I appreciated the idea of a media circus being covered and all types of mental health concerns (and the fact the characters were mentioned to have therapy for or seek it out). I appreciated the "i don't know what's up next and that's okay" subplot. And how a kiss won't make someone's depression go away.

There were many really great elements to the book. Unfortunately, put together, the writing and the jumpiness of it brought the enjoyment levels down quite a bit for me. All things considered, I was left with a meh.

Romance isn't usually my genre but i found myself very charmed by this book.
I loved Cal as a character and thought he was very endearing.
Having NASA as a backdrop to this story really grounded it for me and made it more dimensional than your typical romance novel.
If you're a fan of the genre you'll love this but i would encourage even those who aren't to pick this up.

I am so grateful to NetGalley and the Publishers, Bloomsbury, for providing me with a copy of The Gravity of Us by Phil Stamper.

Well everyone, this book was amazing. I am in love with all things NASA and astronauts but I have found very few books about that subject that I have enjoyed, The Gravity of Us blew me out of the water. This book follows Cal, a planner who has his future all figured out starting with his Buzzfeed Internship that he got thanks to his uploads to an app called FlashFame - a take on YouTube - but his future is thrown in the air when his father announces that he is the final astronaut for a mission to Mars with NASA, moving them from their apartment in Brooklyn to Texas. Where Cal - who likes girls and boys - is concerned about how he can be himself.

The Gravity of Us covers sexuality in a way that shows that not putting a label on yourself is normal and also okay! Stamper covers mental heath with a different character in a way that was incredibly refreshing, the character has depression and sets boundaries for the relationship because he wants to be all in, but he isn't going to get better overnight, and Cal is okay with this. This book covers both those subjects perfectly and in a way that is not only realistic but also relatable.

The added bonus that Cal uploads live videos about his life but more recently about NASA and the unseen side is that for the most part, it is very current. I watch many YouTubers who upload videos about their lives or interviews with celebrities, etc.

All in all, these subjects came together seamlessly with the backdrop of NASA, politics and reality TV, this book is definitely one to buy upon release! Plus if you enjoy books by Becky Albertalli and Adam Silvera, this is definitely one for you!

The Gravity of Us by Phil Stamper is a great YA novel. I really enjoy that queer representation is really taking off in novels. I personally love diverse reads.

The book really highlights how reliant society has become towards social media. We use it so much, at times the novel made me feel uncomfortable about how much time I even spend on social media. I feel this may have been deliberate.

I feel this is such a great YA romance that I would recommend to any YA reader.

The battle between StarWatch and NASA was really exciting in this book. It was fascinating to see how the media took certain events in the story and twisted them to their own benefit. However, it was never one hundred percent clear why StarWatch wanted to see NASA fail, when their own work was reliant on the organisation to keep running. I understand that drama increased their viewership but in terms of their longevity, it wasn't a particularly smart move.

I loved that we get to see the actual relationship between Cal and Leon as well. Too often, books have a "will they, won't they" approach, with the characters only getting together at the end. I was expecting to see more of this approach, so it was really nice to actually see them in a relationship through most of the book.

Overall, I really liked this book and would recommend it.

I really wanted so desperately to love this book. I’ve been massively anticipating it since it was first announced but I just didn’t love it.

I thought the writing was really good and flowed really well. The author clearly loved writing this book and it truly shows in the writing!

Unfortunately, this book just fell flat for me. Cal was one of the most self centred, selfish main characters I have read for a very long time. Somebody honestly needs to tell him that the world doesn’t revolve around him. He did some things and said some things that were horrific and I really did not like his character at all.

Also, the story just felt so unrealistic. Especially with the space mission and Cal, I know that social media is a massive part of our lives but honestly, it felt so unrealistic and disjointed. And, even though it is a short book I found a lot of it quite boring.

Another thing, I wanted to love was the romance but it was so rushed. I can’t cope with instalove, it doesn’t work and makes the romance feel completely disconnected and this was no different.

I will say that I loved Leon as a character but I wanted to know more about him! He deserves so much more development than he actually got but I did really like him. Also, I’m glad that there was some depression rep here because it’s always important.

Also, have to praise the fact that we had an adult, a parent figure with anxiety because we hardly see that in YA.

Overall, this book fell flat and I’m sad.

Guys, mark the 14th of May in red in your calendars, because this book is going to be a big one!

17-year-old, Brooklyn hipster Cal wants to be a journalist. He is well on his way, with half a million followers and a Buzzfeed internship lined up. But his life is turned around when his Dad is selected for the first Nasa mission to send people to Mars, and they have to leave New York for provincial and conservative Houston, Texas. The publicity of the mission means that his whole family will be thrown into the spotlight. In between interviews and growing tension in his family, he meets Leon, the son of another astronaut, and finds himself falling for him, fast. But when the constant pressure of the cameras around the astronauts' houses threatens to impact the mission Cal may be the only one who can save it.

I loved this book. Loved loved loved it. It owns my entire heart, and even days later I find myself thinking about it.
Perhaps the most perfect thing about it are the characters. Cal is such a wonderful narrator, the narrative voice effortless and completely in character. He is confident but has self-doubts, knows what he wants from life but isn't sure if it will be possible to achieve it. He tries his best but is aware of his flaws, and admits when he's made mistakes. All in all, Cal is such a well-rounded character, completely believable, and I felt myself rooting for him so much.

I adored the love story in this book. It is written so beautifully you feel your own heart ache. Leon is such an incredible character, too, written not as perfect but as complex and hesitant, in many ways Cal's opposite. It was so great to see both of them learning to understand each other, and to come to terms with the fact that, on some issues, they would always disagree.

I was so happy to see characters talk openly about mental health issues in this book, and not in a "problem to be fixed" sort of way, but in a "this is part of my life and you all have to accept that" sort of way. Whether Leon talks about his depression, or Cal adapts his behaviour due to his mother's anxiety, the open, straightforward and unapologetic way the characters talk about these issues is so great to read.

And the setting. The setting! I'll be honest, the moment I realized this book was centred around NASA's mars mission I was a goner. Phil Stamper brings across the excitement and novelty of a space mission so well, and by the end I was almost forgetting that this wasn't a real story. So many interesting space facts are mixed in with the story, and there is a very interesting discussion about the morality of funding space missions when other government branches are severely underfunded.

The final thing I want to talk about is the way the book displays social media. Frowned upon by many, Cal keeps insisting that what he does on social media apps is "real" journalism and can make a difference, and proves again and again the impact he has on real life issues. Social media journalism is something that very many people still shrug off, but that is gaining more and more importance, especially with younger people. This is the first book I've read that talks so directly about this subject, and I absolutely loved the approach, and the resolution!!

All in all--please do yourself a favour and pre-order this book right now. I recommend it with my entire heart, and would give it a hundred stars if I could.

Reading The Gravity of Us whilst listening to Fiona Apple's 'Cosmonauts' felt like an absolutely wonderfully timed coincidence; the stars aligned (pun intended).

This book is absolutely amazing, and feels like exactly what I needed right now given the state of the world. Phil Stamper's writing is addictive and wonderfully easy to read- I was hooked by the end of chapter one. I loved the exploration of mental health, and how easy it can be to fall into the trap of thinking that we need to - and can - fix people. The truth is that we can't, and Cal realised that throughout the book, and it was nice to see his growth.

Speaking of, Cal was an amazing protagonist- a 17 year old, up-and-coming reporter who world shifts when his dad is chosen as NASA's final astronaut for the Mars mission. Cal is flawed, and that's what makes him relatable.

The romance was incredibly endearing, and the scene of their almost-first kiss was absolutely perfect (view spoiler). My only complaint is how quickly we got to the I-love-you's, but I guess that's part of being seventeen.

Overall this was a very cute novel about a budding romance with the backdrop of a Mars mission- I found myself enjoying the space exploration side just as much as their developing relationship, and am definitely looking forward to whatever Phil Stamper releases next!

Actual rating: 4.5/5.

(Thank you to my Mum for typing this for me).
Thank you to NetGalley for gifting me this eArc in exchange for an honest review.
*3.5 Stars*
This book follows the main character Cal, he has his life planned out with an internship set up at Buzzfeed as a result of his large following as a social media journalist, but everything changes when his Dad is chosen for a NASA mission and Cal is forced to leave everything behind in New York and move to Texas.
What I Liked:
- Themes and Relationships. The best thing about this book was the range of discussions on different topics. This book talks about Cal's difficult relationship with his parents, the influence he has due to social media, and wanting to fix everything including people. I think all these topics were discussed well and found Cal an interesting character because of his desire to make everyones problems go away. I think the book showcased the fact that everyone is human with flaws and that there is no "perfect family".
What I Didn't Like:
- Romance. My main problem with the romance in this book was that there wasn't enough development. The relationship between Cal and Leon became intense very quickly and I couldn't understand why, although it was sweet is felt one dimensional.
- The Writing. It wasn't bad for a debut book, however clearly it wasn't written by someone who fully understands current teenage lives and interests. Some of the dialogue simply made me cringe.
Overall this was a pleasant contemporary read with an interesting space theme and an engaging look at what makes people human. While it was not the strongest debut I will still be looking at what Phil Stamper writes in the future.

A huge thank you to Bloomsbury and NetGalley for the ARC of The Gravity of Us by Phil Stamper.

An enthralling tale of a teenager, Cal, who has his life mapped out (he's a planner) and then everything completely changes when his father is elected as the final astronaut on a mission to Mars. In the chaos that follows, and despite all odds, Cal stays true to his beginnings and somewhere along the line, manages to fall in love.

What I absolutely loved about this book, is that whilst the subject matter is very heavy, this book doesn't weigh on you in an upsetting manner. So many different and important themes are discussed from sexuality to mental health and journalistic integrity to simply being a teenager and all that comes with, but at no point does it feel like it has an agenda, or is trying to make a point. So many books these days cover these subjects, but refreshingly, The Gravity of Us shows that teenagers not being able to put a label on their sexuality is normal, and that suffering from depression shouldn't be stigmatised and that we don't need to make a big fuss out of it, but just let it be and be supportive without any incentives.

To summarise, read if you like Mars, teenagers and drama (although really, aren't teenager's and drama one and the same?). The main focal point of this book is really journalistic integrity and, in this era of fake news, is a reminder to don't trust the screaming headlines but instead look for the updates coming from the people on the ground that really know what is going on.

Cal is a teenager who is popular on social media for his news channel. But when his Dad is recruited by NASA as a potential member of the first crewed spacecraft to Mars, the family must move to Houston - completely upending Cal's plans.

I thought the book started strong, and I liked Cal. He was passionate and driven, and although he was understandable devastated by the move, I do like that he grew as a character and allowed himself to come to terms with it. Sometimes along the way, he was unbearably annoying, but by the end I was back to (mostly) liking him again. Leon is such a brilliant love interest, and I adored the exploration of first loves. I think Leon was the standout character for me!

Another aspect of the book that I really liked was the science. The detail that had been put into creating a story and events that sounded believable was brilliant - this contemporary sci fi was definitely a winner.

This review has been posted to Goodreads and will be submitted to Amazon after release.

A sincere thank you to the publisher, author and Netgalley for providing me an ebook copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review.

This is not my usual genre, I’m more of a crime/thriller reader however this story intrigued me. I absolutely loved it, truly one of the best books I have read. I am extremely pleased and grateful to both for opening up my mind to something totally different.