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A review by livlosiewicz
A Corner of the Universe by Ann M. Martin
4.0
Twelve-year-old Hattie Owens thinks that the summer of 1960 will be just like any other. She’ll spend her days reading library books and talking with the elderly tenants of her parents’ boarding house while her only friend is away on vacation. Then she learns about Adam, her 21-year-old uncle with a neurological disability (undiagnosed autism), whom her parents have kept secret from her for her whole life. Adam’s boarding school closes and he comes to live with Hattie’s grandparents for the summer. While other people often seem frustrated by Adam, or treat him like an outcast or a child, Hattie finds herself identifying with Adam. She too feels different from everyone else, like she lives in the corners of the universe. Hattie’s bond with her uncle is only one part of a summer she’ll never forget.
Pros:
•The historical fiction aspect of this novel was really interesting (some of it was weird, like the focus on Hattie dating even though she’s 12 and didn’t want to)- thinking about how people would treat someone who was not neurotypical when there was even less understanding about it, and when really all Hattie could learn from was her experience.
•I liked the friendship between Hattie and Leila a lot. It was really sweet, and showed something really wonderful about kids- how they can form a genuine, supportive bond quickly. This is a nice contrast from a lot of the mean girl stuff you see in books.
•Of course, the relationship between Hattie and Adam was also great. It was sweet and interesting, and I liked the way that Hattie felt connected to him. Overall, the book was unique; I have not read anything like this for this age group.
Cons:
•My age is showing in that I seem to always really judge the adults in children’s books nowadays. But the adults in Hattie’s life frustrated me to no end, and this was sort of just accepted as this is how annoying adults are. They frequently shot Hattie down or didn’t give her information about something, and then got upset with her for not knowing the things that she tried to ask them about. They keep Adam a secret from her for 12 years, then barely tell her anything about him, and get mad when she tries to give Adam freedom because she doesn’t know much about him.
•While the ending was abrupt, I thought it was powerful. That being said, it puts this book in a very weird space in terms of target audience. A 12-year-old main character suggests that the target audience is about ages 10-12, but the ending is much too distressing/mature for that age group. So I guess you would maybe target it towards slightly older middle schoolers?
•Finally, there’s some slut-shaming about Angel Valentine that I didn’t like (plus WHY is her name Angel Valentine). Yeah, I guess it was the 60s, but just because there’s a rule against having opposite sex guests inside the boarding house (which is dumb, but okay it was 1960) doesn’t make her a bad person. Also, it’s not her fault that Adam has a crush on her. She’s really nice to him, but she doesn’t have an obligation to not date anyone else because one person is into her.
Recommendation: I recommend if you’re looking for a children’s/YA(?) book that is unique and compelling. Note that there are some themes that are a little too mature for children, so the intended audience is a little confusing, but nevertheless it’s an interesting book about a beautiful relationship. This book is also an easy, quick read. Avoid if you want something with super light content or don’t want any trace of 60s sexism.
Pros:
•The historical fiction aspect of this novel was really interesting (some of it was weird, like the focus on Hattie dating even though she’s 12 and didn’t want to)- thinking about how people would treat someone who was not neurotypical when there was even less understanding about it, and when really all Hattie could learn from was her experience.
•I liked the friendship between Hattie and Leila a lot. It was really sweet, and showed something really wonderful about kids- how they can form a genuine, supportive bond quickly. This is a nice contrast from a lot of the mean girl stuff you see in books.
•Of course, the relationship between Hattie and Adam was also great. It was sweet and interesting, and I liked the way that Hattie felt connected to him. Overall, the book was unique; I have not read anything like this for this age group.
Cons:
•My age is showing in that I seem to always really judge the adults in children’s books nowadays. But the adults in Hattie’s life frustrated me to no end, and this was sort of just accepted as this is how annoying adults are. They frequently shot Hattie down or didn’t give her information about something, and then got upset with her for not knowing the things that she tried to ask them about. They keep Adam a secret from her for 12 years, then barely tell her anything about him, and get mad when she tries to give Adam freedom because she doesn’t know much about him.
•While the ending was abrupt, I thought it was powerful. That being said, it puts this book in a very weird space in terms of target audience. A 12-year-old main character suggests that the target audience is about ages 10-12, but the ending is much too distressing/mature for that age group. So I guess you would maybe target it towards slightly older middle schoolers?
Spoiler
•The only thing was Hattie had a really, really weird line about Adam’s suicide being brave and she understood while he did it. First of all, while I don’t blame Adam for his action, I really don’t understand why it was brave- even outside of the context of seeing a woman he was attracted to with another man. Was it brave to decide you would rather die than live in a world where people are mean to you? Second of all, it’s pretty clear that Adam’s actions are a rash reaction to something that upsets him. It seems like Hattie can’t understand that.•Finally, there’s some slut-shaming about Angel Valentine that I didn’t like (plus WHY is her name Angel Valentine). Yeah, I guess it was the 60s, but just because there’s a rule against having opposite sex guests inside the boarding house (which is dumb, but okay it was 1960) doesn’t make her a bad person. Also, it’s not her fault that Adam has a crush on her. She’s really nice to him, but she doesn’t have an obligation to not date anyone else because one person is into her.
Spoiler
and Hattie blaming her for Adam’s death is quite annoying- just as annoying as the adults getting mad at Hattie for letting Adam open the door (why don’t the doors lock??).Recommendation: I recommend if you’re looking for a children’s/YA(?) book that is unique and compelling. Note that there are some themes that are a little too mature for children, so the intended audience is a little confusing, but nevertheless it’s an interesting book about a beautiful relationship. This book is also an easy, quick read. Avoid if you want something with super light content or don’t want any trace of 60s sexism.