***Thanks to NetGalley & Entangled Teen for an eARC of this book. The following review is my honest reflection on the text provided.

2.5 stars

A lot happens in The Gravity of Missing Things; unfortunately, nothing seems to get the time it deserves, leaving the narrative feeling shallow and unfinished.

All the relationships here have potential, but they feel rushed and unfounded. Even the family dynamics are difficult to understand. Violet's father seems to have a different personality every other chapter and was all over the map. He seems to have given up on Violet's mother within hours, and he and Violet's sister, Savannah, just go back to normal life very quickly. And Violet may be young, sure, but she's really selfish. Savannah is exactly right when she says Violet is self-centred; everything - from her mother's disappearance to who Savannah dates - is filtered through a very immature lens of how it affects Violet. Every time it feels like one problem is solved, she latches on to something else that can be turned into a problem. Oh, the joys of being a teenager. I'm not even going to go into the whole romance angle. Let's just say that trying to force a romance within a missing, likely dead, mother plot is just weird.

This is an incredibly sad story, but the plot is so farfetched it's difficult to connect to the narrative or the characters. The Gravity of Missing Things is a very quick read but doesn't leave much to hold on to.

Every now and then I love reading a YA novel and considering I have never been let down by this genre, I don’t know why I don’t read more of them. Having two teens of my own has definitely opened my eyes to a world I did not know much about or understand, and I have a deep appreciation for so much more than I used to even four years ago. They changed me and made me a better person, one who is open to so much more than I would ever think I would be. This includes my reading genres and topics…

I truly enjoyed The Gravity of Missing Things. As with most YA novels I have read recently, there is an interesting storyline, layers of deep emotion, romance, LBGQTIA, and great characters. The reading flowed easily and it was a quick read, especially because I was so intrigued and interested in the storyline and wanted to see how it would all circle back and link together. The characters and emotions pulled at me as well, creating an unputdownable book.

I truly enjoyed this intriguing and emotional YA novel. Congratulations to what I know will be a successful debut novel for this author! I hope she will write more books, I will read them.

Thanks to NetGalley and Entangled Teen for this advance copy in exchange of an honest review.

4,5 estrellas

[spanish review below]
**Importante, considerar que este libro tiene TW (trigger warning). Se recomienda buscar los temas sensibles presentes antes de leer la historia, por si alguno causa especial incomodidad al lector.**

Usualmente no leo historias que sé de antemano que serán tristes o muy dramáticas, prefiero leer libros alegres, con bromas, con un ritmo más ligero. Sin embargo en esta ocasión decidí arriesgarme con The Gravity of Missing Things, y no me arrepiento. Disfruté mucho (sufrir con) esta historia.

Fue una lectura con una alta carga emocional.

Logré conectar tanto con la protagonista (no porque me sintiera especialmente identificada con ella y su personalidad, creo que fue por lo bien narrado de su punto de vista), que incluso, dado que solo seguimos el POV de Violet, a veces me cuestionaba si todo lo que decía/veía/pensaba era real o no. Es raro, como que le tomé cariño pero no sabía si confiar en ella.

Me encantó el personaje de Landon, del cual no les puedo decir mucho sin dar spoiler, así que solo diré que salen conversaciones interesantes de sus intervenciones en la historia. Además, confieso que quiero un Landon en mi vida ahora.

La relación de hermanas entre Violet y Sav me gustó, porque no fue para nada exageradamente perfecta, ni tampoco llena de roces y odio gratuito. Me pareció bastante real, yo que tengo una hermana sé que a pesar de que nunca dejo de quererla, sí hay veces en que me colma la paciencia (y yo a ella), y es imposible tratarnos bien en esas ocasiones. Las peleas y discusiones son normales en las relaciones humanas, y no por ser familia cercana se puede escapar de ello.

Me pareció que en general, los personajes eran redondos, tenían todos más de una faceta. Incluso, se puede ver como no son simplemente blancos o negros, las emociones son tan complejas que las personalidades en esta historia abundan de tonos grises.

Ahora, la trama es obviamente sensible, porque si consideramos la premisa: un avión con 155 pasajeros desaparece de los radares en pleno vuelo y no se encuentran más pistas de su paradero; es evidente que esta historia no se presenta a nosotros como una comedia llena de risas y bromas. Al contrario es un libro cargado de sentimientos, donde la protagonista y narradora es la hija menor de la piloto a cargo de dicho vuelo. Vamos a seguir a esta adolescente en sus idílicas horas y días posteriores al incidente, lo duro que puede ser enfrentarse a temas como la desaparición de un ser querido, y aún más cuando la prensa acecha a tu familia pensando que más que un accidente el suceso fue un hecho planeado por quien pilotaba el avión. Defender la honra y credibilidad de alguien que no está presente puede ser muy duro, y las dudas impulsadas por la presión pueden entrometerse incluso en las mentes más fuertes. Aún así la historia no solo se centra en las pérdidas, fracasos y problemas de los personajes, sino que también nos entrega esperanza, confianza, valentía y amor.

Mi conclusión instantánea al terminar esta lectura fue "Creo que es la primera vez que disfruto tanto leyendo una historia tan triste 🤧", y ahora, un mes después, lo sostengo.

Recomiendo mucho este libro. Tiene personajes increíbles, una historia dura y dramática aunque de toques muy realistas. Superación personal, amistad y amor familiar, entre otras muchas cosas más.

I don’t read YA books very often, but I was intrigued by the synopsis for this book, and it turned out to be fantastic and emotional story.

Violet’s mother was the pilot of a flight that went missing over the ocean. There was no distress signal or immediate evidence pointing to what went wrong; the plane simply vanished. But Violet was convinced her mother was still alive, and she was determined to find answers. What she discovered, however, wasn’t quite what she was looking for. Her mother harbored secrets, ones that could‘ve torn their family apart, but Violet was all too familiar with what it was like to keep the truth from others.

Overall, I really enjoyed this story. I appreciated that the dialogue for these teenage characters wasn’t over the top or corny; their emotions were palpable and considering everything they had gone through, it was completely relatable (which I think is important for YA readers). I thought Landon was a wonderful character, and he came into Violet’s life by surprise but the timing couldn’t have been more perfect. The fact that he suffered from anxiety and wasn’t afraid to be open and honest with Violet about it was another quality that I think drew her to him, especially since she was battling her own issues.

The end of the story definitely had me getting teary-eyed and while I could feel Violet’s pain, I could also feel the deep relief in finally finding out the truth of what happened to her mother. Sometimes it’s a hard pill to swallow, but I believe in this case, it was helpful for closure.

Definitely recommending this emotionally-driven YA read!

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4764601333

Note: I am unable to share this review on Amazon due to a message stating, “ Amazon has noticed unusual reviewing activity on this product. Due to this activity, we have limited this product to verified purchase reviews.”

Violet's life is fairly normal on the outside. Loving mom and dad, close sister and creative talent that extends to design sets for her school's performances. What most don't see is her personal struggle with pain and the small slices that make things bearable.

"Every time I cut, the burning pain felt like a deserved punishment for feelings that were too big for my body."

Her mom is the one person in her life that understands the darkest part of her. When her mom and her 155 passengers go missing on Flight 133, Violet's life upends. Her mom becomes the focus of vicious media attacks that reveal hidden family secrets.

This young adult fiction novel is emotionally riveting with twists I didn't expect. Violet is a bisexual MC who takes coming of age and destroys its foundation all while building it back up on the intensity of family drama, internal strength and sisterly bonds.

"How sometimes I felt like I was in a crowded room, screaming, and no one looked up."

Even though this has elements of romance, what I loved most was that it wasn't focused on Landon and Violet and gooey interludes. It was a more realistic representation of someone emotionally invested in another during a time of crisis. Representation you don't see often in YA. The real focus is so much more than the synopsis and my review alone. It'll be one you'll definitely have to read to know more about.

If I had a drawback, it was the inner monologue. There's a good bit of this but it's understandable considering the context. I felt I could've still connected deeply with less overall.

I highly recommend this to all young adult fiction lovers. I also recommend checking out the content mentions on Entangled Publishing's website: https:// entangledpublishing.com/ books/the-gravity-of-missing-things

Thank you Entangled Teen for the gifted digital copy. All thoughts are my own. True rating 3.5/5.

Thank you to the author, Entangled Publishing and NetGalley, for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This YA novel tells the story of a family dealing with a sudden loss - Violet is the narrator and she has always been close to her mother, who is a pilot, and whose plane goes missing on a transcontinental flight. Miles upon miles of ocean to search, and Violet holds heaps of hope despite the bleak outlook as far as survivors goes. Long after both her father and her sister have accepted that their wife/mother is dead, Violet refuses to give up hope and goes to extraordinary lengths to track her mother's last actions before the fatal flight. This leads to some unexpected revelations, as well as to a sweet, low-key budding romance. The topic is very serious (and there should rightly be a TW for self-harming thoughts and actions), but the author has a deft, light and humorous touch, which deals well with the heavy emotions involved with grief. I loved the great but low-key and matter-of-fact representation, and quick pace. I did feel that there were too many sub-plots, which were a bit distracting. Overall, a great debut effort, and I look forward to reading more from this author.

DNF @ 27%

I didn't really like this. At first, I thought it was because its YA and I had gotten used to reading NA and adult and then I did some self-reflection and remembered how I love many YA books so that wasn't the issue with this one.

Frankly, I just found the main character pretty annoying and erratic. For a girl who:

"feels like someone split my world—and me—in two, and the only person who believes me is Landon. I want to trust him, to let him see who I really am, but I can't. All I know is falling for him will only make things more complicated."

it's pretty strange how she trusts Landon from the first day having a conversation with him and has no trouble commenting on how attractive he is and how much she wants to kiss him AND asking him for help meeting one of her mother's old friends to get info.

And her family is a little insane because who gives up on their mother within a couple of hours of her missing? And just normally goes about their lives? Makes zero sense.

Plus the real-life references of tik tok and covid were too much to handle. I hate real-life references in books more than anything. I'm reading to escape my life not to discuss my issues.

3.5 stars — If you have triggers, definitely check out trigger warnings for this book.

I will admit, I found this book very confusing…not sure if it was my frame of mind, or the book, but there were definite moments where I had a hard time following Violet’s thoughts and actions. I will also note that some of those moments were me tweaking on what I was sure felt like continuity issues…my stupid brain sabotaging me again.

Violet was an interesting heroine to follow. She was not easy for me to connect with. But strangely, I feel like she might have been a pretty realistic depiction of a teenager struggling with mental health issues…it’s just been so long since I was a teenager, I think I had a hard time relating. I grew super frustrated with how out of touch with reality she seemed to be. How stubborn, how self-absorbed, and how completely opposed to seeking out help. I’m sure that’s very real, and I can’t say I’m the poster adult for pursuing therapy or anything, but I can say that I don’t think I’ve ever been in this level of denial over help being available. But maybe it’s different when it hits moreso in your college years? Or maybe I’m glossing over things in my memories?

Which is not to say that Violet didn’t have good qualities — as much as she was wrapped up in her own things, you did see her try to make sure she was there for others…it was just a battle and sometimes she won and sometimes she lost.

With that cover, I was also expecting a stronger romance factor. And there was an adorable crush situation going on in the background, but it was not prominent enough to have a kissing cover, you know? Saying all that, Landon was freaking adorable, and so unconventional for a hero, and I LOVED him…even if he was super flawed himself.

I just don’t know what to say about the story. It was interesting. I didn’t know where it was going to go, like seriously. There were a lot of twists I didn’t see coming, and others that had the right amount of foreshadowing that they weren’t obvious, but I wasn’t taken off guard.

Yeah. My feelings are kind of up in the air on this one. It was different, definitely not what I was expecting, and maybe just wasn’t a match for me personally.

This book is Marisa Urgo’s debut novel and was impressive to this seasoned reader/reviewer. As a mom of teenagers, I felt the character development throughout the story was well thought out. Teens are impulsive, don’t usually see the big picture, and have difficulty truly seeing their parents as people. At the heart of it, that’s exactly what this story is about: Violet’s discovery of herself and her parents as fallible beings who love her dearly in their own ways. It’s a very emotional read. I’m very much looking forward to more from Ms. Urgo in the future.

Thank you to NetGalley and Entangled Publishing for providing me with an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review!

I love it. The story already made me feel invested right from the beginning. The mystery about the missing plane and what had really happened really made me curious so I can't stop reading. I also feel the way Violet feels when people and the media talked bad about her mother who was the pilot of the plane while guessing. They also thought about terrorism just because some Muslims were on the plane. People always like to judge.

I was kinda surprised when a layer of mystery was exposed about Violet's mom's life. I didn't expect that twist. But, I truly love how Violet and her family love and support one another. Alex, her best friend always there for her. And, Landon is also super cute!

I recommend this book, but also check for trigger warnings first before you pick.

Wow, this story was so beautiful and heartbreaking! First, I have seen some reviews mention this, but I must echo, because it was one of my first thoughts. The cover, lovely as it is, has really nothing to do with the story? So I guess what I am saying is, don't judge this one based on its cover, for whatever it's worth.

Anyway, we meet Violet, right as her pilot mom (and her mom's whole plane) goes off the grid. At first, she's sure it's just some kind of mix up and everything is going to be fine. But as time passes and the plane and its occupants remain unaccounted for, Violet is basically the only one left who's thinking positively. The internet is in an uproar leaving untoward comments about her mom, and the media is feeding into the frenzy, speculating on any possible reason Violet's mom would have to yeet a whole airplane into the ocean.

As the media digs, Violet finds herself with more questions than answers. And that is truly the bread and butter of this book: Violet coming to terms with answers she may not like, and regrouping and moving forward with her life, no matter the outcome. There is certainly a mystery, in that we aren't sure at all what happened to Violet's mom. But more than that is the exploration of Violet's life, her relationships with her family, and trying to find a new normal in the midst of such great uncertainty. Violet is also finding more layers to her mom than she ever bargained for, which is extra hard since she can't exactly ask for clarification.

One of the best parts of this story for me was Violet's dad. He is the epitome of what a great dad looks like. He jumped right in, caring for his daughters the very best he could the minute he found out that their mom was missing. Their marriage was over, save for the paperwork, but he never once spoke ill of their mother, and poured his whole heart into his girls. Dads everywhere, take notes. I also loved how therapy positive this story was. Violet was very resistant at first, thinking she didn't need it, but the author made sure that the reader saw the importance of seeking help when needed.

So yes, there is definitely a mystery, and a lot of unearthed secrets which make for a very readable book. But the beauty of this story really lies in how Violet and her family cope with said mystery and secrets, and how they grow and move forward together.

Bottom Line: A beautiful, moving story about finding your way forward when it seems entirely too daunting.

This book was provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review. Thank you Entangled Teen!

The Gravity of Missing Things is a standalone Young Adult Mystery about Violet who’s trying to find out why Flight 133, and her mum, disappeared.

The Gravity of Missing Things was interesting yet hard book to read. Our main character, Violet, is trying to solve the mystery of Flight 133 disappearing, while dealing with mental health issues and grief. Although this book seems pretty heavy, there’s some humour and some fun moments too. This book also has some great representation with queer characters and characters dealing with anxiety, etc. There’s also a bit of a romance story line in this book, which I really enjoyed.

Violet is our main character. She’s a bisexual who struggles with her mental health. She’s trying to solve the mystery of her mum’s disappearing flight while struggling with grief and falling for a guy. The Gravity of Missing Things also shows Violet’s relationship with her sister, her father, her best friend and her crush. A lot of things happen in this book, there are a lot of subplots, and sometimes it was a bit too much. But overall, I really liked reading Violet’s story.

I enjoyed reading The Gravity of Missing Things, but a content warning would’ve been nice. This book talks about self-harm and some other mental health issues, and it would’ve been nice to read a content warning. There was a link to a content warning but it said that there’s no content warning available for this book. Self-harm is always a bit hard to read about for me and it would’ve been nice to be prepared. But besides that, I really liked this book and I recommend it if you’re looking for a YA Mystery with LGBTQ+ characters.

I read the first few chapters of this book and realised that it wasn’t really my cup of tea or the type of book I would read or like. Therefore I don’t think I could finish it or give a proper review. I do however think that the concept was really cool and I’ve never heard of a book like it. Thank-you to NetGalley for the ARC.

*Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an early copy of this book for review, all opinions are my own*

Trigger warning: loss of a parent, plane accident, grief, and self-harm.

This is the kind of book you can read in a day because the story holds you in a way that you just want to finish reading to find out what happened and what will happen.
I really liked this story, it surprised me in several moments, I just wanted to keep reading until I finished.
It's a very emotional book, you can feel all the emotions of the protagonist, I was able to relate at various times with her too.
I highly recommend this book, I think it's a great story, it brings suspense and emotion.
It surprises and delights you at the same time.

This is a very touching story, it’ll break your heart, and then it’ll mend it so that you’ll feel good at the end. The story can teach you how to grieve in a good way and never stop talking about your feelings with your close ones, they are the only ones who can help you heal. I really enjoyed the plot of the story, that it is about a flight going missing and a daughter trying to figure things out as the stakes are high as her mom is the pilot of the said plane and is a victim while people are dragging her to be a perpetrator. It started from a conspiracy theory and lead to so many different revelations for the MC Violet. Being at 16 and having self-worth doubts, she’s extremely vocal and that strengthens her character. Her love for her mother is fierce; nothing can break that which is absolute love. Family this tight can deal with anything and I adore them. Friends so lovable are a blessing.

The Gravity of Missing Things is a YA mystery contemporary novel by author Marisa Urgo.

Violet has always been closest to her mother, who's a pilot. One night her mother's plane vanishes from the air, and it turns her world upside down. The media is pointing the blame to her mother, whether intentional or accidental. Violet's father and sister believe that either way her mom is gone and Violet is determined to hold on to hope. But as Violet digs to uncover the truth, she'll discover she didn't know her mother as well as she thought she did and the lies around her keep piling up.

This is a well paced story with likeable characters. I will say I wasn't quite prepared for some of the subject matter and hope the finished copy has trigger warnings in the front, especially since it's a YA book . Our main character, Violet, reactions highly emotionally to situations and especially when it's upsetting to her, she struggles with self harm. However, she was relatable in so many ways and feel she was well written.

My favorite part was the relationship she formed with Landon. Landon was just precious, he struggles with high anxiety and panic attacks. He knitted to help focus his thoughts and keep calm. Even though he struggled, he still tried to help Violet through her troubles. Their relationship was just really sweet. And it was a nice break from the heavy was of the rest of the book.

In the end , this was an entertaining read, I probably would have given it a higher rating if the mother's story arc hadn't unfolded they way it had, but that's just personal preference. There is some great bisexual rep with the main character and overall queer positivity .

The Gravity Of The Missing was such a great emotional read.

It broke me. I wasn’t expecting that but it was great.

It’s the perfect pride month read and a thriller/mystery also.

It’s a story about grief and friendships.

I loved this book so much.

The Gravity of Missing Things by Marisa Urgo, 320 pages. Entangled Publishing, 2022. $10. LGBTQIA
Language: R (75 swears, 1 “f”); Mature Content: PG13; Violence: PG13
BUYING ADVISORY: HS - OPTIONAL
AUDIENCE APPEAL: HIGH
Violet’s pilot mother was supposed to be back in time for Violet’s special bow as crew for the high school musical. Not only did she not make it to the school, she never made it back to the United States from Brazil. As news reporters, redditors, the FBI, friends, and family all start chiming in on who her mother was and whether or not she crashed the plane on purpose, Violet clings to a note from her missing mother and the hope that she will still walk in the door.
Urgo highlights the internal war of hope and doubt inside Violet. I had a sense of foreboding throughout the whole book, which connected me, as the reader, with Violet and her struggles. A search for truth soon becomes an excuse to isolate herself from anyone telling Violet something she doesn’t want to hear. While her loved ones don’t have perfect patience, they illustrate how important it is to have a good support system.
Violet, her family, and Landon are implied White. Alex has Cuban family members. The mature content rating is for alcohol use, innuendo, and mentions of nudity, masturbation, and sex. The violence rating is for self harm and discussions of murder and suicide.
Reviewer: Carolina Herdegen

This is an emotional YA story filled with suspense, family, relationships, secrets, and mental health. Violet and her family deal with the roller coaster ride of emotions when the passenger plane her mother pilots disappears. Quickly, there are theories that her mom was responsible. Not only does the family have to deal with the uncertainty of her mom’s fate but the hounding by the press as well. Violet refuses to believe her mom is dead. She finds a note her mom left her that says, “Trust me.” As Violet tries to figure out what was going on in her mom’s life in the few days before the flight, she discovers secrets and a bond with a fellow student who has burdens of his own.

The characters are well-developed, both older and younger characters. There is a lot going on –sometimes I thought a bit too much--but it doesn’t seem unnecessarily dramatic. The emotions seem realistic. Characters who are bi and gay are sensitively handled. Suspense plays a big part of this book but it isn’t the thriller type of suspense.

I thought it was well done. It is sad in places but I wouldn’t call it a depressing book. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy of this book.

I came to this book because remarks on a forum were gushing about how wonderful this book is. Considering the great title and cover, I figured why not.

Unfortunately, despite all of the highly favorable reviews, I found this to be a shallow, middle-grade-style novel in which the 16-year-old protagonist behaves several years younger. The sentences lack variety (almost all begin with "I"). I never had a feeling of being "there." Too many concepts are attempted, which means none is fully explored. Little attention was given to details: a flight from Rio to JFK would have a different flight path than one from Rio to Paris, so no "vast ocean" to explore unless the plane flew far off-course; wind velocity of hurricane categories: 165 is a monstrous cat 5, etc. (I realize that this is fiction but, yes, these little "facts" do matter to me). How would/could a CEO have such a free schedule to meet at an arbitrary time the next day with a high schooler? Sigh.

The good: the character of Landon. Not sure why he was with self-absorbed Violet.

I am definitely not the audience for this novel.

Anyway, 'nuff said. Dead horse flogged.

I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.