Something Like Gravity (ARC Review)

I’ve recently begun reading more and more LGBTQ+ literature with the help of more and more great recommendations, but I had yet to read a book with a transgender character when I stumbled upon Something Like Gravity at the end of May. With Pride Month (June in the U.S.) quickly approaching, it seemed like the perfect time to finally read some rep.

CHRIS: In Carson for the summer to get away from his parents, one of which who is dealing…ok...with him coming out as trans and one of which who is not. Is also maybe, sort of, running away from some people he’d rather never ever ever see again, and for good reason. Is dealing with some shit.

MAIA: Has lived in little Carson for her whole life and knows all too well how everyone knows everyone else’s business. Well-known in said small town as the little sister of deeply-adored Mallory, who died recently and suddenly and somewhat spectacularly. Figures. Is also going through some shit.

Something like Gravity: The story in which they meet. Maybe for the better. And maybe…not.

I quickly realized that Gravity is not just about romance, but about a lot more; grief, healing after trauma, identity…It’s a coming of age (and even a little of a coming out) story as much as it’s a story of first love. I really appreciated the many topics that it tackled, and well, without ever seeming overdramatic or unbelievable. Some tropes were used, a few in particular which may irk readers who are more familiar with them, but I thought that the story moved forward from them gracefully, using them as a jumping-off point for explorations of deeper ideas.

All of these aspects had a nice, slow burn. We get to know what has happened to each of the characters bit by bit as they gradually get to know each other. I love this method because it helps to push the narrative forward with a greater force than if more had been revealed sooner, drawing in further tension. I was happy to see that the wait was worth it when it came to the romantic elements since Gravity gives just the right amount of steamy scenes to satisfy and propel the relationship forward into the third act.

The plot is brought to life with a detailed, almost cinematic, writing style. This works well with the story and the small-town setting. Speaking of which, as someone who comes from a (very) small town and who too often finds inaccurate and stereotypical representations, I can attest to the realism of Smith’s version, which skips over the overused ideas.

Gravity switches naturally between Maia and Chris’s perspectives, giving them both their unique voice, which makes it difficult not to sympathize with them and what they’re going through.  I really felt like I got to know, understand, and relate to both characters over the course of the story.

Because of all of these things, I wanted to love this story so badly, and I did at the beginning. But I felt my adoration waning as I continued reading.

A large part of this, I think, was that, although I liked both Maia and Chris as main characters, I began to ship them together less and less over the course of the book as Maia makes some questionable choices. I understood why she does everything that she does but I couldn’t help but begin to think that Chris deserved better and that perhaps they were not actually meant for each other. Perhaps I didn’t know well enough why they liked each other so much to begin with, and whether those reasons were real or based on lies. I still liked Maia, don’t get me wrong, but I just couldn’t see what she was bringing to Chris’s life that he wouldn’t have been better without. I don’t think all readers will agree with me, and there will likely be plenty of people who think of Chris and Maia as their new OTP. But I won’t be one of them, as much as I wanted to be.

I relied on the ending to bring me closure and explanation for this but found myself disappointed. Not only did the ending not help me to understand why I should want them to be together, but it seemed to be overall too quick and inconclusive. The last section leaves things relatively open-ended for the characters. The last few lines, to me, made it unclear as to what was going to happen to them and how exactly they had affected each other’s lives. I didn’t quite understand what meaning I was supposed to take from the final line, although I could tell it was supposed to bring a certain impact. There are only a handful of stories, in my opinion, that can successfully pull off an open-ended ending. This was not one of them. In fact, YA romances, in general, rarely are. Again, some readers will likely enjoy the ending. But because I was already beginning to doubt my stake in the story, it was not enough for me.

That being said, I did really enjoy Something Like Gravity overall and would rate it 4 out 5 stars. Fans of John Green will likely appreciate Amber Smith’s writing style and willingness to take on hard topics. Those who enjoy the next-door-neighbor element of the romance in Hart and Seoul, or the science-based and space discussion in The Sun is Also a Star would probably enjoy this new release as well.

Something Like Gravity will release on June 18, 2019

Thank you to Netgalley and Simon and Schuster for the opportunity to read a digital advanced reader’s copy in exchange for an honest review.