Review Detail

IN THE ORBIT OF YOU is a lush and consuming YA contemporary romance. The story follows Nova and Sam in alternating perspectives with a premise of their fairytale story. Sam and Nova lived next door to each other when they were little, escaping to a hole in the fence where they spent time together with the snails. Sam was being abused, and it ended when he was removed from his parents and went to live with his uncle and aunt.

During that time, Nova has been moving around with her mother for work, which has meant that she has attended six high schools already, and she is only starting her junior year. At the latest school, Nova has decided that she will figure out who she really is, not bothering to make any friends, and decide what she wants to do with her life. Everything is derailed a bit when she realizes the boy she randomly set next to was her childhood best friend. However, he doesn't seem to remember her, and she doesn't want to remind him.

Then, when Sam sees the results of a fundraising personality quiz that match him with Nova, he recognizes the name and knows he has found the girl who meant everything to him when he was little. He seeks her out, but they are unsure what they can be to each other in the face of his new life and Nova's plans to find herself.

What I loved: This was an absolutely consuming read that hooked me from the start. As with all Schumacher's reads, there's a bittersweet quality to the story and a stunning romance/connection. Sam and Nova were each compelling characters with their own challenges that find themselves relating to the other on a different level. Both are dealing with parental expectations and defining themselves amongst that. While Sam's dad-uncle and mom-aunt are supportive, he carries a lot of baggage from his early years that makes him want to keep other people happy - even if doing so means he is not.

In many ways, this was a coming-of-age story with both Nova and Sam doing their best to figure out what they want for themselves and figuring out a way to tell the people around them. Sam's journey is more pronounced in this vein, as he knows what he wants, but he doesn't know how to have it without potentially disappointing the people around him. Nova's is just beginning, as she does not really know herself yet but wants to.

Beyond the romance and their individual growth, there was a lot of insight from Sam's past therapists as well as mostly good parents that added to the story. The ending was maybe not the traditional HEA, but there was a lot of power in it, and it built from their stories well.

Final verdict: IN THE ORBIT OF YOU is a consuming YA contemporary romance about finding yourself and the people who enrich our lives.