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Something Like Gravity
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?
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?
391 pages, Hardcover
First published June 18, 2019
About the author
Amber Smith
10 books1,723 followersAmber Smith is the award-winning and New York Times bestselling author of the young adult novels The Way I Used to Be, The Last to Let Go, Something Like Gravity, and The Way I Am Now. Along with her middle grade debut, Code Name: Serendipity, she has also contributed to the award-winning YA anthology, Our Stories, Our Voices. An advocate for mental health, gendered violence, and LGBTQ+ equality, Amber writes in the hope that her books can help to foster change and spark dialogue. She grew up in Buffalo, New York, and now lives in Charlotte, North Carolina, with her wife and their ever-growing family of rescued dogs and cats. You can find her online at AmberSmithAuthor.com.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 353 reviews
July 8, 2019
I'm between 4 and 4.5 stars.
"It's hard to figure out what you're supposed to be when you've never even really known who you were in the first place—that was something I'd realized only recently. Something I didn't think my friends would understand. After all, I looked the same and dressed the same and talked the same as I always had. But I wasn't the same."
Chris and Maia meet for the first time when he almost hits her with his car. Neither one is really paying attention, but both feel some sort of connection. Their next few encounters don't improve much, more because Maia misreads Chris' intentions. Yet life continues to throw their paths together until they simply can't stay away from each other.
Both are nursing some serious wounds. Chris is in North Carolina for the summer, taking a break from his parents and his New York hometown, where he was physically assaulted by several classmates shortly after coming out as transgender. Maia is still reeling from the sudden death of her older sister, and is trying to figure out how to move on, while understanding just what their relationship meant.
"I was starting to understand that there's also a price that comes with being a boy, one that's different from being a girl. Maybe the price is more one of a responsibility—to not only be a decent person, like everyone else, and not only to not turn scary or mean or dangerous, but to never forget."
Little by little they begin to open up to one another (although not fully), and their relationship starts to deepen. However, both are keeping secrets which could topple anything they've built. At the same time, both are dealing with fractured relationships with their parents, too. It's a lot for any teenagers to handle, much less two with so much emotional baggage.
Falling in love often requires taking a leap, a leap of faith and trust. It forces us to be braver than we think we can be, but it also leaves us more vulnerable than we'd ever want to be, yet the payoff can be greater than we'd even hope. In Amber Smith's beautiful new novel Something Like Gravity , two teenagers feel the strong pull of love and attraction yet must battle the opposing forces that threaten to undo them.
I loved this book and thought it was so well-written. Over the last few months I've started reading more books with transgender characters in them and they've really helped me understand how similar and different our experiences are. Smith created characters you root for, even when they annoy you, and I felt that I was viewing the story through a very fragile shell of poignancy and emotion which deepened the beauty of the book.
Sure, some of the plot is predictable, although Smith kept my worries at bay that the plot might veer too far into melodramatic territory a few times. I really enjoyed the parallels between love and gravity, as I never honestly thought about how similar the two can be.
This is the first of Smith's books I've read, but I'm definitely going to read her earlier work. I really was drawn into her storytelling and the love she had for her characters. I always know I enjoyed a book when I want to know what happens after the story ends—perhaps we'll see Maia and Chris again someday.
NetGalley and Margaret K. McElderry Books provided me an advance copy of this book in exchange for an unbiased review. Thanks for making it available!
See all of my reviews at itseithersadnessoreuphoria.blogspot.com.
Check out my list of the best books I read in 2018 at https://itseithersadnessoreuphoria.blogspot.com/2019/01/the-best-books-i-read-in-2018.html.
You can follow me on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/the.bookishworld.of.yrralh/.
"It's hard to figure out what you're supposed to be when you've never even really known who you were in the first place—that was something I'd realized only recently. Something I didn't think my friends would understand. After all, I looked the same and dressed the same and talked the same as I always had. But I wasn't the same."
Chris and Maia meet for the first time when he almost hits her with his car. Neither one is really paying attention, but both feel some sort of connection. Their next few encounters don't improve much, more because Maia misreads Chris' intentions. Yet life continues to throw their paths together until they simply can't stay away from each other.
Both are nursing some serious wounds. Chris is in North Carolina for the summer, taking a break from his parents and his New York hometown, where he was physically assaulted by several classmates shortly after coming out as transgender. Maia is still reeling from the sudden death of her older sister, and is trying to figure out how to move on, while understanding just what their relationship meant.
"I was starting to understand that there's also a price that comes with being a boy, one that's different from being a girl. Maybe the price is more one of a responsibility—to not only be a decent person, like everyone else, and not only to not turn scary or mean or dangerous, but to never forget."
Little by little they begin to open up to one another (although not fully), and their relationship starts to deepen. However, both are keeping secrets which could topple anything they've built. At the same time, both are dealing with fractured relationships with their parents, too. It's a lot for any teenagers to handle, much less two with so much emotional baggage.
Falling in love often requires taking a leap, a leap of faith and trust. It forces us to be braver than we think we can be, but it also leaves us more vulnerable than we'd ever want to be, yet the payoff can be greater than we'd even hope. In Amber Smith's beautiful new novel Something Like Gravity , two teenagers feel the strong pull of love and attraction yet must battle the opposing forces that threaten to undo them.
I loved this book and thought it was so well-written. Over the last few months I've started reading more books with transgender characters in them and they've really helped me understand how similar and different our experiences are. Smith created characters you root for, even when they annoy you, and I felt that I was viewing the story through a very fragile shell of poignancy and emotion which deepened the beauty of the book.
Sure, some of the plot is predictable, although Smith kept my worries at bay that the plot might veer too far into melodramatic territory a few times. I really enjoyed the parallels between love and gravity, as I never honestly thought about how similar the two can be.
This is the first of Smith's books I've read, but I'm definitely going to read her earlier work. I really was drawn into her storytelling and the love she had for her characters. I always know I enjoyed a book when I want to know what happens after the story ends—perhaps we'll see Maia and Chris again someday.
NetGalley and Margaret K. McElderry Books provided me an advance copy of this book in exchange for an unbiased review. Thanks for making it available!
See all of my reviews at itseithersadnessoreuphoria.blogspot.com.
Check out my list of the best books I read in 2018 at https://itseithersadnessoreuphoria.blogspot.com/2019/01/the-best-books-i-read-in-2018.html.
You can follow me on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/the.bookishworld.of.yrralh/.
August 16, 2019
Whew. Okay. Let me start with two things:
Something Like Gravity strikes me as the perfect example of why many (not ALL, but MANY) authors aren't capable of writing proper representation outside of their own lanes. What I thought was well-intended (if sometimes problematic) trans rep from a cis author is being called out by many own-voice reviewers as being very poor representation, and that hurts my heart, because I know there are own-voice books with trans representation that aren't getting the hype and marketing this book has received.
When I first finished the book, I gave it 4 stars because I had enjoyed it for the most part. Even to my misguided reading, there were some major issues I had (such as the trans character being outed without consent by another character spying on them while they changed clothes - I honestly almost DNFed the ARC at this point because it was so out of left field and infuriated me, but I kept going because I hoped it would be addressed fully later. Now I've come to realize that not only was it not handled well, but frankly, it shouldn't have happened at all, at least not without TWs for trans readers who could be immensely triggered by it). That said, I thought the characters were fairly likeable and I think Smith's prose is really lovely.
After reading multiple own-voice reviews, though, I've come to realize that there are a lot of issues with this book — but that's not the only reason I changed my rating. I finished this book about 2 months ago at the time I'm reviewing it, and it has been so immensely un-memorable that I literally forgot it was on my "RTC" shelf until earlier today. When I sat down to review it, I struggled to even remember what had happened because, in hindsight, these characters and this romance are bland. Maia is low-key awful, Chris' entire personality revolves around 10% PTSD, 90% running (and there are some comments made about Chris' views of his own body that are a struggle), the plot is mostly non-existent, and I couldn't tell you a single thing about any of the side characters if my life depended on it.
All in all, this was a mediocre book made worse by poorly-researched representation. I definitely want to try more of Amber Smith's work because, like I said, her narrative voice itself is really nice and I've heard many people say her plots and characters are usually a lot better than this. But... yeah, this one didn't do anyone any favors.
Thank you so much to the publisher for providing me with this ARC in exchange for an honest review!
1) I am genuinely so sorry to any of my trans friends who may have been hurt by my initial positive rating/remarks about this book. I was seeing things through an incredibly ignorant (and cis) lens. This is one of those instances that reminded me that, when it comes to books that are not own-voice, I should really be looking for own-voice reviews before I start recommending these titles to others.
2) Honestly, feel free to stop reading my review here and check out the own-voice reviews here and here, because they touch on points that I would never have thought to criticize this work for (like the improper usage of a binder that seems to not have been well-researched at all on the author's part).
Something Like Gravity strikes me as the perfect example of why many (not ALL, but MANY) authors aren't capable of writing proper representation outside of their own lanes. What I thought was well-intended (if sometimes problematic) trans rep from a cis author is being called out by many own-voice reviewers as being very poor representation, and that hurts my heart, because I know there are own-voice books with trans representation that aren't getting the hype and marketing this book has received.
When I first finished the book, I gave it 4 stars because I had enjoyed it for the most part. Even to my misguided reading, there were some major issues I had (such as the trans character being outed without consent by another character spying on them while they changed clothes - I honestly almost DNFed the ARC at this point because it was so out of left field and infuriated me, but I kept going because I hoped it would be addressed fully later. Now I've come to realize that not only was it not handled well, but frankly, it shouldn't have happened at all, at least not without TWs for trans readers who could be immensely triggered by it). That said, I thought the characters were fairly likeable and I think Smith's prose is really lovely.
After reading multiple own-voice reviews, though, I've come to realize that there are a lot of issues with this book — but that's not the only reason I changed my rating. I finished this book about 2 months ago at the time I'm reviewing it, and it has been so immensely un-memorable that I literally forgot it was on my "RTC" shelf until earlier today. When I sat down to review it, I struggled to even remember what had happened because, in hindsight, these characters and this romance are bland. Maia is low-key awful, Chris' entire personality revolves around 10% PTSD, 90% running (and there are some comments made about Chris' views of his own body that are a struggle), the plot is mostly non-existent, and I couldn't tell you a single thing about any of the side characters if my life depended on it.
All in all, this was a mediocre book made worse by poorly-researched representation. I definitely want to try more of Amber Smith's work because, like I said, her narrative voice itself is really nice and I've heard many people say her plots and characters are usually a lot better than this. But... yeah, this one didn't do anyone any favors.
Thank you so much to the publisher for providing me with this ARC in exchange for an honest review!
March 14, 2021
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DNF @ p.120
The beginning of this story was really interesting but then it quickly became too bland for me. I liked Chris more than I liked Maia, but I didn't really like the romance between them. I understand that this is a book about grief and suffering, but I wasn't all that happy with the way it's done here. It's also worth noting that several #ownvoices reviewers took issue with the way the trans rep was handled.
This isn't a bad book, it's just a not for me book. I've been letting it sit for days, untouched, and I just don't think I'm going to get around to finishing it.
Thanks to the publisher for sending me a copy in exchange for an honest review!
2 stars
Shelved as 'other'
May 24, 2020
Many thanks to Simon & Schuster Children's Books for sending me a copy in exchange for an honest review
After reading some reviews (amazing ones, by the way, that you can check out here and here), I have decided that I won't be picking this one up.
As a cisgender guy, I don't have any experience of what it's like to be a transgender person. Because of that, I want to read books that accurately represent that community which is why I'm passing on this.
Thanks, Simon & Schuster for the ARC. I'm sorry to have to pass on it.
Happy reading and stay safe, everyone!
<3
------------
Happy Birthday to Something Like Gravity!
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June 20, 2019
Amber Smith has such a mesmeorizing way with words - I'm immediately enraptured and invested. Something Like Gravity is a beautiful love story between two people who are healing after their own personal tragedies. I thought Chris and Maia had some of the best chemistry I've ever read in YA. I was so invested in their relationship and I just loved seeing them spend time together and grow closer. Even beyond the romance, seeing each of them grow as people past their fears was so inspiring. There was definitely parts of the story that was hard to read (Chris' assualt) but this is such an empowering story, that I will readily recommend this story to any and everyone without hesitation.
I received a copy of the book from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
I received a copy of the book from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
Read
July 19, 2019i got about 20% into this one before deciding to dnf. definitely not a bad book but i didn't connect with either of the main characters and i definitely don't care about their relationship.
September 4, 2018
A beautiful, bittersweet young love story that examines the challenges of grief and otherness that face teens. This novel opens up human experiences and teaches compassion and understanding throughout its pages.
I was given the opportunity to read the final draft of this novel and I highly recommend it to all readers. The overall book follows thematic lines of kindness, understanding and self-exploration that are so vital to the young growing older and the older seeking to understand the younger. In her true fashion, Ms. Smith does not shy from challenging and unsettling content, but in this work it is tempered toward a message of hope and happiness--resulting in a beautiful takeaway that avoids the sap and histrionic content so common in love stories.
A major driving element in 'Something Like Gravity' is the impressive strength of character. Maia and Chris are both equally unique and relatable. Their humanity is inherent in every page and I found pieces of myself in both of them as I turned the pages. They are the kind of characters you root for, the kind you care about, the kind you find yourself thinking of randomly days later after reading the book. Chris is a charming and honest example of a teen accepting his trans identity--and Ms. Smith makes a strong choice to skip the typical 'coming out' story and instead works with a kid who knows who he wants to become and is working toward becoming his true self. Maia is not a typical griever full of tears and aimed for pity, but a strong woman growing into an unnknown identity that is compelling and at times scandalous.
The backdrop of this book, Carson, is a backwater Southern Town that creates a wonderful blend of isolationism and pastoralism for the characters to grow within. At times the setting almost takes on the role of a character, driving themes and scenes with the unique experience of a rural run-down single stoplight town. Instead of leaning into stereotypical scenery, Ms. Smith develops a unique and compelling world that has new surprises around each turn in the road.
As for plot, I won't spoil any for readers, but Amber Smith shows her usual skill at keeping the reader so engrossed in the story that the pages practically turn themselves. Within this she blends thematic and metaphorical content via astronomy and photography that clench the artistic edge of this novel.
Overall, I'd say it is her definitive work. She has really blown me away with this book and I can't wait to grab the final published version and meet Chris and Maia all over again.
I was given the opportunity to read the final draft of this novel and I highly recommend it to all readers. The overall book follows thematic lines of kindness, understanding and self-exploration that are so vital to the young growing older and the older seeking to understand the younger. In her true fashion, Ms. Smith does not shy from challenging and unsettling content, but in this work it is tempered toward a message of hope and happiness--resulting in a beautiful takeaway that avoids the sap and histrionic content so common in love stories.
A major driving element in 'Something Like Gravity' is the impressive strength of character. Maia and Chris are both equally unique and relatable. Their humanity is inherent in every page and I found pieces of myself in both of them as I turned the pages. They are the kind of characters you root for, the kind you care about, the kind you find yourself thinking of randomly days later after reading the book. Chris is a charming and honest example of a teen accepting his trans identity--and Ms. Smith makes a strong choice to skip the typical 'coming out' story and instead works with a kid who knows who he wants to become and is working toward becoming his true self. Maia is not a typical griever full of tears and aimed for pity, but a strong woman growing into an unnknown identity that is compelling and at times scandalous.
The backdrop of this book, Carson, is a backwater Southern Town that creates a wonderful blend of isolationism and pastoralism for the characters to grow within. At times the setting almost takes on the role of a character, driving themes and scenes with the unique experience of a rural run-down single stoplight town. Instead of leaning into stereotypical scenery, Ms. Smith develops a unique and compelling world that has new surprises around each turn in the road.
As for plot, I won't spoil any for readers, but Amber Smith shows her usual skill at keeping the reader so engrossed in the story that the pages practically turn themselves. Within this she blends thematic and metaphorical content via astronomy and photography that clench the artistic edge of this novel.
Overall, I'd say it is her definitive work. She has really blown me away with this book and I can't wait to grab the final published version and meet Chris and Maia all over again.
Want to read
May 4, 2019IT’S AMBER SMITH’S NEW BOOK. I WANT IT NOW.
June 23, 2019
This review contains spoilers. I have formatted the review to hide them, however they might still show up for mobile users, so proceed with caution.
NOTE: I was going to wait for publication day to post this review because of spoilers, however I am pretty angry so I need to get this out.
Thank you NetGalley for providing me with a digital ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
I’ll admit that this book took me much longer than it should’ve for me to finish, but I believe it directly correlates to the fact that I had to read it on my laptop, as there was no Kindle version for me to download. Anyway.
At first, I was really enjoying Something Like Gravity. I was excited to read about Chris and how he navigates life in a new town after getting beat up due to the fact that he is transgendered. I immediately connected with Chris’s character and loved reading from his perspective. Maia, on the other hand, I lacked a connection with. Maia is dealing with the loss of her sister Mallory, which I assumed would connect me to her as I love reading books that deal with grief. However, it was hard to feel for Maia, and I didn’t understand her motives behind running around with her sister’s camera and trying to “recreate” Mallory’s best shots without actually taking pictures.
I realized my issue with Maia about halfway through the book. At first, my thoughts on her were similar to my thoughts on Julia from I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter by Erika L. Sanchez. Julia had resentment towards her sister, much like Maia was bitter towards Mallory, yet became obsessed with uncovering her dead sister’s secret relationship. Maia is obsessed with finding everything Mallory took pictures of and “recreating” them. There’s no rhyme or reason for this obsession. We don’t know why Maia is so obsessed with the camera, other than trying to feel close to her sister. It didn’t feel like a strong enough reason to me. Now, both of my sisters are still alive, so I can’t understand how either characters feel, but I’m pretty positive I wouldn’t suddenly become obsessed with playing the piano or being a wedding planner. But that’s just me.
The biggest issue I had with Maia I came to realize in the last quarter of the book. Maia is a pathological liar. We see this from the very beginning, but it gets progressively worse as the story goes on.
The first half of the story I genuinely enjoyed, and thought that this would be a solid 3.5 star, or even a 4 star novel. However, after finishing it and reflecting, I had more issues with this book than positives, and am giving this book 2 stars. If it weren’t for Chris, I probably would only give it 1 star because I hated Maia that much. But Chris was a fantastic character and I’m glad I got to meet him through this book, so for that I’m bumping up my rating.
Even though I didn’t enjoy this book as much as I was hoping, I’m still glad I read it, and I know there are many people out there who need Chris’s story. My intention with this review is not to deter anyone from reading it, because I do believe that Chris’s story needs to be told, but I can’t ignore the many problems I had with it, specifically Maia’s character development, or lack thereof. I would still encourage people to read it for themselves, but stay wary of the problems it has. I wish the book had addressed Maia’s flaws at the end, but it didn’t, therefor her unexcused behavior causes me distress, as younger readers can be easily influenced. I would hate for anyone to think that Maia’s behavior is okay.
I would also like to mention that I myself am not transgender, so I can’t say for sure if the representation was a tasteful or accurate portrayal. To me it was well done, however it’s not my place to judge that. Just because I personally didn’t find Chris’s struggles with being trans problematic, doesn’t mean anything. I would love to hear the thoughts of transgendered people on this book. I will say that the author herself isn’t trans, but is apart of the LGBTQ+ community. Again, I have no right to say whether her portrayal was accurate or not, so read at your own discretion.
NOTE: I was going to wait for publication day to post this review because of spoilers, however I am pretty angry so I need to get this out.
Thank you NetGalley for providing me with a digital ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
I’ll admit that this book took me much longer than it should’ve for me to finish, but I believe it directly correlates to the fact that I had to read it on my laptop, as there was no Kindle version for me to download. Anyway.
At first, I was really enjoying Something Like Gravity. I was excited to read about Chris and how he navigates life in a new town after getting beat up due to the fact that he is transgendered. I immediately connected with Chris’s character and loved reading from his perspective. Maia, on the other hand, I lacked a connection with. Maia is dealing with the loss of her sister Mallory, which I assumed would connect me to her as I love reading books that deal with grief. However, it was hard to feel for Maia, and I didn’t understand her motives behind running around with her sister’s camera and trying to “recreate” Mallory’s best shots without actually taking pictures.
I realized my issue with Maia about halfway through the book. At first, my thoughts on her were similar to my thoughts on Julia from I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter by Erika L. Sanchez. Julia had resentment towards her sister, much like Maia was bitter towards Mallory, yet became obsessed with uncovering her dead sister’s secret relationship. Maia is obsessed with finding everything Mallory took pictures of and “recreating” them. There’s no rhyme or reason for this obsession. We don’t know why Maia is so obsessed with the camera, other than trying to feel close to her sister. It didn’t feel like a strong enough reason to me. Now, both of my sisters are still alive, so I can’t understand how either characters feel, but I’m pretty positive I wouldn’t suddenly become obsessed with playing the piano or being a wedding planner. But that’s just me.
The biggest issue I had with Maia I came to realize in the last quarter of the book. Maia is a pathological liar. We see this from the very beginning, but it gets progressively worse as the story goes on.
The first half of the story I genuinely enjoyed, and thought that this would be a solid 3.5 star, or even a 4 star novel. However, after finishing it and reflecting, I had more issues with this book than positives, and am giving this book 2 stars. If it weren’t for Chris, I probably would only give it 1 star because I hated Maia that much. But Chris was a fantastic character and I’m glad I got to meet him through this book, so for that I’m bumping up my rating.
Even though I didn’t enjoy this book as much as I was hoping, I’m still glad I read it, and I know there are many people out there who need Chris’s story. My intention with this review is not to deter anyone from reading it, because I do believe that Chris’s story needs to be told, but I can’t ignore the many problems I had with it, specifically Maia’s character development, or lack thereof. I would still encourage people to read it for themselves, but stay wary of the problems it has. I wish the book had addressed Maia’s flaws at the end, but it didn’t, therefor her unexcused behavior causes me distress, as younger readers can be easily influenced. I would hate for anyone to think that Maia’s behavior is okay.
I would also like to mention that I myself am not transgender, so I can’t say for sure if the representation was a tasteful or accurate portrayal. To me it was well done, however it’s not my place to judge that. Just because I personally didn’t find Chris’s struggles with being trans problematic, doesn’t mean anything. I would love to hear the thoughts of transgendered people on this book. I will say that the author herself isn’t trans, but is apart of the LGBTQ+ community. Again, I have no right to say whether her portrayal was accurate or not, so read at your own discretion.
August 11, 2021
" We don't see things as they are , We see them as we are "
I've always read fiction because I love the human mind . I'm fascinated with exploring the complexity , yet , the fragility of our emotions , thoughts and mentality .
Each of us navigate this life in a complete different way , we all have unique experiences , reactions and feelings .
Honestly , I'm obsessed with learning how each one of us think, and I can't achieve that except through reading fiction that reflect the experiences of the authors , as well as , the unique characters they create .
Something Like Gravity by Amber Smith gave me an opportunity to understand the thoughts of very interesting characters , that we don't usually read about .
I was hooked from the very first sentence and with Smith's writing style I've become really attached to this story and the brilliant characters .
I loved the familiarity she used while introducing the characters . It literally felt like I'm part of that world , like , I already know each one of the characters . Which was a unique thing , that I've never experienced in a Young adult book before "
Chris was an incredible character , I loved the complexity of his feelings , following his journey of dealing with family , society and his acceptance of his new identity was emotional , heartbreaking , at the same time , outstanding .
Reading about the struggles he was going through was eye-opening . There aren't many books , especially fiction , that have many characters who are transgender . So , reading this story , with Simth's writing style ,was an important experience for me .
This book was all about Joining Maia and Chris Journey while they are trying to navigate their identities , feelings and figure out what to do with themselves .
And I admire how the author worked hard to make all of her characters heard , She reflected the thoughts of each character , especially regarding the major trauma the main characters were going through , which in my opinion , was an amazing addition to this story .
That means when you read this story , you will get the chance to know how their families and friends react and Why they react in that way .
The last part made me more confident in recommending this novel .
Chris and Maia story wasn't just a young adult love story as much as it was a great example to give others hope , especially to those who may be struggling with the same things as them . It was a story to tell you , that you aren't alone . You matter. Your feelings , Identity , struggles , experiences , everything about you matter .
Trigger Warnings :
- Grief ( Dealing with the death of a loved one )
- Transphobia
-Bullying and Abuse Experiences
- Rape
I've always read fiction because I love the human mind . I'm fascinated with exploring the complexity , yet , the fragility of our emotions , thoughts and mentality .
Each of us navigate this life in a complete different way , we all have unique experiences , reactions and feelings .
Honestly , I'm obsessed with learning how each one of us think, and I can't achieve that except through reading fiction that reflect the experiences of the authors , as well as , the unique characters they create .
Something Like Gravity by Amber Smith gave me an opportunity to understand the thoughts of very interesting characters , that we don't usually read about .
I was hooked from the very first sentence and with Smith's writing style I've become really attached to this story and the brilliant characters .
I loved the familiarity she used while introducing the characters . It literally felt like I'm part of that world , like , I already know each one of the characters . Which was a unique thing , that I've never experienced in a Young adult book before "
Chris was an incredible character , I loved the complexity of his feelings , following his journey of dealing with family , society and his acceptance of his new identity was emotional , heartbreaking , at the same time , outstanding .
Reading about the struggles he was going through was eye-opening . There aren't many books , especially fiction , that have many characters who are transgender . So , reading this story , with Simth's writing style ,was an important experience for me .
This book was all about Joining Maia and Chris Journey while they are trying to navigate their identities , feelings and figure out what to do with themselves .
And I admire how the author worked hard to make all of her characters heard , She reflected the thoughts of each character , especially regarding the major trauma the main characters were going through , which in my opinion , was an amazing addition to this story .
That means when you read this story , you will get the chance to know how their families and friends react and Why they react in that way .
The last part made me more confident in recommending this novel .
Chris and Maia story wasn't just a young adult love story as much as it was a great example to give others hope , especially to those who may be struggling with the same things as them . It was a story to tell you , that you aren't alone . You matter. Your feelings , Identity , struggles , experiences , everything about you matter .
Trigger Warnings :
- Grief ( Dealing with the death of a loved one )
- Transphobia
-Bullying and Abuse Experiences
- Rape
March 15, 2020
a soft sweet mellow story about a trans boy finding someone who loves him at the right time and the right place for who he is.
June 13, 2019
Full Review on The Candid Cover
Something Like Gravity by Amber Smith is a contemporary novel all about first love. The characters are dynamic, and the topics are hard-hitting. This is a perfect novel for fans of Becky Albertalli to add to their summer TBRs.
This book tells the story of Chris, a transgender boy who falls in love for the first time, and Maia, a girl who has recently lost her sister. Both characters deal with hardship, and the story is ultimately about their self-discovery and journey to find their place in the world. I enjoyed the use of dual narration, as it is interesting to experience their first meeting and their view of the world from differing perspectives. As well, this is one of the few books I have read in which the main character is transgender, and this representation is so important. I can’t speak to the book’s accuracy myself, but while the author is not transgender herself, I feel like the book does a great job conveying the plot and addressing related topics with sensitivity.
❀ WELL-DEVELOPED CHARACTERS
Both Maia and Chris are developed characters, and I enjoyed reading both of their narrations. Maia has just lost her sister, and she is obsessed with recreating Mallory’s photos I could really sympathize with her as the depiction of her grieving process is quite emotional. Personally, I liked Chris more than Maia because I didn’t agree with some her Maia’s decisions. Chris is a very patient character, and he doesn’t tell lies, unlike Maia. He is realistic, and watching him fall in love is so wholesome. I adored Chris, and I would definitely read a companion novel about him.
❀ BALANCE OF SOFTNESS AND SERIOUSNESS
One of the book’s strengths is the way it handles topics like assault and grief. There is a nice balance of softness and seriousness, and the mix of emotions brings a lot to the plot. Chris’s assault is not the main focus of the book, and I enjoyed how this event is not just used for the sake of adding a problem to the story. Instead, it highlights intolerance and brings awareness to the issues that the LGBT community continues to face. Ultimately, these hard-hitting topics are well-executed and thoughtfully written.
Something Like Gravity is a book that is both cute and meaningful. There is great representation, and the main characters are complex. As well, the book discusses more serious topics, and it does so in a delicate manner. This is such an important read, and I would recommend it.
Something Like Gravity by Amber Smith is a contemporary novel all about first love. The characters are dynamic, and the topics are hard-hitting. This is a perfect novel for fans of Becky Albertalli to add to their summer TBRs.
This book tells the story of Chris, a transgender boy who falls in love for the first time, and Maia, a girl who has recently lost her sister. Both characters deal with hardship, and the story is ultimately about their self-discovery and journey to find their place in the world. I enjoyed the use of dual narration, as it is interesting to experience their first meeting and their view of the world from differing perspectives. As well, this is one of the few books I have read in which the main character is transgender, and this representation is so important. I can’t speak to the book’s accuracy myself, but while the author is not transgender herself, I feel like the book does a great job conveying the plot and addressing related topics with sensitivity.
❀ WELL-DEVELOPED CHARACTERS
Both Maia and Chris are developed characters, and I enjoyed reading both of their narrations. Maia has just lost her sister, and she is obsessed with recreating Mallory’s photos I could really sympathize with her as the depiction of her grieving process is quite emotional. Personally, I liked Chris more than Maia because I didn’t agree with some her Maia’s decisions. Chris is a very patient character, and he doesn’t tell lies, unlike Maia. He is realistic, and watching him fall in love is so wholesome. I adored Chris, and I would definitely read a companion novel about him.
❀ BALANCE OF SOFTNESS AND SERIOUSNESS
One of the book’s strengths is the way it handles topics like assault and grief. There is a nice balance of softness and seriousness, and the mix of emotions brings a lot to the plot. Chris’s assault is not the main focus of the book, and I enjoyed how this event is not just used for the sake of adding a problem to the story. Instead, it highlights intolerance and brings awareness to the issues that the LGBT community continues to face. Ultimately, these hard-hitting topics are well-executed and thoughtfully written.
Something Like Gravity is a book that is both cute and meaningful. There is great representation, and the main characters are complex. As well, the book discusses more serious topics, and it does so in a delicate manner. This is such an important read, and I would recommend it.
July 18, 2019
Unfortunately, Something Like Gravity wasn't for me. I'd picked up this book because of the trans rep, and not only did I find that the rep was potentially harmful, neither Chris nor Maia's stories were particularly captivating to me, and I was bored for most of the book.
The book is told in alternating perspectives from Chris and Maia, two teenagers living next to each other in a small town. Both Chris and Maia are dealing with two very life-changing events, which is what brings them together: alienated from the rest of their community, they find comfort in each other because they understand what it's like to be alone without knowing the history behind it. That they don't know each other's histories is, I believe, the driving point behind their relationship, and it also makes their whole conflict possible: namely, both characters keep secrets from each other throughout the book.
Personally, I found Chris and Maia both to be quite frustrating during the book. I did sympathize with both of them, however: both are going through a lot, and it makes a lot of their behaviours understandable. Both of their storylines reflected each other in a very poetic way, which I liked: it definitely lent more weight to the story.
I was, however, definitely the most disappointed by how Chris was written. I'm not transgender, but a lot of the content surrounding Chris made me really uncomfortable. There's a couple ownvoices reviews that echo these thoughts here and here and I suggest you read those because they say it better than I could ever. But there is a scene where Maia spies on Chris as he changes, which is how Maia finds out that Chris is trans, and I feel like that's such a common yet harmful trope which was really uncomfortable to read about. Both Chris and Maia are hiding things from each other, but Chris being trans is treated with as much gravity as Maia lying about her hobbies, and it felt very wrong to me to equate the two. In addition, I'm just ... tired of reading about queer pain in contemporary novels, and tired of queer identities being held as hostage, so to speak. I know that the author is a lesbian, but she's cis and so is Maia, and I felt like Maia acted like Chris being transgender was something she used against him. Which isn't something I particularly enjoy reading about.
This is also a very character-driven novel, which meant that because I wasn't too into the characters, I was not into the plot, either. Amber Smith's writing is beautiful, and I've heard a lot about her previous books -- so I was disappointed that I couldn't get into the rest of the book like I wanted to.
I feel like Something About Gravity had a lot of potential behind it, but I didn't find either of its main characters particularly interesting. In addition, the portrayal of Chris as a trans person played into a lot of harmful plotlines and tropes about trans people that made me really uncomfortable.
BLOG | TWITTER
The book is told in alternating perspectives from Chris and Maia, two teenagers living next to each other in a small town. Both Chris and Maia are dealing with two very life-changing events, which is what brings them together: alienated from the rest of their community, they find comfort in each other because they understand what it's like to be alone without knowing the history behind it. That they don't know each other's histories is, I believe, the driving point behind their relationship, and it also makes their whole conflict possible: namely, both characters keep secrets from each other throughout the book.
Personally, I found Chris and Maia both to be quite frustrating during the book. I did sympathize with both of them, however: both are going through a lot, and it makes a lot of their behaviours understandable. Both of their storylines reflected each other in a very poetic way, which I liked: it definitely lent more weight to the story.
I was, however, definitely the most disappointed by how Chris was written. I'm not transgender, but a lot of the content surrounding Chris made me really uncomfortable. There's a couple ownvoices reviews that echo these thoughts here and here and I suggest you read those because they say it better than I could ever. But there is a scene where Maia spies on Chris as he changes, which is how Maia finds out that Chris is trans, and I feel like that's such a common yet harmful trope which was really uncomfortable to read about. Both Chris and Maia are hiding things from each other, but Chris being trans is treated with as much gravity as Maia lying about her hobbies, and it felt very wrong to me to equate the two. In addition, I'm just ... tired of reading about queer pain in contemporary novels, and tired of queer identities being held as hostage, so to speak. I know that the author is a lesbian, but she's cis and so is Maia, and I felt like Maia acted like Chris being transgender was something she used against him. Which isn't something I particularly enjoy reading about.
This is also a very character-driven novel, which meant that because I wasn't too into the characters, I was not into the plot, either. Amber Smith's writing is beautiful, and I've heard a lot about her previous books -- so I was disappointed that I couldn't get into the rest of the book like I wanted to.
I feel like Something About Gravity had a lot of potential behind it, but I didn't find either of its main characters particularly interesting. In addition, the portrayal of Chris as a trans person played into a lot of harmful plotlines and tropes about trans people that made me really uncomfortable.
BLOG | TWITTER
September 9, 2021
3,5 ⭐
Come due gocce nell'arcobaleno è un libro YA contemporaneo lgbtq+.
I protagonisti sono Chris, un ragazzo transgender, e Maia, la sua nuova vicina di casa. A causa di un incidente, i due si conosceranno meglio e intraprenderanno un'amicizia che diventerà qualcosa di più.
Il libro mi è piaciuto abbastanza, però mi aspettavo che la tematica transgender fosse trattata di più. È comunque presente, e secondo me è trattata anche abbastanza bene, ma avrei voluto saperne ancora di più.
Ho trovato poco credibile il fatto che Maia non si arrabbi o non dica nulla sul segreto di Chris, nonostante lui non glielo riveli subito.
Ho preferito decisamente i capitoli di Chris, (anche per il fatto che descrive le sue emozioni e sensazioni, paure e dubbi da ragazzo transgender) a quelli di Maia, che ho trovato lenti. Stavolta il tema dell'elaborazione del lutto, che di solito è una delle mie tematiche preferite nei libri per ragazzi, non mi ha convinto più di tanto e non è riuscito ad emozionarmi. Ho apprezzato però il romance, che non è stato affrettato, e ho trovato molto dolce.
Il finale mi ha messo un po' di tristezza, perché non è esattamente un finale felice, però ci sta perché non sempre nella vita c'è l'happy ending per tutti.
Tutto sommato è una lettura leggera, perfetta da fare nel periodo estivo, e che comunque sensibilizza ed informa su tematiche difficili quali la transessualità.
Come due gocce nell'arcobaleno è un libro YA contemporaneo lgbtq+.
I protagonisti sono Chris, un ragazzo transgender, e Maia, la sua nuova vicina di casa. A causa di un incidente, i due si conosceranno meglio e intraprenderanno un'amicizia che diventerà qualcosa di più.
Il libro mi è piaciuto abbastanza, però mi aspettavo che la tematica transgender fosse trattata di più. È comunque presente, e secondo me è trattata anche abbastanza bene, ma avrei voluto saperne ancora di più.
Ho trovato poco credibile il fatto che Maia non si arrabbi o non dica nulla sul segreto di Chris, nonostante lui non glielo riveli subito.
Ho preferito decisamente i capitoli di Chris, (anche per il fatto che descrive le sue emozioni e sensazioni, paure e dubbi da ragazzo transgender) a quelli di Maia, che ho trovato lenti. Stavolta il tema dell'elaborazione del lutto, che di solito è una delle mie tematiche preferite nei libri per ragazzi, non mi ha convinto più di tanto e non è riuscito ad emozionarmi. Ho apprezzato però il romance, che non è stato affrettato, e ho trovato molto dolce.
Il finale mi ha messo un po' di tristezza, perché non è esattamente un finale felice, però ci sta perché non sempre nella vita c'è l'happy ending per tutti.
Tutto sommato è una lettura leggera, perfetta da fare nel periodo estivo, e che comunque sensibilizza ed informa su tematiche difficili quali la transessualità.
May 21, 2021
we have to stop letting cis people write stories abt being trans😭 😭 like it wasnt enough to have your trans character assaulted before the story starts, let's make it happen again in the story too!
and i know a lot of other reviews have mentioned this scene, the one where chris is outed after maia sneaks into his house and peeps on him changing..like u didnt have to stay u could've left at any time...... and then later when he finds out maia had been lying to her about her hobbies to him, she brings up the fact that he didn't out himself to prove him a hypocrite somehow -_-
-
aside from maia, another character i couldn't stand was chris's mom - after he leaves carson she attempts to reconcile with him in the worst way by making it about herself, about how hard it was for her too, cause she was grieving the "loss" of her daughter, like somehow having a son meant he was shitting on her and womanhood, it was almost borderline terfy.....
and i know a lot of other reviews have mentioned this scene, the one where chris is outed after maia sneaks into his house and peeps on him changing..like u didnt have to stay u could've left at any time...... and then later when he finds out maia had been lying to her about her hobbies to him, she brings up the fact that he didn't out himself to prove him a hypocrite somehow -_-
-
aside from maia, another character i couldn't stand was chris's mom - after he leaves carson she attempts to reconcile with him in the worst way by making it about herself, about how hard it was for her too, cause she was grieving the "loss" of her daughter, like somehow having a son meant he was shitting on her and womanhood, it was almost borderline terfy.....
March 17, 2020
Truly one of the best books I’ve read in a while. I could not put it down. It reminded me of the strength and courage it takes one to truly discover themselves. This book demonstrated that everyone takes time to accept their truth. I highly recommend everyone to read it.
July 17, 2020
4.5⭐
Quando ho letto la trama di "Come due gocce nell'arcobaleno" l'ho preso come un romanzo leggero, per ragazzi, uno che si legge con scorrevolezza e fluidità. E, ad essere sincera è stato così; l'ho letto velocemente perché la storia è meravigliosa, ma molto più profonda di come ci viene raccontata dalla trama.
Chris si intuisce essere un ragazzo problematico, come tutti gli adolescenti, una famiglia complicata e un rapporto con i suoi ancor più diffidente. Già nel primo capitolo è chiaro che Chris ha attraversato e sta ancora affrontando un periodo di transizione nella sua vita. Un ponte che serve a collegarlo alla felicità e alla serenità che sta cercando e che vuole e ha bisogno di ottenere. Sembra essere maturo per la sua età, anche se i suoi pensieri con la scrittura elementare di Amber Smith lo vestono come un bambino. All'inizio del romanzo Chris arriva a casa di sua zia, un posto in mezzo al nulla che cela però quella che potrebbe rivelarsi la svolta nella vita di Chris.
Maia, anche lei ha un'adolescenza problematica, sta affrontando un lutto e sta cercando di trovare il suo posto e la sua vera "io" nel mondo. Non sa come definirsi o cosa le piace, è indecisa, insicura e svogliata nei confronti della vita. La famiglia è troppo occupata a mantenere i cocci per occuparsi anche di lei.
L'avvicinamento è lento e graduale, seppur si incontrano subito dopo l'arrivo di Chris non è subito fuoco, amore e scintille. Maia e Chris si studiano, si scontrano urlandosi addosso, si girano intorno per poi arrivare a fidarsi l'una dell'altro. In modo semplice e adolescenziale. Si tratta di piccoli passi, raccontati con maestria da Amber Smith che mi è piaciuto come ha creato l’attrazione graduale e per niente tossica o istantanea.
È un libro che mi ha stordito e fatto riflettere. Apre gli occhi su molti argomenti delicati e riesce a farlo con estrema gentilezza e consapevolezza. Temi fragili, come i protagonisti che conosceremo, dolorosi e gracili. È con coscienza e cognizione che Amber Smith ci cala in un mondo doloroso e straziante, e il messaggio è chiaro: è difficile superare quello che Chris e Maia stanno affrontando se si è soli. È proprio per questo che loro due si incontrano, si sostengono, si conoscono e si spronano. Mettendosi a nudo, aprendosi e condividendo. Parlando e confrontandosi seppur ognuno con il suo bagaglio da affrontare riescono ad aprirsi un varco per loro stessi nel mondo. In quella fiducia che gli manca, in quella passione che non sanno dove prendere e nella sicurezza di essere qualcuno, magari proprio loro stessi.
Nel libro ci sono stati diversi aspetti che mi sono piaciuti ed uno di questi è quello di raccontare la propria esperienza in un video, per esempio su youtube. Credo che non sia stata data la giusta importanza a questo piccola, ma importante chiave di lettura. Perché quando c'è qualcosa che non va a livello fisico o psicologico ormai la prima fonte alla quale ci affidiamo è internet e gioca un ruolo fondamentale nella vita quotidiana di ognuno di noi. È proprio per questo che, quando Chris si trova vittima di un bullismo estremo e rivoltante trova la forza di andare avanti, e la voglia di cambiare sé stesso, nei video di persone che mettendosi a nudo davanti ad una telecamera raccontano la loro storia e gli accadimenti. Credo sia di fondamentale importanza sostenere qualsiasi persona si metta in gioco spogliandosi dei giudizi e pregiudizi raccontando la propria vita per dare forza mostrando comprensione a chi sta vivendo la medesima situazione sostenendo che non si è da soli a combattere quella guerra. Pur a volte trattandosi di un conflitto interiore e personale. È giusto avere brutti pensieri ed è giusto arrabbiarsi. È normale voler restare in silenzio. Ed è comprensibile voler sbattere una porta ed aver paura di raccontare una cosa bella successa col terrore che sparisca.
Con la scrittura semplice e ben descrittiva di Amber Smith, il romanzo l'ho letto velocemente e con fluidità. Un’ottima lettura estiva che ho avuto modo di scoprire nel Pride Month e che spero compaia sotto gli ombrelloni e negli zaini di molte persone questa estate!
Le paure e le insicurezze, insieme ai silenzi e ai cambi d'umore sono le caratteristiche simbolo dell'adolescenza e non potevano mancare nelle vite di Chris e Maia.
Due protagonisti.
Due storie.
Due strade che si incrociano casualmente.
Un'amicizia che si trasforma in amore.
La forza di ricominciare. E la consapevolezza di essere al mondo come si è, senza canoni.
Come due gocce nell'arcobaleno è tutto questo e anche di più.
Quando ho letto la trama di "Come due gocce nell'arcobaleno" l'ho preso come un romanzo leggero, per ragazzi, uno che si legge con scorrevolezza e fluidità. E, ad essere sincera è stato così; l'ho letto velocemente perché la storia è meravigliosa, ma molto più profonda di come ci viene raccontata dalla trama.
Chris si intuisce essere un ragazzo problematico, come tutti gli adolescenti, una famiglia complicata e un rapporto con i suoi ancor più diffidente. Già nel primo capitolo è chiaro che Chris ha attraversato e sta ancora affrontando un periodo di transizione nella sua vita. Un ponte che serve a collegarlo alla felicità e alla serenità che sta cercando e che vuole e ha bisogno di ottenere. Sembra essere maturo per la sua età, anche se i suoi pensieri con la scrittura elementare di Amber Smith lo vestono come un bambino. All'inizio del romanzo Chris arriva a casa di sua zia, un posto in mezzo al nulla che cela però quella che potrebbe rivelarsi la svolta nella vita di Chris.
Maia, anche lei ha un'adolescenza problematica, sta affrontando un lutto e sta cercando di trovare il suo posto e la sua vera "io" nel mondo. Non sa come definirsi o cosa le piace, è indecisa, insicura e svogliata nei confronti della vita. La famiglia è troppo occupata a mantenere i cocci per occuparsi anche di lei.
L'avvicinamento è lento e graduale, seppur si incontrano subito dopo l'arrivo di Chris non è subito fuoco, amore e scintille. Maia e Chris si studiano, si scontrano urlandosi addosso, si girano intorno per poi arrivare a fidarsi l'una dell'altro. In modo semplice e adolescenziale. Si tratta di piccoli passi, raccontati con maestria da Amber Smith che mi è piaciuto come ha creato l’attrazione graduale e per niente tossica o istantanea.
È un libro che mi ha stordito e fatto riflettere. Apre gli occhi su molti argomenti delicati e riesce a farlo con estrema gentilezza e consapevolezza. Temi fragili, come i protagonisti che conosceremo, dolorosi e gracili. È con coscienza e cognizione che Amber Smith ci cala in un mondo doloroso e straziante, e il messaggio è chiaro: è difficile superare quello che Chris e Maia stanno affrontando se si è soli. È proprio per questo che loro due si incontrano, si sostengono, si conoscono e si spronano. Mettendosi a nudo, aprendosi e condividendo. Parlando e confrontandosi seppur ognuno con il suo bagaglio da affrontare riescono ad aprirsi un varco per loro stessi nel mondo. In quella fiducia che gli manca, in quella passione che non sanno dove prendere e nella sicurezza di essere qualcuno, magari proprio loro stessi.
Nel libro ci sono stati diversi aspetti che mi sono piaciuti ed uno di questi è quello di raccontare la propria esperienza in un video, per esempio su youtube. Credo che non sia stata data la giusta importanza a questo piccola, ma importante chiave di lettura. Perché quando c'è qualcosa che non va a livello fisico o psicologico ormai la prima fonte alla quale ci affidiamo è internet e gioca un ruolo fondamentale nella vita quotidiana di ognuno di noi. È proprio per questo che, quando Chris si trova vittima di un bullismo estremo e rivoltante trova la forza di andare avanti, e la voglia di cambiare sé stesso, nei video di persone che mettendosi a nudo davanti ad una telecamera raccontano la loro storia e gli accadimenti. Credo sia di fondamentale importanza sostenere qualsiasi persona si metta in gioco spogliandosi dei giudizi e pregiudizi raccontando la propria vita per dare forza mostrando comprensione a chi sta vivendo la medesima situazione sostenendo che non si è da soli a combattere quella guerra. Pur a volte trattandosi di un conflitto interiore e personale. È giusto avere brutti pensieri ed è giusto arrabbiarsi. È normale voler restare in silenzio. Ed è comprensibile voler sbattere una porta ed aver paura di raccontare una cosa bella successa col terrore che sparisca.
Con la scrittura semplice e ben descrittiva di Amber Smith, il romanzo l'ho letto velocemente e con fluidità. Un’ottima lettura estiva che ho avuto modo di scoprire nel Pride Month e che spero compaia sotto gli ombrelloni e negli zaini di molte persone questa estate!
Le paure e le insicurezze, insieme ai silenzi e ai cambi d'umore sono le caratteristiche simbolo dell'adolescenza e non potevano mancare nelle vite di Chris e Maia.
Due protagonisti.
Due storie.
Due strade che si incrociano casualmente.
Un'amicizia che si trasforma in amore.
La forza di ricominciare. E la consapevolezza di essere al mondo come si è, senza canoni.
Come due gocce nell'arcobaleno è tutto questo e anche di più.
February 4, 2020
Here's the deal...
At the same time - I liked this but I did not like this. I cannot put my finger on why exactly but maybe it was because I couldn't connect to either character... or maybe I just felt sections of the story went on five miles longer than they should have... either way, I'm not upset I read this, I'm upset I didn't enjoy it more.
At the same time - I liked this but I did not like this. I cannot put my finger on why exactly but maybe it was because I couldn't connect to either character... or maybe I just felt sections of the story went on five miles longer than they should have... either way, I'm not upset I read this, I'm upset I didn't enjoy it more.
June 9, 2019
I enjoyed this book, especially because it had a FtM transgender character. I feel like there aren't enough books with transgender main characters and the way this was written was great. The rocky relationship Chris had with his mom felt real, obviously not all parents accept their trans kids, but Chris's mom had the potential to come around.
Also the relationship between Maia and Chris was great, they both had secrets they were afraid to share. The alternating points of view helped give this more depth and it flew by.
Great writing and pacing, I recommend this book to anyone looking for a good LGBTQ read!
Also the relationship between Maia and Chris was great, they both had secrets they were afraid to share. The alternating points of view helped give this more depth and it flew by.
Great writing and pacing, I recommend this book to anyone looking for a good LGBTQ read!
August 31, 2020
3.25/5 Stars
Even though I appreciated this story, I still felt like something was missing in its narrative. Maia is struggling after the sudden death of her older sister Mallory, she doesn't know what to do and the only thing that seems to give her some kind of comfort is recreating the moments when her sisters took photographs around town, which was Mallory's biggest passion. Chris is a transgender boy who is overcoming trauma and dealing with a complicated relationship with his parents. That's why he is sent to spend the Summer with his aunt Isobel, Maia's neighbor. I enjoyed reading about their blossoming friendship and relationship. After everything that happened between the two, I found myself agreeing with the ending they were given, because to me it felt very realistic.
What I would have liked to see more of was Maia's mourning, I think that somehow this always present on the page, but it truly felt like it was dealt with only on a surface level. Also, I believe the story could have been improved with more of Chris' family dynamics, we only got a glimpse of that and the resolutions were way too quick.
I think the friendships of both Maia and Chris' side were something that could have had more space in the story, I would have gladly read that and I'm sure the two main characters could have benefitted a lot from them.
This novel has some pretty big themes, but I think it just doesn't dwell on them as much as I would have liked. Anyway it wasn't a bad read.
Even though I appreciated this story, I still felt like something was missing in its narrative. Maia is struggling after the sudden death of her older sister Mallory, she doesn't know what to do and the only thing that seems to give her some kind of comfort is recreating the moments when her sisters took photographs around town, which was Mallory's biggest passion. Chris is a transgender boy who is overcoming trauma and dealing with a complicated relationship with his parents. That's why he is sent to spend the Summer with his aunt Isobel, Maia's neighbor. I enjoyed reading about their blossoming friendship and relationship. After everything that happened between the two, I found myself agreeing with the ending they were given, because to me it felt very realistic.
What I would have liked to see more of was Maia's mourning, I think that somehow this always present on the page, but it truly felt like it was dealt with only on a surface level. Also, I believe the story could have been improved with more of Chris' family dynamics, we only got a glimpse of that and the resolutions were way too quick.
I think the friendships of both Maia and Chris' side were something that could have had more space in the story, I would have gladly read that and I'm sure the two main characters could have benefitted a lot from them.
This novel has some pretty big themes, but I think it just doesn't dwell on them as much as I would have liked. Anyway it wasn't a bad read.
May 31, 2019
3 stars.
3 stars is NOT a bad rating for me. I think this book has a ton of merit to it, but it needed some more editing (too much details about things that don't really matter) and I didn't really feel like there was much of a plot?? and there was a plot point that made me feel a bit icky, but I'm probably just being picky.
I can't say for sure if the trans rep is good since I'm not trans, but I didn't see any glaring problems.
Trigger warnings for slight transphobia, death of a family member, assault, and sexual harassment.
Thanks so much to Simon Teen for providing my copy!
3 stars is NOT a bad rating for me. I think this book has a ton of merit to it, but it needed some more editing (too much details about things that don't really matter) and I didn't really feel like there was much of a plot?? and there was a plot point that made me feel a bit icky, but I'm probably just being picky.
I can't say for sure if the trans rep is good since I'm not trans, but I didn't see any glaring problems.
Trigger warnings for slight transphobia, death of a family member, assault, and sexual harassment.
Thanks so much to Simon Teen for providing my copy!
July 29, 2019
2 stars.
Something Like Gravity follows Chris and Maia in alternating perspectives, who are two teenagers that live next to each other in a small town. They’re both dealing with their own issues—Chris has recently come out as transgender and Maia’s dealing with the loss of her sister and trying to find who she is without her. Falling in love was the last thing either of them expected, but a near-fatal car accident brings them together. However, Chris's good intentions backfire and Maia’s bad temper keeps getting the best of her. But neither of them can seem to stay away from the other, and they manage to find comfort in each other during their hard times.
I’m going to go ahead and say Amber Smith isn’t the author for me. I’ve only read The Way I Used to Be by Smith before, but I also ended up disliking that one, as well. I appreciate the fact that she’s not afraid to write about serious topics, but I never end up enjoying the way she writes about them, unfortunately. That being said, I do think she has a lovely writing style, and her books always have so much potential. That’s generally where the positives end for me, though, because I think this book has a lot of harmful tropes in regards to transgender people, and it was really uncomfortable to read.
Going off of that, I will say this story relies heavily on the characters, and when those characters are written how Chris and Maia are, it ends up being incredibly disappointing. I’ll start out by saying I’m not transgender, so I don’t want to step on anyone’s toes, but I do think so much about Chris’s character is more harmful than helpful. Isaiah’s review is one that explains how I was feeling through this book, and it’s coming from a trans man instead of a cis woman, which is much more important. As for Maia, I understand that she’s grieving, and everyone acts different when they lose someone they love, but I don’t like that it was excused and that she got away with treating Chris the way she did.
Overall, Something Like Gravity just wasn’t for me, and I think Amber Smith’s stories in general just aren’t for me. This book had a lot of harmful tropes and actions in it, and I didn’t feel like there was much of a lesson behind it (as in, it all felt very excused). I thought Chris as a character had so much potential, but it’s very clear he was written by a cis woman that didn’t do a whole lot of research. Maia was not a good character, either, and she frustrated me quite a bit. The plot was also... not there, which was probably the last thing that could’ve saved this book for me, honestly.
representation ↠ transgender main character.
content warnings ↠ body dysphoria and loss of a loved one.
“If you’ve always been defined not as a full-fledged person but solely as another person’s polar opposite, and that person no longer exists, do you also cease to exist?”
Something Like Gravity follows Chris and Maia in alternating perspectives, who are two teenagers that live next to each other in a small town. They’re both dealing with their own issues—Chris has recently come out as transgender and Maia’s dealing with the loss of her sister and trying to find who she is without her. Falling in love was the last thing either of them expected, but a near-fatal car accident brings them together. However, Chris's good intentions backfire and Maia’s bad temper keeps getting the best of her. But neither of them can seem to stay away from the other, and they manage to find comfort in each other during their hard times.
I’m going to go ahead and say Amber Smith isn’t the author for me. I’ve only read The Way I Used to Be by Smith before, but I also ended up disliking that one, as well. I appreciate the fact that she’s not afraid to write about serious topics, but I never end up enjoying the way she writes about them, unfortunately. That being said, I do think she has a lovely writing style, and her books always have so much potential. That’s generally where the positives end for me, though, because I think this book has a lot of harmful tropes in regards to transgender people, and it was really uncomfortable to read.
Going off of that, I will say this story relies heavily on the characters, and when those characters are written how Chris and Maia are, it ends up being incredibly disappointing. I’ll start out by saying I’m not transgender, so I don’t want to step on anyone’s toes, but I do think so much about Chris’s character is more harmful than helpful. Isaiah’s review is one that explains how I was feeling through this book, and it’s coming from a trans man instead of a cis woman, which is much more important. As for Maia, I understand that she’s grieving, and everyone acts different when they lose someone they love, but I don’t like that it was excused and that she got away with treating Chris the way she did.
Overall, Something Like Gravity just wasn’t for me, and I think Amber Smith’s stories in general just aren’t for me. This book had a lot of harmful tropes and actions in it, and I didn’t feel like there was much of a lesson behind it (as in, it all felt very excused). I thought Chris as a character had so much potential, but it’s very clear he was written by a cis woman that didn’t do a whole lot of research. Maia was not a good character, either, and she frustrated me quite a bit. The plot was also... not there, which was probably the last thing that could’ve saved this book for me, honestly.
representation ↠ transgender main character.
content warnings ↠ body dysphoria and loss of a loved one.
July 27, 2020
Mi sono avvicinata a questa storia aspettandomi di trovare una storia dolce e delicata e così è stato.
Come due gocce nell'arcobaleno parla di temi difficili ed importanti ma è soprattutto una tenera storia d'amore.
I due protagonisti, Maia e Chris, stanno attraversando un periodo difficile. La prima ha perso improvvisamente la sorella maggiore, poco più grande di lei, e non è ancora riuscita ad elaborare il lutto e a superarlo. La perdita ha allontanato i suoi genitori che vivono separati in casa e che, persi nella loro sofferenza e nei loro problemi, hanno trascurato l'unica figlia rimasta facendola sentire quasi un peso. Maia, tra l'altro, ha sempre vissuto all'ombra della sorella che era la più bella, la più intelligente, la più solare, la più determinata.
Chris, invece, si ritrova a vivere in un corpo che non lo rispecchia, un corpo che non esprime il suo essere. Chris, all'anagrafe Christina, è un transgender: si è sempre sentito sbagliato nel suo corpo, soprattutto quando ha iniziato a svilupparsi il seno, che nasconde sotto strette fasce. Parlare con i genitori non è stato facile ed invece di ottenerne il supporto, si è sentito rifiutato, sbagliato, disprezzato ed ora i genitori lo hanno mandato a trascorrere l'estate dalla zia, vicina di casa di Maya.
E' così che i due ragazzi hanno modo d'incontrarsi: Chris, lontano da casa, può cercare di essere chi sente veramente di essere senza vergognarsi o nascondersi e Maia può essere una semplice ragazza senza la compassione e la pietà per la sorella defunta.
Chris è un personaggio molto bello: dimostra una forza ed una volontà incredibili nonostante le difficoltà che ha affrontato e che dovrà affrontare ed ho adorato il suo modo di fare perché si sente un ragazzo ma ha comunque la sensibilità e la delicatezza di una ragazza e allo stesso modo, ahimè, tende ad offendersi.
Maia all'inizio non mi ha fatto impazzire: è una ragazza che ha poca stima di se stessa, è un po' insicura e devo dire che appare piuttosto strana e con la testa sulle nuvole. Piano piano, proseguendo nella storia, ho iniziato a capirla e ad apprezzarla di più, in particolare verso la fine.
Entrambi stanno attraversando un periodo difficile ed il sentimento che nasce tra loro, così profondo e reale, gli dona la forza di andare avanti, la fiducia ed il coraggio per affermare le loro personalità ed è proprio questo che l'autrice vuole mettere in risalto, che l'amore e la stima sono fondamentali per chiunque e non si dovrebbero negare a nessuno.
Come due gocce nell'arcobaleno parla di temi difficili ed importanti ma è soprattutto una tenera storia d'amore.
I due protagonisti, Maia e Chris, stanno attraversando un periodo difficile. La prima ha perso improvvisamente la sorella maggiore, poco più grande di lei, e non è ancora riuscita ad elaborare il lutto e a superarlo. La perdita ha allontanato i suoi genitori che vivono separati in casa e che, persi nella loro sofferenza e nei loro problemi, hanno trascurato l'unica figlia rimasta facendola sentire quasi un peso. Maia, tra l'altro, ha sempre vissuto all'ombra della sorella che era la più bella, la più intelligente, la più solare, la più determinata.
Chris, invece, si ritrova a vivere in un corpo che non lo rispecchia, un corpo che non esprime il suo essere. Chris, all'anagrafe Christina, è un transgender: si è sempre sentito sbagliato nel suo corpo, soprattutto quando ha iniziato a svilupparsi il seno, che nasconde sotto strette fasce. Parlare con i genitori non è stato facile ed invece di ottenerne il supporto, si è sentito rifiutato, sbagliato, disprezzato ed ora i genitori lo hanno mandato a trascorrere l'estate dalla zia, vicina di casa di Maya.
E' così che i due ragazzi hanno modo d'incontrarsi: Chris, lontano da casa, può cercare di essere chi sente veramente di essere senza vergognarsi o nascondersi e Maia può essere una semplice ragazza senza la compassione e la pietà per la sorella defunta.
Chris è un personaggio molto bello: dimostra una forza ed una volontà incredibili nonostante le difficoltà che ha affrontato e che dovrà affrontare ed ho adorato il suo modo di fare perché si sente un ragazzo ma ha comunque la sensibilità e la delicatezza di una ragazza e allo stesso modo, ahimè, tende ad offendersi.
Maia all'inizio non mi ha fatto impazzire: è una ragazza che ha poca stima di se stessa, è un po' insicura e devo dire che appare piuttosto strana e con la testa sulle nuvole. Piano piano, proseguendo nella storia, ho iniziato a capirla e ad apprezzarla di più, in particolare verso la fine.
Entrambi stanno attraversando un periodo difficile ed il sentimento che nasce tra loro, così profondo e reale, gli dona la forza di andare avanti, la fiducia ed il coraggio per affermare le loro personalità ed è proprio questo che l'autrice vuole mettere in risalto, che l'amore e la stima sono fondamentali per chiunque e non si dovrebbero negare a nessuno.
July 18, 2019
2.5 stars. i wanted to like this so bad :( but there was hardly any plot, the main characters were problematic and unrealistic... and it totally didn't feel like a love story
March 19, 2023
~~5 STARS~~
This was exactly what I needed to get me out of my reading slump. I finished this in literally one sitting.
Applause for the author please, this was frickin amazing and it hit me right in the feels and I loved it so much. So very much.
Allow me to share one of my favorite quotes.
Yeah. Absorb that. This book was excellent. And very underrated.
This is a story about first love and loss and tragedy and finding your true self and it's just absolutely beautifully written. I won't forget this one for some time. It was literally just what I needed right now and the message it promotes is something I think everyone needs to hear in their lives.
Oh yeah, and also part of why I originally grabbed this is because of the gorgeous cover and that I noticed the author has the same first name as me, so there's that too, haha.
Anyway, go ahead and pick this one up and give it a read, I promise you won't regret it!
~~Sending love~~
This was exactly what I needed to get me out of my reading slump. I finished this in literally one sitting.
Applause for the author please, this was frickin amazing and it hit me right in the feels and I loved it so much. So very much.
Allow me to share one of my favorite quotes.
"Live or die. I used to think it was so simple—a choice, really. Live authentically or die pretending. I thought once I chose to live, I'd finally start my life. What I didn't know is that it's not a choice you make just once; it's a choice you have to keep on making. Because life doesn't wait until you're perfect, or better, or out of pain, for you to be alive. You have to choose it every minute of every day."
Yeah. Absorb that. This book was excellent. And very underrated.
This is a story about first love and loss and tragedy and finding your true self and it's just absolutely beautifully written. I won't forget this one for some time. It was literally just what I needed right now and the message it promotes is something I think everyone needs to hear in their lives.
Oh yeah, and also part of why I originally grabbed this is because of the gorgeous cover and that I noticed the author has the same first name as me, so there's that too, haha.
Anyway, go ahead and pick this one up and give it a read, I promise you won't regret it!
~~Sending love~~
January 10, 2019
For Maia, Summer means working at her crappy job, dealing with her divorced-but-still-live-together parents, and trying to reconnect with the memory of her older sister, Mallory, who passed away unexpectedly. But then Chris shows up, moves in next door, and makes her fall in love with him. Or at least, that's how it seems. Chris is staying with his aunt for the Summer because living in a small town for a few months is definitely easier than facing his parents who can't seem to fully accept the fact that he is transgender. Pulled together by more than just proximity, Chris and Maia have a summer full of love, laughs, and secrets, some of which change their lives in unexpected ways.This is a heartfelt, tender novel that touches on some difficult topics while also exploring the joy and uncertainty that comes with first love.
January 24, 2019
I LOVE AMBER SMITH!
Something Like Gravity is a book about transgender and how it affects family as well as friendships, but especially the individual themselves.
I feel Ms. Smith caught the emotions well of what it's like for a transgender person to live in today's world. The bullying they go through and how they handle it whether it be taking things with a grain of salt because you are who you are or if it gets as bad as suicide.
People are who they are and should not be judged because they are different then what others perceive.
Thank you for writing this story Amber Smith!
Something Like Gravity is a book about transgender and how it affects family as well as friendships, but especially the individual themselves.
I feel Ms. Smith caught the emotions well of what it's like for a transgender person to live in today's world. The bullying they go through and how they handle it whether it be taking things with a grain of salt because you are who you are or if it gets as bad as suicide.
People are who they are and should not be judged because they are different then what others perceive.
Thank you for writing this story Amber Smith!
March 28, 2019
Without the dead sister and being transgender, its a cute summer romance. With it though it becomes something extraordinary.
Told from both the POV's of Maia and Chris we get to see their romance blossom and hide their secrets. I loved getting in Chris's head, I don't really know all that much about being transgender. I also liked watching Maia take her sister's camera and try to see what she saw, in an effort to feel closer to her.
Told from both the POV's of Maia and Chris we get to see their romance blossom and hide their secrets. I loved getting in Chris's head, I don't really know all that much about being transgender. I also liked watching Maia take her sister's camera and try to see what she saw, in an effort to feel closer to her.
Want to read
August 21, 2018LGBT+ rep? Particularly representation of a transgender person who's the main character of this book?? I repeat: the main character?? I'm down! It's about time the wide diversity of the LGBTQ+ community (among all of our marginalized communities) is represented in literature, movies, etc.
August 16, 2019
Original review removed due to reading ownvoice reviews and realizing that this book does have many things wrong with it. My initial review came from a place of ignorance and I apologize if that hurt anyone.
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