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The Center of the Universe
Grace Carter’s mother — the celebrity news anchor GG Carter — is everything Grace is not. GG is a star, with a flawless wardrobe and a following of thousands, while Grace — an aspiring astrophysicist — is into stars of another kind. She and her mother have always been in different orbits. Then one day GG is just … gone. Cameras descend on their house, news shows speculate about what might have happened and Grace’s family struggles to find a new rhythm as they wait for answers. While the authorities unravel the mystery behind GG’s disappearance, Grace grows closer to her high school’s golden boy, Mylo, who has faced a black hole of his own. She also uncovers some secrets from her mother’s long-lost past. The more Grace learns, the more she wonders. Did she ever really know her mother? Was GG abducted … or did she leave? And if she left, why? Author Ria Voros (Nobody’s Dog, The Opposite of Geek) reaches for the stars here, deftly combining mystery with a passion for science and themes of mother-daughter bonds, celebrity, first love and best friendship. Facts about astronomy and astrophysics are seamlessly woven into the story and are supplemented by an interview with real-life astrophysicist Elizabeth Tasker, making this the perfect book for readers who love STEM. And even readers who don’t have stars in their eyes will love this smart, suspenseful, relatable and literary novel.
512 pages, Paperback
First published April 2, 2019
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2727 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 151 reviews
July 25, 2019
One of the best YA books I have read this year.
I started the book expecting a mystery, but it isn't central to the novel (actually, it isn't something you can figure out and it gets resolved quite quickly). The book is much more about the relationships we create with people around us and how they change and develop over time.
Grace, the main character is extremely likeable- curious, observant, non-assuming. I found her very relatable, although my own family is nothing like hers, and astronomy is something I could never get my head around. Other characters are also well-developed and it is difficult to say who I liked the most in this story. The biggest takeaway for me was the mother-daughter relationship, which is realistic and poignant at the same time.
Highly recommended.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC provided in exchange for an honest opinion.
I started the book expecting a mystery, but it isn't central to the novel (actually, it isn't something you can figure out and it gets resolved quite quickly). The book is much more about the relationships we create with people around us and how they change and develop over time.
Grace, the main character is extremely likeable- curious, observant, non-assuming. I found her very relatable, although my own family is nothing like hers, and astronomy is something I could never get my head around. Other characters are also well-developed and it is difficult to say who I liked the most in this story. The biggest takeaway for me was the mother-daughter relationship, which is realistic and poignant at the same time.
Highly recommended.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC provided in exchange for an honest opinion.
March 12, 2024
I started reading this book thinking it was a straight-up mystery—vanishing mom, teen on the search, I expected a lot of sleuthing around. It turned out it wasn’t a mystery, not in the detectivesque sense of the word. In fact, it turned out to be so much more; a solid story containing an exploration of feelings and perspectives.
This is a book about how big events, traumatic events, mark our lives and how in processing these events we learn about who we are and who the people around us are, and how all this learning helps us move forward.
Yes, there’s a mystery at the center of the story, the mystery of what happened to GG Carter, Grace’s Mom and TV personality, after she disappears at the end of Charlie’s—Grace’s younger brother—soccer game.
Seventeen-years-old Grace and her mother had nothing in common. Grace is dedicated to study astronomy, she’s so into it, last year she discovered an exoplanet and became a co-author of a scientific paper because of it. GG, on the other hand, is a TV journalist for whom appearances and ratings are the only things that matter. Yet, after GG disappears, kidnapped by an unknown person, Grace starts to discover there’s way more to whom her mother really is.
I think that what I liked the most in this story is the great compassion the author shows for all her characters. None of them are a black or white silhouette, they all have dimensions and reasons to be, and that is refreshing.
At first, Grace may come across as moody, just your typical teen, but soon it comes clear that, even before the kidnapping, Grace was dealing with a lot, immerse in a just-too-hard-to-comprehend family dynamics, where an absent mother, and uncommunicative father, an overbearing grandmother and a full-of-energy little brother leave no space for her to express her feeling or needs, and even less of a chance for her to see her parents as people also in the midst of a serious crisis.
I loved how life-like Grace feels, she can be awful but also loving and understanding. She cares deeply, and that is not always easy. I liked Milo, Grace’s love interest, too. He’s a great example of how a person can be helpful by just being there. He isn’t perfect, but he fits just right. By comparison, Iris, Grace’s best friend, feels a bit more cartoonish, but not by much, and I liked how she managed to put aside her own issues and realized when she was being unfair to her friends.
All in all, a really enjoyable, albeit long, book.
This is a book about how big events, traumatic events, mark our lives and how in processing these events we learn about who we are and who the people around us are, and how all this learning helps us move forward.
Yes, there’s a mystery at the center of the story, the mystery of what happened to GG Carter, Grace’s Mom and TV personality, after she disappears at the end of Charlie’s—Grace’s younger brother—soccer game.
Seventeen-years-old Grace and her mother had nothing in common. Grace is dedicated to study astronomy, she’s so into it, last year she discovered an exoplanet and became a co-author of a scientific paper because of it. GG, on the other hand, is a TV journalist for whom appearances and ratings are the only things that matter. Yet, after GG disappears, kidnapped by an unknown person, Grace starts to discover there’s way more to whom her mother really is.
I think that what I liked the most in this story is the great compassion the author shows for all her characters. None of them are a black or white silhouette, they all have dimensions and reasons to be, and that is refreshing.
At first, Grace may come across as moody, just your typical teen, but soon it comes clear that, even before the kidnapping, Grace was dealing with a lot, immerse in a just-too-hard-to-comprehend family dynamics, where an absent mother, and uncommunicative father, an overbearing grandmother and a full-of-energy little brother leave no space for her to express her feeling or needs, and even less of a chance for her to see her parents as people also in the midst of a serious crisis.
I loved how life-like Grace feels, she can be awful but also loving and understanding. She cares deeply, and that is not always easy. I liked Milo, Grace’s love interest, too. He’s a great example of how a person can be helpful by just being there. He isn’t perfect, but he fits just right. By comparison, Iris, Grace’s best friend, feels a bit more cartoonish, but not by much, and I liked how she managed to put aside her own issues and realized when she was being unfair to her friends.
All in all, a really enjoyable, albeit long, book.
October 25, 2018
I am Grace Carter's hero.
It's all true! Grace is a 17 year old with an ambition to become an astrophysicist. During her story, she meets Elizabeth Tasker (that's totally me, in case you weren't paying attention), attends several talks by her and chats about the future. Being in a book is possibly even stranger than seeing your own book in print for the first time: it's kinda crazy. (And also explains why I have an advanced copy!)
But Grace's story is not in fact about how she meets me. Grace's mother is missing and the family is thrown into the 'perpetual waiting room' as they hope for news. Grace struggles with finding her own identity in the shadow of a difficult teen-parent relationship, before realising that to find herself she may first need to find out who her mother really is as a person.
Voros paints a painfully realistic picture of the pseudo-life that must occur during the hunt for a missing person. While Grace tries to find hints that tell her how and why her mother disappeared, this is no Cluedo game with a box of weapons and motives to be suddenly discovered. Instead, Voros describes a jigsaw of small facts where each inconsequential thought might be the essential corner piece that allows you to assemble the whole picture.
Littered with analogies that will kick-start the imagination of even those who have never thought about black holes, this is a coming-of-age book that is impossible not to relate to.
It's all true! Grace is a 17 year old with an ambition to become an astrophysicist. During her story, she meets Elizabeth Tasker (that's totally me, in case you weren't paying attention), attends several talks by her and chats about the future. Being in a book is possibly even stranger than seeing your own book in print for the first time: it's kinda crazy. (And also explains why I have an advanced copy!)
But Grace's story is not in fact about how she meets me. Grace's mother is missing and the family is thrown into the 'perpetual waiting room' as they hope for news. Grace struggles with finding her own identity in the shadow of a difficult teen-parent relationship, before realising that to find herself she may first need to find out who her mother really is as a person.
Voros paints a painfully realistic picture of the pseudo-life that must occur during the hunt for a missing person. While Grace tries to find hints that tell her how and why her mother disappeared, this is no Cluedo game with a box of weapons and motives to be suddenly discovered. Instead, Voros describes a jigsaw of small facts where each inconsequential thought might be the essential corner piece that allows you to assemble the whole picture.
Littered with analogies that will kick-start the imagination of even those who have never thought about black holes, this is a coming-of-age book that is impossible not to relate to.
April 28, 2019
Seventeen-year-old Grace Carter is the daughter of GG Carter, a national news anchor, and the granddaughter of Patricia, a semi-famous movie actress.
Grace feels she doesn’t measure up to the public’s expectations of a daughter of GG’s. While GG is thin and blonde, Grace is solid, awkward, with dark hair.
For the past several years, Grace has been perpetuating and accentuating the differences between GG and herself, pretending it is her choice to be different.
Soon it is true.
Although she has no interest in TV or movie stars, Grace is very interested in stars of another type. Grace has a passion for astronomy and is a member of Star Club. She loves to observe the moon and night sky through her telescope.
GG’s all-consuming TV News career has caused Grace to feel embittered. In addition to GG and Grace, the family includes husband and father Andrew, and Grace’s younger brother Charlie.
Grace’s growing resentment has put even further distance between mom and daughter of late. Suddenly, the unthinkable happens.
GG goes missing. The wife, mother and TV star has vanished, seemingly without a trace. An investigation ensues, and continues for weeks. The family is joined by grandmother Patricia, as together the family faces GG’s abduction.
A clever literary fiction/family drama novel focusing on the mother-daughter relationship, strong women, a mystery, abduction, as well as humor, career goals, and astronomy references.
I received a digital ARC from Kids Can Press through NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.
Grace feels she doesn’t measure up to the public’s expectations of a daughter of GG’s. While GG is thin and blonde, Grace is solid, awkward, with dark hair.
For the past several years, Grace has been perpetuating and accentuating the differences between GG and herself, pretending it is her choice to be different.
Soon it is true.
Although she has no interest in TV or movie stars, Grace is very interested in stars of another type. Grace has a passion for astronomy and is a member of Star Club. She loves to observe the moon and night sky through her telescope.
GG’s all-consuming TV News career has caused Grace to feel embittered. In addition to GG and Grace, the family includes husband and father Andrew, and Grace’s younger brother Charlie.
Grace’s growing resentment has put even further distance between mom and daughter of late. Suddenly, the unthinkable happens.
GG goes missing. The wife, mother and TV star has vanished, seemingly without a trace. An investigation ensues, and continues for weeks. The family is joined by grandmother Patricia, as together the family faces GG’s abduction.
A clever literary fiction/family drama novel focusing on the mother-daughter relationship, strong women, a mystery, abduction, as well as humor, career goals, and astronomy references.
I received a digital ARC from Kids Can Press through NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.
April 3, 2019
Thanks to Edelweiss for a copy of this ARC in exchange for an honest review!
I really wanted to like this novel, but I wanted to DNF after 20%. I really could not get into it at all.
1. I felt like the main character was about as dynamic as a piece of cardboard. She was a moody brat for a large portion of the novel, and her "change" toward the end felt lacking and didn't ring true. Other than the fact that she's super into astronomy, I felt like I got no sense of her personality. I got a lot of descriptions of what she was doing, her memories, and her text/email conversations, but I left the novel with no real sense of this character.
2. Because I felt like the main character was so flat, the "romance" in the novel felt so off. The only description we really got of her feelings were some butterflies in her stomach. Then they're kissing and messing around in the car. There was no real build-up and it just wasn't something I could root for because I couldn't get invested in them as characters or as a couple.
3. Really, the only character I even halfway enjoyed or felt anything toward was the mom, GG. More than anyone, she was a character with depth and intricacies and interest. I didn't necessarily like her, especially with the whole TV stunt at the end, but I at least felt like I was watching a character develop.
4. I felt like there were so many points in this novel that could have been fleshed out into some beautiful moments with real development, but they were always cut abruptly short, which was jarring. I was constantly left wanting more, but this novel never delivered.
I really wanted to like this novel, but I wanted to DNF after 20%. I really could not get into it at all.
1. I felt like the main character was about as dynamic as a piece of cardboard. She was a moody brat for a large portion of the novel, and her "change" toward the end felt lacking and didn't ring true. Other than the fact that she's super into astronomy, I felt like I got no sense of her personality. I got a lot of descriptions of what she was doing, her memories, and her text/email conversations, but I left the novel with no real sense of this character.
2. Because I felt like the main character was so flat, the "romance" in the novel felt so off. The only description we really got of her feelings were some butterflies in her stomach. Then they're kissing and messing around in the car. There was no real build-up and it just wasn't something I could root for because I couldn't get invested in them as characters or as a couple.
3. Really, the only character I even halfway enjoyed or felt anything toward was the mom, GG. More than anyone, she was a character with depth and intricacies and interest. I didn't necessarily like her, especially with the whole TV stunt at the end, but I at least felt like I was watching a character develop.
4. I felt like there were so many points in this novel that could have been fleshed out into some beautiful moments with real development, but they were always cut abruptly short, which was jarring. I was constantly left wanting more, but this novel never delivered.
May 29, 2019
***Thanks to NetGalley for providing me a complimentary copy of CENTRE OF THE UNIVERSE by Ria Voros in exchange for my honest review.***
4.5 STARS
Budding astrophysicist Grace has never connected with her mother GG, a TV anchor. Then GG disappears, presumed kidnapped and Grace learns she knows even less about her mother than she realizes.
I know I’ve read a fabulous story when after over 500 pages, I still want more. I read CENTRE OF THE UNIVERSE in one day, needing to know GG’s fate and Grace’s odyssey of self-exploration. Outer space has always overwhelmed and frightened me, so while I didn’t connect to the science part of the story, although I did to the bright, ambitious teenager with a passion for knowledge.
Ria Voros’s words flowed seamlessly through the pages. Grace was complex, moody, sometimes self-centered, also kind and introspective. The secondary characters also had personality and uniqueness.
The first half of CENTRE OF THE UNIVERSE read like a mystery, what happened to GG? The second part was resolving the consequences of that mystery. I’m glad Voros included both in the same book, because CENTRE OF THE UNIVERSE could have been a a book and a sequel.
Voros did miss an opportunity to talk about homelessness and mental illness and using alcohol to self-medicate regarding one character’s parent. Nobody wants to be homeless, to be hungry and dirty. Many alcoholics start drinking to mask undiagnosed psychiatric conditions. Most homeless people are the chronically mentally ill. Voros should have added that into conversations about this character’s parent.
CENTRE OF THE UNIVERSE will appear to readers who like smart, strong female characters.
4.5 STARS
Budding astrophysicist Grace has never connected with her mother GG, a TV anchor. Then GG disappears, presumed kidnapped and Grace learns she knows even less about her mother than she realizes.
I know I’ve read a fabulous story when after over 500 pages, I still want more. I read CENTRE OF THE UNIVERSE in one day, needing to know GG’s fate and Grace’s odyssey of self-exploration. Outer space has always overwhelmed and frightened me, so while I didn’t connect to the science part of the story, although I did to the bright, ambitious teenager with a passion for knowledge.
Ria Voros’s words flowed seamlessly through the pages. Grace was complex, moody, sometimes self-centered, also kind and introspective. The secondary characters also had personality and uniqueness.
The first half of CENTRE OF THE UNIVERSE read like a mystery, what happened to GG? The second part was resolving the consequences of that mystery. I’m glad Voros included both in the same book, because CENTRE OF THE UNIVERSE could have been a a book and a sequel.
Voros did miss an opportunity to talk about homelessness and mental illness and using alcohol to self-medicate regarding one character’s parent. Nobody wants to be homeless, to be hungry and dirty. Many alcoholics start drinking to mask undiagnosed psychiatric conditions. Most homeless people are the chronically mentally ill. Voros should have added that into conversations about this character’s parent.
CENTRE OF THE UNIVERSE will appear to readers who like smart, strong female characters.
March 28, 2019
I almost DNFed this book, but I'm glad I didn't.
It drags at the beginning, but I really liked the characters and I was curious enough about the romance brewing between Grace and Mylo that I kept reading.
It's an interesting story and it's executed well. The writing is good, it flows quite well, despite the pacing being slow in the first half of the book, it still keeps your attention. The characters are well-developed, and the relationship between Grace and her mom GG is intriguing throughout. I enjoyed the astrophysics facts scattered throughout the read, but then again, looking up that kind of facts is a hobby of mine.
All in all, this is a solid read. I haven't read any of Voros' work before, but I'm definitely gonna check it out now. Same goes for Elizabeth Tasker, the astrophysicists that's mentioned and referenced in the book. And if you like YA/contemporary, mother daughter relationships that are going through rough patches and facts about space, then this is the book for you.
*Copy received through NetGalley
*Rating: 4/5 stars
It drags at the beginning, but I really liked the characters and I was curious enough about the romance brewing between Grace and Mylo that I kept reading.
It's an interesting story and it's executed well. The writing is good, it flows quite well, despite the pacing being slow in the first half of the book, it still keeps your attention. The characters are well-developed, and the relationship between Grace and her mom GG is intriguing throughout. I enjoyed the astrophysics facts scattered throughout the read, but then again, looking up that kind of facts is a hobby of mine.
All in all, this is a solid read. I haven't read any of Voros' work before, but I'm definitely gonna check it out now. Same goes for Elizabeth Tasker, the astrophysicists that's mentioned and referenced in the book. And if you like YA/contemporary, mother daughter relationships that are going through rough patches and facts about space, then this is the book for you.
*Copy received through NetGalley
*Rating: 4/5 stars
July 20, 2019
I think this book really did have the potential for greatness, if only it wasn't so heckin long.
But overall I really did enjoy it!!
I am a huge fan of any book about astronomy, so I really appreciated Grace's character and her fascination with outer space. She really looks up to Elizabeth Tasker, and I thought the way that was incorporated into the story was really cool!
I love Milo so much thooooooooooo he's honestly the sweetest 😍😍😍
And there were some really interesting family dynamics which were complicated and just explored really well which I super appreciated!!
Also my love of crime shows meant that I was immediately intrigued by the element of kidnapping in the plot, and the mystery was really interesting to follow!!
I think this book is really good, I was just in the mood for a quick cute read and this novel went on for too long.
Many thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for providing me with a review copy! All opinions are my own.
But overall I really did enjoy it!!
I am a huge fan of any book about astronomy, so I really appreciated Grace's character and her fascination with outer space. She really looks up to Elizabeth Tasker, and I thought the way that was incorporated into the story was really cool!
I love Milo so much thooooooooooo he's honestly the sweetest 😍😍😍
And there were some really interesting family dynamics which were complicated and just explored really well which I super appreciated!!
Also my love of crime shows meant that I was immediately intrigued by the element of kidnapping in the plot, and the mystery was really interesting to follow!!
I think this book is really good, I was just in the mood for a quick cute read and this novel went on for too long.
Many thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for providing me with a review copy! All opinions are my own.
April 10, 2019
Considering i am well past the target age for this book I was surprised at how much I really found it to be a story I just could not put down. It is not only a movie worthy plot ,it's thought provoking and intelligently written .If someone is smart enough to screen play this ,it needs to have narration from young Graces perspective with actual text from the novel itself. I really loved all the characters ( except of course one ) since I felt they were all "real" people and I could actually be living next door to them . The cover is terrific too .So even if you are not a young adult yourself ,you will completely enjoy this story which is a combination of family drama ,crisis and mystery told from the viewpoint of a highly perceptive ,smart seventeen year old . I really loved the fact it was not dumbed down to cater to the teen market which is what makes it appealing to a " ahem " slightly older demographic lol.
November 27, 2021
I received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. My thoughts and opinions are my own. Any quotes I use are from an unpublished copy and may not reflect the finished product.
The Center of the Universe was an amazing all-around read. I thoroughly enjoyed the story and the characters, and always looked forward to picking it up again. Typically, I try to do housework while the kids take their naps, but this week I've been staying in their room long after they've fallen asleep, just so I could keep turning the pages. (You should see my house right now...eesh. Neglected and scary, but totally worth it!)
I still cannot believe this book is over 500 pages! It never felt long, and all of the information was relevant and necessary. The writing flowed beautifully, and I was completely entranced by what was happening. Did her mom leave willingly? Was she abducted? Was that a clue? Honestly, I considered everything a clue, and I was still surprised by what happened. Ria Voros is clever -- loved it!
More than anything, I think The Center of the Universe is about a relationship between a mother and a daughter. Grace starts gathering tiny fragments of information about her mother after her disappearance, and she was surprised by how much she didn't know. I feel like that's true for all of us, because how well do we really know our parents? What were they like before we existed? Her dad, grandmother, and some of her mother's friends, shed a light on GG Carter that Grace was unaware of before. It allows Grace another perspective of her mother, and maybe a better understanding.
Iris and Mylo are amazing friends (can we get a Mylo book, please), and they're both there for Grace throughout the book. Mylo's constant reminders to breathe were sweet and thoughtful. He shared his own experiences with loss, and was able to relate to Grace in a way no one else could. Iris is simply the best! I also loved her parents and their cooking -- yum! They both go above and beyond to help Grace, despite having their own problems to deal with.
Families are messy and complicated, and I thought the author did a fantastic job of painting a very realistic picture. Grace fights with her brother, is annoyed by her grandmother, and is sarcastic with her father. She fought with her mother (repeatedly), and yet they were still a family. It was obvious they loved one another, and it was clear that they were all trying to do their best under the circumstances. There were happy moments amidst all the sadness, and we see people trying to cope with their grief while also supporting their loved ones.
I was totally and completely engrossed in The Center of the Universe from the very first page. I loved the opening quote by Neil deGrasse Tyson, and all of the scientific facts shared throughout the book. I've always been enamored by space and the mysteries of the universe, so Grace was a character after my own heart. It was never overwhelming, just a girl sharing her knowledge and her passion.
If I keep listing all of the things I enjoyed about this book, this post will go on forever. It's a truly remarkable read that I look forward to reading again in the future!
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The Center of the Universe was an amazing all-around read. I thoroughly enjoyed the story and the characters, and always looked forward to picking it up again. Typically, I try to do housework while the kids take their naps, but this week I've been staying in their room long after they've fallen asleep, just so I could keep turning the pages. (You should see my house right now...eesh. Neglected and scary, but totally worth it!)
I still cannot believe this book is over 500 pages! It never felt long, and all of the information was relevant and necessary. The writing flowed beautifully, and I was completely entranced by what was happening. Did her mom leave willingly? Was she abducted? Was that a clue? Honestly, I considered everything a clue, and I was still surprised by what happened. Ria Voros is clever -- loved it!
More than anything, I think The Center of the Universe is about a relationship between a mother and a daughter. Grace starts gathering tiny fragments of information about her mother after her disappearance, and she was surprised by how much she didn't know. I feel like that's true for all of us, because how well do we really know our parents? What were they like before we existed? Her dad, grandmother, and some of her mother's friends, shed a light on GG Carter that Grace was unaware of before. It allows Grace another perspective of her mother, and maybe a better understanding.
Iris and Mylo are amazing friends (can we get a Mylo book, please), and they're both there for Grace throughout the book. Mylo's constant reminders to breathe were sweet and thoughtful. He shared his own experiences with loss, and was able to relate to Grace in a way no one else could. Iris is simply the best! I also loved her parents and their cooking -- yum! They both go above and beyond to help Grace, despite having their own problems to deal with.
Families are messy and complicated, and I thought the author did a fantastic job of painting a very realistic picture. Grace fights with her brother, is annoyed by her grandmother, and is sarcastic with her father. She fought with her mother (repeatedly), and yet they were still a family. It was obvious they loved one another, and it was clear that they were all trying to do their best under the circumstances. There were happy moments amidst all the sadness, and we see people trying to cope with their grief while also supporting their loved ones.
I was totally and completely engrossed in The Center of the Universe from the very first page. I loved the opening quote by Neil deGrasse Tyson, and all of the scientific facts shared throughout the book. I've always been enamored by space and the mysteries of the universe, so Grace was a character after my own heart. It was never overwhelming, just a girl sharing her knowledge and her passion.
If I keep listing all of the things I enjoyed about this book, this post will go on forever. It's a truly remarkable read that I look forward to reading again in the future!
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February 26, 2019
The Center of the Universe is an fascinating YA contemporary novel about growing up, about family, about love and friendship, about horrible events that change and shape lives, about waiting and overcoming, about learning to listen, and about watching the stars. Part mystery, part coming-of-age contemporary, The Center of the Universe is sure to delight and surprise YA contemporary readers.
Grace Carter is the third Grace in her family. And while her grandmother is an actress and her mother a popular and well-loved TV news anchor, Grace prefers her life well out of the spotlight. Instead, she spends her time searching for new planets, star gazing and hanging out with her best friend, Iris. But when Grace’s mother goes missing, Grace will have to re-evaluate her relationship with her mother and everything she thought she knew about her. As the police put together theories about what happened to Grace’s mother and as Grace and her family contend with the endless questioning, waiting and swooping news crews, Grace herself grows closer to Mylo - a boy from school who knows exactly what Grace is going through.
I was intrigued by The Center of the Universe. While the disappearance of Grace’s mother and the mystery surrounding what happened to her underscores the plot it doesn’t drive it in the way I expected. This is not a fast-paced mystery-thriller. Instead it is a thoughtful contemporary novel about growing up, discovering that your parents aren’t always who you thought they were and deciding a path for the future. The Center of the Universe is a fairly long book and while it never drags, it takes its time weaving Grace’s story together. Grace leaves most of the mystery-solving to the police, but she does uncover a lot of secrets and history she never knew about her mother. As they wait for developments in the case, Grace spends her time trying to understand the grandmother she doesn’t much like moving into their home, watching her father and brother try not to fall apart, and hanging with Iris and Mylo in a series of ‘jailbreak’ adventures.
I loved the friendship Grace shares with Iris. There is something very genuine about their connection, the way they communicate, fight, and make up again. The romance between Mylo and Grace is more a meeting of two souls who have shared experiences rather than a quick, flash-burn romance. They navigate growing feelings as they balance their understanding of each other with the ways in which they are different.
The Center of the Universe is a reflective, family and friendship-orientated novel. Grace’s love of space, planets and astrophysics shines throughout this novel, woven together with mystery and romance.
The publishers provided an advanced readers copy of this book for reviewing purposes. All opinions are my own.
Find more reviews, reading age guides, content advisory, and recommendations on my blog Madison's Library
Grace Carter is the third Grace in her family. And while her grandmother is an actress and her mother a popular and well-loved TV news anchor, Grace prefers her life well out of the spotlight. Instead, she spends her time searching for new planets, star gazing and hanging out with her best friend, Iris. But when Grace’s mother goes missing, Grace will have to re-evaluate her relationship with her mother and everything she thought she knew about her. As the police put together theories about what happened to Grace’s mother and as Grace and her family contend with the endless questioning, waiting and swooping news crews, Grace herself grows closer to Mylo - a boy from school who knows exactly what Grace is going through.
I was intrigued by The Center of the Universe. While the disappearance of Grace’s mother and the mystery surrounding what happened to her underscores the plot it doesn’t drive it in the way I expected. This is not a fast-paced mystery-thriller. Instead it is a thoughtful contemporary novel about growing up, discovering that your parents aren’t always who you thought they were and deciding a path for the future. The Center of the Universe is a fairly long book and while it never drags, it takes its time weaving Grace’s story together. Grace leaves most of the mystery-solving to the police, but she does uncover a lot of secrets and history she never knew about her mother. As they wait for developments in the case, Grace spends her time trying to understand the grandmother she doesn’t much like moving into their home, watching her father and brother try not to fall apart, and hanging with Iris and Mylo in a series of ‘jailbreak’ adventures.
I loved the friendship Grace shares with Iris. There is something very genuine about their connection, the way they communicate, fight, and make up again. The romance between Mylo and Grace is more a meeting of two souls who have shared experiences rather than a quick, flash-burn romance. They navigate growing feelings as they balance their understanding of each other with the ways in which they are different.
The Center of the Universe is a reflective, family and friendship-orientated novel. Grace’s love of space, planets and astrophysics shines throughout this novel, woven together with mystery and romance.
The publishers provided an advanced readers copy of this book for reviewing purposes. All opinions are my own.
Find more reviews, reading age guides, content advisory, and recommendations on my blog Madison's Library
March 25, 2019
*I received a copy of this book from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review*
Rating: 4.5 stars
Review: This book had so many things that I loved: girls in STEM, awesome friendships, mystery, and interesting characters. The STEM element was excellent and the space stuff was so interesting. Maybe it’s just because I think astronomy is fascinating, but I liked it a lot. But what was really cool was that the author also consulted with an actual astrophysicist!
Elizabeth Tasker, who if you’ve read this book you’ll recognize as Grace’s hero, is a real life person as well. She does indeed work for JAXA and there’s a super cool interview with her at the end of the book (at least in the e-ARC I received there was). I just loved seeing that the author really did her research. It definitely showed when Grace talked about astronomy, too.
I also thought it showed in how the author portrayed GG’s abduction, the family’s struggle while she was gone, and the aftermath of the trauma on all of them. It’s difficult to show trauma, but I do felt the complexity of it was shown in this book. While I cannot directly speak to how this was portrayed and it’s accuracy, it felt like it was handled respectfully.
From some of the reviews of this book I read, I noticed that some people thought this book was slow and some DNF’ed it because of this. While I wouldn’t call this a fast paced book, I felt like it was appropriate for the story it was telling. If you’re looking for something with non-stop action, this isn’t the book for you. But it’s a good slow build that depicts wonderful friendships and, at it’s heart, is about mother-daughter relationships.
Speaking of friendships and relationships, I loved Iris and Mylo. They’re Grace’s best friend and love interest respectively. Iris was one of my favorite characters in this. She was interesting, funny and I loved seeing a cool depiction of homeschooling. Mylo was such a sweet love interest, too. Both of them also had such realistic relationships with their parents.
Overall, I really liked this book. I’d recommend if you want a contemporary that has mystery elements but is ultimately about mother-daughter relationships.
Rating: 4.5 stars
Review: This book had so many things that I loved: girls in STEM, awesome friendships, mystery, and interesting characters. The STEM element was excellent and the space stuff was so interesting. Maybe it’s just because I think astronomy is fascinating, but I liked it a lot. But what was really cool was that the author also consulted with an actual astrophysicist!
Elizabeth Tasker, who if you’ve read this book you’ll recognize as Grace’s hero, is a real life person as well. She does indeed work for JAXA and there’s a super cool interview with her at the end of the book (at least in the e-ARC I received there was). I just loved seeing that the author really did her research. It definitely showed when Grace talked about astronomy, too.
I also thought it showed in how the author portrayed GG’s abduction, the family’s struggle while she was gone, and the aftermath of the trauma on all of them. It’s difficult to show trauma, but I do felt the complexity of it was shown in this book. While I cannot directly speak to how this was portrayed and it’s accuracy, it felt like it was handled respectfully.
From some of the reviews of this book I read, I noticed that some people thought this book was slow and some DNF’ed it because of this. While I wouldn’t call this a fast paced book, I felt like it was appropriate for the story it was telling. If you’re looking for something with non-stop action, this isn’t the book for you. But it’s a good slow build that depicts wonderful friendships and, at it’s heart, is about mother-daughter relationships.
Speaking of friendships and relationships, I loved Iris and Mylo. They’re Grace’s best friend and love interest respectively. Iris was one of my favorite characters in this. She was interesting, funny and I loved seeing a cool depiction of homeschooling. Mylo was such a sweet love interest, too. Both of them also had such realistic relationships with their parents.
Overall, I really liked this book. I’d recommend if you want a contemporary that has mystery elements but is ultimately about mother-daughter relationships.
did-not-finish
March 15, 2019I received an e-arc of this book from NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
DNF at 15%
I couldn’t bring myself to read 500 pages of this book. I didn’t like anything about it.
I wasn’t a fan of the writing. It was just really basic and kept going off on irrelevant tangents that I’m pretty sure have nothing to do with anything. It purposefully left out information, probably to discover later on in the book, but it ended up making it so jarring and disconnected. I literally thought I was reading a sequel for the first little bit because nothing was being explained.
The main thing that really bothered me though was that there was no build up before her mother went missing. 6 chapters yes, but in all that time it didn’t give me the faintest idea of what her relationship with her mother was really like. It was a lot of her complaining that her mother doesn’t understand her and then comparing everything to space.
I can’t talk about the mystery element without spoiling anything really, but it might have been the weakest disappearance I’ve ever read. I literally didn’t think anything of it because she’d already just disappeared 6 times to work in the span of a few chapters. I feel like it should have been prominent since the whole thing is about her disappearance.
I have a surprising amount of feelings for only 75 pages. I really appreciate being given the chance to read and review this early, but it’s definitely not for me and I don’t plan on finishing it.
DNF at 15%
I couldn’t bring myself to read 500 pages of this book. I didn’t like anything about it.
I wasn’t a fan of the writing. It was just really basic and kept going off on irrelevant tangents that I’m pretty sure have nothing to do with anything. It purposefully left out information, probably to discover later on in the book, but it ended up making it so jarring and disconnected. I literally thought I was reading a sequel for the first little bit because nothing was being explained.
The main thing that really bothered me though was that there was no build up before her mother went missing. 6 chapters yes, but in all that time it didn’t give me the faintest idea of what her relationship with her mother was really like. It was a lot of her complaining that her mother doesn’t understand her and then comparing everything to space.
I can’t talk about the mystery element without spoiling anything really, but it might have been the weakest disappearance I’ve ever read. I literally didn’t think anything of it because she’d already just disappeared 6 times to work in the span of a few chapters. I feel like it should have been prominent since the whole thing is about her disappearance.
I have a surprising amount of feelings for only 75 pages. I really appreciate being given the chance to read and review this early, but it’s definitely not for me and I don’t plan on finishing it.
April 26, 2019
The writing of this book really worked for me - the short chapters and beautiful writing. The book is supposed to be 500 pages, but it felt like around 300 - a real quick read, where there was quite a lot of happening. Nevertheless, the book needs a few trigger warnings for abuse, kidnapping etc.
The plot of the book was actually quite interesting. I haven't read many books where one of the parents go missing, so i was really fascinated by it. It was also written very well and the motive and most of the reasons etc. were quite realistic, while some parts seemed too unrealistic.
more at: https://3mmakatariina.wordpress.com/2...
The plot of the book was actually quite interesting. I haven't read many books where one of the parents go missing, so i was really fascinated by it. It was also written very well and the motive and most of the reasons etc. were quite realistic, while some parts seemed too unrealistic.
more at: https://3mmakatariina.wordpress.com/2...
April 8, 2019
Warnings: abusive relationship, suicide mention, discussion of trauma and PTSD, mention of homelessness
A big theme in The Center of the Universe is the parts of people that we do not know, and it is explored in the mother-daughter relationship of GG and Grace. Grace's mother is a broadcast journalist and her work frequently has her away from her kids' lives, something that Grace resents. With her mother and grandmother both involved in being on-screen and their being public, Grace feels a disconnect with them with the astrophysicist aspirations and her need for privacy. When GG goes missing and the search for her continues beyond weeks, Grace slowly starts to learn about another side of her mother.
Drawing on complicated relationships daughters have with their mothers, the book shows through Grace how children often see their parents only in a singular role. Here, Grace only sees her mother as that, and resents her for not adequately fulfilling her role. She doesn't realize her mother is also a person, someone who has things that they want, someone who is caught in a personal crisis about where their life is going. From a teenager's point of view, it seems natural that she wants to be close to her mother, but from an adult's point of view, you can see that she is also rejecting the efforts being made to bridge that gap (to the point that it sometimes comes across as bratty). I also feel this is a book that will be read very differently based on the reader's own personal views and stage in life.
The book is being shelved as mystery on here, and yes, it is a mystery in the first half, as Grace and the police are trying to put the pieces together to find out what happened with GG's disappearance, but it is not a 'thriller' kind of mystery; it isn't the main attraction as with actual mystery novels. Instead, it is a slow building of Grace's new worldview, where she realizes there are many sides to people, including her mother, and her friends' parents. She finds a bond with Mylo, her friend and crush, who understands what it is like to be waiting for someone's safe return, and to have a complicated relationship with one's mother, and is her rock during this time. Grace and her best friend Iris also have a strong bond, but she feels Iris' happy family life means she has no base to understand her own struggles.
Finally, the book does a good enough job of connecting Grace's passion to her understanding of the world and of relationships. It is a good exploration of strained familial relationships, discusses abuse (and its effects on a person's psyche) and also touches upon going with your passions in life at the cost of your future.
Received an advance reader copy in exchange for a fair review from Kids Can Press, via Netgalley.
A big theme in The Center of the Universe is the parts of people that we do not know, and it is explored in the mother-daughter relationship of GG and Grace. Grace's mother is a broadcast journalist and her work frequently has her away from her kids' lives, something that Grace resents. With her mother and grandmother both involved in being on-screen and their being public, Grace feels a disconnect with them with the astrophysicist aspirations and her need for privacy. When GG goes missing and the search for her continues beyond weeks, Grace slowly starts to learn about another side of her mother.
“We’re all made up of different versions of ourselves, Grace. Different parts that we outgrow or hang on to or hide.”
Drawing on complicated relationships daughters have with their mothers, the book shows through Grace how children often see their parents only in a singular role. Here, Grace only sees her mother as that, and resents her for not adequately fulfilling her role. She doesn't realize her mother is also a person, someone who has things that they want, someone who is caught in a personal crisis about where their life is going. From a teenager's point of view, it seems natural that she wants to be close to her mother, but from an adult's point of view, you can see that she is also rejecting the efforts being made to bridge that gap (to the point that it sometimes comes across as bratty). I also feel this is a book that will be read very differently based on the reader's own personal views and stage in life.
The book is being shelved as mystery on here, and yes, it is a mystery in the first half, as Grace and the police are trying to put the pieces together to find out what happened with GG's disappearance, but it is not a 'thriller' kind of mystery; it isn't the main attraction as with actual mystery novels. Instead, it is a slow building of Grace's new worldview, where she realizes there are many sides to people, including her mother, and her friends' parents. She finds a bond with Mylo, her friend and crush, who understands what it is like to be waiting for someone's safe return, and to have a complicated relationship with one's mother, and is her rock during this time. Grace and her best friend Iris also have a strong bond, but she feels Iris' happy family life means she has no base to understand her own struggles.
Finally, the book does a good enough job of connecting Grace's passion to her understanding of the world and of relationships. It is a good exploration of strained familial relationships, discusses abuse (and its effects on a person's psyche) and also touches upon going with your passions in life at the cost of your future.
Received an advance reader copy in exchange for a fair review from Kids Can Press, via Netgalley.
May 18, 2021
so I accidentally deleted my entire review, kms
summary:
I found it kind of a tryhard version of Shaun David Hutcherson's writing, specifically his novel At the Edge of the Universe. That isn't necessarily a bad thing, since I have been looking for more novels with this kind of metaphysical, astronomical kind of style.
Below are four very striking similarities to At the Edge of the Universe.
1. Nerdy, space-obsessed, awkward MC.
2. Beautifully written metaphysical, space-y passages.
3. Abducted/ disappearing side character who is very close to the MC and fuels the plot
4. The titles for God's sake.
Frankly, I think Hutcherson did it better, but I know it's wrong to compare, and just because they're similar doesn't mean this is a copy.
I thought this book was a mishmash of really weird tropes that were barely cohesive together, but that's also kind of why I liked it. I understand why that isn't somebody else's cup of tea, though.
Really great for filler reads and during book slumps.
each chapter in this book is about two pages long. each chapter has an empty page after it ends. If that weren't the case, we could probably save about 100 pages. massive waste of paper, smh.
But I really loved how this book's main theme revolved around the relationships you have with the people around you. Parents, grandparents, your best friend...
It's unlike anything I've ever read and is so relatable to everybody, especially since Grace as a character is so incredibly relatable.
Would I recommend? Yeah, probably. But I don't think I'd read this again. It's the forgettable kind of book, if I'm being honest. But to me, that's every contemporary ever so...
take from that what you will
summary:
I found it kind of a tryhard version of Shaun David Hutcherson's writing, specifically his novel At the Edge of the Universe. That isn't necessarily a bad thing, since I have been looking for more novels with this kind of metaphysical, astronomical kind of style.
Below are four very striking similarities to At the Edge of the Universe.
1. Nerdy, space-obsessed, awkward MC.
2. Beautifully written metaphysical, space-y passages.
3. Abducted/ disappearing side character who is very close to the MC and fuels the plot
4. The titles for God's sake.
Frankly, I think Hutcherson did it better, but I know it's wrong to compare, and just because they're similar doesn't mean this is a copy.
I thought this book was a mishmash of really weird tropes that were barely cohesive together, but that's also kind of why I liked it. I understand why that isn't somebody else's cup of tea, though.
Really great for filler reads and during book slumps.
each chapter in this book is about two pages long. each chapter has an empty page after it ends. If that weren't the case, we could probably save about 100 pages. massive waste of paper, smh.
But I really loved how this book's main theme revolved around the relationships you have with the people around you. Parents, grandparents, your best friend...
It's unlike anything I've ever read and is so relatable to everybody, especially since Grace as a character is so incredibly relatable.
Would I recommend? Yeah, probably. But I don't think I'd read this again. It's the forgettable kind of book, if I'm being honest. But to me, that's every contemporary ever so...
take from that what you will
July 14, 2024
4.25
Really good. I loved Mylo and Grace together, they were so cute 🫶🫶
Iris was a W character and best friend too.
I would have liked to see a bit more of what happened to Grace's mother while she disappeared, but overall pretty good book. 👍
Really good. I loved Mylo and Grace together, they were so cute 🫶🫶
Iris was a W character and best friend too.
I would have liked to see a bit more of what happened to Grace's mother while she disappeared, but overall pretty good book. 👍
April 2, 2019
I think I enjoyed the premise of this more than the execution of it.
The foundation is there for a suspenseful and emotional, gripping, story about an aspiring astrophysicist named Grace, who, because of her proclivity to think rationally, scientifically, tends to view the world and the people in it through a black-and-white-lensed telescope, but who, upon her mother's unexpected disappearance, which leaves her crumpled and scrambling for answers about the woman she thought she knew, must learn to understand that the answers she seeks about those she loves aren't always simple. They're messy and tangled, contradictory, and sometimes--absolutely surprising. However, while lots of potential existed to truly explore and highlight these things, they were brushed upon only lightly. They were, in essence, more on-the-surface than anything.
This applies to the characters and the conflicts they experience as well. For example, the stones are there for a deep examination into the emotional disconnect that exists between mother and daughter, between grandmother and granddaughter, but I found myself disappointed in the lack of complexity. The fact that neither Grace's mother nor grandmother seemed to care or take an interest in her passion for astronomy for a long time came across as one-dimensional mostly because there was no establishment of these relationships prior to GG's disappearance. It seemed more like Grace was telling me how they "didn't understand her" "didn't try" instead of showing me how or why she felt that way.
Speaking of the disappearance, by the way, the whole thing felt anticlimactic. And dare I say it--a little boring?
I respect and acknowledge the author's attempt to draw parallels to this idea of a Perpetual Waiting Room - which is a beautiful metaphor for the internal turmoil that would afflict someone whose entire world is upended when a loved one goes missing, the thoughts that would rankle, resent, and repeat - but I would've preferred dragging through the inner, outer, and emotional sludge with the family as they waited for news instead of sifting through a bunch of "did you hear anything" text messages. I wanted to feel the fear and despair the character experienced, the agony of not knowing what happened, and not be told every few lines how much waiting for answers sucked. The same can be extended to Grace and Mylo and their connection, which was based on similar experiences and understanding. I wanted to feel their attraction more, not be told about it.
All this said, I did enjoy all of the astronomical references as well as Grace's knowledgable fascination with binary star systems, Nebula gases, black holes and the like. A girl who's passionate about science is important to represent. So thanks to Edelweiss for the ARC!
The foundation is there for a suspenseful and emotional, gripping, story about an aspiring astrophysicist named Grace, who, because of her proclivity to think rationally, scientifically, tends to view the world and the people in it through a black-and-white-lensed telescope, but who, upon her mother's unexpected disappearance, which leaves her crumpled and scrambling for answers about the woman she thought she knew, must learn to understand that the answers she seeks about those she loves aren't always simple. They're messy and tangled, contradictory, and sometimes--absolutely surprising. However, while lots of potential existed to truly explore and highlight these things, they were brushed upon only lightly. They were, in essence, more on-the-surface than anything.
This applies to the characters and the conflicts they experience as well. For example, the stones are there for a deep examination into the emotional disconnect that exists between mother and daughter, between grandmother and granddaughter, but I found myself disappointed in the lack of complexity. The fact that neither Grace's mother nor grandmother seemed to care or take an interest in her passion for astronomy for a long time came across as one-dimensional mostly because there was no establishment of these relationships prior to GG's disappearance. It seemed more like Grace was telling me how they "didn't understand her" "didn't try" instead of showing me how or why she felt that way.
Speaking of the disappearance, by the way, the whole thing felt anticlimactic. And dare I say it--a little boring?
I respect and acknowledge the author's attempt to draw parallels to this idea of a Perpetual Waiting Room - which is a beautiful metaphor for the internal turmoil that would afflict someone whose entire world is upended when a loved one goes missing, the thoughts that would rankle, resent, and repeat - but I would've preferred dragging through the inner, outer, and emotional sludge with the family as they waited for news instead of sifting through a bunch of "did you hear anything" text messages. I wanted to feel the fear and despair the character experienced, the agony of not knowing what happened, and not be told every few lines how much waiting for answers sucked. The same can be extended to Grace and Mylo and their connection, which was based on similar experiences and understanding. I wanted to feel their attraction more, not be told about it.
All this said, I did enjoy all of the astronomical references as well as Grace's knowledgable fascination with binary star systems, Nebula gases, black holes and the like. A girl who's passionate about science is important to represent. So thanks to Edelweiss for the ARC!
February 10, 2019
Engrossing ~ Bittersweet ~ Relatable
tl; dr: Teen deals with mother's kidnapping while also dealing with her mommy issues and love issues.
This story took a number of surprising turns. I expected a fairly regular YA book but ended up getting something sort of psychological. At points, you feel stressed for the main character, surely a good sign the writer has constructed a relatable story. The astronomy angle, the MC's chief interest, felt a little contrived at parts. But, the relationship between the mother and the daughter, as well as the kidnapping, make this a story worth reading.
3.5
Thanks to NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
tl; dr: Teen deals with mother's kidnapping while also dealing with her mommy issues and love issues.
This story took a number of surprising turns. I expected a fairly regular YA book but ended up getting something sort of psychological. At points, you feel stressed for the main character, surely a good sign the writer has constructed a relatable story. The astronomy angle, the MC's chief interest, felt a little contrived at parts. But, the relationship between the mother and the daughter, as well as the kidnapping, make this a story worth reading.
3.5
Thanks to NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
April 2, 2019
Disclaimer: I received this book for free from the publisher and RockStarBookTours. Thanks! All opinions are my own.
Book Series: Standalone
Rating: 4/5
Publication Date: April 2, 2019
Genre: YA Contemporary/Thriller
Recommended Age: 15+ (TW for kidnapping, TW for potential rape, PTSD, sex, and I think there was some small language in this book)
Publisher: KCP Loft
Pages: 506
Amazon Link
Synopsis: Grace Carter's mother --- the celebrity news anchor GG Carter --- is everything Grace is not. GG is a star, with a flawless wardrobe and a following of thousands, while Grace --- an aspiring astrophysicist --- is into stars of another kind. She and her mother have always been in different orbits. Then one day GG is just ... gone. Cameras descend on their house, news shows speculate about what might have happened and Grace's family struggles to find a new rhythm as they wait for answers. While the authorities unravel the mystery behind GG's disappearance, Grace grows closer to her high school's golden boy, Mylo, who has faced a black hole of his own. She also uncovers some secrets from her mother's long-lost past. The more Grace learns, the more she wonders. Did she ever really know her mother? Was GG abducted ... or did she leave? And if she left, why?
Review: For the most part I liked this book. I thought it was well written and it was great to see a tragedy from the perspective of a family effected by it instead of from the viewpoint of the victim. It was realistic and raw. I felt that the character development was great.
However, I did have some issues. I really didn’t like all the misinformation in the book. At one point in the book the father mentions how you had to wait 3 days to report a missing person. This is entirely false. The book is set in Canada and according to the websites I went to, including a government website, it advises people to report missing persons ASAP no matter their age. I usually hear of a 24 hour rule, which is a complete myth and here is why: The first 24 hours in a missing persons case is the most crucial to a case and to the victims life. Your chance of survival and of being rescued decreases significantly after 24 hours is up. I feel it is essential to inform people of the correct times to report missing persons as this can easily mean the difference between life and death for someone you saw/suspect getting kidnapped. The fact that the father waited three days to report the mother missing was very annoying as well. If you think a loved one is in danger or you don’t know where they are PLEASE CALL 911. Another misinformation in the book is that the children in this book were allowed to be interviewed without parental consent. While I’m not exactly sure of the ages of the children as well as the age of majority in Canada, this is a complete falsehood as well. Children have to have a parent or guardian present, even if one of their parents is a suspect.
The back and forth of the time is confusing at first and it takes a bit to get used to. The length for this type of book is really long too, but I’m unsure of how the author could have reduced it. I felt like the book needed to be that long, but it also felt like it was too long as well? It’s a confusing feeling.
Verdict: I recommend this for the mix of contemporary and thriller.
Book Series: Standalone
Rating: 4/5
Publication Date: April 2, 2019
Genre: YA Contemporary/Thriller
Recommended Age: 15+ (TW for kidnapping, TW for potential rape, PTSD, sex, and I think there was some small language in this book)
Publisher: KCP Loft
Pages: 506
Amazon Link
Synopsis: Grace Carter's mother --- the celebrity news anchor GG Carter --- is everything Grace is not. GG is a star, with a flawless wardrobe and a following of thousands, while Grace --- an aspiring astrophysicist --- is into stars of another kind. She and her mother have always been in different orbits. Then one day GG is just ... gone. Cameras descend on their house, news shows speculate about what might have happened and Grace's family struggles to find a new rhythm as they wait for answers. While the authorities unravel the mystery behind GG's disappearance, Grace grows closer to her high school's golden boy, Mylo, who has faced a black hole of his own. She also uncovers some secrets from her mother's long-lost past. The more Grace learns, the more she wonders. Did she ever really know her mother? Was GG abducted ... or did she leave? And if she left, why?
Review: For the most part I liked this book. I thought it was well written and it was great to see a tragedy from the perspective of a family effected by it instead of from the viewpoint of the victim. It was realistic and raw. I felt that the character development was great.
However, I did have some issues. I really didn’t like all the misinformation in the book. At one point in the book the father mentions how you had to wait 3 days to report a missing person. This is entirely false. The book is set in Canada and according to the websites I went to, including a government website, it advises people to report missing persons ASAP no matter their age. I usually hear of a 24 hour rule, which is a complete myth and here is why: The first 24 hours in a missing persons case is the most crucial to a case and to the victims life. Your chance of survival and of being rescued decreases significantly after 24 hours is up. I feel it is essential to inform people of the correct times to report missing persons as this can easily mean the difference between life and death for someone you saw/suspect getting kidnapped. The fact that the father waited three days to report the mother missing was very annoying as well. If you think a loved one is in danger or you don’t know where they are PLEASE CALL 911. Another misinformation in the book is that the children in this book were allowed to be interviewed without parental consent. While I’m not exactly sure of the ages of the children as well as the age of majority in Canada, this is a complete falsehood as well. Children have to have a parent or guardian present, even if one of their parents is a suspect.
The back and forth of the time is confusing at first and it takes a bit to get used to. The length for this type of book is really long too, but I’m unsure of how the author could have reduced it. I felt like the book needed to be that long, but it also felt like it was too long as well? It’s a confusing feeling.
Verdict: I recommend this for the mix of contemporary and thriller.
March 6, 2019
3,5 STARS
YOU CAN ALSO FIND THIS REVIEW ON MY BLOG https://antonellasbookworld.blogspot....
The Center of The Universe by Ria Voros is one of those books that makes you feel conflicted, because on one hand I just couldn't wait to understand all the story behind the abduction of Grace's mum, on the other hand it was really hard to get through more of half of the book. Everything was so slow and for most part I read quickly and skip a lot, especially from 30% to 60% of the book. Everything was like in stand by and frankly I didn't really want to read all of it.
This book has like central point the relationship between Grace and her mother, GG. A relationship between a mother and a daughter that isn't going through a good phase. They are distanced, disconnected and they don't really see eye to eye in most of the things especially GG's job.
The author is really good at creating the story, however I didn't really enjoy most of the book, mostly for the following reasons:
✔ It was too slow, especially in the first 65%/70% of the book
✔ Too much talk about astrophysics and astronomy. This is more personal though and it just concerned me since I'm not really interested in those things. But it made lots of part of this book much harder to go through.
✔ The main character Grace. I didn't like her so much and I didn't connect with her.
Apart from those things the book was really interesting, It was a story about healing, about a daughter and her mother who, despite their differences, they go through a difficult phase in their relationship. After all, everything can be fixed with communication and love.
I recommend it for who likes to read about a mother-daughter relationship and for who has an interest in astronomy and the universe.
*Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review
YOU CAN ALSO FIND THIS REVIEW ON MY BLOG https://antonellasbookworld.blogspot....
The Center of The Universe by Ria Voros is one of those books that makes you feel conflicted, because on one hand I just couldn't wait to understand all the story behind the abduction of Grace's mum, on the other hand it was really hard to get through more of half of the book. Everything was so slow and for most part I read quickly and skip a lot, especially from 30% to 60% of the book. Everything was like in stand by and frankly I didn't really want to read all of it.
This book has like central point the relationship between Grace and her mother, GG. A relationship between a mother and a daughter that isn't going through a good phase. They are distanced, disconnected and they don't really see eye to eye in most of the things especially GG's job.
The author is really good at creating the story, however I didn't really enjoy most of the book, mostly for the following reasons:
✔ It was too slow, especially in the first 65%/70% of the book
✔ Too much talk about astrophysics and astronomy. This is more personal though and it just concerned me since I'm not really interested in those things. But it made lots of part of this book much harder to go through.
✔ The main character Grace. I didn't like her so much and I didn't connect with her.
Apart from those things the book was really interesting, It was a story about healing, about a daughter and her mother who, despite their differences, they go through a difficult phase in their relationship. After all, everything can be fixed with communication and love.
I recommend it for who likes to read about a mother-daughter relationship and for who has an interest in astronomy and the universe.
*Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review
February 20, 2019
Received from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Honestly, I almost DNFed this a few times. The celestial imagery and metaphors were very heavy-handed, especially in the first few chapters, and it turned me off immediately. I like space as much as the next guy, but this was too much in a short span of time.
The first half of the book is a drag. I skimmed most of it. It just wasn’t interesting to me. The build up to GG disappearing was interesting enough, and the immediate fallout of that was an easy read, but as the initial shock wore off and the story continued, I was bored. There were so many mentions of this knockdown dragout between GG and Grace about Star Club, and the payoff was disappointing. It definitely didn’t justify the guilt Grace felt over it, as it wasn’t the last thing Grace said to GG before she disappeared or anything. I don’t know, the middle of the book was just odd.
But I skimmed until the 60% mark, when we discover what happened to GG, and that was interesting. That was a compelling read. There were still some frustrations, but I was willing to overlook it because I finally enjoyed the story being told to me.
I did not buy into the romance between Grace and Mylo, but it was fine. It didn’t really feel forced, but it also didn’t feel like it was nearly as serious a relationship as it was meant to be. To me, they were casually dating, not in the midst of some deep, all-consuming love, the latter of which I think the author was intending to portray.
The ending felt a little weird, like the author wasn’t really sure where to end things. It wasn’t rushed or anything, but it just didn’t feel like a significantly meaningful ending in relation to everything else that happened in the story.
I will say that this book was well-researched, and while I’m not totally sure that’s how police investigations work, I’m also not Canadian, so maybe it is. If anything, it’s realistic enough that it wouldn’t bother me to learn that’s not how things work.
Overall, this is a fairly run-of-the-mill read. It was interesting enough, and I did like the space nerd angle, but ultimately, it’s not something that left me speechless or that I’d reread.
5/10 would recommend.
Honestly, I almost DNFed this a few times. The celestial imagery and metaphors were very heavy-handed, especially in the first few chapters, and it turned me off immediately. I like space as much as the next guy, but this was too much in a short span of time.
The first half of the book is a drag. I skimmed most of it. It just wasn’t interesting to me. The build up to GG disappearing was interesting enough, and the immediate fallout of that was an easy read, but as the initial shock wore off and the story continued, I was bored. There were so many mentions of this knockdown dragout between GG and Grace about Star Club, and the payoff was disappointing. It definitely didn’t justify the guilt Grace felt over it, as it wasn’t the last thing Grace said to GG before she disappeared or anything. I don’t know, the middle of the book was just odd.
But I skimmed until the 60% mark, when we discover what happened to GG, and that was interesting. That was a compelling read. There were still some frustrations, but I was willing to overlook it because I finally enjoyed the story being told to me.
I did not buy into the romance between Grace and Mylo, but it was fine. It didn’t really feel forced, but it also didn’t feel like it was nearly as serious a relationship as it was meant to be. To me, they were casually dating, not in the midst of some deep, all-consuming love, the latter of which I think the author was intending to portray.
The ending felt a little weird, like the author wasn’t really sure where to end things. It wasn’t rushed or anything, but it just didn’t feel like a significantly meaningful ending in relation to everything else that happened in the story.
I will say that this book was well-researched, and while I’m not totally sure that’s how police investigations work, I’m also not Canadian, so maybe it is. If anything, it’s realistic enough that it wouldn’t bother me to learn that’s not how things work.
Overall, this is a fairly run-of-the-mill read. It was interesting enough, and I did like the space nerd angle, but ultimately, it’s not something that left me speechless or that I’d reread.
5/10 would recommend.
March 29, 2019
I received an e-arc of this book from NetGalley for an honest review.
DNF @ 40%
Wow, I feel so bad right now and don't know how to review this book. Would anyone believe that I have never DNF a book in my life before? I always finish the book no matter how bad it is, but this time I couldn't force myself to read a 500pages book I didn't enjoy at all.
The main problem was probably the heroine. I found her super annoying, she was so moody and was complaining about everything, how her mother always works and never appreciate her. I could not connect with her in any way. Grace wants to be an astrophysicist, so her interests are planetary science and cosmology, something I'm not particularly interested in. At first, I found all the references to stars, the moon and the universe interesting, but after a few chapters, the metaphors and facts got too much that I started to skip a lot of them.
Something that was bothering me was the plot. We hardly see the relationship between Grace and her mother and then suddenly her mother is gone? After her disappearance, nothing really happens. I was waiting for ANYTHING to happen but nothing. Because I'm curious I read the last few chapters to see how the mystery was resolved, but it was kind of predictable.
Maybe this book is more for people who are interested in astrophysics and family mystery, but it was not for me.
DNF @ 40%
Wow, I feel so bad right now and don't know how to review this book. Would anyone believe that I have never DNF a book in my life before? I always finish the book no matter how bad it is, but this time I couldn't force myself to read a 500pages book I didn't enjoy at all.
The main problem was probably the heroine. I found her super annoying, she was so moody and was complaining about everything, how her mother always works and never appreciate her. I could not connect with her in any way. Grace wants to be an astrophysicist, so her interests are planetary science and cosmology, something I'm not particularly interested in. At first, I found all the references to stars, the moon and the universe interesting, but after a few chapters, the metaphors and facts got too much that I started to skip a lot of them.
Something that was bothering me was the plot. We hardly see the relationship between Grace and her mother and then suddenly her mother is gone? After her disappearance, nothing really happens. I was waiting for ANYTHING to happen but nothing. Because I'm curious I read the last few chapters to see how the mystery was resolved, but it was kind of predictable.
Maybe this book is more for people who are interested in astrophysics and family mystery, but it was not for me.
August 21, 2020
I was sent a digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review, with thanks to Netgalley, the author and the publisher.
This book definitely didn't feel like a 500 page book, it had a nice flow and it was an interesting look at how a family is left in limbo after the disappearance of a loved one. Grace's mother sends a text one day saying that she isn't coming home and Grace, and her family's world is thrown into turmoil. Was she abducted? Did she just leave? What happened to the infamous GG Carter? This story takes place over the months this mystery unfolds and explores the relationships of the family, Grace and her friends and a developing romance with Mylo, a boy who understands what it's like to have a MIA parent. I liked the use of star imagery throughout this book and I felt as if this book was a nice entrance for contemporary fans to meet the mystery genre. My main hang up with this book and why it's not a 5 star rating, is because I found Grace intolerable a lot of the time. I think she's hard wired and difficult unnecessarily at times and it really threw off my experience with this story. I did really like Iris however, and the side characters really made this story for me.
This book definitely didn't feel like a 500 page book, it had a nice flow and it was an interesting look at how a family is left in limbo after the disappearance of a loved one. Grace's mother sends a text one day saying that she isn't coming home and Grace, and her family's world is thrown into turmoil. Was she abducted? Did she just leave? What happened to the infamous GG Carter? This story takes place over the months this mystery unfolds and explores the relationships of the family, Grace and her friends and a developing romance with Mylo, a boy who understands what it's like to have a MIA parent. I liked the use of star imagery throughout this book and I felt as if this book was a nice entrance for contemporary fans to meet the mystery genre. My main hang up with this book and why it's not a 5 star rating, is because I found Grace intolerable a lot of the time. I think she's hard wired and difficult unnecessarily at times and it really threw off my experience with this story. I did really like Iris however, and the side characters really made this story for me.
October 28, 2020
4.5*
I tore through this book and finished it in half a day. It was a YA book with a fairly big font, but it also moved quickly enough that I couldn't put it down.
I really liked all the characters, particularly the three Graces - I loved their relationships and how they interacted. I thought the plot was well thought out and was unique, though I have to say that I am a bit of a sucker for a Canadian story.
Voros put a lot of thought and love into this book - while the overarching plot wasn't super detailed at all times (as in there was no way for the reader to figure out what happened to GG before Grace did), the character details were great. I particularly loved Grace's passion for astronomy and how detailed and well thought-out it was (and the fact that Voros consulted with a real astronomer to get the details). I do think that sometimes there were some plot details that didn't really go anywhere, or could have had more of a resolution, since Grace's friends deserved some closure for themselves and their own plotlines, but that was really my biggest gripe!
This was a very sweet and unexpected read. I think I'll have to go out and get my own copy of it!
I tore through this book and finished it in half a day. It was a YA book with a fairly big font, but it also moved quickly enough that I couldn't put it down.
I really liked all the characters, particularly the three Graces - I loved their relationships and how they interacted. I thought the plot was well thought out and was unique, though I have to say that I am a bit of a sucker for a Canadian story.
Voros put a lot of thought and love into this book - while the overarching plot wasn't super detailed at all times (as in there was no way for the reader to figure out what happened to GG before Grace did), the character details were great. I particularly loved Grace's passion for astronomy and how detailed and well thought-out it was (and the fact that Voros consulted with a real astronomer to get the details). I do think that sometimes there were some plot details that didn't really go anywhere, or could have had more of a resolution, since Grace's friends deserved some closure for themselves and their own plotlines, but that was really my biggest gripe!
This was a very sweet and unexpected read. I think I'll have to go out and get my own copy of it!
June 2, 2019
I really loved it! Grace and best friend Iris have an awesome relationship, they are the perfect definition of best friends. I also LOVED Mylo, he was the perfect book boyfriend. I liked that both Grace and Mylo had a not so great relationship with their moms and the connection of the missing parent was great as well. The mystery was what kept me reading, I just needed to know what happened to GG. Grace's dad, little brother and grandma were also great characters and I really liked that they play a big part on the story. The story wasn't just about Grace and her love interest, it was so much more. This one I will definitely recommend to all my friends!
August 21, 2019
What appears to be a mother simply abandoning her daughter, turns into something more in this cleverly written story of a teen and her mother at odds, and her father stuck in the middle.
While most just think it is ok to write it off as abandonment, Grace is not ready to abandon her mother just because she hasn't been there for her, growing up. She suspects that there is more going on and so uses sleuthing to figure out what really happened.
Good book. And the astronomy is real and interesting as well.
Thanks to Netgalley for making this book available for an honest review.
While most just think it is ok to write it off as abandonment, Grace is not ready to abandon her mother just because she hasn't been there for her, growing up. She suspects that there is more going on and so uses sleuthing to figure out what really happened.
Good book. And the astronomy is real and interesting as well.
Thanks to Netgalley for making this book available for an honest review.
May 9, 2019
I really enjoyed this book. I especially enjoyed how the author integrated astrology into the story. I appreciated how the characters weren’t so cut-and-dry. What I mean by that is there wasn’t a clear-cut list of good people versus bad people. Characters had their flaws and pros just like regular everyday people. I would definitely read this book again, and I would recommend it to other YA readers.
November 10, 2019
This has to be one of the best plots I’ve read in a while. I didn’t particularly enjoy any of the characters, but I loved the plot. Mother/daughter books always do me in. The ending was super sweet and it was a great summery read.
3.75/5 Stars.
3.75/5 Stars.
dnf
February 28, 2019DNF @ 35%
I liked the characters, but it was way too slow.
I liked the characters, but it was way too slow.
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