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missusb21's review against another edition
4.0
Update: Review now available at my blog, Trish Talks Texts.
Expected a funny book and was a little surprised by the seriousness of subject matter.
Longer review later, closer to release date at my blog.
Expected a funny book and was a little surprised by the seriousness of subject matter.
Longer review later, closer to release date at my blog.
evelyn14's review against another edition
4.0
Thanks to NetGalley for providing me with this e-arc
Check out my Review! http://evelynreads.com/review-the-universe-is-expanding-and-so-am-i/
Check out my Review! http://evelynreads.com/review-the-universe-is-expanding-and-so-am-i/
kromeklia's review against another edition
4.0
If only I was so mature at her age. Wow! Growing up is tough and dealing with family stuff when people don't want to talk about things makes it even rougher.
howifeelaboutbooks's review against another edition
4.0
I love how this book explored body image and how to deal with a date rapist in your family. I thought that was a unique spin on the storyline.
novi's review against another edition
3.0
In this sequel, the author seems like she's trying to "fix" some of the old notions from the previous book (which was published in 2003), like the skinny shaming. I don't think we should shame any kind of body type, but I think what should be the more important discussion is the discrimination against fat people is real and systemic. But maybe this is not a book for that, and it's fine I guess. There are also some paragraph about Virginia finally acknowledging that her family is indeed rich, but it's meaningless because she just said it matter of factly and not discussing about the impact of their privilege, not even contemplating what would happen to them or herself in this situation if they had very little money. But she's a spoiled girl and still has a lot to learn, so, okay.
I love the part about her and Sebastian though. It's cute. They're cute. That's it.
Although the ending is reaching and very weird; and the beginning is the author trying to give updates to readers who haven't read or forgot the first book which is tedious at least for me; I quite enjoyed this quick read.
I love the part about her and Sebastian though. It's cute. They're cute. That's it.
Although the ending is reaching and very weird; and the beginning is the author trying to give updates to readers who haven't read or forgot the first book which is tedious at least for me; I quite enjoyed this quick read.
novelbloglover's review against another edition
5.0
Book Review
Title: The Universe is expanding and so am I
Author: Carolyn Mackler
Genre: YA/Family/Contemporary
Rating: *****
Review: The opening to The Universe is expanding and so am I takes place five months after the end of The Earth, my butt and other big round things. We re-join Virginia and Froggy who have been together in a relationship for five months, something the old Virginia thought she’d never have. After dating for a little while Virginia seems to have left the honeymoon period behind and discovers that she doesn’t really feel anything for Froggy but doesn’t want to break up with him because he is the first and only boyfriend she’s ever had, but she doesn’t want to lead him on when their relationship won’t go any further than it already has. Despite this her life is good, her sister is returning home from the Peace Corps and she and Shannon are doing a summer internship together, but she also has to pass her driving test and is hating every second of it. One thing that still struck me was her relationship with Byron still isn’t what it used to be, and I doubt it ever will be.
As we approach the ¼ mark in the novel, Virginia is contemplating her relationship and her summer plans when she runs into a nice foreigner and immediately feels a connection with him, but she is back to being awkward and shy, but she hopes that she will meet him again. However, her summer is turned upside down when Shannon drops out of their internship at the last moment, making Virginia feel alone. Life for Virginia isn’t as bad as it was in the previous book until Byron gets arrested presumably for the date rape incident the previous year and Virginia’s anxiety goes through the roof and having Brie in her kickboxing class isn’t helping her get away from her issues.
As we cross the ¼ mark in the novel, it looks like Byron is going to be faces charges for what he did, which he deserves to because being drunk is not defence for raping someone, but it takes Virginia back to square one, all the progress she made erased. When Byron makes bail, Virginia gets to see the people her parents really are and when she tries to confront them with the truth of the situation, she is treated like the bad guy. Honestly, I agree with her that Byron should be punished for what he did because it was wrong, and they shouldn’t be trying to make light of the situation.
As we approach the halfway mark in the novel, Anais is the only person Virginia can talk to, the only person who understand but she is currently in London and can’t do much to help. It isn’t made any better when Virginia finds out the boy she meets is Sebastian and is Annie Mill’s brother, which only makes her more confused about the situation and whose “side” she is on. I feel that Virginia has been on Annie’s side since the beginning and that isn’t going to change anytime soon. The upside is that she and Sebastian continue talking using the code names Leela and Fry which was super cute, and she can’t feel guilty anymore since she and Froggy broke up, but the family re trying to hide for the media attention and Virginia just can’t find it in herself to sympathise towards her brother.
As we cross into the second half of the novel, Byron’s situation also takes away a lot from the rest of the family including her mother’s book deal and Virginia’s internship but she does get another job and she also plans to meet up with Sebastian again away from their local areas so there is no chance of them being caught together. Virginia and Sebastian continue their relationship even though they shouldn’t, but they seem to truly understand how the other is feeling but they still have a few awkward moments when discussing their family situations and by this time I was wondering what is going to happen between them when people find out which they eventually will.
As we approach the ¾ mark in the novel, Anais returns home with her girlfriend solidifying that the Shreves daughters are very different from their parents but Anais fits in while Virginia doesn’t. The only person she has right now is Sebastian, but she can easily lose him if someone finds out about them. As the situation with Byron draws on Virginia and Sebastian begin moving past that and realise that their life together is no one else’s business. However, if the case goes to trail I am not sure whether they will survive it even if they do truly love one another.
As we cross into the final section of the novel, not everything works out, but Virginia finally gets her parents to understand who she is and what she wants although she goes about it in a very interesting way. While we had to wait over a decade for a sequel I am hoping there is more to come from Virginia soon. Highly recommend both books in this series.
Title: The Universe is expanding and so am I
Author: Carolyn Mackler
Genre: YA/Family/Contemporary
Rating: *****
Review: The opening to The Universe is expanding and so am I takes place five months after the end of The Earth, my butt and other big round things. We re-join Virginia and Froggy who have been together in a relationship for five months, something the old Virginia thought she’d never have. After dating for a little while Virginia seems to have left the honeymoon period behind and discovers that she doesn’t really feel anything for Froggy but doesn’t want to break up with him because he is the first and only boyfriend she’s ever had, but she doesn’t want to lead him on when their relationship won’t go any further than it already has. Despite this her life is good, her sister is returning home from the Peace Corps and she and Shannon are doing a summer internship together, but she also has to pass her driving test and is hating every second of it. One thing that still struck me was her relationship with Byron still isn’t what it used to be, and I doubt it ever will be.
As we approach the ¼ mark in the novel, Virginia is contemplating her relationship and her summer plans when she runs into a nice foreigner and immediately feels a connection with him, but she is back to being awkward and shy, but she hopes that she will meet him again. However, her summer is turned upside down when Shannon drops out of their internship at the last moment, making Virginia feel alone. Life for Virginia isn’t as bad as it was in the previous book until Byron gets arrested presumably for the date rape incident the previous year and Virginia’s anxiety goes through the roof and having Brie in her kickboxing class isn’t helping her get away from her issues.
As we cross the ¼ mark in the novel, it looks like Byron is going to be faces charges for what he did, which he deserves to because being drunk is not defence for raping someone, but it takes Virginia back to square one, all the progress she made erased. When Byron makes bail, Virginia gets to see the people her parents really are and when she tries to confront them with the truth of the situation, she is treated like the bad guy. Honestly, I agree with her that Byron should be punished for what he did because it was wrong, and they shouldn’t be trying to make light of the situation.
As we approach the halfway mark in the novel, Anais is the only person Virginia can talk to, the only person who understand but she is currently in London and can’t do much to help. It isn’t made any better when Virginia finds out the boy she meets is Sebastian and is Annie Mill’s brother, which only makes her more confused about the situation and whose “side” she is on. I feel that Virginia has been on Annie’s side since the beginning and that isn’t going to change anytime soon. The upside is that she and Sebastian continue talking using the code names Leela and Fry which was super cute, and she can’t feel guilty anymore since she and Froggy broke up, but the family re trying to hide for the media attention and Virginia just can’t find it in herself to sympathise towards her brother.
As we cross into the second half of the novel, Byron’s situation also takes away a lot from the rest of the family including her mother’s book deal and Virginia’s internship but she does get another job and she also plans to meet up with Sebastian again away from their local areas so there is no chance of them being caught together. Virginia and Sebastian continue their relationship even though they shouldn’t, but they seem to truly understand how the other is feeling but they still have a few awkward moments when discussing their family situations and by this time I was wondering what is going to happen between them when people find out which they eventually will.
As we approach the ¾ mark in the novel, Anais returns home with her girlfriend solidifying that the Shreves daughters are very different from their parents but Anais fits in while Virginia doesn’t. The only person she has right now is Sebastian, but she can easily lose him if someone finds out about them. As the situation with Byron draws on Virginia and Sebastian begin moving past that and realise that their life together is no one else’s business. However, if the case goes to trail I am not sure whether they will survive it even if they do truly love one another.
As we cross into the final section of the novel, not everything works out, but Virginia finally gets her parents to understand who she is and what she wants although she goes about it in a very interesting way. While we had to wait over a decade for a sequel I am hoping there is more to come from Virginia soon. Highly recommend both books in this series.
heylauralou's review against another edition
5.0
Not at all clear why this book isn’t much more popular! I never read the first one and don’t think I missed out on anything. This is a solid stand alone book. Really loved the body positivity and unique take on a teenage girl. I also really loved the way they explored the Me Too movement from a different point of view. Highly recommend!!
paulina_aspiringliterati's review against another edition
4.0
4 surprised stars!
Full disclosure: I requested this for review unaware that it was a sequel. I did not read „The Earth, My Butt, and Other Big Round Things” by Carolyn Mackler, nevertheless I ended up enjoying „The Universe Is Expanding and So Am I” quite a bit. A lot more, in fact, than the initial couple of chapters led me to believe.
However, to start at the beginning, the book continues with a now 16-year-old Virginia (nicknamed ‘Gin’ by her family which I found adorable) who has finally accepted who she is inside and out. Sadly though, not all is well as her older brother Byron has been charged with a date-rape which shattered their once great relationship. She needs to learn how to navigate that new reality, even more so when her relationship with boyfriend Froggy starts dissolving and she meets Nate. And Nate… let me tell you! Haha. Actually, no, I won’t because you’ll read about it and it’ll be even better than me telling you.
I went into this mildly annoyed with the narration style. Or rather I was annoyed with Virginia’s POV. Not to name drop but there is a certain holier-than-thou attitiude certain characters in certain YA contemporary novels exhibit which I find very irritating. Unfortunately for me, Virginia’s attitiude read like that for the first couple of chapters. Then it got better (or I got used to it) and I ended up rooting for her, finding that she could learn from her mistakes and improve upon her past judgmental self (I just can’t stand black-or-white judgmental characters, call it my personal flaw in character or whatever but I cannot, my skin crawls). I was also a fan of her newly blossoming romantic relationship and wanted, more than anything, for Byron and hers brother/sister dynamic to be salvaged.
I never read the first book so I’m missing information here but from what I gathered from this one, I could tell that the sibling relationship between Virginia and Byron used to be pretty great. He was an older brother who could be a dick sometimes but they were close and it was overall good. Reading about Virginia’s life post rape accusation made against her older brother was therefore absolutely heartbreaking. My heart was wrenching for her because it was an impossible situation. How can one choose sides? A girl was hurt. Badly. Irrevocably. But then again he says he was drunk and doesn’t remember a thing. And he IS your brother! The latter first and foremost could send any reason packing. I felt the emotional turmoil and I found myself sympathizing with Virginia’s difficult family life A LOT. Despite my initial reservations at the beginning of this book which I see as victory because sometimes first impressions are impossible to surpass.
I liked where this book went family life wise, heart feels what heart will wise, too. Some of the conslusions were very mature and I loved what I was reading. I wasn’t that invested in the romance part itself but I also don’t think it was intended as primary focus of this book. Sure, it influenced a major part of the plot and how things concluded but it wasn’t made into something dramatic. It was important but its importance wasn’t blown out of proportion which happens a lot in contemporary YA. I was grateful for that and I strongly believe that „The Universe Is Expanding and So Am I” benfited from not expanding on drama in an unnecessary way.
All in all this book really took me aback. I expected to breeze through it but not for the subject matter to land so well and in such a profound way. As I read it having never read the first book and still enjoyed it a lot I don’t think it is necessary to start with the first. Although I’m pretty sure one can only benefit from getting to know the origins of this story better.
**massive thank you to the publishers and NetGalley for providing an arc in exchange for a fair and honest review**
Full disclosure: I requested this for review unaware that it was a sequel. I did not read „The Earth, My Butt, and Other Big Round Things” by Carolyn Mackler, nevertheless I ended up enjoying „The Universe Is Expanding and So Am I” quite a bit. A lot more, in fact, than the initial couple of chapters led me to believe.
However, to start at the beginning, the book continues with a now 16-year-old Virginia (nicknamed ‘Gin’ by her family which I found adorable) who has finally accepted who she is inside and out. Sadly though, not all is well as her older brother Byron has been charged with a date-rape which shattered their once great relationship. She needs to learn how to navigate that new reality, even more so when her relationship with boyfriend Froggy starts dissolving and she meets Nate. And Nate… let me tell you! Haha. Actually, no, I won’t because you’ll read about it and it’ll be even better than me telling you.
I went into this mildly annoyed with the narration style. Or rather I was annoyed with Virginia’s POV. Not to name drop but there is a certain holier-than-thou attitiude certain characters in certain YA contemporary novels exhibit which I find very irritating. Unfortunately for me, Virginia’s attitiude read like that for the first couple of chapters. Then it got better (or I got used to it) and I ended up rooting for her, finding that she could learn from her mistakes and improve upon her past judgmental self (I just can’t stand black-or-white judgmental characters, call it my personal flaw in character or whatever but I cannot, my skin crawls). I was also a fan of her newly blossoming romantic relationship and wanted, more than anything, for Byron and hers brother/sister dynamic to be salvaged.
I never read the first book so I’m missing information here but from what I gathered from this one, I could tell that the sibling relationship between Virginia and Byron used to be pretty great. He was an older brother who could be a dick sometimes but they were close and it was overall good. Reading about Virginia’s life post rape accusation made against her older brother was therefore absolutely heartbreaking. My heart was wrenching for her because it was an impossible situation. How can one choose sides? A girl was hurt. Badly. Irrevocably. But then again he says he was drunk and doesn’t remember a thing. And he IS your brother! The latter first and foremost could send any reason packing. I felt the emotional turmoil and I found myself sympathizing with Virginia’s difficult family life A LOT. Despite my initial reservations at the beginning of this book which I see as victory because sometimes first impressions are impossible to surpass.
I liked where this book went family life wise, heart feels what heart will wise, too. Some of the conslusions were very mature and I loved what I was reading. I wasn’t that invested in the romance part itself but I also don’t think it was intended as primary focus of this book. Sure, it influenced a major part of the plot and how things concluded but it wasn’t made into something dramatic. It was important but its importance wasn’t blown out of proportion which happens a lot in contemporary YA. I was grateful for that and I strongly believe that „The Universe Is Expanding and So Am I” benfited from not expanding on drama in an unnecessary way.
All in all this book really took me aback. I expected to breeze through it but not for the subject matter to land so well and in such a profound way. As I read it having never read the first book and still enjoyed it a lot I don’t think it is necessary to start with the first. Although I’m pretty sure one can only benefit from getting to know the origins of this story better.
**massive thank you to the publishers and NetGalley for providing an arc in exchange for a fair and honest review**
mummyisreading's review against another edition
4.0
My Review:
Wow! I was so intrigued by the cover, and the title of this book, but I absolutely was NOT expecting to fall in love with Virgina Shreves.
I hadn’t heard of, or read Carolyn Mackler’s previous release, The Earth, My Butt and Other Big Round Things, and I was a little hesitant that I might feel I was missing something. On the contrary, I adored this book. It was easy to read it as a stand alone, and Mackler’s writing through Virginia’s narrative was compelling. You see – I was 16 year old Virginia (and at heart, I think I still am!).
With skill, Mackler tackles big issues such as rape, body image and sexuality in this novel; she does so with subtlety and positivity, trying to offer some way to solutions or ways to deal with these issues. But it is Virginia’s character that is spell binding…
Virginia is honest and true to herself. She struggles with self confidence and with loving her body, but she knows her own mind and what she likes or dislikes. Her voice has a sensitivity to it, you can imagine being her friend and spending hours texting or fangirling about things – she’s likable and feels lived in – very authentic.
The story was interesting and I found myself reading through it quickly, without being ‘desperate to see what happens’. Mackler writes about Virginia’s feelings towards Sebastian in a way that any teenage girl – or ‘has been’ teenage girl can relate to, and her references to desire and attraction are nicely done.
I was genuinely surprised by this, and as a Teacher of 11-16 year old students, I will definitely be recommending it to them and our school library! A wonderful read.
4🌟🌟🌟🌟
Wow! I was so intrigued by the cover, and the title of this book, but I absolutely was NOT expecting to fall in love with Virgina Shreves.
I hadn’t heard of, or read Carolyn Mackler’s previous release, The Earth, My Butt and Other Big Round Things, and I was a little hesitant that I might feel I was missing something. On the contrary, I adored this book. It was easy to read it as a stand alone, and Mackler’s writing through Virginia’s narrative was compelling. You see – I was 16 year old Virginia (and at heart, I think I still am!).
With skill, Mackler tackles big issues such as rape, body image and sexuality in this novel; she does so with subtlety and positivity, trying to offer some way to solutions or ways to deal with these issues. But it is Virginia’s character that is spell binding…
Virginia is honest and true to herself. She struggles with self confidence and with loving her body, but she knows her own mind and what she likes or dislikes. Her voice has a sensitivity to it, you can imagine being her friend and spending hours texting or fangirling about things – she’s likable and feels lived in – very authentic.
The story was interesting and I found myself reading through it quickly, without being ‘desperate to see what happens’. Mackler writes about Virginia’s feelings towards Sebastian in a way that any teenage girl – or ‘has been’ teenage girl can relate to, and her references to desire and attraction are nicely done.
I was genuinely surprised by this, and as a Teacher of 11-16 year old students, I will definitely be recommending it to them and our school library! A wonderful read.
4🌟🌟🌟🌟
ericarobyn's review against another edition
5.0
The Universe Is Expanding and So Am I by Carolyn Mackler is the follow up novel to one of my all time favorites, The Earth, My Butt, and Other Big Round Things.
When I heard that this book was coming out, I couldn't wait to get my hands on it! Of course I had to do a quick reread of the first book before diving in to this one.
I'll admit it, my expectations were very high. And I'm so glad to say that this book did not disappoint!
I LOVE that this one picks up in a similar fashion as the first book.
First sentence of the first book: Froggy Welsh the Forth is trying to get up my shirt.
First sentence of the second book: Froggy Welsh the Forth is trying to get inside my jeans.
Yet again, I have to say that the relationship between Virginia and Froggy was very realistic. What Virginia went through when "falling out of like" was so spot on with how I felt with my first boyfriend it's not even funny... Complete with going a bit quiet and not knowing how to break up with someone for the first time ever.
This book was a wonderful follow up, but it can absolutely be read as a standalone! In the first few chapters, the author does a great job reminding the reader what happened in the previous book, but in a way that could be read with fresh eyes without straying into info-dumping.
I can see why some people struggle with this book. I'm on the side of the divide that absolutely loves it because of how real and raw it was. The main character was so relatable and so realistic. When she was being negative, or having trouble coping with something, it reminded me so much of myself when I was a teenager.
There are some situations that will get your blood boiling, some things make you feel irritated, but there is also a lot of really lovely and heartwarming scenes. I was so happy to see some great things happen in Virginia's life, and with each one, I just wanted to stand up and cheer for her!
And Sebastian! I LOVED his character! It was so refreshing to see someone like him; he was so calm, openminded, and understanding. There was a scene outside of Magnolia's Bakery that made me tear up because of how sweet he was.
My only irk is pretty slight. There were just a few sentences that ended really abruptly, like they were missing a few words. One example was during a conversation, “...I’ve said to remember us little people when." When, what?
My favorite passages:
Mountains of doubt followed by valleys of justification.
It’s hard to imagine that the world is still turning when mine has been shaken upside down.
My final thoughts:
I'm so very happy that we finally got to see what happened next in the life of Virgina Shreves. While I would be happy with the story ending here, I would be equally happy to read more! I would just love to see what happens next.
When I heard that this book was coming out, I couldn't wait to get my hands on it! Of course I had to do a quick reread of the first book before diving in to this one.
I'll admit it, my expectations were very high. And I'm so glad to say that this book did not disappoint!
I LOVE that this one picks up in a similar fashion as the first book.
First sentence of the first book: Froggy Welsh the Forth is trying to get up my shirt.
First sentence of the second book: Froggy Welsh the Forth is trying to get inside my jeans.
Yet again, I have to say that the relationship between Virginia and Froggy was very realistic. What Virginia went through when "falling out of like" was so spot on with how I felt with my first boyfriend it's not even funny... Complete with going a bit quiet and not knowing how to break up with someone for the first time ever.
This book was a wonderful follow up, but it can absolutely be read as a standalone! In the first few chapters, the author does a great job reminding the reader what happened in the previous book, but in a way that could be read with fresh eyes without straying into info-dumping.
I can see why some people struggle with this book. I'm on the side of the divide that absolutely loves it because of how real and raw it was. The main character was so relatable and so realistic. When she was being negative, or having trouble coping with something, it reminded me so much of myself when I was a teenager.
There are some situations that will get your blood boiling, some things make you feel irritated, but there is also a lot of really lovely and heartwarming scenes. I was so happy to see some great things happen in Virginia's life, and with each one, I just wanted to stand up and cheer for her!
And Sebastian! I LOVED his character! It was so refreshing to see someone like him; he was so calm, openminded, and understanding. There was a scene outside of Magnolia's Bakery that made me tear up because of how sweet he was.
My only irk is pretty slight. There were just a few sentences that ended really abruptly, like they were missing a few words. One example was during a conversation, “...I’ve said to remember us little people when." When, what?
My favorite passages:
Mountains of doubt followed by valleys of justification.
It’s hard to imagine that the world is still turning when mine has been shaken upside down.
My final thoughts:
I'm so very happy that we finally got to see what happened next in the life of Virgina Shreves. While I would be happy with the story ending here, I would be equally happy to read more! I would just love to see what happens next.