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A review by ruthelizamac
The Universe Versus Alex Woods by Gavin Extence
4.0
Once I actually got into this book, I really loved it. I'm not entirely sure why it took me roughly 8 months of being 12-13-14% of the way through but I raced through the rest within the last week.
When the book begun with the ending, as it were, I was a little annoyed that I thought the entire plot was given away, but as was the point of the whole tale (in my opinion), it gave way to a much deeper and greater story. Despite how utterly bizarre the series of events leading up to the final crux seems to be, when written out logically and with due explanation, everything was something I could imagine witnessing, if not necessarily living through myself.
Though it took a while to get to that stage, I realised the real point of this book was about friendship, and anyone who knows me will know that I'd far rather read about a good ol friendship than a terrible romantic cliche, especially friendship of the unshakeable kind. The friends in question are an unusual pair, but that seems to be how you end up in the greatest conversation, the best situations and the strongest trust. Alex is an extremely well developed character and though naive to so much of the world, brings a great new joy into an elderly persons life. Along the way he is taught to drive, accused of property damage, forms a book cult, learns a lot about Kurt Vonnegut and gets drawn into the business of growing cannabis in an attic. All of this sort of happens because he was hit in the head by a piece of a meteor a few years earlier.
I find that I cannot say much about the plot because it would either be insufficient and seem strange and random, or I'd go on for days, because though I didn't seem to realise while reading it, a lot does go on within this book. I recommend re-reading the first chapter towards the end, it explains a fair amount and also really ties it all together, with subtle references to characters that you have not met at that point and subsequently forget were in that first chapter.
All in all a great read, emotional and unique and humorous, with well rounded characters and some great literary references within.
When the book begun with the ending, as it were, I was a little annoyed that I thought the entire plot was given away, but as was the point of the whole tale (in my opinion), it gave way to a much deeper and greater story. Despite how utterly bizarre the series of events leading up to the final crux seems to be, when written out logically and with due explanation, everything was something I could imagine witnessing, if not necessarily living through myself.
Though it took a while to get to that stage, I realised the real point of this book was about friendship, and anyone who knows me will know that I'd far rather read about a good ol friendship than a terrible romantic cliche, especially friendship of the unshakeable kind. The friends in question are an unusual pair, but that seems to be how you end up in the greatest conversation, the best situations and the strongest trust. Alex is an extremely well developed character and though naive to so much of the world, brings a great new joy into an elderly persons life. Along the way he is taught to drive, accused of property damage, forms a book cult, learns a lot about Kurt Vonnegut and gets drawn into the business of growing cannabis in an attic. All of this sort of happens because he was hit in the head by a piece of a meteor a few years earlier.
I find that I cannot say much about the plot because it would either be insufficient and seem strange and random, or I'd go on for days, because though I didn't seem to realise while reading it, a lot does go on within this book. I recommend re-reading the first chapter towards the end, it explains a fair amount and also really ties it all together, with subtle references to characters that you have not met at that point and subsequently forget were in that first chapter.
All in all a great read, emotional and unique and humorous, with well rounded characters and some great literary references within.