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Gravity
A. S. King meets Chris Crutcher in boxing journalist Sarah Deming's YA novel about a young female boxer who learns to fight for what she wants.
When Gravity Delgado walks into Cops 'n Kids, a no-frills Brooklyn boxing gym, and starts working with the legendary Coach Thomas, she joins a true melting pot of fighters. There's the flirtatious Lefty (a southpaw), hard-to-beat D-Minus ("They call me D-Minus 'cause I'm all you need"), artistic Kimani "Monster" Browne, and a host of others. At the gym, Gravity finds the unexpected: the father she's never had in her coach, not one but two romantic prospects, and, most importantly, a love and skill for boxing. If she can stay focused, despite her troubled home life, she might just have a shot at the Olympics.
With each blow, each jab, and each punch, Sarah Deming draws her readers into the gritty and inspiring world of Gravity Delgado, a Jewish Dominican teenager growing up in Brooklyn and aspiring for greatness.
When Gravity Delgado walks into Cops 'n Kids, a no-frills Brooklyn boxing gym, and starts working with the legendary Coach Thomas, she joins a true melting pot of fighters. There's the flirtatious Lefty (a southpaw), hard-to-beat D-Minus ("They call me D-Minus 'cause I'm all you need"), artistic Kimani "Monster" Browne, and a host of others. At the gym, Gravity finds the unexpected: the father she's never had in her coach, not one but two romantic prospects, and, most importantly, a love and skill for boxing. If she can stay focused, despite her troubled home life, she might just have a shot at the Olympics.
With each blow, each jab, and each punch, Sarah Deming draws her readers into the gritty and inspiring world of Gravity Delgado, a Jewish Dominican teenager growing up in Brooklyn and aspiring for greatness.
400 pages, Paperback
First published November 12, 2019
17 people are currently reading
1285 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 67 reviews
January 4, 2020
I have had this book on my radar for a while. I love reading sports books, and especially when we are talking about elite level sports. What sweetened the deal was the sport involved - boxing. I find the sport so brutal, but reading about women trying to be taken seriously in this world was fascinating. But this wasn't just a girl-trying-to-make-it-in-a-man's-world story.
This was a story about a young women, who pushed herself to succeed despite multiple obstacles in her way. A girl, who had to fight the negativity of a thieving alcoholic mother and an absent father to believe in herself and her talent. A girl, who had to push through her workouts and school, while assuming parenting duties for her younger brother. Let's just say, it was easy to root for Gravity. My need for her to succeed was great, and I was proud of her.
There was drama and romance and heartbreak and lots of boxing! It was quite a world Deming brought me into, and I was glad to have taken this journey to the Olympics with Gravity.
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This was a story about a young women, who pushed herself to succeed despite multiple obstacles in her way. A girl, who had to fight the negativity of a thieving alcoholic mother and an absent father to believe in herself and her talent. A girl, who had to push through her workouts and school, while assuming parenting duties for her younger brother. Let's just say, it was easy to root for Gravity. My need for her to succeed was great, and I was proud of her.
There was drama and romance and heartbreak and lots of boxing! It was quite a world Deming brought me into, and I was glad to have taken this journey to the Olympics with Gravity.
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November 21, 2019
Once Gravity found her way to the Cops ‘n Kids gym, a place with no address, she couldn’t stop going. There was a smell the gym of boys and sweat, and it gave her a real reason to hit something and hit it hard. As Gravity got older, she got better at boxing, quickly becoming a young boxer to watch in the circuit. She headed undefeated into meets that could lead her to the Olympics, but her home life was a mess. Her mother was an abusive alcoholic who was best when she was ignoring Gravity and her little brother. Her father had left, returned and then disappeared again. Now Gravity had a way forward, a way to create a future for herself and her brother separate from her mother. All she had to do was win, and she worked hard and wanted it badly. But nothing comes easily, especially in boxing.
I must admit that I’m not usually a fan of sports novels, but Deming’s novel of Gravity and her battles to make it out of poverty and abuse caught me and held me in its sweaty arms. Deming herself has personal knowledge of boxing as a New York City Golden Gloves champion and boxing journalist. She takes that knowledge and allows readers to see beyond the physicality and violence of boxing into the art and skill of the sport. Her writing is fast paced and the bouts themselves are readable, understandable, and sometimes bloody.
Gravity is a fantastic heroine, someone who is resilient and strong both in her heart and her body. She is confident but not overly so, someone that readers will relate to and understand deeply as she is shown so clearly and vividly in this novel. Gravity is also someone who loves deeply, including family and her coach. This novel doesn’t shrink away from sex either, nicely never shaming the participants either.
A gripping, feminist sports novel that will grab readers and not let them go. Appropriate for ages 15-18.
I must admit that I’m not usually a fan of sports novels, but Deming’s novel of Gravity and her battles to make it out of poverty and abuse caught me and held me in its sweaty arms. Deming herself has personal knowledge of boxing as a New York City Golden Gloves champion and boxing journalist. She takes that knowledge and allows readers to see beyond the physicality and violence of boxing into the art and skill of the sport. Her writing is fast paced and the bouts themselves are readable, understandable, and sometimes bloody.
Gravity is a fantastic heroine, someone who is resilient and strong both in her heart and her body. She is confident but not overly so, someone that readers will relate to and understand deeply as she is shown so clearly and vividly in this novel. Gravity is also someone who loves deeply, including family and her coach. This novel doesn’t shrink away from sex either, nicely never shaming the participants either.
A gripping, feminist sports novel that will grab readers and not let them go. Appropriate for ages 15-18.
July 18, 2019
Book Review
Gravity by Sarah Deming
Publishing date: November 12, 2019
Read courtesy of Netgalley.com
I really enjoyed this book and look forward to recommending it to my high school students. It will appeal to a wide range of readers because it crosses cultural, gender, and pastime boundaries.
Deming did a nice job of giving characters personalities and motivations (for ex., why a guy named Monster always wore pink.) The characters had distinct and interesting personalities. Their interplay was purposeful and engaging. Readers will want to continue to read to go through the characters' ups and downs with them.
Not knowing Spanish or NYC culture, I had to look up quite a few terms (foods or the name of a game) that I couldn't figure out from their context. As a teen I probably wouldn't be as hung up, i.e. anal, about looking up those words, but as a former English teacher/current librarian, I had to 😉. I also didn't know some of the boxing terms - yes, I looked them up, too - even though they were a little easier to figure out. On the other hand, Deming did well explaining the difference between a puncher and a boxer, which was important to some of the characterizations.
Deming inserted off-color but tame humor that teens at which teens might groan but secretly appreciate. She also inserted a red herring in the story that really threw me off (no spoiler, but it included a selfie); I kept expecting this inclusion in the plot to have serious repercussions, but that never materialized. It was probably left in the story to show how distracted Gravity was at that point, but that could have been accomplished in a different way, especially since nothing came of it. There was also a gratuitous mention of Michael Phelps -- I'll assume to create the timeline and setting.
Favorite line: "Regrets are like roaches. Exterminate them before that multiply."
A missing piece for me is explaining how Gravity got the money to do all of her international traveling.
Milk became a motif. I have nothing more to say about this [yet].
I'll also have to say that I'll recommend this book to students who can keep a fairly large number of characters straight. In spite of often using nicknames and not given names, I still sometimes had difficulty with remembering which character had what role for this story.
Gravity by Sarah Deming
Publishing date: November 12, 2019
Read courtesy of Netgalley.com
I really enjoyed this book and look forward to recommending it to my high school students. It will appeal to a wide range of readers because it crosses cultural, gender, and pastime boundaries.
Deming did a nice job of giving characters personalities and motivations (for ex., why a guy named Monster always wore pink.) The characters had distinct and interesting personalities. Their interplay was purposeful and engaging. Readers will want to continue to read to go through the characters' ups and downs with them.
Not knowing Spanish or NYC culture, I had to look up quite a few terms (foods or the name of a game) that I couldn't figure out from their context. As a teen I probably wouldn't be as hung up, i.e. anal, about looking up those words, but as a former English teacher/current librarian, I had to 😉. I also didn't know some of the boxing terms - yes, I looked them up, too - even though they were a little easier to figure out. On the other hand, Deming did well explaining the difference between a puncher and a boxer, which was important to some of the characterizations.
Deming inserted off-color but tame humor that teens at which teens might groan but secretly appreciate. She also inserted a red herring in the story that really threw me off (no spoiler, but it included a selfie); I kept expecting this inclusion in the plot to have serious repercussions, but that never materialized. It was probably left in the story to show how distracted Gravity was at that point, but that could have been accomplished in a different way, especially since nothing came of it. There was also a gratuitous mention of Michael Phelps -- I'll assume to create the timeline and setting.
Favorite line: "Regrets are like roaches. Exterminate them before that multiply."
A missing piece for me is explaining how Gravity got the money to do all of her international traveling.
Milk became a motif. I have nothing more to say about this [yet].
I'll also have to say that I'll recommend this book to students who can keep a fairly large number of characters straight. In spite of often using nicknames and not given names, I still sometimes had difficulty with remembering which character had what role for this story.
May 13, 2019
**I received this book from netgalley in exchange for my honest review**
I thought this book was pretty good, it reminded me of the movie Girlfight in a way, only less romancy. Some of the book was kind of hard to get through which is why I rated it lower than 4 stars, it seemed like the part leading up to the fight was a little bit boring, the articles were skimmed over. I wanted to have a little more training/action/boxing stuff. I wasn't thrilled with the relationship part of it, her jumping into one with the one guy, then being all blushy with another without anything happening with that one, but it made it seem a little more real and a little less "book perfect"
I think this book would be great for people who like sports type girl power books with a bit of street in it.
I thought this book was pretty good, it reminded me of the movie Girlfight in a way, only less romancy. Some of the book was kind of hard to get through which is why I rated it lower than 4 stars, it seemed like the part leading up to the fight was a little bit boring, the articles were skimmed over. I wanted to have a little more training/action/boxing stuff. I wasn't thrilled with the relationship part of it, her jumping into one with the one guy, then being all blushy with another without anything happening with that one, but it made it seem a little more real and a little less "book perfect"
I think this book would be great for people who like sports type girl power books with a bit of street in it.
February 9, 2021
I cannot remember what attracted my attention to this book, but I'm glad I found it. Sarah Deming is writing about what she knows and the expertise makes a big difference in the authenticity of the story. Gravity Delgado has a lousy home life. Her Dad is absent and her Mom is an abusive alcoholic. She looks out fiercely for her 8 year old little brother but otherwise her life is in the boxing gym. School gets a mention every now and then. As in the best sports stories such as those by Chris Crutcher, Gravity learns about life. She learns that men can be liars if they want to have sex, she learns that there can be a higher truth above the lies, when she learns that someone she deeply admires and loves as a father figure, lied about his own fighting record, but ultimately taught her truly and honestly in his teaching and she learned about coming back from blows (literally, this is a boxer after all!) both physical and mental. I wouldn't want to be Gravity's enemy but I would enjoy knowing her!
This book has weaknesses in the writing. I can almost point to the page where the editor said speed it up, you’re spending too much time describing everything. Instead of showing Gravity snagging an apartment and the cop stepping in to co-sign, we’re just told about it. The editor was right in some ways since this is a long book. However, it makes this huge event, finding and paying for an apartment, sound easy and routine. Mom just fades out of the picture with no punishment for stealing Gravity’s first two checks. Ok, fine, but it is unrealistic that Mom didn’t try harder to hang on to Gravity, who is now the source of so much money coming in. Either the editor or the author, or both, need to learn that YAs are still growing and learning about themselves and the world and incorporate more life lessons into the book.
This is a YA book. At the end, Mom still is an alcoholic, Dad is still gone, but Gravity has learned who she can trust, such as her cousin and her Aunt. And that coach. And herself! Hand this to girls who are sport fans or who you suspect have a poor home life. I could wish that Mom had been arrested but this way was unfortunately much more realistic. Highly recommended for that girl who may not be a star student but is on the way to discovering she can be a star at life.
This book has weaknesses in the writing. I can almost point to the page where the editor said speed it up, you’re spending too much time describing everything. Instead of showing Gravity snagging an apartment and the cop stepping in to co-sign, we’re just told about it. The editor was right in some ways since this is a long book. However, it makes this huge event, finding and paying for an apartment, sound easy and routine. Mom just fades out of the picture with no punishment for stealing Gravity’s first two checks. Ok, fine, but it is unrealistic that Mom didn’t try harder to hang on to Gravity, who is now the source of so much money coming in. Either the editor or the author, or both, need to learn that YAs are still growing and learning about themselves and the world and incorporate more life lessons into the book.
This is a YA book. At the end, Mom still is an alcoholic, Dad is still gone, but Gravity has learned who she can trust, such as her cousin and her Aunt. And that coach. And herself! Hand this to girls who are sport fans or who you suspect have a poor home life. I could wish that Mom had been arrested but this way was unfortunately much more realistic. Highly recommended for that girl who may not be a star student but is on the way to discovering she can be a star at life.
March 25, 2020
rep: mixed race jewish mc, various poc side characters, very background wlw couple
In short, Gravity is a sports novel about a girl trying to make it to Olympic Gold against sexism, a bad home life, and growing up. This book touched on a lot of important topics, but the tone it took was a Let's Talk About This tone. Because it touched on so many, it felt like none of them truly got the attention Deming wanted to give them. However, I still appreciate them being represented because this is truly what the world is like for women in sports.
One thing that bothered me a lot, though, and probably kept it from getting 4 stars is this: This is just sex-negativity.
However, I did feel and root for Gravity the entire time. I wanted her to win and I wanted her brother to feel safe. I wanted her to pull her life together and I wanted to keep reading, which are all signs of a well-written book. I would recommend this to people who are into sports novels, but I wouldn't suggest it if you aren't already interested in the genre.
In short, Gravity is a sports novel about a girl trying to make it to Olympic Gold against sexism, a bad home life, and growing up. This book touched on a lot of important topics, but the tone it took was a Let's Talk About This tone. Because it touched on so many, it felt like none of them truly got the attention Deming wanted to give them. However, I still appreciate them being represented because this is truly what the world is like for women in sports.
One thing that bothered me a lot, though, and probably kept it from getting 4 stars is this: This is just sex-negativity.
However, I did feel and root for Gravity the entire time. I wanted her to win and I wanted her brother to feel safe. I wanted her to pull her life together and I wanted to keep reading, which are all signs of a well-written book. I would recommend this to people who are into sports novels, but I wouldn't suggest it if you aren't already interested in the genre.
July 8, 2020
One of the best books I’ve listened to for YA in a while. The premise and situations of a female boxer and how she goes through various competitions and life struggles was accurate and awesome. I was in Gravity’s corner from the beginning and am so impressed with the premise. A great read for anyone who wants to know more about boxing or just wants a great read. For fans of Elizabeth Acevedo and Chris Crutcher!
November 18, 2019
Holy cow. What a beautiful book about a brutal sport, growing up, and womanhood. The last chapter is just beauty.
Read
May 10, 2020Stanning our vegan boxer "Empress" Aaliyah
November 8, 2019
Can I just please say I LOVE Gravity "Doomsday" Delgado?
When I first started reading Gravity by Sarah Deming, I was concerned that the book was miscategorized - when we first meet Gravity, she is twelve. I was thinking this book should be a middle grade. But the author ages her quickly, and the sixteen-year-old Gravity is the main character in the book.
Gravity is half Dominican, half Jewish (Hebrew represent!!), lives with her alcoholic mother and younger brother Ty, but has an auntie and cousin on her father's side that help her out when she needs. Gravity wants to box, and she finds a home at the Cops N Kids gym, working under a famed boxer. Her coach is hard on her but she rises in the ranks, being one of two girls training at her gym. Gravity's goal is Olympic gold.
In her quest to achieve her dream, she makes friends (and enemies!) and learns a lot about life, love, boxing, fairness, and herself. I loved how her thing was chanting the shema before each fight, bringing her Jewish faith with her into the ring.
Deming clearly knows her stuff, and I was nodding along when Gravity went to compete in China and observes that the Chinese LOVE Americans, especially Americans of color. (I took a teacher trip to China seven years ago and remember fondly the clamoring of Chinese people wanting photos with all of us, but especially my African-American colleagues.) Deming uses her knowledge of boxing to really draw the audience into Gravity's experience.
This book will make you laugh, and will make you cry. Kudos, Ms. Deming, for bringing "Doomsday" Delgado into this world.
When I first started reading Gravity by Sarah Deming, I was concerned that the book was miscategorized - when we first meet Gravity, she is twelve. I was thinking this book should be a middle grade. But the author ages her quickly, and the sixteen-year-old Gravity is the main character in the book.
Gravity is half Dominican, half Jewish (Hebrew represent!!), lives with her alcoholic mother and younger brother Ty, but has an auntie and cousin on her father's side that help her out when she needs. Gravity wants to box, and she finds a home at the Cops N Kids gym, working under a famed boxer. Her coach is hard on her but she rises in the ranks, being one of two girls training at her gym. Gravity's goal is Olympic gold.
In her quest to achieve her dream, she makes friends (and enemies!) and learns a lot about life, love, boxing, fairness, and herself. I loved how her thing was chanting the shema before each fight, bringing her Jewish faith with her into the ring.
Deming clearly knows her stuff, and I was nodding along when Gravity went to compete in China and observes that the Chinese LOVE Americans, especially Americans of color. (I took a teacher trip to China seven years ago and remember fondly the clamoring of Chinese people wanting photos with all of us, but especially my African-American colleagues.) Deming uses her knowledge of boxing to really draw the audience into Gravity's experience.
This book will make you laugh, and will make you cry. Kudos, Ms. Deming, for bringing "Doomsday" Delgado into this world.
November 17, 2019
Well-written almost true tale following a young girl fighter from her twelve-year-old first visit to a boxing gym in NYC to her Olympic debut. I found the subject matter of this book fascinating, but couldn't quite fall in love with the novel itself. It felt to me as if the author sacrificed some tension by trying to follow the real life story a bit too closely. While this resulted in an honest feel to the book, it seemed to me as if it dragged the story down a bit.
But a good read, and if you are interested in the world of amateur boxing, this is a must read.
But a good read, and if you are interested in the world of amateur boxing, this is a must read.
October 14, 2019
Many thanks to the publisher for providing me with an advance digital copy of this book via NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review.
There’s a good deal to love about Gravity, and I’m walking away leaning somewhere between 3 and 3.5 stars. I want to start out with what I thought was great, and then I’ll mention a few of the things that weren’t for me. I feel like I should start this review by saying that this is a dynamite concept for a YA novel, and it’s clear that Sarah Deming’s background in boxing journalism makes her the perfect person to be writing this story. That leads me to a note about the general atmosphere here, which I thought worked perfectly with the mood. Everything about Gravity’s world is gritty and real, and she fights hard for what she believes in— even if it takes her the story to figure out what that is.
On the more broad scale, Gravity packs a punch. We don’t have enough sports YA about girls, especially about girls of color, and Gravity is a breath of fresh air in that department. She knows from page one, when she walks into a boxing gym as a twelve-year-old, that she can and will be a champion. It’s the only goal she knows— and she’ll settle for being nothing less than the best. This carries through the story. You root for Gravity wholeheartedly as she punches, kicks, and jabs her way towards her ultimate goal of qualifying for the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio. She’s surrounded by a diverse group of badass girl boxers like herself, not to mention some lovely supporting characters in her other boxing friends and her family. (My personal favorite was her dear cousin, Melsy.)
I think the biggest reason I’m only giving this three stars is that the third-person perspective took away from the voice for me. I know it’s not necessarily a rule that all YA has to be in first person, but I felt like I would’ve been able to better connect with the narrative if we were hearing it through Gravity’s “I”. This very well could be a matter of personal preference, but it did affect my reading. I also felt that the flow of the story was kind of interrupted by the blog posts from the girls’ boxing website that popped up intermittently. I know this was so we would read the updates in Gravity’s career in an ‘official’ way, but there was a lot of information there that didn’t feel vital to the story.
All in all, though, this is a great debut about a young girl who will fight for her dreams and for those she loves, no matter how hard it gets. I would recommend it, and I hope we see more diverse YA sports contemporary about girls like Gravity popping up in the coming years.
I’m a writer, literary intern, and college student. Here’s where else to find me.
There’s a good deal to love about Gravity, and I’m walking away leaning somewhere between 3 and 3.5 stars. I want to start out with what I thought was great, and then I’ll mention a few of the things that weren’t for me. I feel like I should start this review by saying that this is a dynamite concept for a YA novel, and it’s clear that Sarah Deming’s background in boxing journalism makes her the perfect person to be writing this story. That leads me to a note about the general atmosphere here, which I thought worked perfectly with the mood. Everything about Gravity’s world is gritty and real, and she fights hard for what she believes in— even if it takes her the story to figure out what that is.
On the more broad scale, Gravity packs a punch. We don’t have enough sports YA about girls, especially about girls of color, and Gravity is a breath of fresh air in that department. She knows from page one, when she walks into a boxing gym as a twelve-year-old, that she can and will be a champion. It’s the only goal she knows— and she’ll settle for being nothing less than the best. This carries through the story. You root for Gravity wholeheartedly as she punches, kicks, and jabs her way towards her ultimate goal of qualifying for the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio. She’s surrounded by a diverse group of badass girl boxers like herself, not to mention some lovely supporting characters in her other boxing friends and her family. (My personal favorite was her dear cousin, Melsy.)
I think the biggest reason I’m only giving this three stars is that the third-person perspective took away from the voice for me. I know it’s not necessarily a rule that all YA has to be in first person, but I felt like I would’ve been able to better connect with the narrative if we were hearing it through Gravity’s “I”. This very well could be a matter of personal preference, but it did affect my reading. I also felt that the flow of the story was kind of interrupted by the blog posts from the girls’ boxing website that popped up intermittently. I know this was so we would read the updates in Gravity’s career in an ‘official’ way, but there was a lot of information there that didn’t feel vital to the story.
All in all, though, this is a great debut about a young girl who will fight for her dreams and for those she loves, no matter how hard it gets. I would recommend it, and I hope we see more diverse YA sports contemporary about girls like Gravity popping up in the coming years.
I’m a writer, literary intern, and college student. Here’s where else to find me.
September 17, 2019
I had a range of emotions when reading this book. I had really high highs, anxiety and I was weepy in some parts. I was hooked when I read the synopsis about a female boxer. I was hooked from the first word. Then the main character had the coolest name, Gravity Delgado. I loved this girl. I cannot say enough good things about her.
Gravity had a sh*ty life. She was half Jewish and Dominican with a drug and alcohol, drug-addicted and abusive mother. Gravity's dad left without a word when she was 8 years old. This girl was responsible for her little brother and she made sure he was taken care of, loved and safe. I liked how she didn't dwell on the hand life dealt her and she had an extended family with her cousin and aunt but the gym was her real family.
It was so refreshing to learn about the world of boxing and how female boxers have a harder road. Gravity had a father-daughter relationship with Coach Thomas. That man kept her humble. Gravity may have been a kick-ass boxer but she was still a young girl who was naive and too trusting. There were a few instances that I could tell a situation was not good for her and she suffered painful consequences as a result of a few of them. She loved and had her first heartbreak. I couldn't stand Lefty! He was so wrong but I was shocked we didn't get a better resolution to that relationship but as in real life we have all had a douche bag guy or girl break our heart with no closure. Her true love, in my opinion, was D-Minus. I liked that kid's swagger. I could go for a book about him in the future
There were two things I did not like. First, I did not like the blog entry style used when the report Carmen Cruz wrote about the bouts. They ruined the flow of the story. When I wanted to know the winners of the fights we had to wade through "posts" for information. Second, the book ended on a cliffhanger to me!
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
Gravity had a sh*ty life. She was half Jewish and Dominican with a drug and alcohol, drug-addicted and abusive mother. Gravity's dad left without a word when she was 8 years old. This girl was responsible for her little brother and she made sure he was taken care of, loved and safe. I liked how she didn't dwell on the hand life dealt her and she had an extended family with her cousin and aunt but the gym was her real family.
It was so refreshing to learn about the world of boxing and how female boxers have a harder road. Gravity had a father-daughter relationship with Coach Thomas. That man kept her humble. Gravity may have been a kick-ass boxer but she was still a young girl who was naive and too trusting. There were a few instances that I could tell a situation was not good for her and she suffered painful consequences as a result of a few of them. She loved and had her first heartbreak. I couldn't stand Lefty! He was so wrong but I was shocked we didn't get a better resolution to that relationship but as in real life we have all had a douche bag guy or girl break our heart with no closure. Her true love, in my opinion, was D-Minus. I liked that kid's swagger. I could go for a book about him in the future
There were two things I did not like. First, I did not like the blog entry style used when the report Carmen Cruz wrote about the bouts. They ruined the flow of the story. When I wanted to know the winners of the fights we had to wade through "posts" for information. Second, the book ended on a cliffhanger to me!
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
November 2, 2019
I honestly didn't expect this book to be as good as it was. Got my attention in the first few pages. If a book doesn't grab me in the first chapter, it usually takes me forever to read the entire thing. I started this book and could not put it down. Well I did when I finished it. Loved the story line. <3<3<3
October 7, 2019
Actually loved this super-engrossing YA novel which immerses you in the world of competitive boxing. AND also has romance and character growth and awareness of social issues. Author has background in boxing and in sports-writing and it shows. (She also wrote a solid mythological fantasy 10+ years ago which I remember really enjoying!)
December 25, 2019
This one is a 3.5 for me, and I can certainly see how it would appeal to female athletes or teens struggling to make their mark in the world. Sometimes the biggest challenges in their lives are the ones at home as in this book's case, and just showing up is a big victory. I can count on one hand the number of books for teens or middle graders featuring female boxers, which adds to this one's appeal. Not only is it well written overall--although there are jumps in time that I'd have liked to see fleshed out a bit more and some of the villains get their comeuppance a bit more smoothly than happens in real life--but it covers unfamiliar territory in some respects. Gravity (Doomsday) Delgado is an up and coming lightweight contender for the Olympics. Looking for something to do after her mother won't pay for her karate fees, Gravity starts training in a Brooklyn gym, run by a former boxer and supported financially by a retired police sergeant and an energy drink company. She's 12 when the book opens, and then four years later, she's still at it, having refined her skills. But distractions at home in the form of her deadbeat mother and her concerns about her younger brother Tyler as well as a new relationship with another boxer cause problems with her focus on her matches, and her path to Olympic gold might not be as easy as she had thought. When she splits with her coach and moves to a new gym, Gravity becomes even more rudderless, and readers will worry whether she can regain her focus and get back to her winning ways. Although readers will wonder what took her so long to realize that her new boyfriend isn't right for her and that love was right under nose the whole time, they will also recognize how hard it is at times to see the forest for the trees when it comes to romantic relationships. Even though parts of the plot are predictable, I enjoyed this insider's view of boxing, particularly the columns by journalist Carmen Cruz and the descriptions of the athletes' training, fights, and camaraderie. If this book, reminiscent in some ways of the film Million Dollar Baby, doesn't make boxing fans out of readers, then nothing will. Anyone who is put off by Coach Jefferson Thomas's gruff exterior need only refer to the scene in which he carefully tends to those feral cats outside the gym to realize that there's much more to him than meets the eye. I did wonder why Carmen Cruz had not investigated the veracity of his fight record, given the fact that she was so invested in the sport.
March 10, 2020
You know when you were watching Hunger Games and the movie just ... stopped? This book is like that. You're cruising along, you know the characters, you know the emotions, you feel connected to the people and the story line and then you're just - *poof* - done. You can tell I just finished it, because I'm still salty about it. LOL
About the book - it's good. I bought it because I am a female and am tired of girls being damsels, I'm tired of them being drama, I'm tired of them doubting themselves. I wanted my 14 year old son to read it but needed to screen it first because I wasn't sure how descriptive things got. I don't mind the cussing, and I have no doubt that 16-20 year olds talk and act the way they were depicted in the book, but I'll wait a couple years on my 14 year old reading it.
Gravity is strong and fierce and she repeatedly reminds us that our mental game is often more important than our physical game. Considering her circumstances, her ability to rise and overcome makes her a super relatable character. I liked the action, I liked the characters, I liked the story line. This book was different and had just enough hustle, heartbreak and humor.
For me, I needed to know what life was like for 12-16 year old Gravity. I missed that part. I missed her learning and growing, I missed her memories and moments that would have helped me to visualize this 16 year old who was navigating bigger, deeper waters.
I wasn't a fan of the ways she was duped, learning curve, yes, but Gravity is smart. She's street smart. She wouldn't let her mother take advantage of her because this isn't new behavior. She wouldn't make a snap decision to dump ship - and coach? Coach couldn't have let that happen. Love does blind us though, and I appreciated that story line.
I was a big fan that Carmen got to become a mentor to her. She was never going to have that figure teaching her what to say, what not to say, how to handle things. It's good for her to know that females can be strong, smart, successful and loyal.
I wish I knew more about the other people of the story, I'd love to have got to know them more, but understand why that isn't always possible.
About the book - it's good. I bought it because I am a female and am tired of girls being damsels, I'm tired of them being drama, I'm tired of them doubting themselves. I wanted my 14 year old son to read it but needed to screen it first because I wasn't sure how descriptive things got. I don't mind the cussing, and I have no doubt that 16-20 year olds talk and act the way they were depicted in the book, but I'll wait a couple years on my 14 year old reading it.
Gravity is strong and fierce and she repeatedly reminds us that our mental game is often more important than our physical game. Considering her circumstances, her ability to rise and overcome makes her a super relatable character. I liked the action, I liked the characters, I liked the story line. This book was different and had just enough hustle, heartbreak and humor.
For me, I needed to know what life was like for 12-16 year old Gravity. I missed that part. I missed her learning and growing, I missed her memories and moments that would have helped me to visualize this 16 year old who was navigating bigger, deeper waters.
I wasn't a fan of the ways she was duped, learning curve, yes, but Gravity is smart. She's street smart. She wouldn't let her mother take advantage of her because this isn't new behavior. She wouldn't make a snap decision to dump ship - and coach? Coach couldn't have let that happen. Love does blind us though, and I appreciated that story line.
I was a big fan that Carmen got to become a mentor to her. She was never going to have that figure teaching her what to say, what not to say, how to handle things. It's good for her to know that females can be strong, smart, successful and loyal.
I wish I knew more about the other people of the story, I'd love to have got to know them more, but understand why that isn't always possible.
November 4, 2019
I was very excited to read Gravity. A female boxer? Sign me up!
However, I was quickly brought down to earth as I read this book, as there were things I really liked about the book, but other things that made me want to tap out.
I really enjoyed the concept of Gravity, with Gravity being a female boxer, and I was hoping that there would be a lot of details about boxing and that world. I think this was captured to a degree, but it was very odd to me that a girl with no money from a broken home would have enough money to be traveling around the world-especially as a teenager who would probably need permissions to go. With as awful as her parents were, I’m surprised that none of her extended family was trying to help her out more. Gravity really needed to be emancipated or get a new legal guardian.
I know that the author was trying to make the environment “gritty” and “real” but I don’t know if that really was captured in a way that felt real. I also wasn’t crazy about the news articles sprinkled throughout. I think those were distracting and took me out of the story too much.
I did enjoy Gravity’s journey from being a green boxer to being in the Olympics, even though it felt like she moved up the ranks really fast. I think I’d have preferred less of her personal life and more boxing. I did enjoy how she learned some important lessons towards the end, about life, and about winning and losing.
Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this book in exchange for an honest review.
However, I was quickly brought down to earth as I read this book, as there were things I really liked about the book, but other things that made me want to tap out.
I really enjoyed the concept of Gravity, with Gravity being a female boxer, and I was hoping that there would be a lot of details about boxing and that world. I think this was captured to a degree, but it was very odd to me that a girl with no money from a broken home would have enough money to be traveling around the world-especially as a teenager who would probably need permissions to go. With as awful as her parents were, I’m surprised that none of her extended family was trying to help her out more. Gravity really needed to be emancipated or get a new legal guardian.
I know that the author was trying to make the environment “gritty” and “real” but I don’t know if that really was captured in a way that felt real. I also wasn’t crazy about the news articles sprinkled throughout. I think those were distracting and took me out of the story too much.
I did enjoy Gravity’s journey from being a green boxer to being in the Olympics, even though it felt like she moved up the ranks really fast. I think I’d have preferred less of her personal life and more boxing. I did enjoy how she learned some important lessons towards the end, about life, and about winning and losing.
Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this book in exchange for an honest review.
December 30, 2019
This book was fantastic, one of the best teen books I read this year. It was gritty, raw, and real. Gravity has a lot working against her in life: raising her 8-year-old little brother, a thieving abusive alcoholic mother, and a father who abandoned them, but Gravity is a fighter. She may have been dealt a losing hand but she is going to play that hand and fight to win. What Gravity does have working for her is her father’s Dominican side of the family, her Coach at Cops & Kids gym, her gym family and a supportive teacher at school. This book has sexism, sex, and more F-bombs than I can count. Just FYI if you are listening to the well-done audio book around kids. You cannot help identifying with Gravity, rooting for her. I was on pins and needles needing to know how every fight went. I had to know if Gravity would make it the Rio Olympics to represent the US. Through the book, Gravity has to grow up even more and face more adversity than she has yet in her hard 16 years. She experiences first love, betrayal, loss, humility, and forgiveness. Gravity does not let what has happened to her in life define who she is. Her mother always said that she breaks everything. Gravity is going to use those words from her mother that were meant to hurt her as the momentum to break her opponents. I cried when the book ended, I did not want stop reading about her. Thank you Sarah Deming for this inspiring read.
February 25, 2020
Gravity "Doomsday" Delgado has big dreams, and the skills to back them up. She's been boxing since twelve years old, training under a legendary coach, breaking records (and all her competitors). Although she comes from a broken home, life seems on the upswing: she's been talking to a cute boy at the gym, and her wins have been gaining media attention. As long as she can stay focused, her grit and determination might carry her all the way to the Olympics.
I wanted so badly to love this novel. It had everything I normally appreciate: strong female protagonist, realistic portrayal of relationships (romantic or otherwise), diverse cast, good writing. For some reason it just didn't connect with me, and I can't put a finger on why. But I still enjoyed it, and would still recommend it for teens who like sports (the boxing aspect was actually a large portion of the book, which I really liked - this wasn't a story of a girl who happened to be a boxer, it was the story of a girl who ate, slept, and breathed boxing) or like a strong main character. Despite her flaws, and in spite of the challenges she faced, Gravity was a great role model, which made the book a very rewarding read.
I wanted so badly to love this novel. It had everything I normally appreciate: strong female protagonist, realistic portrayal of relationships (romantic or otherwise), diverse cast, good writing. For some reason it just didn't connect with me, and I can't put a finger on why. But I still enjoyed it, and would still recommend it for teens who like sports (the boxing aspect was actually a large portion of the book, which I really liked - this wasn't a story of a girl who happened to be a boxer, it was the story of a girl who ate, slept, and breathed boxing) or like a strong main character. Despite her flaws, and in spite of the challenges she faced, Gravity was a great role model, which made the book a very rewarding read.
August 3, 2020
Gravity centers around a teenage boxer of the same name who is on track to the Olympics. Gravity Delgado is a sixteen year old boxer with an addict mother and an absent father. She is responsible for taking care of her younger brother and herself. I liked Gravity as a character. She was down to earth, yet she still had big dreams and trusted too easily. She was motivated and willing to do almost anything to get to Rio. I liked when she called out the people who disrespected her, even if they were people she trusted. I liked her cousin as well as D-Minus.They added fun and humor to the story. In addition to the characters, I loved learning about boxing and the politics of the boxing world. I went into this book knowing nothing about boxing so it was really interesting for me to get to know the world these athletes inhabit.The only negative thing I had to say about this book is that the author brought up a lot of issues in her book. I normally don’t mind this, but she wrote it in a way that felt preachy. She relied too heavily on telling instead of showing.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 10, 2019
****3.5 Stars****
Gravity is determined to better her life (and her little brother's) no matter what she has to do; she has learned the hard way that her mother isn't reliable in anyway. When she enters Cops'n'Kids boxing gym she doesn't quite know what she is looking for, except an out from her home life. What she quickly learns is that she loves boxing and that she is quite good at it. Her gym becomes her family; a gruff but loving coach becomes the father figure she is missing and pretty soon Gravity will find herself falling for two very different boys (and boxers).
Deming has written a very sharp novel that explores how one girl (who has been told no all her life) throws herself into bettering her situation no matter the cost. Gravity is a character that doesn't take no for an answer and makes sure to forge her own path.
Thanks to Random House for the ARC!
Gravity is determined to better her life (and her little brother's) no matter what she has to do; she has learned the hard way that her mother isn't reliable in anyway. When she enters Cops'n'Kids boxing gym she doesn't quite know what she is looking for, except an out from her home life. What she quickly learns is that she loves boxing and that she is quite good at it. Her gym becomes her family; a gruff but loving coach becomes the father figure she is missing and pretty soon Gravity will find herself falling for two very different boys (and boxers).
Deming has written a very sharp novel that explores how one girl (who has been told no all her life) throws herself into bettering her situation no matter the cost. Gravity is a character that doesn't take no for an answer and makes sure to forge her own path.
Thanks to Random House for the ARC!
January 16, 2020
I absolutely loved this book. I’m a sucker for sports books and even though I know next to nothing about boxing I was hooked from the first chapter. Gravity is such a great character who felt like a real person even as she struggled in her day to day life along with balancing her immense boxing talent
There were times where I had hoped for a twist that would bring about some joy and redemption that didn’t come along. However, I can honestly say that the letter at the end and the subsequent explanation in person brought a few tears to my eye. It was a nice revelation that really helped bring everything together at the end. I would have liked to know how Gravity did in Rio, but I choose to believe that she dominated and would’ve won gold.
I’d highly recommend the book.
There were times where I had hoped for a twist that would bring about some joy and redemption that didn’t come along. However, I can honestly say that the letter at the end and the subsequent explanation in person brought a few tears to my eye. It was a nice revelation that really helped bring everything together at the end. I would have liked to know how Gravity did in Rio, but I choose to believe that she dominated and would’ve won gold.
I’d highly recommend the book.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 11, 2025
⭐️⭐️⭐️✨ (3.5)
Gravity by Sarah Deming is a fun, punchy young adult novel that dives into teen life and the world of boxing. I really enjoyed following Gravity Delgado, a strong, determined FMC who’s chasing her Olympic dreams with heart and determination. The book shines in its portrayal of women in sports, giving us a refreshing look at a girl breaking barriers in a male-dominated field. While some parts leaned a bit on the sports clichés and a few side characters felt underdeveloped, the story's drive and honesty pulled me in. Though it’s written for teens, adults will still appreciate the themes of resilience, ambition, and girl power. Would I recommend it? Absolutely, especially if you’re into strong female leads and big Olympic dreams
Gravity by Sarah Deming is a fun, punchy young adult novel that dives into teen life and the world of boxing. I really enjoyed following Gravity Delgado, a strong, determined FMC who’s chasing her Olympic dreams with heart and determination. The book shines in its portrayal of women in sports, giving us a refreshing look at a girl breaking barriers in a male-dominated field. While some parts leaned a bit on the sports clichés and a few side characters felt underdeveloped, the story's drive and honesty pulled me in. Though it’s written for teens, adults will still appreciate the themes of resilience, ambition, and girl power. Would I recommend it? Absolutely, especially if you’re into strong female leads and big Olympic dreams
January 12, 2021
The book Gravity by Sarah Deming was an intriguing and action-packed book about a young girl with a burning passion for boxing, that overcomes adversity and makes a great name for herself. Personally, I thought this book was very interesting and there really wasn't ever a boring part, which made it that much more enjoyable. Although it was a bit long, I thought the amount of detail and information provided about boxing was very interesting. Finally, I would recommend this book to anyone that obviously is interested in boxing, or just likes a good sportsbook with a little bit of drama.
December 12, 2019
3.5 stars. I couldn't get into this one at first, but I gave it a second try and ended up enjoying it. I knew nothing about boxing and enjoyed this deep dive into that world. The pacing is a bit strange. Some sections seem to drag on with little action, and then a blog entry from Carmen Cruz will fast forward the story. What I loved most was seeing Gravity become a fierce person who knows what she wants, and her interactions with her boxing teammates.
January 17, 2020
I can take it or leave it. I didn't love the main character although I admired her. It seems this book is really about one or more of the fighters on the real US Olympic Team. Tough childhoods. There were a few quotes that were memorable-something about truth is not as important as the intention or motive to do good when a lie is told. Right now, I can only remember a handful of characters. It's good for showing persistence.
April 20, 2020
Wow! I finished this quick read in one day because I just couldn't put it down. A great sports story about a female boxer that will appeal to a variety of readers. I was even more intrigued upon finishing the book to discover that the author, Sarah Deming, was a boxer and boxing coach. She truly knows her stuff and wrote a factual and engaging story for teens. I can't wait to share this one with students!
December 22, 2020
Wow. So great! I loved the focus on Gravity's passion and the honesty of her experiences as a female athlete. We need more of these explorations of what it means to be a female athlete, especially in a male-dominated sport.
The author's depth of experience with the boxing world provided a rich, textured backdrop for an engaging story. I'd put this book in the hands of anyone interested in boxing and any serious female athlete looking to see her own experience reflected in fiction.
The author's depth of experience with the boxing world provided a rich, textured backdrop for an engaging story. I'd put this book in the hands of anyone interested in boxing and any serious female athlete looking to see her own experience reflected in fiction.
March 25, 2021
This book is amazing. I am a person who likes drama and sports so this book is perfect for me. The descriptive details kept me intrigued, and the events going on simultaneously kept me on my toes. It was very entertaining and eventful. There was a lot of teenage drama, which I would know a lot about. Boxing got a whole lot more interesting to me, and now I have a sort of inside look on the boxing world.
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