Editorial Content for Our Own Private Universe
Contributors
Reviewer (text)
OUR OWN PRIVATE UNIVERSE is the third book by author Robin Talley. It follows 15-year-old Aki Simon as she spends a summer exploring helping others in Mexico and her sexuality. Set in the present day, the novel allows the reader to see what it is like for people living in less fortunate areas and people struggling with discovering their personal identities. I haven't read any of Talley’s other novels, but I can tell she has a very distinct writing style. Throughout the story the reader gets to watch Aki learn and grow as a person over the course of a summer.
"OUR OWN PRIVATE UNIVERSE is a tale of self-discovery and learning to accept yourself….Romance isn't a style of writing I read often, but I think Talley made this story unique and very intriguing."
OUR OWN PRIVATE UNIVERSE opens with a very personal scene with Aki, the main character. She sits alone outside a party avoiding everyone inside and just doing her own thing. During the first chapter we learn a lot about Aki and who she is as a person. Aki has travelled to Mexico with her church and other churches under the same name to help build in a rural Mexican town. She has a theory she wants to test out that summer, but to do so, she needs to make some new friends and make sure to keep her old ones.
Aki meets Christa, a photographer from another church near Aki’s. As Aki hangs out with Christa more than her best friend Lori, Lori starts to get annoyed with Aki and they get into a huge fight. Aki has to decide whether or not to tell her father, the minister of her church, about Lori’s secrets, her brother’s secrets and even her own. Aki struggles with keeping everything that is happening bottled up and not telling anyone. As she slowly opens up to her friends and family she understands that secrets can be harmful, not only to yourself, but to your connections with others. OUR OWN PRIVATE UNIVERSE is a tale of self-discovery and learning to accept yourself and stand up for what you believe is right.
Through the story the reader learns about Aki’s family and past and how that shaped her to be the person she is now. I felt very self-reflective when reading those parts because whether we think about it or not, everyone is shaped by who they know and what they have done. Even your parent’s experiences shape you indirectly.
Romance isn't a style of writing I read often, but I think Talley made this story unique and very intriguing. I haven't read any other novels like Talley’s, most authors don't write about same sex relationships. Talley also touches upon other controversial topics briefly, such as legalizing marijuana, gun control, developing country health care and more.
I recommend this story to anyone who is interested in subjects like gay marriage and developing countries. There are some parts of the story that get a little PG-13, but you can skip over them without missing much plot line, if you don’t want to read those types of things. The book is a quick read, with only 384 pages, I read it in about 3 days or so.
Teaser
No, it isn't that kind of theory. Aki already knows she's bisexual --- even if, until now, it's mostly been in the hypothetical sense. Aki has dated only guys so far, and her best friend, Lori, is the only person who knows she likes girls, too. Actually, Aki's theory is that she's got only one shot at living an interesting life—and that means she's got to stop sitting around and thinking so much. It's time for her to actually do something. Or at least try.
Promo
No, it isn't that kind of theory. Aki already knows she's bisexual --- even if, until now, it's mostly been in the hypothetical sense. Aki has dated only guys so far, and her best friend, Lori, is the only person who knows she likes girls, too. Actually, Aki's theory is that she's got only one shot at living an interesting life—and that means she's got to stop sitting around and thinking so much. It's time for her to actually do something. Or at least try.
About the Book
Fifteen-year-old Aki Simon has a theory. And it's mostly about sex.
No, it isn't that kind of theory. Aki already knows she's bisexual --- even if, until now, it's mostly been in the hypothetical sense. Aki has dated only guys so far, and her best friend, Lori, is the only person who knows she likes girls, too.
Actually, Aki's theory is that she's got only one shot at living an interesting life—and that means she's got to stop sitting around and thinking so much. It's time for her to actually do something. Or at least try.
So when Aki and Lori set off on a church youth-group trip to a small Mexican town for the summer and Aki meets Christa --- slightly older, far more experienced --- it seems her theory is prime for the testing.
But it's not going to be easy. For one thing, how exactly do two girls have sex, anyway? And more important, how can you tell if you're in love? It's going to be a summer of testing theories --- and the result may just be love.
