I don’t ever rate books 1 star. Especially if I have finished the entire thing. To me, that at least warrants 2 stars. The Law of Inertia is the first book I have read in a long time that really just left me feeling quite disturbed. Sometimes when a book does this it’s a good thing, but not in this case.

I’m going to be as vague as possible so I don’t spoil anything for those of you who would like to read it. Because of this, it might not make a ton of sense as to why I did not like it. I’ll try my best though.

I believe books about suicide and self-harm can be educating to people. I don’t expect every book to have a happy ending. That being said, I also don’t want these type of books to be damaging, and I fear that this one can be.

I liked Ash well enough in the beginning. He has suffered with depression and suicidal ideation for the majority of his life and that’s something I can really relate to. I also relate to him being queer. I also liked James a lot. He’s an incredibly caring boyfriend and I loved how much he did for Ash. I think the lengths James went to to discover what happened to Ash the night he committed suicide really speaks to how much James loved him.

I did not like Elliot or Louise very much. Elliot seemed like he wanted to do the best for his brother, he’s still just a teenager. As someone who was a teenager not very long ago I remember vividly not trusting anyone else and wanting to believe I could do everything. But that isn’t always how it really is and that was the case with Elliot. He wanted to provide a good life for Ash, but he was also just a teenager who wanted to party. He also had a drug problem, which was handled very poorly in this book.

Louise was just a boring character. She didn’t really have much a story line outside of Elliot and I found myself skimming her chapters.

I HATED the ending. It was what ultimately drove me to rate this so low. It was supposed to be a shocking twist, but I saw it coming and desperately hoped I was wrong. I’m not going to say what happened, but I will say that it perpetuates the idea that mentally ill people shouldn’t be held accountable for their actions and I strongly disagree with that. Mentally ill people can be toxic.

The only positive thing I have to say about this book is that it was racially diverse. James is half Filipino and Louise is Hispanic. I really appreciated that.

The feelings that come from this book are deep and can be uncomfortable. That being said, the storyline was well crafted. I did find the shifting POV's something I had to get used to- but it helped to deepen the mystery. The twists at the end were very uexpected- and it's hard to pull one over on me. It was perfectly editied, the dialogue was very appropriate and engaging for the age group. I felt the author portrayed depression and suicide both respectfully and with careful insight. I am normally not a YA reader but this book kept me engaged and interested all the way through. I thought the characters definitely speak to the reader in a way that makes them invest. I would definitely recommend the read.

What happens when life jolts you off the tracks? What choices are you left with? Gonzales gives us Ash going through this very well, she is able to create his voice and that of the other people around him very well. Giving us the story from several perspectives, from several characters so that we see how life effects them the cause and effect.

Very very well done, definitely recommended.

Note: The setting is never really specified but after a lot of googling and piecing clues together I've come to the conclusion that the setting is Australia.

This romance is suitable for young adults. It contains sensitive and moving perspectives of young gay and bi friendships, as well as issues of substance abuse, mental illness, and suicidal ideation..

In the multi-ethnic melting pot of modern Australia, two small town brothers struggle with the terrible parenting situation in which they landed after their mother's death. While wearing out their welcome at one foster placement after another, Ash must also come to terms with his unusual sexual attraction to his best friend forever.

The mystery of 'Who are Ash and Elliot Taylor?' is finally solved by learning self-acceptance and life balance.

Though there are sexual situations, they are never explicit. I have nothing but praise for this story.

Can we all give a big cheer for good bisexual representation? And also for the fact that some people don’t feel the need to ‘come-out’, they just are what they are and don’t feel the need to make a big production out of it because it’s no one else’s business. (Not that there’s anything wrong with coming out either but seeing ‘not coming out’ but not hiding who you are portrayed as valid was very liberating.) In fact in terms of tackling big themes that YA should tackle, The Law of Inertia knocks it out of the park – DSH, Metal Illness, anxiety and depression, LGBT representation, troubled familial origins, suicidal ideation. It’s a mystery of sorts too with a very satisfying plot. The characters are likeable. The romance is believable and very sweet. Ordinarily YA contemporary is very hit and miss for me but this one was a big hit.

WOW this book was SO GOOD!! First thanks to NG for the ARC!! This is the story of two brothers, Ash and Elliot, two brother in foster care because of a really awful family life. Elliot is the older of the two and spends a lot of his time drinking and partying. Ash is 16 and in HS, trying to get good grades and move on. Ash's best friends James is his rock. James is also gay. Ash has had girlfriends in the past but now finds himself attracted to James. They are SO adorable together and Ash really needs James because he has anxiety and cuts himself too, and James is the only one who knows about it. Ash is kind of falling into a hole and can't get out. Elliot wants to get guardianship of Ash and move out of the foster home but his drug problem is getting worse and he is jeopardizing the whole situation. Also Elliot finds out that Ash and James are together as boyfriends and leaves with no explanation. Ash sees no way out after Elliot disappears and he has a fight with James, and he kills himself leaving James to deal with the fallout and also completely alone, because Elliot disappeared. James spend his time during the year following Elliot's death, trying to locate Elliot to find out what really happened to Ash before he died--and Louise sees his online post and answers which is in the present day. This book is SO emotional. IT is written from the points of view of Ash and James both in the present and the past, and Elliot in present along with Louise, Elliot's current best friend. I loved Ash and James relationship. They obviously love each other so much and James is so supportive and caring. Ash is so confused and needs James so much. I don't want to ruin the ending but I LOVED it. I had my suspicions all along what was going on but I wasn't 100% sure until the very end. Definitely do not miss this book if you love a great story with amazing characters and a little mystery. WELL worth your time!! I will definitely look for more from this author!!!