Book 17/30.
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
All the Bright Places was my favourite book of my 2025 reading challenge 🤩 Going into this, I did not see how Holding Up the Universe could possibly hold up (😎) to All the Bright Places, but hopefully I would have a marvellous time finding out 🤓
Everyone thinks they know Libby Strout, the girl who was once called “America’s Fattest Teen.” But behind the label is a girl who has been dealing with grief and trying to put her life back together after losing her mother. Now, Libby is ready to return to high school and start living again. She wants friends, love and the chance to discover what life has in store for her.
Jack Masselin is good at hiding who he really is. He is confident, funny and knows exactly how to fit in, but there is something about him that no one else knows. Jack has a condition that means he cannot recognise faces, not even those of his own family. He can fix almost anything with his hands, but he has no idea how to deal with what is happening inside his own mind. So he keeps people at a distance and hides behind his charm and humour.
Then Jack meets Libby. After the two become involved in a cruel school prank, they are forced to spend time together through group counselling and community service. At first, neither of them is happy about it. But as they get to know each other, they begin to realise that they understand each other in ways no one else does and little by little, they feel less alone.
Holding Up the Universe was not a bad book in and of itself, but compared to the author’s debut (All the Bright Places) it fell remarkably short.
** A guide to ratings **
1 star – did not like it
2 stars – it was okay
3 stars – liked it
4 stars – really liked it
5 stars – it was amazing