I received an Advance Reader Copy from the publisher. This in no way impacted on my view.

Known across the country as America's Fattest Teen, Libby Strout is ready to return to school, and to normal life. After her mother's sudden death, and her refusal to leave the house, Libby has been home-schooled, and the catalyst for change was when she had to be cut out of her own home following a panic attack. She knows it won't be easy, but she never expects that the jerks at school will start a game to ridicule her. Following a run-in with Jack Masselin, where they both end up in community service and are forced together, she realises that he has a secret, one that only she knows.

Well, this was unexpected. I've heard so much about this book, and the author, but never got around to reading it for so long. As soon as I started Holding Up the Universe, I was hooked. Libby and Jack's two stories are so engrossing, and I needed to know more about them both. Jack's tale of prosopagnosia was new for me. I've heard of the condition, but didn't really understand it, and I liked how the author dealt with it sensitively. I also felt like Libby's weight was dealt with well too, and though there are negative scenes in the book, nothing feels derogatory but rather real, and true to the situation. I felt like the romance between Libby and Jack was a nice addition to the book, and it was their friendship which was the important part of the story. A great book, and one I wish I'd read a lot sooner.

Where to start with this book? Holding Up The Universe was a brilliant read - addictive, page turning and beautiful. Thanks to the publisher for the opportunity to read and review.

Unfortunately, I have not been able to read and review this book.

After losing and replacing my broken Kindle and getting a new phone I was unable to download the title again for review as it was no longer available on Netgalley.

I’m really sorry about this and hope that it won’t affect you allowing me to read and review your titles in the future.

Thank you so much for giving me this opportunity.
Natalie.

Read as part of a campaign for Maximum Pop! All content, reviews created can be found there :)

(I received a free copy of this book from Net Galley in exchange for an honest review.)

Everyone thinks they know Libby Strout, the girl once dubbed 'America's Fattest Teen'. But no one's taken the time to look past her weight to get to see who she really is. Since her mum's death, she's been picking up the pieces in the privacy of her home, dealing with her heartbroken father and her own grief. Now, Libby's ready: for high school, for new friends, for love, and for EVERY POSSIBILITY LIFE HAS TO OFFER. I know the part I want to play here at MVB High. I want to be the girl who can do anything. Everyone thinks they know Jack Masselin too. Yes, he's got swagger, but he's also mastered the art of fitting in. What no one knows is that Jack has a secret: he can't recognize faces. Even his own brothers are strangers to him. He's the guy who can re-engineer and rebuild anything, but he can't understand what's going on with the inner workings of his own brain. So he tells himself to play it cool: Be charming. Be hilarious. Don't get too close to anyone. Until he meets Libby. When the two get tangled up in a cruel high school game which lands them in group counseling, Libby and Jack are both angry, and then surprised. Because the more time they spend together, the less alone they feel. Because sometimes when you meet someone, it changes the world - theirs and yours.

I am going to do this review in two parts - the story itself and what it achieves, and then the characters...

The story, for me, was really, really good. It encapsulated everything I want from a contemporary YA novel: heart, emotion, realistic thoughts and dialogue...things that draw me in. The message of self-worth and self-love is huge and I found myself thinking not only about the characters, but the people in my life and how I treat them. A story that should be held up as an example of one they got right.

The characters... *sigh* ... there must have been a contest that said "Think of the two most diverse characters you can and make them fall in love." Or something like that. Aside from the "fat-girl meets face-blind guy" storyline, there was no depth to either of them. There seemed to be no reason for them to fall in love. There was no "story" to them...it was like the idea of putting two random characters with issues together would just work...it didn't. I am not offended by them or they way they are portrayed...I just think the romance plot was just "blah!"...


Paul
ARH

Wonderfully empowering and emotional. Just as brilliant as All the Bright Places, if not better!

Book Review:

Holding Up The Universe was a book that I was somewhat apprehensive about reading as there had been a lot of negativity around the book from before its release. Although there was this stigma around the book from the start, I did enjoy the book but on reflection, I do see some negatives around the book.

The book follows Libby and Jack who both have their problems and meet and form a loving relationship. Although I do like their relationship it does start in a problematic way with the high school game in the book with Jack doing into Libby as she is deemed unattractive. You can, therefore, see that their relationship is therefore somewhat problematic but this does form their relationship.

I did, however, enjoy both their characters individually and I do believe that the way that Libby is treated definitely did counteract what all of the negativity in the book was about in the same place. It did allow Libby to feel comfortable in her own skin and being a plus sized girl this was a good and positive thing about the book.

The Verdict:

Holding Up The Universe is a book that I would recommend for anyone who loves Jennifer Niven's book but also contemporaries who would like a solid love story.

A very inspiring and brave novel with some very strong messages and with one of the strongest main characters in the history. Beautifully written with tons of understanding and I am looking forward to introducing my daughter to this stroy when she grows up a little.

As a huge fan of previous books by Jennifer Niven I was incredibly excited to read this book, and it didn't disappoint! I read the book in one sitting, unable to put it down and desperate to know what happened next. Readers of Rainbow Rowell, John Green and Jandy Nelson would love this book.

Not for me. I've come to realise that Niven's writing just isn't for me, it's too slow for me to enjoy, and get characters are flat to me.

I really loved Jennifer Niven’s All the Bright Places yet it took me an awfully long time after the release of Holding Up the Universe to pick it up and start reading. What a fool I have been. If at all possible I enjoyed Holding Up the Universe more than Niven’s debut.

The story revolves around Jack and Libby – two teenagers who have their own battles to face. Libby is a big girl. She was formerly known as America’s Fattest Teenager. Jack has a rare medical condition called Prosopagnosia which renders him unable to recognise faces.

Through both of their difficulties they manage to find comfort in each other but this is high school and we all know that school kids can be cruel. This is a story of young love, coming of age and finding yourself.

What I love about YA fiction is that it is so diverse that it presents the reader with something that they may have never heard of. I have never heard of Prosopagnosia so I am almost certain that the students I work with will not have done either. They will have heard of obesity and may have even made cruel comments towards people with weight issues. It is books like Holding Up the Universe that help create empathy and highlight the differences in people. Holding up the Universe is the kid of books that young people need to read.

I can genuinely say that Holding Up the Universe is one of the most impactful books that I have read in 2017.
Holding Up the Universe by Jennifer Niven is available now.

For more information regarding Jennifer Niven (@jenniferniven) please visit www.jenniferniven.com.

For more information regarding Penguin Books (@PenguinUKBooks) please visit www.penguin.co.uk.

Another hugely hyped American YA book that just resulted in disappointment. The tone of the writing doesn't appeal, and many of the characters were two-dimensional. YA has so much more to offer than this.

The review on my blog is in spanish. Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the ARC.

Holding up the universe tells the story of Libby, a young woman who was known as "the fattest girl in America", and the story of Jack, a charming young man who suffers from Prosopagnosia and is unable to recognize faces.

First of all I want to say that I was very interested in the illness that Jack suffers. To the point I googlee all kinds of information and I learned that BRAD PITT suffers from this disease ... Yes, I was surprised too.

Libby lost her mother when she was younger and from there her life changed radically. She began to eat a lot, and she could not get up from his bed. One day she suffered a decompensation and firefighters had to pull a wall to get her. There begins her transformation and one day she decides to go back to school and face his fears.

Jack, on the other hand, is a popular and charming young man who is dating with one of the prettiest cheerleaders in his school. Although everything looks wonderful, internally he is not feeling very well since no one knows about his illness. He is dating that cheerleader because he can recognize her and she can guide him day by day in high school.

I haven't read All the bright places, so I didn't know Jennifer Niven's pen. I loved it!! Although I thought the introduction was a bit long (this is why I gave four stars to the book), as soon as the protagonists cross, the story moves on its own, you can read it in one sitting.

I liked the book a lot and I admire the way she treated both diseases. In Goodreads some people spoke about discrimination, which I did not find in Holding up the universe. I interpret that the author (who had problems with her weight as a teenager, so I do not notice discrimination but knowledge) wanted to raise that.

Again: THANK YOU!! And I'm so sorry for my english!!

A boy who can’t recognize faces and a girl who used to be dubbed „America’s Fattest Teen“ fall in love with each other in Jennifer Niven’s new YA freak-meets-freak novel.

After the sudden death of her mother, Libby became afraid of… anything, really. Comforting herself with food, she eventually became too big to get out of bed. Until that horrible, embarassing day when she had to be literally cut out of her own house and lifted out by a crane to get her to the hospital. Now, after a lot of therapy and shedding weight, it’s Libby’s first day back in high school. Still overweight and fighting anxiety, but determined to make it through the day, Libby meets Jack.

Jack is popular, funny and good-looking. And he has a secret – he can’t recognize or remember faces. Hiding his condition (which, as he will find out, is called „prosopagnosia“) is hard work, and he lives in constant fear of being discovered. Of all people, it is Libby who is the first to learn about his handicap, and the two of them start bonding.

After her bestseller „All The Bright Places“, Jennifer Niven once again has two „freaks“ find and support each other during a particularly difficult time in their teenage years. Once again, mental illness is involved – in this case it’s anxiety, depression and an eating disorder. But „Holding Up The Universe“ isn’t quite as somber as „All The Bright Places“ and doesn’t end with a fatal punch to the gut.

Libby and Jack have serious issues, and none of them simply dissolve till the end of the book. Jennifer Niven knows her stuff, and she makes it clear that falling in love or finding support will help, but it can’t erase anxiety disorders or heal a neurological condition. In so far, Niven stays true to her realistic handling of (mental) health problems. She takes care to explain the complex set of difficulties both teens have to deal with and how they affect their daily lives and their relationships. And while the focus of the book leans towards Libby, Jack’s prosopagnosia is probably the more „intriguing“ handicap. It’s a condition most of us have most likely never heard of, and Niven both explains and illustrates it with great care and empathy.

While Libby and Jack are great characters to relate to for any teen who, for some reason, is either an outsider at their school or afraid to lose their status because of well-hidden flaws, there are elements to this novel which make it feel a bit unrealistic. First of all, Jack. He’s hidden his prosopagnosia from everyone, including his own family. He can’t even recognize his own mother when she walks into his room (he has to rely on „markers“ such as hair style, clothing, voice etc.), and no one has noticed this?! Even with Jack’s very creative excuses and „masking“ techniques, it’s hard to believe. Moreover, why has Jack never mentioned his difficulties to his parents when he became aware of them?

Also, Libby’s development from being an anxiety-wrecked recluse to the self-confident young woman she turns out to be appears a little too smooth. Yes, she has to fight and consult with her therapist. Yes, she struggles. But with the kind of severe issues she’s had, one would expect bigger setbacks, more back-and-forth instead of the quick and linear improvement we see. Then again, „Holding Up The Universe“ is supposed to set a positive example, to encourage teens with similar problems. Fair enough?

There is one big eye-rolling moment, though, clearly demanding suspension of disbelief. Jack’s prosopagnosia is, per diagnosis, a severe case and unfixable. He has never been able to remember anyone’s face. But all of a sudden he manages to remember Libby’s. Yeah. Violin theme playing in background. Love conquers all. You wish.

But Niven’s strength is, once again, creating lovable yet complex characters. Both Libby and Jack have questionable traits, but they are brave, charming, funny and emotional. They are role models with flaws, and we love them all the more for it.

In the end, Niven has served us with another empathetic YA love story centered around two teens with much more than the usual set of adolescence hickups. Her message(s): You don’t need to be perfect. Don’t be afraid. Stand up for yourself. Stand up for each other. And, last but not least – there’s someone out there who will love you just the way you are.

I don’t have a problem with that.

Ein Hinweis für deutschsprachige Leser: „Holding Up The Universe“ erscheint am 22.06.2017 unter dem (furchtbar nichtssagenden) Titel „Stell dir vor, dass ich dich liebe“ auf Deutsch

IT DIDN"T BREAK MY EMOTIONS
After ALL THE BRIGHT PLACES I was kind of terrified to read this. That book broke me and had me sobbing at some ungodly late hour (FINCH FEELS). HOLDING UP THE UNIVERSE doesn’t pack anywhere near as painful a punch. It is a much more positive, uplifting novel with less pain and angst.

Gif: http://www.vomzi.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/relief-gif.gif

ANOTHER IMPORTANT MESSAGE:
The core message that both Libby and Jack learn in HOLDING UP THE UNIVERSE is something I’ve been struggling to adopt myself. It shows the importance of not only accepting who you are and believing in yourself no matter what society/ the bastards of high school think, but also not changing yourself just to fit in. Let’s not forget that important quote: “YOU ARE WANTED”. HUTU is a book I wish I’d read in early high school, when stupid friendship drama and exclusion started creating the basis of the anxiety and self doubt I continue to struggle with today.

I RELATED TO LIBBY MORE THAN I EXPECTED TO
When I started reading, I wasn’t sure what I was going to think of Libby. I’d heard she was outspoken and a bit pig headed, so I was surprised when I started to not only relate but admire some aspects of her personality. Her struggles with anxiety were the thing I related to most, especially the way she’d curl into herself when she felt uncomfortable and the physical manifestations of an anxiety attack. What I admired about her was how she’s dealt with it over the years, going from a young teen terrified of everything to someone who isn’t afraid to speak up to defend herself and her friends.

Gif: http://24.media.tumblr.com/7d29858be84252343b908ed2c66a30fa/tumblr_n1d3uzrEAw1smcbm7o1_500.gif

I NEVER KNEW PROSOPAGNOSIA WAS A THING
Prosopagnosia is a disability that is completely new to me and it sounds horrendous. Not being able to recognise faces would make it incredibly hard to get by in day to day life with people you’re expected to remember. It’s honestly amazing that Jack (and the real life people in Niven’s life his condition is based on) have managed to deal with it for so long so well.

ALL THE POP CULTURE REFERENCES!
Usually the contemporaries I read stay away from modern references for some reason, but HOLDING UP THE UNIVERSE was chocablock! Supernatural was one of many things mentioned on a regular basis. Some others I missed because I’m not American, but it addd another level of entertainment when I completely understood what the characters were talking about.

IN SUMMARY:
Once again, Jennifer Niven has delivered an important message in a well written novel. It’s something that everyone can learn from. I highly recommend everyone give this book a go, especially those who love a good contemporary.

A brilliant tale of what it means to be seen for who you are. Two teens at a school - one recovering from being the fat girl who had to be cut out of her house, and the other who suffers from a condition whereby he can't recognise faces. Hence one girl who is only wants to be seen for who she is and not what she looks like and one boy who desperately hides his inability to see anyone. The lows and highs of their relationship is lovely and compelling. An excellent read.

a deeply emotional book of which the synopsis is rather offensive. a good read

My first "conversation" with Jennifer Niven happene while I was reading the book and I must admit I was generally impressed. I wasn't a huge fan of the pacing of the book, it seemed somewhat slow in my opinion, but I overalled liked the twists and turns of the story. I wasn't a big fan of the main protagonist, some of her decisions seemed a bit foolish to me, but I love how she grew as a character throughout the story.

Overall, 3 out of 5 stars and I'll definitely read all the other books by Jennifer Niven. Thanks for accepting my request to read this book!