Once Upon a Twilight!: Dutton Children's

The Alex Crow
Author: Andrew Smith
Reading Level: Young Adult
Genre: Science Fiction
Released: March 3rd 2015
Review Source: Dutton Children's

Once again blending multiple story strands that transcend time and place, Grasshopper Jungle author Andrew Smith tells the story of 15-year-old Ariel, a refugee from the Middle East who is the sole survivor of an attack on his small village. Now living with an adoptive family in Sunday, West Virginia, Ariel's story of his summer at a boys' camp for tech detox is juxtaposed against those of a schizophrenic bomber and the diaries of a failed arctic expedition from the late nineteenth century. Oh, and there’s also a depressed bionic reincarnated crow.

Andrew Smith is one heck of an astonishing author. He writes one book and another, yet you think there are written by completely different people. His writing is so unique that you always wonder how he does it.

What fascinates me the most about The Alex Crow is how confused one can be while reading. It messes with the reader’s mind. It challenges one to keep up. I for once had to re-read certain parts to comprehend what was going on. I wondered how he would tied up the three stories into one, leaving no space for theories.

The story is about Ariel, a fifteen year-old refugee boy who can't seem to find his place in the world. He goes through many tough situations only to find his way be reborn into a new life. He is taken to the U.S. where he meets his new family and his new brother Max. To be honest, that is where everything burst only to collide into one.

I must admit The Alex Crow is a Weird YA novel, as weird as Grasshopper Jungle. Yet as a reader, one should embrace these type of novels. One should read them, challenge our minds and be rewards with such creativity.

I do recommend this story to everyone. Andrew may give you hell to figure out the ending but it will be worth the struggles. Go read it! Challenge yourself.