The Universe versus Alex Woods
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The Universe versus Alex Woods: An UNFORGETTABLE story of an unexpected friendship, an unlikely hero and an improbable journey

The Universe versus Alex Woods: An UNFORGETTABLE story of an unexpected friendship, an unlikely hero and an improbable journey


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About the Book

*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.

About the Author :
Gavin Extence was born in 1982 and grew up in the interestingly named village of Swineshead, Lincolnshire. From the ages of 5-11, he enjoyed a brief but illustrious career as a chess player, winning numerous national championships and travelling to Moscow and St Petersburg to pit his wits against the finest young minds in Russia. He won only one game. Gavin is currently working on his second novel. When he is not writing, he enjoys cooking, amateur astronomy and going to Alton Towers.

Review :
This is a story that will have you smiling through your tears, a story that touches on the most potentially devastating of human dilemmas, without an ounce of sentimentality. It is also enormously uplifting. Perfectly crafted and beautifully written, the voice of this novel is true and clear and brings to life the human condition with insight, tenderness and humour. Which is to say the quality of style matches the quality of content. The Universe versus Alex Woods may be a debut novel but it is an outstanding novel by any standards. Unforgettable. - Red It's Mark Haddon meets Kurt Vonnegut - Observer An eccentric young protagonist meets his match in a compelling comic debut - The Bookseller One of the year's most anticipated debuts - Time Out One of the funniest and most heartbreaking double acts in ages . . . an exceptionally good debut novel 5* - Heat Fans of quirky tales will love this debut novel - Bella This is an extraordinary debut novel. For me, Gavin Extence has produced in his narrator and hero Alex one of the most intriguing literary young people since Mark Haddon's Christopher. He's reminiscent of a better behaved Just William as an 11-year-old, combining a hyper-intelligence with naivet? that's as quirky as his upbringing - The Bookbag The debate around assisted suicide is eternally controversial but, when it comes to an argument for allowing sick people of mind the right to die, The Universe Versus Alex Woods trumps any Dignitas spokesman . . . Where this novel shines is in its characterisation: the brittle outer layers of socially awkward people are unpeeled to reveal big hearts and raw emotions. The sparring between Alex and Mr Peterson is a joy to read . . . With wit and warmth, Gavin Extence shines a light on one of the darkest, most difficult subjects of our time. - Sunday Express


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Product Details
  • ISBN-13: 9781444765892
  • Publisher: Hodder & Stoughton
  • Binding: Paperback
  • Language: English
  • Returnable: N
  • Returnable: N
  • Sub Title: An UNFORGETTABLE story of an unexpected friendship, an unlikely hero and an improbable journey
  • Width: 128 mm
  • ISBN-10: 1444765892
  • Publisher Date: 09 May 2013
  • Height: 198 mm
  • No of Pages: 432
  • Returnable: N
  • Spine Width: 32 mm
  • Weight: 300 gr


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The Universe versus Alex Woods: An UNFORGETTABLE story of an unexpected friendship, an unlikely hero and an improbable journey
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The Universe versus Alex Woods: An UNFORGETTABLE story of an unexpected friendship, an unlikely hero and an improbable journey
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