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A review by morgarelibrare
The Universe Is Expanding and So Am I by Carolyn Mackler
5.0
Oh my goodness, I loved this book so so sooo much! I received a box of ARCs at work and this happened to be one of them. Upon digging it out of the box, my first thought was "oh, what a cute cover!" I love the pops of color and to me what appears to be an abstract take on the universe.
The synopsis sounded like something that would be right up my alley, especially since in the summer time I crave a good contemporary novel. Upon further research I realized that this is a sequel to a book Carolyn Mackler wrote fifteen years ago, of which I had not read. But, that's okay! While this is a sequel and appears to take place not long after where the first book concludes, Mackler does a very nice job of weaving in/rehashing (but in a good way) the key plot points of the original novel, The Earth, My Butt, and Other Big Round Things. It is 100 percent possible to go into this book completely blind and still understand what is happening in Virginia's life.
I loved Virginia! I felt so connected to her, and understood exactly what she was going through in regards to how she felt about herself and her weight and how other people perceived her. I struggled with my weight my entire adolescence and all through high school and part of college. It's difficult to be comfortable in your own skin when society is basically telling you that you're less of a person based on how you look, and Virginia has come to know that and move past it. She has so much confidence in this novel, and that's something I have found more recently in my life. I just wish I could have been as strong as her when I was her age. There are of course times where she still has self doubt and rags on herself, but she's human. She is however, also quick to find the positives in life and her doubt never spirals for long.
Sebastian is a sweet precious cinnamon roll and I LOVED him. The way he dealt with his own family drama and the way it connected to Virginia was handled so well. I really enjoyed their relationship and their ability to effectively communicate with each other. A dramatic revelation became apparent that affected both of them and instead of turning away and getting upset, they worked through it like actual human beings, so that was so nice to read. Miscommunication is my most loathed trope in literature, so I was quite happy to see it absent in a place it may have been used in other works.
Overall, this was a fantastic read that I flew through in one sitting. Funny, witty, adorable, and relatable, this is perfect for a summertime contemporary fix!
The synopsis sounded like something that would be right up my alley, especially since in the summer time I crave a good contemporary novel. Upon further research I realized that this is a sequel to a book Carolyn Mackler wrote fifteen years ago, of which I had not read. But, that's okay! While this is a sequel and appears to take place not long after where the first book concludes, Mackler does a very nice job of weaving in/rehashing (but in a good way) the key plot points of the original novel, The Earth, My Butt, and Other Big Round Things. It is 100 percent possible to go into this book completely blind and still understand what is happening in Virginia's life.
I loved Virginia! I felt so connected to her, and understood exactly what she was going through in regards to how she felt about herself and her weight and how other people perceived her. I struggled with my weight my entire adolescence and all through high school and part of college. It's difficult to be comfortable in your own skin when society is basically telling you that you're less of a person based on how you look, and Virginia has come to know that and move past it. She has so much confidence in this novel, and that's something I have found more recently in my life. I just wish I could have been as strong as her when I was her age. There are of course times where she still has self doubt and rags on herself, but she's human. She is however, also quick to find the positives in life and her doubt never spirals for long.
Sebastian is a sweet precious cinnamon roll and I LOVED him. The way he dealt with his own family drama and the way it connected to Virginia was handled so well. I really enjoyed their relationship and their ability to effectively communicate with each other. A dramatic revelation became apparent that affected both of them and instead of turning away and getting upset, they worked through it like actual human beings, so that was so nice to read. Miscommunication is my most loathed trope in literature, so I was quite happy to see it absent in a place it may have been used in other works.
Overall, this was a fantastic read that I flew through in one sitting. Funny, witty, adorable, and relatable, this is perfect for a summertime contemporary fix!