The Center of Everything

It's hard to believe, but I have been out of high school for 5 years now, and out of junior high for longer than I care to think about. While reading The Center of Everything, it was easy to reminisce and feel like 11 year old me again.

The Center of Everything is about a 10 year old girl growing up in Kerrville, Kansas in the early 80's. Raised by her 26 year old single mother, Evelyn struggles with bullies, poverty, and discovering her place in the world. The Center of Everything follows her from an innocent ten year old, to a temperamental teenager, to a high school graduate leaving for college. 

I really liked this book. I loved the way Laura Moriarty looked at grown up issues through the eyes of a child, from sex and infidelity to religion and politics. The book places Evelynn in the middle of the Reagan presidancy and Iran-Contra, and touches on real historical events as a kid would have experienced them. It was also so easy to relate to Evelyn, even as a child. I remembered having friendship pins stuck on my shoelaces, and running through sprinklers. Like I said, it was like taking a trip down memory lane. You see her reach the age where her view of her mother changes from idolizing to resentful, as every girls does. As Evelyn grows, she continues to be relatable. From having her crush fall for her best friend, to wondering whether or not she is pretty, and facing peer pressure, it was again easy to put myself in her shoes and remember what my life was like at that age. 

For a book that deals with so many dark and depressing issues, Evelyn brought a light to it. She faces bullying, teen pregnancy, abandonment, death, and an illegitimate half-brother born retarded. Through everything, she comes across as a sweet and refreshing character. 

I will definitely recommend The Center of Everything. It is a book that I think anyone, at any age, would enjoy.