Gravity Is the Thing

It is ASTONISHINGLY WONDERFUL and magical and moving and uplifting and DIFFERENT . . . an instant classic . . . It literally might be my most favourite book of all time. * Marian Keyes *
I loved this book. It's rare for me to have no idea where a story is headed but I only knew that I didn't want it to end. Funny, heartbreaking and clever with a mystery at its heart. * Jojo Moyes *
A brilliant, beautiful, hilarious, heartbreaking, extraordinary book. I say this without bias, only awe. -- Liane Moriarty
GRAVITY IS THE THING is a beautiful, lyrical curiosity of a book. It's about loss and hope, but it's deliciously funny, too, and the writing is so fantastic I found myself reading passages out loud just to savour them. -- Beth O'Leary
When Abigail's brother disappeared, she began to receive scattered chapters from a mysterious self-help book, which remain a constant in her life. But, when 20 years later, she is invited to a retreat to learn the 'truth' about the pages, she comes to understand just how everything is connected. Clever and magical. * Women's Weekly *
Author Jaclyn is the sister of Liane Moriarty (Big Little Lies) and has the same talent for great plots. This unusual novel tugs at the heartstrings. * Good Housekeeping *
Jaclyn Moriarty's debut novel for adult readers is one of the first books released this year but you're likely to still be talking about it months down the line. It centres on Abigail Sorensen, who was sixteen when her brother disappeared and she first received chapters from The Guidebook in the mail. This unusual self-help collection promised to change Abigail's life for the better; all she had to do was reply 'yes' to a no-obligation, free subscription. Twenty years later, Abi - now a single mother and café owner - is invited to attend a retreat where she will finally learn 'the truth' behind the book. Heart-warming and absorbing, you'll never want this book to end. * Culturefly *
This is a multi-dimensional story about cafe owner Abi and her search for happiness. On her 16th birthday, Abi's brother Robert went missing and on the same day, she received a self-help book promising to change her life. Now 35, Abi is on a quest to learn more about the mysterious book she's been using to guide her. This is a beautifully written, complex novel about growing up and coping with unresolved grief, as well as a satirical examination of the self-help industry. It's also very funny and has a satisfying, thought-provoking ending. -- Kate Corr * Heat Magazine *
A thoughtful, beautifully written, truly original, and often hilarious meditation on loss, hope, the self-help industry, and the difficulties of navigating life on earth. -- Emily St. John Mandel (author of STATION ELEVEN)
Lovers of the uplit phenomenon Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine are likely to enjoy Jaclyn Moriarty's Gravity is the Thing. It stands above many in the rather contrived/marketed uplit genre as, like Eleanor Oliphant, it carries a message of hope while not running scared from genuinely difficult realities which can't be easily resolved. Likeable, sensitive single mother Abi is haunted by the disappearance of her beloved teenage brother when she was a teenager, and is moved by a need for answers to follow up an anonymous promise to bring contentment to her life. Yes, it's a little trite in places, but there is also some lovely writing and a very touching conclusion. * The Big Issue *
A dazzling, imaginative novel filled with extraordinary heart and wisdom from Jaclyn Moriarty. [...] Astonishing. Poignant. Life-affirming. [...] A story with extraordinary heart, warmth and wisdom. * Female.com.au *
Jaclyn Moriarty's hilarious, incandescent novel "Gravity Is the Thing" takes us along on Abigail (Abi) Sorensen's quest to find balance in her life after a family tragedy. [...] Moriarty's originality and humor flow on every page of this wise take on loss and healing. -- Elfrieda Abbe * Star Tribune (US) *
The main character's revelations are personal to her situation but really feel universal. The writing is exceptional, and the story is thoughtful. This book is a rare literary achievement. Find a copy. -- Seema R. * NetGalley US *
I am in love with this hilarious and tender story about characters who enchanted and surprised me up to the last page. Gravity is the Thing will lift you up and leave you wondering if the most impossible ideas are actually the heart of everything. -- Mary Adkins, author of WHEN YOU READ THIS
Here, Jaclyn Moriarty has given readers a tender and exhilarating tale of what becomes possible when you dare to believe in the impossible. GRAVITY IS THE THING brims with mystery and enchantment on every page. This book will leave readers breathless and aching for more. -- Meghan MacLean Weir, author of THE BOOK OF ESSIE
With an eye as keen for human idiosyncrasies as Miranda July's, and a sense of humor as bright and surprising as Maria Semple's, this is a novel of pure velocity; it sucks the reader into Abi's problems and her joys in equal, brilliant measure. A complex dissection of the self-help industry, as well as a complete and moving portrait of a difficult, delightful woman, Moriarty proves her adult novels can live up to her YA work's reputation. (July) * Publishers Weekly - starred review *
At its heart, Moriarty's complex and nimble plot serves as a vehicle for a deeper story of the devastating, lifelong trauma caused by a great loss. In between adorable moments with her mercurial toddler and quirky excerpts from The Guidebook, Abi relates the exhaustion and isolation of grief in wry but heartrending detail. Redemptive and hopeful, Gravity Is the Thing announces the arrival of a fresh, funny and perceptive voice in adult fiction. -- Jaclyn Fulwood * Shelf-Awareness *
Bestselling young adult novelist Jaclyn Moriarty brings her unfettered imagination and a buoyant sense of humor to Gravity Is the Thing. She explores difficult subjects, such as the loss of a sibling, with a light touch. As Abi accepts an invitation to re-examine her life, readers may laugh, cry and even reflect on their own paths of discovery. * BookPage - starred review *
When Abigail discovers her brother is missing on her 16th birthday, her life is changed irreversibly. Now 35 years old, Abigail searches for a connection between this cataclysmic event and the chapters of The Guidebook she has been mysteriously receiving ever since. This adult debut novel from YA author Jaclyn Moriarty takes us on a soaring adventure, quite like few we've read before. Most memorable is the sharp, witty narration which glows even in the most heartbreaking moments. This book-with Moriarty's profound prose, the touching portrayal of a young mother's relationship with her five-year -old son and the beautiful, life-affirming ending-made us laugh as often as it brought us to tears. * Apple Books *
If books were friends (and more than a few are) then I feel as though I have met the most wonderfully quirky forever friend. Gravity is the Thing is a complete joy of a book, and one that refuses to be pigeonholed into a genre. Abi, a Sydney cafe owner, has been invited to attend a retreat to learn the truth about 'The Guidebook', chapters have been arriving since she was a teen, and have kept her company in the darkest of times. The book floats between 1990 and 2010, and as Abi opens up her life, she revisits, examines, and searches for answers. Jaclyn Moriarty writes with the most beautiful eloquence, sharp pointed observations sit alongside the tightest of warm hugs. I wanted to meander, to wander, to eke out my reading time, and yet hoover up the words and the feelings they created in one heady go. I contemplated loss and grief, I smiled, laughed, and believed... oh how I believed! Gravity is the Thing is different (in the best possible way), and I predict that this will be one of my favourite books of the year. So, as well as being one of our Books of the Month, it has also been chosen as a LoveReading Star Book. It really is that gorgeous! -- Liz Robinson (expert reviewer) * Love Reading *
Lovers of the uplit phenomenon Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine are likely to enjoy Jaclyn Moriarty's Gravity is the Thing. It stands above many in the rather contrived/marketed uplit genre as, like Eleanor Oliphant, it carries a message of hope while not running scared from genuinely difficult realities which can't be easily resolved. Likeable, sensitive single mother Abi is haunted by the disappearance of her beloved brother when she was a teenager, and is moved by a need for answers to follow up an anonymous promise to bring contentment to her life. . . . there is also some lovely writing and a very touching conclusion. Marian Keyes has declared it her favourite book of all time. * The Big Issue *