The Universe versus Alex Woods
Paperback Published on: 09/05/2013
Price: £10.99
Bookseller Reviews
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Absolutely love this book. Read it now!!!
Read this for our reading group at Waterstones Wigan and was so so impressed! Gavin more than exceeded my expectations with this brilliant book which is fu... READ MORE
The Universe Versus Alex Woods
This book approaches a highly controversial subject with sensitivity,empathy, rationality and humour. I do not wish to dwell on comparisons with other auth... READ MORE
Utterly compelling!
Gavin Extence opens this gem of a novel with a scene from the narrative's finale in order to introduce us to the varied and charming protagonist that is Al... READ MORE
Utterly compelling!
Gavin Extence opens this gem of a novel with a scene from the narrative's finale in order to introduce us to the varied and charming protagonist that is Al... READ MORE
Difficult subject handled beautifully.
7.5/10
I loved how the story was told, such an amazing ‘voice’.
I laughed, cried, grimaced, got angry and fell in love with the characters, and I would ... READ MORE
A unique creation...
When seventeen year-old Alex Woods is arrested at Dover, carrying 113 grammes of home-grown marijuana and the ashes of his erstwhile mentor and benefactor,... READ MORE
Stunning Debut
One of the best debut novels I have read in years. Brilliantly funny and heartbreakingly sad in equal measure and a cast of well rounded characters that re... READ MORE
The Universe Versus Alex Woods
I've read a number of books already this year, some of them debuts but none of them have come close to this. From the first page I was hooked. Gavin Extenc... READ MORE
A brilliant new author
A very cleverly written book that will make you laugh and cry. It is not only on a very delicate subject that will hit home for anyone caring for another, ... READ MORE
Step inside the head of Alex Woods...
This book is a real find. Mesmerising, funny and with a soul so deep that you'll actually miss young Alex once he's gone. The book takes you through his ea... READ MORE
Read this book!
When Alex, who didn't have a conventional upbringing, meets the reclusive and grumpy widower Mr Peterson he soon makes an unlikely friend... this wonderful... READ MORE
A brilliant debut
Alex Woods is not a conventional teenager - ostracised at school for a variety of reasons (which he lists with great humour), he strikes up a friendship wi... READ MORE
A Stunning Debut
I absolutely loved this book, it' s one of the most moving, intelligent and funny books I've read. Alex is a wonderful character who you can' t help but lo... READ MORE
Please try this book!
For a first novel this is a fantastic book. It is funny and moving, I admit to tears at the end- this isn't a spoiler as you know at the start of the book ... READ MORE
Utterly charming and engaging
I absolutely love geeky coming of age novels and Alex Woods' trials and tribulations did not disappoint. Charmingly longwinded and thoroughly entertaining ... READ MORE
Captivating and wonderful.
It's rare to find a book, especially a first novel, which manages to be both endearing and thought-provoking, easy-going yet profound. But The Universe Vs ... READ MORE
A truly wonderful book!
I have been so lucky this year and have read some truly fantastic books, and The Universe vs Alex Woods has just wedged itself firmly in the top four.
Gen... READ MORE
Synopsis
*Perfect for fans of A BOY MADE OF BLOCKS*
**RICHARD AND JUDY summer bookclub read 2013, Amazon Rising star, and shortlisted for the Desmond Elliott Prize**
*** A funny and touching story of an unlikely friendship and an improbable journey***
Alex Woods knows that he hasn't had the most conventional start in life.
He knows that growing up with a clairvoyant single mother won't endear him to the local bullies.
He also knows that even the most improbable events can happen - he's got the scars to prove it.
What he doesn't know yet is that when he meets ill-tempered, reclusive widower Mr Peterson, he'll make an unlikely friend. Someone who tells him that you only get one shot at life. That you have to make the best possible choices.
So when, aged seventeen, Alex is stopped at Dover customs with 113 grams of marijuana, an urn full of ashes on the passenger seat, and an entire nation in uproar, he's fairly sure he's done the right thing.
A tale of an unexpected friendship, an unlikely hero and an improbable journey, Alex's story treads the fine line between light and dark, laughter and tears. And it might just strike you as one of the funniest, most heartbreaking novels you've ever read.
Publisher information
- Publisher: Hodder & Stoughton
- ISBN: 9781444765892
- Number of pages: 432
- Dimensions: 198 x 128 x 32 mm
- Weight: 300g
- Languages: English
Customer Reviews
View allA wonderfully warm and moving book
Alex Woods has had things tough. He lives in a small town with an odd mother and thanks to one incident it could seem that the universe is against him. How... READ MORE
Meet your new favourite author...
It may begin with a seventeen-year-old young man explaining himself to the police, but I found that it was me who was effectively ‘arrested’ by this incred... READ MORE
Overall, enjoyed by all
Alex Woods was our Reading Group choice for May, and overall the group enjoyed the book very much. It was agreed that the book dealt with some important is... READ MORE
An entertaining and thoughtful read
Alex is not a typical teenager. He has been struck by a meteor, subsequently developed epilepsy, and forced to make friends with an elderly neighbour.
Thro... READ MORE
Meet your new favourite author...
It may begin with a seventeen-year-old young man explaining himself to the police, but I found that it was me who was effectively ‘arrested’ by this incred... READ MORE
Everyone should read this book
I absolutely loved this book. I knew from the first few pages that I was really going to like Alex and as such I felt an empathy with him throughout his st... READ MORE
Poignant and funny - a must read
Every now and then a special book comes along that you want everyone to read - and here it is. Quirky but easy to read, I had difficulty putting it down. T... READ MORE
When's the sequel?
I absolutely loved this book; it held me enrapt from the first page to the last, bringing both laughter and tears in equal measure. An unlikely cross gener... READ MORE
Funny, sad and wise
This is a likeable, quirky and bitter-sweet story about the friendship between a man and a teenager as they go through various changes in their lives. It's... READ MORE
Not an incentive to check out his other books
I enjoyed this story but have some reservations, which lead to the low star rating.
I particularly liked the characterisation of Mr Peterson and really wa... READ MORE