Paula Stokes

From the author of The Art of Lainey and Liars, Inc. comes a fresh, contemporary story about one girl’s tragic past and a boy who convinces her that maybe her luck is about to change. Perfect for fans of Sarah Dessen or Jenny Han. Maguire knows she’s bad luck. No matter how many charms she buys off the internet or good luck rituals she performs each morning, horrible things happen when Maguire is around. Like that time her brother, father, and uncle were all killed in a car crash—and Maguire walked away with barely a scratch. But then on her way out of her therapist’s office, she meets Jordy, an aspiring tennis star, who wants to help Maguire break her unlucky streak. Maguire knows that the best thing she can do for Jordy is to stay away, but staying away may be harder than she thought.

Girl Against the Universe

Denaiir

This book didn't do it for me, I'd say it was a pleasant read, easy-flowing and cosy, but nothing special. It didn't give me the feels. 

I loved reading about the interactions between Maguire and her step-father, but that was the only relationship in the book that made me tear up, and it was 2 scenes. The rest was a bit bland for me, I didn't specifically like any of the characters (although I didn't dislike them either). It just felt a bit flat. 

Maguire's character didn't feel like a well-developed one. On one hand the author makes her crippled by anxiety and on the other hand she makes the top spot of the tennis team even though she basically hasn't gone out of her house for 5 years and hasn't played in that long. That seemed a bit far-fetched, everything seemed to flow a bit too easily. Her anxiety struggles also didn't have me interested. The way she believes in bad luck made me think of I'll Give You the Sun, but without the magic attached to it. 

Overall a miss for me but well-written and I feel that a lot of people would like it, so if you're hesitating I still recommend that you check it out.

Beatrix Haase

3.5/5

Super cute and sometimes really emotional. 

Full Review soon!

xoxo,
Bebe

Haley Murray

From the author of The Art of Lainey and Liars, Inc. comes a fresh, contemporary story about a girl coping with PTSD and the boy who wants to help her move on from the past. Perfect for fans of Sarah Dessen or Jenny Han. Sixteen-year-old Maguire knows the universe is against her. No matter how many charms she buys off the internet or good luck rituals she performs each morning, horrible things happen when she's around. Like that time the roller coaster jumped off its tracks. Or the time her brother, father, and uncle were all killed in a car crash—and Maguire walked away with barely a scratch. Despite what her therapist tells her, Maguire thinks it’s best to hide out in her room, far away from anyone she might accidentally hurt. But then she meets Jordy, an aspiring tennis star who wants to help her break her unlucky streak. Maguire knows that the best thing she can do for him is to stay away, but it turns out staying away may be harder than she thought.

sofia !

a very meaningful story with honest and vulnerable characters, this was a lot better than i thought it was going to be. also the first page made me cry :)

Samantha Seney

This book was so cute and swoon worthy. I would give it 4.5 in all honestly but 5 was closer than 4. I loved reading about therapy and tennis and a cute boy! More people should read this!

Amanda 

Loved the characters. Loved the therapy challenges. Loved the tennis. Loved the book. :)

Grace Christensen 

This is a pretty good teen romance. It's perfect for if you want a quick read with a simple romantic plot. It also has a good plot about mental health and dealing with issues. It's nothing groundbreaking, but it's always nice when books hit on real issues.

Nia C

3.5 Stars and a C.

This is the second Paula Stokes book I’ve read and I think it’s the better one of the two. GATU was such a cute novel – it made me grin and swoon and made me so happy to watch Maguire and Jordy deal with their problems in a positive and healthy way and move on to happier things in their lives. It certainly takes a lot to make the decision to leave one’s past behind and the way Maguire and Jordy worked on it was really captured well.

The book contains all the YA Contemporary staples:

-Nerdy Protagonist

-Hot / Goofy Hero

-Decent best friends (Who also double up as some comic relief)

-Mean girl

But even then, it does manage to strike a chord and be different in its own way. My favourite parts of the book were when Maguire mentioned all the bad stuff that had happened around her, just thinking about those events was funny for me. I dunno, those events were not comical, but I was imagining them as Bad Luck Brian ones.

But the next favourite bits had to be Jordy-Maguire interactions. They made me grin and laugh and gave me hope. Both of them had problems to deal with and they worked on it and it didn’t magically go away or anything because they met each other and liked each other or anything. They both sought the help of a professional therapist and also used the support of their friends and family and it was all of this that made me give it an extra half star. The positive portrayal of mental illness and treatment was the highlight of the novel and I do believe that even if the book has a conventional plotline, it’s worth reading to see how Stokes puts her own spin on it.

Jordy and Maguire are both lovely, likable characters and you tend to root for them to fight against and overcome their problems. Their chemistry is cute and more importantly, believable. Both of them are their own person, and they don’t mesh into one simply because they met each other or like each other.

As a non-sporty person, the tennis bits and other outdoor stuff they did kinda flew over my head as I wasn’t able to visualize them properly because of my lack of knowledge. But it wasn’t as though I was completely blindsided, so if you’re looking for a YA Contemporary mixed with a bit of sports, mental health positivity & some swoon, this is the book for you. Even though I rated Liars Inc. the same stars, I believe that GATU is Stokes’ best work and I think it’s worth a read.

Overall, this book was a really fun, cute read and it got me out of my book slump. Jordy & Maguire were great protagonists to follow, Penn and Jade, their friends made valuable additions to the novel in their own ways and even their families were interesting to read about.

Give this one a try, for all the positive depictions of seeking help and the portrayal of PTSD. And of course, for Jordy & Maguire, who are stars in their own right.

Thanks for lending me your ARC, Rhea.

Lisa ✩ @lifeinlit

“The world is full of holes and uneven seams, wrinkled places that you can’t make smooth, no matter how hard you try.” 

This book is basically the Mary Poppins of my Spring reading so far... practically perfect in every way. ♥ I seriously loved every single second of this incredible journey through Maguire's struggles, accomplishments, and lessons learned. This book was straight-up exactly what I look for in a YA book. It had it all.

Maguire has more bad luck in her life than most people can even imagine. It all started with a car accident involving her father, uncle, and brother, in which she was the lone survivor. Then a roller coaster goes off the tracks and injures everyone but her, followed by a candle next door that she swears was caused by her leaving a candle lit unattended. Maguire is under the impression that all of these instances, and more, were caused by her being in their mere presence. She becomes a complete recluse, figuring if she's not around people, her bad luck won't rub off on them and they won't be injured. The once outgoing and happy child has turned into a scared and tortured teen who is scared to be around anyone she cares about, for fear of injuring them unintentionally.

“How can something feel so crucial in the moment and then seem completely trivial after the fact?” 

I wholeheartedly fell in love with this story. Everything about it. From Maguire and her insecurities and doubts, to her mother and new BFF, Jade, all the way down to Jordy and his sister, Penn. These characters, in normal Paula Stokes style, were incredible! Each one such a strong addition to the story. I thoroughly enjoyed watching this group of characters face their fears, work together to help one another, and experience quite a bit of personal growth in the process.


“Time doesn’t heal anything. It’s like drinking. The best it can do is help you forget, if you’re lucky.” 

This has easily become one of my favorite reads this year. Probably one of my favorite contemp ever! I adored it to pieces, inside and outside. From cover to cover, this story moved me, made me route for these characters, and even taught me a thing or two about mental health and awareness. A must-read for any YA contemporary reader! A story about facing your fears head-on, learning to overcome them, and helping out others who are experiencing struggles as well, bonding together and support each other through thick and thin, and last but not least, being yourself, no matter what others have in mind for you to be. From beginning to end, this story will leave you laughing, swooning, giddy and filled with feels. Another A+ read from Paula Stokes!

 

  


(Thanks to HarperTeen for the review copy!)

Find this review and others like it at Lost in Literature!

Girl Against the Universe

Reviews