It's here! Browse the 2024 Penguin Christmas gift guide
Holding Up the Universe

Holding Up the Universe

Summary

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.


I know the part I want to play here at MVB High. I want to be the girl who can do anything.

Once dubbed 'America's Fattest Teen', she is only seen for her weight. Not the girl underneath.

Since her mum's death she's been picking up the pieces in private, alone with her heartbroken father.

But now, Libby is ready. She's ready for high school, for new friends, for love and for every possibility life has to offer.

Everyone thinks they know Jack Masselin too.

Be charming. Be hilarious. Don't get too close to anyone.

Yes, he's got swagger, but he's also mastered the art of fitting in.

What no one knows is that Jack has a 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, but he can't understand what's going on with the inner workings of his own brain.

When Jack and Libby meet, they discover that the more time they spend together, the less alone they feel.

Praise for All the Bright Places:


'If you're looking for the next The Fault in Our Stars - this is it' Guardian

'[A] heartbreaking love story about two funny, fragile, and wildly damaged high school kids' Entertainment Weekly

'A do-not-miss for fans of Eleanor & Park and The Fault in Our Stars, and basically anyone who can breathe' Justine Magazine

'At the heart - a big one - of All the Bright Places lies a charming love story about this unlikely and endearing pair of broken teenagers' The New York Times Book Review

Reviews

  • Niven creates two indelible characters and a heart-stopping romance
    Publishers Weekly

About the author

Jennifer Niven

Jennifer Niven is the #1 New York Times and internationally bestselling author of All the Bright Places, Holding Up the Universe and Breathless. Her books have been translated into over 75 languages and won literary awards around the world. She divides her time between coastal Georgia and Paris, with her husband and literary cats. Find her at jenniferniven.com and on social.
Learn More

More from this Author

Sign up to the Penguin Newsletter

For the latest books, recommendations, author interviews and more