Gravity is Heartless

The Heartless Series #1

by Sarah Lahey

What will the world look like in thirty years’ time? How will humanity survive the oncoming effects of climate change? Set in the near future and inspired by the world around us, Gravity Is Heartless is a romantic adventure that imagines a world on the cusp of climate catastrophe.

The year is 2050: automated cities, vehicles, and homes are now standard, artificial Intelligence, CRISPR gene editing, and quantum computing have become a reality, and climate change is in full swing―sea levels are rising, clouds have disappeared, and the planet is heating up.

Quinn Buyers is a climate scientist who'd rather be studying the clouds than getting ready for her wedding day. But when an unexpected tragedy causes her to lose everything, including her famous scientist mother, she embarks upon a quest for answers that takes her across the globe―and she uncovers friends, loss and love in the most unexpected of places along the way. Gravity Is Heartless is bold, speculative fiction that sheds a hard light on the treatment of our planet even as it offers a breathtaking sense of hope for the future.

Genres: Science Fiction, Futuristic, Fiction, Adult

360 pages, Paperback

First published June 2, 2020

About the author

Author also writes as S.K. Lahey

Sarah Lahey is a designer, educator, and award-winning author. She teaches design, technology, and creative thinking at a university in Sydney, Australia. Her Heartless series of sci-fi novels have won the Chanticleer Book Awards, the American Fiction Awards, the Independent Publishers Award (IPPY), and the Indie Reader Discovery Award.

Reviews

[Sally · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed Gravity Is Heartless, although, it wasn’t at all what I expected. It’s set in 2050 and it’s the story of a climate scientist, Quinn Buyers, who is suddenly overwhelmed by a climate catastrophe and her world is turned upside down. From here, she sets off on a quest for truth and to find out what happened to her famous scientist mother, this plot line is frustratingly unresolved, and I’ll guess we’ll find out what happens in book 2. But it’s a savvy book, with a strong scientific outlook, and it delves into ideas about what makes up human and how connected to technology we really are. I really liked the philosophical elements and the way Lahey shaped the world in the grip of climate change. Definitely recommend it and can’t wait for book 2.

[Roz · Rating 2 out of 5]

I received a copy of this book on NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Lahey had a lot of interesting ideas regarding what the world might look like in 30 years, but I ultimately had some issues with Quinn's basic worldview that made this an unenjoyable read for me. I just don't have patience for Christian-cultured atheists who denounce all religions as the same and promote science as the be-all and end-all, without recognizing the inequalities and biases that are just as present in the pursuit of science as in the pursuit of religion. Because this worldview was so important to the story, I just couldn't enjoy it. I felt like too much time was spent in the climate cities, talking about how amazing the technology used there was, and not enough time in the rest of the world, actually acknowledging how the vast majority of the world was affected by climate change. Plus I really hate the accidental pregnancy trope, and that was another big part of the book.

[Sunny · Rating 5 out of 5]

I picked Gravity Is Heartless up and read it in a day, which was not my intension, but I guess that’s a good thing. It was just so easy to read, like the ultimate airport novel (if only there was somewhere to go). There’s a lot of stuff about science and technology, which I found really interesting, and it felt real. I also liked the science worldview, which was refreshing, and the LGBT representation. I think it’s an original book. Five stars from me.

[Jordan Elouise · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely adored this book, I found it insightful and heart-warming.
A wonderful and riveting adventure that I thoroughly enjoyed!

[Alys Murray · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is shelved as a Sci-Fi romance, but I think Sci-Fi women's fiction is probably more accurate. That being said, I loved it! More Sci-Fi women's fiction, please! This book is part sci-fi thought experiment, part futuristic journey of self-discovery, and I loved every minute of it, even if it wasn't exactly what I'd been hoping for. 5 Stars and definitely a book to take a chance on!

[Shreshtha · Rating 3 out of 5]

Gravity Is Heartless is the story of Quinn, a scientist in the 2050s struggling as she gets inadvertently thrust into the middle of warring factions in a global climate crisis. I loved reading this book - it was so different from most other science fiction. This is one of those rare books that effectively combine women's literature, science fiction, fantasy, and action. Quinn's character is developed in-depth, and I love how the novel brings so many side characters back around at multiple points. My only complaint about the book is that even at about 80% in, I still felt like the world building was ongoing, and while the plot definitely moves a lot, it seems like the climactic moments are all being saved for book two. In a way this makes me really excited for book two, but it's also a bit frustrating that it ends where it does. I'm so glad that sci fi is evolving to include books like this, and am really grateful I had the chance to read it!

[Andy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a cool little book with a lot of original ideas, and a great cover! It’s best described as a sci-fi adventure with a bit of romance thrown in for good measure, and it’s pretty fast paced, so it rolls along. The future predictions (it’s set in 2050) are spot on! There’s even a pandemic, so the research is just brilliant. I loved all the characters, I thought they were unique and original, and I got a real sense of what they looked like and the world they inhabit. The ending is obviously not resolved, clearly leaving way for book 2. But it’s fun read set in a slightly alarming version of the future. I’m recommend it.

[Ham Ho · Rating 5 out of 5]

The most enjoyable thing about this book is the premise and world building. 2050 is only 30 years away, but the author envisages a world in the grips of climate change, where sea levels have risen, creating a massive refugee problem. Temperatures are 50 degrees Celsius, but the wealthy and privileged still have access to cool air—holed up in their climate cities, while refugees live in mega cities of 100 million people. Advanced technologies, and medical treatments are available, and robots are everywhere, but not necessary making life easier. All of this completely believable, and I loved it. Against this background, the author sets a fun adventure, as the main character, Quinn, searches for answers about her missing mother, finds friends and falls in love (I think). It’s an easy read and lots of fun, but it also leaves you with something to think about.

[MsArdychan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Please Note: I received an advance copy of this novel from the publisher and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This did not influence the opinions in my review in any way.

With all that is going on in the world today, I often like to escape into the world of books. Gravity is Heartless, by Sarah Lahey, focuses on a bleak dystopian future where the Earth is ravaged by global warming. Even with it's bleak subject matter, I found the book utterly entertaining. The setting was (sadly) realistic, and the characters and story were very creative.

What I Liked:
Setting:
The time is set about thirty years in to the future. If you imagine the worst possible effects of global warming, then you can guess a few of the possible problems in this world. Rising temperatures melt most of the polar icecaps, flooding island nations. This creates waves of nation-less refugees. The hotter climates cause the wealthy to build massive, air-conditioned cities that overlook large populations of the poor. Everything has changed, including how people live, work, and eat. The details make this bleak world come to life.

Conflicts:
One of the main conflicts that I found scariest (because I can see it happening) is the formation of two political movements. One is science-driven, pushing for reforms that might save the planet. The other is based on religious fanaticism. Both of these factions are vying for power and limited resources. And they are both ripe for corruption.

Characters:
Quinn is a scientist who is at a crossroads in her life. While she's making strides in her career, her personal life is in chaos. She's set to marry a fellow researcher, but is getting cold feet. As the wedding approaches, an event occurs that causes Quinn to question everything she believes in.

She has a lot to sort and in her journey she encounters several unique characters. The one who will affect her life the most is Tig. Tig is human but has many parts of him replaced with tech. He seems to know Quinn already, but she certainly doesn't recognize him. Tig is one of the many displaced island people of South Asia. He represents what is being lost in the world. Quinn represents the future. How is it that they make such a powerful connection?

Story:
The story centers around the possibility that Quinn's mother, a famous scientist herself, could have unlocked the secrets of time travel. Both the Science party and the Religious party want this secret. While Quinn's mother remains missing, they believe Quinn is the key to unlocking the mystery. All this is set in the backdrop of civil unrest, and the budding romance between Quinn and Tig.

What I was Mixed About:
While the romance between Quinn and Tig was exciting (and very sexy), I was troubled by how pushy and possessive Tig quickly became. He "chose" her, he is jealous of any attention Quinn gets from other men, and he tries to push her into getting married. Tig showed all the red flags of being an abuser. Fortunately, Quinn gets this vibe as well, and is very cautious with him. But I didn't like how others were willing to excuse Tig's behavior, including her own father!

A Note: This is definitely an Adult book with sex on the page. If you like "Clean" books, you may want to skip this book.

[William Stevenson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Like some other people who have reviewed this book, I too found I could not put it down. To create a world as refreshing as the one experienced in Gravity is Heartless is a feat of no small worth. It would be an understatement to say that Science Fiction as a genre is saturated in almost all facets of writing. Character, structure, world, exposition, plot, style and the list of criteria goes on.

But who gives a shit about those things? Isn't the important thing that someone takes you on a journey? Or introduces you to a world? Or lets you see a human going through circumstances that none of us could possibly go through yet we feel like we have?

Something that Gravity is Heartless does that is so new and fresh and something that I haven't read in quite a long time is it lets characters exist. It lets the world exist and most importantly lets the reader be there for it and the result is a lasting impression of exciting characters, making extraordinary decisions in a violently dynamic world.

As far as I'm aware, this is Sarah Lahey's first science fiction novel and I cannot wait to see what the next chapter for this story is, but (perhaps more importantly) I cannot wait to see the development, growth and evolution that this Australian writer will go through. This is a scary time in the world, it is good to know that things that are making the world scary are not stopping new, exciting voices from telling stories, especially ones like Gravity is Heartless.

[Tracey Learmont · Rating 5 out of 5]

2020 is a year of unimaginable change and yet here is a predictive author that leads us into a sci fi world thirty years away that is both frighteningly familiar and scarily possible. Where will climate change and technology lead us and what parts of humanity will endure? Well worth reading Gravity is Heartless for Lahey’s prognosis.

[Erin · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book really opened my eyes to what the world could look like in the next few decades. Exploring climate change through the sci0fi genre was really clever, I couldn't put it down. Very smart and very funny.

[Sam · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing world building! Loved the characters, the story and the research. Plus, it gives you a little bit of hope for the future of our world.

[Jenny · Rating 5 out of 5]

It felt like the end of ‘Pulp Fiction’ and I had to read it again. Brilliant! Can’t wait for book 2.

[Chiara · Rating 3 out of 5]

The research Sarah Lahey did for 'Gravity is Heartless' is incredible
Gravity is Heartless by Sarah Lahey ★★★

"But AI irks Quinn - she finds them tedious, especially when affecting a persona of caring. (If they ask her, "How are you feeling?" or worse, "How are you really feeling?" she tells them to "fuck off.") "

I received this e-book from Netgalley. This does not affect my review or opinion. All thoughts are my own and I'm being 100 per cent honest. Thank you to Netgalley for providing me this e-book for reviewing purposes.

Gravity is Heartless is definitely an original novel and you can see Lahey put a lot of work into this book. The amount of research that went into this in unbelievable. The way the author describes certain things and goes into detail is amazing. There were scenes where I couldn't follow what was happening and the plot the book still is a little unclear after reading it.

To read the full review: go to https://www.heavenlybookish.be/post/t...

[S.J. Higbee · Rating 4 out of 5]

This wasn’t a difficult book to read, as the action never lets up. While it is mostly in Quinn’s viewpoint, I didn’t ever fully bond with her. It’s always a tricky business, writing socially awkward protagonists, because there is a higher likelihood they won’t click with the reader. I was particularly repelled by her unpleasant treatment of the merecat, whose programming meant it was powerless to do anything other than respond in a kindly and positive manner and she effectively bullied and belittled it. I wasn’t all that convinced by the ‘love’ story, either, as it was essentially more about lust than anything else. However, at no stage was I tempted to put this one down, as the plotting was suitably action-filled and unpredictable and I was happy to see where the story went.

But that is the major problem for me – there isn’t a single plotpoint completed within this story. Every important element is left hanging, and every single character we encounter who has any impact on the action is facing a major change or challenge by the end of the story. While I appreciate that in a series, you do want to leave a few dangling plot points – I came away feeling a tad short-changed, as the point of this whole book is to set up the ongoing narrative. So while it is a reasonably entertaining read, overall I also found it a rather frustrating experience. Recommended for readers who enjoy action-led, near-future adventures and ongoing stories. The ebook arc copy of Gravity is Heartless was provided by the publisher through NetGalley in return for an honest opinion of the book.
7/10

[Sarah B · Rating 3 out of 5]

In the near future of 2050 the world is a rather horrible place due to the weather: the seas have risen, icebergs are melting, snow is unknown, everywhere is way too hot and it never rains...and clouds are also never seen. This is the world that scientist Quinn is living in. And due to some big secrets that were kept from her, she gets into a rather big mess that leads to a wide ranging adventure.

Overall I did enjoy the majority of this book but I did start losing interest near the end. I thought that the plot was wondering about too much and I felt unsure what the whole thing was actually about. It's like (in my opinion) that Quinn and the other main characters didn't actually have a goal but were just doing lots of random things? There was also talk about them doing this one thing with this particular pink diamond pendant but I'm unsure if anything ever came of that - it's like the author didn't follow through or perhaps it was kept secret for the sequel. Or maybe the characters know but the reader wasn't told (I think it's this one). Which isn't very satisfying. Earlier in the plot the book had hinted that it might be a mystery of sorts with searching for answers (to what happens at the beginning of the book) but then nothing really came of that so I think that's why I'm left feeling very lost and confused. Ok, they did find out a few things but it just wasn't satisfying at all. And then nothing was done.

The cover art is just breathtaking! That's the city of Harmonia. I must admit that cover is why I picked this book up.

[Susan Welch · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a fun adventure but it goes off the rails a bit. I thought the world was really interesting, particularly the effects of climate change and the way that affected culture and religion. I found the main romantic pairing (heterosexual) to be kind of sudden/strange/not particularly convincing and it takes up more and more of the plot as the book goes on. The story ends with much still unresolved from the initial questions raised at the beginning of the book. I'd like to see more of Quinn's adventures and scientific discovery but not sure I'm up to more of the "meant to be" cliche romance stuff.

[Ashley · Rating 2 out of 5]

I think I both liked and hated this book? I have very mixed feelings about this one! Let me start by saying I was very confused when reading this book... I felt like I never had any idea of what was going on! Events were choppy and came out of no where it seemed like, and the world building was poor. While the premise of this world sounded great, there just wasn’t enough history of how it came to be and I I felt that author didn’t smoothly introduce aspects of this world very well. New things about this world just seemed thrown in without really being much of the story. Plus, there were too many acronyms to keep track of. Some questions I had while reading: How did we get half robot, half humans and what exactly are all the different human species now? What is the geography of the world like how? How did they develop all these new technologies, like AI? These are just some of many questions I had, and I did not get enough answers to them to help the book make sense. Despite being throughly confused, I still found myself flipping the pages to see what happened next. I both loved and hated Quinn, I thought her thought process was very confusing and babyish at times and she seemed to act impulsively many times. But I also found myself rooting for her and wanting the best and found her kind of endearing. While I did find some parts of the book enjoyable, ultimately it was frustrating and confusing to read. I haven’t decided if I’ll read the next book in the series yet, but as of yet it’s low on my priority list. While this book might not have been for me, I encourage you to check it out and form your own opinions

[Lincoln · Rating 5 out of 5]

I gotta say I prefer my fiction without too much science. I’m not good when it comes to embracing entirely new worlds. I can’t be bothered getting my head around mythical geographical place names or the dialect of some far off planet. And if a novel needs a glossary of terms, just forget it. But somehow even though it features nearly all my science fiction red flags, this debut novel by Sarah Lahey has snuck under the radar. Maybe it’s because there’s more science fact here than science fiction. Much of the technology in use in the novel is recognisable, even by a Luddite like me, as either achievable right now or in development. The world presented is not an alien landscape on an unfamiliar planet. It’s our own, vastly changed by global warming, overcrowding and another 30 years of technological advancement, but recognisable all the same. But most importantly, amid all the environmental devastation and moral uncertainty this future world faces. Alongside the AI and Cyborg technology and the scientific jargon (at which I tend to glaze over) is the reassuring warmth of humanity - the same old human feelings and emotions - still pulsing away at the heart of the story. I think in the end that’s what got past my science fiction defences and made Gravity is Heartless one of my favourite books of the year.

[Bethany · Rating 1 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley for an e-ARC of this book to review.

I could just not enjoy this, despite trying my absolute best. At first, the concept seems promising, and there's some flashes of interesting sci-fi concepts (dresses made of clouds, cyborgs, new weather patterns) but at the story progresses it slips further and further into tired tropes, and really fails to deliver. Quinn as a character left me feeling cold - not because the character is unlikable, but because you get a limited sense of character from her. The approach to character is extremely tell, not show, and it left me exhausted after only a few pages. The entire thing feels like having a forgetful narrator tell you a story aloud - poorly. It's poorly researched (there isn't a Nobel prize in mathematics, for a start) and the climate scifi element doesn't feel fresh or interesting. Rather than feeling like a cohesive world, it's more a staged background setting for the characters to move woodenly around. This isn't helped by the author's approach to landscape description, which is to go into minute detail about the colour of every object, while neglecting to describe anything else. Texturally, this feels more like a contemporary romance novel, or perhaps commercial women's fiction, which is potentially while the sci-fi feels forced. As a primarily sci-fi reader, those worlds can definitely be meshed, but I don't think it's done well here.

There's also some major structure and writing issues. It jumps back repeatedly between past and present tense, and between first, second and third person narration. It doesn't feel intentional - it feels sloppy and confusing.

Honestly the thing it really has going for it is is a great cover. That's what drew me to it in the first place, but it doesn't deliver unfortunately.

[BreeAnn (She Just Loves Books) · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a story set in 2050, following Quinn who is trying to handle situations as the world goes through a global. climate crisis.

I really enjoyed the sci-fi aspect of this book, and yet it didn't seem all that far fetched. Quinn was an easy character to love, but there were a lot of other characters that I enjoyed having in the story. I thought that the plot was really interesting, but I would have liked a bit more to be wrapped up. I think that the second book will have a lot of answers that I'm looking for!

I was provided an advanced reader's copy of this book for free. I am leaving my review voluntarily.

[Linda Ulleseit · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm very picky about the sci fi I read. It must have a completely envisioned world and compelling characters. This book has both. It's set in Earth's future, but only 30 years from now. All of the changes are completely believable as something that might happen in the next 30 years. Quinn as the main character is delightful. She's brainy, funny, and a bit romantic. I do love that she changed her mind about her wedding, being held on a cloud, and escaped in a wing suit. Pretty cool. Quinn is a scientist and views the world through scientific lenses. That means this book is more about climate change than war over territories. Very interesting and timely. Highly recommended.

[Farah · Rating 3 out of 5]

Quinn, a scientist that studies clouds, is getting married today. She realizes that she doesn't actually love her fiance, or really even know him. After she confesses this to him they decide to at least continue with the ceremony that will take place in the clouds.
A terrible storm cuts the party short and when Quinn is fished out of the water the next day she discovers she is charged with the murder of everyone at the party and the entire surrounding small town.

Takes place in the year 2050 after global warming has begun. Coffee and wine are things of the past, the plants have been lost to drought and pests. Antarctica has melted and is now green farmland. Sea levels have risen. crispr and Gene splicing have enabled people to replace unwanted traits and have brought back extinct animals such as the dodo. Ai is so advanced it is difficult to tell the difference in an AI and a person. They can learn, and feel pain and emotion.
Half of the book takes place in Unus, a mega city (one of many) on the equator, where only the rich have access to air conditioning.
A lot has taken place in the next 30 years and it feels a bit info dumpy in places. I would rather have learned these drastic changes throughout the story, having it weaved in. The author clearly did a lot of research and world building, every aspect of the world and society was fleshed out. I would have liked more of that from the characters though. The book definitely made me think about the future and what life could be like.
The pov changed from third to first person in places and the tense of the book changed throughout.
I received this book from netgalley for an honest review.

[thewoollygeek (tea, cake, crochet & books) · Rating 1 out of 5]

This wasn’t one for me unfortunately, it just couldn’t really keep me involved. I struggled with the POVs as they kept jumping all over the place and added to that I felt the world building needed a bit more work on it. I also felt the writing needed a bit of work and that could be jarring at times. So as much as I loved the premise and really wanted to enjoy this. It fell flat sadly.

Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for a free copy for an honest opinion

[Cally Jackson · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book, although I found the scientific elements a bit much for my brain! Mori the Meerkat was my favourite character. I would have liked a bit more romance between Quinn and Tig, because I'm a romantic at heart. Some of the futuristic elements felt like they would take more than thirty years to come to fruition, but I guess that's hard to judge.

[Sara Ribeiro · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was confusing.

The concept is interesting, the first chapters are great and then the vibes change, everything is happening. The machines.... I don't understand and I am not able to imagine them. It was all rushed, poorly explained and I can't feel any connection to the characters...

[Masha · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow!

I found this book slow to start but so glad I continued. I couldn't put it down. Can't wait to read the sequel.

[Elizabeth Emily Browne · Rating 2 out of 5]

First of all a big thank you to Netgalley, the author and the publishers for sending me a copy of this book to read and review.

This book had a lot going on. I loved the fact that it was a book set in the future and is about the global warming crisis. However while reading this book I was confused and at times had no idea what was going on. This could just be me but I was a little lost. This book overall wasn’t for me but if the blurb intrigues you, you should definitely give it a try!

[Trish Leggat · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was another NetGalley book that I was approved for. As with previous books, I was given a digital review copy of this in exchange for a fair and honest review. I was drawn to it (once again) by the cover and the cover alone. I really didn't know much about the book, synopsis or author. I wasn't even really sure which genre it sat in other than it looked a bit Sci-fi/Spacey :)

This story looks at a world 30 years in the future where climate change has impacted it beyond recognition. We have automated cities, cars, AI, no clouds and everything is heating up. We follow the story of Quinn Buyers, who is a climate scientist. We start by meeting her on what is supposed to be her wedding day but she's anything but excited and would much rather be studying. IN fact she's not even sure about marriage in general. Quinn suffers an unexpected tragedy and we follow her as she learns to deal with this and embarks on a quest for answers.

The Positives:

The world itself - The idea of taking essentially our world and making it so alien with the climate change aspects and the futuristic elements like AI and living cities it really takes it into the Sci-Fi world but in a really accessible way. I want to know more about it and explore it. The sheer amount of research into some of the world aspects is impressive

Quinn - I started out really non-plussed by her and found her slightly whiny. HOWEVER, as the story went on I really found myself connecting with her and how she was expressing herself. The time on the island really made me look again at her characteristics.

Character building - Overall I enjoyed the characters and thought that they were well fleshed out. Most characters were there for a reason and added to the story.

The writing itself - with the exception of the POV changes I enjoyed the actual prose of the book. The writing was clever and well done, the style was easy to read and felt intelligent.


The Negatives:

The World building - while I really enjoyed the world created and how it related to us and where we are now, the world building itself was lacking a bit for me. There were a lot of things that were not described as in detail as I would have liked - I couldn't picture it in my mind while I was reading. There was a lot of jumping about between some of the mega cities and at times I couldn't tell if I was in Unus or one of the others.

The plot-line - The overall story line was fine, although too much shoe horned in. I could almost see this split into 2 books - everything up until we come off the island as Book 1 and everything after that as Book 2. I feel like this would leave more time in the book to fully explain the world and build it out better.

The change in POV throughout the book - I found this a little jarring. It was difficult to follow sometimes and wasn't clear what POV we were in or who was talking.

The religion vs science aspect of the book - this was a major theme running through the book and I just couldn't get on board with it. I don't feel like it was explored in enough depth - it was just 'there'. If the book had been split out and the world been more roundly explained then I think I would have found this aspect more interesting.


Essentially there was too many themes and too much going on in the book - romance, AI vs Human, climate change, science vs religion, female empowerment, sexual awakening, time travel, parental issues, and more. I do feel if the author slowed down slightly and broke this down this could be a really enriched world with a host of story telling possibilities.

2.5* out of 5 for me.

Rounded down for GoodReads - it was good but not good enough to hit the heights of 3 stars! 


https://readinglife342128355.wordpres...