Neanderthal Opens the Door to the Universe - Preston Norton

[goodreads]

Title: Neanderthal Opens the Door to the Universe
Author: Preston Norton
Genre: YA, arc
Rating: 4/5
# pages: 400
Date read: October, 2017

Cliff Hubbard is a huge loser. Literally. His nickname at Happy Valley High School is Neanderthal because he's so enormous-6'6" and 250 pounds to be exact. He has no one at school and life in his trailer park home has gone from bad to worse ever since his older brother's suicide.

There's no one Cliff hates more than the nauseatingly cool quarterback, Aaron Zimmerman. Then Aaron returns to school after a near-death experience with a bizarre claim: while he was unconscious he saw God, who gave him a list of things to do to make Happy Valley High suck less. And God said there's only one person who can help: Neanderthal.

To his own surprise, Cliff says he's in. As he and Aaron make their way through the List, which involves a vindictive English teacher, a mysterious computer hacker, a decidedly unchristian cult of Jesus Teens, the local drug dealers, and the meanest bully at HVHS--Cliff feels like he's part of something for the first time since losing his brother. But fixing a broken school isn't as simple as it seems, and just when Cliff thinks they've completed the List, he realizes their mission hits closer to home than he ever imagined.


A bit slow to start, but once it took off (basically after Aaron and Cliff became friends) it did so with a vengeance, and I couldn't put it down. I found it relatable, moving and very poignant. I loved the idea of a popular kid and an outcast getting together to work for the school to be a better place. I also liked the fact that they made mistakes. It didn't always work - sometimes they even made it worse - but even their efforts made a difference, and got other kids on board. It was very satisfying to see Cliff grow from being "Neanderthal" to being "Cliff".