The story starts off with him still in Brooklyn before he moves to Texas for his dad’s job. Actually, throughout this story, all he can do is think about how much he wants to be with Leon. Quite a huge event happens that impacts someone’s life drastically about midway through this book, and all he can do is think about how much he wants to kiss Leon. He’s literally the most selfish character I’ve ever read about. Which leads me to my next point…Ĭal is INSUFFERABLE.

I think I would have liked this book more if it had taken place in Leon’s POV because he seemed like a more enjoyable character. Cal’s love interest, Leon, is also dealing with depression and a general sense of confusion about what he wants to do next throughout the story. It’s stated on the page a few times that she has anxiety and as someone who deals with that every day, I loved to read about it. I feel old by saying this, but I related more to Cal’s mom than anyone else in this book. I also loved the representation of mental illness in this book. I think this book is important for that fact alone. I also appreciated that Cal never felt the need to put a label onto himself (as far as I can remember). When I was in high school, I was extremely confused myself. He had a social media following and I could relate to his story as someone who’s dated both men and women. At first, I thought Cal was such an interesting character. With that being said, I truly did not enjoy this book. I’m not a queer teenager (anymore) so maybe I read this story through jaded 25-year old eyes. I understand this book was not written for me. I’d like to start off this review with a huge disclaimer. But when secrets about the program are uncovered, Cal must find a way to reveal the truth without hurting the people who have become most important to him.Įxpertly capturing the thrill of first love and the self-doubt all teens feel, debut author Phil Stamper is a new talent to watch.” As the frenzy around the mission grows, so does their connection. But when his pilot father is selected for a highly publicized NASA mission to Mars, Cal and his family relocate from Brooklyn to Houston and are thrust into a media circus.Īmidst the chaos, Cal meets sensitive and mysterious Leon, another “Astrokid,” and finds himself falling head over heels-fast. “As a successful social media journalist with half a million followers, seventeen-year-old Cal is used to sharing his life online.

The gravity of us book review