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chrissireads's review against another edition
3.0
The Universe is Expanding and So Am I follows Virginia and her relationships. Virginia isn’t sure she likes her boyfriend Froggy anymore. She has a difficult relationships with her family and then there’s Sebastian… a boy that intrigues her. Virginia’s family are dealing with the repercussions of what her brother Byron did. I don’t want to say what he did in case you haven’t read the first book!
I’m not sure what I make of Virginia as a character. I think she’s relatable to many, for sure. I also like how she’s unashamedly herself. She is confident in her appearance even though she’s criticised by others for being curvier than her peers. However, I feel like she does body shame slimmer people and that’s never okay for me.
I do appreciate that this book covers some very important and sensitive topics. I like that it doesn’t shy away from topics that should definitely be discussed in Young Adult literature. I just wish the book was longer so it could have explored them in more depth.
This book is a fast paced read and it is easy to get through due to some light hearted humour alongside the more serious content.
I’m not sure what I make of Virginia as a character. I think she’s relatable to many, for sure. I also like how she’s unashamedly herself. She is confident in her appearance even though she’s criticised by others for being curvier than her peers. However, I feel like she does body shame slimmer people and that’s never okay for me.
I do appreciate that this book covers some very important and sensitive topics. I like that it doesn’t shy away from topics that should definitely be discussed in Young Adult literature. I just wish the book was longer so it could have explored them in more depth.
This book is a fast paced read and it is easy to get through due to some light hearted humour alongside the more serious content.
kelleycailin's review against another edition
5.0
This was an excellent follow up to the original!!! Honestly, I think I liked it better. I’m happy with how things ended up for Virginia, but I definitely wouldn’t mind reading more.
morganmcdon9's review against another edition
4.0
The first half of the book was basically and recap of the first book. But, I’m am so happy Virginia got the ending she deserve!
rcaivano's review against another edition
Great book! The sequel to The Earth, My Butt, and Other Round Things (which I never read), this is the funny and sometimes sad story of Virginia, a smart, funny, and curvaceous High School sophomore. The rest of her family is perfect - from the outside at least - and it makes her feel bad. But as the book progresses, we find that they are not, and she is pretty happy with herself the way she is. And she meets a cute boy along the way!
bookish_brooklyn's review against another edition
4.0
Okay, so I must admit I haven’t actually read book one, so I was slightly worried that some of the events and context of this second instalment of the Virginia Shreves books would have been lost on me, but….
I feel like this one stood as it’s own novel, and Carolyn Mackler definitely fills the reader in regarding what’s happened to Virginia in the past, as well as her sister Anais and brother Byron. And her overbearing and controlling mother, who ridicules every aspect of her youngest daughter, Virginia’s life.
For me, the fact that this book is far more character orientated than plot, Virginia was such a treasure to read about, I loved her personal lists which were dotted throughout the book, where she makes notes such as how girls like herself should not be fat shamed and how she’s finding things about her inner self more and more, and how she doesn’t have to comply with her parents’ demands or follow their oblivious ways. She’s a Shreves, but she’ll be one on her own terms! Huzzah!
I love how Virginia is perfectly happy with her curves, and not afraid to indulge in a treat or two, even though she knows her mother will belittle or silently judge her eating habits. And when Gin’s brother does something insanely ridiculous, that Virginia doesn’t turn a blind eye and choose his side! I was cheering big time!
Whilst I wasn’t Anais’s biggest fan, I appreciate that she chose to follow her heart with her girlfriend, I love the love is love is love mantra and it’s always refreshing having even a glimpse of an f/f relationship in novels! Especially reading about both their parents reactions.
Whilst I didn’t love Phyllis, Virginia’s mother, I had to love that she named her three children after Anais Nin, Lord Byron and Virginia Woolf, respectively. And I utterly adored Virginia and Sebastian’s scenes, he made her swoon by weaving book titles in their chats and they nicknamed themselves Fry and Leela from Futurama, it was just too precious!
All in all, such a delight to read! Thank you again Bloomsbury Books and NetGalley for providing me with an eARC to review!
I feel like this one stood as it’s own novel, and Carolyn Mackler definitely fills the reader in regarding what’s happened to Virginia in the past, as well as her sister Anais and brother Byron. And her overbearing and controlling mother, who ridicules every aspect of her youngest daughter, Virginia’s life.
For me, the fact that this book is far more character orientated than plot, Virginia was such a treasure to read about, I loved her personal lists which were dotted throughout the book, where she makes notes such as how girls like herself should not be fat shamed and how she’s finding things about her inner self more and more, and how she doesn’t have to comply with her parents’ demands or follow their oblivious ways. She’s a Shreves, but she’ll be one on her own terms! Huzzah!
I love how Virginia is perfectly happy with her curves, and not afraid to indulge in a treat or two, even though she knows her mother will belittle or silently judge her eating habits. And when Gin’s brother does something insanely ridiculous, that Virginia doesn’t turn a blind eye and choose his side! I was cheering big time!
Whilst I wasn’t Anais’s biggest fan, I appreciate that she chose to follow her heart with her girlfriend, I love the love is love is love mantra and it’s always refreshing having even a glimpse of an f/f relationship in novels! Especially reading about both their parents reactions.
Whilst I didn’t love Phyllis, Virginia’s mother, I had to love that she named her three children after Anais Nin, Lord Byron and Virginia Woolf, respectively. And I utterly adored Virginia and Sebastian’s scenes, he made her swoon by weaving book titles in their chats and they nicknamed themselves Fry and Leela from Futurama, it was just too precious!
All in all, such a delight to read! Thank you again Bloomsbury Books and NetGalley for providing me with an eARC to review!
bookmarklit's review against another edition
3.0
I think I liked this better than the first one but man, these books are not enjoyable for me lol. I have so many thoughts and am not sure where to begin. The timeline is super weird, a lot of the dialogue (internal or otherwise) is repetitive, Virginia’s thoughts on her weight vs “skinny people” are really unhealthy/problematic, her family is terrible to her... So pretty much this is the same as the predecessor except that one has the excuse that it was written in 2003?
azagee's review against another edition
2.0
the writing was better but BYRON DESERVED TO GO TO JAIL LITERALLY FOREVER
katlikespie's review against another edition
3.0
*Thanks to NetGalley for the eARC of this book!*
It's been a few months since Virginia Shreves has decided to abandon the Fat Girl Code of Conduct and learn to love herself how she is. Unfortunately, she's fallen out of Like with her boyfriend, her brother is on trial for rape, and her best friend has still not come back from Walla Walla, Washington. Then she meets Sebastian, a super-cute artist who seems to really like Virginia just how she is! But, he comes with some baggage of his own.
*My Notes* I read the first Virginia Shreves book ("The Earth, My Butt, and Other Big, Round Things" several years ago, and was very excited to return to Virginia's New York and see how she was doing. Unfortunately... the book just isn't as good as the first one. Where Virginia was strong and learning to love herself in the first one, here she is weaker, less appealing and - I'm sorry, but it's true - more annoying. I just didn't love it like I loved the first one.
It's been a few months since Virginia Shreves has decided to abandon the Fat Girl Code of Conduct and learn to love herself how she is. Unfortunately, she's fallen out of Like with her boyfriend, her brother is on trial for rape, and her best friend has still not come back from Walla Walla, Washington. Then she meets Sebastian, a super-cute artist who seems to really like Virginia just how she is! But, he comes with some baggage of his own.
*My Notes* I read the first Virginia Shreves book ("The Earth, My Butt, and Other Big, Round Things" several years ago, and was very excited to return to Virginia's New York and see how she was doing. Unfortunately... the book just isn't as good as the first one. Where Virginia was strong and learning to love herself in the first one, here she is weaker, less appealing and - I'm sorry, but it's true - more annoying. I just didn't love it like I loved the first one.
shinychick's review against another edition
4.0
The first Virginia Shreves book is one of my absolute favorites, and I was shocked and delighted that there was a sequel I missed. It's a lovely, quick, engrossing read, and I feel like we could see Virginia in college soon, and that would be awesome, too.