Hello! Welcome to the next stop on blog tour for The Center of the Universe hosted by Rockstar Book Tours. I'm really happy to share my thoughts on this book with you!
Author: Ria Voros
Pub. Date: April 2, 2018
Publisher: KCP Loft
Formats: Hardcover, eBook
Pages: 512
Find it: Goodreads, Amazon, B&N, TBD
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.
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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 Any quotes I use are from an unpublished copy and may not reflect the finished product.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!
