Jack Masselin knows how to make it in high school. He’s in the right crowd and has all the right moves. What no one knows is that Jack can’t recognize faces. Even the people in his family are strangers to him each time he sees them. Jack has just mastered the art of faking it. Libby Strout, on the other hand, only sticks out at high school. Once known as ‘America’s Fattest Teen,’ people only recognize Libby for her outside. Starting a new year, Libby is determined to change that.
After a cruel act puts Jack and Libby in group counseling together, they are both angry. But soon they recognize each other as allies in a world where they feel alone. The world looks brighter, but will their individual problems make friendship impossible? Holding Up the Universe is a powerful story about friendship and accepting others and yourself. It is a young adult book for lovers of Wonder.
Recommended ages--12 and up