After reading the second installment of The Magicians, I wanted something light and easier to read. Thinking back to what I’d read in the past year, I remembered how amazing the book All the Bright Places by Jennifer Niven was, so I decided to see what else she had in her catalog. With that research, I stumbled upon her 2016 novel, Holding Up the Universe. While not as devastating as All the Bright Places, this book still hit me in my feels.
The story is told from alternating perspectives, Libby and Jack. Libby was once dubbed “America’s Fattest Teen,” and Jack has recently discovered he has face blindness (prosopagnosia). These two individuals’ lives intertwine in very high school ways – bullying, to a degree, and they end up falling for each other after a brief friendship. Libby, while already confident, seems to soar by the end of the novel, after dealing with some serious doubts. Jack learns to be more open with his family and starts to figure out what the rest of his life will look like with his disorder.
It was a very quick read, but extremely addictive and very adorable. If you’re looking for something light and fun and you’ve already read All the Bright Places, I definitely recommend adding Holding Up the Universe to your must read list!