girl-against-the-universe

1. [Read free ebook] Girl Against the Universe Girl Against the Universe Paula Stokes audiobook | *ebooks | Download PDF | ePub | DOC #819279 in Books Stokes Paula 2016-05-17 2016-05-17Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 8.25 x 1.25 x 5.50l, .0 #File Name: 0062379968400 pagesGirl Against the Universe | File size: 55.Mb Paula Stokes : Girl Against the Universe before purchasing it in order to gage whether or not it would be worth my time, and all praised Girl Against the Universe: 0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Powerful storyBy Samantha @ YABCMaguire believes she is cursed with bad luck. Not bad luck like missing a bus or losing a shirt, but life and death bad luck where those around her have a tendency to get killed or hurt, starting with several members of her family dying in a car crash she walked away from unscathed. When she meets Jordy, a fellow therapy-goer and tennis star, they decide to help each other with a few challenges, but Maguire is all too aware of how dangerous things can happen when people get close to

2. her.Maguire deals with PTSD, panic attacks, and other related mental illnesses, and a good portion of her story revolves around going to therapy and doing personal challenges to help her heal. I deal with severe depression and anxiety, and Ive been to therapy many times, so I immediately felt a close connection to Maguire. What I didnt expect was the way her healing and her mindset mirrors my own in many ways. Maguire is very self aware, often recognizing when her thoughts or thought patterns arent healthy, but still believing them on a level that strongly effects her. She feels an intense desire to control the space around her, which is horribly difficult because no one can control the Universe.One of the ways Maguires story is so special is because of her willpower. There are many times she feels weak and scared, and there are many times she responds to those emotions in a negative way. However, she challenges herself to keep going. A method of therapy used in this book (which rings extremely true, as Ive used similar techniques) involves setting a big goal and creating several steps (or even mini-goals) to work yourself up to being ready for the big one. This of course doesnt mean that the accomplishment of the Big Goal will solve everything, and that there will be no more panic attacks or rough times. A prominent message for anyone with mental illness is that there will be good and bad days no matter what. Therapy can accomplish many things, one of which is restructuring your thought process and coping methods so that the bad days can be handled in a healthy manner.As Im still going through my own healing process, I had a resounding thought while reading Maguires story: This is it. This is what I want my own healing to look like. Healing is different for everyone, but what I find so meaningful in Maguires is the way she starts to work with her fear and slowly, very slowly, accepts both that she cannot control the Universe but also that the Universe cant control her. Some days, I feel as powerful as Maguire is, ready to choose happiness and lean on my support system when necessary. Other days, I am Maguire hiding in her room, under the blankets with a book, knowing that one room absent of other people is far easier to control than the rest of the world. Either way, Maguire has without a doubt become a character that feels like a friend, one I will likely find myself turning to again and again when I need to.Moving away from the mental health part of the story, and on a much lighter note, this book has one of the best romances Ive read in a long time. Both Jordy and Maguire are working through their own issues, and they never let the state of their mental health rely solely on the other person. They support each other and encourage each other, but neither uses the other as a distraction or puts the weight on their happiness on him/her. Their flirting is adorable and goofy, and I officially declare Jordy as my Personal Book Boyfriend. Maguires family is also a lovely part of the story, and her discussions with her stepdad are some of my favorite in the book.Overall, Paula Stokes writes a forceful, compassionate, and hopeful story about a young woman who learns to meet the Universe on her own terms, as best she can.0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Loved this bookBy Khaleen HentzLoved this book, particularly the way the author leads us through Maguire's struggles with mental health. The story is optimistic while keeping true to these pains--Maguire has some good days and some bad days, and there is no rushed "miracle cure" that pops out at the end to make her happy. The book jacket makes it look like Jordy might be that "miracle cure" because he's so great. He IS great, but he's not the only thing that can help her work through her issues for various reasons, and I appreciate that distinction. There's a character who acts like a stereotypical "Mean Girl" at first but there's more to her. I'm not big on tennis but I appreciated its role in the story. I also liked the well-rounded characters and how author made great use of first-person--I really feel for Maguire!0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. I LOVED this bookBy Theresa SI LOVED this book!!!!I rarely read contemporary/romance books but I had heard so much about this book that I wanted to read this!This book is about a teen struggling with believing she is bad luck, blaming herself for bad things happening that those around her and yet she walks away, the biggest - an accident that took the life of her brother, father and uncle.Maguire sees a therapist and meets Jordy. And well, I won't say any more, you just need to read the book!What I found extremely refreshing in this story is that Maguire has a supportive family - her mom, younger sister, an amazing step-dad (yes, you read that correctly, a step-dad that is amazing) and friends that really fit the definition of friendship. It also deals with mental illness in a very positive way!!!This book took me on an emotional roller coaster and I still find myself thinking about this book, weeks after reading it! From the author of The Art of Lainey and Liars, Inc. comes a fresh, contemporary story about a girl coping with PTSD and the boy who wants to help her move on from the past. Perfect for fans of Sarah Dessen or Jenny Han.Sixteen-year- old Maguire knows the universe is against her. No matter how many charms she buys off the internet or good luck rituals she performs each morning, horrible things happen when she's around. Like that time the roller coaster jumped off its tracks. Or the time her brother, father, and uncle were all killed in a car crash--and Maguire walked away with barely a scratch. Despite what her therapist tells her, Maguire thinks it's best to hide out in her room, far away from anyone she might accidentally hurt. But then she meets Jordy, an aspiring tennis star who wants to help her break her unlucky streak. Maguire knows that the best thing she can do for him is to stay away, but it turns out staying away may be harder than she thought. From School Library JournalGr 8 Up-The past few years have been hard on 16-year-old Maguire. She escaped injury in both the car wreck that killed three of her family members and the roller-coaster accident that injured two of her friends. Nor was she injured when a candle she left lit in her windowsill burned down the neighbor's house. Maguire

3. believes she is a jinx. To cope, she has developed a litany of compulsive behaviors, not the least of which is isolating herself from other people lest she harm them inadvertently. When Maguire gets the opportunity to fly to Ireland to visit her deceased dad's family, she is determined to overcome her fears. Therapy and Jordy, a cute guy she meets at therapy, help her carry out her plan. A fledgling romance with Jordy, crippling emotional issues, a new town and school, and terrifying goals-this is a lot for Maguire (and readers) to manage. Throw in Jordy's reasons for needing therapy, and the story gets a bit dense in places. Still, teens will find in Maguire a compelling heroine. Her obsessive behaviors are depicted in convincing detail-the luck notebook she keeps, the periodic five-second checks she does of her surroundings, the ritualistic behaviors. Maguire's forays into wellness are anything but pat, giving her story additional credibility. The novel is written in first-person present tense, which may be distracting because it simply does not work in scenes such as the roller-coaster ride and the car wreck. VERDICT Teens who enjoy emotionally charged stories will appreciate this novel about resilience.-Jennifer Prince, Buncombe County Public Libraries, NC(c) Copyright 2011. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted. "Filled with equal amounts of empathy, humor, and heart, Girl Against the Universe is an empowering story about finding the courage to piece your life back together, even when it feels irreparably broken." (Tamara Ireland Stone, NYT bestselling author of Every Last Word)