I enjoyed “A Corner of the Universe” by Ann M. Martin. Ann Martin has written a courageous tale involving mental illness. I instantly fell in love with the plot and the true heart of this short novel. "A Corner of the Universe" follows twelve-year-old Hattie Owen and the summer that would change her life forever. Hattie lives in a boardinghouse with her family. She wakes up early, does her chores, and then reads or does whatever else she wants. Up until the day she realizes she has an Uncle Adam that she never knew about. He randomly comes into her life, but she becomes best friends with him. Adam has a mental problem, he was always smiling and happy and a loud, fun, outgoing human being. He was twenty one years old, but acted as a little kid. “You never know when you’re going to find a new friend. It can happen when you’re least expecting it. Adam came crashing into my life without warning. But Leila may have been my most unexpected friend of all.” The second thing that turns Hattie’s life upside down is her friend-Leila, who was just a girl traveling with a carnival that happened to come to town. Hattie learns a lot about being more open and accepting during this summer because of her uncle, and figures out that life is about "changing what's handed to you, about poking around a little, lifting the corners, seeing what's underneath, poking that. Sometimes things work out, sometimes they don't, but at least you're exploring." The ending of the book is really heart rending. I wasn’t expecting Adam to die. Hattie is in great sadness that he died but learned a very valuable lesson.I honestly grew to love Adam so much in this book and it really made me try to get out of myself and think about how things would be like in his shoes. I believe that “abilities are unlimited” and it doesn’t matter it is mental or physical disorder. Furthermore, this book once again convinced me that in life, everything happens for a reason. Every person who enters our life has his/her footprint. Some of them stay for a long time, some just are so hard or maybe the ones you can’t even feel. But they all come for a reason. We just have to be more careful not to miss the right ones. In addition, I would add that this book shows a really good example not to be shy. You never know when are you passing the opportunity to meet someone new and interesting and you may spoil that with the shyness. I could really see how the character grew in the story from the beginning to end, but she still was true to herself what is the most important. Last but not least, I would like to say that for me lifting the corner of the universe is identified to find the happiness. Happiness comes in many forms and the key to find it is strong belief. And also, a person who confidently tells you “I believe you are one of the people who can lift the corners of our universe”. Lastly, Ann Martin has written a story with a lot of heart. The story that makes you feel very bad and wonderful at the same time. In my opinion this book doesn’t have a one-age-readers group. Everyone needs to remember “a secret, a very simple secret; it is only with the heart that one can see rightly, what is essential is invisible to the eye”. And the most important to ask ourselves “can you lift the corner of the universe?”
I thoroughly enjoyed this book; it really sucked me into the story, I was able to read it cover to cover in two hours! This is the story of a shy, twelve year old girl named, Hattie, who lives with her parents as an only child in a boarding house in which her family owns. She spends her normal summers hanging out with family at home because her only friend, Betsy, has gone on vacation for the summer. She finds out her twenty-one year old uncle, Adam, whom she's never heard of before is coming to live with her Nana and Papa because his school is closing down. She is told that he has mental disabilities which makes her uncomfortable at first, but she has an instant connection with her happy-go-lucky relative and learns a lot about his mental issues. They have a lot of fun memories and get into quite a bit of mischief being with each other and going to the Famous Fred and his Funtime Carnival which has stopped in town for part of the summer. Hattie learns a lot about being more open and accepting during this summer because of her uncle, and figures out that life is about "changing what's handed to you, about poking around a little, lifting the corners, seeing what's underneath, poking that. Sometimes things work out, sometimes they don't, but at least you're exploring." Martin does a wonderful job describing and portraying each character. I could really see how the character grew in the story from the beginning to end, but she still was true to herself. She started out as a calm, shy, never do anything wrong type of girl that kind of became a little more daring and strong at the end.
What do You think about A Corner Of The Universe (2005)?
A Corner Of The Universe is about a eleven year old girl named Hattie whose summer had just started along with new surprises: Adam, her uncle thats she never even seen or heard from. Her family is partly embarrassed of him because of his mental disablilty. Hattie overlooks his disability and becomes friends with Adam when a carnival comes into town. Hattie's new friend at the Carnival and Adam throw her a birthday but when Adam gets on the Ferris Wheel, her uncle is lost and Adam's mental side is revealed. During the book is made a text-to-self connection. Adam reminds me of my cousin, who also has a mental disability and behaves just like adam does in the book. I love my cousin very much but its hard to talk or play with him because even though he has a mind of a seven year old, he has a body of a twenty-three year old and he gets too rough. I rate this book four stars. The author of the book made sure to make it so anyone, any age, can read it. Its mind bobbling and the end will blow you away. The cheerful beginning becomes dreadful and then teary. Its for anyone who loves a good, suspenceful novel.
—Jessica
I was so excited when I started reading this book. I loved finding a strong female character to encourage my daughter and other girls her age (5th grade at the time). Hattie's struggle to be herself while also yearning to fit in is such a classic and important issue for pre-teen girls, and finding it shared in a touching and beautifully-written way was wonderful to see. When Adam came along, I enjoyed seeing how the family dealt with him and felt it added depth to the book. I felt that Adam's me
—Kristi
This book is an insightful look into the lives of Hattie, a girl who feels that she is an outsider who tends not to have many friends her own age, and her young Uncle Adam, whose unusual mental difficulties have caused her family to keep his existence a secret from Hattie until the summer that she turns twelve. These two seem an unlikely pair but are brought to an almost inevitable bond of friendship by a mutual feeling of being different, of not being able to make friends, though each for different reasons. Ann M. Martin does an excellent job of forming a story that has absolutely no easy answers to the hardships presented, no magic escape trap that only the author could spring to save her characters from the edge of destruction. A Corner of the Universe finds its powerful roots in the depth of its own total authenticity, following the realistic trail of the narrative wherever it would lead, regardless of the consequences. This book is a highly memorable foray into the world of two people who have some feelings with which all readers will be able to identify. Through the life of Adam, the message is clear that life is about exploring and experiencing relationships, even with the ever-present threat of pain, and whatever other unique hurdles stand in one's way, the only way to live life to its full is to continue exploring, and continue finding out new things about the world, and about oneself. "Adam told me about lifting the corners the second time I met him, but I had no idea what he meant. Now I think I do. It's all about changing what's handed to you, about poking around a little, lifting the corners, seeing what's underneath, poking that. Sometimes things work out, sometimes they don't, but at least you're exploring. And life is always more interesting that way." —Hattie Owen, A Corner of the Universe, P. 189
—Josiah
