Holding Up the Universe by Jennifer Niven Summary

Holding Up the Universe by Jennifer Niven is a 2016 young adult novel that follows two teenagers in Amos, Indiana: Libby Strout, formerly known as "America's Fattest Teen," and Jack Masselin, a popular boy secretly living with prosopagnosia (face blindness). When a cruel high school prank forces them into mandatory counseling together, they develop an unlikely romance while learning to accept their identities and see beyond appearances.

Jennifer Niven is a #1 New York Times and international bestselling author best known for her young adult novels. She wrote All the Bright Places (2015), which was adapted into a Netflix film starring Elle Fanning, along with Holding Up the Universe (2016) and Breathless (2020). An Emmy Award-winning screenwriter, Niven has also authored nonfiction works including The Ice Master and The Aqua Net Diaries, plus the Velva Jean historical fiction series.

Holding Up the Universe is ideal for young adult readers and anyone interested in stories about body positivity, invisible disabilities, and self-acceptance. It's perfect for fans of Jennifer Niven's All the Bright Places, readers who enjoy contemporary romance with depth, and those seeking authentic portrayals of characters overcoming adversity, grief, bullying, and identity struggles while finding love and courage to embrace their authentic selves.

Holding Up the Universe is worth reading for its powerful messages about acceptance, empowerment, and overcoming judgment. Jennifer Niven delivers a poignant love story that authentically addresses body image, invisible disabilities like prosopagnosia, grief, and bullying. The dual narrative provides intimate access to both characters' struggles, making it emotionally resonant. It won recognition as a bestseller and resonates with readers seeking stories about defying how others define your worth.

Prosopagnosia in Holding Up the Universe is a neurological disorder that prevents Jack Masselin from recognizing people's faces, even those of his family members. Jack keeps this condition secret throughout high school by identifying people through details like moles, hair color, gestures, and movement patterns. The novel explores how Jack eventually seeks diagnosis from researchers at Indiana University and learns to embrace this part of his identity rather than hiding it.

Libby Strout and Jack Masselin meet when Jack is pressured into playing "Fat Girl Rodeo," a cruel prank targeting Libby on her first day back at school. After Libby punches Jack, they're both assigned to mandatory group counseling called Conversation Circle. As they spend time together, they develop romantic feelings, share their secrets about prosopagnosia and grief, and eventually fall in love despite Jack's initial fear that he couldn't truly "see" her.

Holding Up the Universe explores themes of self-acceptance, identity, and seeing beyond physical appearances. The novel addresses body positivity through Libby's journey with weight and grief, invisible disabilities through Jack's prosopagnosia, and the courage to embrace imperfection. Other central themes include overcoming bullying, processing grief from parental loss, defying societal judgment, authentic self-presentation versus hiding behind personas, and finding love that recognizes your true worth beyond surface-level characteristics.

The "Fat Girl Rodeo" is a disgusting bullying game where Jack's friends pressure him to jump on Libby's back and stay on as long as possible during her first days back at school. Despite writing Libby an apologetic note beforehand saying "I'm not a shtty person but I'm about to do a shtty thing," Jack attempts the prank. Libby immediately punches him in the face, landing them both in mandatory counseling, which becomes the catalyst for their eventual relationship.

Both Holding Up the Universe and All the Bright Places by Jennifer Niven are young adult novels exploring mental health and unlikely teen romance. While All the Bright Places focuses on depression and suicide with characters Violet and Finch, Holding Up the Universe addresses body image, prosopagnosia, and grief through Libby and Jack. Both feature dual perspectives and bittersweet emotional depth, though Holding Up the Universe offers a more hopeful ending focused on self-acceptance.

One of the most memorable quotes from Holding Up the Universe is: "It's about the important things, like the way their face lights up when they laugh, or the way they move as they're walking towards you, or the way their freckles create a map of the stars." This quote captures the novel's central message about seeing people beyond surface appearances and recognizing their essence through meaningful details rather than conventional standards of beauty or normalcy.

Holding Up the Universe ends with Jack revealing his prosopagnosia to his friends and family after breaking up with Libby out of fear he couldn't recognize her if she lost weight. After both characters embrace their imperfections—Jack accepting his face blindness and Libby coming to terms with her mother's death and body—they reunite at a park. Jack tells Libby he can see her in a way he cannot see anyone else, and they confess their love as the novel concludes.

While Holding Up the Universe is praised for its body positivity and disability representation, some critics note the problematic "Fat Girl Rodeo" premise and Jack's initial treatment of Libby. The romantic development from cruel bullying to love can feel rushed or troubling to some readers. Additionally, some question whether the portrayal of prosopagnosia fully captures the complexity of the condition, and whether the resolution oversimplifies the challenges both characters face with their respective struggles.