Gravity Brings Me Down by Natale Ghent

Published: August 25, 2009
Publisher: Doubleday Canada


Summary: A smart and thoughtful story about self-discovery, acceptance, and finding friendship — all in the places you’d least expect.

Sioux Smith is sharp, funny, and wry, and is pretty certain that she sees the world of high school differently from everyone else — a belief that is cemented when she makes an uneasy discovery about one of her school’s “popular” teachers. And while she feels alone at her high school and in her unique slant on small-town life, Sioux finds a kindred spirit in the most unlikely of people: an elderly stranger, who has more insight despite her progressing dementia than anyone else in Sioux’s life. What Sioux and “Miss Marple” learn about each other over tea, illicitly secreted wine, and Coronation Street, makes for a novel with heart and grit in equal measure.

My Review: This book was a prize I won, and before getting this book in the mail (with some other awesome swag) I’d never heard of Natale Ghent. Flipping through the pages, I was surprised to see some little pictures and drawings in the book.
Sioux Smith is the main character of this story and I think one of the best traits about her is that she is so easy to relate to. She feels alone a lot of the time, has parent / family issues and to be honest, she doesn’t really enjoy high school. (Maybe I can relate more, because of my feelings toward my time in high school) Miss Marple, the elderly woman Sioux meets in an unexpected situation, is a sincere old lady and right away the two of them become friends. It’s an odd friendship and Sioux realizes this, but it is a friendship in the end that means so much to both of them.
The back cover describes Sioux as “…sharp, funny, and wry…” and she certainly is all of those. While reading Gravity Brings Me Down I was laughing out loud, and really just having a good time reading it. It was an easy and quick read, but enjoyable nonetheless. The characters are honest, sincere and funny, and the plot is easy and believable. Natale Ghent has a great writing style that many can enjoy, which is the reason why I picked up a copy of her novel, The Book of Living and Dying.
Overall, Gravity Brings Me Down is a great read! For the teens going through high school now, you may feel as if you’re reading an excerpt of your own high school life. And as someone who has gone through high school, it will have you reminiscing in those past years.