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4.05 AVERAGE
4.05 AVERAGE
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
emotional
funny
hopeful
reflective
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Terminal illness
This one is hard to review, but I loved it. Alex reminded me a bit of Christopher Boone from Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime by Haddon. They have the same wise yet naive tone. This book was delightful, moving, and important.
Alex Woods doesn't have enough original thoughts about his own world to tell us anything surprising about our own.
adventurous
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Officially giving this 3.5 stars. I loved the characters, but felt that the story dragged a little in some places. I think the subject matter of the book is important though and not something that is talked about often. Alex Woods is a very unique main character and I absolutely loved him.
emotional
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Many thoughts, many feelings. This was a little bit of a mixed bag for me, although I did lean more to the side of liking this.
Alex was a really interesting character to follow. He was such a unique individual. Even when I didn’t necessarily agree with him, it was never hard to see where he was coming from.
The main relationship developed in this book is between Alex and Mr Peterson and I’ve got to say, it was so incredibly sweet. I really loved their dynamic and how they got to be where they were with one another. They really were the best of friends (I’m making myself cry while writing this line).
Morality, mortality and dignity were the overarching themes explored. Nothing particularly new was being brought to the table but it still got the cogs turning - especially on the subject of assisted death.
There was a brief period during this read, maybe about 15/20% nearish to the end where it started to feel a little bit stagnant - like it was trying to do something but not quite succeeding? And then weird decisions were made such as the kiss between Ellie and Alex in Chapter 20 and the completely random, and unnecessary, inclusion of the N-Word (even if it was being quoted from a book). This and a couple other things kind of took me out of the book.
Thankfully, I was drawn back in during the emotional end. Saying Goodbye is always difficult and it really felt like I was there with Alex when he had to do so.
Alex was a really interesting character to follow. He was such a unique individual. Even when I didn’t necessarily agree with him, it was never hard to see where he was coming from.
The main relationship developed in this book is between Alex and Mr Peterson and I’ve got to say, it was so incredibly sweet. I really loved their dynamic and how they got to be where they were with one another. They really were the best of friends (I’m making myself cry while writing this line).
Morality, mortality and dignity were the overarching themes explored. Nothing particularly new was being brought to the table but it still got the cogs turning - especially on the subject of assisted death.
There was a brief period during this read, maybe about 15/20% nearish to the end where it started to feel a little bit stagnant - like it was trying to do something but not quite succeeding? And then weird decisions were made such as the kiss between Ellie and Alex in Chapter 20 and the completely random, and unnecessary, inclusion of the N-Word (even if it was being quoted from a book). This and a couple other things kind of took me out of the book.
Thankfully, I was drawn back in during the emotional end. Saying Goodbye is always difficult and it really felt like I was there with Alex when he had to do so.
hopeful
informative
reflective
slow-paced
It's a lot like Curious Incident, in that there are some really great moments, but ultimately it feels a bit like reading a text book. I didn't not enjoy it, but I found some bits to be a bit draggy. It's not a book that I would usually have picked up, but I am glad I read it. I think perhaps it could have been the wrong time for me to read, and I may read again in a different frame of mind, but the subject matter is certainly intense, and it makes the reader ask questions of the characters and themselves, too. It's a good book, if sometimes a little long-winded.
This book has taken me ages to read, but it is of no reflection on the actual book, just life! I really enjoyed this novel. Such a different read about a boy, Alex, randomly hit by a meteorite, a struggle with fitting in at school, finding a friend/father figure in an older man, Mr Peterson, and ultimately dealing with euthanasia in Switzerland! It’s a bit of a whirlwind, but a breath of fresh air at the same time! I was able to pick this up and put it down easily, it is well written, and simply an entertaining and interesting read.
I loved this book. I didn't really know what to expect when it started but as the plot developed, I couldn't help but become invested in Alex's journey as he goes through his teenage years and intrigued as to where things would end up. It was so easy to read and I loved Alex's very matter of fact narrative which was hilarious at times and poignant at others. The novel deals with some really interesting topics in a unique way and Alex's outlook is so refreshing, it really makes you think about things objectively. If you liked The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time and A Man Called Ove, I'd highly recommend this book!