In the Orbit of You - by Ashley Schumacher (Hardcover)

About the Book

It's been years since Nova Evans last saw Sam. She was too young then to understand why he had to move away--and what it had to do with the cuts and bruises he got from home and never wanted to talk about. All she knew is that they promised to find each other when they were older, something she thought was impossible thanks to her and her mom moving around constantly. Until she bumps into Sam in her new school, and realizes he has clearly forgotten their childhood promise. Sam Jordan has a plan for his life: accept his college football scholarship, date his girlfriend Abigail, and--most importantly--hide how much he wants to do something, anything other than The Plan(TM) his parents and coaches have set before him. It doesn't matter if sometimes he finds himself thinking about the new girl he met in the cafeteria, a girl who reminds him of a past that hurts to remember. When a school-wide personality test reveals Nova and Sam to be each others' top matches--not only that, but a match of 99%, the highest in the school--they begin to remember why they were such close friends, all those years ago. As well as the myriad of reasons this new-yet-familiar, magnetic, sparkling thing between them will never, ever work out.

Book Synopsis

In the Orbit of You is a YA story of enduring love from acclaimed author Ashley Schumacher, where a personality test reunites two friends and makes them second guess their careful plans.

It's been years since Nova Evans last saw Sam. She was too young then to understand why he had to move away--and what it had to do with the cuts and bruises he got from home and never wanted to talk about. All she knew is that they promised to find each other when they were older, something she thought was impossible thanks to her and her mom moving around constantly. Until she bumps into Sam in her new school, and realizes he has clearly forgotten their childhood promise.

Sam Jordan has a plan for his life: accept his college football scholarship, date his girlfriend Abigail, and--most importantly--hide how much he wants to do something, anything other than The Plan(TM) his parents and coaches have set before him. It doesn't matter if sometimes he finds himself thinking about the new girl he met in the cafeteria, a girl who reminds him of a past that hurts to remember.

When a school-wide personality test reveals Nova and Sam to be each others' top matches--not only that, but a match of 99%, the highest in the school--they begin to remember why they were such close friends, all those years ago. As well as the myriad of reasons this new-yet-familiar, magnetic, sparkling thing between them will never, ever work out.

In the Orbit of You is a story about the enduring and changing nature of friendship, of the strange struggle between who you are and who you want to be, and finding your voice after trauma.

Review Quotes

A Reading the West Book Awards Young Adult Longlist Recipient!

"Schumacher expertly captures the acute experiences of childhood nostalgia, deep romantic longing, and the stressors of teetering on the precipice of adulthood." -Publishers Weekly (starred review)

"A theatrical, emotionally intense love story." -Kirkus

"Schumacher's romance is full of enough grit to satisfy a less-romantic reader while serving up a happily-ever-after that feels deserved." - The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books

"Ashley Schumacher knows just how to craft emotionally beautiful books." - In Between Drafts, "13 Books to Read This March"

"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." - YA Books Central

"...it is Schumacher's poetic language and her gift for creating realistic and endearing characters that keep her readers coming back." - Dallas Morning News

"Ashley Schumacher writes the most beautiful stories of young adults figuring out who they are...her books are just magical." - Whit Reads Lit

"With Schumacher's signature voice full of emotion and depth, In The Orbit of You is a beautiful, heart rending story full of hope. And what it means to love someone who knows the most honest version of you, and the cost of that vulnerability." - Kristin Dwyer, critically acclaimed author of Some Mistakes Were Made

"Ashley is the rare author I trust explicitly with my heart. She can make me cry, she can make me laugh, she can make me swoon straight to the floor. Within these pages, she's blessedly done all three and then some." - Erin Hahn, author of Never Saw You Coming and You'd Be Mine on In the Orbit of You

About the Author

ASHLEY SCHUMACHER is the author of Amelia Unabridged, Full Flight, and The Renaissance of Gwen Hathaway, and has a degree in creative writing from the University of North Texas. When she's not reading or writing, she's either singing Disney songs, finding new and exciting ways to pester her family, or trying to find her inside voice, which has been sadly missing since birth. She lives in a small town north of Dallas with her husband, son, and more books than strictly necessary.