Gavin Extence was born in 1982 and grew up in the interestingly named village of Swineshead, England. 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 now lives in Sheffield with his wife, baby daughter and cat. He is currently working on his next novel. When he is not writing, he enjoys cooking, amateur astronomy and going to Alton Towers.
"The Universe Versus Alex Woods is the story of how misfit Alex
comes to befriend an elderly American curmudgeon, learns to
cultivate marijuana and develops a deep appreciation for the work
of Kurt Vonnegut. It's a wonderful coming-of-age story, delivered
in an offhand casual style that belies the deeply moral concerns of
the author."--Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
"The Universe Versus Alex Woods will put you through the wringer.
But oh, what a wringer!"--NPR Books -- Included on their "5 Great
Summer Reads for Teens" List
"[The Universe Versus Alex Woods is] done in a dark, offbeat style
that brings to mind the characters' hero, the literary giant Kurt
Vonnegut"--New York Post
"[An] incredibly touching tale... [Extence] strikes a balance of
describing tragic events with comedic style, wrapping his
seriousness with subtle absurdity."--Amazon.com (Best Book of the
Month, July 2103)
"A bittersweet, cross-audience charmer, this debut novel will
appeal to guys, YA readers, and Vonnegut and coming-of-age fiction
fans."--Library Journal
"Clever storytelling, winning characters and nuanced rhythm... Alex
is a precocious, endearing, infuriating and unexpectedly brilliant
teenager, and he and his indelible voice are incapable of sticking
on the road most traveled. Lucky us: We get to go along for the
(sometimes bumpy) ride."--Denver Post
"Extence's engaging coming-of-age debut skillfully balances light
and dark, laughter and tears."--Publisher's Weekly (Starred
review)
"If you enjoy interesting and unique experiences, you will find
this to be the must-read of the summer...[The Universe Versus Alex
Woods] is a must-have for your library, and a treat for both the
young, as well as the young at heart. There is some very deep
subject matter discussed, yet the end result is extraordinary.
Gavin Extence is an author to watch for."--Seattle
Post-Intelligencer
"Mark Haddon meets Kurt Vonnegut."--Observer (UK)
"Perfectly crafted and beautifully written... The Universe Versus
Alex Woods may be a debut novel but it is an outstanding novel by
any standards. Unforgettable."--Red (UK)
"Precocious and awkward, Alex Woods truly is a welcome addition to
the literary world."--Charleston City Paper
"The great joy of this quirky novel is Alex Woods, an English boy
who's been hit by a meteorite. Alex recounts what follows with
charm and wit, even when it includes seizures, bullying and the
grave illness of his best friend, an old man. Pulsing with humor
and insight, this book is a delight."--People Magazine
"Warm and funny and tragic and uplifting all in one. Extence should
be on everyone's radar."--Jasper Fforde
"With wit and warmth, Gavin Extence shines a light on one of the
darkest, most difficult subjects of our times."--Sunday Express
"The Universe Versus Alex Woods is the story of how misfit
Alex comes to befriend an elderly American curmudgeon, learns to
cultivate marijuana and develops a deep appreciation for the work
of Kurt Vonnegut. It's a wonderful coming-of-age story, delivered
in an offhand casual style that belies the deeply moral concerns of
the author."--Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
"The Universe Versus Alex Woods will put you through the
wringer. But oh, what a wringer!"--NPR Books -- Included on their
"5 Great Summer Reads for Teens" List
"[The Universe Versus Alex Woods is] done in a dark, offbeat
style that brings to mind the characters' hero, the literary giant
Kurt Vonnegut"--New York Post
"[An] incredibly touching tale... [Extence] strikes a balance of
describing tragic events with comedic style, wrapping his
seriousness with subtle absurdity."--Amazon.com (Best Book of the
Month, July 2103)
"A bittersweet, cross-audience charmer, this debut novel will
appeal to guys, YA readers, and Vonnegut and coming-of-age fiction
fans."--Library Journal
"Clever storytelling, winning characters and nuanced rhythm... Alex
is a precocious, endearing, infuriating and unexpectedly brilliant
teenager, and he and his indelible voice are incapable of sticking
on the road most traveled. Lucky us: We get to go along for the
(sometimes bumpy) ride."--Denver Post
"Extence's engaging coming-of-age debut skillfully balances light
and dark, laughter and tears."--Publisher's Weekly (Starred
review)
"If you enjoy interesting and unique experiences, you will find
this to be the must-read of the summer...[The Universe Versus
Alex Woods] is a must-have for your library, and a treat for
both the young, as well as the young at heart. There is some very
deep subject matter discussed, yet the end result is extraordinary.
Gavin Extence is an author to watch for."--Seattle
Post-Intelligencer
"Mark Haddon meets Kurt Vonnegut."--Observer (UK)
"Perfectly crafted and beautifully written... The Universe
Versus Alex Woods may be a debut novel but it is an outstanding
novel by any standards. Unforgettable."--Red (UK)
"Precocious and awkward, Alex Woods truly is a welcome addition to
the literary world."--Charleston City Paper
"The great joy of this quirky novel is Alex Woods, an English boy
who's been hit by a meteorite. Alex recounts what follows with
charm and wit, even when it includes seizures, bullying and the
grave illness of his best friend, an old man. Pulsing with humor
and insight, this book is a delight."--People Magazine
"Warm and funny and tragic and uplifting all in one. Extence should
be on everyone's radar."--Jasper Fforde
"With wit and warmth, Gavin Extence shines a light on one of the
darkest, most difficult subjects of our times."--Sunday Express
Most teens think the universe is against them at some point. Seventeen-year-old Alex Woods has plenty of evidence for his case: a tarot-reading witch for a mother, his father a one-night Solstice stand long since forgotten, a chunk of meteorite crashing through the roof and smashing into him, the onset of epileptic seizures, and school bullies eager to target him. Luckily for Alex, the meteorite and bullies have an upside. While the meteorite accident introduces him to two unusual doctors and the worlds of astrophysics and neurology, the school bullies chase him into a life-changing friendship with the semi-reclusive Mr. Peterson after Alex takes the blame for Mr. Peterson's broken greenhouse windows. Rather than revealing the bullies' names, Alex accepts a punishment of helping out the curmudgeonly widower. Neither is very happy about the arrangement until they bond over books and Alex founds the Secular Church of Kurt Vonnegut reading group. Over the course of a year, they also come to terms with a terminal diagnosis. Their plans for a simple trip to a Zurich clinic turn into a wild wheelchair ride through a hospital, an unexpected kiss, and international media attention. Not your average rite of passage but one Alex can ace. VERDICT A bittersweet, cross-audience charmer, this debut novel will appeal to guys, YA readers, and Vonnegut and coming-of-age fiction fans.-Jan Blodgett, Davidson Coll. Lib., NC (c) Copyright 2013. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
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