Holding Up The Universe by Jennifer Niven

Publisher: Knopf BFYR
Expected On Sale Date: October 4th 2016
Pages: 400
Age Range: Young Adult

Libby has become a little famous when she was lifted out of her house when it was on fire. Now all of America knows her as the Most Fattest Teen. She is suffering from Cushings Disease and Hypothyroid, so there is not much she can do about the way her body looks. It's hard to change the image everyone has of her, no one knows who she really is. Her mom has passed away recently, so she is living with her grieving father, which doesn't make it easier for her. She is starting at a new high school, and she hopes she will get a fresh new start there.
She'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.  

Jack Masselin has a disorder that makes that he can't recognize faces. He meets Libby, and they get involved in a very mean game the teens at their high school are playing, and things get so bad everyone has to do community service and gets counseling.Because they both have personal issues, they are great support to each other, which leads to friendship and later on love. Because sometimes when you meet someone, it changes the world, theirs and yours.

I have mixed feelings about the plot and the characters of Holding Up The Universe. I found it a bit hard to connect with them. Okay, Libby and Jack both have their own personal issues that they carry with them, but it wasn't enough to make them very interesting. The same counts for the plot: I missed some exciting development or twists and turns. The plot was quite walking towards...nothing in particular other then Jack and Libby finding eachother, but after that happened it missed direction.

Having read all the buzz about Jenniver Niven's books I expected more of this book, but it didn't met the expectation I had of it.