The Center of Everything

The Center of Everything follows Evelyn Bucknow through her adolescent years in 1980s Kansas. Growing up in a small town with her young single mother, Evelyn navigates school, relationships, and her emerging understanding of the world around her. Evelyn's strong academic performance and scientific mindset exist in tension with the religious conservatism of her community and the practical struggles of her working-class family. Her relationships with her mother, her teachers, and her childhood friend Travis shape her perspective as she moves through middle school and high school. At its core, this coming-of-age novel explores questions of faith, reason, class dynamics, and the search for truth. The story examines how a young person builds their worldview while reconciling different belief systems and social realities.

Readers describe this coming-of-age story as an intimate portrait of small-town Kansas life in the 1980s through a young girl's perspective. The authentic voice and complex mother-daughter relationship resonate with many readers. Liked: - Main character Evelyn's authentic voice and observations - Rich character development over the 10-year span - Details capturing 1980s small-town life - Nuanced handling of poverty, religion, and family dynamics Disliked: - Slow pacing in middle sections - Some found the political/religious themes heavy-handed - Several readers wanted more resolution for supporting characters - A few noted the plot meanders without strong direction Ratings: Goodreads: 3.9/5 (9,800+ ratings) Amazon: 4.2/5 (280+ ratings) LibraryThing: 3.8/5 (900+ ratings) "The character's voice is pitch-perfect" appears in multiple reviews. One frequent critique notes "the story loses momentum halfway through but picks up again near the end."

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🌟 Author Laura Moriarty wrote this debut novel while working as a waitress at a Mexican restaurant in Maine 📚 The book's setting of 1980s Kansas draws heavily from Moriarty's own childhood experiences growing up in the state 🎓 The protagonist Evelyn Bucknow's struggle with evolution vs. creationism reflects real tensions in Kansas during the 1980s, when the state board of education debated removing evolution from school curricula 💫 The novel earned Moriarty comparisons to acclaimed authors Harper Lee and Dorothy Allison for its authentic portrayal of a young girl's coming-of-age story 🏆 Despite sharing a last name with author Liane Moriarty (Big Little Lies), Laura Moriarty is not related to her – both have independently become successful writers focusing on complex female characters