I thought this book was okay. It was a little slow at times and could also be pretty cheesy. I also found it a little unrealistic and the supporting characters were shallow. However, it had a nice self-love message.

A love story about seeing people for who they really are. Libby was once dubbed "America's Fattest Teen" and Jack has face-blindness which means he cannot recognise anyone, even his own family. When a cruel high school game throws them together, at first they're both angry, but then things between them start to change...

"Because sometimes when you meet someone, it changes the world, theirs and yours." Holding up the universe. What i love about holding up the universe is that it isn't clichè. Well the plot is that there is this beautiful fat girl and a boy who is diagnosed with prosopagnosia, the inability to recognize faces. When their paths crossed, they felt a strong connection through each other because they understand each other. The thing that made it unique is that, unlike other books that involved a fat or ugly protagonist, Libby (the fat girl) doesn't change herself just because she was descriminated or that she was loved by Jack (the boy with prosopagnosia) she accepted herself and loved her imperfections. This is quite actually an eye opener for us to embrace our flaws. I hope u find time reading this book, it truly is inspiring. A book similar to this one is Girl in Pieces.

I would agree with the commenter below me that Holding up the Universe is not as good as the author's other novel, All the Bright Places (which had me ugly, snotty crying). Universe is decent and well written, but wasn't entirely for me.

While not as good as All the Bright Places, this book follows a similar path of two very different people finding common ground. Libby had to be rescued from her house three years earlier, and became known as the World's fattest teen. Jack has undiagnosed prosopagnosia, which means he can't recognize faces, even of those closest to him. There are a lot of things in this book that are way over the top, but it does a good job of showing what different people have in common and how insecurities affect everyone. I don't know how realistic this book's version of prosopagnosia is because Jack seems to lack any coping mechanisms. The random references to the show Supernatural are entertaining if you're a fan of that show like me.

This book is one of the best things that has every happened to me! I absolutely LOVE it and I highly recommend it! This book is extremely depressing at times, but the main characters help each other through their problems. I cannot express how much I love this book!

This book was amazing. I could not put it down for the life of me, I read it all in one sitting. The love story is great!

Enter Libby Strout once known as “America’s Fattest Teen”, and Jack Masselin, swoony popular high school stud, and throw them into Breakfast Club-esque detention sessions after a beat down from a bad attempt at a horrible prank and you have Holding Up the Universe. These two unlikely characters are thrown together and find that they can confide their troubles and secrets with EACH OTHER….and they are heavy burdens upon their teen shoulders. Libby suffers from extreme grief that caused her massive life-altering weight gain but she is on the road to recovery and is refreshingly confident amid high school ridicule. She doesn’t know that Jack witnessed her most embarrassing moment and that he really didn’t want to hurt her with his prank. Jack suffers from an extreme from a Face Blindness and has worked out a system so that no one ever knows until he mistaking kisses the wrong girl. It gets harder for him to hide his condition while learning more family secrets, the burden keeps growing. But with the help of Libby and their intense attraction the weight of the universe becomes shared.
This book is set in Indiana, it’s a well written and realistic tale of teens trying to navigate the world as best they can while finding out that sometimes it’s best to not shoulder the burdens of the world alone. It has a dual POV that shows there is more to another person that what you are shown. High School antics such as mild violence, language, sex, drugs, and alcohol are mentioned and experienced but are not the heart of the story.

A tad slow paced, but overall, good read.

Kids can be cruel. Anyone who is different or doesn't meet the school norm is often singled out and bullied. This novel starts with a friend of Jack's who thinks it is funny to play mean pranks on fat girls. The gist of the story centers around learning to see beneath the surface and seeing people for who they are on the inside instead of who they appear to be on the outside. Once again, Niven sets her novel in an Indiana high school--love the local connections. I also love these two realistic and well drawn teens attempting to make the best of their individual situations. Touching, heart rending, and well written.