The Universe Is Expanding and So Am I

Book excerpt: "[Mackler's] teens feel lived in to me--smart, observant, but realistic. . . Much to discuss here in the age of #MeToo." --Gabrielle Zevin, New York Times bestselling author From Carolyn Mackler, author of the Printz Honor-winning The Earth, My Butt, and Other Big Round Things, comes a story of what happens when "happily ever after" turns out to be less than perfect. It's been five months since sixteen-year-old Virginia Shreves thought her life was finally back on course: she has come to terms with who she is both inside and out, and she's even started to rebuild her relationship with her older brother Byron, whose date-rape charge completely shattered everything. But just as she's getting used to the new normal, Virginia's world turns upside down again. Sparks with boyfriend Froggy Welsh the Fourth fade, her best friend Shannon bombshells bad news, and then the police arrest Byron. As Virginia struggles to cope, she meets Sebastian, an artist with his own baggage. The pair make a pact not to share their personal dramas. But secrets have a way of coming out, and theirs have the potential to ruin everything. In this follow-up to the acclaimed The Earth, My Butt, and Other Big Round Things, Carolyn Mackler brings Virginia's story satisfyingly full circle in a hope-filled tale of forgiveness, love, friendship, and the beauty in life's imperfections.