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Author Laura Moriarty booklist (click here)

Book Review By Michael Engel
The Center of Everything by Laura Moriarty

Moriarty's plot focuses on a girl Evelyn and her abandoned, unemployed mother, Tina, struggling through life in rural, blue-collar America, experiences love, loss, and ultimately, renewal. Complications pile up at their Kerrville, Kansas doorstep. The car breaks down, Tina becomes unemployed due to an unexpected pregnancy and morning sickness (a nasty side effect of an illicit affair), and the phrases “free lunch” and “welfare queen” hang in Evelyn's mind along with her struggles with class rival, the popular Traci Carmichael.
The novel, despite its collection of financial dilemmas, the premature birth of Sam (and his mental handicaps), depression, death, strife and emotional pain, retains an optimism.


Plot & Themes
Tone of book? - thoughtful
Time/era of story - 1980's-1999
Kids growing up/acting up? Yes
Is this an adult or child's book? - Adult or Young Adult Book
Age group of kid(s) in story: - high school
Parents/lack of parents problem?
Loving/sexing? - bun/oven

Main Character
Gender - Female
Profession/status:
Age: - a teen
Ethnicity/Nationality

Main Adversary
Identity: - none

Setting
How much descriptions of surroundings? - 7 ()
United States Yes
The US: - Midwest

Writing Style
Amount of dialog - roughly even amounts of descript and dialog
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