The Center of the World

There is a lot of wish fulfillment in gay themed Young Adult fiction lately. The stereotypical coming out story used to have a tragic end; even in novels intended to promote acceptance of LGBT youth someone had to pay a price, often had to die. Nowadays, coming out is easy, in fiction anyway. Parents and friends still struggle to accept the main character, but this lasts a few pages, maybe a chapter and the LGBT teen narrator moves on to other issues. I hope this is a reflection of a changing world but I have some doubts. Too often this kind of wish fulfillment ends up writing down to the Young Adult audience. Wish fulfillment has it's place, but we still need reality checks. Young Adults can handle it.

The Center of the World by Andreas show more Steinhofel, translated from the German by Alisa Jaffa, provides plenty of wish fulfillment, but it contains enough reality checks to avoid writing down to its audience. Phil, the seventeen-year-old narrator, lives with his twin sister and his mother Glass in a crumbling hillside mansion in small town Germany. The setting is exotic, even for a German audience-- that's the wish fulfillment. The Americans are not welcome in the village; they are made less welcome once everyone there finds out that Glass has a long series of short affairs. That Phil's father was only number three on this very long list does not help matters. Outcast because of his pariah mother and his American background, Phil has few friends his own age until he meets Nicholas and falls in love.

In spite of its exotic setting and the exotic nature of its supporting cast, The Center of the World is not a wish fulfillment novel. The novel's triumphant ending is bittersweet, but its an earned triumph, all the more powerful because of what Phil goes through to get it. He has no trouble with being gay, neither does anyone in his family, but the town does not approve and the town makes certain its disapproval is known. While there's nothing in The Center of the World intended to scare anyone back into the closet, the book's grown-up sensibility makes it clear that life in the open is not always going to be easy. show less

In many ways, The Center of the World reads more like and adult book than a young adult one. The maturity level of the writing, the insight Steinhöfel brings to Phil's character, drives the novel more than the plot. Through slightly confusing flashbacks, we follow Phil as he struggles with his sexuality, his family relationships and his outcast status in the small German town where he lives. If you only read the back of the book (as I did) without learning anything else about the novel, you'd imagine you were going to read a grand love story, The Center of the World is much more than that. It is, at it's core, about love, but not just between two boys, it's about love between friends, between family and what it means to feel loved. show more Steinhöfel's novel is moving, emotional draining and well written (though the English translation could have been a bit better). show less

My colleague recommended this book to me, and always being willing to read someone's favourite book, I started this one. I have to agree: this is a very good and poetic book. Just about everything is right about it. The characters, the plot and Visible. It took me a while before I was really absorbed in the story, and after that I read it in one afternoon.
It is a perfect read for anyone between 16 and 22 years old. It's a pity I'm 29.

Translated from German this novel is about a 17 year old boy Phil and his strange family. Phil and his sister Dianne have never known their father, and their mum won’t tell them any thing about him. He is a mystery, all they know is that he was Number Three on a long list.

Phil is not sure of his sexuality and doesn’t care what anyone thinks. He is in love with The Runner, and finally gets the courage to act on his feelings and falls in love. He and his best friend Kat are very close, but Kat betrays him, and Phil can forgive her.

Dianne has troubles of her own, a strange girl who can talk to animals – or can she? And his mother, Glass, is suffering her in her own world, but she too finally finds love.

A sophisticated and show more passionate novel is filled with drama, anticipation and tension. I loved the way the characters bloom and grow in their own ways, which in the end joins the family back together. Suit teens over 15 years. show less

To me this was a very special book. Not one word too many, clear storytelling, in one word a great book. I was a bit sad when I had read the last page. It felt like I had to leave a valued companion behind.

Summary:
this story is about 17-year-old Phil, who is a misfit in his own town due to his mother's bad reputation. Right at the beginning of the book we are pulled into a strange and mysterious world, full of the ghosts of Phil's past. His only friend is Kat, who shares her boy troubles with him while he mopes about his non-existent ones. Phil's family has never been close; his mother, Glass, is known to have slept around with numerous men, and the only thing Phil knows about his father is that he was number 3. on Glass's long list of flings. Phil's sister is becoming more secretive and is shutting Phil out of her life. Things change for Phil when the handsome and mysterious newcomer Nicholas comes into Phil's world. Phil immediately show more falls in love, and Nicholas returns his passion. The only problem is that Phil feels that Nicholas isn't letting him into his life, and their relationship is tainted by all the things they leave unsaid.
While not very much actually happens in the story, the focus of the book is how the events of Phil's past leave a mark on him and urge him to find his own path. show less

Utterly absorbed into his world whilst I was reading this and was cross every time I had to come back into reality! Definitely recommended.