Pleasantly surprised. And even more surprised to find out this is the second book in a series, but it works so well as a standalone.

This book was so light and didn't seem to take itself too seriously. I love the messages it sends about relationships and self-love and self-acceptance and diversity and body positivity. There is always a benefit to seeing the positive/improvable aspect of things and this book delivers so well.

Unfortunately my Amazon account got hacked numerous times and I closed my account. When closing the account, I lost all of my electronic kindle ARCs from netgalley under that email including this title which I am unable to review

THIS IS SO MUCH FUN! I loved The Earth, My Butt and Other Big Round Things. I was so excited when I saw that there was a sequel. Highly recommend this!!!

This sequel to The Earth, My Butt, and Other Big Round Things continues the journey of our curvy protagonist. I personally found this sequel to be better than the first, which is unusual.

This book was enjoyable and liked hearing the end of Virginia's story. The events from the first book still affect the main character, along with some new conflicts to deal with;.
Overall, an enjoyable book, but I don't think it's going to stick with me for a long time.

I think I feel the same way about this novel as I did the first in this sequel... slightly indifferent. There were lots of things to like, and then there were also a lot of things that I felt were probably not great for younger girls to read. I thought Virginia was a tough and interesting girl, but I also felt like there were times that she needed to stick up for herself and be a little more responsible for her choices. I thought she was a great character with a big heart, but I just kept hoping she would stand up for herself to her family a little more.

All in all, it was a cute read. It was entertaining and kept me flipping pages until the end, but I honestly just kept feeling really uncomfortable and I felt sorry for all of the characters in the book. It was just a little sad for me and not my favorite read. Thank you to Bloomsbury Children's Books and NetGalley for sharing this novel in exchange for an honest review.

Rating 2.5/5

I remember really enjoying The Earth, My Butt, and Other Big Round Things as a teen, but this just felt hopelessly out of date/touch with modern teens. And for a book that purports to celebrate bodies, there is a heck of a lot of shaming going on just in the first chapter.

I enjoyed meeting Virginia in the previous book, and I was happy to see her grow and define herself even more in this book. But, I must confess, I almost feel like this book is a response to all those, who felt Byron wasn't punished enough in the last book, because once again, the family drama focused on him, and was a major plot point in this book. I think some readers will be happy that it was revisited, but I was most excited about the romance.

Virginia had that one awesome romantic at the very end of book one, but in this book, she has a full-on, wonderful, swoony romance. The problem was that it was sort of a forbidden romance, and let me tell you, it's quite a sticky situation. But I loved it! And adored the pairing and their dynamic. They were sweet and adorable and perfect together.

It was great to have Anias back with the rest of the Shreves clan. We didn't really get to know her in the first book, but I knew she was a big influence on Virginia. I don't think the Shreves family has worked through all their issues, but I thought they made some headway, and Virginia continued to find her voice and come into her own.

I was a little caught off by how open the ending was. I would be delighted to read more of Virginia's adventures, especially given the romantic possibility we were left with, but if you are looking for closure of any sort, there is none.

*Thanks to NetGalley for the eARC of this book!*

It's been a few months since Virginia Shreves has decided to abandon the Fat Girl Code of Conduct and learn to love herself how she is. Unfortunately, she's fallen out of Like with her boyfriend, her brother is on trial for rape, and her best friend has still not come back from Walla Walla, Washington. Then she meets Sebastian, a super-cute artist who seems to really like Virginia just how she is! But, he comes with some baggage of his own.

*My Notes* I read the first Virginia Shreves book ("The Earth, My Butt, and Other Big, Round Things" several years ago, and was very excited to return to Virginia's New York and see how she was doing. Unfortunately... the book just isn't as good as the first one. Where Virginia was strong and learning to love herself in the first one, here she is weaker, less appealing and - I'm sorry, but it's true - more annoying. I just didn't love it like I loved the first one.

Wow, that’s officially the fastest I’ve ever quit a book. I didn’t even finish the first chapter. Maybe thin people should just not write about what it’s like to be fat. Not all of us just sit around trying to figure out how to get a boyfriend. We certainly don’t do it simply so the skinny girls don’t snag em all. Like are you effing serious?

Well over a decade ago, I came across a book called The Earth, My Butt and Other Big Round Things by Carolyn Mackler.

I bought it — and I read it — without even the foggiest of notions as to what it would be about.

Although, in fairness, I did logically presume it would be entirely factual as it would, the title suggested, be about large butts, which we all know cannot lie.

What I found, to my delight, is that this book into which I had ventured blind was satisfying in ways I never could have predicted.

As a woman of a certain size, who use to be a teen of a certain size, I’ve always felt that the… social struggles… associated with walking around in a world where people are much less fluffy than you are were rarely accurately captured in literature.

But, seriously, don’t even get me started on Wally Lambs’ “She’s Come Undone” - As if all of the space in my tiny lady brain is consumed by perpetual preoccupation with my fleshy thighs or the globular fat that gathers under my skin

#GiveMeAFuckingBreak.

What I discovered from reading this book was that this author got it.

She got it in a way that so many others didn’t.

Unlike so many other plump protagonists before her, while fat is a thing that Virginia Shreves is, fat is not all she is.

Adding to the drama — and the discomfort — Virginia is not just in-the-midwest fat — where, arguably, being a bit on the chunky side is more acceptable. Instead, she’s trying to fit her swollen body into the social structure of a ritzy private school in New York — which, outside of LA, might be the worst possible place to be a bit on the chubby side.

Having had much time to reflect on this, I now know that the primary reason I enjoyed Mackler’s original novel so much is that I fell in love with Virginia, flaws and all.

So, when this book which is a motherfucking sequel landed on my desk, I was a bit… giddy… at the prospect of diving in.

Would I get to meet adult Virginia? — a woman who I could only presume would be much like myself.

Would she still be a bit on the heavier side? Or would she have gone on some Jennifer-Aniston-Inspired diet, eating nothing but Kale and drinking only the tears of unbaptized toddlers in an attempt to get the perfect frame? – Please God, let it be the former, I hoped.

What would have changed in her life in the 15-fucking-years since we had last seen each other?

Well, much to my surprise, not much.

Because, despite making her readers wait a decade and a half – A DECADE AND A FUCKING HALF – to hang with Virginia again, Mackler picked up only four months after the events that ended her previous Shreves novel.

When we rejoin the story, we find that the bloom is now off the rose in regards to Virginia’s romance with Froggy — yes, as in ribbit, ribbit — the boy that we spent the entire first book hoping Virginia would end up with.

But, as it would turn out, that's no problem because Virginia has a new potential love interest. Although — and I don't want to give anything away, so I'm being deliberately vague — there's something about this new gentleman caller that makes him a less than perfect romantic prospect.

Another source of conflict that appeared resolved at the end of TEMBAOBRT but, as it would turn out, isn’t is the legal trouble plaguing Byron, Virginia’s believed to be perfect brother who, in the first novel of this now duology, was fighting allegations of, essentially, date rape.

On a side note - it’s interesting how the lense through which I’m viewing these allegations is so different having aged the inarguably significant 15 years — like, seriously, I was a single 20-year-old study-abroad student when I read the first novel, now I’m a married 35-year-old freelancer and mother of 2. Also, the fact that I’m now viewing these events against the backdrop of the pervasive “Me Too” movement is certainly impactful.

In a nutshell, what we find as we move through this book is that the tied-up-in-a-neat-bow ending — which did always appear perhaps too tidy to be believed — wasn’t an ending at all, but instead the calm before the storm — which, really, is decidedly more realistic although ultimately less gratifying.

Describing the plot of this book beyond these admittedly nonspecific details is, I find, exceptionally difficult as this is one of those books that’s less about the events that transpire and more about the characters these events impact.

This book, like the one that came before it, is about Virginia.

I would say that she’s the sun in the center of this literary universe, but she’s nowhere near as impervious as the sun. She’s decidedly imperfect and exceptionally breakable.

And this is what makes her such a wonderful character and what makes this book such a refreshing delight.

I will almost certainly never know why it took Mackler 15 years to pen the follow up to what was a pretty-fucking-popular novel. But, ultimately, it doesn't matter.

I’m just glad that she did.

In the end, this novel turned out to be not so much a sequel as an extension that added depth to the original plot.

Sure, it contained some unlikely coincidences and implausible points that existed only to create drama.

But I didn’t care.

Because I just wanted to spend more time with Virginia.

Fans of the first book will be fans of this book as well. It retains the same charm and quirk and humor that made the first book sparkle.

We give it a strong four out of five cocktails.

It isn't as good as the first book but I so looked forward to getting back in Virginia's life and I'm so happy I had the chance to read this story!

Virginia is now in a better place with her body, even when her parents and family still try to bring it down. She has developed a sense of confidence in her life and is ready to take on new life experiences. Even as she attempts to move beyond her old life, by ending a relationship with her best friend Froggy, she is constantly pushed back into the box she used to be in. Virginia is further challenged by the fact that her brother is going through legal proceedings after he was arrested on date rape charges. Virginia is eclipsed again. The only bright spot is a boy Virginia randomly ran into, who sees her and understands her struggles. However, these two lovebirds may have more in common than either could imagine.

I completely missed the fact that this was a second book in a series, whoops. I even read the first book. I am at a weird place with the way body image was tackled in this book. It felt that Virginia’s personal acceptance was tied closely to the romantic relationships in her life. Certain readers may find the treatment of the date rape plot-line offensive because at times it felt flippant. I thought it was an interesting concept.

Virginia Shreves is finally getting used to having a boyfriend and is slowly working on her relationship with her brother after he had been accused of date-rape. She has many lists and many rules, especially about big girls and dating. She thinks she has fallen out of like with her boyfriend but isn’t sure she should end it, because what if she doesn’t get a second chance at a boyfriend. As her feelings begin to change toward Froggy, she finds herself attracted to a new boy, but he has some issues of his own and they must keep the relationship on the down low. Will Virginia find love, even if she is a big girl? Will they be able to keep their family drama out of their relationship?

The Universe is Expanding and So Am I is the second book in the Virginia Shreves series. Yes, you read that right. Nearly 15 years after The Earth, My Butt, and Other Big Round Things was release, Mackler has finally given fans a little more information about Virginia’s life. This story can be read independently or after the original and readers will still have a wonderful reading experience. I recommend that everyone add this book to their TBR list.

Virginia Shreeves is still trying to figure out how to deal with her brother's date rape charge and suspension from Columbia. Meeting Sebastian, a New York tourist/artist, helps a bit--and the two make a pact not to share their personal dramas. But hiding their personal lives starts to take a toll--one that might end their relationship forever.

Virginia's voice feels very realistic throughout the text, from her insecurities to her nerdy love of popular culture. She constantly feels like she doesn't fit in, with her classmates and her own family. Her story is one of triumph, finally finding her voice and that she fits into her family in ways that she never though possible. Virginia's, and her family's, growth within this book is what makes the story most appealing.

Though the romance at the core of the story feels a bit fairy tale-esque, readers will get swept up in the New York adventures that Virginia and Sebastian have. They are scenes almost taken right out of a romantic comedy, which definitely will make this book a fun summer beach read.

This book is a great follow up to The Earth, My Butt, and Other BIg Round Things. I found the continuation of Virginia's journey believable and compelling.

Posted to Goodreads:For a more in-depth review watch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1DGcjF94LPo&feature=youtu.be

Virginia Shreeves is stilling trying to find her place in the world. She knows she doesn't fit in with her perfect family and she's not sure if she still fits in with her boyfriend, Froggy. But when her brother is arrested for date rape Virginia world changes forever and she must accept who she truly is which a new outlook about life and her body as well as a relationship with a new boy.

There was a wonderful message about accepting yourself and being true to yourself in this novel. However, I was greatly distracted by Virginia's family's blasé response to her brother being arrested for date rape. There were moments when the characters (Virginia included) treated a sexual assault as if it was an inconvenience instead of a crime which made parts of the book unsettling.

I received an eARC of this book from the publisher through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I didn't realize this was the second book in a series, but The Universe Is Expanding and So Am I was able to stand on its own. If anything, it makes me more curious about the first book!

I'm relieved Virginia didn't immediately back her brother when he was charged with date-rape. Families tend to do that with their loved ones, because they don't want to see them in pain or in trouble, despite what they've done. Virginia knew Byron's actions were wrong, but she also remembers her brother from before the suspension and charges. She's conflicted over her feelings, but never wants Byron to avoid punishment. It was an interesting perspective to read from, because her head and heart were constantly conflicted.

Virginia was an amazing character. I hated that her parents would body-shame people in front of her, or even hint that she could do better herself. It was awful to view from the outside, and I cannot imagine how someone would feel on the receiving end of those offhanded comments. They destroyed her confidence and made her question herself. Parents: love your children as they are. I never want my children to feel like something about them needs to be changed. Society has dictated what people should look like today, and frankly... it's bullshit. I'm a "curvaceous chick," too. We should respect all body types and love people for who they are.

I wasn't sure where this story was going to go, and I was a little disappointed by the ending. It was similar to being suspended on a roller coaster and waiting for a drop that never happens. There wasn't a cliffhanger, or any indication that things would be continued later on, and maybe an epilogue would have made the story feel more final. Instead, I'm left with questions and feeling like there is more story to be read. Twice I've caught myself going back to pick this book up, only to remember that I've finished it and there's nothing left to read.

Overall, the story was wonderful and I really enjoyed being in Virginia's head. She's an incredibly compassionate person that appreciates people. She makes a point to learn their names, so they're not simply referred to by their job descriptions (example: the tree woman or the lawn man). Her relationship with Sebastian was sweet, and I loved their interactions with each other. The family dynamics were imperfect but realistic. There were little arguments and disagreements, but they did care about each other. They may not have always shown it in the best way, but it was there.

Everything about this book felt authentic, and now I feel like the author purposefully ended the story the way she did. It feels like Carolyn Mackler stopped in the middle of a thought, but that's life. Life is forever flowing around us. Virginia, Sebastian, Bryon, Annie... their lives are going to continue moving forward in one way or another. We get to see a glimpse of what might happen to them, but there are so many different paths they could take. I think we're supposed to be left feeling curious and optimistic about their future.

*I will post my review on Amazon on its release date.

I enjoyed this one more than the first one! Though I do feel like it could have handled some of the issues in the book a little better. I very much enjoyed Virginia and Sebastian’s story line. I felt like her relationship with her parents was very realistic as well! Overall a well done book!

I read the predecessor to this book, THE EARTH, MY BUTT, AND OTHER BIG ROUND THINGS, nearly 10 year ago. While the writing was simplistic, the story and its characters stuck with me, and when I found out Mackler was writing a sequel, I knew I had to read it.

My five star rating is probably a little generous (those nostalgia feels had me messed up), but it is at least a four star book, even with the little things I didn’t enjoy. Which was mostly that while this book seamlessly transitions us into a sequel for a book written 15 years ago… it kinda feels like a book that was written 15 years ago. Seriously, if something reminds me of being a teenager… it probably doesn’t apply to this new generation of teenagers. Still, it was good.

I particularly appreciated the honesty Mackler shows when writing about Byron, his arrest, and how his overbearing parents act. I liked the fact that Virginia knew her brother was in the wrong but still was unsure of her feelings towards him. Not just because of the rape and arrest, but also because of the way he treated her.

Personally I hope there is a third book where Virginia stands up to her entire insufferable family. We’ve dealt with weight issues. We’ve dealt with break-ups and new love. It’s time for Virginia to take a stand against the people who have tormented her more than anyone else. I’m also eager to get more of Annie Mills’ story and the punishment Byron deserves FINALLY handed down to him.

Carolyn Mackler, please don’t make me wait another 15 years.