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The Universe Versus Alex Woods
The Universe Versus Alex Woods | Gavin Extence
24 posts | 30 read | 24 to read
A rare meteorite struck Alex Woods when he was ten years old, leaving scars and marking him for an extraordinary future. The son of a fortune teller, bookish, and an easy target for bullies, Alex hasn't had the easiest childhood. But when he meets curmudgeonly widower Mr. Peterson, he finds an unlikely friend. Someone who teaches him that that you only get one shot at life. That you have to make it count. So when, aged seventeen, Alex is stopped at customs with 113 grams of marijuana, an urn full of ashes on the front seat, and an entire nation in uproar, he's fairly sure he's done the right thing ... Introducing a bright young voice destined to charm the world, The Universe Versus Alex Woods is a celebration of curious incidents, astronomy and astrology, the works of Kurt Vonnegut and the unexpected connections that form our world.
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abookdragonsretreat
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Pickpick

TW: Assisted suicide and use of Marijuana
It truly was a tale of an unlikely friendship, I loved the way this book was written, from Alex's point of view, and the way he saw the world was so hilarious and straightforward, yet so emotional. The book mostly consisted of laugh out loud scenes, which were brilliant, but it definitely had it's very deep and emotional moments which made me sob. I loved the basic storyline and the power of friendship!

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abookdragonsretreat

In life, there are no true beginnings or endings. Events flow into each other, and the more you try to isolate them in a container the more they spill over the sides, like canal water breaching it's artificial banks.

BookmarkTavern That‘s lovely. ❤️ 4y
abookdragonsretreat @ozma.of.oz ☺️ 4y
4 likes2 comments
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ChaoticMissAdventures
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📚 The Universe vs Alex Woods
✍️ Ursula K. Le Guin
🍿 Underworld
📺 United States of Tara (Toni Colette is an acting God)
🎤 U2 ❤️
🎶 Umbrella ☔

#manicmonday #letteru @JoScho

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ErickaS_Flyleafunfurled
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Pickpick

I haven‘t cried while reading a book in YEARS.
Seriously, I almost couldn‘t go on because the pages were too blurry.
I LOVED IT.

julesG Is it weird that I want to read it because it made you cry? 6y
ErickaS_Flyleafunfurled @julesG Ha! Totally not weird! I think if book makes you cry then it‘s a good book, right?? 6y
Suet624 I‘m with @julesG 6y
See All 6 Comments
valeriegeary I read this book years ago and also cried. It's a good one! 😭 6y
ErickaS_Flyleafunfurled @Suet624 YES! I should put Kleenex in the mail to both of you. And wine. 6y
ErickaS_Flyleafunfurled @valeriegeary Hooray! Im not alone!! 😭😭😭 It was so good. I was curled up on the sofa reading the ending and warning everyone in the house to leave me alone. 😆 6y
62 likes5 stack adds6 comments
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Oryx
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Good deal on this book - enjoyed this one a lot #99ponkindle

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Michellesibs
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Pickpick

This was a slow burner for me. First few chapters I was a bit unsure but gradually I really warmed to Alex. You really get into Alex‘s head, inside to the nitty gritty of how he sees the world and his relationships with other people. I enjoyed this, it‘s also extremely readable.

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JoyNorstrom
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Pickpick

I had to push through the first 100 pages, but I‘m so glad I did. A coming-of-age story featuring a friendship between a socially awkward kid and a blunt but good-hearted old man.

vuhlrybyhn Your review makes me want to read this! Welcome to Litsy! ❤ 7y
JoyNorstrom Thanks for the warm welcome @vuhlrybyhn ! 7y
TK-421 Stacked! And a belated welcome to Litsy! 😊 7y
See All 6 Comments
Alfoster Yes! This looks so good! 7y
JoyNorstrom Thank you @TK-421! I‘m enjoying it:) 7y
JoyNorstrom @Alfoster it was! A bit of a slow start, but very good overall. 7y
24 likes6 stack adds6 comments
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Samwise_Gamgee
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This is one of those reads that isn‘t necessarily fast, but is so good. It has also made me laugh out loud several times. #LitsyAtoZ #LetterE

37 likes1 stack add
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Evelien
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Pickpick

I didn't like the book at all in the beginning and was struggling my way through it. But it really grew on me and even made me cry in the end.

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Evelien
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This is my new reading spot in my house. Close to the window so i can look outside and enjoy the weather.

ephemeralwaltz Love it👌 7y
14 likes1 comment
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ramblingsofareader
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all 12 books from my #willoughbybookclub subscription which has come to an end this month, can't say I've read them all... yet!! but my favourite so far has definitely been Gavin Extence's 'The Universe Versus Alex Woods'. Well worth the read📚📦

#wbc #iheartwbc #bookmail

Reviewsbylola I loved Everything, Everything and Memoirs of a Geisha. 7y
ramblingsofareader @Reviewsbylola only received Memoirs of a Geisha this month, but it's been on my tbr forever, so can't wait to get stuck in! 7y
LeeRHarry I thought the Alex Woods book was good too, Burial Rites is excellent! 7y
14 likes3 comments
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Samwise_Gamgee
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Bookstore corners.

50 likes1 stack add
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RabidReader
This post contains spoilers
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Pickpick

I grabbed this one solely on a whim and so glad I did. It delves somewhat into a controversial subject.. Namely, the right to die in your own terms when terminally ill. But so much more than that it was the journey of a young boy and old man becoming unlikely friends and being just what they each needed at the stages in life they occupied. This was emotional and uplifting! I loved Mr. Peterson... It was hard to let him go!

RabidReader Forgot again #litsyatoz selection "U" 8y
6 likes1 comment
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RabidReader
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Every single night!

minkyb And then there is a thud when my book hits the floor because I dozed off! 8y
RabidReader @minkyb Haha yes. Or depending on how your holding it, thumps you in the face. 8y
25 likes2 comments
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ramblingsofareader
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latest delivery from the willoughby book club!📦 - looking forward to getting started on this one
#wbc #willoughbybookclub #bookworm #christmasreads #iheartwbc

13 likes1 stack add
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GoneFishing

Don't you think it's good to serve your country?' I asked. 'No, I don't,' Mr Peterson said. 'I think it's good to serve your principles. And in the army you don't get to pick and choose your fights according to your conscience. You kill on command. Don't ever surrender your right to make your own moral decisions, kid.

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adeebee
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Mehso-so

This book was frustrating. The last third of the book or so was really great, and I enjoyed Alex as a narrator quite a bit. But the first big chunk of the book after the first chapter was just really dull. Lots of things that could have been interesting were bogged down with way too much detail.

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adeebee
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Just hit Chapter 6. Feeling a bit bored by this one so far. Anyone out there read this one? Does it start picking up soon?

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Kat.Kao
Mehso-so

Ehhh...I totally expected this book to be wacky with a comic book type plot. Instead it deals with a very serious issue, and the parts that were meant to be weird were kind of pointless. I wish the book had presented the other side of the issue, instead of backing Alex fully. Full review: http://mrskaoreads.com/book/the-universe-versus-alex-woods/

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This-renegade
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Kat.Kao
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Was not expecting this book to be an exporation of assisted suicide, and not sure how I feel about that.

AmandaL I would never have expected that based on the book description. 8y
Kat.Kao SAME HERE. I thought it would be wacky! I WAS SO WRONG. 8y
3 likes2 comments
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Bigbooklover
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Who hoo! My Book Outlet order is here. So excited to start these!

1 like1 stack add
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Silentbeauty
Pickpick

Thoroughly enjoyed this.