Holding Up the Universe – Jennifer Niven

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 know who she really is. Following her mom’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. In that moment, 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 impossible art of giving people what they want, of fitting in. What no one knows is that Jack has a newly acquired 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 brain. So he tells himself to play it cool: Be charming. Be hilarious. Don’t get too close to anyone. – Goodreads.com

I received a copy of this book free from the publisher via netgalley.com in exchange for an honest review.

What. A. Read.

This novel has everything you could want in a book. Conflict, love and romance, family bonds, a high school setting.

And then it has more…

A fat girl, for once not portrayed as being shy or ugly or self loathing (because she needn’t be!), a popular guy with a big personality to cover up his shortcomings (though not ones he may think are obvious!). There are secrets, identity crises, friendships lost and found.

It’s obviously very hard for me to put into words what I loved about this book.

All I can really say is – I couldn’t put it down, the plot was well driven, the characters were fantastic and easy to engage with and the ending was perfection.

A great YA read, perfect for schools.