The Universe Versus Alex Woods

Name: The Universe Versus Alex Woods
Brand: Hachette Audio
Availability: InStock
Rating: 4 (7 reviews)
Author: Gavin Extence
ISBN: 9781478978305

Author: Gavin Extence

Narrator: Joe Thomas

Unabridged: 10 hr 3 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Publisher: Orbit

Published: 06/25/2013

Categories: Fiction, Coming Of Age, Literary Fiction

Synopsis

A rare meteorite struck Alex Woods when he was ten years old, leaving scars and marking him for an extraordinary future. The son of a fortune teller, bookish, and an easy target for bullies, Alex hasn't had the easiest childhood.

But when he meets curmudgeonly widower Mr. Peterson, he finds an unlikely friend. Someone who teaches him that that you only get one shot at life. That you have to make it count.

So when, aged seventeen, Alex is stopped at customs with 113 grams of marijuana, an urn full of ashes on the front seat, and an entire nation in uproar, he's fairly sure he's done the right thing . . .

Introducing a bright young voice destined to charm the world, The Universe Versus Alex Woods is a celebration of curious incidents, astronomy and astrology, the works of Kurt Vonnegut and the unexpected connections that form our world.

About Gavin Extence

Gavin Extence lives in Sheffield with his wife and children. He has written two previous novels, the Richard and Judy bestseller, THE UNIVERSE VERSUS ALEX WOODS and THE MIRROR WORLD OF MELODY BLACK, which was described as 'a cross between Bridget Jones' Diary and One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest' by a Simon Mayo Book Club reviewer.

Reviews

Goodreads review by Wilma on March 24, 2017

Alex Woods - I love him...he's amazing! Zijn semi-wetenschappelijke uitwijdingen...zijn Sheldon-achtige trekjes en zijn humor. Het verhaal is briljant...het is ontroerend, hartverwarmend...het heeft diepgang en humor. Gavin Extence beschrijft de zieleroerselen van Alex op een integere en bijzondere w......more

Goodreads review by erin on June 23, 2013

The best description that I can think of for this book is that it reminded me of "a mixture of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, Up, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, and The Fault in Our Stars." While that may seem like a strange combination, elements from all of these works ar......more

Goodreads review by Ecmel on October 31, 2015

Okuduğum en ilginç kitaplardan biriydi. Üzücü bir komikliği vardı diyebilirim sanırım. Aslında kitabın geneli kocaman bir şaka gibiydi :') Beğendim, sıkılmadan iki-üç oturuşta bitirdim kitabı. Bu kitabı herkese öneremem ama. Eğer aşk, romantizm gibi ögelerin fazla olmadığı kitapları okumayı sevmiyors......more

Goodreads review by Nicky on February 03, 2014

Oh, wow. The Universe Versus Alex Woods starts off seeming like it's gonna be a quirky sort of book: the narration is matter of fact where it possibly shouldn't be, and the situation Alex is in on the opening pages is an interesting one. Unfortunately for everyone who picked it up on the basis of th......more

Goodreads review by Michelle on February 17, 2023

This was a slow burner for me. First few chapters I was really unsure but gradually I warmed to Alex and before I knew it, I was right inside his head and it’s a very interesting place to be! Alex lets you get into the core of him, to the nitty gritty of how he sees the world and his relationships w......more

Quotes

"Mark Haddon meets Kurt Vonnegut."—Observer (UK)

"Warm and funny and tragic and uplifting all in one. Extence should be on everyone's radar."—Jasper Fforde

"Perfectly crafted and beautifully written... The Universe Versus Alex Woods may be a debut novel but it is an outstanding novel by any standards. Unforgettable."—Red (UK)

"With wit and warmth, Gavin Extence shines a light on one of the darkest, most difficult subjects of our times."—Sunday Express

"A bittersweet, cross-audience charmer, this debut novel will appeal to guys, YA readers, and Vonnegut and coming-of-age fiction fans."—Library Journal

"Extence's engaging coming-of-age debut skillfully balances light and dark, laughter and tears."—Publisher's Weekly (Starred review)

"The Universe Versus Alex Woods will put you through the wringer. But oh, what a wringer!"—NPR Books -- Included on their "5 Great Summer Reads for Teens" List

"[The Universe Versus Alex Woods is] done in a dark, offbeat style that brings to mind the characters' hero, the literary giant Kurt Vonnegut"—New York Post

"Clever storytelling, winning characters and nuanced rhythm... Alex is a precocious, endearing, infuriating and unexpectedly brilliant teenager, and he and his indelible voice are incapable of sticking on the most traveled. Lucky us: We get to go along for the (sometimes bumpy) ride."—Denver Post

"The great joy of this quirky novel is Alex Woods, an English boy who's been hit by a meteorite. Alex recounts what follows with charm and wit, even when it includes seizures, bully and the grave illness of his best friend, an old man. Pulsing with humor and insight, this book is a delight."—People Magazine