The Universe Versus Alex Woods

Booktalk
When Alex was 10 years old, he was hit by a meteorite. Seriously. So not only was he a bullied, epileptic son of a fortune teller, but now he was scarred for life. Seriously! Fast forward a bit to his teenager years: Alex has been stopped at customs with an urn in his front seat and 113 grams of marijuana in his glove compartment:

"‘You know, Alex,’ Chief Inspector Hearse said finally, ‘you’ve created quite a stir over the past week or so. You’ve become quite the celebrity . . .’

Straight away, I didn’t like the way this was going. I had no idea what he expected me to say. Some things there’s no sensible response to, so I just kept my mouth shut. Then I shrugged, which wasn’t the cleverest thing to do, but it’s very difficult to do nothing in situations like that. Chief Inspector Hearse scratched his mole. Then he said:

‘You realize that you’re in a lot of trouble?’"

So how did Alex get from Point A to Point B? I won't give it all away, but I will tell you that it has something to do with an unlikely friendship with an elderly Vietnam veteran, the books of Kurt Vonnegut, and learning to seize the day. Find out about Alex's incredible journey in The Universe Versus Alex Woods.

If You Like This Book, Try These Ones Next

 * The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman
 * Maggot Moon by Sally Gardner
 * She Is Not Invisible by Marcus Sedgwick

The Author and His Characters
The author Gavin Extence talks about the characters Alex, Mr. Peterson, and Alex's mom from The Universe Versus Alex Woods.

A Little More Information
Extence, Gavin. The Universe Versus Alex Woods. New York, NY: Redhook, 2013. Print.

ISBN-13: 978-0316246590

Paperback Price: $12.34

Annotation: A meteor-struck boy befriends a Vietnam veteran while learning how to live and cherish every moment.