Extence, Gavin - The Universe Versus Alex Woods- Start Date November 2, 2013 (November 2013 Young Adult)

[Karen ⊰✿, Fiction Aficionado]

@Valerie

26. good point

28. I don't know that it will be a happy book!

[Valerie]

Karen wrote: "@Valerie

26. good point

28. I don't know that it will be a happy book!"

Yeah I'm actually losing steam with this book because it's just one bad thing after another and I just KNOW something bad is going to end.

First it was the bus ride and the bullying, and then the terminal disease, and then Mr. Peterson fell, and I know there's going to be something wrong at the end because that's how it started off with at the beginning.

[Moderators of NBRC, Challenger-in-Chief]

Comments and questions
Chapters 21-end

35. Alex making that road trip with Mr Peterson, being there for his suicide, and driving back with his ashes seems a lot for a 17 year old to cope with. Do you think it was unfair of Mr Peterson to put him in that situation, or was Alex mature enough to exercise his free will?

36. I really felt for Alex's mother when he made the phone call. And I loved the scene with her at the police station. Did your opinion of her change from the start of the book?

37. I was intrigued that at no time in the book was Alex "labelled" (autistic or aspergers for example). Thoughts?

38. Alex taking Mr Peterson to Cern made me laugh. In hindsight it seemed like the first time Mr P had taken an interest in Alex's "world". Do you agree?

39. Did you agree with Alex's decision to not tell Mr Peterson about the media attention to his 'case'?

40. There is a documentary by Terry Pratchett called "Choosing to Die" where Terry follows the choices of people to go to Dignitas in Switzerland to die (as he is considering doing this). The description of the "house" in this book was exactly Dignitas for me. Have you seen the documentary? Did you know these places existed?

41. It was a nice touch that Mr Peterson left Alex money for his education, but the bulk of his estate to Amnesty International. How did you feel about the ending? Final thoughts on the book?

[Valerie]

30. What did you think of the description of Ellie's apartment? She said Alex is like a "brother" to her, but then kisses him. Will we get some romance in this story after all?

There won't be romance in this story because 1. it's way too far into the book and 2. the book mostly focuses on Mr. Peterson and his relationship to Alex. Also I think the description of Ellie's apartment fits her personality fairly accurately.

31. The writer introduces more satire by explaining the media/society's reaction to Alex's story. questioning the relationship he had with Mr Peterson, referring to the "Death Tapes", branding Alex a sociopath... Comments?

I didn't get this part because I didn't know what the tapes contained really. I kind of wish the author put this in the end or after the suicide because I don't like the jumping around through time at all.

32. Do you think Alex should have told his mum (or anyone) about the pact he made with Mr Peterson?

Yes I think he should've told her through speech, just to let her know what he was doing. But then again there would also be a chance that she wouldn't even let him go.

33. Alex sees the pact as his "final act of friendship" with Mr Peterson. I worry about how this will affect him ; watching his only friend die. Thoughts?

I'm not sure how Alex would feel. It I was in his position, I would feel happy that my friend had a "good death", but then I would be so lonely afterwards.

34. The escape from the hospital was pretty intense. This book is asking a lot from it's readers with some very adult concepts. Do you think it is important for YA fiction to explore these types of themes?

I think it is very important for YA fiction to explore these concepts, because young adults (such as myself) should understand the concept of dying a good death. Although the topic of suicide can be somewhat sensitive to young adults, I think it's important to know the difference between throwing your life away, and choosing to die because of a terminal illness.

[Clare]

QUESTIONS FOR CH 9-11

15. I have read reviews of this book where people compare the writing style to that of Kurt Vonnegut, whose works also play a large part in this section of the book. Have you read any of his books?

No I haven't read any of his books so I can't really comment on that

16. The "special letter writing club" that Mr Peterson belongs to is Amnesty International! I quite liked the statement "But sometimes people have homes and possessions you don't expect, and hobbies you can't even imagine". Thoughts?

I loved the way he described what she did. He is such a likeable person.

17. When Mr Peterson gave Alex the book with his wife's inscription I thought that was a lovely gesture. I was absolutely heartbroken with what happened next. How will Alex be able to explain himself properly so they become friends again?

I felt really sad and uncomfortable all the way through that bit. I can't believe that happened. There are lots of bits in this book which just make me so sad as he is not to blame but everything just seems to go wrong. When he went and told him he was so hurt (understandably). I wonder if they will ever sort it out.....I guess they must if he has his ashes on his car seat at the end.

18. The interrogation at school about the "bus incident" made me laugh, but also squirm. It is so frustrating that Alex's teachers and mother don't seem to understand he is being bullied. Do you think it is realistic that no-one suspects what is happening?

I can't understand why they don't see that he is being bullied. As a teacher we are so in tune with that at school and I can't imagine not picking it up.

19. We're about 40% through the book. What are your thoughts on it so far? Enjoying/ambivalent/giving up?

Well, I want to keep reading it, but I can't say I'm enjoying it as so many awful things are happening to Alex. I hope it turns out well for him in the end.

[Kelly]

Comments and questions
Chapters 15-17

25. It has been five years and Alex now feels ready to donate his meteorite. Did you agree with his decision? Have you been to the London National History Museum?
I haven't been but I think it's the right decision if he was ready for it. Plus it might be one of those moving on type of decisions.

26. The car accident and Mr Peterson's diagnosis felt sudden to me, which is strange as we know from the start of the book that he is going to die. I understood Alex's denial of the situation. Thoughts?
I think it's all part of the theme of big things happening suddenly. I think a lot of big things happen suddenly.

27. Despite most of this section being pretty sad, I like the humour is still peppered through (like Lucy with the next litter of cats!). Are there any humorous parts of the book, or quotes, so far that have stuck out to you?
I still like the original discussion with the police when they stopped him.

28. How awful that Alex was the one to discover Mr Peterson. Were you surprised? How did you feel about Alex hiding his DNR note and calling the hospital?
I don't think you could really expect anything else out of someone that young with it being a friend.

29. Ellie seems to be more of a friend to Alex than he realises. Is it possible she is also right about his mother and that he is just seeing things in a different way than what his mother intends?
It's probably a bit of both. It's a fine balance being a parent and trying to guide without leading.

[Tanya]

Chapters 18-20

30. What did you think of the description of Ellie's apartment? She said Alex is like a "brother" to her, but then kisses him. Will we get some romance in this story after all?

I think the description of Ellie’s apartment fit her perfectly. It was funny to hear about all the underwear everywhere. I’m not sure we’ll get romance, I wonder if she just did it because she felt sad or was lonely. She also might have done it because she thought it might help Alex… or might shut him up.

31. The writer introduces more satire by explaining the media/society's reaction to Alex's story. questioning the relationship he had with Mr Peterson, referring to the "Death Tapes", branding Alex a sociopath... Comments?

I think that the media and society are over reacting about the “Death Tapes”.

32. Do you think Alex should have told his mum (or anyone) about the pact he made with Mr Peterson?

Yes, I think that Alex should have told his mom about the pact he made with Mr. Peterson, I think she of all people would have understood and would have helped him in any way she could.

33. Alex sees the pact as his "final act of friendship" with Mr Peterson. I worry about how this will affect him; watching his only friend die. Thoughts?

Alex has had quite a while to come to terms with the entire “final act of friendship” with Mr. Peterson. He has thought it over and has spent time with Mr. Peterson. I think Alex understands, that it is time to let go and that Mr. Peterson is sick and will not get any better. Sometimes the biggest gift we can give someone is being able to say goodbye, no matter how sad that is.

34. The escape from the hospital was pretty intense. This book is asking a lot from it's readers with some very adult concepts. Do you think it is important for YA fiction to explore these types of themes?

The escape from the hospital was hilarious! It is definitely important for YA fiction to explore more adult themes. I completely agree with Valerie- it is important for young adults to understand about death and suicide.

Chapters 21-23

35. Alex making that road trip with Mr Peterson, being there for his suicide, and driving back with his ashes seems a lot for a 17 year old to cope with. Do you think it was unfair of Mr Peterson to put him in that situation, or was Alex mature enough to exercise his free will?

Alex was definitely mature enough to exercise his free will during this period. From the beginning of the book (or at least from his accident with the meteorite) we get a sense that Alex is mature for his age.

36. I really felt for Alex's mother when he made the phone call. And I loved the scene with her at the police station. Did your opinion of her change from the start of the book?

My opinion of Alex’s mother definitely changed from the beginning of the book. At the beginning I thought she was a bit over protective and trying to make sure that Alex didn’t grow up. At the end, I saw her as a mother who would support her son no matter what he did (as long as it was legal)

37. I was intrigued that at no time in the book was Alex "labelled" (autistic or aspergers for example). Thoughts?

I actually never even considered this. I guess because Alex was labelled the boy who was hit by a meteorite and because everything was always blamed on the accident, no one even considered that he might be autistic or have aspergers.

38. Alex taking Mr Peterson to Cern made me laugh. In hindsight it seemed like the first time Mr P had taken an interest in Alex's "world". Do you agree?

This did seem like the first time Mr. Peterson had taken an interest in Alex’s “world”. Mr. Peterson probably wanted to get his mind off of everything and figured that entering Alex’s world would allow him to do this.

39. Did you agree with Alex's decision to not tell Mr Peterson about the media attention to his 'case'?

Alex was smart for not telling Mr. Peterson about the media attention to his “case”. Mr. Peterson already had a lot on his mind and would have worried about the repercussions of what Alex and he were doing. In fact, he might have changed his mind had he known.

40. There is a documentary by Terry Pratchett called "Choosing to Die" where Terry follows the choices of people to go to Dignitas in Switzerland to die (as he is considering doing this). The description of the "house" in this book was exactly Dignitas for me. Have you seen the documentary? Did you know these places existed?

I haven’t seen this documentary nor did I know that such a place existed. It makes sense that a place like this does exist… some people do want to end their lives and need a place to go.

41. It was a nice touch that Mr Peterson left Alex money for his education, but the bulk of his estate to Amnesty International. How did you feel about the ending? Final thoughts on the book?

Mr. Peterson did what he thought was right, and I think Alex accepted this. In fact, I don’t think Alex was expecting to get anything from Mr. Peterson’s estate and would have been happy just to receive the letter without any money. It makes sense that Mr. Peterson would leave Alex money for his education- this is one of the things Alex really wanted.

I thought this book was awesome. It was cute, funny, and even sad at times. I really enjoyed the book and am so happy I decided to join everyone in reading it.

[Valerie]

35. Alex making that road trip with Mr Peterson, being there for his suicide, and driving back with his ashes seems a lot for a 17 year old to cope with. Do you think it was unfair of Mr Peterson to put him in that situation, or was Alex mature enough to exercise his free will?

Technically Alex was the one that wanted to help him with the suicide, so I don't think Mr. Peterson was forcing him to do anything at all. I do think that the burden would be difficult to cope with, but Alex is/was strong enough to pull through.

36. I really felt for Alex's mother when he made the phone call. And I loved the scene with her at the police station. Did your opinion of her change from the start of the book?

During that scene, my opinion of her completely changed. Instead of not believing him at all, she completely agreed with his decision. Like wow, I wasn't expecting that at all.

37. I was intrigued that at no time in the book was Alex "labelled" (autistic or aspergers for example). Thoughts?

I'm actually really happy about this because labels don't do anyone any good. I think the author was trying to say something along the lines of "who cares if he's autistic/has aspergers/has mental problems because he's an amazing and smart person and you shouldn't judge him because of his 'condition'" (which technically I don't even think he has one).

38. Alex taking Mr Peterson to Cern made me laugh. In hindsight it seemed like the first time Mr P had taken an interest in Alex's "world". Do you agree?

I do agree. I think Mr. Peterson did this so that he could make Alex happy, especially by asking questions. I think he was trying to make up for the fact that he was going to commit suicide, and he didn't want to leave the world without making the person he cares about happy.

39. Did you agree with Alex's decision to not tell Mr Peterson about the media attention to his 'case'?

I do agree with his decision, because Alex doesn't want Mr. Peterson being involved in his problems. He just wants Mr. P to die in peace, just like planned.

40. There is a documentary by Terry Pratchett called "Choosing to Die" where Terry follows the choices of people to go to Dignitas in Switzerland to die (as he is considering doing this). The description of the "house" in this book was exactly Dignitas for me. Have you seen the documentary? Did you know these places existed?

I have no idea these places existed, nor have I seen the documentary, but I think that's a good thing. It's nice to see a place where people like Mr. Peterson and Terry can go to die safely and peacefully.

41. It was a nice touch that Mr Peterson left Alex money for his education, but the bulk of his estate to Amnesty International. How did you feel about the ending? Final thoughts on the book?

I honestly thought the ending was going to be horrible, but I was wrong. I think the book was tied up nicely in the end. Sure at some times it was jumpy, sad, frustrating (to see Alex in all these bad situations), but then in the end it was a kind of happy, melancholic feeling. Everything is ok, even though Mr. Peterson is gone.

Overall, I really like the topics and themes of the book. It's not anything like I've read before, so it was very different.

3.5/5 stars

[Karen ⊰✿, Fiction Aficionado]

@Valerie

30. Yes I suppose you are right ;)

31. I felt the same - it didn't flow very well

34. I hadn't thought of the suicide angle as you did, but I guess that it an important topic with so much youth suicide in our society

36. Yes, I think that showed that Alex had underestimated her earlier

37. It is refreshing :)

40. It was a pretty confronting documentary, and fascinating at the same time

41. I'm lad you enjoyed it in the end. Thanks for joining us :)

---------------

@Clare

16. He is one of those gruff but lovely types!

17. Yes, it does feel that way, but I guess it is reflective of life sometimes


-----------------

@Kelly

26. true

27. yes, I must re-read that bit

--------------------

@Tanya

30. yes, it was so her

32. I felt so bad for his mum

35. He is mature, but also naive with certain things still

36. same here

37. true

39. I think he may have too. It was a very selfless act of Alex's

I'm glad you enjoyed the book, thanks for joining us :)

------------------

[Kelly]

Comments and questions
Chapters 18-20

30. What did you think of the description of Ellie's apartment? She said Alex is like a "brother" to her, but then kisses him. Will we get some romance in this story after all?
There's a lot of stories where people grow up together as "siblings" and then fall in love later. This however I feel is more of a she was trying to distance herself before and now realizes that she likes him.

31. The writer introduces more satire by explaining the media/society's reaction to Alex's story. questioning the relationship he had with Mr Peterson, referring to the "Death Tapes", branding Alex a sociopath... Comments?
I think media tends to be nuts these days. There's stories about media vigilante justice for real stupid things like people not picking up after their dogs which while not good doesn't mean the person needs their life ruined. It feels like now-a-days people tend to make judgements based on whatever they've happened to hear without knowing all the facts involved and then act like experts when talking about it. I've always found this to be strange.

32. Do you think Alex should have told his mum (or anyone) about the pact he made with Mr Peterson?
He probably should have but he was almost 18 so.... (though brain doesn't finish development til 21/22ish so 18 is an arbitrary number anyway). I imagine that he would have gotten talked out of it if he told someone or they would have gotten in trouble in the aftermath.

33. Alex sees the pact as his "final act of friendship" with Mr Peterson. I worry about how this will affect him ; watching his only friend die. Thoughts?
In a lot of ways I don't think it's different from having to put a pet down, which is what they had earlier in the book. I've been in favor of allowing assisted suicide in terminal cases for a long time, I think it's cruel to make people wallow in suffering when there's no chance of getting better and nothing left for them. (If they can't talk, or move, or interact then you're clearly not keeping them alive for themself.)

34. The escape from the hospital was pretty intense. This book is asking a lot from it's readers with some very adult concepts. Do you think it is important for YA fiction to explore these types of themes?
I think a lot of YA books explore the adult themes because that's when kids are trying to figure out how to move from childhood into the adult world and they tend to worry about a lot of those topics.

[Kelly]

Comments and questions
Chapters 21-end

35. Alex making that road trip with Mr Peterson, being there for his suicide, and driving back with his ashes seems a lot for a 17 year old to cope with. Do you think it was unfair of Mr Peterson to put him in that situation, or was Alex mature enough to exercise his free will?
I think it would have been unfair if Mr. Peterson had suggested it in the first place but Alex was the one who brought it up and Mr. Peterson knew him well enough to know what type of person he was and that this would help instead of hurt him.

36. I really felt for Alex's mother when he made the phone call. And I loved the scene with her at the police station. Did your opinion of her change from the start of the book?
I thought she kicked butt in the police station. Thinking back on it I expected her to be a bit more talkative on the phone after seeing how she handled herself in the station.

37. I was intrigued that at no time in the book was Alex "labelled" (autistic or aspergers for example). Thoughts?
Those are all conditions that you're "born" with. Plus the book takes place in the UK. I'm not sure if they're as label happy as they are in the US.

38. Alex taking Mr Peterson to Cern made me laugh. In hindsight it seemed like the first time Mr P had taken an interest in Alex's "world". Do you agree?
I think he might have little bits before, but he seemed to open up a lot more at the end. Or maybe Alex learned how to talk to him in a way that made sense.

39. Did you agree with Alex's decision to not tell Mr Peterson about the media attention to his 'case'?
I agree. If it wouldn't change what you'd do then why make someone's last day miserable. The whole point was to make it peaceful.

40. There is a documentary by Terry Pratchett called "Choosing to Die" where Terry follows the choices of people to go to Dignitas in Switzerland to die (as he is considering doing this). The description of the "house" in this book was exactly Dignitas for me. Have you seen the documentary? Did you know these places existed?
I haven't seen it but I knew the places existed. They seem like a nice thing for people with nasty terminal illnesses.

41. It was a nice touch that Mr Peterson left Alex money for his education, but the bulk of his estate to Amnesty International. How did you feel about the ending? Final thoughts on the book?
It seemed nice since he had no family. I liked the ending quite a bit though it left stuff open like Ellie and such. I liked the book a lot more than I expected.

[Karen ⊰✿, Fiction Aficionado]

@Kelly

30. Yes, Im a bit sick of that storyline in books at the moment!

33. The author did forshadow this with Kurt's death which was preparing Alex and the reader I suppose

36. she was awesome. I was very impressed

37. I think we're all label happy these days!

41. Good. Thanks for joining the read with us :)

[Clare]

20. Alex has an argument with his mother because he feels no remorse. Did you take a side?

I find I'm always taking Alex's in this book because he is always the victim!

21. I loved that Mr Peterson wrote to Alex and sent him the book. What did you think of his reasons for forgiving Alex?

That was really lovely. I thought it was true that it was just a book but I'm not sure I could be so forgiving

22. Mr Peterson remains "calm and focused" when Kurt is hurt and I liked how he explained to Alex why they were putting Kurt down. Thoughts on his character and these scenes?

We had a similar situation with our cat when our children were small. It is a good way to explain about death. The more you explain the more they understand and don't seem to scared about it anymore. I loved this bit and thought it was great how Alex was left to dig the hole himself. Very sensitive.

23. The "Secular Church of Kurt Vonnegut"! What a great idea to get together a book club. Were you surprised that people joined it? That Mr Peterson agreed to this?

I was surprised how many people joined it but this is a great way of Alex doing something positive and people being positive with him.

24. What do you think of Ellie? Will her character play a bigger role in Alex's life soon?

I kinda like Ellie as she seems a real free spirit. I hope she plays a bigger role in his life but in the last couple if chapters she seems to have disappeared.

[Karen ⊰✿, Fiction Aficionado]

@Clare

20. yes, well it is his POV so I guess he makes himself sound that way haha

21. I thought it was lovely too. I think he needed Alex's friendship just as much as Alex needed him

22. I agree

24. She does come and go in the book. I quite like her too

[Anima]

Sorry for the delay with my last entry on this book. I finished reading a few days ago and jumped to some other reads.

I was very impressed with Alex and his brave decision to take Mr Peterson to the clinic. I wasn't surprised that such places existed as I came across a similar problem and a similar place in ME BEFORE YOU by JOJO MOYES, but I was definitely surprised that such a young person as Alex was able to deal with stress and death of a closest friend so bravely and with such an inner stregth. I think he was extremely mature as for his age, but this attitude showed throughout the whole story (organising a book club was also very mature behaviour), so I believe his decision to help Mr P was conscious.

I was angry with Alex only for his attitude towards his mother. As it turned out at the police station, she was highly understanding and reasonably protective, so I believe Alex could trust her earlier.

It struck me several times that Alex behaved similar to Aspergers, but as he was after the accident with meteorite, it is difficult to find clear reasons for his behaviour, some of his actions were due to epilepsy and constant meditation, so he perhaps seemed to be more distant and less emotional than he could have been in different circumstances.

I loved the last part of the story, it was an ultimate praise for Alex attitude towards life, wiht Mr P leaving him money for education.

Overall, I really liked the story, it was full of passion, gripping, touching, although in some parts to elaborate in scientific explanations LOL. I also love language, neat, sometimes sophisticated and very elegant.

[Karen ⊰✿, Fiction Aficionado]

Nice wrap up Anima. I'm glad you enjoyed it overall and thanks for joining the read :)

[Anima]

Thank you, Karen, it was a really nice discussion, and Alex's story is definitely one to have discussion about :), thanks for moderating it!

[Clare]

25. It has been five years and Alex now feels ready to donate his meteorite. Did you agree with his decision? Have you been to the London National History Museum?

I think he did the right thing. He seems ready to move on. The meteorite was part of his identity but now he seems to have the confidence to be more than that. I love the Natural History museum. We took our children there a few months ago. Charlie, our 6 year old, loved the dinosaurs.

26. The car accident and Mr Peterson's diagnosis felt sudden to me, which is strange as we know from the start of the book that he is going to die. I understood Alex's denial of the situation. Thoughts?

I suppose there had to be a reason why his ashes were in Alex's car but yes, it did feel sudden. This was clever really because it was sudden for Alex so I guess we felt the same as him.

27. Despite most of this section being pretty sad, I like the humour is still peppered through (like Lucy with the next litter of cats!). Are there any humorous parts of the book, or quotes, so far that have stuck out to you?

I think Alex's mum is funny. She is so odd and I can picture her in the shop.

28. How awful that Alex was the one to discover Mr Peterson. Were you surprised? How did you feel about Alex hiding his DNR note and calling the hospital?

I guess I was waiting for him to try something. I think it's probably a natural reaction when you hear news like that. It was awful that Alex found him. Part of me thinks Alex was wrong hiding the note as that was obviously his wish but that's easy to say isn't it?

29. Ellie seems to be more of a friend to Alex than he realises. Is it possible she is also right about his mother and that he is just seeing things in a different way than what his mother intends?

Ellie is lovely. I like her. I think she likes Alex and she seems quite protective of him. I think she is right about his mother. Sometimes it is easier to see things from the outside.

[Clare]

QUESTIONS FOR CH 18-20


30. What did you think of the description of Ellie's apartment? She said Alex is like a "brother" to her, but then kisses him. Will we get some romance in this story after all?

Hope so, I like Ellie and Alex deserves it

31. The writer introduces more satire by explaining the media/society's reaction to Alex's story. questioning the relationship he had with Mr Peterson, referring to the "Death Tapes", branding Alex a sociopath... Comments?

I think it's a reflection of the world we live in, everyone wants to sensationalise everything

32. Do you think Alex should have told his mum (or anyone) about the pact he made with Mr Peterson?

Yes, I think he underestimates his mum's reaction

33. Alex sees the pact as his "final act of friendship" with Mr Peterson. I worry about how this will affect him ; watching his only friend die. Thoughts?

He is still quite young to cope with this. I have watched a death at dignitas in Switzerland that was filmed and that really affected me - what would it be like if you knew the person?

34. The escape from the hospital was pretty intense. This book is asking a lot from it's readers with some very adult concepts. Do you think it is important for YA fiction to explore these types of themes?

YA seem to explore these themes a lot more than adult fiction. It is important but I wish more adult fiction did it too.

[Karen ⊰✿, Fiction Aficionado]

@Clare

25. Oh the dinosaurs are awesome!

26. true

28. yes I think in the situation many of us may have done the same

30. I like her too :)

33. Same here. That documentary still has me thinking and I can still picture the man that they showed who took his own life. It really stays with you

34. Some adult fiction is a bit wanting! I can recommend The Orphan Master's Son if you want a book that is amazingly written, but also makes you really think about the world

[Andreea]

Comments and Questions
Chapters 4-8
11. I found the description of Robert Asquith and how he came about to create the Asquith Academy a nice piece of satire. There seem to be many themes emerging in this book. Does it feel like a YA book to you so far?
No, not really. So far I don't have much experience with YA and I don't know exactly which books go there and which don't. This one reminds me of Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close and The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time.

13. Alex being chased down by those three awful bullies was uncomfortable reading! I was glad when he hid in the shed. He has penance with Mr Peterson, which is where that part of the story shall begin, but what of the bullies? Will they just come after him again?
I hate bullies, but I quite like Mr. Peterson so it was a nice thing in the end?

14. Thoughts on Mr Peterson so far? Does it affect your enjoyment of the novel knowing that he will end up in an urn by the end of the book?
I like him... but I am also further in the book so it might influence my opinion now. I don't really remember my first impression of him other than he was wierd, old and funny. I find it sad.

[Andreea]

Comments and Questions
Chapters 9-11

15. I have read reviews of this book where people compare the writing style to that of Kurt Vonnegut, whose works also play a large part in this section of the book. Have you read any of his books?
Unfortunately, no...

16. The "special letter writing club" that Mr Peterson belongs to is Amnesty International! I quite liked the statement "But sometimes people have homes and possessions you don't expect, and hobbies you can't even imagine". Thoughts?
I loved that quote too.

17. When Mr Peterson gave Alex the book with his wife's inscription I thought that was a lovely gesture. I was absolutely heartbroken with what happened next. How will Alex be able to explain himself properly so they become friends again?
I kinda expected something like that to happen, but I was really sad anyway.

18. The interrogation at school about the "bus incident" made me laugh, but also squirm. It is so frustrating that Alex's teachers and mother don't seem to understand he is being bullied. Do you think it is realistic that no-one suspects what is happening?
Yes, I think it's really realistic. Bullies aren't that easy to recognize if you aren't the one bullied.

19. We're about 40% through the book. What are your thoughts on it so far? Enjoying/ambivalent/giving up?
I really like it. I am not sure how it would end.

[Andreea]

Comments and questions
Chapters 12-14
21. I loved that Mr Peterson wrote to Alex and sent him the book. What did you think of his reasons for forgiving Alex?
Me too! I just love Mr. Peterson and he was really kind and mature to realize that material objects, no matter how dear to us, aren't as necessary as a friend.

23. The "Secular Church of Kurt Vonnegut"! What a great idea to get together a book club. Were you surprised that people joined it? That Mr Peterson agreed to this?
I was surprised that so many people joined. I like how Alex is so relaxed around adults and how he goes for the things he believes in.

[Clare]

Comments and questions
Chapters 21-end

35. Alex making that road trip with Mr Peterson, being there for his suicide, and driving back with his ashes seems a lot for a 17 year old to cope with. Do you think it was unfair of Mr Peterson to put him in that situation, or was Alex mature enough to exercise his free will?

I can understand why he would want someone to help him but it was asking an awful lot of a 17 year old. Not just the road trip but the experience when they got to Switzerland. I know that seeing someone die is something you never forget, from my own experience, but to be in that sort if circumstance must be really tough.

36. I really felt for Alex's mother when he made the phone call. And I loved the scene with her at the police station. Did your opinion of her change from the start of the book?

I loved his mum. I was actually quite surprised at her reaction, she was really supportive. My opinion of her changed dramatically.

37. I was intrigued that at no time in the book was Alex "labelled" (autistic or aspergers for example). Thoughts?

Hmm. I guess he was picked out by his peers as being odd but that was about it.

38. Alex taking Mr Peterson to Cern made me laugh. In hindsight it seemed like the first time Mr P had taken an interest in Alex's "world". Do you agree?

Yes. I hadn't thought of it that way, an odd choice for a last visit to somewhere

39. Did you agree with Alex's decision to not tell Mr Peterson about the media attention to his 'case'?

Yes, I would have done the same. There was no point giving him anything to worry about

40. There is a documentary by Terry Pratchett called "Choosing to Die" where Terry follows the choices of people to go to Dignitas in Switzerland to die (as he is considering doing this). The description of the "house" in this book was exactly Dignitas for me. Have you seen the documentary? Did you know these places existed?

I haven't seen that documentary but there is a good film on youtube where you can watch someone at dignitas all the way through. It's very upsetting but also you can't help thinking it is the right thing to do.

41. It was a nice touch that Mr Peterson left Alex money for his education, but the bulk of his estate to Amnesty International. How did you feel about the ending? Final thoughts on the book?

I cried buckets at the end. My husband was sitting near me and as he is not a book person he couldn't believe that a good could give you those emotions. Brilliant book. Not sure I would recommend it, or at least I would be careful who I would recommend it to.

Thank you so much for doing all the questions Karen!

[Karen ⊰✿, Fiction Aficionado]

@Andreea

11. ah yes, I see what you mean

14. I like him too, but you're right he is a bit weird old and funny ;)

18. You may be right unfortunately

21. :)

23. Yes, he is very much "take me as I am"

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@Clare

35. I agree

36. Same here. She was great

38. I guess it was his homage to Alex

41. Oh I'm so glad you enjoyed it. I love books that make us think and give an emotional response. Thanks for joining the read!