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Something Like Gravity
by
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 g ...more
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 g ...more
Hardcover, 391 pages
Published
June 18th 2019
by Margaret K. McElderry Books
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caris
FTM! Chris is a transgender boy :)
Community Reviews
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Start your review of Something Like Gravity

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 ...more
"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 ...more
![destiny ♡⚔♡ [howling libraries]](https://images.gr-assets.com/users/1614916030p2/15335689.jpg)
Whew. Okay. Let me start with two things:
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....more
2) Honestly, feel free to stop reading my review here and

Dec 03, 2018
Elena
marked it as to-read
amber smith writing about a trans boy falling in love for the first time???
please just throw this book at my face i need it
this book has been thrown at my face today and i can’t wait to start it
this book has been thrown at my face today and i can’t wait to start it

May 27, 2019
Tucker (TuckerTheReader)
marked it as other
·
review of another edition
Recommended to Tucker by:
destiny ♡⚔♡ [howling libraries]

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 sorr ...more


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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 ...more

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 w
...more

i 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.
...more

To see more reviews check out MI Book Reviews.
I got an ARC of this book.
Lets start with the cover. It looks like a lesbian romance novel. Chris does not pass in this picture. Why do I point this out? Chris passes 100% f the time in the book without any questions by anyone. He temporarily moves to a new town and NO ONE ever says or does anything that implies that he doesn't pass as 100% male 100% of the time. One character asks if he is gay, but that is the closest it gets. I know many guys that ...more
I got an ARC of this book.
Lets start with the cover. It looks like a lesbian romance novel. Chris does not pass in this picture. Why do I point this out? Chris passes 100% f the time in the book without any questions by anyone. He temporarily moves to a new town and NO ONE ever says or does anything that implies that he doesn't pass as 100% male 100% of the time. One character asks if he is gay, but that is the closest it gets. I know many guys that ...more

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. ...more
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. ...more

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 cor ...more
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 cor ...more

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 journ ...more
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 journ ...more

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: ...more
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: ...more

Feb 04, 2020
Sara (A Gingerly Review)
rated it
it was ok
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
2020,
audio-book-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. ...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. ...more

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 mo ...more
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 mo ...more

I really liked this book, I've liked all the books that I've read by amber smith. I was looking through the comments and saw very different opinions on this book. It may be true that Amber Smith is not transgender but that's not the point. What she's trying to do is bring more awareness to the LGBTQ+ community. And I can't say I am gay or transgender so I definitely would not be able to recognize mistakes or flaws about Chris transgender(ness?), but I do agree with people who are saying that som
...more

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 ...more
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 ...more

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, ass ...more
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, ass ...more

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. Fall ...more
“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. Fall ...more

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
...more

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 f
...more

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.
...more
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.
...more

Aug 20, 2018
❄Elsa Frost❄
marked it as to-read
LGBT+ 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.
...more

"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?"
I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. My thoughts and opinions are my own. Any quotes I use are from an unpublished copy and may not reflect the finished product.
I thought Something Like Gravity would have some scientific elements regarding space and the stars, but those references were few and far ...more
I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. My thoughts and opinions are my own. Any quotes I use are from an unpublished copy and may not reflect the finished product.
I thought Something Like Gravity would have some scientific elements regarding space and the stars, but those references were few and far ...more

There is so much going on in here. A bit too much! Death, grief, parents who can't parent, lying, actual trauma. Do we have to have YA novels filled with so much conflict that it leaves you dizzy trying to figure out who the protagonist is. I think that's part of the problem. I felt like I was being forced to want to root for Maia. So many hints were dropped about "who she used to be" but we never get to see which that was. I ended up feeling like she was living a life and had this poor me attit
...more

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Amber Smith is the New York Times bestselling author of the young adult novels The Way I Used to Be, The Last to Let Go, and Something Like Gravity. An advocate for increased awareness of gendered violence, as well as LGBTQ equality, she writes in the hope that her books can help to foster change and spark dialogue surrounding these issues. She grew up in Buffalo, New York, and now lives in Charlo
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