Gravity Hill

by Susanne Davis

Jordan's town is wrecked by the deaths of 3 boys on Gravity Hill. It's tied to a mystery that has plagued the town for years. Can Jordan clear her brother's name?

271 pages, Kindle Edition

Published September 20, 2022

Reviews

[Susan O'Dell Underwood · Rating 5 out of 5]

The tragedy of losing her brother in a terrible car wreck on Gravity Hill has Jordan Hawkins nearly losing herself. Susanne Davis manages to write an effortlessly readable book about the heavy matters of youthful mistakes and environmental damage and family fealty. As Jordan tries to keep her own self grounded, her grief causes her to make some average, teenage mistakes which the reader feels certain she would not have made if her brother, Clay, were still alive. She struggles to manage adult-sized responsibility--taking over her late brother's chores on the family dairy farm. She also works at the local glass bottle factory and prepares for college. Her grieving parents neglect her, and pay her less and less attention as folks in the church and community seek to blame their son for the accident which took three young lives. Jordan's entanglement with an older man threatens to disintegrate her world even further, as town secrets surface, floating up, and the mystery just within Jordan's grasp deepens. This book is a great read with unexpected turns and really fine characterization. Adults but also young adults will find this novel un-put-downable!

[Susan Ballard (subakkabookstuff) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m surprised this book isn’t getting more attention, with such great characters and deep themes running throughout.

Set in rural Connecticut, Jordan is a young girl struggling with losing her older brother Clay. Clay was driving the truck that crashed into a tree and killed him and two of his friends.

Jordan has to put college on hold to help on the family farm, but she becomes more withdrawn. She works at a bottling factory and tends the cows. Things go from bad to worse when the mother of one of the boys killed in the crash sues Jordan's family, blaming Clay for the deaths. This prompts Jordan to do some investigation as to what happened the night of the crash. She finds clues that lead her to a toxic waste dump site. Suddenly, people don't want her snooping around and bringing up this town’s filthy secrets.

Gravity Hill is part coming-of-age as Jordan moves through this story, trying to find healing and answers, and becomes involved with an older man with a troubled past. It’s also an absorbing mystery as the town has some dirty secrets, bringing to light environmental issues but ultimately having a word on the human condition. Susanne Davis is an author to watch!



Thank you @suzyapprovedbooktours and @susannedavisauthor for a spot on tour and a gifted copy.

[Ashley Thompson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great book! Great character development and I always like a book that can keep me guessing.

[Eilidh · Rating 5 out of 5]

This novel is so beautifully crafted that it’s hard to know exactly what to praise first. Jordan’s gritty “diss you before you diss me” attitude is so deftly rendered. If you grew up in an economically distressed place, you’ll instantly recognize it as the armor that so many kids have to develop. But fortunately for this story of mysteries, hard truths, and redemptions, Jordan’s inner struggle doesn’t end in cynicism and the despairing dysfunction of the people around her. Can’t wait for the (please!) sequel

[Kelsey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gravity Hill was a great, relatable story about a girl coming of age and hurdling real life challenges, all while trying move through the grief from the tragic loss of her brother. Along the way she sets out to solve a town mystery that tied together all of the characters. Thought provoking and meaningful, this book is very well written and an enjoyable read!

[Susan Kietzman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gravity Hill is a story about grief - how it affects everyone individually and differently, and how it affects a rural Connecticut town collectively. Thrust into adulthood by the death of her brother, Jordan Hawkins struggles to make sense of the accident, life on the farm with grieving parents, and a chance encounter with a stranger. She asks questions that nobody wants to answer, until they do. Susanne Davis pulls the reader into small town life, its rhythms, hopes, and resolutions.

[Kate Varandas · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great story about family, sacrifices, and the cycles of life. The main character, Jordan, is raised on a farm, but finds solice in school and is college bound, unlike her brother who was destined to work the farm until he is unfortunately killed in a car accident in which he is the driver. After his death, jordan starts to behave more like her brother than herself, and order to right her own wrongs, she sets out to clear his name.

A lot happens in each sentence and it lets you fill in the blanks on your own, making the story at once relatable and mysterious. I’ve honestly never read something quite like it- in a good way!

[Melissa (Nissa_the.bookworm) · Rating 4 out of 5]

𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐃 𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐒 𝐈𝐅 𝐘𝐎𝐔
🌽 grew up on a farm
👀 lived in a small town where everyone knew your secrets
🐮 like cows
🫙 have worked in a glass factory

• 𝐐𝐔𝐈𝐂𝐊 𝐓𝐀𝐊𝐄

After Jordan’s older brother Clay dies in a car accident with his two best friends, Jordan must deal with the grief and pain in any way possible.

• 𝐖𝐇𝐀𝐓 𝐈𝐓’𝐒 𝐀𝐁𝐎𝐔𝐓

Jordan, a recent high school graduate, just lost her brother, Clay, and his two best friends, Tim and Tony, in a drunk driving accident. But when one of the townspeople implies to her that it wasn’t due to drunk driving after all, Jordan begins to look further into the accident to find out what her brother and his friends were up to that fateful night.

Reeling from guilt and grief, Jordan ends up making a decision that will change her entire future, but she’s set on making the best of her new situation. And when Tony’s mother decides to sue her family for a million dollars, Jordan will fight not only for herself, but her family and their farm as well.

• 𝐌𝐘 𝐓𝐇𝐎𝐔𝐆𝐇𝐓𝐒

This was a very unique story. From the synopsis, I expected something different, but was pleasantly surprised. I loved Jordan’s character. She reminded me of myself - headstrong, mature for her age, smart but also dumb as bricks. And even though she gets herself into what was most definitely an avoidable situation, she takes life by the horns and does what she needs to do. She was strong and likable. I was hoping to see more of the future by the end of the story, but perhaps there will be a sequel to Jordan’s life!

[Joan Norman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gravity Hill is an absorbing story with a strong central character. After losing her brother, Clay, in a car accident, Jordan Hawkins stumbles through her grief trying to find a new path for herself after recently graduating from High School and postponing college. From the start, the story pulls you in as you follow Jordan’s struggle with her personal decisions and their consequences, as she seems to cast restraint aside in the fog of her grief. Davis genuinely captures the emotions and anguish of her parents from a sibling perspective as she attempts to deal with the scattered pieces of her family, her future, and her life. Through the tragedy, Davis weaves together multiple storylines all centered around Jordan and the mystery of the car accident, and the hidden secrets and relationships buried in her small town. In addition to developing a very real and strong central character, Davis also succeeds in creating an effective portrait of any small town struggling to recover from a tragedy. Part mystery and part coming-of-age, Gravity Hill was hard to put down.

[Debbie Rozier · Rating 5 out of 5]

I sped through this book over the course of a day. I thought it was going to be a family drama, but it turned out to be so much more. It had incredible character growth, was a story of grief and the stages of healing and a look at farm life in Connecticut. It held environmental issues and even had a town mystery.

Another great part of this book is the title and the fact that Gravity Hill in Connecticut is a real place and a real phenomenon.

The book’s central character is a just graduated from high school teen named Jordan. Her brother and two of his friends die in a car crash where her brother was driving. She chooses to take a gap year before college to help out on the family dairy farm.

One of the other victim’s family sues Jordan’s family because her brother was driving and he was over the alcohol consumption limit.

In Jordan’s grief, she makes some uncharacteristic choices while at the same time she finds out information about the wreck that ties into a town incident from a decade ago.

This is an absorbing book!

[Christy Taylor · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this heartfelt book. It's such an interesting mix of small town dynamics, long kept secrets, grief, mystery, environmental issues and forgiveness. The character development is excellent and I'm still thinking about Jordan. Her grief is palpable and I was equally understanding and frustrated with some of her choices. Right off the bat we learn that three teens have died in an accident on Gravity Hill. Jordan's older brother was the driver of the vehicle. I was intrigued by the idea of Gravity Hill and was excited to learn that it exists and is an actual phenomenon. I hope this story continues. I would love to know what happens in Jordan's life moving forward. There is something in this book for everyone. It's definitely worth adding to your TBR!

[BreeAnn (She Just Loves Books) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Oh my gosh, this book! It was so much more emotional than I was expecting! This is really focused on grief and loss. Jordan's brother died in a car accident on Gravity Hill, and she is trying to find her way without him. The reader is along for the ride for this coming-of-age story that is centered around a huge loss and how to manage that along with growing up. I thought the author did a great job of bringing the entire community into the story in different ways. It has some surprises I wasn't expecting, and overall, I really enjoyed this!

I was provided a gifted copy of this book for free. I am leaving my review voluntarily.

[Marta Wright · Rating 5 out of 5]

Stunning and completely absorbing! This story about life and loss in a small town in rural Connecticut turns into a twisty mystery I didn't see coming. Jordan, the main character, sort of became like the Nancy Drew of Connecticut's NE corner. I loved her as a character and was cheering her on. Jordan's growth and development throughout the novel is deftly handled and lovely to witness. Also great was how Jordan's mother came around over the course of the story and they became closer by the end. Will there be a sequel? I certainly hope so and think readers will want to know what happens to Jordan and Win.

[Regan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gravity Hill is a captivating, thought-provoking read! I just couldn’t put it down! I especially appreciated the complexity of characters in the rural Connecticut community where the mystery that drives the novel takes place. Protagonist Jordan’s struggles to find the truth and come to peace with her personal choices invite readers to ponder such human questions as community and forgiveness as well as the challenges of environmental degradation and declining jobs in small towns. I highly recommend this book to read on your own or with a book club! Lastly, although written for adults, I expect that many young adults in high school and in their 20s would find this book a fascinating read!

[Sherry · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an emotional ride. It seems my last few reads have been beautifully written and deeper than my normal reads. Jordan is struggling with not only her brother’s untimely death but also the expectations of her family and being the surviving child. She is such a complex and well written character. I felt for her having to deal with all that at too young an age.

I was also reeled in by the mystery that develops in this poor rural town.

And can I mention my fascination with this place that defies gravity?

A great read by a debut author. I finished it in a day. Never wanting to put it down.

[G.P. Gottlieb · Rating 5 out of 5]

A small town in Connecticut is grappling with the tragic death of three teenage boys. It seems like a drunk driving tragedy, but the sister of one boy nearly spins out of control while trying to clear her brother’s name. When she’s not figuring out what to do with her life, she’s investigating what happened to what was once the town’s biggest employer, wondering what’s going on with the Environmental Protection Agency’s visits, and planning to save her parents’ farm. This is a beautifully written novel and I was honored to interview the author for a New Books Network podcast: https://newbooksnetwork.com/gravity-hill

[Miss W Book Reviews · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh how I love books sent in Connecticut, where I am from.
The story is set in rural Connecticut and it's the perfect setting for this book.

Gravity Hill is a fantastic read. The characters are well written, complex and well fleshed out. The mystery surrounds the protagonist Jordan and they mystery is captivating. Jordan is looking for the truth while fighting her own challenges.

This book kept me thoroughly engaged, they mystery and sense of community were well written in this story.

Recommend this for book club, so many great topics to discuss.

[Polly Merritt · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book soon after it came out, last year, so it's high time I shared my enthusiasm here. Having lived near the very particular corner of Connecticut that provides the setting, I was especially drawn in all of the vivid details about this place. But I didn't expect to be so enthralled also by the combination of characters, how they interact with one another, the mystery about the past that everyone is grappling with, the wonderful dialogue, and just the way we are kept gripped by the story all the way through. Bravo, Susanne Davis!

[Booksandcoffeemx · Rating 4 out of 5]

𝘊𝘰𝘮𝘱𝘦𝘭𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘨, 𝘦𝘮𝘰𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘢𝘭 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘨𝘳𝘪𝘱𝘱𝘪𝘯𝘨!

I love complex stories and this one was a page turner. What I thought it’ll be a small town family drama ended up in so much more; a story about loss and finding yourself with some mystery in the mix. I read this in one sitting.

Thank you Suzy Approved Book Tours for this tour invite.

𝗚𝗿𝗮𝘃𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗛𝗶𝗹𝗹 by Susanne Davis Author released September 20, 2022.

https://www.instagram.com/booksandcof...

[Lynn Crisci · Rating 3 out of 5]

Decent first effort. Character is interesting, if unforgiving. It’s a broad story that buckets along in a way that makes you wish there were a little more meat on the narratives bone. Where the author is comfortable, we get plenty of background- I feel I can empathize with cow farming in a new way. Plus- centered in Connecticuts Quiet Corner, it’s a pull to see the geography you know become a character.

[Tara Doyle · Rating 5 out of 5]

A compelling read throughout. Although a work of fiction, it feels deeply rooted in truth. The characters are compelling and richly developed through both dialogue and description. The story and its themes linger well after putting the book down. Highly recommend.

[Ashley B. · Rating 5 out of 5]

The dialogue is so well written and the characters are flawed and human. This book encapsulates grief really well. Some of the things the characters do made me so mad but that’s the mark of good writing making me feel something! Highly recommend this novel.

[Rachael Wren · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book! The characters drew me in and I didn't want to stop reading. Beautiful and well-crafted storytelling!

[Michaeleen Davis · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.75