Review: The Pull of Gravity by Gae Polisner

Book Description via Goodreads:

Hardcover, 202 pages

May 10, 2011, Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR)

While Nick Gardner’s family is falling apart, his best friend, Scooter, is dying from a freak disease. The Scoot’s final wish is that Nick and their quirky classmate, Jaycee Amato, deliver a prized first-edition copy of Of Mice and Men to the Scoot’s father. There’s just one problem: the Scoot’s father walked out years ago and hasn’t been heard from since. So, guided by Steinbeck’s life lessons, and with only the vaguest of plans, Nick and Jaycee set off to find him.

Characters you’ll want to become friends with and a narrative voice that sparkles with wit make this a truly original coming-of-age story.

Source: Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR)(Thank you!)

My Thoughts:

The Pull of Gravity took me by surprise. I wanted to read it because I sensed that it was a good contemporary. These past few months, I found myself relishing contemporaries. From the first paragraph, I was hooked. The book itself had a different kind of flavor. It was quirky, believable and intriguing. The narrator’s voice was one of the things that really pulled me in. I loved how the story was told. It was easy to go with its flow, to succumb and let myself be pulled into the core of the novel. For me, the narrator’s voice was the gravity of this novel. It was distinct and charming.

Nick relayed all the things that led to his mission impossible with Jaycee. His life was getting more and more complicated. His best friend, Scooter, was suffering from a rare disease. From the looks of it, Scooter did not have much time on earth. Enter Jaycee Amato, a beautiful and unique girl from his school. It turned out that Jaycee was also a friend of Scooter. She’s unpredictable, confusing and a little crazy. She recruited Nick to help her find Scooter’s long lost dad and deliver a signed first edition copy of Of Mice and Men.

Dealing with family life, friendship and love, this novel appealed to me in many levels. The growth of Nick’s relationship with Jaycee and the impact of Scooter in his life were well-presented. Through all the craziness, Nick found a friend in Jaycee and soon later he found a stronger version of himself.

With an unforgettable narrative voice, wit, element of surprise, a bunch of problems and a few injuries, The Pull of Gravity is simply unputdownable. The light tone used in the book and the depth and the themes tackled in this tale made a perfect combination. I highly recommend this to contemporary readers and to everyone looking for a balanced read (not too light, not too intense.)

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