Publishers Weekly
12/20/2021
Friends since preschool, Gabriel, Heath, Reese, and Sal are all gay and implied white in small-town Ohio. The summer before senior year, they’ll be apart for the first time. While Gabriel helps an environmental group in Boston, Sal’s interning with a senator in Washington, D.C., the distance placing their friends-with-benefits arrangement on hold. And while Heath makes money working for his long-estranged aunt in Daytona Beach, Reese studies graphic design in Paris. The friends alternate narration and chime in to group chats, talking through—and sometimes glossing over—their difficulties. Gabriel’s anxious enough without having to accost strangers on the street for donations. Sal’s internship is so disorganized it borders on exploitative. Heath and Reese are both suffering from unrequited love, and Reese is less than certain about continuing with his course of study. Stamper (As Far as You’ll Take Me) has written a good-natured duology opener—all four guys genuinely care for and support one another—about navigating the familial, romantic, and vocational challenges that come with taking their first steps away from home and familiarity. Ages 13–up. Agent: Brent Taylor, Triada US. (Feb.)
From the Publisher
A joyful and hopeful story about first love and those magical summers where you start to find yourself. The four best friends of Phil Stamper's Golden Boys form the best kind of found family, and spending time with them is an absolute delight from start to finish.” —Julie Buxbaum, New York Times bestselling author of TELL ME THREE THINGS
“Golden Boys is incredibly charming, relatable, and heartwarming! You can't help but fall in love with every character. It's jam-packed with all my favorite things: romance, solo adventures, snappy dialogue, and powerful friendship.” —Christine Riccio, New York Times bestselling author of AGAIN, BUT BETTER
“I couldn't decide which boy I loved best, each one of their stories made my heart ache in the best possible way. Funny, smart, complex and life affirming—Golden Boys is everything YA should be.” —Jenna Evans Welch, New York Times bestselling author of LOVE & GELATO
“A beautiful love letter to that magical summer where everything changes - warm, witty and tremendously wise, I adored this book.” —Simon James Green, author of ALEX IN WONDERLAND and NOAH CAN'T EVEN
“Stamper continues to shine as a voice of YA LGTBQIA+ writing.” —School Library Journal
“Stamper (As Far as You'll Take Me) has written a good-natured duology opener—all four guys genuinely care for and support one another—about navigating the familial, romantic, and vocational challenges that come with taking their first steps away from home and familiarity.” —Publishers Weekly
“Phil Stamper's The Gravity of Us is the first love, first launch, astronaut story I didn't know I needed. I'm so starry-eyed for this wise, romantic gem of a book.” —Becky Albertalli, bestselling author of SIMON VS. THE HOMO SAPIENS AGENDA on THE GRAVITY OF US
“A big-hearted, witty, and intensely relatable debut about reaching for your dreams without losing what grounds you.” —Karen M. McManus, New York Times bestselling author of ONE OF US IS LYING and TWO CAN KEEP A SECRET on THE GRAVITY OF US
“A grounded romance that shapes into its own lovely constellation.” —Adam Silvera, New York Times bestselling co-author of WHAT IF IT'S US on THE GRAVITY OF US
“A debut to remember, Stamper's The Gravity Of Us draws you in for a journey of family, friendships, and ambition while exploring the power of social media and our own voices. Equal parts thoughtful and heartfelt, this book never misses a beat. Cal and Leon have my heart drifting in orbit.” —Julian Winters, author of RUNNING WITH LIONS on THE GRAVITY OF US
“A sweet-spirited romance that will capture readers' hearts and imaginations.” —Booklist, starred review, on THE GRAVITY OF US
“Phil Stamper's The Gravity of Us is so interesting and well crafted that it's hard to believe it's his first novel. . . . Readers will root for Cal and Leon, their budding romance, their astronaut families and, of course, the prospect of life among the stars.” —BookPage, starred review, on THE GRAVITY OF US
School Library Journal
04/01/2022
Gr 10 Up—Stamper continues to shine as a voice of YA LGTBQIA+ writing with this work. The novel follows four friends as they depart their small town of Gracemont, OH, for the summer before their senior year. Gabriel is heading to Boston to work with an environmental organization; Sal is going to intern in DC; Heath is heading to Daytona to work at his aunt's arcade; and Reese is on his way to Paris for design school. The four friends navigate new experiences and people while maintaining their friendships and romances with one another. The story is told from their four viewpoints, and Stamper manages that task effortlessly, making each voice unique. The novel uses texting at times to realistically showcase the young men communicating from afar during this summer. While the theme of finding oneself before senior year is one often told, Stamper makes the story his own. What is so refreshing about this book is the characters; it would be easy to classify this as a book about four young gay males, but it's more than that. Like other books about friendship groups, Stamper's characters are vastly different from each other, as is shown in their interests and locations for the summer. The main characters cue as white. VERDICT Recommended for libraries with teen and new adult readers.—Roy Jackson
