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Holding Up the Universe

3.7(374)
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About the book

A New York Times Bestseller

From the author of the New York Times bestseller All the Bright Places comes a heart-wrenching story about what it means to see someone—and love someone—for who they truly are.

Everyone thinks they know Libby Strout, the girl once dubbed “America’s Fattest Teen.” But no one’s taken the time to look past her weight to get to know who she really is. Following her mom’s death, she’s been picking up the pieces in the privacy of her home, dealing with her heartbroken father and her own grief. Now, Libby’s ready: for high school, for new friends, for love, and for EVERY POSSIBILITY LIFE HAS TO OFFER. In that moment, I know the part I want to play here at MVB High. I want to be the girl who can do anything. 

Everyone thinks they know Jack Masselin, too. Yes, he’s got swagger, but he’s also mastered the impossible art of giving people what they want, of fitting in. What no one knows is that Jack has a newly acquired secret: he can’t recognize faces. Even his own brothers are strangers to him. He’s the guy who can re-engineer and rebuild anything in new and bad-ass ways, but he can’t understand what’s going on with the inner workings of his brain. So he tells himself to play it cool: Be charming. Be hilarious. Don’t get too close to anyone. 

Until he meets Libby. When the two get tangled up in a cruel high school game—which lands them in group counseling and community service—Libby and Jack are both pissed, and then surprised. Because the more time they spend together, the less alone they feel. . . . Because sometimes when you meet someone, it changes the world, theirs and yours.

Jennifer Niven delivers another poignant, exhilarating love story about finding that person who sees you for who you are—and seeing them right back.

"Niven is adept at creating characters. . . . [Libby's] courage and body-positivity make for a joyful reading experience." --The New York Times

“Holding Up the Universe . . . taps into the universal need to be understood. To be wanted. And that’s what makes it such a remarkable read.” —TeenVogue.com, “Why New Book Holding Up the Universe Is the Next The Fault in Our Stars”

"Want a love story that will give you all the feels? . . . You'll seriously melt!" —Seventeen Magazine

Editions (5)

ISBN9780385755924
PublisherRandom House Children's Books
Publication Date10/04/16
Pages400

Reviews & Ratings

374 ratings

53 reviews

3.7

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  • victoriaaaa
    victoriaaaa

    72 Followers

    3.0

    It’s following Libby Strout, formerly "America's Fattest Teen," and Jack Masselin, a popular boy with hidden prosopagnosia (face blindness). After a cruel bullying incident binds them, they form an unexpected connection, learning to overcome personal insecurities, labels, and trauma.

    Welp.. if I’m being honest - this was so much different than I expected😭. This book is from 2016 so it’s been a while since it came out. I really really liked the short chapters!! It made you feel like you were reading faster LMAO. I don’t even have much to say about this book because if I’m being honest, it was quite boring. I started this book really excited and motivated but it just kept dragging on and on to the point where I just wanted to finish it as fast as possible🥲. We have our main protagonist, Libby, who is coming back to high school after three (or so) years or homeschooling. She go cut out of her house with a CRANE?! because she was really big. If I have it right in my mind, she weighed like 200kg with only twelve years old?? Then we have Jack, a boy who has Prosopagnosia, a neurological disorder characterized by the inability to recognize faces - even friends, family. They were cute at the end with the way Jack confessed and all but the dynamic was a bit weird at times. So yeah, I just wanted to get over it after time😭.

    It’s following Libby Strout, formerly "America's Fattest Teen," and Jack Masselin, a popular boy with hidden prosopagnosia (face blindness). After a cruel bullying incident binds them, they form an unexpected connection, learning to overcome personal insecurities, labels, and trauma.

    Feb 13, 2026

  • bellalstrnge
    bellalstrnge

    19 Followers

    4.0

    Nette Liebesgeschichte, die jedoch in meinen Augen nebensächlich ist: dieses Buch verarbeitet gesellschaftlich wichtige Themen und bricht mit Tabus - das ist es, was die Geschichte ausmacht.

    Libby ist sehr übergewichtig und kämpft mit Vorurteilen und Mobbing. Jack leidet unter Prosopagnosie - eine Krankheit, bei der Menschen Gesichter nicht wiedererkennen, manchmal nicht mal die der liebsten Menschen. Beide treffen sich auf der Highschool und durchleben zusammen viele schwere Momente, die die beiden immer näher zusammenbringen. Der Schreibstil gefällt mir bei dem Buch nicht so gut, daher auch ein Stern Abzug. Es ist zu abgehakt, zu schnell geschrieben , sodass man teilweise Stellen erneut lesen muss, um sie nicht zu überlesen. Allerdings werden wichtige Themen sehr gut behandelt. Es wird nicht nur von den negativen Seiten gesprochen, sondern es wird gekämpft für die Menschen, die betroffen sind. So finde ich es sehr passend, dass Libby sich einst fragt: Warum beschäftigt es die Menschen so, dass ich dick bin? - Und ja, warum tut es das in der Gesellschaft? Viele solcher wichtigen Fragen beinhaltet dieses Buch und führt den Leser dabei näher an sein Herz. Jacks Krankheit wird in allen Fassetten so gut dargestellt, dass man sich unglaublich gut in ihn reinversetzen kann. Ich war schockiert, als mir das Ausmaß dieser Krankheit am eigenem Leibe bewusst wurde. Insgesamt ein sehr schönes Buch über zwei Kämpfer - Libby, die schon lange kämpft und Jack, dessen Kampf erst richtig beginnt - und um eine Welt voller herzzerrrissenden Dinge, für die man nur Unverständnis hat... Danke Jack, dass der Roboter eine Handtadche trägt.. :-)

    Nov 27, 2023

  • bookaholica
    bookaholica

    32 Followers

    4.0

    Eine wortgewaltige Geschichte. Berührend, kämpferisch, selbstbewusst und gleichzeitig zerbrechlich erlebte ich die beiden Protagonisten Libby und Jack. Durch ihre Augen konnte ich alles erleben und Erlebnisse ihres jungen Lebens kennenlernen. Wie sie den Druck der Teenagerzeit bestreiten: Mobbing, richtige und falsche Freunde, Meinungsbildung, Zusammenhalt, Versagensängste, Familie uvm. Glücksgefühle einer aufkommenden Liebe, welcher sich beide nicht so recht bewusst sind. Manche Stellen waren mir etwas "overacted", trotzdem war die Geschichte sehr, sehr gut. Werde lange daran zurückdenken.

    Feb 9, 2025

3 of 53 reviews

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