Book Review: The Center of the Universe by Ria Voros



**Disclaimer: I received a free electronic ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.**
Genre: YA, Mystery
Release Date: April 2, 2019 
Description:
"Grace Carter's mother --- the celebrity news anchor GG Carter --- is everything Grace is not. GG is a star, with a flawless wardrobe and a following of thousands, while Grace --- an aspiring astrophysicist --- is into stars of another kind. She and her mother have always been in different orbits. Then one day GG is just ... gone. Cameras descend on their house, news shows speculate about what might have happened and Grace's family struggles to find a new rhythm as they wait for answers. While the authorities unravel the mystery behind GG's disappearance, Grace grows closer to her high school's golden boy, Mylo, who has faced a black hole of his own. She also uncovers some secrets from her mother's long-lost past. The more Grace learns, the more she wonders. Did she ever really know her mother? Was GG abducted ... or did she leave? And if she left, why?"

This was an interesting read. The mystery of GG's disappearance didn't make this story the typical YA Mystery/Thriller kind of story. In fact, while it did revolve around the disappearance, it also really focused on Grace's personal life, how she is as a person, how she is dealing with not only the absence of her mother but also other relationships outside of it, all while incorporating Grace's love for astronomy. I would say that the story had a balance between Grace dealing with her mother/disappearance and with her own personal issues. 

 Although this story had a pretty good premise, I wasn't the biggest fan of Grace. She wasn't a horrible MC, but she has proven to have a bit of an attitude, especially with adults. Granted, she is a teen and is dealing with mommy issues (before, during, and after the whole situation), but the way she confronted adults sometimes made me annoyed of her. Thankfully she does change for the better and has become a better version of her past self (or whatever she was at the beginning of the book). Unlike other YA mysteries where the MC is constantly chasing the mystery, Grace did not do that, at least for the most part and if she did she approached it in a safe manner. This is mostly why the story wasn't 100% focused on GG's disappearance. This concept doesn't happen very often, but I guess it's interesting. 

 Overall, this was a pretty good read. However, since I do prefer mysteries over romances and other teen dramas, I probably didn't enjoy the story to its full potential because of this. Though if you're interested in mysteries as I am, I would say this is still a pretty solid read. 

Overall rating:  3.5/5

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