Holding Up the Universe
📘 About This Book
A New York Times Bestseller From the author of the New York Times bestseller All the Bright Places comes a heart-wrenching story about what it means to see someone—and love someone—for who they truly are. Everyone thinks they know Libby Strout, the girl once dubbed “America’s Fattest Teen.” But no one’s taken the time to look past her weight to get to know who she really is. Following her mom’s death, she’s been picking up the pieces in the privacy of her home, dealing with her heartbroken father and her own grief. Now, Libby’s ready: for high school, for new friends, for love, and for EVERY POSSIBILITY LIFE HAS TO OFFER. In that moment, I know the part I want to play here at MVB High. I want to be the girl who can do anything. Everyone thinks they know Jack Masselin, too. Yes, he’s got swagger, but he’s also mastered the impossible art of giving people what they want, of fitting in. What no one knows is that Jack has a newly acquired secret: he can’t recognize faces. Even his own brothers are strangers to him. He’s the guy who can re-engineer and rebuild anything in new and bad-ass ways, but he can’t understand what’s going on with the inner workings of his brain. So he tells himself to play it cool: Be charming. Be hilarious. Don’t get too close to anyone. Until he meets Libby. When the two get tangled up in a cruel high school game—which lands them in group counseling and community service—Libby and Jack are both pissed, and then surprised. Because the more time they spend together, the less alone they feel. . . . Because sometimes when you meet someone, it changes the world, theirs and yours. Jennifer Niven delivers another poignant, exhilarating love story about finding that person who sees you for who you are—and seeing them right back. "Niven is adept at creating characters. . . . [Libby's] courage and body-positivity make for a joyful reading experience." --The New York Times “Holding Up the Universe . . . taps into the universal need to be understood. To be wanted. And that’s what makes it such a remarkable read.” —TeenVogue.com, “Why New Book Holding Up the Universe Is the Next The Fault in Our Stars” "Want a love story that will give you all the feels? . . . You'll seriously melt!" —Seventeen Magazine
📖 Summary
Holding Up the Universe by Jennifer Niven is a deeply moving young adult novel that explores themes of identity, grief, visibility, and authentic connection. Published in 2016, the 402-page book follows two compelling protagonists who are both burdened by labels placed upon them by the world, yet harbor deeply complex inner lives that few people take the time to understand. The narrative centers on Libby Strout, a young woman who was infamously dubbed America s Fattest Teen by the media following a traumatic childhood event. After the death of her mother, Libby spends years grieving in the privacy of her home alongside her heartbroken father, trying to piece her life back together. When she finally decides to step back into the public sphere and attend high school, she is ready to embrace every possibility that life has to offer, determined to be the girl who can do anything, regardless of how others perceive her size. On the other side of the dynamic is Jack Masselin, a charismatic and popular student at MVB High who seems to have life completely figured out. To his peers, Jack is the life of the party, confident, charming, and effortlessly cool. However, Jack is harboring a heavy secret that he hides meticulously from everyone around him. He suffers from a neurological condition known as prosopagnosia, or face blindness, which renders him entirely unable to recognize the faces of the people he interacts with every day, including his own family members and classmates. To survive socially and mask his condition, Jack relies on clothes, voices, hair, and mannerisms to identify people, living in constant, exhausting fear of being exposed as a fraud. When Libby and Jack cross paths, their initial interaction is less than stellar, driven by high school cruelty and misunderstanding. However, a cruel prank orchestrated by their peers forces them into a detention-like situation where they are compelled to spend time together. As they begin to talk and peel back the layers of their public personas, they realize that they both understand what it feels like to be trapped behind a label and unseen by the world. Libby sees past Jack s confident facade, and Jack looks past Libby s weight to recognize the vibrant, brilliant person inside. Their burgeoning relationship challenges them to confront their deepest insecurities, face their grief, and find the courage to be truly vulnerable with one another. Niven crafts a narrative that examines the weight of societal expectations and the transformative power of being genuinely seen. Through alternating perspectives, the novel captures the emotional turbulence of adolescence, the pain of loss, and the beauty of finding someone who loves you for who you truly are. It is a story about the universes we hold inside ourselves and the profound impact of letting another person in.
🎯 Key Lessons
⚖️ Pros & Cons
✅ Pros
Features compelling dual perspectives that give voice to both main characters.
Tackles important themes like body positivity and hidden neurological conditions with empathy.
Delivers a deeply emotional and heartwarming romance.
Encourages readers to reflect on empathy and how they judge others.
⚠️ Cons
Some high school plot elements and character interactions can feel melodramatic.
Certain heavy emotional themes may require content warnings for sensitive readers.
✍️ About the Author
❓ FAQ
Who is the author of Holding Up the Universe? +
The book was written by Jennifer Niven.
When was Holding Up the Universe published? +
It was published in 2016.
What is the main condition that Jack struggles with? +
Jack suffers from prosopagnosia, also known as face blindness.
Why is Libby Strout well-known before starting high school? +
She was once infamously dubbed America s Fattest Teen by the media.
How many pages long is the book? +
The novel spans 402 pages.
