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A review by citronella_seance
The Gravity of Us by Phil Stamper
5.0
The Happiness of an Unending Universe
A Review of The Gravity of Us by Phil Stamper
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
When I was ten I wanted to be an astronaut. More specifically a ballerina, astronaut, janitor who was also a photographer. Unlike Calvin Lewis Jr’s dad, who collected Life magazines about the space craze of the 60s, I collected National Geographics. I clipped and taped images I liked all over my room and whenever I was feeling overwhelmed or like my dreams of being a ballerina, astronaut, janitor were unattainable, I would look at all of those pictures and it would make everything seem right.
I’m, sadly, not a ballerina, or an astronaut, or a janitor, but this book definitely transported me back to that time. It gave me an intense feeling of nostalgia, not only for my childhood, but also for my teenage years, when I was an aspiring journalist dealing with my own questions about my sexual orientation. Cal and I are SO similar, it’s almost a little scary. Perhaps that’s why I really enjoyed this novel as well, but, at its core, it’s a loving book about all the endless kinds of love there are.
When Calvin, Cal for short, learns that his dad has been selected to be part of a major space mission with NASA his life is uprooted completely. Literally and figuratively. He moves with his family from Brooklyn all the way down to Texas, where he knows his whole life will be on display as he becomes a part of media circus surrounding the mission. What he doesn’t expect, though, is to love it so much. Not just Texas, but the people, the story, and the heart, that surrounds everyone who plays a part in this mission.
Reading this book was like the equivalent of curling up on a couch on a rainy, spring day with a cup of hot tea and an old friend. The story felt so familiar to me and yet so exciting and new. I could see so much of myself reflected in Cal, with his Earth sign tendencies to always want to plan; plan for himself, for other people, for the country. I was also, however, getting an exciting look into Phil Stamper’s take on what a modern day “space craze” would look like.
This book is heartwarming and fun, but it’s also an exploration of us as a society, and our insatiable desire to always know what’s coming next. It also takes such a refreshing look at tough to tackle themes like mental illness, relationship conflict, and more.
I may not have become a ballerina, astronaut, janitor and I may not still know what I want to be when I grow up, but it’s okay not to know the ending sometimes. It’s okay not to plan for every little eventuality. It also okay to be “breezy”, as Cal would say. It’s okay to fall in love. I fell in love with this story and with Cal and Leon’s sense of wholeness as characters, and I know whatever path they choose from their endless options, they’re going to be happy together for a long while.
Thank you to Bloomsbury and NetGalley for providing me with a free eBook version for the purpose of this review.
The Gravity of Us is out today, February 4! Click here to purchase.
A Review of The Gravity of Us by Phil Stamper
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
When I was ten I wanted to be an astronaut. More specifically a ballerina, astronaut, janitor who was also a photographer. Unlike Calvin Lewis Jr’s dad, who collected Life magazines about the space craze of the 60s, I collected National Geographics. I clipped and taped images I liked all over my room and whenever I was feeling overwhelmed or like my dreams of being a ballerina, astronaut, janitor were unattainable, I would look at all of those pictures and it would make everything seem right.
I’m, sadly, not a ballerina, or an astronaut, or a janitor, but this book definitely transported me back to that time. It gave me an intense feeling of nostalgia, not only for my childhood, but also for my teenage years, when I was an aspiring journalist dealing with my own questions about my sexual orientation. Cal and I are SO similar, it’s almost a little scary. Perhaps that’s why I really enjoyed this novel as well, but, at its core, it’s a loving book about all the endless kinds of love there are.
When Calvin, Cal for short, learns that his dad has been selected to be part of a major space mission with NASA his life is uprooted completely. Literally and figuratively. He moves with his family from Brooklyn all the way down to Texas, where he knows his whole life will be on display as he becomes a part of media circus surrounding the mission. What he doesn’t expect, though, is to love it so much. Not just Texas, but the people, the story, and the heart, that surrounds everyone who plays a part in this mission.
Reading this book was like the equivalent of curling up on a couch on a rainy, spring day with a cup of hot tea and an old friend. The story felt so familiar to me and yet so exciting and new. I could see so much of myself reflected in Cal, with his Earth sign tendencies to always want to plan; plan for himself, for other people, for the country. I was also, however, getting an exciting look into Phil Stamper’s take on what a modern day “space craze” would look like.
This book is heartwarming and fun, but it’s also an exploration of us as a society, and our insatiable desire to always know what’s coming next. It also takes such a refreshing look at tough to tackle themes like mental illness, relationship conflict, and more.
I may not have become a ballerina, astronaut, janitor and I may not still know what I want to be when I grow up, but it’s okay not to know the ending sometimes. It’s okay not to plan for every little eventuality. It also okay to be “breezy”, as Cal would say. It’s okay to fall in love. I fell in love with this story and with Cal and Leon’s sense of wholeness as characters, and I know whatever path they choose from their endless options, they’re going to be happy together for a long while.
Thank you to Bloomsbury and NetGalley for providing me with a free eBook version for the purpose of this review.
The Gravity of Us is out today, February 4! Click here to purchase.