The Center of Everything

by Laura Moriarty

Critics and readers everywhere stood up and took notice when Laura Moriarty's captivating debut novel hit the stores in June '03. Janet Maslin of the New York Times praised The Center of Everything as "warm" and "beguiling." USA Today compared the scrappy yet tender-hearted Evelyn Bucknow to Scout Finch in To Kill a Mockingbird. It garnered extensive national attention; from Entertainment Weekly to the Boston Globe and the San Francisco Chronicle, the press raved about the wisdom and poignancy of Moriarty's writing. The Book-of-the-Month Club snatched it up as a Main Selection, as did the Literary Guild. It was a USA Today Summer Reading Pick, a BookSense Top 10 Pick, and a BN.com book club feature title. And still, months after The Center of Everything's original publication date, reviews and features of the book continue to run nationwide.

Genres: Fiction, Young Adult, Book Club, Coming Of Age, Contemporary, Chick Lit, Adult Fiction

304 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2003

About the author

Laura Moriarty earned a degree is social work before returning for her M.A. in Creative Writing at the University of Kansas. She was the recipient of the George Bennett Fellowship for Creative Writing at Phillips Exeter Academy in New Hampshire. She lives in Lawrence, Kansas. http://www.lauramoriarty.net/bio.htm)

Reviews

[K · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow -- I couldn't put this down. Which is a funny thing to say, because it wasn't a pageturner in the classic sense; not plot-driven or particularly suspenseful. I just found the heroine and her story very engaging. I also liked the way many of the characters managed to be both jerky and sympathetic -- complex, in other words, something that's missing from many books! Finally, I think it was sweetly nostalgic for me to read about a heroine growing up in the 80s, whose developmental clock pretty much mirrored mine. I appreciated the references to friendship pins, Keds, Ocean Pacific sweatshirts, etc. -- Moriarty really evoked that time period for me without it being overkill. I had a similar experience when I read "The Song Reader" by Lisa Tucker, which I also enjoyed, although I think this was a richer book. Anyway, I can't really name a flaw in this book -- it was enjoyable and interesting, well-written, characters you could see and feel, etc. Highly recommended.

[Emily · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was surprised by how much I liked this book. I am still thinking about it. The cover made it look like it was going to be fluffy, but it was poignant and well-written.

I tend to like books about smart, under-appreciated poor kids from dysfunctional families (Matilda, A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, anyone?). It's a coming of age book, set in the 80ies, and I related to the main character a lot. For me, it was a realistic portrait of adolescence. I loved her religious phase and her holier-than-though attitude toward the people around her who make bad choices, the tense mother-daughter relationship, the mom who is problematic but loving, her stunning but less-than-bright best friend, her unrequited crush, her frenemies, and how she manages to separate herself from the mess around her, yet come to terms with.

The school dynamic and the religious pulse in her community were true to life. I appreciate that the story is set in Kansas, which on map looks like "The Center of Everything" rather than the middle of nowhere.

[Cissy · Rating 1 out of 5]

Not great at all. I had a hard time with this coming-of-age story mostly because I never really believed the main character (Evelyn) was 12 to start off. She always seems like the 17-year-old she is at the end. Actually, it would be more believable if she were an adult reminiscing, because that is how her voice sounded. Also unfortunate: every character (except Evelyn) is disagreeable. I was glad in the end that Evelyn managed to "get away" from all those other characters, but mostly just so the story would end. Not the worst book I've ever read, but it serves me right for just picking up a 50cent book off the library sale rack.

[Suzanne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful read!

As one goodreads reviewer said, it's a book you find yourself reflecting on even when you aren't reading it. I often found myself thinking about Evelyn while at work, driving in the car, or cooking dinner. Because it is a coming-of-age story set in the 1980's I was able to relate to the political and pop culture references, making Evelyn even more dear to my heart.

I was satisfied with the ending but was sad to say goodbye. Although I wouldn't classify this as "chick lit," I think the story would definitely appeal more to women.

[Diane · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Center of Everything, by Laura Moriarty, is one of those rare books that readers devour, then are sorry when the last word appears. Moriarty, transplanted to Kansas as an adult after a lifetime of living in various places in the United States, illuminates the Kansas character and the Kansas landscape in a way few people have done before. She does so with loving, witty language, telling the story through the voice of a young, wise, yet naïve narrator. Evelyn, whose story this is, sees all and questions all, but often doesn’t quite understand what it “all” means. As the story progresses, however, her understanding matures and her world widens beyond the small Kansas town that is her home.

As with all the characters, Evelyn’s mother, the beautiful, but beleaguered and poverty-stricken Tina, is developed as a person full of contradictions and surprises. Among the minor characters, Moriarty includes teachers as sometimes flawed but good people who do what good teachers do—help students realize their highest potential.

Those of us who grew up in Kansas will see the landscape with new, more appreciative eyes. I have long loved driving through the rolling Flint Hills between Wichita and the Lawrence-Kansas City area. The hills change with the seasons, each season having its own unique beauty. Moriarty recreates these scenes in the book, scenes that may be surprising to those who think of Kansas as flat and boring.

One person compared Evelyn to Huck Finn and the comparison is apt. Evelyn doesn’t take a raft downriver, but nevertheless, her life is an expedition of discovery as she grows from a grade school kid to a young woman on her way to college.

Those of us who have lived through the recent history of this state will appreciate the wry humor inherent in the scenes depicting the debates over evolution, politics, and religion. Yet, Moriarty never violates the dignity of the characters involved in these debates.

The only way to do justice to this book is to read it then share it.

[Sue Bridehead (A Pseudonym) · Rating 2 out of 5]

Laura Moriarty writes beautifully, which is why I was fully along for the ride with her for the first third or so of the book. But once I realized that this was going to be a meandering coming-of-age story with no center and no particular lesson learned, I got restless and felt I was being subjected to an elaborate writing exercise called "remember the 1980s".

This book could have been saved for me easily: if something, ANYTHING, happened to the narrator, instead of her simply watching things unfold around her, I would have loved it. Like I said, Moriarty is a very good writer.

But she never let an actual story take off and fly. There were many opportunities to do so, but instead she chose to move chronologically and swiftly, giving readers a slice-of-life depiction of one poor Kansas girl's life from the ages of 10 to 17.

Readable, but not memorable.

P.S. Footnote: Got a free copy at the 2004 BEA. Not sure this would have landed on my radar otherwise.

[Joe · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Center of Everything is one of those rare coming of age novels full of emotional pathos and personal growth that somehow touches a deep nerve within, especially if you were about the same age in the Reagan era 80's as protagonist Evelyn Bucknow. It is a novel about a smart girl living in a small Kansas town with her overwhelmingly depressed, trampy "welfare queen" mother searching for a better path in life than the path her mother chose. Told from Evelyn's perspective between the ages of 10 through 18, the first half of the novel focuses on her increasingly strained relationship with her somewhat unattentive mother. When Evelyn reaches the breaking point with her mother and "a black line" is drawn between them, the novel then focuses on Evelyn's fractured friendships, painfully unrequited love and her desire to improve the quality of her life. Moriarty's prose is thoughtful and breezy with a touch of child-like innocence. The characters are achingly real keeping you riveted to the page not from suspense but from a desire to get to know them better. You'll find your emotions run high as you love/hate many of the characters, especially Evelyn's mother. Touching and poignant, sad but never sappy The Center of Everything is a believable account of a girl's search for herself and her place in the world

[Andrea · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really, really, really, really liked this one.
It’s a quiet coming of age book with a compelling cast of characters and a distinct voice. When I wasn’t reading this, I wanted to be.
I’m giddy to discover a new author!!!

[Kelly · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a perfect example of a book that really doesn't go anywhere, nothing extraordinary really happens, but you'll follow along with enthusiasm because the author knows how to turn a phrase. It's also fascinating if you came from this midwestern lifestyle and knew people just like the characters portrayed in the book.

The cast of characters drives the piece when the plot meanders. We have the free-spirited woman who never learns from her mistakes until she is trapped by them in Evelyn's mother, Tina. There is the estranged father who can't accept his daughter the way she is because she never grows up and lives up to his expectations. There is the do-gooder ingenue whose kindness is repeatedly taken advantage of (Evelyn, the main character). The boy who will never grow up either and keep on making the same mistakes. The girl who doesn't care about school or aspiring and thinks all her happiness can be found in boys. The mean class bully with the well-to-do, overachieving mother. The crazy next-door neighbor. The mysterious and retarded child with beautiful eyes. The benefactor who proves to be a malefactor...and of course that mean lady with the drawn-on eyebrows who works at the local McDonalds.

See what I mean? The characters are what makes the whole story believable and there are a few scenes that break your heart if you've ever been through them yourself (ever had a boy choose your friend over you? If so, you're going to love this). The way Moriarty writes shows a lot of promise. I hate to be one to harp on about "needing more plot" because I have read other books with no plot that were completely engrossing...but when I look back at those books that supposedly had no plot that I was engrossed with...I usually discover that there WAS a plot in there. Something happened. The main character changed in some way and something of real significance happened. There is not much at the end of this, though. In the end, she goes to college. Yay, right? No. It's a yawn-worthy ending. I'll let all that slide, though. Look at this as a "slice of life" book and you won't be disappointed. I enjoyed the slice, but like everyone, I just wanted that LAST bite to be more fulfilling. I have a feeling the ending may stretch to a higher level beyond most thinking...and may ask you to deduct about political and religious leanings, which I'm hoping is not what the author is asking of us because the comparisons are not quite fair.

This point must be noted for those wondering if they should pick this book up: It does delve into political and religious territory in a really sneaky backdoor way that is a recurrent, important theme throughout the novel. The author never comes out and says what side of the fence she's on, but you start feeling manipulated by it, particularly if you lean right or play centerfield. All the religious or right-leaning characters are stupid, naive, or evil (and believe me, ALL right-leaning characters are not just religious...they are religious to the extreme in this book). All the left-leaning characters are people she respects and admires or comes to admire by the end of the novel. Even her liberal mother who does stupid things her entire life ends up being someone we should sympathize with, respect and admire by the end. We are expected to believe Evelyn's right leanings throughout the novel are rebellious naivety. However, Eileen's character speaks truthful words about how two friends grow up beside each other and one is lost in the world and the other begins to thrive [Not her exact words, but I don't want to spoil other parts of the plot for those still yet to read the book]. It's political without being outright preachy and the author smartly never tells the reader who is right and who is wrong. She lets the story lie there...yet, as Evelyn is whisked off into the sunset to college, driven by a liberal teacher who tells her a whole new world awaits and she notes a student wearing an anti-government t-shirt, you kind of get the feeling where Evelyn is headed as she prepares to enter the oh-so-worldly college world. I hope this is not the message that the author seeks to leave us with ("Right wing and religious = BAD, left wing and liberal = GOOD") or I'd be disappointed. All I have to do is turn on a news channel to be spoonfed my beliefs. I kind of read to get away from that kind of B.S. manipulation.

[Claudia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Evelyn navigates from the center: from Kansas, the center of every map of the US, from the center of the 80's, from the center of the conflict between her mother and her grandmother, from her religious fundamentalism and her love of science, from the strange triangle of her two best friends: Travis and Deena. Evelyn is an observer; long before she understands the subtleties of the world around her, she see them. In this way she reminds me so much of Scout in TKAM.

Evelyn's journey through the 80's, complete with references to Reagan, Cuomo, OP sweatshirts, red Keds, and welfare queens, sees her beginning to comprehend her place in the world...child of an unwed mother, herself a child when she became a mother, welfare recepient, bright but poor; pretty, but not pretty enough. Through it all, it's teachers who show her the gifts she possesses, the gifts that will allow her to break the pattern of poverty and ignorance. While there is no doubt her mother loves her and does her best, Evelyn knows she needs an education and a dream. We see her succeed in her dream, and we see Travis and Deena going another direction.

I'm eager for someone to read this so we can talk. The more I think about this, the more I love this book.

[Alex Johnson · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book captures the feeling of the Midwest: melancholy, lonely, judgemental, brief hopes of hope, and things working out to be alright in the end even if it isn't perfect.

I didn't really enjoy this book: Evelyn is a flat main character and doesn't seem to change that much other than her perspective on religion. All the characters have their vices, and bad things happen to them. There's a faint sense of hope, but it's buried under generational poverty and crestfallen expectations. Maybe I'm missing something, but this didn't hit the notes for me.

[Stephanie Fitzgerald · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

[Linda Lipko · Rating 5 out of 5]

Have you ever read a book wherein words simply cannot suffice to describe your thoughts and feelings? This is one of those books.

It is incredible, absorbing, emotionally ladened, spot on with perception, strong in character development, terrifically written, endearing, warm, sad, yet joyous and, at times, humorous.

This is the debut of Laura Moriarty and I'll be sure to read her next books.

Ten year old Evelyn Bucknow lives smack dab in the center of the United States in Kerrville, Kansas. Analogous to a tornado destructively spinning n the heartland of the Midwest, as she tells her story, immediately the reader is sucked into her tumultuous life.

As events beyond her control seem to rapidly spin, kicking up unwanted debris and tragically whizzing on by, while at times smacking her face down in the ground, Evelyn's clear perception of her life is so wonderfully told that I wanted to read the book from cover - cover in one sitting.

Packed with many themes, the author poignantly tells the story of a young girl wise beyond her age, forced to live with a mother whose selfish and unintelligent decisions spill into the lives of others, causing Evelyn to be the adult and parent.

As Evelyn grows, she has clothes and shoes that don't fit and a mother who doesn't notice or care. Living in low income housing, Evelyn is consistently bullied by those richer than she. With little support, this feisty, spunky girl learns who to trust and how to fend for herself.

When her mother's relationship with a married man results in a child who is challenged; when her mother's stubbornness results in the inability to hold a job, when the only person Evelyn trusts is stolen away by another friend, Evelyn finds inner strength and fortitude to push forward.

Intelligent and bright, Evelyn has keen observations and insights about people, about life, about right wing religion that judges instead of helps and about what society can do to those whom them deem less fortunate.

I loved this book! Highly recommended.

[Claude Forthomme · Rating 4 out of 5]

Haven't finished this yet but it's a remarkable "slice of life" novel - very well written from the point of view of a 14 year old, facing an impossible world - narrow-minded on one side and so religious, liberal on the other and so sinful!

A must read in my opinion. The only drawback (and the reason I gave it 4 stars) is that in the end it doesn't "gel": all the threads of the story don't really come together in a climax - which is the way a good story should always be. This stays a "slice of life" right to the end, with the protag never becoming the center of anything: she is an outsider, things happen to everybody around her (her mother, her boyfriend, her girlfriend) and nothing much happens to her...

It's a pity because it's very well written, very good voice that changes and matures as the protag gets older (she's 10 at the opening of the novel and 17 at the end.

I'm convinced Laura Moriarty is a writer to follow: one of these days, she will surely produce a story with a plot that is entirely satisfactory!

[Kate · Rating 2 out of 5]

I may have kept reading because of the storyline's similarity to my own life-- the "smart" child living with her young, single mother. It's realistic; life is difficult (an anti-Gilmore Girls).

My complaint is the redundancy of failed relationships and failed marriages for virtually all the characters. The only happy marriages are on the fringe and you don't get to know those couples. It feels unbalanced. Apparently Moriarty is trying to make a point.

The theme of the "center of everything," from which the title is derived seems contrived--superficially interjected into the persona's commentary--and doesn't mesh into the storyline.

[Kit★ · Rating 3 out of 5]

I picked this up back in high school, one of many I mass-ordered by signing up for the various book-of-the-month by mail clubs. I used to do all of 'em. '10 books for $1! Just pay shipping.' You know the ones. The little blurb in the catalog sounded interesting, so I got it... and then never read it for 10+ years. Finally, it was picked for me for the 2nd Quarterly Pick-It-For-Me deal in Bookworm Buddies. I was late getting to it, like every other dadgum book I've read this year, but it's done now, so yay! Another one down, too many more to count left to go xD
This book, the author's way of writing, was very readable, interesting. Drew me right in and before I knew it I was one-third through already. Time flew while I was reading it, and that was good. I liked the narrative voice, and the way the story just flowed along. I was curious to see where the characters were heading, and interested in where they were at in their present. It ended up being a different sort of story than I think I was expecting, like, sometimes didn't go the way I thought it was going to go, things like that, but it was not bad. The writing I liked.
The characters though, some I liked, some not so much at times. The narrator, Evelyn, who starts off as a 4th grader in the beginning, was likable here. I liked her mom, Tina, as well. She was quirky, and definitely had her own way of doing things, but hey, who doesn't? Being a single mother was tough on her, but she was making it work as best as she could, and I liked her. And if I may say, and maybe I shouldn't, but I'm gonna. I liked Mr. Mitchell too, at first, least until he ran away with his wife, tail between his legs to greener pastures and left Tina to deal with the consequences of their affair... like no job, no car, no money, and a bun in the oven that turned out more complicated than anyone could ever have expected. I could totally feel for these characters here in the beginning chunk. Evelyn and her problems with schoolmates were interesting, had me waxing all nostalgic about those days... Not! Ha! But I liked it, it kept me engrossed throughout.
But why just 3 stars? Well... as Evelyn grew up, I didn't like some of her developments. She goes through this religious phase where everyone is wicked and she's so good, and she's prudish, and she lets herself get the better of herself sometimes. Her attitude had me wanting to sit her down and talk to her, tell her take a chill pill man, relax. And yet at the same time, I still liked her character in an exasperated sort of way. The worse part for me though, and it was a part I could totally relate to, feel her pain, was when her longtime crush of years and years, falls head over heels in puppy love with her hot-new-girl-in-town best friend Deena. Deena knows that Evelyn has this crush, and she makes this little poo-poo effort like 'Well, if you're not cool with it, I totally won't talk to him anymore,' though you know she doesn't really mean it, and then by the end of this first meeting between these two, they're all like, nekkid in the back of some other kid's van, doing who knows what, though we all prolly know what... and Evelyn doesn't say a word. She sits there and stews and snaps at the other kid and freaks him out, but never once says anything to her friend, like, hey, that's not cool. This couple turns into all kinds of irritating to me, and I just wanna dunk em both in ice buckets more times than I can count. Then, when the boy finally decides he wants something more out of life, stupid Evelyn slips and says something to Deena, which causes Deena to do something majorly stupid, like I wanted to shake her stupid, and alters everybody's lives.
But through it all, Evelyn's teenage years go on, and she learns to love her mom again, and that part I enjoyed. I hadn't liked it when she was in her 'I hate my mother' phase. But she never does learn to tell her friends what she thinks, and then poof it's over, like... it just ended and didn't really have any sort of conclusion or anything. Like, it was just... Selected Scenes from a Life or something. I mean, I liked it the whole way through, but then the ending kind of was a let down, like... nothing satisfying happened at all. I dunno how to explain my feelings, but it just was like... Ok, well... Now what?
So, 3 Stars for that.
I do think it's pretty likely, however, that if I see something else by this author on one of my used-book hunts, I might pick it up. Like I said, the writing was good, the characters easy to envision, and 'get to know', so I think I'll probably try this author again without a whole lot of hesitation.

[Andrea · Rating 5 out of 5]

So grateful to my sister for recommending this one! Set in a small town in Kansas against the back drop of Reagan-era America, "The Center of Everything" is a coming of age novel about Evelyn Bucknow. Evelyn’s mom, Tina, is a young, unwed mother who is trying desperately to keep everything together on her own, despite society’s disapproval of her and the judgment she faces from her very religious family. Bright, sensual, and a bit progressive, Tina doesn’t fit in with the others around her, and Evelyn tries to set herself up to be different from her mother. Evelyn isn’t a beauty like Tina, yet she’s very smart and her teachers encourage her to pursue her education. The dynamics of the mother-daughter relationship is compelling to watch unfold over the course of the novel; sometimes they’re a team, sometimes Evelyn is the one acting like the grown-up, sometimes they can’t bear to be around each other, sometimes Tina is the one shedding light on important truths Evelyn needs to hear.

As Evelyn moves from grade school to high school, she grapples to form her own identity and opinions about religion, science, politics, and people. Her first person narration allows us to see her understanding of the world maturing as she questions what others have told her, things she’s taken at face value. Moriarty delivers a beautiful, subtle theme throughout “The Center of Everything.” At first, young Evelyn thinks Kansas is literally in the center of the world, and we see how others have this egocentric attitude. But as she learns more about what it’s like to walk a mile in someone else’s shoes, she understands that everyone is important is their own way, and we need empathy to make the best judgments. A lovely, moving novel with complex characters and a strong protagonist! I can’t recommend this novel highly enough!

[Jennifer · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was told to read this by a BFF and she was so right! You will love this coming-of-age book told through the eyes of Evelyn, growing up in smalltown Kansas with her single Mom, Tina. Evelyn is bright, real, and the way she interacts with the variety of people who touch her life make this novel one you will have a hard time putting down. I love how interested she is in school- the way she describes her classes, teachers, and the learning material was a refresher course for me. I relearned and remembered so much subject matter because of the fascination Evelyn has with the world around her. She is a girl who will not fall into the trappings of being poor, the temptation and ease to skip school, teen pregnancy, etc.....I found myself cheering for this girl, even when she makes some not-so-smart decisions. But she learns from them.
I also loved the writing of Laura Moriarty; for example, "...the ball of muscle in his arm sliding down like the bulge of a mouse inside a boa constrictor." If this is not a thoughtful, creative, vivid, descriptive sentence I will eat my very large sunhat.
This was the first book I have read by Laura Moriarty and it will not be the last.

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars. A coming-of-age novel, not one of my favorite genres, but I really liked this one. Really could get inside the main character’s head, and felt the reality of all of the characters. The small town in Kansas, mother-daughter issues, high school issues- all handled well.

[Debi · Rating 4 out of 5]

I fashioned found poems from lines I copied from various pages. It was more fun than writing a review.

55
I was out
on a bathroom pass once
and saw Travis Rowley
walking through the empty hallways,
his fingers running up and down
the locks of lockers,
like someone who plays piano
and doesn't need to look at the keys.

60
My mother says that
when Mrs. Rowley is mean,
which is generally the case,
it is really because she is just unhappy,
and who could blame her
with a husband like that,
and Travis always in so much trouble.
She says this is really
the only reason
people are ever mean--
they have something hurting inside of them,
a claw of unhappiness scratching at their hearts,
and it hurts them so much that sometimes
they have to push it right our of their mouths
to scratch someone else,
just to give themselves a rest,
a moment of relief.

101
I don't say anything,
but in my head,
things have changed.

I’ve drawn a line between us,
the difference between
her and me.

It’s like one of the
black lines between states on maps,
lines between different countries on the globe.

They don’t really exist.
You don’t really see
a long black line
when you cross…

But everyone knows where they are,
and they are important,
keeping one state
separate
from the other,
so you can always tell
which one you’re in.


161
[They] are still in love.
They have to be
holding hands
at all times,
as if one of them
is really a helium balloon
and will
float away
if the other
lets
go.

199
I know that sometimes
when you are really worried about something,
it ends up not being nearly as bad
as you think it will be,
and you get to be relieved
that you were just being silly,
worrying so much
over nothing.

But sometimes
it is just the opposite...
and maybe
you weren’t worried enough.


257
Spring comes, finally.

In April, the magnolia trees
in front of the school bloom
pink and white,
their honey scent carried
by the breeze.

On the first warm day, Mrs. Evans
opens the windows
so we can smell them
in sixth-period English.

“Breathe deeply, class,”
she says.
“Beauty is good for you.”

[Jennifer · Rating 2 out of 5]

This story had an interesting plot and characters, but I was too annoyed with the themes to really like the novel overall.

It actively promotes liberal values and ridicules those who might be more conservative. The only religious views in the book are pretty extreme, so even though the author creates religious characters who generally seem to have good intentions (not counting the grandfather, who is a jerk), they are presented as pitiable. Science is upheld as the king over spirituality and religion, and some of the more unlikely religious viewpoints are the ones mentioned (e.g. the unlikelihood of a literally interpreted 7-day creation, the absurdity of Noah bringing 2 of every kind of animal in the world onto one ship, and the gullibility of those who look up to traveling faith healers). No moderate religious views are introduced, and in the second half of the novel, no mention is made of how science continues to make new discoveries, many of which discredit previously held "truths." I felt the author could not make room for religion and science to comfortably co-exist. One could say it is just the main characters who would feel this way, and not the author, but it seems like most authors do put their own beliefs in the minds of the characters they make most sympathetic.

Somehow the liberal-minded and non-religious single mother, who never marries but was foolish enough to get pregnant by two different men, ends up a bit of a hero by devoting herself to her disabled second child. The main character embraces religion just to bug her mom, and for a while actually buys into what she learns, but then grows out of this phase and becomes embarrassed by her religious acquaintances as she learns to rely on what she learns at school instead. The religious grandmother is lovable but clearly someone we are supposed to purse our lips and shake our heads at.

Overall, this book was a disappointment. But sadly I think it may be pretty realistic as to human behavior and as a reflection of the world view held by many educated people.

[Keith · Rating 3 out of 5]

I had to read The Center of Everything for my Fiction Writing class, and this probably would not have been a book I would want to read on my own. The author came to speak at Baker a few months ago, and that was pretty cool. She had some good things to say about her new book and just the writing process in general. For the novel itself, I think it's a really good read. Evelyn is the main character and narrative voice in the novel, and she is an incredibly smart person. The reader sees her as a girl fighting with her rival Traci on the school bus to growing up in her small Kansas town. The novel is really true to life. At times, we really hate her mother Tina and want to judge her for the stupid choices she makes. And then at other times, you have to respect her. The way she works with Samuel by having an incredible patience, there's something very admireable in that. The parts where it talks about Tina and sometimes Evelyn taking care of Samuel, that really registered for me because I worked at a special needs camp for the past two summers and I had to deal with that everyday. When the mother and daughter are trying to get him ready to go to his first day of school, the author does a really good job at describing all the trials involved. When I was reading it, I kept on thinking to myself that it really is that hard. If you can't dress, bathe, or do all those basic personal needs on your own and somebody has to do it for you, it's an incredibly draining yet rewarding experience. In the end, I'm glad I read The Center of Everything. If I didn't have to read it for a class, I would have just considered it a woman novel and passed over it. I would have been wrong though. Really good or great literature appeals to everyone, and I think The Center of Everything does just that.

[Clif Hostetler · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this before my Goodreads.com days, thus I've not written a review of it. However, today's (Feb 15, 2013) PageADay Book Lover's Calendar had the following review which reminded me of it. This book is one of my all time favorite books.

A completely satisfying coming-of-age novel that manages to give you exactly what you expect from the genre, while always feeling freshly insightful. Ten-year-old Evelyn lives in Kansas, which she has been raised to believe is the exact center of the universe. Born optimistic, she manages to hold on to her essential hopefulness through the challenges she faces with her struggling single mother, as well as with the very familiar (and endlessly relatable) dramas of adolescence and young adulthood. A deft and winning read.
THE CENTER OF EVERYTHING , by Laura Moriarty (2003; Hyperion, 2004)

Here's another earlier review from the 2007 PageADay Books Lover's Calendar:
First Time Out
A coming-of-age story for girls that charmed critics and readers’ groups. Evelyn is a high schooler who lives with her mother in rural Kansas, struggling to survive in poverty and realizing that her brains may be her ticket out. The book is a tender portrait of mother and daughter that Anna Quindlen called “authentic and intelligent” and that reminded USA Today of To Kill a Mockingbird.
THE CENTER OF EVERYTHING, by Laura Moriarty (Hyperion, 2004)

[Joy H. · Rating 2 out of 5]

Added 6/15/15. I read part of this coming-of-age" novel but wasn't enjoying it enough to finish it.

I've tried other books by Laura Moriarty but so far, the only one I really enjoyed was her book, The Chaperone. This one has possibilities. It is told from the point of view of a young girl and includes her telling of her endless experiences as an adolescent and a young adult.

After a while, I got tired of the tone of the book, told by an adolescent girl, detailing all her adolescent observations in the writing style of an adolescent. It's cute but after a while, it palls.

See Clif's GR review of this book at:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Included in Clif's review is the following description of this book:
==============================
"A coming-of-age story for girls that charmed critics and readers’ groups. Evelyn is a high schooler who lives with her mother in rural Kansas, struggling to survive in poverty and realizing that her brains may be her ticket out. The book is a tender portrait of mother and daughter that Anna Quindlen called “authentic and intelligent” and that reminded USA Today of To Kill a Mockingbird."
---from the 2007 PageADay Books Lover's Calendar
===============================

[Margie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this. The first-person narration reflects the age of the narrator, Evelyn. At the beginning of the book she's 12, and 17 by the end. The sentences and thought patterns become longer and more nuanced as she grows older, reflecting Evelyn's growing maturity.

I thought Moriarty did a fine job of getting inside the head of someone at these various points along the way; struggling with beliefs and values and belonging (and longing). It rang true for me even though I didn't always share Evelyn's interpretations of or responses to the events of her life. Evelyn goes from being embarrassed by her mom to irritated with her to (somewhat) sympathetic - all sort of normal phases a girl might go through. Moriarty helps us experience Evelyn's growth in that regard, as well as in so many others.

There's a lot to chew on here. Moriarty gives us some universal themes to reflect on, without being preachy.

[Punk · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fiction. A young girl grows up in Kansas with her young, single mother. Moriarty writes like early Alice Hoffman, back when Hoffman was writing about gangs and wild savages and the drowning season. Moriarty has the same kind of gritty, dreamlike sensibility -- though less brutal than Hoffman's.

The subject matter of this book isn't normally the sort of thing that would attract me -- irresponsible mother with two kids, one of whom is developmentally disabled; child narrator -- but the excellent writing reeled me in. Though Evelyn, our narrator, starts out at ten years old, she does grow up, gradually moving from the selfishness of a child to the empathy of an adult. Moriarty's writing is lovely and effortless, whimsical without being coy, and it totally sold the book for me. I'll be reading more by her.

[Joyce · Rating 3 out of 5]

At heart, this is a story of hope, of how no matter how bad things may appear, they can get better. It follows Evelyn Bucknow's life from fifth grade through high school. She's living in an apartment in Kansas with her single mother in the 1980s, Tina. An outcast from her own family, because she got pregnant as a teen, Tina struggles to make ends meet and winds up in an affair with her boss. Seen from a fifth-grader's perspective the relationship is puzzling and winds up tragically. Evelyn and her mother struggle financially and emotionally. Evelyn, however, has a knack for making the right choices in her life. She watches her mother and friends struggle and make mistakes and in the process sees what to avoid while learning to be understanding an forgiving.

[Scott Rhee · Rating 3 out of 5]

"The Center of Everything" by Laura Moriarty is a beautiful little coming-of-age story set in the Reagan Era. If you grew up in the '80s, you will appreciate Moriarty's ability to capture all the little details (the songs playing on the radio, the TV shows that are playing in the background, the nationalistic fears of nuclear war that seep through eveyone's daily lives) that are sifted through the consciousness of the young protagonist's worldview. It is the story a young girl named Evelyn, as she deals with the stigma of living with a single mother smak-dab in the middle of the Bible Belt, falling in love, and trying to pass math class. Fans of Judy Blume and Fannie Flagg will enjoy Moriarty's humor and ability to speak the language of teenage girl.

[Steph Hundt · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is Moriarty's debut novel and she is a skilled storyteller! Evelyn is a 10 year old girl in 1982 when this novel opens. She is a spunky and spirited narrator. She is being raised by her single mother Tina and though Tina may have some flaws, you root for her and her family from start to finish. This novel had me staying up late to read it and thinking about the characters as I soaped up my hair in the shower. I LOVED it and I look forward to reading more of Moriarty's books in the future! The references to 80's history and music were fun too!

[Gina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very solid piece of writing. I think if this were the first Moriarty book I'd read I'd have enjoyed it a lot more, though. All of the reviews I've read for this book said it was her best piece of writing to date, and though I did very much enjoy it I don't think it lived up to the hype. It was very good, but The Rest Of Her Life was even better. And once again, I loved the mother/daughter dynamics in this book. It's my favorite thing about Moriarty's writing.