Jupiter Rising gutted me, just like Orbiting Jupiter did. Such a heartbreaking, emotional story! Jack is now in 8th grade, Coach has set him running with Jay, Madeline’s cousin, and Jupiter’s maternal grandparents want custody. My students will love this sequel!

3.5/5 stars. Orbiting Jupiter is literary perfection, a rare five-star rating from me. It’s a book I never tire of reading with my students and one of only three books that I really wish had won the Newbery. Jupiter Rising is… fine? I liked Jack’s relationship with Jay Perkins and the twist of Jay’s relation to Maddie. But it’s tricky when you add to something so perfect. You risk detracting. Orbiting Jupiter ended achingly beautifully. I always thought that Jupiter was officially adopted by the Hurds at the end, and it feels like something special was taken away to find out that wasn’t the case.

I would like to thank #NetGalley and HarperCollins Children’s Books for allowing me to read an advanced copy of Jupiter Rising by Gary D. Schmidt. #JupiterRising

Gary D. Schmidt’s descriptive writing paints a beautiful picture of family, friendship, and grief. Rising Jupiter picks right up where Orbiting Jupiter left off. Jacob and his parents finally get to adopt Jupiter, Joseph’s daughter. Life is going smooth for the Hurd’s until one knock on their door and the uncertainty of keeping Jupiter enters their lives. Meanwhile, Jacob is in 8th grade and still dealing with the loss of Joseph is approached by the track coach. Jacob slowly gets better at running and makes an unexpected friend along the way. With several obstacles in Jacob’s life find out how he and his family overcome them is by reading Jupiter Rising today. #JupiterRising

When I discovered that there was a sequel to Orbiting Jupiter, I knew I had to read it ASAP. I don't usually read books so far before they're published but I absolutely couldn't wait. Orbiting Jupiter is one of my all-time favorite books and when there's a follow-up, especially a while later, you never know if the book is going to be cohesive with the first and if it'll live up to it. However, I am beyond thrilled to say that it absolutely lived up to the first one. I was super impressed that it felt like no time had passed and that it was like the story just kept going, no pause. The voice of Jack was just as strong, the storytelling so beautifully powerful. Everything I loved about Orbiting Jupiter I loved about Jupiter Rising. If you haven't read Orbiting Jupiter, stop what you're doing and read it immediately. If you have, you MUST preorder this one. An incredible follow-up and one I tried to savor but couldn't put down. A triumph!

The YA sequel to the critically acclaimed Orbiting Jupiter.
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Jack gets paired up with his enemy, Jay Perkins, to help him get better at running. Neither boy wants to be around the other after their tussle at school, but both boys are dealing with some pretty heavy issues. While they run, they’re free from family problems, school and the future. But when Jack’s foster sister, Jupiter’s, grandparents show up to fight for custody for her, it’s all Jack can do to hold it together. Before he died, he made Jupiter’s dad, his brother, a promise that he would always know where Jupiter was. He intends to keep that promise.
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If you’ve read Orbiting Jupiter, then you know Joseph and Maddie. Their daughter, Jupiter, is just as adorable at three as you would expect. This was such a poignant follow up to one of my favorite young adult books ever. I bawled with that one and I bawled with this one. Jack is going to be fantastic in his future career. I can’t wait for it to release August 27.

CW: death (recounted), grief, death of a child (recounted), blood, hospitalization, car accident, hit and run, broken bones, custody battle, animal death

4.5⭐️

Thank you, thank you, thank you to Netgalley for the e-ARC of Jupiter Rising. If you loved Orbiting Jupiter, this sequel is a must read. Gary Schmidt sure knows how to take his readers on an emotional rollercoaster!

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the e-ARC of this sequel to Schmidt's ORBITING JUPITER. I so loved this sequel. Clocking in at only 87 pages, I can't believe how much Gary Schmidt was able to pack into this book. It is just as emotional and heartfelt as the first book, and I was so grateful for this follow up.

In this poignant companion novel to Orbiting Jupiter, Jack still feels the loss of Joseph but having his three year old daughter, Jupiter, at the house helps especially since his family is trying to adopt her. When they find out her biological grandparents want her, Jack wonders who will get custody. In the meantime, coach tells him he needs to run with Jay, who had ganged up on Joseph. Neither one wants this but as they become friends, Jack learns something about Jay that ends up helping them both in the end.