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3.58 AVERAGE
3.58 AVERAGE
There is a lot going on here in this book and all seem to play a part in what the author is trying to convey in this book. Love and loss and violence and pain and acceptance and hurt and death and mourning and separation and more love and so much more. Chris, a transgender, is such an endearing character, and Maia came into his life at the right time, but they just had to go through what they did to get to where they need to be. I would love to see a second book, ten years later; I bet Chris is going to be an amazing role model.
On a side note, had I not read the synopsis on this book, the cover would have kept me from reading this book. I don’t think it does the story justice.
On a side note, had I not read the synopsis on this book, the cover would have kept me from reading this book. I don’t think it does the story justice.
RATING: 5/5 STARS
I am so excited about the young adult genre embracing diversity in many upcoming releases. Books like SOMETHING LIKE GRAVITY are important because they speak to people, let them know they're not alone in what they're going through. And for those of us who haven't had a similar experience to Chris and Maia's in this book, it helps us understand and treat others with empathy.
This book was beautifully written. It's a story about Chris, a transgender boy, falling in love. It's also about processing past trauma, being accepted by family, preserving friendships, and coming to terms with one's identity. The writing is gorgeous and vulnerable. The main characters have had to deal with a lot for being so young, and the way they are portrayed is mature yet realistic, flawed, and human. Amber Smith's style is pensive and lyrical. Chris and Maia's emotions come alive on the page. Elements of astronomy and photography are also threaded throughout, giving the book an additional creative touch.
An aspect of the novel that really resonated with me was Chris realizing how being alone with Maia when it was getting dark outside held a completely different meaning to him as a man than as a woman. When he vowed he would never be a man who made "harmless" but threatening actions towards women, it was such a powerful and profound moment. I applaud Amber Smith for that.
Chris and Maia's relationship was stunning. Her acceptance of him, and his body, was so tender and heartwarming. They had a deep connection that wasn't characterized by insta-love or petty sources of conflict. I enjoyed following their development and emerging comfort in their own skin and in each other throughout this narrative.
Please do yourself a favor and read this book if you are a fan of the YA genre, romance, LGBT characters, and just stories about the human experience in general. This is a powerful read by already-established author Amber Smith (who is not trans, but is lesbian and a supporter of the LGBT community). I also highly recommend this to readers who liked IF I WAS YOUR GIRL by Meredith Russo.
A sincere thanks to NetGalley and Simon and Schuster Children's Publishing for providing an advanced reading copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Social: @_shelf.awareness on Instagram
I am so excited about the young adult genre embracing diversity in many upcoming releases. Books like SOMETHING LIKE GRAVITY are important because they speak to people, let them know they're not alone in what they're going through. And for those of us who haven't had a similar experience to Chris and Maia's in this book, it helps us understand and treat others with empathy.
This book was beautifully written. It's a story about Chris, a transgender boy, falling in love. It's also about processing past trauma, being accepted by family, preserving friendships, and coming to terms with one's identity. The writing is gorgeous and vulnerable. The main characters have had to deal with a lot for being so young, and the way they are portrayed is mature yet realistic, flawed, and human. Amber Smith's style is pensive and lyrical. Chris and Maia's emotions come alive on the page. Elements of astronomy and photography are also threaded throughout, giving the book an additional creative touch.
An aspect of the novel that really resonated with me was Chris realizing how being alone with Maia when it was getting dark outside held a completely different meaning to him as a man than as a woman. When he vowed he would never be a man who made "harmless" but threatening actions towards women, it was such a powerful and profound moment. I applaud Amber Smith for that.
Chris and Maia's relationship was stunning. Her acceptance of him, and his body, was so tender and heartwarming. They had a deep connection that wasn't characterized by insta-love or petty sources of conflict. I enjoyed following their development and emerging comfort in their own skin and in each other throughout this narrative.
Please do yourself a favor and read this book if you are a fan of the YA genre, romance, LGBT characters, and just stories about the human experience in general. This is a powerful read by already-established author Amber Smith (who is not trans, but is lesbian and a supporter of the LGBT community). I also highly recommend this to readers who liked IF I WAS YOUR GIRL by Meredith Russo.
A sincere thanks to NetGalley and Simon and Schuster Children's Publishing for providing an advanced reading copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Social: @_shelf.awareness on Instagram
things i liked
- a writing style i can vibe with, after two books in a row of shit
- the awkward naturalness of the whole thing
- it's not deep love, or long love, but it means something, and that's important
-
- chris is kinda boyfriend goals
things i didn't like
- maia's character was inconsistent and grating. i felt like there was going to be some big reveal about the real reason why maia was running around town with her dead sister's camera. something deeper than just trying to feel closer to her. but there was nothing.
- so, on a related note, this culminates into which to me, didn't feel as serious or high stakes. does that mean i've already grown past that teenage mentality? at 25? damn. does that mean i'm too old for ya now? hope not.
- and on top of that, i feel like there were details that were just mentioned and set up to be big plot points and then, never acknowledged again?
- i obviously can't speak for this, but i've seen some reviews that the trans rep here is harmful and inaccurate. do with that what you will.
my library categorizes this as a cozy read, and yes, i agree, this was very cozy.
- a writing style i can vibe with, after two books in a row of shit
- the awkward naturalness of the whole thing
- it's not deep love, or long love, but it means something, and that's important
-
Spoiler
that sex scene left me breathless- chris is kinda boyfriend goals
things i didn't like
- maia's character was inconsistent and grating. i felt like there was going to be some big reveal about the real reason why maia was running around town with her dead sister's camera. something deeper than just trying to feel closer to her. but there was nothing.
- so, on a related note, this culminates into
Spoiler
chris and maia's breakupSpoiler
i get chris feeling betrayed that maia lied, or even just didn't tell him the whole truth, but to have a screaming match and a hyperventilating, tears streaming down your face breakdown about it seemed a little dramatic.- and on top of that, i feel like there were details that were just mentioned and set up to be big plot points and then, never acknowledged again?
Spoiler
like, when neil told chris that maia burned all of mallory's photos. i mean, was that a lie? i feel like it was. but then if it was, why would neil lie about something like that? just to sabotage maia and ruin her life? why does he hate her so much? am i missing something? am i dumb?- i obviously can't speak for this, but i've seen some reviews that the trans rep here is harmful and inaccurate. do with that what you will.
my library categorizes this as a cozy read, and yes, i agree, this was very cozy.
Even though this took me way too long to finish, this is easily one of the best young adult contemporaries I have read this year! There were some really artful and quote filled moments within this novel that I highly enjoyed. There is a trigger warning for sexual assault, but it isn’t too detailed. I loved how one of the main characters is transgender, especially since I have a transgender friend and one that wants to transition. I think it is something to be respected as well as accepted because we are born how we think we are, not necessarily how we are born in my opinion. Maia and Chris are definitely lovable characters with faults, but nobody is perfect.
things i liked
- a writing style i can vibe with, after two books in a row of shit
- the awkward naturalness of the whole thing
- it's not deep love, or long love, but it means something, and that's important
-
- chris is kinda boyfriend goals
things i didn't like
- maia's character was inconsistent and grating. i felt like there was going to be some big reveal about the real reason why maia was running around town with her dead sister's camera. something deeper than just trying to feel closer to her. but there was nothing.
- so, on a related note, this culminates into which to me, didn't feel as serious or high stakes. does that mean i've already grown past that teenage mentality? at 25? damn. does that mean i'm too old for ya now? hope not.
- and on top of that, i feel like there were details that were just mentioned and set up to be big plot points and then, never acknowledged again?
- i obviously can't speak for this, but i've seen some reviews that the trans rep here is harmful and inaccurate. do with that what you will.
my library categorizes this as a cozy read, and yes, i agree, this was very cozy.
- a writing style i can vibe with, after two books in a row of shit
- the awkward naturalness of the whole thing
- it's not deep love, or long love, but it means something, and that's important
-
Spoiler
that sex scene left me breathless- chris is kinda boyfriend goals
things i didn't like
- maia's character was inconsistent and grating. i felt like there was going to be some big reveal about the real reason why maia was running around town with her dead sister's camera. something deeper than just trying to feel closer to her. but there was nothing.
- so, on a related note, this culminates into
Spoiler
chris and maia's breakupSpoiler
i get chris feeling betrayed that maia lied, or even just didn't tell him the whole truth, but to have a screaming match and a hyperventilating, tears streaming down your face breakdown about it seemed a little dramatic.- and on top of that, i feel like there were details that were just mentioned and set up to be big plot points and then, never acknowledged again?
Spoiler
like, when neil told chris that maia burned all of mallory's photos. i mean, was that a lie? i feel like it was. but then if it was, why would neil lie about something like that? just to sabotage maia and ruin her life? why does he hate her so much? am i missing something? am i dumb?- i obviously can't speak for this, but i've seen some reviews that the trans rep here is harmful and inaccurate. do with that what you will.
my library categorizes this as a cozy read, and yes, i agree, this was very cozy.
This was my first read of a LGBT+ YA book, and it was really quite good. It was a very sweet story of young love and a true statement of how much people can change and grow in a short period of time. I also think it has an important message of that the truth really is the most important aspect you can bring to any relationship. Not being truthful to yourself, or to those around you, can change everything in an instant.
I would recommend this to anyone who enjoys YA romance.
I received a free copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
I would recommend this to anyone who enjoys YA romance.
I received a free copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
I struggle to rate this book. I really enjoyed it, loved the world building and I really grew attached to the characters and the story itself. However, there are some elements to the story that kind of- to say the least are questionable? For instance, in the middle of the story Maia is hiding in a closet and sees Chris get changed and realizes he’s transgender before Chris has a chance to tell her personally. This was... very very icky to me? Amber Smith is a brilliant writer but I feel like this was such an unnecessary and potientially VERY harmful twist in the story that should definitely be discussed. Later on in the story Maia throws it in Chris’ face that she knew he was trans before he told her and that was just- a lot. I understand that Maia was lashing out because of her own issues but, god, that to me is unforgivable. What makes this even worse to me is that the story is set up for you to sympathize with Maia and root for Chris to accept her apology but like no, Chris for your own safety and security please don’t feel an obligation to forgive someone after they’ve alienated you because of your gender identity after you trusted them. Bottom line is I think the trans rep could’ve been handled better and this isn’t the safest book for the LGBTQ+ community.
I’m a cisgender woman so I’m leaving the rating of this book to my trans + gender non-binary friends. This book has a lot of good in it but also has a lot of harmful and triggering elements to it that for sure could’ve been avoided.
I’m a cisgender woman so I’m leaving the rating of this book to my trans + gender non-binary friends. This book has a lot of good in it but also has a lot of harmful and triggering elements to it that for sure could’ve been avoided.
Amber Smith never disappoints, and that's especially true with this book. It was so sweet and heart-warming, even when it made me cry. YA lit needs more trans representation, and this book accomplishes that beautifully.
I thought at first that this would just be another generic YA romance (with the small exception that one of the characters is trans), but it was anything but generic. It doesn't just handle the first awkward, teenage love, it handles topics like: family, loss, grief, identity, loneliness, gender stereotypes, consent, trauma.... It also does all this without being shallow and while being respectful towards everyone.
It is both heartwarming and heartbreaking, and then it's also realistic in the best way. I was going to give it 4 stars, but the way the ending was handled, I had to bump it up to 5. An amazing read; Chris and Maia will surely stay with you after you put it down
It is both heartwarming and heartbreaking, and then it's also realistic in the best way. I was going to give it 4 stars, but the way the ending was handled, I had to bump it up to 5. An amazing read; Chris and Maia will surely stay with you after you put it down