Author: Phil Stamper
LGBTQ+ Representation: Two main characters are in an m/m relationship
What it’s about (in 75 words or fewer): Cal's dad receives the chance of a lifetime: working on a NASA mission to Mars. Cal and his parents move from Brooklyn to Houston, where the pressure to be the perfect family is high, and Cal falls for Leon, whose mom is also an astronaut. But as Cal continues to live-stream on his popular social media channel, he exposes corruption, and his dreams of staying with Leon and becoming a legitimate journalist are in jeopardy.
What I think: So many things to love about this adorable story! Travel with me down several Internet rabbit holes by clicking on the links I added as I thought of what I like about this story:
🚀 The setting: The wives of the first astronauts and their families all lived in a "perfect family"-style Texas suburb and were the 1960s version of today's reality TV family. All I could think of was the neighborhood in "The Monsters are Due on Maple Street." The NASA program in The Gravity of Us requires the present-day families to also live in the perfect astronaut suburbs--even decorating the houses in a 60's retro style.
📱 The not-so-real reality show: So much is staged! I have a hard time remembering that with reality shows, and especially, Facebook pictures.
💻 Social media as a career: Lest I sound too cynical with that last point, this book also discusses modern-day social media journalism, streaming, and using the Internet as a journalist.
🪐 Summer camp romance: Cal and Leon are the only two teenage boys who are living in the suburb, so of course they fall for each other and quickly, much like you do with someone who is also at camp or cast in the same show; you are spending HOURS together, making everything so intense and romantic!! Will Cal and Leon last "beyond camp?" Who cares!
🖭 Cassette tapes: How cute is Cal; he listens to cassettes! How did I not know of this comeback? I must admit there was nothing as cool for middle school me than looking at the wall of cassette singles at Sam Goody. I didn't realize cassette singles were so short-lived. Cal's probably not buying singles anyway, and I don't think the sound is "smoother"--I was a vinyl snob back in the day, though, so I get it.
🧠 Mental health: Cal's mom and Leon both live with depression and anxiety. As someone who lives with ADHD, anxiety, and depression, I appreciate the way these are handled in this book: realisitcally, but not preachy, and not as entire personality traits, if that makes sense. I relate to Leon as far as the depression goes, but I also have Cal's tendency to want to fix things (and people, including myself), and it's nice to read a lesson about how things don't always need to be fixed; they just are. And that's okay.
👵 I'M OLD: Cal doesn't know what the Associated Press is, but he knows what social media influencers are! Wow, it has been a long time since my high school journalism class and newspaper days, which were PRE-INTERNET. Also, Cal's dad mentions that he was born in the 80's, which means that I am not only older than the narrator of this book, I am also older than his parents. 😱 And "Vogue" is THIRTY years old (which has nothing to do with The Gravity of Us; I just can't believe how old I am--I watched this performance live on TV and remember my mom being horrified.).
😎 Cal's fashion sense: In his world, someone who watches his livestreams has created a blog like What Claudia Wore or Suri's Burn Book, starring Cal and his John Mayer hat.
💁 Fun fact: My grandpa was an engineer. When I was a kid, he would tell me this story about how government agency in Texas who had offered him a job in the early sixties. He turned down the job because my grandma refused to leave Muncie, Indiana, and also he thought this job looked kind of shady.
That "government agency" was NASA.
This book is too new to be on a Rainbow List--watch this space!
My final takeaway (in 75 words or fewer): I recommend this book because it is a fun romance that inspired me to research some interesting topics (and discover all of the emojis available on Blogspot 😉). I would have liked to have a scene of Leon turning somersaults and more of Cal's interactions with his parents, especially his dad. And why not have Deb come down for a visit? Hmmm. I seem to want a sequel. 😜
Memorable quotes/passages from the book:
- "Oh, you told him about K-pop--that's usually info you drop during the second date" (pg. 114).
- "In her place is a sleepy guy who's so cute I could literally melt right here, leaving nothing but my hipster tank and unraveled sandals on the hot pavement" (pg. 125).
- "The late sixties were not great times in America. We were in an endless, pointless war that took so many lives. Kennedy's promise was one thing all sides of the political spectrum could agree on: that we'd get a man on the moon by the end of the decade. StarWatch thought that fervor could work for them. They thought they could replicate it in our current political climate. NASA just wrote the checks" (pg. 208).
- "Astrokid Calls on Americans to Save NASA From Clickbait Demise" (pg. 270).
Other reviews: The Nerd Daily and Kikus.
If you liked this book, you should read The Music of What Happens, Release, and What if it's Us?
Also, A (Complicated) Love Story Set In Space by Shaun Hutchinson (coming out in spring 2021).
**********
 |
| This book is available here: https://library.greensboro-nc.gov/ |
 |
| Learn more about the Rainbow Book List here: http://www.ala.org/rt/glbtrt |
No comments:
Post a Comment