3.25 stars
I would like to thank NetGalley for the chance to read and review this book.
What I loved most about this book is that it explored the intricacies of person and whether that made them good or bad. Throughout this story, we question whether we truly know as much as we claim about our loved ones. Secrets unfold in the second half of the book.
To not spoil, there was an Edge of Seventeen (movie) moment that took place that really annoyed me because I hate when movies, shows, or books try to push the message that you should forgive ur blank for betraying you because blank makes them happy. It also pushed that not accepting it is selfish when the other people are actually the ones gaslighting your very valid feelings.
This book explores mental health and how we try to stay in the bliss of denial. In the end, the truth is what has set Violet free from her obsession with knowing who her mother really is. She has come to realize that although she didn’t know every part her mother has hidden, she knows her heart.

This was a wonderful story that had me on the edge of my seat after every single page. It is a must read!

This book was absolutely fantastic. I've already added it to our list for order this year and will recommend it to students.

Special thank you to NetGalley for the ARC copy of The Gravity of Missing things!!

Overall I absolutely loved the concept of this story, the plot line instantly drew me in. Going with Violet on this journey to find out what happened to her mom was thrilling, and it was inspiring seeing the resiliency she has in seeking out the truth and the faith she holds in her mom when everyone is saying that her mom crashed the plane.

I loved the dynamic between the characters and the dialogue felt very authentic and real. Seeing how each of the characters reacted and processed what was happening was very well written.

The only criticism I have is one, Violet’s character kinda shifted back and forth from being a little immature for her age to being very mature, which made it hard for me to support her at times. And second, I did see a lot of events in the book coming and I felt like the build up to the end could have been better, but this was a shorter book so with the length that it is, the flow was really good.

Overall, I give this 3.5 stars and I’m excited to see what the author has in store next!

Stunning YA debut! I was very intrigued by the plot and I love how it tackles topics of grief and mental health. I'd recommend this to anyone who likes a good emotional read with a hint of mystery.

This book has it ALL! Marisa Urgo's debut novel includes a missing plane piloted by the protagonist's Mom, who it turns out has a huge secret; a best friend with a secret; a big sister with a secret; and a protagonist with a secret who is trying to clear her Mom's name. The reader can easily slip into Violet's state of mind as she refuses to accept the reality of what has likely happened to her Mom. Sit down and slip into this book. You won't leave your seat until Violet's journey is concluded.

First a huge thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this book. This book is a real roller coaster. Lots of action and deeply moving. Have the tissues ready. I was crying and so lost in this book I lost track of time. Violet is a thoroughly developed character who had me pulling for her all the way. Great finish! Highly recommend!

Thank you Entangled Publishing LLC and NetGalley for allowing me to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions and views expressed in this review are purely my own and not associated with any brand.

Marisa Urgo has written the most beautifully heartbreaking story I have read in a while. The characters have so much depth and you can feel every emotion. What appears to be a simple mystery quickly turns into a complex and life altering situation story. I was impressed with how much story Marisa Urgo was able to fit in considering this book only covers about a week of these characters lives. So much happens and yet nothing ever feels rushed. The story flows so beautifully. I cannot wait to see what Marisa Urgo writes next!

This was a nice book, but not what I expected. I mean I didn't expect it to turn out the way it did and that kinda disappointed me, but that's just my personal opinion. The writing was really nice and enjoyable.

The Gravity of Missing Things was such a miraculous story!
I will absolutely read and love anything by Marisa Urgo.
I don't even know what to say other than READ IT! Read it because you'll love it!
You will love these amazing characters. You will love the writing. You will love everything!

Entangled: Teen,
Thank You for this brilliant, beautiful story!

I genuinely really enjoyed this book, so much so that I read it in one sitting. Lots of clichés in the characterisation but I think it was well done and I will be recommending this to my students from Y9 onwards. Sad in many ways but uplifting and a quick read. I’m looking forward to reading others by the author.

**See end of review for trigger warnings**

Sixteen year old Violet is dealing with a lot. Nearly to her 50 day “safety” mark after self-harming for years she is navigating school, her older sister preparing to go across the country for college, and her parents recent split and impending divorce. Then the night of her school play her mom, an airline pilot, does not make it to the school. That’s when they learn that her plane has gone missing over the Atlantic Ocean and the time on the clock begins ticking.

The chapters of this book are broken out by day and time of day, chronicling the days, afternoons, and nights in the days following the flight’s disappearance. The thing that struck me so powerful right from the start was the accuracy in which the author moves the story through Violet’s eyes and emotions. I can speak from very fresh experience what it is like to sit and watch the news and listen to people speculate on things they know nothing about while you stare at a phone and pray that news reaches you before it reaches them. The pain on the page is palpable, but the coping mechanisms used make the reading experience like a white hot knife carving at your heart. It’s nice to meet you, Violet, I also burned brownies waiting for a phone that never rang.

My experience thankfully was not as drawn out as Violet’s and nowhere near as targeted. Because, of course, in the quest for answers we see the general public point fingers at the pilot, Violet’s mom, and question her mental health, integrity, and motives. Integrity and motives that are never questioned in Violet’s mind because of a mysterious letter that her mom left behind assuring Violet that she had a plan and begging Violet to trust her…which Violet could unquestionably do because she knew her mom better than anyone else in the world. Right?

Our cast of characters is rather small, mainly consisting of Violet, her sister Savannah, and their dad. This allows you to really take a deep dive into each of these characters, what makes them tick, who they are as people, and how they navigate the grief they’re all trying to endure. There wasn’t a single character I didn’t love, they were all so beautifully written and I still find myself sitting here thinking about them.

I also LOVED the representation in this book. I can’t say from experience if it was accurate from queer and bisexual perspectives, however I found them to be genuine, serious, and respectful. Plus things like coming out and the “confusion” surrounding bisexuality (to quote Violet, “sometimes being bisexual was like running a race with your ankles tied together. If you dated a guy, people said you were really straight. If you were with a girl, you were actually gay. There was no winning. It only made telling people harder.”) aren’t really discussed in books. You usually just get a “token character/lifestyle” and then the story moves on. I loved that this story actually gave depth to our characters and who they genuinely were instead of brushing over their orientation as just another descriptive factor. Everything about Violet and her best friend Alex (she lovingly refers to themselves as two peas in a queer pod) is adorable, fun, organic, and a breath of fresh air. They’re the Mia and Lily from The Princess Diaries for this generation.

Another area of representation that was painful to read but so necessary was the author’s choice to place a woman of Iranian descent on the plane. We all know prejudice and racism exist, but still tend to hide behind harmful stereotypes when push comes to shove. The judgements passed on this woman by the media and investigators in the face of the FACTS we know about her character were devastating…and not too far off the mark of reality. It’s a sign of our times and also a warning flare in the sky reminding us that we as humans can and MUST do better.

Violet’s unlikely friendship with a her longtime classmate Landon was so natural and didn’t feel forced or rushed in the slightest. A romance would have felt out of place considering the subject matter of this book, but it reminded me of another book that I adore: Summer of the Swans by Betsy Byars. Joe Melby in that story walked so Landon in this story could run. From his own mental health struggles and his vulnerability and trust where Violet is concerned, to the quiet strength and support he gives her with both his words and his actions, Landon stole my heart from the very beginning and I LOVED seeing him through Violet’s eyes.

And Violet, our protagonist. I cannot say enough about her. The stages of grief she went through, the determination to defend and clear her mother’s name, her pain, her struggle to keep herself grounded and fight the gathering storm inside herself, then ultimately her implosion, downward spiral, and shattering were all filled with such raw, honest emotion and unfiltered humor and heartbreak. Her words reverberated in my heart as much as they destroyed my heart and sometimes I wasn’t sure if my tears were for her experiences or mine and THAT right there is the mark of a darn good book!!

If you found yourself moved, in love with, and devastated by the likes of Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close, P.S. I Love You, Looking for Alaska, and The Summer of the Swans then do yourself a favor and read this book. It was a beautiful and poignant essay on life, loss, grief, and life the way we know and think we know it.

I would like to extend a huge thank you to the author, NetGalley, and Entangled Publishing for sending me this book in exchange for my honest review. It was my pleasure!


TW: self harm, grief, loss, missing persons, news/media and investigative trauma/PTSD, conspiracy theories, prejudice, racism, panic attacks, anxiety, divorce, talk of suicide and murder/suicide.

Would you trust someone if they disappeared with a plane full of people? What if that someone was your own mom.
Everyone is talking about the pilot who crashed the plane into the ocean.
But is that what really happened?

A compelling five-star read. This is a story that will make you cry, it will also make you smile, but mainly it will make you cry, in so many ways. Violet is such a strong character, even if she doesn’t realise it herself. I didn’t realise this was a debut novel until I sat down to write the review and that just made it a much more powerful story to me. I am so excited to hear where this author will go to next, as they follow their own path, much like Vi, Savanna, Alex and Landon do in this story. This is the story about a missing plane, and a main component of a missing life, a missing mother, but its so much more that a parent missing. It’s a who done it, and details will be revealed in little titbits that will give you just enough to keep you hooked but not enough for you to know until the author is ready for you to know, it adds to the drama and tension, making those tears flow in droves like rainfall. This is a great novel, and I am excited to hear what the author has for us next.

I thought this book started good as a mystery YA with some highs hook aged drama, but as it progresses it was more like Bleh. I found the growth of the characters pretty boring, The sisters and dad did not interact right and it wasn’t written well it all seemed super foreign and like a slow motion awkward movie.
And finally the ending was so disappointing.

Thanks Entangled Publishing and NetGalley for the ARC of this book*

The novel is written from Violet’s perspective. Her mother Jenn is a pilot. Jenn’s plane has gone missing whilst she was flying home, along with 149 passengers and 5 other crew members.
The book covers the days following this news and its aftermath. Jenn is considered a prime suspect in the investigation so Violet begins to conduct her own investigation. Violet’s effort is driven by a cryptic letter from Jenn, where she asked Violet to trust her plan.

The mystery aspect made this such a quick read, I really couldn’t put it down. But the book deals with so many topical themes - grief, relationships, mental health, sexuality (the list goes on). I feel like this is going to be really really popular. It’s one of the best YA books I’ve read in years.

The writing is great and this could probably be read in one sitting.
I enjoyed Violet’s narration, it was witty, hopeful, and mature.

4 stars.


*I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I was immediately drawn to this book by the clearly beautiful cover. This book tackles so many hard aspects of being a teenager with the unexpected loss of a parent on top of it. Though Violet drove me nuts at times, I put myself in her shoes and have no idea how teenage me would’ve coped with everything that was thrown at her. The Gravity of Missing Things provided a number of twists and turns that kept you reading until the finale truth was revealed. A lovely debut novel for Marisa Urgo. I look forward to reading more in the future.

Thank you Netgalley for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Didn’t care for this book. Two stars might be too generous. Other people may love it but, it just wasn’t for me.

The gravity of missing things was really good!! It kind of reminded me of this show I think it was called manifest. It is a fast-paced dystopian/sci-Fi book.

What starts out as a book giving 'Manifest' vibes turns into one that deals with the fallout of loosing a parent and how people deal with loss so differently. I was fully taken along the ride with Violet as she try's to uncover the mystery of her mothers disappearance, all the while discovering that she wants more for herself. Marisa's writing was so effortless and fluid and she was able to portray Violets thoughts and feelings so effortlessly to the reader that I felt everything she was experiencing! I was able to laugh, cry and cringe in embarrassment in the perfect passages. Highly recommended this to anyone who likes to feel what they read and get sucked into the plot. I feel incredibly lucky to be approved for the ARC of this and plan to buy the physical copy when it releases.