Disclaimer: I received this ARC courtesy of Kids Can Press through NetGalley. I am grateful for the opportunity to review an ARC for my readers, but this will not influence my final rating. All opinions expressed in this review are my own and based solely on the book.

I’m like, really late with this review. Since it’s my first time ever, can we pretend it never happened and focus instead on how amazing The Center of the Universe is?
I probably rave about family-themed books every other day, so it should come as no surprise that I wanted to read The Center of the Universe. (It truly only took me so long to read because I was moving across the world. Seriously, matters need to be that drastic to stop me from reading a book with a plot summary THIS good.) And this book did not let me down. From the characters to the side plots to the use of astronomy, TCOTU is flawlessly constructed to show how no person is made up of one part and how those different parts make us who we are.

If I’d been naive about the world before, I was awake now. You couldn’t count on everyone to be who you thought they were. — The Center of the Universe

The core theme in TCOTU is about family. Grace’s relationship with her mother is beyond strained when GG goes missing. Throughout the police investigation, Grace is left with jumbled pieces of her mother to contemplate and endless time to try to match them together. The book explores how we draw an image of a person in our minds, but how that image rarely matches what others see.

Along the way, Grace meets Mylo. I enjoyed their relationship. The pair didn’t exhibit the typical showings of insta-love (although there were some scenes towards that end that had me rolling my eyes). Mylo and Grace make their initial connections by a shared backstory—I like how the author added in a less commonly seen (in books) event with Mylo’s family. I won’t mention because of spoilers. Just to say, this *thing* shed light on something that happens often and is overlooked a lot. I wish there had been a kind of resolution for Mylo though.

As for Mylo as a person, he’s really sweet and I liked him.I was PRETTY GOOD WITH HIM, okay? My only issue would be that his sole descriptor was: eyebrows. Like, he had good eyebrows. I won’t like, I definitely enjoy a good pair of eyebrows, but any time a book character is described by only eyebrows I will then visualize only eyebrows in my head. A.K.A. Mylo is now a pair of floating eyebrows.

In general, every character was able to stand on their own on this book. The majority has their own backstories or at least hobbies and interests, making them dynamic and 3-dimensional to the reader. I especially loved best friend Iris. This girl literally spent three-quarters of the book emotionally supporting Grace and running a fundraiser for Sudanese refugees. I MEAN.

“Remember when you were a little kid and you thought your parents knew everything?”
“Yeah.”
“It turns out they’re just as messed up as we are.” — The Center of the Universe

GG’s abduction/missing person story was entirely captivating. It started out slowly and then built. It never fully reached the tension that I get when reading an actual mystery/thriller book, so don’t expect that if you choose to read The Center of the Universe. The focus in this book is much more on the emotions of the characters than on “ooh, I should search for clues” or “I wonder if there’s a killer in my closet” kind of craziness.

I found this writing style made it easier to connect with Grace’s hurt and worry. She felt more like a seventeen-year-old girl wondering where her mother had gone, and wishing their last words weren’t harsh.

One of the best YA books I have read this year. I started the book expecting a mystery, but it isn't central to the novel (actually, it isn't something you can figure out and it gets resolved quite quickly).
The book is much more about the relationships we create with people around us and how they change and develop over time. Grace, the main character is extremely likeable- curious, perceptive, non-assuming. I found her very relatable, although my own family is nothing like hers, and astronomy is something I could never get my head around. Other characters are also well-developed and it is difficult to say who I liked the most in this story. The biggest takeaway for me was the mother-daughter relationship, which is realistic and poignant at the same time.
Highly recommended.

The Center of the Universe
by Ria Voros (Goodreads Author)
64318901
Lara (Bookish_turtle)'s review Jul 20, 2019 · edit
liked it
bookshelves: young-adult, realistic-fiction, read-in-2019, outer-spacey, netgalley, 3-star

I think this book really did have the potential for greatness, if only it wasn't so heckin long.

But overall I really did enjoy it!!

I am a huge fan of any book about astronomy, so I really appreciated Grace's character and her fascination with outer space. She really looks up to Elizabeth Tasker, and I thought the way that was incorporated into the story was really cool!

I love Milo so much thooooooooooo he's honestly the sweetest 😍😍😍

And there were some really interesting family dynamics which were complicated and just explored really well which I super appreciated!!

Also my love of crime shows meant that I was immediately intrigued by the element of kidnapping in the plot, and the mystery was really interesting to follow!!

I think this book is really good, I was just in the mood for a quick cute read and this novel went on for too long.

Just wow, this was so emotional, so good. I want to re-read it right away. I'm lost for words, i had so many feels!

I couldn't put this book down - gripping and suspenseful as a family deals with the disappearance of the mother. As bit by bit clues about the mother's possible whereabouts are revealed, also light is shed on the complicated relationship between mother and daughter. The story is brought to life by a cast of well-developed and likeable characters, at the forefront the protagonist Grace, with a passion for astrophysics, her fund-raising best friend Iris and her butterfly photographer boyfriend Mylo. It is great seeing how each of these characters has a passion they pursue, supporting each other in their endeavors. The last part felt a bit deflated and too lengthy but overall a great read. Special bonus at the end of the book: an interview with the astrophysicist who appears in the book.

I loved this story! It had suspenseful elements, but it had a heartwarming ending.

The first half of the story was about the mystery of Grace’s missing mother. There were so many questions as to why she left or if she was taken. I enjoyed this mystery, because I couldn’t guess what would happen next. Even when that mystery was solved, there was still a lot more to the story.

Science was a major theme in this book. Grace is interested in astrophysics, and she has even been mentioned in an article as the founder of an exoplanet. There is an interview with the astrophysicist Elizabeth Tasker at the end of the book, and she is featured as a character in the novel too. This is great representation for young adults who are interested in pursuing a career in science.

I also liked that this story was about more than just Grace’s missing mother. This story explored the mother/daughter relationship between Grace and her mother, as well as her mother and grandmother. I think this was actually the main point of the story. Grace had to look for a way to find her mother, both literally and figuratively.

This is a great new story!

Thank you KCP Loft for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

The writing of this book really worked for me – the short chapters and beautiful writing. The book is supposed to be 500 pages, but it felt like around 300 – a real quick read, where there was quite a lot of happening. Nevertheless, the book needs a few trigger warnings for abuse, kidnapping etc.

The plot of the book was actually quite interesting. I haven’t read many books where one of the parents go missing, so i was really fascinated by it. It was also written very well and the motive and most of the reasons etc. were quite realistic, while some parts seemed too unrealistic.

The characters were decent? Grace was okay, she didn’t have huge flaws that were affecting the book. Her and Mylo’s relationship and friendship was adorable, but i felt like i wanted more? I felt like i wanted her to develop more and i don’t know, just needed more from her?

I really enjoyed reading about Grace and her mother’s relationship, as i could relate to her quite a lot. I also liked, how the author tried to fix their relationship later on in the book. Even though it seemed a bit late, as it seemed that Grace was a senior (i didn’t quite understand the school stuff as she and her brother didn’t attend it most of the book), it is still better late than never to try and fix the relationships inside your family.

I really enjoyed the astronomy and science part of the book. One of my favourite books Stargazing for beginners by Jenny McLachlan also involves a girl who loves astronomy and space. I only wish there was more of it as they only visited the Star Club 2 or 3 times throughout the book and i felt like i wanted more of it.

I really loved it! Grace and best friend Iris have an awesome relationship, they are the perfect definition of best friends. I also LOVED Mylo, he was the perfect book boyfriend. I liked that both Grace and Mylo had a not so great relationship with their moms and the connection of the missing parent was great as well. The mystery was what kept me reading, I just needed to know what happened to GG. Grace's dad, little brother and grandma were also great characters and I really liked that they play a big part on the story. The story wasn't just about Grace and her love interest, it was so much more. This one I will definitely recommend to all my friends!

3.5 stars! I did really enjoy this book, but there are two big reasons why it wasn't a 4-star read for me: the pacing, and the main character, Grace.

this is a big book at a little over 500 pages, and it took me forever to get through it because there were a lot of times in the first half of the book where I just wasn't interested in picking it back up. i almost DNF'd this book, but i'm glad i didn't. once i hit about 50% of the book it was much more bearable, and i flew through it in one sitting. it just feels like nothing happened in the first half of the book? which was probably done for a reason since GG Carter goes missing very early into the book, and then we read about her family going through the investigation and all that, but i wish we got to see more of Grace's relationship with her mother before she went missing.

the main character, Grace, was very underwhelming most of the time. i couldn't really connect with her, and i found her annoying a lot of the time. she had such an attitude for most of the book, and i know she's a teenager with mommy issues but there was just something about her that i couldn't really get past. her relationship with mylo was okay. it wasn't anything special, but i really liked mylo's character.

i feel like the ending and the resolution of GG's disappearance didn't really match all of the suspense around the mystery, and it kind of felt like something was missing surrounding Philip's character. the ending didn't feel rushed really, but more like the author wasn't sure how to end the novel.

overall, this was a decent read and i would recommend it if this premise sounds interesting to you, but i probably won't find myself rereading this.

***Thanks to NetGalley for providing me a complimentary copy of CENTRE OF THE UNIVERSE by Ria Voros in exchange for my honest review.***

4.5 STARS

Budding astrophysicist Grace has never connected with her mother GG, a TV anchor. Then GG disappears, presumed kidnapped and Grace learns she knows even less about her mother than she realizes.

I know I’ve read a fabulous story when after over 500 pages, I still want more. I read CENTRE OF THE UNIVERSE in one day, needing to know GG’s fate and Grace’s odyssey of self-exploration. Outer space has always overwhelmed and frightened me, so while I didn’t connect to the science part of the story, although I did to the bright, ambitious teenager with a passion for knowledge.

Ria Voros’s words flowed seamlessly through the pages. Grace was complex, moody, sometimes self-centered, also kind and introspective. The secondary characters also had personality and uniqueness.

The first half of CENTRE OF THE UNIVERSE read like a mystery, what happened to GG? The second part was resolving the consequences of that mystery. I’m glad Voros included both in the same book, because CENTRE OF THE UNIVERSE could have been a a book and a sequel.

Voros did miss an opportunity to talk about homelessness and mental illness and using alcohol to self-medicate regarding one character’s parent. Nobody wants to be homeless, to be hungry and dirty. Many alcoholics start drinking to mask undiagnosed psychiatric conditions. Most homeless people are the chronically mentally ill. Voros should have added that into conversations about this character’s parent.

CENTRE OF THE UNIVERSE will appear to readers who like smart, strong female characters.

I didn't expect to enjoy this book as much as I did. I thought it might end up falling into cliches, but I was pleasantly surprised. For such a long book, it reads very fast due to the short chapters.

*Book received from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*

I really enjoyed this book. I especially enjoyed how the author integrated astrology into the story. I appreciated how the characters weren’t so cut-and-dry. What I mean by that is there wasn’t a clear-cut list of good people versus bad people. Characters had their flaws and pros just like regular everyday people. I would definitely read this book again, and I would recommend it to other YA readers.

I was slightly sceptical going into this book as I wasn't sure it was going to be something I would enjoy but I was defiantly wrong! Sure the first few chapter are not the most interesting in the book but as the plot begins to be established I was consumed by the story. I was so happy to have the representation of a mother daughter bond that still has its flaws, which isn't common in Ya anymore. I was in love with the main character of Grace and her development throughout the story, I really believed she matured throughout the story. Charlies and Graces relationship throughout the book was such a positive one that my heart warmed whenever they were together. Keeping this review spoiler free I really enjoyed the mystery and couldn't predict any of the twists or turns. the only reason this isn't getting the full five stars for me is from the beginning dragging a little and the mystery being solved with twenty five percent of the book being left. I think that expanding the myself would have helped but I understood why it was wrapped up so early on. I would recommend this book highly to anyone who would class themselves as fans of Emily Barr and Cat Clarke.

The center of the universe is a great book. The realistic family relationships were interesting, especially between Grace and her mom. I think that romance parts were cute!
While this book was sometimes a bit slow in the beginning, the ending was wonderful. It was beautiful to see how the relationship between Grace and her mother had changed.

The Center of the Universe is a contemporary mystery that tries to tell a story of family, of relationships and abuse, of feelings and closure. With science and universe, along with family and friendship, this book had a lot of potential. But sadly, something felt missing.

The story started of pretty well, building up the suspense of her mother's missing / abduction. And that was what kept me hooked. The descriptions were lucid and the writing style was extremely well. It flowed smoothly and was easy to read. The chapters were small and that's why even though it was a 500 paged book, it hardly felt so. I loved the dialogues, I loved how artistic and poetic the book felt at times. It was all good.

Through the book, I can say that I learned a lot about planets and exoplanets and the universe and black hole. It was so well researched; all the talk about universe and stars. I understood Grace's obsession with the stars and her anger when her mother did not take time to understand her or her love for the universe. The whole research - a brilliant hundred points to it!

The characters were amazing too! They had depth, passion and true emotions. At times, they were confusing but then, it was human nature I suppose. My favorite were definitely Iris and Mylo, who kept the book light-hearted and happy.

Despite all of this, I truly felt that something was missing in the whole story. Somehow her mother's disappearance and the story behind it did not get to me. At all. It felt forced, like the author had ran out of stories to add to. I did not like the mother at all but towards the end, I guess I warmed up. The relationship between Grace and her mother kind of got better as both took the time to understand each other. It was okay, kind of understanding. But the whole story of why she went, why she was kidnapped, why she was depressed during the birth of her child - I could not sympathise.

I did understand, though, what the author was probably trying to show. People are not always what they look like. There's so much to them, so much we don't know. It was how Grace's mom was, and so was Mylo and his family. So many secrets, barriers to keep up a reputation. This theme of the story was a good one but I think the execution fell flat at some point.

However, I did enjoy reading it. It kept me engaged and made me want to read more, wanting to know what happens. The research was brilliant, the characters were well written and the whole plotline was good too. It was just the ending that did not work for me. Despite everything, I guess I'll still recommend this book to anyone who loves the stars and the universe, and a little family drama.

I expected more high level math and abstract physics from this plot based on the description. There's some low level exploration of astrophysics but it's rather underplayed. THe plot is more about isolation and family secrets. Unlike most books about a missing person, the situation is not simple. It's complex because people are complex. The focus is on both trying to understand a parent;s motivation and feeling isolated from your peers.

I received a review copy of this novel from Netgalley (Thanks guys). My opinions are entirely my own.

DNF @15%
I saw a few reviews saying that this book gets better as you get farther into it....but man this book is super slow. Their is SO much Astronomy metephors and analogies...I know that is fitting for the story...but their was so much it was a little off putting.

THE CENTER OF THE UNIVERSE tells the story of Grace, a 17 year old exoplanet enthusiast whose celebrity news anchor mother goes missing. More than that, it's a story about family, mothers, friendship, first love, and identity. In a mere couple of hundred pages.

I've been reflecting on this novel for a few days since I finished it. My immediate reaction was that there was not enough action, especially for a book that seemed billed as a mystery. But as it's stayed with me and I've thought more about the themes in the book, I realise that the disappearance of Grace's mother was never supposed to be the main event.

Rather, the novel dives into the relationship between Grace and her mother by following Grace as she lives with her mother's shock disappearance. As the police investigate the trail, Grace learns more about her mother and realises that there is more to her than Grace knew.

I'm not sure whether I'd say I enjoyed the book, but I found it very compelling and looked forward to reading more each day. There were a few parts I felt extraneous to the plot (no spoilers, but the whole Mylo storyline). I particularly loved the parts with Iris, Grace's best friend, and Grace's grandmother.

I think I'd have liked to see more character development from Grace, as I don't feel she changed or grew much during the novel. But on the whole, I felt the writing was skilful and the tension-building really effective.

*I was given an E-ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review *

4/5 Stars

I am very pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed this book. It's a very fast read. It Definitely tugs at your heart strings. I'll Admit that the general plot of the book isn't something I typically gravitate towards, But one minute im sitting down to do some reading and the next thing I know I'm on the last page.

I was browsing Netgalley and I was drawn to this cover: stars and purples. Do I need to repeat again how I always judge books by their cover? The synopsis sounded interesting and I was sold. I requested it and to my own surprise, I got accepted! I dove into it, not entirely sure what to expect and… I was blown away. This is already my unexpected favourite of the year!

Content warnings for this book include: kidnapping, lost parents, controlling parents.

The book is about Grace. She loves space and is an aspiring astrophysicist. Her mother is a very famous news anchor. Grace and her mother, Grace, have recently become a bit more distant. When her mother disappears one day, Grace thinks her mother will come back but her father isn’t so sure… A police investigation is started and everyone wants to know everything. Throughout it all, Grace has some amazing friends to help her out.

This story was amazing. I didn’t expect the whole kidnapping thing, I really thought her mother had just up and left when I read the synopsis but this made for a more interesting book. I loved all of the characters and I totally felt for them which is a sure sign of good writing.

Grace has a huge crush on Mylo, a cool kid and someone brought into her life by her best friend Iris. In the book you see their relationship develop en both of them can be open with each other. They dare to be vulnerable and that makes their connection deeper. I loved Mylo, his quirks, and just the general way he dealt with everything. He was so sweet with Grace and really tried to help her in whatever way he could. What I loved most though, was his relationship with Iris. It’s not often that the relationship between two side-characters is shown and definitely not in such a believable and lovely way. Iris and Mylo were still hanging out, even without Grace, and asa reader you knew that even if it wasn’t necessarily relevant to Grace’s story.

Iris was another great character. She loved Grace unconditionally. She really tried to understand what Grace was going trough even though the had no idea. She helped Grace and introduced her to some awesome stuff. The only less good part was the fact she wasn’t in the book as much as I had liked (which totally makes sense, but is still a bummer).

I really liked the family dynamics. You could see everything change and people handling things their own way. They all ended up a little different than they started because having things like that happen… does change you. I loved how all of the characters and relationships were fleshed out but I really loved Grace’s relationship with her grandmother and how it changed over time.

There’s spoilers from here on down so be careful!

Once her mum had been found, thing’s didn’t go back to the way they were. Things had changes, her mother had changed, the whole family had changed. It was such a big event and very traumatic so they should’ve changed. I feel like I too often read books where they end on a ‘happily ever after’ after these kind traumatic events so it was a nice change for a book to mention and talk about how these kind of events change you and your life.

Another awesome thing was Grace’s continuous love for stars. It helped her get trough a lot and her love for one astrophysicist in particular eventually finally helps her talk to her mother. Stars is where she met her friends and it’s a lovely constant in her life and I just really loved that.

The story was suspenseful with some awesome main, side and minor characters. Ria Voros is a great writer (judging from this book alone) just for the way these characters were fleshed out and their growth. This book had all the feelings but in the end, it left me warm and happy. This story stuck with me and I’ll definitely recommend it to everyone! Don’t be intimidated by the sheer volume of this book, I promise you’ll fly trough it!