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.

This book makes you feel many different ways and will make you cry (in a good way). It will make you be on the edge of your seat and not wanting to stop reading. This book definitely needs all the attention it can get!

When Flight 133 goes missing, the pilot becomes the target of questions and accusations about her role in the plane’s disappearance. The main investigator isn’t the police or the FBI, it’s the pilot’s teenage daughter, Savannah who is convinced that her mom couldn’t have been responsible for this horrible event.

Savannah proceeds to dig into her mom’s past and present to try and uncover what actually happened, all the while remaining hopeful that her mom will come back home to her and her family.

The book kept me turning the pages, and drew me in so that I felt and believed in Savannah’s hope for a happy ending. As with many other YA books, I had a bit of trouble believing that a teenager would be able to get so deep into an investigation and access so much information. I also cringed at some of the choices that Savannah made, but I’m sure I’m looking at that through my mom lens.

Overall this was a quick and engaging read that will take you on a rollercoaster ride of emotions.

Thank you @netgalley for this ARC.

In a Nutshell: Fast-paced. Serves its target YA readers well. Read the triggers though.

Story:
A commercial Boeing 747 has gone missing with almost 155 people on board, including the chief pilot Jenn Ashby. There’s no distress signal or mayday alert. It has simply vanished. Soon there are loads of conspiracy theories online, most blaming Ashby for whatever happened.
Ashby’s family includes her recently separated husband and their two daughters, 17 year old Savannah and 16 year old Violet. Both the girls are dealing with their own demons, and the plane event has set off things beyond their control. Violet decides to take things in her own hands after she finds a letter addressed to her, written by Jenn the night before the accident, asking her to “trust me.” She is determined to clear her mother’s name. Will she be able to do so?
The story comes to us in the first person perspective of Violet.

Where the book worked for me:
✔ It was wonderfully fast-paced, despite the number of topics it covers. After a long stint of slow-medium paced books, this felt like a gust of fresh air.
✔ The chapter titles worked nicely for the story. Rather than only having the plain numbered titles, there are tags such as “Day zero”, “Day one, morning”, and so on. This helps tremendously to know the timeline of the investigation and the aftermath.
✔ Though the topic is very serious, there is a lot of subtle humour throughout the story. The book is described in the end as having “humour and heart”, and I agree.
✔ Great representation. There’s a bisexual character (who also gets to spout some amazing thoughts on what life is like for bis), and a couple of queer characters.
✔ The stages of grief are covered well in Violet’s and her family’s reactions to the incident. The emotions are written very realistically.
✔ While YA characters are hardly ever layered, this book makes the characters sufficiently complicated. None of the characters are easy to classify into labels.
✔ There is no overload of characters. There are just as many characters as the story requires, and the author makes good use of them. This was also refreshing to see.
✔ I never like superfluous romance in non-romance-genre stories. But in this book, the romantic tracks work decently well. Though I could still have done without them, they aren’t SO bad.
✔ The cover is stunning, but… (see below.)

Where the book could have worked better for me:
❌ (continued from above)… it doesn’t represent the story accurately. It makes the book sound like some sort of forbidden lesbian romance story.
❌ There are too many subplots. While these don’t hamper the pace, it just feels like there’s a lot happening within a few days. Of course, the author doesn’t leave any thread dangling and all the tracks are well-narrated. But the blurb makes it sound like the plane mishap is the sole focus of the book. It isn’t.


Triggers: There are quite a few references to self-harming such as cutting oneself and also mental health issues. Won’t recommend this to the younger YA segment. 15+ years, yes.

All in all, this was a fairly satisfying book. The pace, the suspense, and the family relationship all worked for me. More importantly, it doesn’t feel like a debut as the author seems to have precise control over where they want the story to go.

Recommended for those who like YA fiction in a complicated mix of romance + mystery + drama.

4.25 stars, considering the target age group. (For readers of my age group, it might be a 3.75-4 star, which is still pretty good.)

My thanks to Entangled Publishing, LLC and NetGalley for the DRC of “The Gravity of Missing Things”. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.

this is a wonderful portrayal of grief and loss! the gravity of missing things was a lot deeper then I expected and goes into many difficult topics. i found it very well done and i overall really enjoyed this!

Every now and again we readers come across books that just hit home to us. This book did that for me. The secret that Violet and her mom share about Violet, I have experienced first hand with my daughter. I, too, have had that secret myself. What Violet endures throughout the story is what no teenager should ever have to deal with. Her world constantly feels like it is falling apart. Things she always thought she knew and made her feel safe crumbles from underneath her. Marisa Urgo has written a book that touches you in your soul. The way she wrote this book makes you feel Violet's anguish as if you are going through it yourself. As Violet learns the truth about her mom, the flight passengers, and other secrets that crash her world, she grows to cope with things that made her doubt herself. She learns to let go, move on, and most of all to never forget the love between her and her mother.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for giving me an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review!

The Gravity of Missing Things is a beautiful book about grief and identity in the wake of tragedy. Violet is a relatable and strong character who anyone can relate too. The side characters compliment the story and add a breath of fresh air to this devastating story.

For being a debut novel I was surprised at the depth this novel went into exploring our main character, Violet. Her grief process felt real and heartbreaking. I love how the author was able to establish Violet's relationship with her mother and that made the story even more devastating. The side characters sometimes felt a bit bland but still complimented the story. The casual queer rep was also something I adored.

I did feel like the writing could use some work. It wasn't bad but it was simple/average. The story managed to over shadow this and I barely noticed this aspect as I was enveloped in the story.

If you want a book showing grief and living in the wake of a tragedy then I definitely recommend this book!

I'm not sure I read the same book as most other reviewers. I cannot put my finger on exactly where this book went wrong for me. It was good, don't get me wrong on that account, but it just wasn't my jam.

The story is intriguing enough that I wanted to know what happened, but I felt like there wasn't anything very special about it. Nothing really made me go, "Wow!" like I was expecting. The conspiracy theories and mysteries surrounding the crash felt unoriginal. The bi rep felt unnecessary and it was thrown in at odd times as a reminder that the FMC, Violet, is, in fact, bisexual even if her love interest is a boy. The relationship between Violet and Landon was the most enjoyable part of the whole story for me...it was cute, but again, nothing special.

If you're looking for something to pick up that's just interesting enough to hold your attention and you can read in a day or so, then this one might be for you. But I'd say don't go in expecting too much.


Thank you Entangled Teen for the e-ARC to read and honestly review.

I have seen so many raving reviews about this book it got me wondering if I have read the same version as everyone else. The blurb was awesome but I think there was too much going on at once. For me, personally, it didn't make sense how the other plot lines tried to fit into the main one, specially given the time period. Some of the aspects brought to the book were important but didn't make sense, given we were supposed to be focused on the mother's disappearance. I really liked the FBI agent and Violet and Savannah's dad, but that was about it.

I also get often detached from books that feature descriptive scenes of self-harm, which was the case, so take that into account when picking up this book. This book also features mental illness and dealing with grief.

A wonderful debut novel by Marisa! A story about loss, grief, self-harm, growth, acceptance, and sexual awareness. The character list was small but very important. Violet and her sister and a surprising friendship with Landon, a guy from school. I also really liked Violet’s dynamic with her best friend.

Honestly, this is more of a teen suspense/fiction than a romance. The blurb led me to believe it would have some romance but I didn’t see that at all. I knew the storyline would be intriguing, but I didn’t expect the HEAVINESS I felt or the seriousness of teen angst. I cried a few times.

Overall, this book was pretty good. A very realistic depiction of prejudice, teen confusion, teen depression, self-discovery, and healing.

The unexpected happens when the plane that Violet's mom is flying, disappears. How does a plane just disappear? What happened to her mom and all the people on board?

Soon, the media descends upon Violet and her family and the world as she knows it shrinks and becomes unbearable. People are saying the most horrible things about her mom but she knows her mom is innocent and would never intentionally hurt herself, or anyone else. Right?

Oh man, what a heart wrenching story. Grief is hard and has so many different layers. I couldn't imagine going through something like this as a teen and I think this would be good for those who may be experiencing grief. Despite being fiction, there is a lot here for someone to digest and take away from.

I really enjoyed this author's writing too. Easy flow, deep emotion and well-rounded and real characters. The added mystery of what happened to the plane added to the overall story and made for an interesting element. While not necessarily a "fun" read, this was nevertheless enjoyable.

I sincerely appreciate Entangled Teen for providing me with a review copy. All opinions expressed herein are mine and mine alone.

I have received this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

The Gravity of Missing Things will take you on a very emotional roller coaster ride. In it, you will meet Violet, Savannah, Alex, and Landon. Two are sisters, one is the best friend, and the other is a possible new crush. In a blink of an eye, their world changes and it's completely terrifying.

Now my parents got divorced when I was in 4th grade. So, some of the things that were being said or done definitely hit close to home. Without spoiling any major details, I just knew what Violet and Savannah were going through when they uncovered some secrets. It still hurt and my heart strings were definitely being pulled. Still, I kept going because I knew that things were going to get better. Eventually.

Honestly, some of what happened was pretty easy to predict. I honestly wasn't expecting two of the reveals that happened and I'm not exactly sure how I feel right now. Don't get me wrong, I liked how much my mind is blown at the moment. I also really love their relationship with dad. It definitely put a smile on my face because my dad is my absolute best friend. My sister could probably take second place. Maybe.

Other than that, I liked how Violet and Savannah sort of grew throughout this experience. Yes, it was horrible in the beginning, but they seemed to be happier and better people towards the end of the book. Or maybe that's what I'm hoping for and they continue to find their happiness.

In the end, I'm so happy that I got the chance to jump into this. I honestly wasn't expecting to be so emotional towards the last few chapters. It was such an amazing book about grief, self-harm, and closure. Definitely hard topics to digest but Marisa did a terrific job.

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


I don’t know what I expected from this book, but I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed it. It was easy to read, despite the themes of grief and loss, and the representation was really well done. It’s by far my favorite ARC I’ve ever read, I think.


The Gravity of Missing Things follows our main character, Violet, as she copes with the recent and sudden disappearance of her mother, who is a pilot. Everyone assumes she’s dead, or as good as it - the flight disappeared over the ocean, and while people are still looking, even Violet’s own sister and father have come to terms with the fact that she may not come back. Violet, however, believes otherwise, and she throws herself into uncovering what she can about the plane flight and what could have happened. You can tell how much faith and care she has in her mother, how she refuses to give up despite the consistent media speculation.


This was a solid, solid debut novel. The writing was good, the characters and their relationships were well-written, and the lgbtq+ representation and diversity was perfect. I think what I loved so much about that aspect in particular was how casual and normalized it was, but there was also depth to it. It doesn’t mention different sexual orientations in passing just for the diversity points, it’s part of the characters’ identities as well, just like in real life.


There was also an Iranian woman who was on the plane that crashed and who was friends with Agent Rosenfield that the media stereotyped at one point, blaming her. The fact that the author chose to include this in the story is so important because it reminds us that racism like this exists. And it’s necessary to be reminded of these things so that we can do better, because those stereotypes are beyond harmful. We have to do better.


I also loved all of the characters. Violet tackles grief and mental health and we essentially watch her world get turned upside-down and shaken up multiple times throughout the story, and the thing that makes it stick out is how vivid and personal her point of view is. It’s like you can see everything as it’s happening. The other characters - her dad, Savannah, Alex, and Landon - each have their own stories, and I love seeing them each through Violet’s eyes.


The one thing I would say is that the storyline itself seemed a bit anticlimactic to me towards the end. There’s a lot of buildup, and yes there are some startling revelations, but the ending sort of fell flat in my opinion. I feel like the whole mystery it was trying to create wasn’t very suspenseful, especially if you read the synopsis and then go into it thinking that there’s going to be a huge, thrilling puzzle.


Overall, though, this book is great. There’s trauma and grief, and we watch Violet spiral and build herself back up again as she’s dealing with everything all at once, but it’s balanced nicely with more lighthearted interactions between characters as well. It’s inspiring and well-written.


Here are a few trigger warnings, I apologize if there are any more that I missed: self-harm, mentions of suicide, grief, death, panic attacks, anxiety, racism, divorce, infidelity, cancer


3.5 stars.

**Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with a free e-ARC in exchange for an honest review**

When I saw the cover of this book I knew I needed to know more about it because it is simply beautiful. So I went and read the synopsis of it and was immediately interested in knowing more about this story.

The story follows Violet, a highschooler whose pilot mother doesn't come back from a routine commercial flight one day. As the days passes, truth unfold.

To begin with, I quite liked the characters, they were all very sweet and adorable, especially Alex and Landon who were so supportive and always there for Violet and Savannah (Violet's sister). Then, I liked the family aspect, it was different to what I'm used to seeing but it felt very realistic, how a family can grow apart then closer in the face of a traumatising event. The Dad was especially good in my opinion, the true image of what a dad should be.

Regarding the mystery aspect if this book, I must admit I was not satisfied. I thought we would have revelations after revelations, that I would be on the edge of my seat throughout the book, but it was not the case. The revelations we did have I guessed easily, so I cannot say I was thrilled by this aspect of the book. When I think about it, this book was much more about the way we handle grief than a mystery (which isn't wrong, just not what I was expecting).

So if we talk about the way grief was showed, was it satisfying? yes it was. I felt it was realistic how the different characters reacted differently to the mother going missing, some were angry, in denial, others accepted it, it all felt very real to me. This book also shows how important the support system is in those situations, and I liked that.

In the end, I like this book, not my favourite but a good book nonetheless.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Thank you so so much Netgalley and Entangled: Teen publishing for this opportunity

My heart still feels fragile after finishing this book... oh my gosh, I was emotional multiple times throughout this book and felt for the main character (Violet) throughout the entirety of the story. This is the author's first book???? I CAN NOT wait to read more by her. Violet and her family's life is turned upside down when their mom's plane goes missing. There's no wreckage, no signal from the pilot just gone... People are speculating the mom (who is the pilot) took down the plane on purpose or that it was a terrorist attack. The chapters are separated into a timeline of the days since the plane's disappearance is revealed on the news. It's such a fast-paced book, you could easily finish in one sitting if you had the time. Truthfully, I wasn't expecting this book to impact me so emotionally. The book mentioned difficult topics of self-harming and grief which I wasn't anticipating with the blurp. However, these topics weren't just thrown in to fill in gaps, but rather addressed sufficiently.

I could feel Violet's emotions while reading and couldn't imagine what she was going through in her situation. I will MOST DEFINITELY be purchasing this book to have on my shelf so I can re-read it and lend it out to my friends to give it a go.

This book has such an interesting concept. Marisa Urgo wrote beautiful, fleshed out characters. However, there were so many things happening in this book it was hard to fully connect with anything.
Ultimately, a very interesting concept with great characters, but I didn't really care for the plot.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced reader copy of this book.

This book was a quick and interesting read. The concept behind the story is riveting and gripping. The emotions in this book will pull you in as the Violet struggles through her emotions over coping with her mother’s air plane disappearing. Overall this book was a great read and very emotional.

Thank you to Entangled Teen and Netgalley for a copy of this book to read and review. I'm not going to lie, this book was heavy and I cried several times throughout reading it. The whole idea of divorced parents and a plane going missing also hit a little too close to home, but the book was done beautifully and I honestly couldn't stop reading. I think I liked being able to relate to the pain I felt in real life. I really valued the importance of mental and physical health in the story. Violet is a great main character with real vulnerabilities and real struggles and I could feel that coming off the page. While the book was incredibly emotional, I did enjoy the theater humor and budding relationship between Landon and Violet. I thought it was key to Violet's development as a character and I liked watching them unfold. The exploration of loss, grief and healing are really brilliant and I'm glad to see such real topics happen in books. Overall I really did love this boojk and I find it so powerful.

What if you were forced to challenge everything you knew, including the people you cared for the most? How far would you push to learn the truth?

After her mother’s commercial plane and 155 people disappear near Puerto Rico, Violet finds herself in the media spotlight questioning who her mother really is. Violet is determined to find her missing mother and prove to the world and her family that her mom is alive, so she does a little detective work of her own.

I recommend planning your day around this book. Once I began reading The Gravity of Missing Things by Marisa Urgo, I only stopped reading for food, and I completely neglected all my responsibilities. This YA Mystery Thriller is so good and so deep that my eyes struggled to lift from the page! The Gravity of Missing Things is bound to have you questioning the truth as too.

Side Note: If you are looking for a rom com, this is not the book for you. This book will take you on emotional rollercoaster ride in search of the truth. This coming-of-age story focuses on the love and loss of family and friends. The eleventh-grade play is difficult enough for Violet without the media and FBI.

Thank you so much to Entangled Teen and Netgalley for the gifted copy and for the amazing opportunity to read and review The Gravity of Missing Things.