There was much to enjoy here, but I found I couldn't connect with it. I'd read more from this author in the future though.

Not the book I thought it was, but still really enjoyed it.

I thought this book was going to be about body positivity and the impact social media has on a person and their opinions about their bodies. It only touched on that very briefly. The story turned more medical and when a boy with an almost identical deformity comes into the story, I rolled my eyes. However, it became a loving relationship with respect and honesty and I really enjoyed reading it.

I liked different elements too of how she confronted her abuser, the friendship between herself and her best friend (having recently had a discussion about female friendships in books with one of my close friends and trying to find female friendships in the books I own and struggled!) I really appreciated that a lot more.

I struggled with some aspects, two seventeen year olds renting their own flat, her not going back to school, her relationship with her mother, Howie's name. But I think these might be a culture difference :)

Hole in the Middle is a truly feminist look at celebrities and body image. Confronting with a girl who is anything but normal the world views her as something to be stared at but when she meets her perfect match she is confronted with the idea of if he really can make her whole or is that something she can only do for herself.

At first I was sceptical of this book. The summary and the concept are interesting, and what really drew me in was the internet fame and body image aspect, but the promise of a 'perfect match' romance put me off.
However, when I actually started reading I found that what I really love about it is the female friendship. I love Morgan and Caro's relationship, especially Caro's supportive attitude, and the journey that they go through. This book is different because although it's sold as a romance, and though I loved Howie, that was what really grabbed me.

At first the book is about watching Morgan grow to love her body and growing her self esteem and confidence, which is a great topic and I really connected with her in this regard. Then as the book progresses, it becomes about the dark side of internet fame and how easy it is to say vile things anonymously, how internet comments and bullying seem to have no repercussions. I liked that the book didn't shy away from this and went to some very dark places to really explore this narrative. Most of the rest of the book is concerned with Howie and Morgan's relationship, and them learning how to open up to each other and grow as people, and dealing with the idea that the world sees them as a perfect match despite being quite different people.

I think what I really enjoyed and what made it different was how it tackled Morgan's journey. From the summary I was expecting more of a tragic character, and although Morgan grows a lot in the book, she very quickly seems to get over her self pity and always seems to know what she wants. I love how unafraid she becomes. There were also some really touching and funny moments that really lifted the mood of the book.

However, I think where I was most dissatisfied with the book was the ending. A lot of elements and questions are built up throughout the narrative about Morgan's relationships with her family and the progress of a cure, and also about Morgan's own identity as an artist, but none of these feel resolved for me at the end. Some of the clues are there but nothing is resolved completely. I know some people like an open ending in books but I personally want concrete answers.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book but the ending was disappointing and I while I think I would like to know what happens to everyone, I don't know if it would be enough for a full length sequel (though I'd really love one about Caro). 3.5 stars.

An interesting take on growing to love yourself regardless of your disability or not. This was such a nice display of someone who was terrified of something that was a huge part of who they are but found empowerment.

I really enjoyed reading this book, I really liked Kendra's writing style. I really liked the characters in the book, and the relationships they all had with each other. I liked that it covered a lot of thought provoking topics - fame, friendships, relationships and body image which are all very prominent subjects in the 21st century.

This is a really great YA novel that is, throughout, both funny & serious. Morgan is a girl who was born with a hole in her middle - you can literally see through her body to the other side of the room. Her parents tried to keep it a secret, and her father left when he could no longer cope with her imperfect body. So Morgan is damaged when we meet her, in more ways than one, and the book is a brilliant exploration of the sense of self, body loathing/body acceptance, familial relationships, friendships and more.

I didn't always like Morgan, but I felt that for the most part I understood her. I certainly found myself caught up in her story, and Howie's character, and their developing friendship, is brilliant.

I could have done without the few sexual moments, but only because they felt a little heavy handed to me, and I think the book didn't need them. I was gripped throughout, and moved. Really enjoyed it!

Mirrors - that is the word to describe this book. Not literal mirrors, but Morgan, our 'holey' heroine has a life and personality that is missing an awful lot. I shan't go into too many details (or about the other mirror that reflects a life that is far fuller) about the mirror(s) as you will notice them for yourself, I'm sure.

I was confused at the beginning because this is a schoolgirl who lives in a flat with her best friend - their parents let them. We aren't told too much about this.

I didn't like Morgan; not her attitude to life, her behaviour to her friend, her hypocritical stance with Todd (who's the judge there?), her overflowing pessimism and her sudden, reckless, uncalled for 'exposure', the ramifications of which see her completely unravelling. She made me want to shake her. She's rude, obnoxious and unrepentantly selfish with a self-entitled viewpoint on everything. The only time I agreed with her behaviour was regarding the second doctor, who needed to be taken to task.
I almost gave up halfway through because I really didn't like Morgan (see above) and couldn't give a cr** about her. Why her best friend stood by her is a mystery to me.
But then came Howie. Her opposite in every way.

The three stars are for Howie. He was Morgan's (and the book's) saving grace.

'Hole in the Middle' is a refreshing novel about all of us. It's been a long time since I read a book that reminded me what is really important in life. I wish I could read it when I was a teenage girl, when I felt different and wasn''t sure if I will ever belong anywhere. Morgan is a girl with a hole in her body (Hole Girl) who thanks to Howie (Lump Boy) discovers that everyone of us is living with a hole and sometimes it's that particular 'hole' that makes our lives special and worthwhile. Reading it I felt extremelny human and sometimes even a bit too exposed but that had cathartic results at the very end of the novel. I strongly recommend!