Holding Up the Universe

Libby Strout, once sensationalized as "America's Fattest Teen," is ready to move beyond her mother's death and start high school, but the weight of public judgment still follows her. When a cruel school prank lands her and the charismatic but troubled Jack in a mandatory counseling and community-service program, they're forced to confront their own pain and hidden fears. Together they learn to drop the masks they wear and discover what it means to be truly seen. The novel weaves themes of grief, body image, and the struggle to find belonging in a world that often reduces people to stereotypes.