The Alex Crow by Andrew Smith
Reviewed by: Carey Gibbons, Reference Assistant
Genre: Young Adult, Science Fiction
Suggested Age: Teens, Adults
What is the book about?: This story is told from the perspective of Ariel, a 15 year old Middle Eastern refugee who has been adopted by the Burgess family and relocated to Sunday, West Virginia. This is the story of how Ariel survived the massacre of his village. This is the story of Ariel and his adopted brother Max surviving their summer at the Merrie-Seymour Camp for Boys. This is also the story Leonard Fountain, a radioactive schizophrenic known as the Melting Man. And it is the story of a failed Arctic expedition in the 1880s. Smith ties all of these narratives together into an amazingly weird shared story that shows how people are interconnected through time and space.
My Review: I enjoyed this book a lot. Smith has a distinct talent for the weird. The book is labeled as science fiction but it is only tangentially so. Ariel’s new father works for the top secret Alex Division of his lab and his new family has a resurrected from the dead and also suicidal pet crow. Named Alex. The doomed Arctic vessel, named the Alex Crow, finds supernatural horrors buried in the ice. The Melting Man has a close relationship with Joseph Stalin and may or may not be the victim of spying by invisible drones. The novel is sprinkled throughout with bits of weirdness, but it is ultimately a story of survival and also the idea of thriving instead of merely surviving. Ariel, Max, and Cobie are endearing and honest characters. I really do love how weird Smith’s books are and the way he connects stories that don’t seem to have anything in common.
Rating: 5/5
About FDL Reads
Welcome to FDL Reads, weekly book reviews from Fondulac District Library. Librarians (and possibly some other guest reviewers) review all types of books, from children’s picture books, young adult favorites, to the latest adult thriller, and share their thoughts each week at fondulaclibrary.org. If the book is owned by Fondulac District Library (or another local library), you’ll see a direct link to the catalog entry and whether or not it is available. If it is checked out or at another local library, you will be able to place a hold as long as you have your library card and PIN numbers. As with any book review, these are our opinions…we disagree amongst ourselves about books frequently. We all have different likes and dislikes, which is what makes the world an interesting place. Please enjoy, and keep on reading!