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The Center of the Universe
The Center of The Universe by Ria Voros
Author: Ria Voros
Genre: Contemporary, Mystery, Young Adult
Publisher: KCP Loft
Publication Date: April 2, 2019
Grace Carter's mother --- the celebrity news anchor GG Carter --- is everything Grace is not. GG is a star, with a flawless wardrobe and a following of thousands, while Grace --- an aspiring astrophysicist --- is into stars of another kind. She and her mother have always been in different orbits.
Then one day GG is just ... gone. Cameras descend on their house, news shows speculate about what might have happened and Grace's family struggles to find a new rhythm as they wait for answers.
While the authorities unravel the mystery behind GG's disappearance, Grace grows closer to her high school's golden boy, Mylo, who has faced a black hole of his own. She also uncovers some secrets from her mother's long-lost past. The more Grace learns, the more she wonders. Did she ever really know her mother? Was GG abducted ... or did she leave? And if she left, why?
Author Ria Voros (Nobody's Dog, The Opposite of Geek) reaches for the stars here, deftly combining mystery with a passion for science and themes of mother-daughter bonds, celebrity, first love and best friendship.
Facts about astronomy and astrophysics are seamlessly woven into the story and are supplemented by an interview with real-life astrophysicist Elizabeth Tasker, making this the perfect book for readers who love STEM. And even readers who don't have stars in their eyes will love this smart, suspenseful, relatable and literary novel.
Book QUotes: The Center of the Universe
The day my mother went missing turned out to be the hottest May tenth on record. Sidewalks could have fried eggs and kids were getting second-degree burns on playground equipment.
About Ria Voros
Ria Voros is the author of middle grade and young adult novels that have been finalists for the White Pine Award, the Rocky Mountain Book Award, and been a Best Books for Kids and Teens selection. She has an MFA in creative writing from the University of British Columbia, though part of her wishes she could go back in time and also get a Master's in anthropology because she is a story junkie and the world is made of fascinating stories. She is also a college instructor, elementary school teacher and dessert-maker/consumer.
When she's not writing, teaching or eating sweet things, Ria can be found hiking to the tops of mountains or continuously getting the sand out of her children's shoes at the beach. She believes in recycling, self-care and hot summer mornings. She lives in Victoria, BC, Canada with her husband, daughter and son.
About The Candid Cover
Olivia ❀ Canadian YA book blogger, Starbucks lover, & professional bibliophile.