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lisaluvsliterature's review
The writing is just as good as Grasshopper Jungle, I just can't quite get into it. It's not really my type of read. I will definitely put it on the list to order for my library for the students to read however!
lazygal's review against another edition
3.0
This could have been a much stronger book had there been one less thing in it. The proximate future we're in here includes bionics, high-tech warfare and yet it's also familiar, with sectarian strife in the Middle East and small-town, backwoods people. Having the majority of this set in a "recovery" camp (for either tech-addicts or overeaters, depending on the session) and a long-ago Antarctic expedition doesn't help. To be honest, I skipped the journal entries.
ARC provided by publisher.
ARC provided by publisher.
suzannedix's review
2.0
Four intertwined stories, all involving an Alex of some sort, are the impetus of this new novel by Winger author Andrew Smith. A far cry from the realistic and powerful drama of Winger, The Alex Crow tells the tale of Ariel, a refugee of Eastern Europe who has been adopted by a family in West Virginia, of The Alex Crow, a fictitious ship that attempted to reach the North Pole in the late 1800s, of Lenny, a deranged escapee from trial labs of the Alex Division and of a summer camp from hell hosted by the same Alex Division. The understanding by the reader is that these four disparate stories will unite in an ending of epic proportion. Unfortunately this is far from the case. The threads do wind together though the end result is an utter knot. While the banter of the three boys featured at the summer camp can be witty and at times laugh out loud funny, the majority of the story is dark and depressing. Disturbing and nonsensical, The Alex Crow will be a difficult novel to find an audience for.
Grade 9 and up.
Grade 9 and up.
jbojkov's review
4.0
I am an Andrew Smith fan. I like his style and voice. This is one of his weirder books- in fact I created a weird shelf because of this book! However, I probably should have made that shelf after reading Grasshopper Jungle- right?! Anyway, I liked this one- I enjoyed the different story lines and how they all came together at the end. It was not my fave- that would still be Winger- but this one is definitely worth the read.
readingthroughtheages's review
4.0
So this was my first Andrew Smith book.
Will not be my last.
The writing is brilliant.
The story I thought was ok until I finally got interested in the characters about 1/2 way through. It's not to say it was bad, just not my favorite.
I'm looking forward to reading more of Smith's writing.
Will not be my last.
The writing is brilliant.
The story I thought was ok until I finally got interested in the characters about 1/2 way through. It's not to say it was bad, just not my favorite.
I'm looking forward to reading more of Smith's writing.
herlifewithbooks's review against another edition
4.0
I liked the multiple story lines; it was difficult to tell how audacious each story was, just which side of reality they were on. Smith does this so well. I liked the summer camp storyline the most because Ariel's voice was great - strong but also soft, a little more subdued that we usually get from Smith - because I always love summer camp stories, and because the stuff about technology and progress and masculinity was just so weird and thought-provoking.
sngick's review
5.0
Andrew Smith slays me & never ceases to pull me into the story...no matter how distressing or unusual. The mash up of characters & plot lines for The Alex Crow was genius. Pure genius.
kkocik's review
5.0
*Book by same Author*
Oh. My. Goodness. I didn't think that Andrew Smith could come back again after writing such a brilliant novel like Grasshopper Jungle; The Alex Crow was better AND darker than the first! If there was anything preventing me from comparing Smith to a present-day Vonnegut, then move aside because this novel advocates for just that statement! While the different storylines of Ariel the refugee (pronounced Ah-riel), Leonard Fountain the "melting man" schizophrenic, the suicidal Alex crow, and the epistolary chronicles of the Alex Crow ship, I felt as though I would get very confused VERY quickly; on the contrary, each storyline backs the other up and allows the reader to solve the mystery behind Alex divisions and its relationship to the protagonist, Ariel.
Ariel is a young, fourteen-year-old, Middle Eastern refugee with a dark, dangerous past. The novel follows his many "lives," as he calls them, while he was still in his war-torn country and his current-day journey in America and at the Merrie-Seymour Camp for Boys. He's insightful, observant, intelligent, and deep and the reader is constantly waiting for Ariel to peel back another layer of self-analysis to reveal his past. He's been through SO much that all you can do is cry with him as he unveils his deepest, darkest secrets. He's a fantastic character and I marvel at Smith's ability to write such multi-faceted characters.
I would definitely recommend this novel to high schoolers, as I did with Grasshopper Jungle, because it really is SO graphic. There are many references to male masturbation (told in funny, immature phrases), death, rape, and profanity. Young men who enjoy dark humor would definitely LOVE this novel, as would girls who share a passion for Vonnegut-like literature. One would truly be missing out on an amazing piece of YA lit if they did NOT pick this up off from the shelf...
Oh. My. Goodness. I didn't think that Andrew Smith could come back again after writing such a brilliant novel like Grasshopper Jungle; The Alex Crow was better AND darker than the first! If there was anything preventing me from comparing Smith to a present-day Vonnegut, then move aside because this novel advocates for just that statement! While the different storylines of Ariel the refugee (pronounced Ah-riel), Leonard Fountain the "melting man" schizophrenic, the suicidal Alex crow, and the epistolary chronicles of the Alex Crow ship, I felt as though I would get very confused VERY quickly; on the contrary, each storyline backs the other up and allows the reader to solve the mystery behind Alex divisions and its relationship to the protagonist, Ariel.
Ariel is a young, fourteen-year-old, Middle Eastern refugee with a dark, dangerous past. The novel follows his many "lives," as he calls them, while he was still in his war-torn country and his current-day journey in America and at the Merrie-Seymour Camp for Boys. He's insightful, observant, intelligent, and deep and the reader is constantly waiting for Ariel to peel back another layer of self-analysis to reveal his past. He's been through SO much that all you can do is cry with him as he unveils his deepest, darkest secrets. He's a fantastic character and I marvel at Smith's ability to write such multi-faceted characters.
I would definitely recommend this novel to high schoolers, as I did with Grasshopper Jungle, because it really is SO graphic. There are many references to male masturbation (told in funny, immature phrases), death, rape, and profanity. Young men who enjoy dark humor would definitely LOVE this novel, as would girls who share a passion for Vonnegut-like literature. One would truly be missing out on an amazing piece of YA lit if they did NOT pick this up off from the shelf...
ronielle's review
4.0
I really enjoyed this book. I am a serious fan of Smith's writing. I really enjoy how different all of his novels are. He is certainly not a one-note YA writer. This book is a great mix of a novel about the experience of a teenage refugee, while also having some science fiction elements that have a very almost Vonnegut feel to them. I really enjoyed the different setting of the all boys camp and the dynamic between the brothers and the bunkmates. This is worth your time to read.
empapel's review
2.0
2 stars for tying it together, but I felt like it didn't tie up anything and had no point. Every character, including the protagonist, never really evolved beyond two dimensions. If you, like me, were more interested in reading Dr. Nussbaum's book within the book than you were about finishing The Alex Crow, then I'd recommend picking up The Female Man by Joanna Russ. Now THAT is some interesting sci-fi!