Holding Up the Universe

Sep 27

Holding Up The Universe by Jennifer Niven
Reviewed by Omma
📕📗📙📙

From my picture, you can see I was fully engrossed in this book! I think I've veered away from chicklit and now prefer YA reads when I want something lighthearted (The cynic in me grows stronger every day!) It's the first time I've come across Jessica Niven and I really enjoyed her writing style. She writes in alternating chapters between the two main characters Jack and Libby.

What made this different from a typical High school story was that Libby was once America's fattest teen and became so large she had to be cut out from her house. Jack is Mr Popularity but secretly he suffers from face blindness called Prosopagnosia (I still can't pronounce it!) so even his family are like strangers to him.

I really felt like the way the story, conversations and character progressed were realistic. Honestly it was such a cute story and I know I'll read this again when I'm in a reading slump!

Holding Up the Universejennifer nivenyoung adultOmmaFiction

Omma Ahmed

I’ve always loved reading as a kid because it was one of the few Asian-mum approved hobbies although she would have preferred ‘less novels and more school books’! I also grew up in the Harry Potter era so that’s when I really remember falling in love with reading. (Big up my Y7 English teacher for reading a few pages of Philosophers stone at the end of every lesson! You were a real one Mr Williams!) I love being part of this book page (even though I slack massively due to lack of energy and concentration!) because sometimes it felt like a lifeline to help keep me sane. We started it during the time I was feeling really shitty about my Crohn’s disease. It’s been a tough 7 years and the last 3 have probably been the hardest especially mentally so when Linda suggested putting this page together, without hesitation I was down and I’m so proud of us! Writing reviews helped me to organise my thoughts and even resulted in me creating a second Instagram page (@AnOstomateForLife) about my Crohn’s journey. Yes that was a shameless plug and I’m not sorry! Along with reviews, I’ve also loved the creative side of things such as having input in our logo, creating our bookmark and taking book pictures even though it’s awkward af in public! So a few of my fave books: The Godfather by Mario Puzo (made me love the film even more! I’m a self-proclaimed movie buff too btw), Autobiography of Malcolm X by Malcolm X and Alex Healy, The Harry Potter series (obviously), Jemima J by Jane Green, Moonlight over Manhattan by Sarah Morgan, Where’d You Go Bernadette by Maria Semple and We Should All Be Feminists Chimamanda Adichie.

Holding Up the Universe

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