The Alex Crow

The author of Printz Honor book"Grasshopper Jungle"returns with another genre-bending literary exploration of the absurd. Once again blending multiple story strands that transcend time and place, "Grasshopper Jungle"author Andrew Smith tells the story of 15-year-old Ariel, arefugee from theMiddle East who is the sole survivor of an attack on his small village. Now living with an adoptive family in Sunday, West Virginia, Ariel's story of his summer at a boys' camp for tech detox is juxtaposed against those of a schizophrenic bomber and the diaries of a failed arctic expedition from the late nineteenth century. Oh, and there s also a depressed bionic reincarnated crow. "Smith takes [readers] to a place where humanity is imbued with the potential to render people inhuman and reminding us that being human, all too human, is far better than any conceivable alternative. "BCCB Reviews," starred review "Magnificently bizarre, irreverent and bitingly witty "Kirkus," starred review "Smith is aspiritual heir to Kurt Vonnegut "Booklist," starred review Fans of Smith s raunchy, profane, and provocative work will find this funny but morally serious tale deeply appealing. "Publishers Weekly, "starred review"

About the Author :
Andrew Smith knew ever since his days as editor of his high school newspaper that he wanted to be a writer. His books include "Grasshopper Jungle" and "Winger."Smith prefers the seclusion of his rural Southern California setting, where he lives with his family."

Review :
2015 New York Public Library Best Books for Teens 2015 "Boston Globe "Best Books, Young Adult 2015 Chicago Public Library's Best of the Best 2016 YALSA Best Fiction for Young Adults List "Therein lies the brilliance of Andrew Smith. He somehow always finds a way to turn the reader inside out, by grounding the farcical or turning mad science and vomit into art. "New York Times Book Review"" ""The weirdness shakes out ridiculously well in this often humorous and touching sci-fi tome." "USA Today" "Magnificently bizarre, irreverent and bitingly witty "Kirkus," starred review "Smith is aspiritual heir to Kurt Vonnegut "Booklist," starred review Fans of Smith s raunchy, profane, and provocative work will find this funny but morally serious tale deeply appealing. "Publishers Weekly, "starred review "Asmartly cohesive exploration of survival and extinction, and the control humans have (or shouldn t have) over such matters." "Horn Book," starred review "Smith takes [readers] to a place where humanity is imbued with the potential to render people inhuman and reminding us that being human, all too human, is far better than any conceivable alternative. "BCCB Reviews," starred review Andrew Smith isunequivocally one of the reigning kings of YA. Bustle.com In a market oversaturated by trends . . . [Smith s] novels arefresh and exciting. VICE.com Praise for"Grasshopper Jungle" Thisraunchy, bizarre, smart and compellingsci-fi novel defies description it s best to go into it with an open mind and allow yourself to be first drawn in, then blown away. "Rolling Stone" A literary joy to behold. . . . reminds me of Kurt Vonnegut s"Slaughterhouse Five," in the best sense. "The New York Times Book Review" Abizarrely fascinatingpremise that Smith pulls off with panache. . . . Like an absurdist "Middlesex."A- "Entertainment Weekly" I found myself saying over and over again, Where in the heck is he going with this? all the while turning the pages as fast as I could. Mostly I kept thinking, This was a brave book to write. Terry Brooks, author of the Shannara series Andrew Smith is the bravest storyteller I know."Grasshopper Jungle"is the most intelligent and gripping book I ve read in over a decade.It s a masterpiece. A. S. King, Printz Honor winning author of"Ask the Passengers"and"Please Ignore Vera Dietz" "Grasshopper Jungle"plays like a classic rock album, a killing machine of a book built for the masses that also dives effortlessly into more challenging, deeper regions of emotion. Above all else, when it s done you want to play it all over again.It s sexy, gory, hilarious, and refreshingly amoral. I wish I d had this book when I was fifteen. Jake Shears, Scissor Sisters This book isnothing short of a brilliant, hilarious thrill-ridethat is instantly infectious. The deft hand by which Smith explores teenage love and sexuality . . . is truly breathtaking. In writinga history of the end of the world, Smith may have just made history himself. John Corey Whaley, Printz Award winning author of"Where Things Come Back" Original, weird, sexy, thought-provoking and guaranteed to stir controversy.One hell of a book. Michael Grant, "New York Times"bestselling author of the Gone series "Grasshopper Jungle," in many ways, is a book about how there might bea manual for defeating monstersthat have invaded town, but there s not going to be an easy manual for everything else that weighs on the mind. A.V. Club You, too, will love Smith sbold, bizarre, and beautifulnovel. "The Boston Globe" No author writing for teens today can match Andrew Smith s mastery of thegrotesque, theauthenticexperiences of teenage boys or the way one seamlessly becomes a metaphor for the other. "BookPage," Top February Teen Pick "A meanderingly funny, weirdly compelling andthoroughly brilliantchronicle of the end of the world, and shit like that ...a mighty good book." "Kirkus, "starred review "Filled with gonzo black humor, Smith's outrageous tale makes serious points about scientific research done in the name of patriotism and profit, the intersections between the personal and the global, the weight of history on the present, and the often out-of-control sexuality of 16-year-old boys." "PW, "starred review "Original, honest, andextraordinary pushes the boundaries of young adult literature." "School Library Journal," starred review "From the Hardcover edition."" "Therein lies the brilliance of Andrew Smith. He somehow always finds a way to turn the reader inside out, by grounding the farcical or turning mad science and vomit into art. "New York Times Book Review"" ""The weirdness shakes out ridiculously well in this often humorous and touching sci-fi tome." "USA Today" "Magnificently bizarre, irreverent and bitingly witty "Kirkus," starred review "Smith is aspiritual heir to Kurt Vonnegut "Booklist," starred review Fans of Smith s raunchy, profane, and provocative work will find this funny but morally serious tale deeply appealing. "Publishers Weekly, "starred review "Asmartly cohesive exploration of survival and extinction, and the control humans have (or shouldn t have) over such matters." "Horn Book," starred review "Smith takes [readers] to a place where humanity is imbued with the potential to render people inhuman and reminding us that being human, all too human, is far better than any conceivable alternative. "BCCB Reviews," starred review Andrew Smith isunequivocally one of the reigning kings of YA. Bustle.com In a market oversaturated by trends . . . [Smith s] novels arefresh and exciting. VICE.com Praise for"Grasshopper Jungle" Thisraunchy, bizarre, smart and compellingsci-fi novel defies description it s best to go into it with an open mind and allow yourself to be first drawn in, then blown away. "Rolling Stone" A literary joy to behold. . . . reminds me of Kurt Vonnegut s"Slaughterhouse Five," in the best sense. "The New York Times Book Review" Abizarrely fascinatingpremise that Smith pulls off with panache. . . . Like an absurdist "Middlesex."A- "Entertainment Weekly" I found myself saying over and over again, Where in the heck is he going with this? all the while turning the pages as fast as I could. Mostly I kept thinking, This was a brave book to write. Terry Brooks, author of the Shannara series Andrew Smith is the bravest storyteller I know."Grasshopper Jungle"is the most intelligent and gripping book I ve read in over a decade.It s a masterpiece. A. S. King, Printz Honor winning author of"Ask the Passengers"and"Please Ignore Vera Dietz" "Grasshopper Jungle"plays like a classic rock album, a killing machine of a book built for the masses that also dives effortlessly into more challenging, deeper regions of emotion. Above all else, when it s done you want to play it all over again.It s sexy, gory, hilarious, and refreshingly amoral. I wish I d had this book when I was fifteen. Jake Shears, Scissor Sisters This book isnothing short of a brilliant, hilarious thrill-ridethat is instantly infectious. The deft hand by which Smith explores teenage love and sexuality . . . is truly breathtaking. In writinga history of the end of the world, Smith may have just made history himself. John Corey Whaley, Printz Award winning author of"Where Things Come Back" Original, weird, sexy, thought-provoking and guaranteed to stir controversy.One hell of a book. Michael Grant, "New York Times"bestselling author of the Gone series "Grasshopper Jungle," in many ways, is a book about how there might bea manual for defeating monstersthat have invaded town, but there s not going to be an easy manual for everything else that weighs on the mind. A.V. Club You, too, will love Smith sbold, bizarre, and beautifulnovel. "The Boston Globe" No author writing for teens today can match Andrew Smith s mastery of thegrotesque, theauthenticexperiences of teenage boys or the way one seamlessly becomes a metaphor for the other. "BookPage," Top February Teen Pick "A meanderingly funny, weirdly compelling andthoroughly brilliantchronicle of the end of the world, and shit like that ...a mighty good book." "Kirkus, "starred review "Filled with gonzo black humor, Smith's outrageous tale makes serious points about scientific research done in the name of patriotism and profit, the intersections between the personal and the global, the weight of history on the present, and the often out-of-control sexuality of 16-year-old boys." "PW, "starred review "Original, honest, andextraordinary pushes the boundaries of young adult literature." "School Library Journal," starred review "From the Hardcover edition.""