For countless lesfic readers, Kristen Zimmer’s debut novel The Gravity Between Us holds a special place in their heart. For many, it was their first lesfic story. Not me, as I started reading lesfic about twenty years before it came out, but it was one of my first audiobooks. And even though I wasn’t entirely convinced by the narration – one of the two narrators felt all wrong for her character – the story stuck. It took a few years for Zimmer to come out with a second book, but it’s safe to say now that she’s definitely not a one-hit-wonder.
Despite having turned eighteen a few days ago, Britton won’t age out of the foster care system until the end of the school year. She was abandoned at birth and spent her childhood going from one foster family to another. She hopes the new family she just moved in with will be her last but she’s not prepared for how kind and loving and normal (albeit extraordinarily wealthy) they are. Nor for the feelings she starts having almost from day one for her foster sister Avery.
While Britton’s life has definitely not been all rosy, she’s entering a moment in her life when she’s surrounded by good and kind people. We know she’s been hurt, we know she’s suffered, but the part of her life we get to share is all sunshine and stars, and that feels incredibly nice. Avery’s parents are wonderfully supportive of both young women, school is a nice place to be, life is worth living even when it hurts.
When Sparks Fly is such a feel-good book. It reads like a Netflix teen movie, all sweet and smile-inducing. Hear that, Netflix? How about you grab this book and turn it into a movie?
As another reviewer wrote, I would love to read more about Britton’s new friend Spence. I won’t lie, this story isn’t groundbreaking, but it’s good for the soul.
Jude in the Stars 