Neanderthal Opens the Door to the Universe by Preston Norton

 

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Norton, Preston. 2018. NEANDERTHAL OPENS THE DOOR TO THE UNIVERSE. New York: Hyperion Publishing Group.  ISBN: 9781484790625

PLOT SUMMARY

Cliff Hubbard, a 16-year-old, is known as an outsider, someone who doesn’t fit in. Others at his high school pick on him and call him “Neanderthal” due to his size, an enormous six foot six inches and 250 pounds. He comes from a not-so-wonderful home life where he lives in a trailer park with his alcoholic father after his brother committed suicide. The one who picks on Cliff the most is the quarterback football star Aaron, that is until he has a near-death experience and comes back from a coma with a new look on life. Aaron believes that God gave him a list of things to do to help others at the high school. He convinces Cliff to work with him to help heal their school and students going through things at their high school. Cliff finally begins to feel like he fits in and has a friend since his brother’s death.

CRITICAL ANALYSIS

Norton writes this book in the first-person point of view from the main character’s perspective. Since Norton does this, we are able to see, feel, and understand how Cliff goes about his day. He is a reserved and quiet person since his brother's death. Norton shows real-life experiences by using humor and unforgettable characters. He brings in characters that we all have witnessed at high schools across the country such as the druggies, the nerds, the gays, the Christians, and of course the struggling teachers. These are all characters that we can relate to.

There are multiple hot topics and themes found throughout the entire book. Some of those major topics include family struggles, bullying, fitting in with others, suicide, near-death experiences, spirituality, struggling within one's self, and healing from trauma. He covers these topics and themes by using a variety of his characters. 

Personally, this book should be available for all teens and young adults. It does a fantastic job showing how Cliff overcame being bullied and getting through the trauma of his brother’s suicide. This is a great quick read for anyone who feels like an outsider or trying to find out where they fit in when they think they don’t meet the criteria for a particular group. This book had me going from crying to laughing at a page turn, great job on the use of humor and drama to bring out the emotions.

REVIEW EXCERPTS / AWARDS

Booklist (May 1, 2018)

At six feet six and 250 pounds, a self-hating 16-year-old Cliff is cruelly called “Neanderthal” by a boy named Aaron. When Aaron is injured in an accident, he goes into a coma from which he awakens to claim he has seen God, who has given him a list of five things he must do to improve life at Happy Valley High School. The kicker is that he must do them in concert with a highly dubious Cliff, who reluctantly goes along and slowly becomes Aaron’s friend. There is much more going on in the crowded but compelling narrative. Ambitious almost to a fault, the book nevertheless cogently explores large issues that plague and perplex teens. Though occasionally it suffers from hints of contrivance, overall the novel will appeal to all teens who are, themselves, seeking doors to the universe.

Kirkus Reviews (April 15, 2018)

All the tropes of YA fiction—suicide, depression, drug abuse, bullying, problems of race, class, and gender, high school cliques, and their ensuing drama—are exploited in this mildly entertaining novel. Sixteen-year-old Cliff is a basically likable teen, but with a passive mother, alcoholic father, and dead brother, he has issues to work through, not least of which is his size. At 6 feet 6 inches tall and 250 pounds, he’s earned the unwelcome nickname “Neanderthal.” When Aaron, one of Cliff's tormentors, returns to Happy Valley High School following a coma-induced change of heart, he insists that God has given him a list of tasks that he and Cliff must complete together. The boys' rapid change from animosity to friendship as they work on the list is convenient but unlikely. The romantic threads in the story are equally unrealistic, serving mostly as a way to introduce sexual fantasy into the narrative. All this is revealed in first-person narration and expletive-laced dialogue. Too much happens, too quickly to these stereotypical characters: jocks, stoners, computer nerds, airhead girls, and Jesus teens. Teens who enjoy snarky commentary on high school life may be satisfied with these shortcuts, but Norton doesn't open any new doors to the high school universe.

Publishers Weekly (March 12, 2018)

At the story's core is an unsentimental treatment of a bullied kid and his one-time bully discovering their commonalities. That Norton accomplishes this without moralizing and in inventively rhythmic and pop-culture-saturated language only adds to the fun. 

School Library Journal (May 1, 2018)

There's character development aplenty in this novel about what it takes to make the world a better place. While the debate about the reality of God is never resolved, there might just be a little divine intervention as the boys affect changes that make life better at sucky Happy Valley High School. Cliff is a wry, self-deprecating narrator whose spot-on observations about the "loser" side of high school life are frequently laugh-out-loud. Funny, well-plotted, and sneakily thought-provoking, the only off-note here is the overabundance of expletives that, while evidently being offered to show how teens really talk, actually slow the story down. Still, fans of humorous realistic fiction will find a lot to enjoy in Norton's first foray into the genre. VERDICT A strong purchase for all libraries serving older teens.

Awards: 

• Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books, 05/01/18

• Voice of Youth Advocates (VOYA), 06/01/18

CONNECTIONS

Other books by Preston Norton:

• Norton, P. WHERE I END, AND YOU BEGIN. ISBN 9781484798355

• Norton, P. HOPEPUNK. ISBN 9781368057851

In the classroom:

• Social Studies - For a high school setting, this would be great to do a comparison/contrast activity on how their own school relates to the one discussed in the story, how are the cliques broken up, are they the same at your current school?

• ELAR - This novel would be an asset for a novel study with the whole class then breaking apart for written responses about the topics or themes found in the story.