Orbiting Jupiter By Gary D. Schmidt, follows a boy named Joseph. At the age of thirteen, he becomes a father and is placed with a foster care family, after getting out of a juvenile facility. As Joseph lives with his foster family he tries anything to see his daughter he has never met. 

DISCLAIMER:  There will be heavy spoilers and trigger warnings within this article. 

Should you read this book?

This book captivates you with saddening scenes that make you question: why? If you’re a bookworm that has a spot for those kinds of scenes then I highly recommend it. You’re getting a sad story with a beautiful awareness of life.

However, if you’re a bookworm that has a spot for more happy and sweet scenes, this might be for you. As much as the book tries to show a happy storyline within, it truly is sad and devastating. It’s really up to you. 

WARNING: Heavy spoilers and trigger warnings are located below!!!

Gary D. Schmidt shows more than telling 

Being absorbed by a story shows the author’s skill in descriptions and tone. Any author I’ve read does such in their work. One such story is Orbiting Jupiter, written by Gary D. Schmidt. 

Summary (Spoilers ahead!!!!): The story starts off with a boy named Joseph being assigned to live with a foster family. The family has a son named Jack that is the same age as Joseph. When talking to Joseph’s case manager, the family is told that he will be a handful, knowing his crazed behavior. 

As the story goes on you can see how Jack and Joseph interact. Joseph is very closed off from everyone and angry at the world. Jack only wants to help and find out why Joseph acts this way. The more their relationship grows the more you see these two young boys become brothers. When they become close enough Joseph finally tells Jack his heartbreaking past. 

Joseph explains that at the age of thirteen he fell in love with a girl named Madeleine. She was a daughter of wealthy lawyers that knew his father. When Joseph and Madeleine spent more time together over the course of a summer they fell madly in love. They both had interest and even declared Jupiter as their favorite planet. When Christmas break arrived Joseph went over Madeleine’s house to see her. When in Madeleine’s room, they both started to take part in sextual activities. However, they were caught by her nanny. The nanny then told Madeleine’s parents and they got a restraining order against Joseph. Later, Joseph would find out Madeleine passed away while giving birth. This was due to Joseph being forced to sign his parental rights away. After this, He was arrested and put in juvenile detention. This all occurred due to him taking pills from his classmate and assaulting a teacher. Ever since getting out he’s been trying to get back to his daughter, Jupiter. 

This event doesn’t even articulate everything else that occurs in the book. Schmidt made me see a little boy not only lose the love of his life, but his own too. He lost the life he could have had with Jupiter, his parents, and friends. Everyone looks at him differently and I could see them all doing so. I felt emotions of sadness and even cried because the pain I was being shown hurt too much. This book made me feel everything all at once. That’s Schmidt showing more than just telling a story, and I find that superb. 

My thoughts: 

I first found this book while looking around my local Barnes and Noble. The description peaked my interest, so I bought it. I had just finished my yearly re-read of The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid when I decided to pick Orbiting Jupiter up. Worst and best decision I could have made. 

To give you a little background, The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jerkin Reid happens to be a sad book. I was looking for a book that would bring me back that happiness I lost. When picking up Orbiting Jupiter I thought “heck it might be sad, but it looks to have a happy ending” Oh how I was dreadfully wrong. 

I have never cried so hard reading a book. I started reading chapter 3 and I was already in tears. There’s something about being shown Joseph’s life that makes him feel real. His emotions and hardships are what ache at my heart. Every time I think about what he was going through I start tearing up. Even thinking about what Jack had to go through at the end with Joseph is what makes everything worse. There’s two quotes that will never not make me stop crying: 1. “And that’s when I started crying. Crying like a kindergarten kid in front of everyone. Crying because Joseph wasn’t just my friend. I had his back. And he had mine. That’s what greater love is.” Page 179; Orbiting Jupiter by Gary D. Schmidt 2.“No one’s ever had my back before. Except Maddie. Thanks.” I got up and stood next to him in the dark. He pointed to Jupiter, lit up, brighter than anything else in the sky. The air was so cold, it was chiming like a struck tuning fork, I was shivering and my feet were freezing. But I guess I was about as happy as I’d ever been.” Page 100; Orbiting Jupiter by Gary D. Schmidt 

These quotes haunt me and if you know you just know. I love this book dearly and I need you to read it. 

     Other quotes I hold dearly to my heart: 

• • “We were just about the last ones to leave. Reverend Ballou took Joseph’s hand to shake it, and Joseph said, “How much of that story is true?” Reverend Ballou considered this. “I think it all has to be true, or none of it,” he said. “The angels?” said Joseph. “Really?” “Why not?” said Reverend Ballou. “Because bad things happen,” said Joseph. “If there were angels, then bad things wouldn’t happen.” “Maybe angels aren’t always meant to stop bad things.” “So what good are they?” “To be with us when bad things happen.” Joseph looked at him. “Then where the hell were they?” he said. I thought Reverend Ballou was going to start bawling.”― Page 12; Orbiting Jupiter by Gary D. Schmidt 
  • “Joseph was standing by the window again. The moon was down. He was looking for Jupiter in the cold and the dark.” Page 88; Orbiting Jupiter by Gary D. Schmidt 
  • “That night Joseph stood by the window in the cold dark. He held Jupiter’s picture, looked at it, looked up at the sky, looked back at the picture. I was almost asleep when he said, “So, Jackie, you still have my back.” “yup. And it’s Jack.” “Yeah.” Then he looked up at Jupiter. “Thanks,” he said. I don’t know if he ever went to bed that night. Page 164; Orbiting Jupiter by Gary D. Schmidt 
  • “I know.” “It really was,” he said, and then he looked down the hall toward my parents’ room, and went out to be with Rosie-smiling. I’d  lost count.” Page 170; Orbiting Jupiter by Gary D. Schmidt 

• “Jackie” she yawned “Jackie.” “Jupiter,” I whispered “Jupiter I promise I’ll always know where you are.” “Jackie,” she said again. And I carried her into the house.” Page 183; Orbiting Jupiter by Gary D. Schmidt 

• “I didn’t miss this one. When my father put his hand on Joseph’s back, Joseph didn’t even flinch.” Page 115; Orbiting Jupiter by Gary D. Schmidt