The following version of this book was used to to create this Study Guide: Stamper, Phil. The Gravity of Us. New York, New York: Bloomsbury, 2020. This young adult novel has 32 chapters and an epilogue but for the purposes of this guide will be broken into seven sections. Throughout the novel, Stamper intersperses Shooting Stars episodes between various chapters that are a few pages in length, in a different font and format, that report on roughly what is happening in the rest of the plot.

The novel opens with Cal filming an update on FlashFame in New York City, telling his half a million followers about NASA’s Orpheus project. He meets his friend Deb at a cassette shop, and they head home to Brooklyn. When he gets home he hears his parents fighting about the Orpheus project, as Cal’s Dad has applied to be an astronaut. If selected, he could be on the team to go to Mars, but it would mean they would have to move to Clear Lake in Houston, Texas. It also means Cal would have to give up his FlashFame account as the media company StarWatch has a strict gag rule on outside coverage. That night Cal’s father gets the call that he has been chosen. Cal is upset, especially about giving up his FlashFame account. He and Deb make a plan for after graduation before the family drives off to Texas. Between Chapters 3 and 4 is Shooting Stars Episode 10 of the Tucker family, where Leon talks about giving up his gymnastics career.

When they arrive in Clear Lake, Brendan, a NASA soil scientist takes them to their new house. Cal starts filming on FlashFame and suddenly the media pull up. Cal’s family goes to talk to reporters and they realize they are there for Cal Sr. the astronaut, as much as they are for Cal Jr, the FlashFame reporter. Grace, Kat, and Leon come over to help deal with the media. Cal is immediately taken with Leon. Between Chapters 6 and 7 is a Shooting Stars episode during which a flustered Josh Farrow tries to show Cal Sr.’s lack of experience to be selected for the mission. After this, Cal is served with a Cease-and-Desist letter from StarWatch about his FlashFame recordings. Meanwhile, his relationship with the Tucker family grows as he volunteers for the astronaut family community garden.

The Lewis family goes to a party at the Tucker’s house where Cal and Leon drink champagne and Cal almost kisses Leon. Cal also meets Donna, the deputy of social media at NASA. The next day Leon and Cal tour the NASA headquarters with Donna, and Cal and Leon end up in the simulation room where they kiss for the first time. They then film Brendan talking about soil, as Cal’s viewership climbs. StarWatch, meanwhile, airs episodes of Josh interviewing Donna about Cal breaking the NASA contract and she defends Cal. Josh also interviews Mark Bannon - who thanks Josh for making government funding happen.

A few nights later there is a jet crash with Grace, Mark, and Cal’s dad as they traveled overnight to Cape Canaveral. The families gather at the Tucker house and learn Mark has died in the crash. Josh tries to pressure Mara into filming her grieving. Cal and Kiara decide to expose Josh and StarWatch and Cal streams Josh exploding on his FlashFame. Afterwards, Leon and Cal continue to grow closer. NASA announces that after Mark’s death, Grace will pilot Orpheus V and Calvin Sr. is the alternate.

Everyone travels to Cape Canaveral to watch the satellite launch, and while at the airport Cal and Kiara talk about Cal’s future. The next day at the launch, while Cal and Leon hold hands, the satellite blows up in mid-air. Cal streams the event and aftermath. NASA starts to panic about funding, and StarWatch continues episodes doubting the project. Deb tells Cal that her family has been evicted. In the Shooting Stars season finale, they show Cal and Leon holding hands, and claim Cal is using the launch for his own social media gain (Kiara secretly recorded Cal at the airport). They also claim NASA hired his dad because of Cal and his social following. Leon decides they need a break. Cal, desperate to fix something, decides to drive to Brooklyn to see Deb but realizes he cannot run away from these problems.

A U.S. Representative calls a vote to defund the Orpheus V project. The night before the vote, Cal takes matters into his own hands. He films several videos with NASA staff and his dad about the project. He includes a plea to his followers to advocate for the project. He also adds a code to his handle that Kat and his Mom created, that allows people to click and take action. After filming, his Mom tells him he cannot fix everything. He and Leon reconcile over champagne that night. His videos go viral and Deb calls him to reconcile as well. Cal is overwhelmed with interview requests - which he brings to NASA for them to handle.

The next day at another astronaut party, Donna announces the board has voted to keep the Orpheus Project going, and Congress has called off the vote to defund. Everyone cheers, as Cal crosses the room to kiss Leon. They talk and Leon says Cal needs to accept him as he is and not try to fix him. Cal keeps going to NASA to do FlashFame stories, feeling proud of his dad, and his parents tell him they are seeing a therapist to work through their issues. Chapter 32 ends as Leon and Cal make out alone at Cal’s house. The epilogue starts eight months later at the Orpheus launch. Cal is reporting for Teen Vogue, and he and Leon have gotten into the same college. He and Leon hold hands as the rocket launches and the earth quakes. The book ends with Cal thinking, “And we enter a new era” (307).