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A review by salgalruns
The Center of Everything by Laura Moriarty
3.0
This book was queued up and ready to read for about a week before I could really get into it - not really sure why. I've read other stories by Moriarty and seemed to like those, although those didn't make my favorites shelf either. This story is definitely a coming of age story, set in rural Kansas, in a family struggling to make ends meet.
Evelyn lives with her mother, Tina, in a small apartment, and the story revolves around the two of them and her friends who also live in the building. You see the effects of the poverty - from getting a car (and dealing with the struggles of keeping it running) to finding food to eat. In one scene, Moriarty describes the embarrassment of having to sign up for free lunches at school so well, that it made me want to step in and punch the "paying lunch" parents myself.
However, Evelyn shines - she is a capable girl with a good head on her shoulder and her teachers love her. As a school administrator, this warmed my heart. They went above and beyond to share with her that she was capable and special, something that needs to happen to all students, but especially to Evelyn. From an understanding 4th grade teacher who started to nurture her love of Science with a Science Fair to her high school teacher that brought her along to a conference and helped her with a scholarship - these are the feel good parts to this story.
Add to the story some other social issues that seem more prevalent in poverty stricken communities - unwanted pregnancies, criminal activities, dropout rates, and jobs at the local McDonalds... At one point, the kids waited patiently for the new McDonalds to be built so they could have a place to hang out. Definitely rural...and before Walmart.
Mind you, there are typical young adult issues within the story as well - the main one revolving around friendship. Evelyn is awkward at best, and has a beautiful friend, who makes her feel even more awkward. There's the additional storyline of a boy who has been there for her since she was young who has eyes for someone else. How many of us can relate to this (sadly)? There are also the girl bullies who taunt and who are entitled to new cars and oodles of friends, pointing out to Evelyn what she doesn't have. Peer pressure is there, but Evelyn seems somewhat naive and immune to it to a great degree.
Another theme that stretched through the story was that of religion. Evelyn's grandmother felt that she should embrace her evangelical bible thumping in order to be saved, and her mom wanted nothing to do with it. There doesn't seem to be a grey area here with the religious folks either - super conservative or not at all. Add to that, the town rallied around the evolution vs. creationism debate at the local high school. Small town drama with big time issues. The end result of this debate actually angered me, but I won't give away spoilers.
I've read a bunch of young adult stories that are good discussion candidates with adults alike, but this one just didn't strike me in that way. Perhaps it's that I work with families who experience poverty, or perhaps I was frustrated with the choices these characters DID have but didn't take... It just wasn't great in my mind - merely an okay kind of read.
Evelyn lives with her mother, Tina, in a small apartment, and the story revolves around the two of them and her friends who also live in the building. You see the effects of the poverty - from getting a car (and dealing with the struggles of keeping it running) to finding food to eat. In one scene, Moriarty describes the embarrassment of having to sign up for free lunches at school so well, that it made me want to step in and punch the "paying lunch" parents myself.
However, Evelyn shines - she is a capable girl with a good head on her shoulder and her teachers love her. As a school administrator, this warmed my heart. They went above and beyond to share with her that she was capable and special, something that needs to happen to all students, but especially to Evelyn. From an understanding 4th grade teacher who started to nurture her love of Science with a Science Fair to her high school teacher that brought her along to a conference and helped her with a scholarship - these are the feel good parts to this story.
Add to the story some other social issues that seem more prevalent in poverty stricken communities - unwanted pregnancies, criminal activities, dropout rates, and jobs at the local McDonalds... At one point, the kids waited patiently for the new McDonalds to be built so they could have a place to hang out. Definitely rural...and before Walmart.
Mind you, there are typical young adult issues within the story as well - the main one revolving around friendship. Evelyn is awkward at best, and has a beautiful friend, who makes her feel even more awkward. There's the additional storyline of a boy who has been there for her since she was young who has eyes for someone else. How many of us can relate to this (sadly)? There are also the girl bullies who taunt and who are entitled to new cars and oodles of friends, pointing out to Evelyn what she doesn't have. Peer pressure is there, but Evelyn seems somewhat naive and immune to it to a great degree.
Another theme that stretched through the story was that of religion. Evelyn's grandmother felt that she should embrace her evangelical bible thumping in order to be saved, and her mom wanted nothing to do with it. There doesn't seem to be a grey area here with the religious folks either - super conservative or not at all. Add to that, the town rallied around the evolution vs. creationism debate at the local high school. Small town drama with big time issues. The end result of this debate actually angered me, but I won't give away spoilers.
I've read a bunch of young adult stories that are good discussion candidates with adults alike, but this one just didn't strike me in that way. Perhaps it's that I work with families who experience poverty, or perhaps I was frustrated with the choices these characters DID have but didn't take... It just wasn't great in my mind - merely an okay kind of read.