The Center of Everything

Rating:
Summary: One of my new favorites...Highly recommended!
Review: I was quite surprised to read that the previous reviewer found this book "depressing", I found it completely inspiring...my daughter saw this book in SEVENTEEN Magazine and HAD to have it...she loved it so much that I read it as well....my husband is reading it now, too...I wish this book had been around when I was growing up....the main character, Evelyn, does face many hardships, and Moriarty completely nails what it feels like to live on the outskirts of nowhereville, but she learns through trial and error that your choices define you more than your circumstances....the voice of Evelyn rings so true, and I love that the mother, Tina, is neither a saint nor a sinner...details about the 1980's, from a child's perspective, bring the story to life...I am going to recommend this book to everyone...anyone who feels that life isn't always fair will find this book inspiring....very well written, apparently this is her first novel, and I would love to read more of her work.

Rating:
Summary: Learning about responsibility
Review: I won this novel at the South Dakota Book Festival. It took me a while to pick it up to read because this type of story doesn't usually appeal to me. Boy, was I surprised. This coming of age story shows that young women can overcome their difficult childhoods. Filled with wonderful characters, bad, but loveable ones, and people you just can't forget, The Center of Everything is very worth the read!

Rating:
Summary: Stellar read
Review: I've recently come across three incredible books lately, and just by chance they all happen to deal with the hardships of life, injustice, family dysfunction, and, well, everything else that's of interest to most people. "Family History" is one of these, "The Bark of the Dogwood" is another. And finally, "The Center of Everything" is the third. Of the three, "The Center of Everything" is by far the most riveting. And what an unusual voice this new and exciting author has. I'm reminded somewhat of Kidd's "Secret life of Bees" or "The Life of Pi" only in that the sincerity and telling of the tale in "The Center" so comes from deep within that it's impossible to ignore. Another book I would recommend is "The Known World."

Rating:
Summary: Coming of age story set in America's heartland.
Review: In the tradition of White Oleander, this novel follows the life of a young girl from an unstable family background who experiences life events that are at times horrific but who triumphs nonetheless. This story, set in the 1980s, details the life of Evelyn Bucknow from her turbulent elementary school years as a precocious child with limited resources to her time as a confused high school student struggling to understand why bad things happen, and finally, to her more hopeful young adulthood as she is about to enter college. Along the way, we meet Tina, her single, unemployed mother, who may not be smart in relationships but who displays unending affection for her children as well as tireless devotion to Evelyn's disabled younger brother; Eileen, Evelyn's fundamentalist Christian grandmother who loves her dearly despite the estrangement between Tina and her own father; Travis, the troubled neighbor boy who becomes the object of Evelyn's affection and who shares her desire to go to college; Deena, Evelyn's best friend who is loyal and caring but who shows little interest in school or her future; and Traci, Evelyn's arch-rival in school who ulitimately causes Evelyn to question whether or not she is a "bad" person. A thoroughly engaging debut novel.

Rating:
Summary: Very good !
Review: J'ai beaucoup aimé ce premier roman d'une jeune américaine de trente ans, Laura Moriarty, qui met en scène Evelyn, dix ans. Elle vit au fin fond du Kansas, à Kerrville, petite ville qui se situe au centre des Etats d'Amérique, et donc au centre du monde. Evelyn vit avec sa maman, Tina, dans un lotissement modeste, au bord d'une nationale. Tina est une jolie femme pétulante, tandis que la petite fille se trouve quelconque, le regard endormi, les lunettes sur le nez, les cheveux ternes. Pas de père, juste toutes deux à supporter un quotidien avec des hauts et des bas. J'ai beaucoup aimé que ce soit la petite fille de dix ans qui commence le récit, avec son langage et son regard d'enfant qui rapporte les choses de la vie. Aucun travail d'introspection, comme souvent dans les romans d'apprentissage. Evelyn manque souvent de perspicacité, mais pas d'intelligence. Sa maîtresse lui a assuré qu'elle était "bénie". On la suit donc pendant huit ans, devenant adolescente puis presque jeune femme entrant à l'université. On suit son aventure, celle de sa maman, et celle des ses proches : sa grand-mère Eileen, ses amis d'école. Sous fond d'années 80 retentissantes, les années Reagan, "L'égale des autres" est un roman touchant, émouvant. Juvénile et naïf à ses heures, mettant le doigt sur des choses sensibles, c'est une histoire d'une petite fille pas comme les autres, douée et réfléchie, elle parviendra en 440 page à nous attacher à son parcours terriblement commun, mais bougrement attachant. Un premier roman à lire, sans plus attendre.

Rating:
Summary: Erin (composition)
Review: Laura Moriarity has brought a young girl to life in the novel The Center of Everything. When the reader starts to know Evelyn Bucknow they start to feel for her and how her childhood was.She grew up with her mom in a small town Kanas apartment. The two of them suffered from financial problems mainly because her mother never learned how to conserve money. Evelyn's mom Tina wasn't ready to become a mother when she had her. Eventually, Evelyn reaches a point where the people of society consider her more mature than her own mother. Tina is a sweet woman but a horrible mother. She plays a big part in this book because when she is described the way that she is, it emphasizes how much smarter and intelligent Evelyn really is. In this book Evelyn works hard to be a good student. She pays attention and respects her teachers. She is almost a different person at school than at home. SHe is a very advanced science student her grade. This story portrays a young mother trying to raise a young girl basically. They have a lot of fun together but they also have a lot of fights and falls. Evelyn does a lot of things that she thinks are right that her mother disagrees with. Evelyn falls in love with the boy next door, the one that her mother dislikes. This book is full of surprises and crazy twists. It is also filled with love, compassion, and friendship. I would recommend this book to anyone that enjoys reading about young people struggling to find out who they are.

Rating:
Summary: The Center of a Mockingbird
Review: Laura Moriarity's writing style in The Center of Everything is reminiscent of Harper Lee's To Kill A Mockingbird. Both stories are told through the perspective of a young girl who is smart and keenly observant, yet still has a child's innocent take on reality. Both girls also have more limited vocabularies due to their youth, yet the simple ways that they describe events around them somehow seem more profound. I felt that The Center of Everything explored serious social issues, yet always left me with hope.

Rating:
Summary: I couldn't put it down until I finished it
Review: Laura Moriarty captured the strange combination of beauty and ugliness unique to Kansas, to growing up, and to growing up in Kansas. It was no struggle to empathize with Evelyn, our young narrator, as she establishes her core values despite growing up with an agnostic mother, no father, and hardcore Christian grandparents. Despite the hardships, this novel presents plenty of love, hope, and positive impact from adults (especially teachers) who are able to see that Evelyn "has potential." (And I just loved the reference to those little safety pins filled with friendship beads!) I look forward to reading Moriarty's next book.

Rating:
Summary: A Believable Character
Review: Laura Moriarty has nearly perfect pitch with the voice of Evelyn Bucknow. Moriarty's depiction of school life in Kansas during the Reagan/Bush years rings true, particularly the conflict between science and fundamentalism. Evelyn's single mom and her severely handicapped little brother, her crush on a neighbor boy, and her school friendships and interactions are also well done. One wonders if the book is autobiographical. I look forward to reading other books by Moriarty (perhaps a sequel).

Rating:
Summary: Fabulous book by a great new author
Review: Laura Moriarty is a wonderful new writer, who has come up with a winner with her first novel. This is nominally the story of Evelyn Bucknow, of Kerrville, KS, daughter of a struggling single mom, and granddaughter of a kind, evangelical grandmother. But really, this is Moriarty's attempt to paint an illuminative portrait of the kind of family who got lost in the shuffle in Ronald Reagan's America (the story takes place in the 1980's, when Reagan is the president). And she succeeds beautifully, with a fully realized portrait. She treats this family, and all of the books' characters, with so much dignity and respect that it is impossible not to root for all of them. Laura Moriarty is going to change the way we look at poverty in this country, as well as the way we look at the state of Kansas (where I happen to live!).