The Universe Versus Alex Woods - Couverture rigide

"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, bullying and the grave illness of his best friend, an old man. Pulsing with humor and insight, this book is a delight."―People Magazine

"[An] incredibly touching tale... [Extence] strikes a balance of describing tragic events with comedic style, wrapping his seriousness with subtle absurdity."―Amazon.com (Best Book of the Month, July 2103)

"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

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

"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

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.