A review by readingwithmeredith
Center of Gravity by Shaunta Grimes

3.0

This is a middle grade book that reminds me of a lot of other books out there. It follows the story of 7th grader Tessa who is struggling to cope with grief after the loss of her mother. Her dad, a character I really didn’t like, gets a 23 years old pregnant and they decide to get married. The same day Tessa meets this woman is the same day she finds out she is going to have her as a step mother with a sibling on the way. She also will have to move to a new state! This book has strong themes of dealing with grief, change, and hard times. However, I didn’t connect as much to Tessa as a character. I felt an emotional disconnection because there was more of a focus on her obsession with kids on milk cartons than her emotions. It fell flat compared to other middle grade books that I’ve read in other similar themes. The themes reminded me of The Truth About Jellyfish or the Miscalculations of Lightning Girl, both I really enjoyed. This book was decent and an easy read but fell a little flat to me.

Thank you Net Galley for allowing me to read this book in exchange for my review!