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nicoletaylor18's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
nicolemhewitt's review against another edition
5.0
This review and many more can be found on my blog: Feed Your Fiction Addiction
A story of dealing with trauma and figuring out who you are after life has changed, this book has a powerful message of hope and healing.
What Fed My Addiction:
Chris's realistic family conflict.
Chris's mother has a hard time accepting Chris's transition. For one thing, she has lots of fears about her son's safety out in the world, especially after Chris was already attacked before he even came out as trans. I know lots of people are going to see the mom as a horrible person because she didn't immediately embrace Chris's transition. But I'm going to get real honest here and tell you that when my daughter came out to us as trans, it wasn't simple, even if I wanted it to be. And people take different amounts of time to wrap their heads around a gender transition. It's hard not to fear this world and want your kid to have the easiest time they can in life. And it's hard to let go of the perceptions and misconceptions you have about your kid's life and future that you didn't even consciously know you'd formed until you realize they're completely wrong. I had an easier time accepting this shift than my husband did, but I still probably made a million mistakes--parenting is hard! I thought this book very realistically portrayed the struggle that Chris's parents had with his transition and the conflict that created between them and their son. But it also showed a family who loves each other and portrayed hope for understanding and reconciliation.
Maia's struggles with dealing with her sister's death.
Maia's journey is as much a part of the story as Chris's is. She hasn't come to terms with her sister's sudden death--she's left with no sense of closure, especially since she and her sister hadn't been on the best of terms when she died. This felt very realistic to me. I felt for Maia and understood why she had trouble grieving or moving on, and I also felt for her when she struggled with what she perceived as others' expectations about how she should feel.
The romance.
I thought Maia and Chris were sweet together, and I loved that while they were each processing their own issues, they had each other. But the book wasn't about love conquering all---they had to process those issues separately too, which was a message I appreciated.
Chris's aunt.
And Maia's complicated family. Okay, I have to throw out some love for Chris's aunt, who I LOVED! And then Maia's very messy family situation (divorced parents who still live in the same house) was a really interesting dynamic that intrigued me.
What Left Me Hungry for More:
A terrible lie?
The main conflict in Chris and Maia's relationship ends up being a lie that Maia tells, but I'll admit that I was a little confused about why the lie was such a big deal in the first place. I mean, don't get me wrong, I don't condone lying to the person you're in a relationship with, but I didn't find this particular lie to be all that earth-shattering, and it wasn't central to their relationship, so I had a hard time understanding Chris's reaction to it.
Some of the trans rep?
I wasn't sure how I felt about the fact that Chris came out as trans right after being attacked---it maybe sends a weird message that being attacked as a girl is what made Chris decide he was a boy? I don't think that was the author's intention and it's certainly not stated that way, but I do think it's an unfortunate correlation that could be made. Also, I was surprised that Chris completely passes 100% of the time. That seems perhaps a bit unrealistic.
Overall, I enjoyed this book, even with a few flaws. It's wonderful to see transgender characters being represented. Chris's story may not accurately reflect every trans person's story (every story is very different), but I do think that this could definitely be a decent representation of someone's story. I do recommend that you read this book alongside other similar books written by trans authors, though, to get a fuller picture.
***Disclosure: I received this book from the publisher via Fantastic Flying Book Tours in exchange for an honest review. No other compensation was given and all opinions are my own.***
A story of dealing with trauma and figuring out who you are after life has changed, this book has a powerful message of hope and healing.
What Fed My Addiction:
Chris's realistic family conflict.
Chris's mother has a hard time accepting Chris's transition. For one thing, she has lots of fears about her son's safety out in the world, especially after Chris was already attacked before he even came out as trans. I know lots of people are going to see the mom as a horrible person because she didn't immediately embrace Chris's transition. But I'm going to get real honest here and tell you that when my daughter came out to us as trans, it wasn't simple, even if I wanted it to be. And people take different amounts of time to wrap their heads around a gender transition. It's hard not to fear this world and want your kid to have the easiest time they can in life. And it's hard to let go of the perceptions and misconceptions you have about your kid's life and future that you didn't even consciously know you'd formed until you realize they're completely wrong. I had an easier time accepting this shift than my husband did, but I still probably made a million mistakes--parenting is hard! I thought this book very realistically portrayed the struggle that Chris's parents had with his transition and the conflict that created between them and their son. But it also showed a family who loves each other and portrayed hope for understanding and reconciliation.
Maia's struggles with dealing with her sister's death.
Maia's journey is as much a part of the story as Chris's is. She hasn't come to terms with her sister's sudden death--she's left with no sense of closure, especially since she and her sister hadn't been on the best of terms when she died. This felt very realistic to me. I felt for Maia and understood why she had trouble grieving or moving on, and I also felt for her when she struggled with what she perceived as others' expectations about how she should feel.
The romance.
I thought Maia and Chris were sweet together, and I loved that while they were each processing their own issues, they had each other. But the book wasn't about love conquering all---they had to process those issues separately too, which was a message I appreciated.
Chris's aunt.
And Maia's complicated family. Okay, I have to throw out some love for Chris's aunt, who I LOVED! And then Maia's very messy family situation (divorced parents who still live in the same house) was a really interesting dynamic that intrigued me.
What Left Me Hungry for More:
A terrible lie?
The main conflict in Chris and Maia's relationship ends up being a lie that Maia tells, but I'll admit that I was a little confused about why the lie was such a big deal in the first place. I mean, don't get me wrong, I don't condone lying to the person you're in a relationship with, but I didn't find this particular lie to be all that earth-shattering, and it wasn't central to their relationship, so I had a hard time understanding Chris's reaction to it.
Some of the trans rep?
I wasn't sure how I felt about the fact that Chris came out as trans right after being attacked---it maybe sends a weird message that being attacked as a girl is what made Chris decide he was a boy? I don't think that was the author's intention and it's certainly not stated that way, but I do think it's an unfortunate correlation that could be made. Also, I was surprised that Chris completely passes 100% of the time. That seems perhaps a bit unrealistic.
Overall, I enjoyed this book, even with a few flaws. It's wonderful to see transgender characters being represented. Chris's story may not accurately reflect every trans person's story (every story is very different), but I do think that this could definitely be a decent representation of someone's story. I do recommend that you read this book alongside other similar books written by trans authors, though, to get a fuller picture.
***Disclosure: I received this book from the publisher via Fantastic Flying Book Tours in exchange for an honest review. No other compensation was given and all opinions are my own.***
katrinx_x's review against another edition
hopeful
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
jenicka_h's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
relaxing
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
mari1792's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
sleepysamreads's review against another edition
1.0
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.
magenta_menace's review against another edition
2.5
cute, but incredibly slow paced and kind of cliche. i really wanted to like this book but it just didn’t click for me. the characters didn’t seem fully realized enough and the story just fell a bit flat for me. i will laud the setting of the novel, that exposition and scene-setting was quite exemplary in this book. i just wish it was a bit more developed. plus, i wasn’t super fond of the way the transgender narrative was constructed. it felt like a very reduced, palatable-for-cis-people take and didn’t resonate with me the way i feel that truly well-rounded trans stories do.
romantasylife's review against another edition
5.0
I received this book for my honest review.
Something Like Gravity is a beautiful story about a transgender boy finding love for the first time. Most importantly, a love who understands him and loves him as he is. It’s such a beautiful and important love story.
Words cannot express how much I love this book. My heart absorbed every word in this book. The acceptance. The brutality. The sadness. The grief. The anger. All of the emotions, my heart just sucked them all in. I swear, my heart expanded three times it’s size after reading this wonderful book.
I think there needs to be more books with a main character who is transgender. It’s such an important topic today and it’s one that’s discussed quite often. Amber Smith is not transgender herself, but I feel like her book does a magnificent job at portraying it. Amber Smith is the queen of series topics and getting them on paper properly.
I loved the family dynamics in this book. I love that not everything is perfect. That’s how it is in real life! Not everyone is so accepting automatically. Amber Smith does a great job at showing all kinds of acceptance in this book.
Chris and Maia are amazing characters. Words cannot express how much I adore them. Especially Chris, he’s such a genuine person. And Isobel. I love her with my entire heart. She reminds me so much of my grandmother, it hurts.
I would just love to thank Amber Smith for writing such a beautiful book. I feel like this book could help so many people. Whether you’re a transgender yourself, or you’re dating a transgender person. Heck, even if you’re a parent to a child/teen who told you they’re transgender. Everyone should read this book. This book will touch the lives of many.
Also, I need updates on Chris!
This book deserves all the stars in the night sky. Every single last one.
Something Like Gravity is a beautiful story about a transgender boy finding love for the first time. Most importantly, a love who understands him and loves him as he is. It’s such a beautiful and important love story.
Words cannot express how much I love this book. My heart absorbed every word in this book. The acceptance. The brutality. The sadness. The grief. The anger. All of the emotions, my heart just sucked them all in. I swear, my heart expanded three times it’s size after reading this wonderful book.
I think there needs to be more books with a main character who is transgender. It’s such an important topic today and it’s one that’s discussed quite often. Amber Smith is not transgender herself, but I feel like her book does a magnificent job at portraying it. Amber Smith is the queen of series topics and getting them on paper properly.
I loved the family dynamics in this book. I love that not everything is perfect. That’s how it is in real life! Not everyone is so accepting automatically. Amber Smith does a great job at showing all kinds of acceptance in this book.
Chris and Maia are amazing characters. Words cannot express how much I adore them. Especially Chris, he’s such a genuine person. And Isobel. I love her with my entire heart. She reminds me so much of my grandmother, it hurts.
I would just love to thank Amber Smith for writing such a beautiful book. I feel like this book could help so many people. Whether you’re a transgender yourself, or you’re dating a transgender person. Heck, even if you’re a parent to a child/teen who told you they’re transgender. Everyone should read this book. This book will touch the lives of many.
Also, I need updates on Chris!
This book deserves all the stars in the night sky. Every single last one.