Disclaimer: I received an eARC through Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.
NASA is preparing to go to Mars. They’ve had a nationwide search for astronauts to prepare for this mission, and they are about to announce the final one. Meanwhile, Cal is Brooklyn, trying his best to get through his senior year so he can become a journalist. He has a FlashFame account with hundreds of thousands followers, and he has a Buzzfeed internship lined up.
All of his plans are quickly derailed when his father is announced as the final astronaut for this mission. Quickly, his family has to leave Brooklyn and head to Clear Lake, Texas to prepare.
Cal quickly finds himself at odds with the reality tv show that’s covering the astronauts and their families, but he also quickly finds himself taken in by Leon, a fellow Astrokid.
The Gravity of Us is quite simply amazing. Stamper takes the world that was built in the 1960s for the first era of human space flight, and he modernizes it. It feels so real throughout the entire thing, as if I should be preparing to watch a launch for humans to go to Mars next year.
Additionally, there’s a different type of mental health rep in this book, where the main character doesn’t necessarily struggle with mental health issues but his mom and his love interest do. Both are done with such delicate care which is so appreciated from someone who struggles with mental health issues.
Throughout the entire book, I was heavily invested, and I didn’t want it to end. Selfishly, I hope it does well enough to demand a sequel.
The Gravity of Us doesn’t release until February 4, 2020, but you can pre-order this amazing book now. (P.S. Phil Stamper has an amazing pre-order campaign going where he’s sending bookplates into space. I’ve linked that info below the pre-order links)
Pre-order Links
Phil Stamper’s Pre-order Campaign
On A Mission to Read 
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