Title: Something Like Gravity   

Author: Amber Smith 

Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary      

Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry Books

Format: Paperback 

Pages: 400

Rating: 4/5 stars 

Synopsis (Goodreads):

 

For fans of Love, Simon and Eleanor and Park, a romantic and sweet novel about a transgender boy who falls in love for the first time—and how first love changes us all—from New York Times bestselling author Amber Smith.

Chris and Maia aren’t off to a great start.

A near-fatal car accident first brings them together, and their next encounters don’t fare much better. Chris’s good intentions backfire. Maia’s temper gets the best of her.

But they’re neighbors, at least for the summer, and despite their best efforts, they just can’t seem to stay away from each other.

The path forward isn’t easy. Chris has come out as transgender, but he’s still processing a frightening assault he survived the year before. Maia is grieving the loss of her older sister and trying to find her place in the world without her. Falling in love was the last thing on either of their minds.

But would it be so bad if it happened anyway?

 

Review:

Thank you @simonschusterca for the copy of this book!

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I really enjoyed this book! It had great characters, great plot development, beautiful writing, and dealt with diversity in a poignant way!

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Chris goes to stay with his aunt for the summer in order to get away from the chaos at home. Chris has recently come out as transgender, and following an assault, he has been finding it hard to cope with his surroundings. In this new town, there is Maia, who is struggling to cope with her sisters recent death, and tries to find out who she is while trying to figure out her sister. That just felt like a long winded explanation, but this book is super complex with many different pieces connecting it that it’s hard to explain fully!

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When Chris and Maia meet, they learn how they can come to terms with their realities by getting to know each other and talking through their struggles. I really liked the alternating view points, and how we got to see what was happening in both Maia and Chris’ mind. I also feel like the author handled the difficult topics of death of a sibling and the struggles to come out as transgender very well, although I have not experienced either so I’m talking just from my perception and conversations with those who have experienced such circumstances.

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Overall, a great book and one I would definitely recommend if you’re looking for a YA novel that is not your typical insta love romance novel! 

Happy reading!