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Mark Haddon meets Kurt Vonnegut.
— Observer (UK)
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Warm and funny and tragic and uplifting all in one. Extence should be on everyone's radar.
— Jasper Fforde
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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)
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With wit and warmth, Gavin Extence shines a light on one of the darkest, most difficult subjects of our times.
— Sunday Express
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A bittersweet, cross-audience charmer, this debut novel will appeal to guys, YA readers, and Vonnegut and coming-of-age fiction fans.
— Library Journal
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Extence's engaging coming-of-age debut skillfully balances light and dark, laughter and tears.
— Publisher's Weekly (Starred review)
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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
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[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
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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 most traveled. Lucky us: We get to go along for the (sometimes bumpy) ride.
— Denver Post
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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, bully and the grave illness of his best friend, an old man. Pulsing with humor and insight, this book is a delight.
— People Magazine
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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
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Precocious and awkward, Alex Woods truly is a welcome addition to the literary world.
— Charleston City Paper
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[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)