Love and Gravity: A Graphic Novel

Always Human #2

by Ari North

Book 2 of the mega-popular webcomic series, Always Human. Love and Gravity is the finale of Ari North's heartwarming coming-of-age story about love, the future, and charting your own path.

"Healthy relationships and healthy conversations unfold in a sweet slice-of-life story....These elements reflect a theme throughout this charming cultivating satisfying relationships through open, honest communication. The art is mainly in tones of blue and pink, executed in a fluid, dreamy, watercolor-painting style. Heartwarming." -Kirkus Reviews

"[T]he story is intimate-grounded in emotions, relationships, and life decisions. Sunati and Austen navigate universal questions about love, career, family, and happiness with wisdom. Rendered in beautiful pastels, the art shows manga and anime influences, but with its own stylish storytelling tweaks. Love and Gravity is a sweet, futuristic graphic novel in which young women make hard, adult choices in their lives." Foreward Reviews

Sunati and Austen are back in the final volume of their inspirational love story. First serialized on the popular app and website WebToon, Always Human is now reformatted for a print edition in partnership with GLAAD. Sunati and Austen's relationship is growing stronger by the day in this near-future, soft sci-fi graphic novel. Austen is working hard to overcome the limitations Egan's Syndrome, a very rare condition that rejects body modifications, which is making school difficult. But while Austen is forced to confront her plans for the future, Sunati receives a once-in-a-lifetime job opportunity...on Saturn's moon, Enceladus! Will Austen find her way, and will Sunati leave Austen when she needs her most, or will she follow her own dreams of space exploration. The wonderful ending to this story celebrates the complexity and beauty of what makes us human.

Genres: Graphic Novels, Romance, LGBT, Science Fiction, Queer, Lesbian, Young Adult

290 pages, Kindle Edition

Published July 25, 2023

About the author

She is trying to keep most private information because she used to work as a primary school teacher. She has a husband, was born and grew up in Australia, now she is living in England.

Reviews

[Brianna - Four Paws and a Book · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars rounded up!

This is a precious story and has beautiful artwork. But I do feel like the story was a little redundant and had a lot of the same lessons that we had in the first volume.

But I do love the communication between the two people in the relationship

[Matthew Elliot · Rating 4 out of 5]

Review to come.

[Zibby · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'M OBSESSED

first off the art is amazing and gorgeous, like the watercolor texture and the lighting and the sparkles and colors and just the way they look at each other--- dude

Secondly I adore the writing style and the way they can communicate so well, each chapter feels encouraging and sweet while also carrying great messages about mental health and emotions. A lot of the comics I read have a sense of unreality, but even though this is clearly sci fi based fiction, the conversations between characters and the way they think and interact feel both realistic and entertaining. I love the way Sunati and Austen are developed, both as characters and as a ship. They're so cute!!!

I would recommend this to tons of people and all my friends. Guys, read it.

Love love love, 5 stars, 10/10

[Ocean Dattani · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gods I loved this. Much like the first one, came right at the correct moment for me. Anxiety about careers, and going away and losing friends and needing to go but not knowing how. Love this series. It's such a good time. Weird I like cosy sci fi, but not fantasy?

[Lupe · Rating 4 out of 5]

No entiendo muy bien porqué pero terminé llorando con este libro. No es queja, solo comentario 😂.

Me gustó mucho la historia, sigue siendo tierna como el primer tomo, pero acá se tocan temas más sensibles (problemas alimenticios, pensamientos intrusivos, conflictos interpersonales).

Me súper sorprendieron estás protagonistas, su forma de enfrentar las cosas y como van superar cada miedo y conflicto que tienen a medida que la historia avanza. Inspiran fortaleza y coraje ver cómo hablan sobre los inconvenientes que tienen, los malentendidos en la relación o las situaciones personales que afecta a cada una. La manera en que se acompañan, se cuidan y desean lo mejor me parece lo más tierno y un buen modelo de lo que puede ser una relación sana y en constante comunicación.

[Courtney Lanning · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was such a step up from the first. I loved every chapter. The way Sunati’s and Austen’s relation evolved was handled so well. And the themes of finding happiness, accepting limits, and trusting your partner were beautiful. The art was mesmerizing.

And the inclusion of an epilogue bumped this book up from 4 stars to 5. I was worried it wouldn’t have one.

A great read. I’m thrilled this story made it to print and to my eyeballs.

[Menne · Rating 4 out of 5]

correction: 4,5 (because im too pussy to make it 5)

HOW did I only find out TODAY that the second season was also on webtoon ALL THESE YEARS?! (can you tell I am procrastinating uni work)

loved it :’) so wholesome and lovely and ahhhsksjdksjs
very similar to the first season, just cute and pretty and very binge-readable

[Emmaby Barton Grace · Rating 5 out of 5]

“if i choose to do the thing that scares me the most isn’t that the opposite of giving up?”

loved this! so sweet and loved seeing their relationship develop <3

some things i liked/found interesting - again a lot about mutuality/relying on others - they want to help you!, friendship (the illumo tats were so sweet), a bit of ED stuff, focussing on being happy rather than what you think you should be doing, changing things/doing what makes you happy isn’t giving up/isnt a bad thing (i relate a lot to austen lol), poly rep

[Sea ~drowning~ · Rating 5 out of 5]

I. LOVED. THIS.

[Carmen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sunati and Austen have come over many hurdles in their relationship thanks to open communication. Now that Sunati’s best friend is moving, she’s becoming closer than ever to Austen. Right as they’re about to take the next step in their relationship, Sunati finds herself on the receiving end of a huge opportunity. Now she just has to decide if she wants to spend the next year living on Enceladus and away from Austen, who is going through a life changing shake up of her own.

I enjoyed reading the first book, so I was very excited to see that the second book was available since I’m not big on the webcomic format. I did have a few complaints about the first book, so I was even more excited to see that they were resolved this time around! There’s a lot of character development in addition to all of the additional world building. I also like that we spend more time with Sunati and Rae. I loved seeing how they first met and how close their friendship really is.

Much of the story follows Sunati and Austen’s relationship as they both go through major changes. We see Sunati begin to embrace her abilities and grow in confidence at the same time Rae begins to feel like she might be lost without Sunati close by. I loved seeing how intricate their friendship is and how they both relied on each other in different ways. It was so great to see how supportive they are of each other and how they point out the other’s strengths. I love seeing excellent relationships appear in books and I’m excited to say that this is one of them.

Meanwhile, we watch Austen struggle with changing direction in college. We see how unsure she is of herself and how sometimes we can’t always achieve our original dreams, but we can create new ones and work our way to making them happen. I loved seeing her and Sunati’s relationship deepen as well as how she gets to interact with Rae.

Plus, the artwork is absolutely stunning. Every single panel looks like a masterpiece. Every page is so colorful and full of detail. I’m excited to see more of Ari’s work in the future both for the writing and the artwork.

[lila · Rating 5 out of 5]

um so i didnt expect to fall in love with a random webtoon that a random person recommended on a random goodreads page but here we are. im in love. i cant believe this is just free, just waiting there on the internet?? like what?? anyway the diversity of characters, the characters themselves, the art style, the relationships, the dialogue and how the characters interacted with each other, even the world and i dont even like sci-fi usually? amazing. i feel like now im hyping it up too much but whatever it deserves it. this also just solidified that i really like the fact that you can read other peoples' comments on webtoon lol best way to read graphic novels

edit: forgot to mention its set in futuristic australia of all places!!

[ella · Rating 4 out of 5]

WHY WAS THE ENDING SO RUSHED? O:

In all honestly there was so much missed opportunity here. We could seen how Sunati and Austen dealt with a long distance relationship. We could seen how Sunati adjusted to being far away from all the people she loved. Plus lots more.

The ending felt really rushed like it wasn’t meant to end like that. It’s like her moving away didn’t have a point.
Oh she’s gone, oh wait she’s back? huh?
It’s like the author just didn’t/couldn’t continue the story.

[Aisha · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 stars - this was SO CUTE and SO GOOD. It's the perfect coming of age uni age space sapphic story yes please.

This work fulfills Book Riot's Read Harder challenge prompt - "Read a completed webcomic." - which includes the first print volume I devoured earlier this year.

[Carolina · Rating 5 out of 5]

gracias sarita por esta recomendacion, escuchare el soundtrack mientras estudie para sentirme en un futuro mega tecnologico donde no tendria que estudiar ahre

[Ele · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5

[Tiffany · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read the online webtoon version of the series (which I believe is identical); you can read the webtoon for free here.

The series was incredibly sweet and wholesome!!! I loved how much open, mature communication and talking about feelings there was to underpin the main characters' relationship. The comic dealt with a surprising amount of serious issues and real-life tough dilemmas (no contrived third-act breakups here), but always with an optimistic bent and an enduring message about the power of love (not just romantic love, but also friendship and family). I can't recommend the series enough, it was such a "curl up on your couch and go aw every other second :)" series.

[Ren · Rating 5 out of 5]

Man, I think I cried a few times on this one, it was phenomenal. I remember having so much love for the first, and this sequel made me even happier. This is a book about choices, at its core, and the art and story both reflect that. Change is difficult, and I loved Sunati and Austen's journeys.

[Sam · Rating 4 out of 5]

This strong sequel tackle big topics that leave a reader reflective like the fear of friends drifting apart, and making big school/work related decisions. The colors in the artwork are stunning and the length is standard for a teen graphic novel. I enjoyed spending more time with these characters, especially since Sunati's best friend Rae has a big role to play in this half.
I have two criticisms that make this a 4-star in my mind.
First, art-wise I found it odd that Austen's facial expressions don't really change much. An instance in particular where I noticed this was during an emotionally taxing conversation with her advisor, it looks like she's wearing the same smile the whole time. Granted, this could be due to her masking her feelings in the meeting, but it knocked me out of the story somewhat. Another perfectly resonable explanation could be since this is an adaptation from a webcomic, and I know artists often have unreasonable deadlines to turn in chapters, so this could be from that.
On more of a story-beat note, I was hoping to see some of Sunati's experience in space, after that was such a big decision for her! A page of vignette's of her work over there, while Austen is reading the incredibly thoughtful/romantic notes back at home could provide some nice detail instead of just jumping ahead to when Sunati returns. This opportunity was a big deal for Sunati, and I'd like to see why.

[María Paz · Rating 4 out of 5]

I know this is not published yet, but i still wanted to add it on goodreads and leave my thoughts on season 2 of always human, because oh boy did i love it.

In season 2 we really got to see Sunati and Austen's relationship develop, and i enjoyed the way the comic depicts the beginning of a relationship: the excitement and giddiness, but also the fears, the struggles, and the desire to do things right but fucking them up anyway. As someone who started a relationship during the past year, I think this comic feels very realistic and simply... human.

I also think i relate to Sunati a little too much, the good and the bad parts (i cried a lot when Austen asked her *that* question at the end).

In conclusion, i think this was beautifully written, drawn and musicalized; i'm very happy that i read it.

[Freddie&#x1f3f3;️‍⚧️&#x1f400; · Rating 3 out of 5]

Actually rating 3.5

But conflicted on this, it’s been a hot minute since I e read the first volume so I forgot alot of it. But I think the first volume was better. While I do like the very young adult themes of change and junk. It was just too much drama and moping for me.
I do like how Rae, Sunati’s friend got a lot of screen time and her own arc of moving away. But tbh it doesn’t feel as impactful because this is a sci fi world, they say that they can talk anytime but it won’t be the same. I mean that is true I can call my friends from the other side of the world anytime but it doesn’t feel the same. But here i just don’t believe it. They can go into VR and although they can’t touch Eachother it still makes it look like they can be together. Idk I wasn’t convinced on that.
There’s another side plot halfway through involving Sunati being offered a job off planet for a year. Again more long distance stuff. Idk why that’s the theme of this issue. There’s just so much drama and talking and uhhh THIS IS SCI FI ROMANCE!!!! Come on! I want my sci fi lore about the mods. They’re so interesting. For example Austen remarks of a mod someones using is legal. Lore??? Idk this was an interesting world that I wanted more fleshing out. I don’t want to just read a soap opera. It kinda just felt like they didn’t know what to do now that the Austen not being able to use mods plot was completed in the first volume. But they wanted to make another volume so they did this.
Idk the romance is cute ig but I don’t think I’m as invested in this couple anymore. After the first volume they kinda are just a pretty standard couple idk. They’re only intresting cuz of the drama to me at this point I’m so sorry. If there was another volume I probably wouldn’t read it. I’m not saying it’s bad! I It’s good just 3.5 good. Also this is one of the fantasy world where homophobia doesn’t exist, not saying all queer stories have to be about overcoming bigotry. I love happy queer stories. But I can’t take the stories seriously that are a queer utopia. I think they’re more for younger queer people.
The art is pretty style wise but I found the panels kinda bland, I read the panels pretty quickly cuz they’re just not much going on. Yeah styles beautiful but it’s mostly talking heads. This was originally a webtoon and they have to update more frequently so I can excuse it ig. I don’t really like webtoon if you can’t tell lol.
All In all if you loved the first volume and the characters yeah pick this up. But if you were more iffy and are hoping volume 2 is better idk go at your own risk

[Rach' B · Rating 3 out of 5]

Reseña:

Enamorarse a primera vista parece algo irreal, especialmente en este mundo donde la apariencia de las personas cambia de manera constante; pero encontrarse a una chica tan valiente como para no usar mods de apariencia debe merecer la pena.

Aunque… no es que sea valiente, simplemente tiene una condición que no le permite hacer estas modificaciones, eso no le quita lo hermosa.

Suanti y Austen se conocen en la estación del metro, donde tras tiempo en el que Sunati observaba a Austen, decide acercarse y hablarle, pero las cosas terminan en un mal entendido. Pero este desliz puede llevar a ambas a dar un paso diferente en sus vidas, donde deciden comenzar una relación donde se conocerán y vivirán un amor de apoco en poco.

Opinión personal:

Es un WEBTOON bastante ligero, con capítulos cortos y trama sencilla, el dibujo y diseño de personajes es bastante bonito.

Algunos puntos que no me encantaron fue lo rápido que comienzan una relación, creo que debieron darse el tiempo de conocerse y así evitar problemas a lo largo de la relación, también sus personalidades no me terminan de encantar, Sunati tiene una personalidad muy sumisa, si Auseten le pidiera que se dejara pisotear, podría hacerlo, y no hubo un gran avance en cuanto a esto, creo que lo más cercano a un cambio en su personalidad es cuando decide ir al espacio.

Y luego está la personalidad de Austen no me encanto, pero si tuvo un buen cambio en cuanto comenzó a enamorarse de Sunati.

[Juniper L.H. · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this series. I have read it a few times and always enjoy it. It is a very quick read if you have the whole thing together. The art style is wonderful, beautiful, and original, looking different from most other manga/webtoons that I have read. This is sweet and heartwarming, and very creative. I am glad this exists, and I think everyone should read it!

The characters are very well developed, especially considering the short length of the series. They both have definitive and satisfying character arcs (something the author said was important to them) on their own, and their relationship is also a delight! It is very grounded and realistic, with the couple dealing with some very normal and universal problems (despite the sci-fi setting). They are adorable together and so supportive!

I liked how the author found a way to have a discussion/representation of disabilities (and related issues) without directly using a real-world example. It was very clear what they were doing, yet not at all heavy handed. I found it to be incredibly accessible, fantasy and yet easily relatable.

The representation in this series is also off the charts. Sexualities, genders, etc. I imagine that there isn’t very much racism in a world where people can change their skin color at will (or have tiger stripes, cat ears, etc…….

[Echo · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a sweet book. I would absolutely recommend this book. If you like sci-fi with magically drawn queer romance, this book is for you!

I liked seeing the characters learning to have a healthier and stronger relationship where they are open with each other. They learn to be separate people while also in a romantic relationship. I so rarely see a healthy relationship in a romance. But this book clearly showed the relationship healthily and so that you can see that they are still learning to be in a relationship. I could cheer for this couple and the relationship.

The art was absolutely gorgeous. The characters were in all unique in some way, but some are also similar enough that you can tell that they are related in some way. The characters are diverse, but their diversity isn't the focus of the book. There are characters with all different skin colors, queer and straight characters, and disabled characters. That very much adds to the beauty of the book. The art was done with a purple, blue, and pink color pallet for at least most of the book. The art entranced me.

I absolutely recommend this book to all the LGBTQ graphic novel readers out there. Happy reading 🏳️‍🌈

- Echo (it/its)

[Katie Kaste · Rating 5 out of 5]

In book 2 Sunati and Austen’s relationship grows stronger, Austen struggles with the challenges of Egan’s Syndrome, a rare condition that prevents her from using body modifications, making school difficult. At the same time, Sunati is faced with a tough choice when she’s offered a dream job on Saturn’s moon, Enceladus. As Austen works to figure out her future, Sunati must decide whether to pursue her own dreams of space exploration or stay with Austen when she needs her most. This heartwarming conclusion celebrates the beautiful complexities of being human.

Sunati and Austen are such beautifully crafted characters, each navigating the challenges of life in their own unique way. I loved how their relationship was a constant source of support, showing how sometimes we all need a little help to find our way. The story’s art style perfectly captures the whimsical and heartfelt tone of the graphic novel, adding to its charm. Watching their journey unfold was both heartwarming and inspiring. This series was an absolute joy—sweet, meaningful, and undeniably cute!

[Eliza · Rating 3 out of 5]

It’s a fine series but just very average to me, in my opinion. The characters are cute but the writing feels so surface level and rushed and I had the exact same issues with the first book. Also some plot points were just never resolved like Sunati meeting Austen’s parents? Again, it was cute and I love the artwork and the concept of the story but the execution in this sequel and even the first book were not it for me.

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

QUE LINDOOO😭💗 NO PUEDE SER QUE HERMOSO LO AME MUCHOO
En el primer tomo sentí que a veces la relación era como muy superficial pero en este sin duda me dejaron callada la forma en la que resolvieron todos sus problemas a partir de la comunicación debería ser la meta en cualquier relación, me encanto ver como se apoyaron mutuamente siempre y trataron de hacer lo mejor la una para la otra es un webtoon/novela gráfica increíble aspiro con tener algo así de lindo algún día

[Ya Boi Be Reading · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 so easily rounded up! I enjoy how character focused the conflict. The character are already so lovable and the conflicts only lets us see more of them as the highlight of the book and has both characters grow with help from their incredibly wholesome and cute relationship with each other. The main conflicts are Sunati having job problems in her friend leaving and trying (and successfully) landing a dream job. Austen deals with her rigidity and stubbornnes in both her college struggles and personal choices (dieting) that were simmering on her for far too long.
Just like the first half collected in book one there endless healthy communication and fluff woven into the story so expertly. It also continues to ooze style from its amazing digital watercoloring style and sense of transhumanist fashion.

[chloe ☆彡 · Rating 2 out of 5]

The poor review is mostly my fault. I didn’t realize this book was the second in a series. Totally makes sense why I felt I was missing context and not connecting with characters. Overall, I’m just not a sci-fi fan and wasn’t invested in what the characters were doing. I felt the book dragged on and on. And I wasn’t a fan of how the text was formatted. I’m not interested in reading the first book even to help with context.

[Samantha Linsenbigler · Rating 3 out of 5]

The art is breathtaking. I really enjoy the concept of mods and of why a girl can’t have them. I like the naturalist too. The whole VR stuff is awesome too. I just feel like it has all these extremely elaborate things and the story overall is very basic. Nothing overly exciting happens and the dilemmas are very basic and honestly made entirely by then just not actually talking to each other about things.

[Ben Zimmerman · Rating 4 out of 5]

More sweet lesbian couple stuff throughout. The ending definitely made me like this more. I know some people wanted like, a wedding or something, but I think the author was right to stop where they did. The character arcs resolved nicely and we know these two nice young people have their whole lives ahead of them. I enjoyed it.