A dazzling debut in the tradition of Jane Hamilton and Mona Simpson.
In Laura Moriarty's extraordinary first novel, a young girl tries t... read full description
reviews
Aug 20, 2007
Suzanne
rated it: 
Wonderful read!
As one goodreads reviewer said, it's a book you find yourself reflecting on even when you aren't reading it. I often found myself thinking about Evelyn while at work, driving in the car, or cooking dinner. Because it is a coming-of-age story set in the 1980's I was able to relate to the political and pop culture references, making Evelyn even more dear to my heart.
I was satisfied with the ending but was sad to say goodbye. Although I wouldn't classify thi More...
As one goodreads reviewer said, it's a book you find yourself reflecting on even when you aren't reading it. I often found myself thinking about Evelyn while at work, driving in the car, or cooking dinner. Because it is a coming-of-age story set in the 1980's I was able to relate to the political and pop culture references, making Evelyn even more dear to my heart.
I was satisfied with the ending but was sad to say goodbye. Although I wouldn't classify thi More...
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Mar 01, 2008
Cissy
rated it: 
Not great at all. I had a hard time with this coming-of-age story mostly because I never really believed the main character (Evelyn) was 12 to start off. She always seems like the 17-year-old she is at the end. Actually, it would be more believable if she were an adult reminiscing, because that is how her voice sounded. Also unfortunate: every character (except Evelyn) is disagreeable. I was glad in the end that Evelyn managed to "get away" from all those other characters, but mo
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(4 people liked it)
Feb 14, 2009
Emily
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This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers.
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(3 people liked it)
Jul 22, 2011
Claude
rated it:
Haven't finished this yet but it's a remarkable "slice of life" novel - very well written from the point of view of a 14 year old, facing an impossible world - narrow-minded on one side and so religious, liberal on the other and so sinful!
A must read in my opinion. The only drawback (and the reason I gave it 4 stars) is that in the end it doesn't "gel": all the threads of the story don't really come together in a climax - which is the way a good story should always More...
A must read in my opinion. The only drawback (and the reason I gave it 4 stars) is that in the end it doesn't "gel": all the threads of the story don't really come together in a climax - which is the way a good story should always More...
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(2 people liked it)
Dec 27, 2007
cubbie
rated it:
(Dog Eared Books)
this book, about growing up poor and smart in the midwest, so truly echoed my own experiences there that i couldn't help but love it. the plot is full of the surprising blows and crushing inevitabilities of real life, but there is humor and joy as well.
"Eileen says if you want something very much you can pray for it, and that gets God on your side, which helps a lot.
So I do. Please, God, let me be the one to go to Topeka. Please. I imagine More...
this book, about growing up poor and smart in the midwest, so truly echoed my own experiences there that i couldn't help but love it. the plot is full of the surprising blows and crushing inevitabilities of real life, but there is humor and joy as well.
"Eileen says if you want something very much you can pray for it, and that gets God on your side, which helps a lot.
So I do. Please, God, let me be the one to go to Topeka. Please. I imagine More...
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Oct 04, 2007
Khaya
rated it:
Wow -- I couldn't put this down. Which is a funny thing to say, because it wasn't a pageturner in the classic sense; not plot-driven or particularly suspenseful. I just found the heroine and her story very engaging. I also liked the way many of the characters managed to be both jerky and sympathetic -- complex, in other words, something that's missing from many books! Finally, I think it was sweetly nostalgic for me to read about a heroine growing up in the 80s, whose developmental clock pre
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(2 people liked it)
Dec 17, 2009
Punk
rated it:
Fiction. A young girl grows up in Kansas with her young, single mother. Moriarty writes like early Alice Hoffman, back when Hoffman was writing about gangs and wild savages and the drowning season. Moriarty has the same kind of gritty, dreamlike sensibility -- though less brutal than Hoffman's.
The subject matter of this book isn't normally the sort of thing that would attract me -- irresponsible mother with two kids, one of whom is developmentally disabled; child narrator -- but the More...
The subject matter of this book isn't normally the sort of thing that would attract me -- irresponsible mother with two kids, one of whom is developmentally disabled; child narrator -- but the More...
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(1 person liked it)
Dec 17, 2009
Joyce
rated it: 
At heart, this is a story of hope, of how no matter how bad things may appear, they can get better. It follows Evelyn Bucknow's life from fifth grade through high school. She's living in an apartment in Kansas with her single mother in the 1980s, Tina. An outcast from her own family, because she got pregnant as a teen, Tina struggles to make ends meet and winds up in an affair with her boss. Seen from a fifth-grader's perspective the relationship is puzzling and winds up tragically. Evelyn and h
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(2 people liked it)
Aug 24, 2007
Kate
rated it: 
I may have kept reading because of the storyline's similarity to my own life-- the "smart" child living with her young, single mother. It's realistic; life is difficult (an anti-Gilmore Girls).
My complaint is the redundancy of failed relationships and failed marriages for virtually all the characters. The only happy marriages are on the fringe and you don't get to know those couples. It feels unbalanced. Apparently Moriarty is trying to make a point.
The t More...
My complaint is the redundancy of failed relationships and failed marriages for virtually all the characters. The only happy marriages are on the fringe and you don't get to know those couples. It feels unbalanced. Apparently Moriarty is trying to make a point.
The t More...
Mar 06, 2010
Another great read, subconsiously recommended by my friend, Casey.
She reads the best books, I swear. I will always trust her judgement!
This book is about Eveyln Bucknow, a young girl, who deems her self unpretty, at the age of 10 - A misfit of sorts, with not very many friends, wild hair and tired eyes, and a young mother.
Eveyln and her mom are on the border of being desperately poor, with her mom taking hand-out from a local man, who gives her a job and a car. Then... a More...
She reads the best books, I swear. I will always trust her judgement!
This book is about Eveyln Bucknow, a young girl, who deems her self unpretty, at the age of 10 - A misfit of sorts, with not very many friends, wild hair and tired eyes, and a young mother.
Eveyln and her mom are on the border of being desperately poor, with her mom taking hand-out from a local man, who gives her a job and a car. Then... a More...
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(2 people liked it)
Jan 10, 2012
Linda
rated it:
Have you ever read a book wherein words simply cannot suffice to describe your thoughts and feelings? This is one of those books.
It is incredible, absorbing, emotionally ladened, spot on with perception, strong in character development, terrifically written, endearing, warm, sad, yet joyous and, at times, humorous.
This is the debut of Laura Moriarty and I'll be sure to read her next books.
Ten year old Evelyn Bucknow lives smack dab in the center of the United States More...
It is incredible, absorbing, emotionally ladened, spot on with perception, strong in character development, terrifically written, endearing, warm, sad, yet joyous and, at times, humorous.
This is the debut of Laura Moriarty and I'll be sure to read her next books.
Ten year old Evelyn Bucknow lives smack dab in the center of the United States More...
Aug 24, 2010
Kathryn
rated it:
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers.
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Jul 30, 2010
Rebekkila
rated it:
Evelyn Bucknow is living with her single mother Tina, in a small apartment outside Kerville, Kansas. Though Tina is warm and loving she is still young and immature herself, prone to making hotheaded decisions that help create a precarious financial situation for her increasingly anxious daughter. When Tina's failed romance with her married boss leaves her jobless and desperate, Evelyn turns to her grandmother in an effort to distance herself from what she perceives as her mother's irresponsibili
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Jul 02, 2010
Barky
rated it:
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers.
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Jun 15, 2009
Diane
rated it:
The Center of Everything, by Laura Moriarty, is one of those rare books that readers devour, then are sorry when the last word appears. Moriarty, transplanted to Kansas as an adult after a lifetime of living in various places in the United States, illuminates the Kansas character and the Kansas landscape in a way few people have done before. She does so with loving, witty language, telling the story through the voice of a young, wise, yet naïve narrator. Evelyn, whose story this is, sees all and
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Apr 17, 2009
Deirdre
rated it:
Moriarty's crowning achievement with this novel was her creation of such an honest, real character in Evelyn Bucknow, a gifted but poor student living with her irresponsible young mother on the outskirts of a small Kansas town. The author also captures in brutal reality the scary uncertainties of poverty - when the family car breaks down Evelyn can't go to school, her mother Tina can't go to work and the only available help comes with definite strings attached.
Evelyn and Tina grow up More...
Evelyn and Tina grow up More...
Dec 26, 2011
Mike
rated it:
It's a book about growing up, told from the perspective of a girl in small town Kansas as she moves from elementary school to college. I like reading books like this. My last two perspective-y books like this were Room by Emma Donoghue and Crossing California by Adam Langer.
The reading level is not very challenging. And it is a bit odd to find something like a classroom friendly Discussion Guide at the end of the book. But still the messages in the narrative are no less powerful. Relig More...
The reading level is not very challenging. And it is a bit odd to find something like a classroom friendly Discussion Guide at the end of the book. But still the messages in the narrative are no less powerful. Relig More...
Dec 02, 2011
Jackie
rated it:
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers.
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Dec 01, 2009
Kristen
rated it:
Laura Moriarty writes beautifully, which is why I was fully along for the ride with her for the first third or so of the book. But once I realized that this was going to be a meandering coming-of-age story with no center and no particular lesson learned, I got restless and felt I was being subjected to an elaborate writing exercise called "remember the 1980s".
This book could have been saved for me easily: if something, ANYTHING, happened to the narrator, instead of her si More...
This book could have been saved for me easily: if something, ANYTHING, happened to the narrator, instead of her si More...
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Aug 25, 2010
Elizabeth
rated it:
While not perfect, I found this book to be well-written. Moriarty's writing style is engaging, and her characters are memorable. The book follows Evelyn, the smart child born to a perpetually down-on-her luck single mother, from age 10 through 17. Evelyn's voice and perceptions do not change during this period, giving the reader the impression of an adult reflecting on her life rather than a child growing up.
Moriarty has created multi-faceted characters, showing both the strengths More...
Moriarty has created multi-faceted characters, showing both the strengths More...
Feb 22, 2009
Claudia
rated it:
Evelyn navigates from the center: from Kansas, the center of every map of the US, from the center of the 80's, from the center of the conflict between her mother and her grandmother, from her religious fundamentalism and her love of science, from the strange triangle of her two best friends: Travis and Deena. Evelyn is an observer; long before she understands the subtleties of the world around her, she see them. In this way she reminds me so much of Scout in TKAM.
Evelyn's journey thr More...
Evelyn's journey thr More...
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Sep 07, 2011
Sarah
rated it:
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers.
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Sep 30, 2008
Rachel
rated it:
I loved this book. Well written, told from a preteen to teen protagonist. Interesting coming of age story set in the '80s.
If you must have high action and high drama, don't read this book, then pan it. But if you want a funny, well-pace literary novel, pick this one up.
I loved how real the characters and story felt, even though fictional license is used.
I highly recommend
If you must have high action and high drama, don't read this book, then pan it. But if you want a funny, well-pace literary novel, pick this one up.
I loved how real the characters and story felt, even though fictional license is used.
I highly recommend
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Jan 10, 2009
Stephanie
rated it:
This wasn't a "can't put it down" book for me but still enjoyable. The main character is smart, opinionated, and trying to figure out her life as she grows up in the 1980s. I like how she struggles to understand the people around her and how her interpretations are sometimes wrong. It was also refreshing to read about someone not well-off without being pitiful.
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Oct 20, 2011
Andrea
rated it:
Evelyn is a normal young girl, living with her free-spirited young mom, working on a first crush and deciding which teachers she likes best, when something as simple as a car breaking down alters the course of her life. Evelyn’s mom has no way to get to work, so she can’t earn money to fix the car. When she ends up pregnant and alone, that truly begins their downward spiral. Never have I read something which so clearly describes how easy it is to fall into poverty.
Both the charac More...
Both the charac More...
Sep 04, 2011
Kathrine
rated it:
Took a chance on this book for $1 from a second hand store while we were on vacation... totally got at least triple my money's worth! The plot was a modern "coming of age" that was set in Kansas (hence the title- since it geographically is in the center of the states and more abstractly, due to most teenagers viewing their life as being at the center of the universe). One of my hobbies is people watching/listening. I enjoyed this book because it permitted me to do just that... liste
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Aug 29, 2010
Bethany
rated it:
I loved this book as it really took me through the whole spectrum of emotions.
Evelyn as well as her co-characters, are all real, fallible and also have their own unique qualities.
There was some real poignant symbolism throughout the book and I found myself reflective way past the point of finishing the book.
Evelyn goes from having the black and white perspective of a child to growing and maturing into having the complex world view of a young adult.
The book bro More...
Evelyn as well as her co-characters, are all real, fallible and also have their own unique qualities.
There was some real poignant symbolism throughout the book and I found myself reflective way past the point of finishing the book.
Evelyn goes from having the black and white perspective of a child to growing and maturing into having the complex world view of a young adult.
The book bro More...
Nov 21, 2009
Su
rated it:
I thought this was a wonderful coming of age story. Evelyn, the 11 year old at the beginning of the story, lives with her mom on the "wrong side of the tracks". She has no father and her grandfather has not forgiven her mother for this "mistake". The story continues on through her life to the age of 18, dealing with all the ups and downs she must endure. It is a harsh reminder that school age children have some mighty high hurdles to overcome: lack of resources, bullies,
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Jun 04, 2009
Katie
rated it:
This is my favorite book of all time! The story follows Evelyn Bucknow and her mother Tina, who live in Kerrville Kansas. Tina struggles to make ends meet, to the point where she tries to sign up for welfare. Part of the plot revolves around Evelyn's situation at home, and the startling thing that causes Tina to finally grow up. Another plot line involves a possible love for Evelyn. She has a major crush on Travis Rowley, a boy from a bad home, who goes to a juvinille school because of stealing.
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Mar 11, 2009
Lani
rated it:
This was an extreme example of chick-lit, but one that I really enjoyed. The story follows the main character from childhood (age 10-ish) through the end of high school. She ages and matures with the right amount of awkwardness, hope, and frustration.
There is a love story, and a friendship split up by a boy. Evelyn is appropriately embarrassed by her mother, and in her struggle for self-awareness she funnels some of that into religion.
It's a coming of age story that trie More...
There is a love story, and a friendship split up by a boy. Evelyn is appropriately embarrassed by her mother, and in her struggle for self-awareness she funnels some of that into religion.
It's a coming of age story that trie More...
