The Gravity of Us

By: Phil Stamper

Narrated by: Michael Crouch, Jonathan Davis, Gabra Zackman, January LaVoy, Angelo Di Loreto, Chris Andrew Ciulla, Dorothy Dillingham Blue, Cynthia Farrell, Soneela Nankani, Sullivan Jones, Bahni Turpin, Phil Stamper

Length: 8 hrs and 16 mins

Publisher's summary

Teen boys find love when their parents' NASA mission uproots their lives in this sweet debut perfect for Adam Silvera fans.

As a successful social media journalist with half a million followers, 17-year-old Cal is used to sharing his life online. But when his pilot father is selected for a highly publicized NASA mission to Mars, Cal and his family relocate from Brooklyn to Houston and are thrust into a media circus.

Amidst the chaos, Cal meets sensitive and mysterious Leon, another "Astrokid", and finds himself falling head over heels - fast. As the frenzy around the mission grows, so does their connection. But when secrets about the program are uncovered, Cal must find a way to reveal the truth without hurting the people who have become most important to him.

Expertly capturing the thrill of first love and the self-doubt all teens feel, debut author Phil Stamper is a new talent to watch.

Narrated by Michael Crouch

The Shooting Stars TV show is brought to life with a full cast featuring:

Jonathan Davis as Josh Farrow

Gabra Zackman as StarWatch announcer

January LaVoy as Grace Tucker

Angelo Di Loreto as Mark Bannon

Chris Andrew Ciulla as Calvin Lewis, Sr.

Dorothy Dillingham Blue as Donna Szleifer

Cynthia Farrell as Ariana Rogers

Soneela Nankani as Halima Ali

Sullivan Jones as Leon Tucker

Bahni Turpin as Kat Tucker

Author's Note read by Phil Stamper

Includes an About the Audiobook conversation between Phil Stamper and producer Diane McKiernan

©2020 Phil Stamper (P)2020 Listening Library

Critic reviews

"I'm so starry-eyed for this wise, romantic gem of a book." (Becky Albertalli, New York Times best-selling author of Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda)

Learned a lot!

Enjoyed this YA from start to finish. The pacing of the story, the character development, the various complications, and the NASA history lessons were well executed. The discussions about mental illness were also a welcome surprise. A satisfying read.

Great Sorry !

I’m not much into reading books but I’m a gay space geek. As soon as the cover caught my eye, I was intrigued. After reading the description I decided to give the audiobook a try. And I enjoyed it till the last second.

Perfect slice of life that feels real for YA

This was my third time listening to this small piece of chaos in a few families' lives that are known by many but understood by very few. All the problems of family life but with cameras rolling and relationships struggling. Plans quickly get changed and emotions get wrecked as stress, misunderstandings, and young love creep into daily life. It is amazing that Cal and Leon were able to build each other up to accept the challenges of young gay love while dealing with attention and acceptance. Most boys would find the normal bullying and and homophobia from friends, neighbors, and families overwhelming. Maybe the world of the future is going to be a better place. This book brings hope and love together in a current way that is just feel good.

Stellar

Like what the author said, that there are books like these for teens who were denied of thoughts and emotions the characters experience and I’m happy that this was one of mine.

Excellent

I loved this! I really was torn after reading the blurb if I wanted to read this book or listen, I am so glad I chose to listen. Crouch is one of my favorite readers for YA audio and the rest of the actors really made the characters stand out. 5 stars!

Science and Romance

What a wonderful combo of science and romance. The story was so beautifully mapped but not only focusing on queer love, but the importance of accepting change.

Makes me feel like I want to be in the story

Basically I think he story was really good, I wanted to interfere with the story a lot of the times but it means it's unexpected and new, also I kind of felt me in the main character, but not that part, but the brillance of the rest

I would give this book 100 stars if possible

This book is so good dang good, every bit of it is amazing, the character development and story is 100/10. I love it so much. The characters felt relatable and I felt their emotions through ever part of the book. Thank you.

Luv it

I love this book a lot this book is representing so many things. I will love to hear more books like this.

Astronomically Great!!

This, was a most impressive read! Carefully navigating the usual tropes and ticks of YA romance, the author quite deftly use the ones that work, and invents his own at many points. This allows him to create a rich and interesting tapestry, that is equal parts "The Right Stuff", and a world of his own creation. I REALLY respect when a same sex relationship fits so smoothly into a story, without being a trauma, or conflict that needs to be solved. Bravo!!

While the entire cast is spot-on, Michael Crouch deserves major kudos for bringing these excellent words to life!