The Gravity of Us
The Gravity of Us
Phil Stamper
THE GRAVITY OF US is a young adult romance novel set against the backdrop of a NASA mission to Mars. Cal is a young journalist and social media star with half a million followers on his FlashFame app. He lives in Brooklyn and makes live new updates from around New York City. He often covers the Orpheus Project, a highly publicized NASA mission in which 20 astronauts are working to send humans to Mars. 19 professionals have already been chosen, and the search for the 20th rages on. To Cal’s surprise, it is his dad who is picked. Now, Cal is uprooted from his friends and life in Brooklyn and is forced to move to Texas where the mission is centered. Also, with NASA’s strict rules, he may have to stop broadcasting on FlashFame.
Because the Mars mission is so special, it gets a lot of attention from the American people; so much attention that there is a reality TV show that follows the astronauts and their families. NASA welcomes the show because it attracts interest to the cause and helps bring in more funding for the endeavor. The show is popular, and Cal already knows of all of the stars, including the gorgeous Leon, son of astronaut Grace Tucker. When Cal arrives in Texas, he and Leon strike a connection immediately, and fall into a romance that makes Texas way better than Cal thought it would be.
There is a lot of space drama with NASA, the reality show, and the mission in this book. However, at its center is the adorable love story between Cal and Leon. Cal is a success-driven planner while Leon is a free floater who struggles with depression and isn’t quite sure what he wants to do with his future. Both are thrust into the spotlight because of their newly famous families, and they help each other deal with the negative elements that come with fame. They are both such sweet characters and it is delightful to see their relationship develop and grow.
Space nerds will have a lot of fun with this book because there is a lot of discussion of spaceships, stars, and travelling to Mars. It is really cool to think about the possibility of making it to Mars, and this book plays with the concept in a really interesting way. If astronauts were travelling to space now, in the age of social media, would we treat them like famous celebrities? This book answers this question in a really fun way. Overall, this is an entertaining, unique, and romantic YA book that anyone who loves a good, nerdy contemporary story will enjoy.
CRITICS HAVE SAID
- “A sweet-spirited romance that will capture readers’ hearts and imaginations.” ―Booklist, starred review
- “Phil Stamper’s The Gravity of Us is so interesting and well crafted that it’s hard to believe it’s his first novel. . . . Readers will root for Cal and Leon, their budding romance, their astronaut families and, of course, the prospect of life among the stars.” ―BookPage, starred review
- “Stamper crafts a sweet fish-out-of-water tale that also shrewdly explores the intersection between social class and modern media culture…A charming and satisfying first novel.” ―Kirkus Reviews
IF YOU LOVE THIS BOOK, THEN TRY:
- The Music of What Happens by Bill Konigsberg, 2019
- What if it’s Us by Becky Albertalli and Adam Silvera, 2019
- History is All You Left Me by Adam Silvera, 2017