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vtsarahd's review against another edition
5.0
Beautifully written story about friendship, growing up, and loss. Ruby Pepperdine is a memorable character whose struggles many young readers will be able to relate. The fictitious legend of Captain Bunner is a sweet addition to this well-crafted novel.
katdfleming's review against another edition
3.0
Reminded me of losing my own grandmother. A lovely story about coming to terms with death and loss.
gmamartha's review against another edition
3.0
Realistic fiction - pretty realistic, actually. Interesting how this character's mind is trying to figure out if there is really a "supposed to be" after all.
megantheeflamingo's review against another edition
3.0
So I thought this was on the Mock Newbery list. Whoops. I got the author wrong. Oh well. This book was okay, but it talked about donuts a lot, and that made me want to eat a lot of donuts. But I didn't have any donuts. So I kept reading. The story jumped around a lot, and it took me a while to figure out that the chronological story that was happening in real time was the actual point of the book. The flashbacks to the very recent past were interspersed to make you question what was happening right then and if everything would turn out okay. I was impressed with how Ruby comes to terms with her feelings over her grandmother's death. It's never easy, especially when you are young.
mlejmeyer's review against another edition
4.0
I loved the characterization in this book and adored so many of the additions to the storyline and the freshness of the writing. I think the 12-year-old voice of Ruby rings so true. The only reason it's a 4.5 and not a 5 for me is that I couldn't quite come to terms with the vagueness of the ending. But a very sweet read that I would love to readaloud large sections of...
brandypainter's review against another edition
4.0
Originally posted at Random Musings of a Bibliophile.
I am not one of the avid Linda Urban fans. I enjoyed A Crooked Kind of Perfect, but with reservations. Convenience and desire have not intertwined to allow me to read Hound Dog True yet. (I will be rectifying that soon.) I rather liked the idea of reading The Center of Everything from this viewpoint, and I was very impressed. This is an excellent novel in every way.
The Center of Everything is told from an omniscient point of view. The narrator is in everyone's head and scenes are told from more than one perspective. And I mean everyone. From Ruby, to her family, to the parade director, the librarian, a guy in the parade. We get snapshots from all of their brains. I really loved the contrast of this to the title and Ruby standing there at the center of her circle waiting for the moment when it would be all about her. Nicely done. The action of the story begins at the Bunning Day parade and as the parade slowly marches toward Ruby and the moment when she must read her essay aloud to the crowd. As this happens there are flashbacks to the previous months, days, hours. It is a non-linear plot and yet not at all confusing. I say this from an adult perspective of course, but I don't think kids will have a problem following it either. Urban executed this so well and it is not an easy thing to do. I loved the mystery to it all too. Why are Ruby's friends mad at her? What horrible thing did she do? What was Gigi trying to tell her? I love how Urban wrote all of that. The way kids take everything so seriously. The way they can make something so small into the end of the universe. (Or the center of it.)
Ruby is a delightful character. One of those average-could-be-anyone-kids yet she has her own distinctive voice. Her friend Nero is my favorite though. I love how he questions the world and forces her to do the same. I love his enthusiasm for everything and his need to look beyond the status quo. Ruby's best friend, Lucy, is more of a stereotypical character and less developed but she serves her purpose as a perfect foil for both Ruby and Nero.
My love for this book would be complete and unequivocal if it weren't for one thing. This is completely a personal thing and not a criticism of the writing or the author. The omniscient narration goes into everyone's heads and I mean everyone. Including the reader. There are times when the narration slips to second person inserting the reader into the story. This drives me crazy. I hate it when narrators talk to me or try to presume they know how I would feel or react. It makes me want to smack the narrator. I was thrown out of the rhythm of the story every time it happened. Other people are going to like this aspect. It just happens to be something that never works for me personally.
Still. It is such a good book and one I highly recommend.
I read a copy made available from the publisher via NetGalley. The Center of Everything is available for purchase now.
I am not one of the avid Linda Urban fans. I enjoyed A Crooked Kind of Perfect, but with reservations. Convenience and desire have not intertwined to allow me to read Hound Dog True yet. (I will be rectifying that soon.) I rather liked the idea of reading The Center of Everything from this viewpoint, and I was very impressed. This is an excellent novel in every way.
The Center of Everything is told from an omniscient point of view. The narrator is in everyone's head and scenes are told from more than one perspective. And I mean everyone. From Ruby, to her family, to the parade director, the librarian, a guy in the parade. We get snapshots from all of their brains. I really loved the contrast of this to the title and Ruby standing there at the center of her circle waiting for the moment when it would be all about her. Nicely done. The action of the story begins at the Bunning Day parade and as the parade slowly marches toward Ruby and the moment when she must read her essay aloud to the crowd. As this happens there are flashbacks to the previous months, days, hours. It is a non-linear plot and yet not at all confusing. I say this from an adult perspective of course, but I don't think kids will have a problem following it either. Urban executed this so well and it is not an easy thing to do. I loved the mystery to it all too. Why are Ruby's friends mad at her? What horrible thing did she do? What was Gigi trying to tell her? I love how Urban wrote all of that. The way kids take everything so seriously. The way they can make something so small into the end of the universe. (Or the center of it.)
Ruby is a delightful character. One of those average-could-be-anyone-kids yet she has her own distinctive voice. Her friend Nero is my favorite though. I love how he questions the world and forces her to do the same. I love his enthusiasm for everything and his need to look beyond the status quo. Ruby's best friend, Lucy, is more of a stereotypical character and less developed but she serves her purpose as a perfect foil for both Ruby and Nero.
My love for this book would be complete and unequivocal if it weren't for one thing. This is completely a personal thing and not a criticism of the writing or the author. The omniscient narration goes into everyone's heads and I mean everyone. Including the reader. There are times when the narration slips to second person inserting the reader into the story. This drives me crazy. I hate it when narrators talk to me or try to presume they know how I would feel or react. It makes me want to smack the narrator. I was thrown out of the rhythm of the story every time it happened. Other people are going to like this aspect. It just happens to be something that never works for me personally.
Still. It is such a good book and one I highly recommend.
I read a copy made available from the publisher via NetGalley. The Center of Everything is available for purchase now.
librariandest's review against another edition
5.0
Wishes, parades, constellations, donuts, and time travel all cross Ruby Pepperdine's mind as she tries to come to grips with the death of her beloved grandma Gigi.
If you're a fan of Rebecca Stead (whose book [b:When You Reach Me|5310515|When You Reach Me|Rebecca Stead|http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1320395542s/5310515.jpg|6608018] gets a mention in the story alongside [b:A Wrinkle In Time|18131|A Wrinkle in Time (Time, #1)|Madeleine L'Engle|http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1329061522s/18131.jpg|948387]), I can pretty much guarantee that this book will touch you. Like Stead's books, it's emotional, intelligent, a little complicated in its plotting (in a way that keeps you turning the pages trying to figure it out), and told efficiently in about 200 pages. I read it in one sitting. Here are some random thoughts before I write a real review:
How can you not love a kid named Nero DeNiro?
The themes of listening and coming together, reminded me of "Only connect!" from one of my favorite novels E.M. Forster's [b:Howard's End|9810105|Howard's End|E.M. Forster|http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1291346241s/9810105.jpg|1902726].
All the second-person narration, like, "If you were Ruby...," was very interesting, I thought. I've seen it used before for humorous effect in Lemony Snicket and some other books, but it was used here not for fun or absurdity or breaking the fourth wall, but for connecting (only connect!) the reader more deeply to Ruby and her journey.
Can you win the Newbery if you mention the Newbery in your book? We shall see! I know it's only March, but this book has jumped to #1 in my heart for 2013.
If you're a fan of Rebecca Stead (whose book [b:When You Reach Me|5310515|When You Reach Me|Rebecca Stead|http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1320395542s/5310515.jpg|6608018] gets a mention in the story alongside [b:A Wrinkle In Time|18131|A Wrinkle in Time (Time, #1)|Madeleine L'Engle|http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1329061522s/18131.jpg|948387]), I can pretty much guarantee that this book will touch you. Like Stead's books, it's emotional, intelligent, a little complicated in its plotting (in a way that keeps you turning the pages trying to figure it out), and told efficiently in about 200 pages. I read it in one sitting. Here are some random thoughts before I write a real review:
How can you not love a kid named Nero DeNiro?
The themes of listening and coming together, reminded me of "Only connect!" from one of my favorite novels E.M. Forster's [b:Howard's End|9810105|Howard's End|E.M. Forster|http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1291346241s/9810105.jpg|1902726].
All the second-person narration, like, "If you were Ruby...," was very interesting, I thought. I've seen it used before for humorous effect in Lemony Snicket and some other books, but it was used here not for fun or absurdity or breaking the fourth wall, but for connecting (only connect!) the reader more deeply to Ruby and her journey.
Can you win the Newbery if you mention the Newbery in your book? We shall see! I know it's only March, but this book has jumped to #1 in my heart for 2013.
eowyns_helmet's review against another edition
4.0
Very well done, deceptively simple. The story didn't grab me but I could see the skill and how this would appeal to middle-grade girl readers, especially. I think it didn't have the thematic heft of other middle grade books I've really admired, like [b:The Midwife's Apprentice|15595|The Midwife's Apprentice|Karen Cushman|http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1305983479s/15595.jpg|168119]or [b:Sarah, Plain and Tall|106264|Sarah, Plain and Tall (Sarah, Plain and Tall #1)|Patricia MacLachlan|http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1327254558s/106264.jpg|2674739].
shicklin's review against another edition
4.0
I enjoyed Ruby and her story, although I found it a little slow and confusing on the uptake. I was reading it in small doses and this made it hard to follow that storyline, especially as the timing jumped around. A Crooked Kind of Perfect is still my favorite Linda Urban book.