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Gravity
A shot at Olympic gold in ski jumping. It’s a dream that has been the exclusive property of male athletes. Until now.
For seventeen-year-old Ellie Engebretsen, the 2011 decision to include women’s ski jumping in the Olympics is a game changer. She’d love to bring home the gold for her father, a former Olympic competitor whose dreams were blown along with his knees on an ill-timed landing. But can she defy the pull of gravity that draws her to Kate Moreau, her biggest competition and the girl of her dreams?
How can Ellie soar through the air when all she feels like doing is falling hard?
"A spicy novel about two young women daring to fly free in life and love while accurately depicting the thrill of ski jumping!"
~ Sarah Hendrickson, Olympic Ski Jumper and Member of the US Women's Ski Jumping Team
For seventeen-year-old Ellie Engebretsen, the 2011 decision to include women’s ski jumping in the Olympics is a game changer. She’d love to bring home the gold for her father, a former Olympic competitor whose dreams were blown along with his knees on an ill-timed landing. But can she defy the pull of gravity that draws her to Kate Moreau, her biggest competition and the girl of her dreams?
How can Ellie soar through the air when all she feels like doing is falling hard?
"A spicy novel about two young women daring to fly free in life and love while accurately depicting the thrill of ski jumping!"
~ Sarah Hendrickson, Olympic Ski Jumper and Member of the US Women's Ski Jumping Team
224 pages, Paperback
First published November 15, 2016
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 39 reviews
April 3, 2019
'NetGalley ARC provided by The Publisher in exchange for my honest opinion'
**'Once i learned to value and respect my characters i could really hear them.I let them start talking..You cannot be a writer without being a reader..'
**!
When we as readers are ask to give really honest reviews on books that's given to a few of us avid book lovers who are hopelessly looking forward to enjoy reading a good story --well we do expect the same from said authors to do a better job when writing their books for one:- stop rushing these books to hit the bookstores and not being well researched or with good storytelling. To this book which i should now respond to:- i had all my excitement and joy built up to read it because of the synopsis and the genre but then was misled. The storyline was not good at all (sorry) it did start out good but took a nose-dive somewhere at the 23% juncture of the plotline,in addition it also felt a bit flat,had no sense of direction or purpose,was confuse with the topic choices,none existence chemistry and to top it off i was very disappointed with the childish dialogue in the story.
**'Once i learned to value and respect my characters i could really hear them.I let them start talking..You cannot be a writer without being a reader..'
**!
When we as readers are ask to give really honest reviews on books that's given to a few of us avid book lovers who are hopelessly looking forward to enjoy reading a good story --well we do expect the same from said authors to do a better job when writing their books for one:- stop rushing these books to hit the bookstores and not being well researched or with good storytelling. To this book which i should now respond to:- i had all my excitement and joy built up to read it because of the synopsis and the genre but then was misled. The storyline was not good at all (sorry) it did start out good but took a nose-dive somewhere at the 23% juncture of the plotline,in addition it also felt a bit flat,had no sense of direction or purpose,was confuse with the topic choices,none existence chemistry and to top it off i was very disappointed with the childish dialogue in the story.
February 18, 2019
If it weren't for the unsung heroines, we wouldn't be watching the ladies fly during the winter games so kudos to them for sticking to the man.
Ellie was just 18 but her heart had been trampled several times through legit family drama and wrongly sent SMS. So what did she do? She decided to listen to her bestie's advised - to get over someone is to get under someone. They then came out with an ops called The Blair Bitch Project to achieve the objective above and that was how she met Kate.
Spending time inside Ellie's head was tough, she was always looking at the glass half empty instead of half full but I kept going because I wanted to read about the sport and Kate's resistance towards Ellie's half ass attempts for a repeat performance was quite entertaining.
I was quite uncomfortable with the fact that Ellie was still hung up on her ex but it was understandable as it was her first relationship. When it looked like she was starting to feel something for Kate, she had to remind me that she was just using Kate as a rebound but the big mountains that she moved for Kate said something else.
Ellie was not a total loss, she had some admirable qualities in her and a fair sportswoman. She had no problems sharing her knowledge and generous with compliments. I started the book, disliking her but when I finished it, I was #teamEllie. Kate's mother was an amazing secondary character, her scenes with Ellie were enjoyable.
The sports scenes - from the practices to the competition were well written, some recognizable names were mentioned and what else should I YouTube except for the women's ski jump to accompany my reading session.
Recommended? Boleh la if you have Scribd but to pay 8 dollars for it... Hmmm, I don't think so.
Ellie was just 18 but her heart had been trampled several times through legit family drama and wrongly sent SMS. So what did she do? She decided to listen to her bestie's advised - to get over someone is to get under someone. They then came out with an ops called The Blair Bitch Project to achieve the objective above and that was how she met Kate.
Spending time inside Ellie's head was tough, she was always looking at the glass half empty instead of half full but I kept going because I wanted to read about the sport and Kate's resistance towards Ellie's half ass attempts for a repeat performance was quite entertaining.
I was quite uncomfortable with the fact that Ellie was still hung up on her ex but it was understandable as it was her first relationship. When it looked like she was starting to feel something for Kate, she had to remind me that she was just using Kate as a rebound but the big mountains that she moved for Kate said something else.
Ellie was not a total loss, she had some admirable qualities in her and a fair sportswoman. She had no problems sharing her knowledge and generous with compliments. I started the book, disliking her but when I finished it, I was #teamEllie. Kate's mother was an amazing secondary character, her scenes with Ellie were enjoyable.
The sports scenes - from the practices to the competition were well written, some recognizable names were mentioned and what else should I YouTube except for the women's ski jump to accompany my reading session.
Recommended? Boleh la if you have Scribd but to pay 8 dollars for it... Hmmm, I don't think so.
October 21, 2016
3 1/2 Stars. I am a huge fan of the Olympics. I'm one of those people that has to watch as much as humanly possible, especially the women's sports. I remember watching the first jumps of the women's ski jump, so I wanted to read this book. It had some hits and misses for me, but overall I enjoyed it.
This is a YA book. I think I would have enjoyed it a bit more if it wasn't. But I get that the Olympics is full of youngsters, so I understand the authors choice. The story is about Ellie, an Olympic hopeful, following in her fathers footsteps of ski jumping. She is having a hard time because the people in her life, she loves, keep leaving her. She has a fling with a skier Kate, to ease her broken heart. Little does she know she will see Kate again, and her life will never be the same.
There, was definitely an immaturity with the two main characters, that drove me a little nuts. I did like them and I enjoyed their relationship, but they both had their faults. And while Ellie, made plenty of mistakes, I wanted to strangle Kate about 3/4 of the way through.
When it comes to the sport of the book, I would give this a decent rating. I absolutely learned things I never knew about ski jumping. I also thought Rich did a nice job of letting you know what it felt like to actually fly through the air. What I could have used was a little more competition aspect. So much was practice. I also wish Rich would have taken us through the Olympics. While we get a little taste, I wanted much more.
Overall, I thought this was an enjoyable YA book. And I would read Rich in the future.
An ARC was given to me by Bold Strokes Books, for a honest review.
This is a YA book. I think I would have enjoyed it a bit more if it wasn't. But I get that the Olympics is full of youngsters, so I understand the authors choice. The story is about Ellie, an Olympic hopeful, following in her fathers footsteps of ski jumping. She is having a hard time because the people in her life, she loves, keep leaving her. She has a fling with a skier Kate, to ease her broken heart. Little does she know she will see Kate again, and her life will never be the same.
There, was definitely an immaturity with the two main characters, that drove me a little nuts. I did like them and I enjoyed their relationship, but they both had their faults. And while Ellie, made plenty of mistakes, I wanted to strangle Kate about 3/4 of the way through.
When it comes to the sport of the book, I would give this a decent rating. I absolutely learned things I never knew about ski jumping. I also thought Rich did a nice job of letting you know what it felt like to actually fly through the air. What I could have used was a little more competition aspect. So much was practice. I also wish Rich would have taken us through the Olympics. While we get a little taste, I wanted much more.
Overall, I thought this was an enjoyable YA book. And I would read Rich in the future.
An ARC was given to me by Bold Strokes Books, for a honest review.
November 8, 2016
Whether we love sports or not, most of us a drawn to the Olympics in some sort or fashion. We find ourselves drawn to sports that we have very little knowledge of, fascinated by the athlete’s backstories and their single-minded pursuit of their dream. So take this subject and throw in a romance, well, yeah I’m totally going read that.
Ellie Engebretsen is a seventeen year old Olympic hopeful in the ski jump. Finally, the Olympic committee has agreed to allow women to compete in this event. (Side note: women have been ski jumping for over 100 years, but it was finally included in the 2014 Sochi Olympic Winter Games.) Her father competed years ago in this discipline ad has been grooming her since birth to be the next champion of the sport. When we meet Ellie she is recovering from a broken heart. Her girlfriend has run off with a fellow teammate, who happens to be a guy. To make matters worse she runs into them sucking face all over her mountain in Lutsen, Minnesota.
Enter Kate Moreau. Kate becomes Ellie’s rebound fixation. These two meet, hookup and are never supposed to see each other again. Yeah, okay, totally doesn’t happen that way. Kate ends up moving to Lutsen and taking a part-time job at the Engebretsen’s pro shop. Kate is tough, keeping her heart locked away. Abandoned by her father, and being raised by her free spirit mother, Kate doesn’t take anything from anyone. Self-reliant and fearless are two easy ways to sum this teen up.
So what did I think? This one is kind of a conundrum to me. The writing overall is done fairly well. I thought the relationship development was kind of shallow, but not bad. What stuck out to me the most, and I wrestled with, was the dialogue. Ellie for a seventeen-year-old is way over the top crass. I couldn’t buy that this was a teenager. I think her dialogue kept throwing me out of the story. The final chapters were way over dramatic, unnecessary conflict that didn’t make the story more enjoyable. Now with that being said, I would still read another book by Juliann Rich, I am interested to see how her other characters will be developed.
My rating is a 2.75
Ellie Engebretsen is a seventeen year old Olympic hopeful in the ski jump. Finally, the Olympic committee has agreed to allow women to compete in this event. (Side note: women have been ski jumping for over 100 years, but it was finally included in the 2014 Sochi Olympic Winter Games.) Her father competed years ago in this discipline ad has been grooming her since birth to be the next champion of the sport. When we meet Ellie she is recovering from a broken heart. Her girlfriend has run off with a fellow teammate, who happens to be a guy. To make matters worse she runs into them sucking face all over her mountain in Lutsen, Minnesota.
Enter Kate Moreau. Kate becomes Ellie’s rebound fixation. These two meet, hookup and are never supposed to see each other again. Yeah, okay, totally doesn’t happen that way. Kate ends up moving to Lutsen and taking a part-time job at the Engebretsen’s pro shop. Kate is tough, keeping her heart locked away. Abandoned by her father, and being raised by her free spirit mother, Kate doesn’t take anything from anyone. Self-reliant and fearless are two easy ways to sum this teen up.
So what did I think? This one is kind of a conundrum to me. The writing overall is done fairly well. I thought the relationship development was kind of shallow, but not bad. What stuck out to me the most, and I wrestled with, was the dialogue. Ellie for a seventeen-year-old is way over the top crass. I couldn’t buy that this was a teenager. I think her dialogue kept throwing me out of the story. The final chapters were way over dramatic, unnecessary conflict that didn’t make the story more enjoyable. Now with that being said, I would still read another book by Juliann Rich, I am interested to see how her other characters will be developed.
My rating is a 2.75
October 17, 2016
In general I do like YA books. It is always nice to see another point of view.
I loved the skiing in this book even though it might be a little to technical for some.
What got me about this book, at least for me was the over abundance of angst. It just seemed to go on and on when it didn't even seem to be needed. Apart from that I thought is was a good book and an enjoyable read.
My rating: 3.5
I loved the skiing in this book even though it might be a little to technical for some.
What got me about this book, at least for me was the over abundance of angst. It just seemed to go on and on when it didn't even seem to be needed. Apart from that I thought is was a good book and an enjoyable read.
My rating: 3.5
October 16, 2016
** I was given a copy from NetGalley for an honest review.**
What a great YA story.
This book manages to be many things at once and does it so in quite a concise and accomplished way. It's short, sweet and intense. Is a coming of age story. It's a romance. Of a sorts. Because it's also a thrilling story about 2 young women who are also in love with a sport.
Now, my favorite thing about this book was the characters. Such rich, well-developed, believable characters.
Ellie is a great protagonist. She's this smart, talented, dedicated and funny (on the sarcastic spectrum of humor) girl who is at a point of her young life where she is standing on that strange territory of trying to find the sweet spot between where being cool ends and where being a selfish dick starts.
Yet, to me she is very relatable and endearing because, by being in her head, we know she is actually a sweet kid, even if most of her actions, throughout the novel, shows us how absolutely confused she is about most things that are happening to her. She is overwhelmed by life. Which is actually a very realistic depiction of the state of mind of most teenagers out there. Her heart seems to be in the right place, but most of her actions seems to be guided by a strange and combustible combination of hormones and lack of life experience. She is trying though. Trying as best as she can to figure herself out with as minimum colateral damage as possible to the people around her. Not that she's doing very well on that department... but then again, most teenagers fail at that too.
Then there is Kate. It's interesting to me how well balanced I felt Ellie and Kate were as characters, and even though I really liked Ellie, every time Kate showed up in the book she immediately seemed to become the center of the story, even if she actually wasn't. Their relationship might be the center of the story, sure, but only because their relationship actually ends up being the beginning as well as the end of Ellie's journey.
And as much as Ellie is reserved, Kate is unguarded. As readers we don't seem to need much time to figure her out. Kate is Kate. There is not much subtext to her personality, yet that is precisely what makes her so interesting as a character. In terms of emotional maturity, at the beginning of the book, she seems to be in a place that Ellie is not even aware yet she will also eventually need to be in order to grow up.
Yet, their personality contrast is what makes their interactions and their whole relationship dynamic so interesting to me.
I actually could go on and on talking about all the other supporting characters as well. There aren't that many, but what is there is incredibly well done, specially Kate's mom, Maggie. I really loved Maggie.
And the backdrop to Ellie and Kate story is many other quite meaningful subplots that adds a lot of substance to the story itself. There is the delicate relationship (or lack thereof) between Ellie and her mother or Kate and her father, as well as the consequences of that relationship with the parents that remained with them. There is also their passion for a sport and their dreams of competing in that sport.
Just trust me when I say there is a lot going on this story. And most of it, is really, really good. One of the major complains I have about this book though is that it's just too short for what is trying to accomplish. Don't get me wrong, it's great as it is, but I think that with a bit extra room to further develop all those other subplots could have made it even better.
I also loved how unlike many other books out there, there isn't really a 'villain' in this story. Much like in real life, there are just perceptions of who the 'bad guy' might actually be, but only because reading the story from the perspective of an unreliable narrator, you only get to see her own, very limited and biased, point of view.
And that's about it. I really did enjoy this book, will be looking for other books from this author and will definitely keep an eye on her future releases.
So 4.5 stars from me. Definitely a reading I'd recommend.
What a great YA story.
This book manages to be many things at once and does it so in quite a concise and accomplished way. It's short, sweet and intense. Is a coming of age story. It's a romance. Of a sorts. Because it's also a thrilling story about 2 young women who are also in love with a sport.
Now, my favorite thing about this book was the characters. Such rich, well-developed, believable characters.
Ellie is a great protagonist. She's this smart, talented, dedicated and funny (on the sarcastic spectrum of humor) girl who is at a point of her young life where she is standing on that strange territory of trying to find the sweet spot between where being cool ends and where being a selfish dick starts.
Yet, to me she is very relatable and endearing because, by being in her head, we know she is actually a sweet kid, even if most of her actions, throughout the novel, shows us how absolutely confused she is about most things that are happening to her. She is overwhelmed by life. Which is actually a very realistic depiction of the state of mind of most teenagers out there. Her heart seems to be in the right place, but most of her actions seems to be guided by a strange and combustible combination of hormones and lack of life experience. She is trying though. Trying as best as she can to figure herself out with as minimum colateral damage as possible to the people around her. Not that she's doing very well on that department... but then again, most teenagers fail at that too.
Then there is Kate. It's interesting to me how well balanced I felt Ellie and Kate were as characters, and even though I really liked Ellie, every time Kate showed up in the book she immediately seemed to become the center of the story, even if she actually wasn't. Their relationship might be the center of the story, sure, but only because their relationship actually ends up being the beginning as well as the end of Ellie's journey.
And as much as Ellie is reserved, Kate is unguarded. As readers we don't seem to need much time to figure her out. Kate is Kate. There is not much subtext to her personality, yet that is precisely what makes her so interesting as a character. In terms of emotional maturity, at the beginning of the book, she seems to be in a place that Ellie is not even aware yet she will also eventually need to be in order to grow up.
Yet, their personality contrast is what makes their interactions and their whole relationship dynamic so interesting to me.
I actually could go on and on talking about all the other supporting characters as well. There aren't that many, but what is there is incredibly well done, specially Kate's mom, Maggie. I really loved Maggie.
And the backdrop to Ellie and Kate story is many other quite meaningful subplots that adds a lot of substance to the story itself. There is the delicate relationship (or lack thereof) between Ellie and her mother or Kate and her father, as well as the consequences of that relationship with the parents that remained with them. There is also their passion for a sport and their dreams of competing in that sport.
Just trust me when I say there is a lot going on this story. And most of it, is really, really good. One of the major complains I have about this book though is that it's just too short for what is trying to accomplish. Don't get me wrong, it's great as it is, but I think that with a bit extra room to further develop all those other subplots could have made it even better.
I also loved how unlike many other books out there, there isn't really a 'villain' in this story. Much like in real life, there are just perceptions of who the 'bad guy' might actually be, but only because reading the story from the perspective of an unreliable narrator, you only get to see her own, very limited and biased, point of view.
And that's about it. I really did enjoy this book, will be looking for other books from this author and will definitely keep an eye on her future releases.
So 4.5 stars from me. Definitely a reading I'd recommend.
November 16, 2016
Ellie is a skilled ski jumper and has a shot at the Olympics. She has just had her heart broken by the girl she thought was the love of her life. Not only is this girl a fellow ski jumper but she is being trained by Ellie Dad.
Ellie just want to fix her broken her heart. In an attempt to do just that she has a one-night stand with a ski tourist (or so she thinks), Kate. When Kate leaves the next day she can’t stop thinking about her. Then when Ellie’s Dad is interviewing for an assistant in his sports show and who is her interviewing but the mysterious Kate.
I haven’t read any YA Lesfic before but this was a nice one to start with. It was very teenage romance and both protagonists seemed to be dealing with a little more than the normal amount of teenage angst. My only negative is that I think you need to be into sports as well as YA Lesfic to truly get into this book as it is as much about sport as it is about romance.
3 Stars.
Ellie just want to fix her broken her heart. In an attempt to do just that she has a one-night stand with a ski tourist (or so she thinks), Kate. When Kate leaves the next day she can’t stop thinking about her. Then when Ellie’s Dad is interviewing for an assistant in his sports show and who is her interviewing but the mysterious Kate.
I haven’t read any YA Lesfic before but this was a nice one to start with. It was very teenage romance and both protagonists seemed to be dealing with a little more than the normal amount of teenage angst. My only negative is that I think you need to be into sports as well as YA Lesfic to truly get into this book as it is as much about sport as it is about romance.
3 Stars.
October 12, 2016
*The copy provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*
This was a sweet story... I'm not very big on YA romances, but I do love sports romances, so I wanted to read this one. But, even though it definitely was fun to read, I was somehow expecting... I don't know - more, I guess. I did, however love the details about ski jumping, explanations didn't fall short, and Ellie and Kate were very sweet characters.
This was a sweet story... I'm not very big on YA romances, but I do love sports romances, so I wanted to read this one. But, even though it definitely was fun to read, I was somehow expecting... I don't know - more, I guess. I did, however love the details about ski jumping, explanations didn't fall short, and Ellie and Kate were very sweet characters.
December 29, 2016
With all of the buildup in the story summary and author's note at the beginning of the book about the struggle to legitimize and bring equality to Women's Ski Jumping in the Olympics, I was really hoping this story would concentrate more on the sport itself and shed some light and excitement onto the sport. However, the ski jumping is really just a side story in favor of the romance story line. Maybe I'm finally getting "old" but I found the dialogue for all of these 17-year old characters to be over the top lewd and crass, not to mention disrespectful. I could never imagine regularly using the f-word to my parents at that age. I could maybe buy these characters had they been about ten years older, but some of the crude things coming from their mouths especially sexually felt false. Not to mention a bar scene that left me very uncomfortable having legal drinking age women unknowingly hitting on and being picked up by/sleeping with minors. I really have no idea why this author seemed to spend so much time rallying behind women's ski jumping in the preface, even going to the lengths of bringing on an Olympic jumper for fact checking when there is precious little of the sport included. The sport should have been the focus because this fairly juvenile and predictable romance is no where near strong enough to carry an entire book.
ARC provided by NetGalley
ARC provided by NetGalley
December 22, 2024
3.5 Stars. It didn't quite feel like the sports romance I expected, it was more of a coming of age story. But Ellie and Kate had more personality than all romance characters I've encountered so I can't be too mad. Also the description of ski jumping felt authentic so I rounded up ✨️
June 20, 2017
Thank you, Bold Strokes Books and NetGalley, for my eARC of Gravity and the chance to read and review it!
I have very conflicted feelings about Gravity. My expectations were mixed, some of my friends loved this book and others did not. However, in the end, I feel like this book was a bit subpar. It was nothing special except for the fact that it’s about sports, in particular, ski jumping, which was the best part of this book. I’ll talk more about that after I’ll deal with my biggest issue of the book. To understand my issues with the book I’ll have to divulge on events that transpired in first third (or so) of the book. This book is about Ellie, whose father is a former ski jumper and who now trains Ellie to get ready for the Olympics. Ellie is gay and likes girls and up until the beginning of the book, Ellie was together with and in love with a girl named Blair. However, a couple of days before the book starts Ellie gets the following text, a text Blair was meant to send to Geoffrey (a guy also in the ski jumping circle of people).
“I promise I’ll break up with Ellie tonight, Geoffrey. I hate sneaking around as much as you do.”
What has happened is that Blair has been cheating on Ellie with Geoffrey. Naturally, Ellie is heartbroken and mad which I totally understand. Getting cheated on is the worst and it’s not wrong to feel bad about it. What I dislike about Ellie’s reaction though is 1) her biphobia and 2) the fact that she called Blair a bitch (not to her face, but still). The first part is a real problem for me because while Blair being unfaithful and sleeping with someone other than Ellie is wrong (because they were in a committed relationship) that does not give Ellie the right the “claim” that Blair is a straight girl. The sexuality of Blair is never actually mentioned but we learn throughout the book that the feelings Blair had for Ellie were still real. The parts I found to be biphobic were,
“She still can’t and it would be almost funny, the way her eyes rove around the room until her gaze settles on Jack’s ass, if it didn’t hurt so damn much that even her eyes are off limits to me. To people not in the know, it probably looks like Blair hasn’t given up girls for good. Not by a long shot. But Blair knows and I know, the deep red that spreads across her face has nothing to do with Jack’s glutes and everything to do with her guilt.”
And
“What’s there to understand? Your text was pretty clear. You got sick of me. Or it was all a lie and you never loved me. Or you wanted something Geoffrey had that I didn’t.” I spit that last one in her face, because it was always good between us, that part. Better than good.
And
“It was the type of torment I was willing to endure back then, but only for Blair Caldwell. One year of walking around with a hard-on will do that to an otherwise sane woman. It’ll make her drive through impassable conditions. It’ll make her pretend she loves being dragged into store after store. It’ll make her strip on command in order to try on obscenely overpriced jeans in cramped dressing rooms in front of the girl of her dreams—the supremely uninterested and presumably straight girl of her dreams.”
I’ll be honest, maybe I read too much into it, but to me, it felt really wrong of Ellie to talk about Blair in that way. Blair cheating and presumably being bisexual (she is coded as a bisexual), but being called a straight girl because she is with someone of the opposite sex at the moment, can be seen to feed into a lot of negative stereotypes.
Moreover, I don’t have a problem with swearing, but I’ll admit that a woman calling another woman bitch really rubs me the wrong way which is why I, for example, had a problem with the following sentence.
“My Blair, my girl, the bitch who leapt into his arms like it was the easiest thing in the world.”
There was also a moment when the word slutty was used and I’m not really a fan of women (or anyone else for that matter) slut-shaming other women.
“Most days, I’m scoping out tourists, but all I see are silly girls or pouty girls or slutty girls. No one who could interest me enough to take my mind off Blair for one second.”
Despite my issues with Gravity I still really found the last half of so enjoyable. The main pairing, with their relationship in a large part built on lies which later on got exposed, towards the end really found each other and the truth together with shared dreams. That was very sweet. I really wish though that Ellie hadn’t lied so much to Kate and dealt with a lot of situations differently but that might just be me. The most interesting part about Gravity is that fact that it’s women in ski jumping. There is a lot of interesting trivia both in the book and afterward which teaches you about the fact that ski jumping is really misogynistic (which is called out in the book by the characters) and I loved that topic. I also loved the part about female ski jumpers being allies despite them also being competitors because of the misogynistic nature of the sport. In the Author’s Note: The Real Heroes in the end of the book it says the following,
“Though the Olympic barrier has been breached, the struggle to find equal footing continues. Currently women ski jumpers are allowed to compete in one event while their male counterparts compete in three.”
I really hope and wish we get to see more books about women in ski jumping because the sports sounds so amazing and I love seeing women taking their rightful place where men have tried to keep them away for so long. Big thumbs up for that. All in all, my feelings are mixed and I cannot give this book more than 2.5 stars. If you love f/f romances and sports, I say you can give this book a go but definitely be aware of the issues that exist in the book.
You can find more reviews on my blog Olivia Chanel's Galaxy of Books.
I have very conflicted feelings about Gravity. My expectations were mixed, some of my friends loved this book and others did not. However, in the end, I feel like this book was a bit subpar. It was nothing special except for the fact that it’s about sports, in particular, ski jumping, which was the best part of this book. I’ll talk more about that after I’ll deal with my biggest issue of the book. To understand my issues with the book I’ll have to divulge on events that transpired in first third (or so) of the book. This book is about Ellie, whose father is a former ski jumper and who now trains Ellie to get ready for the Olympics. Ellie is gay and likes girls and up until the beginning of the book, Ellie was together with and in love with a girl named Blair. However, a couple of days before the book starts Ellie gets the following text, a text Blair was meant to send to Geoffrey (a guy also in the ski jumping circle of people).
“I promise I’ll break up with Ellie tonight, Geoffrey. I hate sneaking around as much as you do.”
What has happened is that Blair has been cheating on Ellie with Geoffrey. Naturally, Ellie is heartbroken and mad which I totally understand. Getting cheated on is the worst and it’s not wrong to feel bad about it. What I dislike about Ellie’s reaction though is 1) her biphobia and 2) the fact that she called Blair a bitch (not to her face, but still). The first part is a real problem for me because while Blair being unfaithful and sleeping with someone other than Ellie is wrong (because they were in a committed relationship) that does not give Ellie the right the “claim” that Blair is a straight girl. The sexuality of Blair is never actually mentioned but we learn throughout the book that the feelings Blair had for Ellie were still real. The parts I found to be biphobic were,
“She still can’t and it would be almost funny, the way her eyes rove around the room until her gaze settles on Jack’s ass, if it didn’t hurt so damn much that even her eyes are off limits to me. To people not in the know, it probably looks like Blair hasn’t given up girls for good. Not by a long shot. But Blair knows and I know, the deep red that spreads across her face has nothing to do with Jack’s glutes and everything to do with her guilt.”
And
“What’s there to understand? Your text was pretty clear. You got sick of me. Or it was all a lie and you never loved me. Or you wanted something Geoffrey had that I didn’t.” I spit that last one in her face, because it was always good between us, that part. Better than good.
And
“It was the type of torment I was willing to endure back then, but only for Blair Caldwell. One year of walking around with a hard-on will do that to an otherwise sane woman. It’ll make her drive through impassable conditions. It’ll make her pretend she loves being dragged into store after store. It’ll make her strip on command in order to try on obscenely overpriced jeans in cramped dressing rooms in front of the girl of her dreams—the supremely uninterested and presumably straight girl of her dreams.”
I’ll be honest, maybe I read too much into it, but to me, it felt really wrong of Ellie to talk about Blair in that way. Blair cheating and presumably being bisexual (she is coded as a bisexual), but being called a straight girl because she is with someone of the opposite sex at the moment, can be seen to feed into a lot of negative stereotypes.
Moreover, I don’t have a problem with swearing, but I’ll admit that a woman calling another woman bitch really rubs me the wrong way which is why I, for example, had a problem with the following sentence.
“My Blair, my girl, the bitch who leapt into his arms like it was the easiest thing in the world.”
There was also a moment when the word slutty was used and I’m not really a fan of women (or anyone else for that matter) slut-shaming other women.
“Most days, I’m scoping out tourists, but all I see are silly girls or pouty girls or slutty girls. No one who could interest me enough to take my mind off Blair for one second.”
Despite my issues with Gravity I still really found the last half of so enjoyable. The main pairing, with their relationship in a large part built on lies which later on got exposed, towards the end really found each other and the truth together with shared dreams. That was very sweet. I really wish though that Ellie hadn’t lied so much to Kate and dealt with a lot of situations differently but that might just be me. The most interesting part about Gravity is that fact that it’s women in ski jumping. There is a lot of interesting trivia both in the book and afterward which teaches you about the fact that ski jumping is really misogynistic (which is called out in the book by the characters) and I loved that topic. I also loved the part about female ski jumpers being allies despite them also being competitors because of the misogynistic nature of the sport. In the Author’s Note: The Real Heroes in the end of the book it says the following,
“Though the Olympic barrier has been breached, the struggle to find equal footing continues. Currently women ski jumpers are allowed to compete in one event while their male counterparts compete in three.”
I really hope and wish we get to see more books about women in ski jumping because the sports sounds so amazing and I love seeing women taking their rightful place where men have tried to keep them away for so long. Big thumbs up for that. All in all, my feelings are mixed and I cannot give this book more than 2.5 stars. If you love f/f romances and sports, I say you can give this book a go but definitely be aware of the issues that exist in the book.
You can find more reviews on my blog Olivia Chanel's Galaxy of Books.
October 29, 2016
Gravity was such a fun read. I loved the ski jumping aspect, I had never read a book about ski jumping ~and it was like you were watching it clear in front of you. I know the author asked a former ski jumping athlete for things and accuracy. I loved the winter-y feeling of the book, of course, and it made me want to watch the Winter Olympics already!
The characters, Ellie and Kate, were so great to meet and get to know. Ellie wants to go to the 2018 Olympics and all she has done is train, train train. Then she meets Kate one cold day in the snow and they hit it off. Soon enough they find themselves as competitors in the next competition. I adored Kate, she's so fierce and sassy as heck. She is a cute ball of sunshine and her smile could light up the world to be honest.
This is for the ones who have always wanted an f/f ski jumping YA novel.
The characters, Ellie and Kate, were so great to meet and get to know. Ellie wants to go to the 2018 Olympics and all she has done is train, train train. Then she meets Kate one cold day in the snow and they hit it off. Soon enough they find themselves as competitors in the next competition. I adored Kate, she's so fierce and sassy as heck. She is a cute ball of sunshine and her smile could light up the world to be honest.
This is for the ones who have always wanted an f/f ski jumping YA novel.
Did not finish
October 19, 2016Netgalley
Giving up at the 22% mark. The first person POV of this particular teenager is grating on my last nerve.
Not enough sports, as I was hoping for, and entirely too many tall tales of her fucking girls, her preferred word choice.
Not my cup of tea.
Giving up at the 22% mark. The first person POV of this particular teenager is grating on my last nerve.
Not enough sports, as I was hoping for, and entirely too many tall tales of her fucking girls, her preferred word choice.
Not my cup of tea.
March 27, 2021
Ellie was such a mess. She had good intentions but the constant lying I just couldn't empathize with her. Of course it always blows up in her face and then she is off to another lie. I liked Ellie with Kate and honestly that's the only reason i read the whole thing.
October 25, 2016
"This is a story about a girl who found the courage to jump, to fly, and- for a brief, precious time- to be free.
But here's the thing.
All flights come to an end.
Ask any ski jumper and they'll tell you that's another truth that never airs on ESPN.
For better. For worse. Gravity always wins."
I was expecting something completely different coming from this book, but I was still pleasantly surprised by the end.
Gravity tells the story of Ellie, a girl abandoned by her mother and cheated by her ex. She is also a ski jumper who wants to have a chance in the Olympics. I loved the writing in this book and the descriptions the author makes about the jump and the high of the sport. Reading about girls who are into sports is always so interesting to me.
The romance in this book is so good. Ellie and Kate meet right away and have a hot night together. It was so funny and adorable to see Ellie talking about girls. She isn't scared of her sexuality and embraces it all. So good to read girls being open about this. The story here is refreshing and doesn't put the blame on just one person in the mess of it all.
A great book for anyone who wants to read about girls in love with girls and sports. And so important when it comes to bring attention to ski jumping and how women have been finding their way to participate in it.
From the author's notes:
"Though the Olympics barrier had been breached, the struggle to find equal footing continues. Currently women ski jumpers are allowed to compete in one event while their male counterparts compete in three."
It's upsetting to see that we still have so much to fight for women to have the right to even compete in what they love. I hope we can see more change happening in the future.
But here's the thing.
All flights come to an end.
Ask any ski jumper and they'll tell you that's another truth that never airs on ESPN.
For better. For worse. Gravity always wins."
I was expecting something completely different coming from this book, but I was still pleasantly surprised by the end.
Gravity tells the story of Ellie, a girl abandoned by her mother and cheated by her ex. She is also a ski jumper who wants to have a chance in the Olympics. I loved the writing in this book and the descriptions the author makes about the jump and the high of the sport. Reading about girls who are into sports is always so interesting to me.
The romance in this book is so good. Ellie and Kate meet right away and have a hot night together. It was so funny and adorable to see Ellie talking about girls. She isn't scared of her sexuality and embraces it all. So good to read girls being open about this. The story here is refreshing and doesn't put the blame on just one person in the mess of it all.
A great book for anyone who wants to read about girls in love with girls and sports. And so important when it comes to bring attention to ski jumping and how women have been finding their way to participate in it.
From the author's notes:
"Though the Olympics barrier had been breached, the struggle to find equal footing continues. Currently women ski jumpers are allowed to compete in one event while their male counterparts compete in three."
It's upsetting to see that we still have so much to fight for women to have the right to even compete in what they love. I hope we can see more change happening in the future.
October 14, 2016
Ellie Engebretsen is working hard to be able to ski jump at the Olympics but first she must do well at the trials. Ellie meets Kate Moreau and she just might be what she needs to nurse her broken heart over Blair.
This story is written in the first person and I thought it was well told from Ellie's point of view as we got a deeper sense in what she was feeling and thinking. However, I also would've liked to have read from Kate's perspective. I have no idea about what it's like to ski jump but felt that the descriptions were well done.
Although this story was good from beginning to end, it didn't resonate with me to give it more stars.
Review also posted here: http://wp.me/p4Pp9O-ub
I was given a copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
This story is written in the first person and I thought it was well told from Ellie's point of view as we got a deeper sense in what she was feeling and thinking. However, I also would've liked to have read from Kate's perspective. I have no idea about what it's like to ski jump but felt that the descriptions were well done.
Although this story was good from beginning to end, it didn't resonate with me to give it more stars.
Review also posted here: http://wp.me/p4Pp9O-ub
I was given a copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
December 6, 2016
3.5 stars. I tend to like books involving sport and I thought this was fairly good for a YA novel. The main character made me laugh out loud a few times. I think it's worth a read for sure.
November 13, 2017
funny how she got a rl olympic skiier to fact check but couldn't get a sensitivity reader lol. and by funny i mean not at all
dnf@ 30% but i shld have stopped the second she said im not like other girls or when she said 'meet my best friend jack! her dead name is [redacted ]' or implied her ex GF only cared abt dick and left her for dick yikes !
dnf@ 30% but i shld have stopped the second she said im not like other girls or when she said 'meet my best friend jack! her dead name is [redacted ]' or implied her ex GF only cared abt dick and left her for dick yikes !
November 9, 2016
Wow. First, let me say that I've read all three of Juliann Rich's first books and am amazed at how different Gravity is from them so let me say this: if you go into this book expecting it to be about a sweet kid struggling with his sexuality and spirituality - you're going to be disappointed.
If you go into this book open-minded and let Rich lead you through the strong voice of one messed up kid who is trying to sort out heart break, excruciating pressure (peer, family, and national), you are going to be in for the ride of your life.
Literally - because Rich puts you right inside Ellie's head so YOU get to experience what it's like to ski jump, to fly, and to fall because Ellie does all three. Now, I teach young adults so I know how they talk and what they do and let me say a word to the people who found some of Rich's depictions, shall we say, harsh? You are out of touch, but Rich isn't. This is precisely how kids think, act, and speak. Minus, of course, Ellie's opportunities to compete at an international ski jumping level. That's not an experience most kids have and that, by itself, elevates the level of pressure she's under.
I'm not going to give any spoilers because I don't want anyone to miss reading this and letting the story unfold. I AM going to recommend it highly to anyone who wants to read a book about how real teen life is. You will see a dark side of teen life your own kids may never show you, but it's there - trust me. It's there. They fall in love, feel betrayed, and seek revenge. They just don't know yet that you can't hurt someone else without first hurting yourself. That's all the spoiler I'm going to give because it is the coming of age story and arc that Ellie experiences and that Rich so accurately depicts.
The writing is flawless. Honest and raw and often cringe-worthy because it makes you look at some things you might not want to see. But flawless, none the less. If you are someone who is upset by harsh language, take a pass on this book. It isn't for you. If you are someone who wants to look inside teen thinking and behavior and emotions - then this IS the book for you, especially if you love sports. Honestly, my favorite scenes were when Rich was taking me along for the flight inside Ellie's perspective. Crazy that some people actually do this! But also very, very cool.
5+ stars for this one. I loved the Crossfire Trilogy, but here we see a whole other dimension of Rich's writing where she swaps sentimentality for spot on dialogue and an arc that will take your breath away.
If you go into this book open-minded and let Rich lead you through the strong voice of one messed up kid who is trying to sort out heart break, excruciating pressure (peer, family, and national), you are going to be in for the ride of your life.
Literally - because Rich puts you right inside Ellie's head so YOU get to experience what it's like to ski jump, to fly, and to fall because Ellie does all three. Now, I teach young adults so I know how they talk and what they do and let me say a word to the people who found some of Rich's depictions, shall we say, harsh? You are out of touch, but Rich isn't. This is precisely how kids think, act, and speak. Minus, of course, Ellie's opportunities to compete at an international ski jumping level. That's not an experience most kids have and that, by itself, elevates the level of pressure she's under.
I'm not going to give any spoilers because I don't want anyone to miss reading this and letting the story unfold. I AM going to recommend it highly to anyone who wants to read a book about how real teen life is. You will see a dark side of teen life your own kids may never show you, but it's there - trust me. It's there. They fall in love, feel betrayed, and seek revenge. They just don't know yet that you can't hurt someone else without first hurting yourself. That's all the spoiler I'm going to give because it is the coming of age story and arc that Ellie experiences and that Rich so accurately depicts.
The writing is flawless. Honest and raw and often cringe-worthy because it makes you look at some things you might not want to see. But flawless, none the less. If you are someone who is upset by harsh language, take a pass on this book. It isn't for you. If you are someone who wants to look inside teen thinking and behavior and emotions - then this IS the book for you, especially if you love sports. Honestly, my favorite scenes were when Rich was taking me along for the flight inside Ellie's perspective. Crazy that some people actually do this! But also very, very cool.
5+ stars for this one. I loved the Crossfire Trilogy, but here we see a whole other dimension of Rich's writing where she swaps sentimentality for spot on dialogue and an arc that will take your breath away.
November 16, 2016
First, let me say that I am a ski jumper. I'm also from Austria and I have ski jumped all over the world. I live this life and have dreams very much like the main character, Ellie Engebretsen.
The first thing I want to say is this: Ellie is a pain in the ass....and that is 100% believable to me. I've scanned a few of the reviews here and sort of chuckled because people don't like Ellie's language or that she's pretty damn open about being sexual or that she doesn't conform to what a girl should be like.
The thing is, while we LIVE for the sport, we also have other parts of our life and sometimes we don't leave our attitude on the jump. So yeah, whether you liked Ellie or not, the fact is Rich wrote a character I could actually believe was a ski jumper BECAUSE she was a total badass who took crazy stupid risks and sometimes went too far...just like every elite athlete I know.
The first thing I want to say is this: Ellie is a pain in the ass....and that is 100% believable to me. I've scanned a few of the reviews here and sort of chuckled because people don't like Ellie's language or that she's pretty damn open about being sexual or that she doesn't conform to what a girl should be like.
The thing is, while we LIVE for the sport, we also have other parts of our life and sometimes we don't leave our attitude on the jump. So yeah, whether you liked Ellie or not, the fact is Rich wrote a character I could actually believe was a ski jumper BECAUSE she was a total badass who took crazy stupid risks and sometimes went too far...just like every elite athlete I know.
December 18, 2016
There is no secret ingredient to build an outstanding novel. All it takes is a gripping plot, compelling characters, a fascinating setting, a solid narrative voice, flowing dialogue, and the perfect combination of humor, drama, emotion, passion, and surprise. All that plus a whole lot of talent. Gravity has in all.
Gravity will definitely take your breath away. Trust me on that one. It is one of those novels that remind you of why getting completely engrossed in a story is one of the greatest pleasures in life.
Gravity will definitely take your breath away. Trust me on that one. It is one of those novels that remind you of why getting completely engrossed in a story is one of the greatest pleasures in life.
August 5, 2017
3.5 stars. I liked the characters, they're flawed and obviously in that place between being a teen and being an adult. I wish there was more self-understanding on both sides, but I feel like no one notices their own baggage. Made it feel more realistic in away.
February 28, 2019
Not bad. First book of this author that I have read. I liked the storyline. El’s thoughts about her ex were at times annoying but they were probably also realistic. Everyone needs a friend like Jack 😀. Will read other books by this author.
February 27, 2017
2.5? Ellie is a 17 year old ski jumper with realistic Olympic aspirations who is eager to get over her bitchy ex-gf, Kate is a a natural skiier with no experience that Ellie targets in her quest to get over Blair; romance ensues. This wasn't bad, really, but Ellie is a kind of pushy, obnoxious girl and it's a first person present narration. That's a lot of spending time with an annoying person. She and Kate never read to me as teenagers, and honestly, I think Kate could do a lot better. I liked Kate a lot. I liked the sports and how it infused the characters and story, and I suspect I'd have liked it better with a different protag.
November 9, 2016
I was, well, expecting something different. A Juliann Rich novel, know what I mean? That, to me, is a book that takes an honest stand and shows the damage evangelical Christianity can do to LGBTQIA young adults. So I was expecting issues of faith to be here because that's how I've come to think of Rich.
And guess what? It's not here. The prologue says it all. This is not a book about coming out. This IS a coming of age story, and what a story it is.
Ellie Engebretsen is a ski jumper with a real chance at making the US Olympic Ski Jumping team. She's been trained for this her whole life by her father, which is both great and awful. Great in that Ellie has the type of support reaching for a goal like this takes and awful because she believes it is HER responsibility to deliver or she will fail her father. And her father is all she really has. Her mom has bailed. Her girlfriend has bailed. She's got Jack, one of my favorite characters in the book, but even Jake is unreliable. Ellie is alone. Abandoned. Heart broken. And she reacts in precisely the way I would have when I was younger (actually did act like this when my first real relationship bit the dust). Because of that alone, I found myself enjoying Gravity even more than I did the Crossfire Trilogy (which is awesome and you should read it if you haven't already). I read Gravity in one sitting. Seriously. It's Rich's longest book by far, but the pace is still hers - fast and impossible to step away from once you enter one of her fictional worlds.
One word of warning here though: there is sex, real sex, on the page. I loved that because it is handled so well and there is no shaming of girls for being sexual. How damned refreshing! There is also language that rings true. It's how kids talk and think and screw up. If you loved the Crossfire Trilogy because of its poignant spirituality, know that this is a whole different book. It offers just as much meat on its bones and will leave you fully satisfied with the story, but it is NOT a kumbaya book. Know what I mean?
You will, after you read Gravity. Oh, and I wanted to point out that Rich went so far as to have an Olympic ski jumper read this for accuracy which is pretty damn cool.
Want a sweet story? This one isn't for you.
Want a gritty and real story? This is precisely the book for you.
And guess what? It's not here. The prologue says it all. This is not a book about coming out. This IS a coming of age story, and what a story it is.
Ellie Engebretsen is a ski jumper with a real chance at making the US Olympic Ski Jumping team. She's been trained for this her whole life by her father, which is both great and awful. Great in that Ellie has the type of support reaching for a goal like this takes and awful because she believes it is HER responsibility to deliver or she will fail her father. And her father is all she really has. Her mom has bailed. Her girlfriend has bailed. She's got Jack, one of my favorite characters in the book, but even Jake is unreliable. Ellie is alone. Abandoned. Heart broken. And she reacts in precisely the way I would have when I was younger (actually did act like this when my first real relationship bit the dust). Because of that alone, I found myself enjoying Gravity even more than I did the Crossfire Trilogy (which is awesome and you should read it if you haven't already). I read Gravity in one sitting. Seriously. It's Rich's longest book by far, but the pace is still hers - fast and impossible to step away from once you enter one of her fictional worlds.
One word of warning here though: there is sex, real sex, on the page. I loved that because it is handled so well and there is no shaming of girls for being sexual. How damned refreshing! There is also language that rings true. It's how kids talk and think and screw up. If you loved the Crossfire Trilogy because of its poignant spirituality, know that this is a whole different book. It offers just as much meat on its bones and will leave you fully satisfied with the story, but it is NOT a kumbaya book. Know what I mean?
You will, after you read Gravity. Oh, and I wanted to point out that Rich went so far as to have an Olympic ski jumper read this for accuracy which is pretty damn cool.
Want a sweet story? This one isn't for you.
Want a gritty and real story? This is precisely the book for you.
February 10, 2017
This book started off super immature and was a little too teenagy angsty for my taste, but it is a YA novel so that’s par for the course. However, if you're not into teenage, oversimplified drama you should probably skip this one.
The book is written from Ellie’s POV, and she is going through a lot and has her own issues, so her side of the story is a bit skewed and distorted. This is fine because first-person narrative is only showing one, biased view of what happened, but she is kind of whiny and entitled, and it can get annoying fast.
In the beginning of the book I wasn’t too sympathetic to Ellie, because she was an unapologetic womanizer whose attitude towards women and sense of entitlement bothered me. I get that she was going through a heartbreak, but the way she handled everything made her unlikable to me. However, she changed and grew up throughout the book, and that made her grow on me a bit. At the end I still wasn’t a big fan, but what can you do?
Kate fell flat for me throughout the book. Her mom, who we only meet a few times, seemed to have more character depth than her. Which is depressing because Kate is one of the romantic leads in the book, and she was super bland. She also loses points for me at the end because something serious happens to Ellie, and I get she’s mad at her but seriously. I can’t clarify this any more without spoiling a major plot point, but it really made me dislike her more for it.
It should come as no surprise that I felt like these two had zero chemistry together and the romance was blah. They were both boring, two dimensional people, who had an angsty relationship in the middle of training for ski jumping. The ski jumping was more thrilling and exciting to me than the idea of these two ending up together.
The coolest part of the story was learning about ski jumping and reading about the training that the athletes go through. If you’re interested in that, this is worth the read even if you don’t care about the romance. I didn’t care about the romance at all after the first quarter of the book and I still really enjoyed it.
Originally posted over at justlovereviews.com
The book is written from Ellie’s POV, and she is going through a lot and has her own issues, so her side of the story is a bit skewed and distorted. This is fine because first-person narrative is only showing one, biased view of what happened, but she is kind of whiny and entitled, and it can get annoying fast.
In the beginning of the book I wasn’t too sympathetic to Ellie, because she was an unapologetic womanizer whose attitude towards women and sense of entitlement bothered me. I get that she was going through a heartbreak, but the way she handled everything made her unlikable to me. However, she changed and grew up throughout the book, and that made her grow on me a bit. At the end I still wasn’t a big fan, but what can you do?
Kate fell flat for me throughout the book. Her mom, who we only meet a few times, seemed to have more character depth than her. Which is depressing because Kate is one of the romantic leads in the book, and she was super bland. She also loses points for me at the end because something serious happens to Ellie, and I get she’s mad at her but seriously. I can’t clarify this any more without spoiling a major plot point, but it really made me dislike her more for it.
It should come as no surprise that I felt like these two had zero chemistry together and the romance was blah. They were both boring, two dimensional people, who had an angsty relationship in the middle of training for ski jumping. The ski jumping was more thrilling and exciting to me than the idea of these two ending up together.
The coolest part of the story was learning about ski jumping and reading about the training that the athletes go through. If you’re interested in that, this is worth the read even if you don’t care about the romance. I didn’t care about the romance at all after the first quarter of the book and I still really enjoyed it.
Originally posted over at justlovereviews.com
November 9, 2016
This book surprised me after reading Juliann Rich's first three books. I guess I was expecting a sweet romance coupled with ski jumping.
I wasn't expecting the ride to be so…breathtakingly hard. But it is. For Ellie, the protagonist, but also for the reader because Rich puts us right there in Ellie's head so we feel every feeling, think every thought - and can't stop her from making some really awful decisions.
But that's also why I love this book even more than The Crossfire Trilogy. It resonates as more true to me (I'm a high school librarian) and mirrors so much of what I see kids struggle with at work - and how they screw it up royally sometimes.
Rich pulls no punches here. She never has, really, with her books, which is why I love to read them. But the others are more raw because they show the pain of a young Christian boy who believes he'd lose everything if he comes out. This is the story about a young girl, already out (YAY!), who loses everything (BOO but yeah - I get it) because she just plain screws it up.
Which is a part of the teen experience. This is no idealized version of a kid. This is a real hot mess of a kid, trying to convince herself wrong is right and failing completely. The language is tough. The sex is on the page. So if either of those is going to send you into a tizzy, pass on this but know that you're missing out on a book that tells it precisely like it is.
Can't believe the leap Rich took with this book from The Crossfire Trilogy! And she landed as beautifully as her characters do in the outrun. I'm bringing this to my principal because I want this book IN my school library. I succeeded in getting all three of Rich's other books there, but this one might be a tougher battle. That said, I'm ready for the fight. The book speaks for itself to those with an openness to receive it.
Can't wait to see where Rich takes us next! She really busted out of her "Christian Gay Fiction" niche with this one and she did it beautifully.
I wasn't expecting the ride to be so…breathtakingly hard. But it is. For Ellie, the protagonist, but also for the reader because Rich puts us right there in Ellie's head so we feel every feeling, think every thought - and can't stop her from making some really awful decisions.
But that's also why I love this book even more than The Crossfire Trilogy. It resonates as more true to me (I'm a high school librarian) and mirrors so much of what I see kids struggle with at work - and how they screw it up royally sometimes.
Rich pulls no punches here. She never has, really, with her books, which is why I love to read them. But the others are more raw because they show the pain of a young Christian boy who believes he'd lose everything if he comes out. This is the story about a young girl, already out (YAY!), who loses everything (BOO but yeah - I get it) because she just plain screws it up.
Which is a part of the teen experience. This is no idealized version of a kid. This is a real hot mess of a kid, trying to convince herself wrong is right and failing completely. The language is tough. The sex is on the page. So if either of those is going to send you into a tizzy, pass on this but know that you're missing out on a book that tells it precisely like it is.
Can't believe the leap Rich took with this book from The Crossfire Trilogy! And she landed as beautifully as her characters do in the outrun. I'm bringing this to my principal because I want this book IN my school library. I succeeded in getting all three of Rich's other books there, but this one might be a tougher battle. That said, I'm ready for the fight. The book speaks for itself to those with an openness to receive it.
Can't wait to see where Rich takes us next! She really busted out of her "Christian Gay Fiction" niche with this one and she did it beautifully.
November 9, 2016
Like a lot of other people have said, this book does take us outside the world of the Crossfire novels, but I absolutely loved the direction Rich took to expand her writing (and our reading!).
I loved the Crossfire novels for a whole lot of reasons: they made me think. They made me feel. They deepened my empathy by showing me a different side of my thinking. They challenged me to grow as a person.
And I love Gravity for all the same reasons. It made me think (about what it's like to ski jump and what it's like to fall in love when you're a kid and have your heart broken for the first time). It made me - dear God, did it make me feel. It deepened my empathy because I got to watch empathy creep back into Ellie's consciousness as she really falls for Kate. She has to face some hard things about herself: like the fact that hurt people can hurt people - even people they care about. As such, it challenged me to grow as a person.
So while it seems like Rich has taken a hugely different turn with this novel, she really hasn't. She's still writing amazing coming of age stories that nail the YA experience, at least for teens that fit those niche's. Gay Christian. Olympic hopeful with a broken heart.
Nailed it.
p.s. if you're squeamish about swearing and sex, this isn't the book for you. But that's okay. There are loads of us out there who just want to read an honest book about the young adult experience. I can only think of one other book that even came close to doing that. Sex & Violence by Carrie Mesrobian, which I also loved. Both books will probably been seen as controversial, but no one (not if they spend more than three minute with a 16-year-old) will question regarding authenticity.
Five solid stars for Gravity. (Oh, and notice how the book is divided into the parts of a ski jump. She actually weaves the jump into the structure of the book and we see how ski jumping is a lot like taking the leap after betrayal toward love again. Awesome).
I loved the Crossfire novels for a whole lot of reasons: they made me think. They made me feel. They deepened my empathy by showing me a different side of my thinking. They challenged me to grow as a person.
And I love Gravity for all the same reasons. It made me think (about what it's like to ski jump and what it's like to fall in love when you're a kid and have your heart broken for the first time). It made me - dear God, did it make me feel. It deepened my empathy because I got to watch empathy creep back into Ellie's consciousness as she really falls for Kate. She has to face some hard things about herself: like the fact that hurt people can hurt people - even people they care about. As such, it challenged me to grow as a person.
So while it seems like Rich has taken a hugely different turn with this novel, she really hasn't. She's still writing amazing coming of age stories that nail the YA experience, at least for teens that fit those niche's. Gay Christian. Olympic hopeful with a broken heart.
Nailed it.
p.s. if you're squeamish about swearing and sex, this isn't the book for you. But that's okay. There are loads of us out there who just want to read an honest book about the young adult experience. I can only think of one other book that even came close to doing that. Sex & Violence by Carrie Mesrobian, which I also loved. Both books will probably been seen as controversial, but no one (not if they spend more than three minute with a 16-year-old) will question regarding authenticity.
Five solid stars for Gravity. (Oh, and notice how the book is divided into the parts of a ski jump. She actually weaves the jump into the structure of the book and we see how ski jumping is a lot like taking the leap after betrayal toward love again. Awesome).
February 5, 2017
When I heard about this book, one thing that excited me the most is that it's a sports f/f book, and also that it's falling-for-your-competition trope. And I definitely enjoyed both of these aspects in the book. It was simple and yet still thrilling. The details and research the author put into the sports itself and the description of skiing/ski jumpinh was one of the things that made the characters very relatable, simply because they seemed passionate about it.
Ellie was great to read about. She's determined and fierce and her sarcasm was always spot on. I think my favorite was Kate though, I absolutely loved her sass and she was just so much fun. The romance sort of hangs on the opposites of these two characters, not only in personality wise, but their competition as well. It made it seem intense, but it was really cute. Sports and women? it's a yes from me.
I think the only problem I had with the book is the writing and the fact that it felt a bit rushed. I feel like it could have been a bit longer, and the romance could have stretched more. I just felt with every turning page that some more action could be taking place.
It's still fun to read though, and if you're a huge sports fan, I'd say go for it.
Ellie was great to read about. She's determined and fierce and her sarcasm was always spot on. I think my favorite was Kate though, I absolutely loved her sass and she was just so much fun. The romance sort of hangs on the opposites of these two characters, not only in personality wise, but their competition as well. It made it seem intense, but it was really cute. Sports and women? it's a yes from me.
I think the only problem I had with the book is the writing and the fact that it felt a bit rushed. I feel like it could have been a bit longer, and the romance could have stretched more. I just felt with every turning page that some more action could be taking place.
It's still fun to read though, and if you're a huge sports fan, I'd say go for it.
November 23, 2016
+Loved Ellie, Jack, and Kate
+Great explanations and descriptions of skiing
+Swearing! Sex! No slut-shaming! Teens being teens!
+Ellie and Kate are perfect *love*
+Loved the family dynamics and issues
+Loved how it acknowledges the luck & privilege necessary to ski
Ellie is not the usual YA female protagonist and neither is her best friend Jack. Which I FUCKING LOVED. Seriously, so refreshing. They sneak into bars, have sex including flings and one night stands, make some stupid decisions, talk shit and swear, brilliant, and are figuring shit out the hard way. Plus, no slut-shaming!
If you’re a tut-tutter, check out all the other books for you instead.
While I did have moments of “NOOOO Ellie!” it’s not because I was frustrated, but because I wanted the best for her. It’s an intense, thrilling ride inside Ellie’s head and I was sucked in immediately. Her and Kate are perfect for each other, as is the ending. Except I was waiting for the parents to get it together…
+Great explanations and descriptions of skiing
+Swearing! Sex! No slut-shaming! Teens being teens!
+Ellie and Kate are perfect *love*
+Loved the family dynamics and issues
+Loved how it acknowledges the luck & privilege necessary to ski
Ellie is not the usual YA female protagonist and neither is her best friend Jack. Which I FUCKING LOVED. Seriously, so refreshing. They sneak into bars, have sex including flings and one night stands, make some stupid decisions, talk shit and swear, brilliant, and are figuring shit out the hard way. Plus, no slut-shaming!
If you’re a tut-tutter, check out all the other books for you instead.
While I did have moments of “NOOOO Ellie!” it’s not because I was frustrated, but because I wanted the best for her. It’s an intense, thrilling ride inside Ellie’s head and I was sucked in immediately. Her and Kate are perfect for each other, as is the ending. Except I was waiting for the parents to get it together…
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