A review by thereadingraccoon
In the Orbit of You by Ashley Schumacher

emotional hopeful medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.25

Book Review: In the Orbit of You by Ashley Schumacher 

In the Orbit of You is a young adult contemporary romance novel about two teens that were childhood best friends and meet again in high school. 

Nova and her mother have been moving back and forth across the country for years and never settling in one place for long. But when she was five her best friend was Sam and they played outside together everyday until he was abruptly removed from his parents and sent to live with his aunt and uncle. Now, a dozen years later Sam and Nova are in the same school together and an online personality test said they are nearly a perfect match. The only problem? Nova is only town for two months and Sam has a girlfriend. Sam and Nova will struggle with their identities, what they want for the future and if they truly belong together or if what they had should remain in the past. 

In the Orbit of You is a beautiful love story about two people fated to be together. I love the choices the author made by acknowledging the need for the characters to grow up a little and find their place in the world instead of clinging to each other like anchors. I also appreciate that she didn’t make Sam’s girlfriend Abigail a villain or a nemesis to Nova but instead a whole person instead of a caricature. Also, Sam’s childhood abuse and PTSD was handled in a realistic and thoughtful way instead of making it salacious. 

I highly recommend In the Orbit of You to readers that enjoy coming of age stories and romance. 

4 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️