A Corner of the Universe by Ann M. Martin

The writing of this novel screams that it is from a child’s point of view. The parts he left out are what changed my life. Dad captured the good times, only the good times.

What’s left out is more important than what’s there. My father’s movies are great, but they don’t begin to tell the story of the summer. Both were very likable and amazing friends to Hattie. My favorite character, however, was either Leila (Hattie’s friend from the carnival) or Adam, the cutie. Too often ‘children’ in middle-grade novels are written to be older. However, I do think that her childhood innocence in various matters was perfectly portrayed. Despite Adam’s ‘unusual’ behavior (according to Hattie’s family), Hattie and Adam spend a summer of chaos and discovery together in which Hattie discovers the true meaning of friendship. Hattie and Adam wind up spending precious time together - including a visit to the recently arrived carnival with Hattie’s new friend, Leila - which makes her feel soulfully connected to her uncle, especially when he declares that she’s one of the people who can lift the corners of our universe. But when Hattie takes Adam on the Ferris wheel one night, it sets off dramatic events that lead Hattie’s family to strengthen its bonds and changes her life’s outlook forever.Ī Corner of the Universe tells the story of Hattie Owen, whose life is forever changed when she discovers that she has another uncle, Adam. Returning from a Chicago school that’s just closed and whose existence is kept quiet by adult family members, Adam is a 21-year-old man with a child’s mind, having a knack for talking quickly, a savant-like ability for remembering weekdays, and a passion for I Love Lucy. Yet this year, it’s different - Hattie’s uncle Adam is coming home. Hattie Owen enjoys peaceful Millerton summertimes with houses nodding in the heavy air, being in charge of Miss Hagerty’s breakfast tray at her parents’ boardinghouse, and drinking lemonade on the porch after supper. Genre: Fiction, YA, Realistic Fiction, Middle Grade, Historical fiction, Children’s, Family, Contemporary, Coming of age, Juvenile

And life is always more interesting that way. Sometimes things work out, sometimes they don’t but at least you’re exploring. It’s all about changing what’s handed to you, about poking around a little, lifting the corners, seeing what’s underneath, poking that. Content warning: suicide, implication of mature content, ableism //Ī Corner of the Universe is a novel that not only explores the innocence of childhood, but also the power of hope, discovery, and curiosity.Īdam told me about lifting the corners the second time I met him, but I had no idea what he meant. All quotes are taken from A Corner of the Universe by Ann M.

A Corner of the Universe by Ann M. Martin