Lovereading Reader reviews of Ostrich by Matt Greene

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1 Lovereading Reader reviews of Ostrich by Matt Greene Below are the complete reviews, written by Lovereading members. William Alexander Ostrich is poignant, endearing and comedic. It s a mixture of despair and light-heartedness concocted so well that you can t help but fall in love with Matt Greene s first novel. Ostrich s protagonist, Alex, is a character that could stand alongside the Adrian Mole s and John Spud Milton s of the fiction world. His outtake on life feels both original and familiar. Alex has an illness affecting his brain which causes his health to deteriorate. This is an ongoing issue that occurs throughout the book and adds a layer of depth and complexity to the story. Everyone around Alex seems to be aware of the difficulties he faces except for him. He moves courageously through life, unaffected and observing it through the eyes of an intelligent, yet naïve, teenager. His outlook is both absurd and accurate. From analysing the subtle undertones and real cinematic meaning of a pornography film to being obsessed with tautologies, every page contains something new. There isn t a boring moment in Ostrich. You ll finish it too quickly and laugh too much. Alex s friends and family are all strong, well-developed characters. Everything about the book is well thought out. There isn t a pointless paragraph and Greene has the ability to slot every incremental piece of information in the book into a perfect jigsaw. This book will make you laugh, it will make you despair and it will leave you stunned. Follow William on

2 Linda Hill Matt Green knows exactly what it is like to be a boy stuck between childhood and adulthood and he also knows exactly how to convey that world to any reader. As well as the usual confusions and anxieties of an adolescent boy Alex has a brain tumour, a strangely behaving hamster and a (sort of) girl friend who fuels his suspicion that his parents' marriage is breaking up. What he doesn't fully understand is that it is not their marriage in danger, but his parents' entire sanity as they face his illness. Matt Greene constructs his first person narrative with great skill, maximising parenthesis to humorous effect so that the reader fully understands the workings of Alex's mind. The sophisticated grammatical and scientific references are tempered by often Alex's naive and offbeat personality such as his attempts to Google Donkey Oaty. However, although I enjoyed 'Ostrich', for me it didn't quite gel. I found the style a little too contrived and it wasn't until I read Alex's English composition exam that I felt true empathy for the characters. I think this is a book that would benefit from a second reading to really attune to Greene's narrative style and appreciate it fully. Michelle Hemmingway Written with humour and intelligence from the point of view of a teenage boy, Ostrich is an emotive and original read. Narrated by Alex who is in recovery from brain surgery; he notices strange changes in the behaviour of people around him. He assumes that his parents' marriage is in trouble and tries to save it, all whilst revising for some pretty important exams. I must confess that it took a little while for the book to grow on me. At first I found the style of prose to be too self-consciously clever and I found that so irritating. It really got in the way of empathising with the characters. However, once I got used to the writing I did really enjoy the story. Alex was in many ways so clever but in others so naive and that really made you feel for his predicament. I loved reading about his internet searches; very funny and very human. His burgeoning relationship with Chloe was touching in a delightfully awkward way that I think any adult could relate too. What the author did so well was to write a really uplifting book about adolescence but one that is at the same time quite sad and moving. My heart broke a little bit for Alex's mother and all she had to cope with.

3 In the end I felt this book was a celebration of Alex's life and his own eccentricities and that made for a really tender and honest read that I would recommend. Hannah Glenton Overall this book was disappointing; it didn't live up to the books (such as 'The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time') that it had been likened to. On the cover of the book there is a quote from Maria Semple; I dare you not to laugh, cry and fall utterly in love, and unfortunately I succeeded as I did none of those things whilst reading this book. The beginning of the book drew me in and I enjoyed it until flurries of brackets started appearing all over the page- I realised that this was the author s way of showing the thought process of Alex and although it was effective in showing how he goes off on tangents, I found it to make quite a repetitive and sometimes confusing layout. I think that the concept of the story is imaginative and sometimes witty; however I have read similar books (such as The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time) that proved to be a lot more enjoyable to read. Nicola Foster I so wanted to love this novel. On the face of it, the signs were promising: its gorgeously quirky cover, the interesting-sounding premise plus the enviable comparisons to Mark Haddon and John Green s work. Alex is twelve and there s a lot of confusion in his life. Not only does he have a brain tumour and epilepsy but his dad may (or may not) be having an affair and Jaws 2 (his hamster) has been behaving strangely lately. Alex has the option of either burying his head in the sand or facing his dilemmas full on... Why didn t I enjoy Ostrich? Indeed the ingredients were there to make this an engaging, entertaining read with its elements of humour, mystery and drama. Its narrative structure was confusing and overshadowed any wit and drama within the plot. Told solely from Alex s perspective, it became a rambling stream of his thoughts, so heavily laden with parentheses that it grew distracting. It wasn t particularly linear and I found it hard to follow, not maintaining any interest in the storyline as a consequence. Telling events purely from Alex s point of view also didn t allow for very in-depth development and insight into the lives and personalities of the secondary characters- none of whom I connected with.

4 Unfortunately, I was actually unable to finish this book, which is something I don t often experience and it left me feeling pretty disappointed-and bored- as a whole. I m sure a lot of people out there will love it, but regrettably I wasn t one of them. You can follow Nicola s blog at Nicola Crisp This book is an entertaining insight into the mind of a 12-year old boy. The majority of the book is told from his point of view, almost like a stream of consciousness. Alex is bright, funny and a little arrogant - he likes using clever words (not always correctly) and he likes to explain them (using lots of brackets!). With the help of an unlikely friend, he tries to find out why his parents and his hamster are behaving oddly! The full review was: As this story is mostly told from the main character's point of view, you have to work out who he is and what is wrong with him from his general chatter, so you learn about him quite slowly. But this just makes the story more intriguing. Don't be fooled into thinking this is a book for teenagers though, as the themes become more adult later on. Along the way he makes entertaining faux pas, one of which gives us the title of the book, and if you are not careful you will start using them too, they seem so reasonable. In the end you will be just as curious as he is to solve the mysteries, although you may be surprised at his methods. I did find the ending a little confusing, but maybe I shouldn't have been reading it quite so late at night. On the whole, Ostrich is an interesting and amusing exploration of the relationship between a child and his parents in that awkward stage approaching teenager-hood, from the child's viewpoint. Is this really how pre-teens see the world? Elisabeth Thomas Alex is 12 years old. After suffering from seizures, he under goes brain surgery to try to stop them but on his release from hospital, nothing seems to be quite right. His parents are acting strangely and something which is more puzzling is that his hamster, Jaws 2, doesn t seem to be acting quite right. He decides, with the help of his first girl friend (not girlfriend!), to set about investigating.

5 This is most definitely an adult book as I was disappointed by the graphic descriptions of pornography in it yes it was about a 12 year old boy discovering life but I am not sure that a 12 year old boy would be so knowledgeable. I am no prude and consider myself open minded but the descriptions of pornography did shock me. The book started off very well and was very funny (I was laughing out loud by page two) to start off with, however the book seemed to lose its way and I really struggled with it and have to admit that I did skim the last few chapters just to finish it something I never normally do. I had thought that it was going to be as good as The Curious Incident of the dog in the night time but it wasn t. I am sure that some people with love it but I just did not. Sam Sabbarton-Wright Ostrich is a delight! A funny, light-hearted and yet moving insight into Alex s life as he struggles with growing up, the effects of a brain tumour and the strange behaviour of those around him. Alex is a normal 12-year-old boy apart from the fact he has a brain tumour. This adds to his feelings of not fitting in with his classmates or as he puts it, he feels ostrichised. After his surgery, things change for Alex but not in the way he expected. Everyone is acting strangely, from his parents to his beloved hamster Jaws 2. With the help of his kind- of- girlfriend Chloe, Alex tries to make sense of what is happening around him. They think they have it figured out but as time goes on he becomes less certain of this. Although, Greene s style of writing took a while to get used to, I was gripped from the first page. I really liked the way you are given a window into all of Alex s thoughts, including his ramblings as it makes him more likable and believable as a character. He is intelligent, honest and sweet and as you watch him navigate his way through the already confusing process of growing up, you become attached to him. You also feel sorry for him, as he seems completely unaware of the true implications of his illness. I laughed; I cried and was surprised by the ending even when I thought I couldn t be. Overall, a good read but be prepared for the unusual writing style. Would definitely recommend it! Sarah Harper Ostrich by Matt Greene initially struck me as a Secret Diary of Adrian Mole for the hash tag generation; however this book soon reveals itself as so much more than your

6 standard coming of age novel. As Alex narrates his own story we get to feel his teenage angst and experience his life first hand. He is observant and acutely honest. Quirky and hilariously funny, Alex is a real character who immediately comes to life for the reader. The book left me feeling like I had met him and spent time with him, as if he had been a part of my life and to enable readers to form such a strong bond with a character is an exceptional achievement. Taking you on a roller-coaster of emotion, Ostrich is witty, insightful, poignant, funny and terribly sad. It is so refreshing to be completely surprised by a story and Ostrich achieves this effortlessly. An outstanding debut which you must read. Phylippa Smithson This was one of the most addictive, page-turner and engaging books I have ever read until the end! Matt Greene created such a likeable character in 12 year old Alex, son and only child to Judy and Joseph that the reader truly embraced his world. The pace, humour and charm of the delivery left me truly planning my day to maximise access to the story. However, as the momentum gathers to drive us to the final crescendo, the sense of disappointment was enormous. A sign of a great book but a criticism (positive) that the delivery at the end was not consistent with the pace and tone throughout the bulk of the book. The story unfolds through the eyes of Alex and is written in the first person which allows the reader to really appreciate how our hero sees the world and why he interprets situations and actions as he does. This is why it is possible to really engage with him. For all his age, Alex has sharp wit which truly appeals to the adult reader. We see life as a 12 year old going on 42 year old as he introduces the reader to a plot that covers a vast spectrum of modern day issues as they apply or are experienced by him. These range from major surgery (his brain tumour), bereavement (Jaws2), marital relationships (his parents), first love/loss of innocence (though Alex does not fully appreciate this), growing up (coping with bullying, learning how to treat others fairly, managing disappointments etc). Whilst each of the items in the range may appear to be unrelated, as we gallop to the story s conclusion many of them are very subtly drawn together. Yet I was left with a very unclear understanding of what actually occurred. I kept returning to the final page to see if a further few chapters had fallen out to help me better understand what happened. Suffice to say, I would recommend this excellent book to anyone. It s brilliant and easily match those written in the same vein e.g. Mark Haddon s The Curious Incident

7 of the Dog in the Night-time. Please note that if you take me up on my recommendation, I would love to get your interpretation of how the life of Alex, as defined in Ostrich, concludes. Or perhaps Matt is actively writing a follow up to offer me some help in interpreting the final few pages! I want to know what happened to Alex, Matt! Victoria Halliday Ostrich, by Matt Greene, is a laugh-out-loud funny book about a twelve year old called Alex. Told from Alex's point of view, on its face the novel is about Alex's attempts to save his parents' marriage. At its heart, though, the novel is about Alex himself, with clues throughout about how the story is going to conclude. Within pages, the reader is sucked into Alex's world, with the sections at his school and the back of the school bus antics particularly real (and funny). It's Alex's narrative voice though - unique, engaging and funny - that is one of the best parts of this book and is the key to making this such an unforgettable read. Sarah Bedwell A great summer read that definitely makes you laugh whilst tugging at the heartstrings. It has you looking at the world with fresh eyes. Rarely have I read a book in public and had to restrain myself from snorting with laughter - something I definitely had to do when reading "Ostrich". I was drawn in from the very first page, and despite the protagonist being a twelve year old boy, I could easily identify with his feelings of wonder, mistrust and confusion as he tried to find his place in the world after his surgery. Whilst I did not find the story to be as challenging as similar stories such as "The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime", I certainly enjoyed Alex's take on seemingly innocent situations - especially when his malapropisms gave them an entirely different context. The story moves along at a good pace, not getting bogged down in dreary details but spending time on particular moments which provide both humour and affection for the characters. At one point I thought I had predicted the ending, only to convince myself otherwise - and then be taken aback when Alex's fate was revealed through the series of letters at the end. I thoroughly recommend reading Ostrich, as it will make you reconsider what is going on around you, whatever your age.

8 Rebecca Jayne Barrett It was a pure and beautiful novel with everything you'll need to make you laugh, cry and leave you with memories of how whimsical this twelveyear-old boy was, and how wonderful his story really was. I knew right away this was something unique. Not just unique...it was one of a kind, a mesmerizing, detailed look into the complicated life of Alex. He was a character that many readers long to read about; Matt Greene gave us a deep look into the life of Alex with a witty, quirky character with a real story tell. Half way through Ostrich, I recalled that it reminded me of when I read The Perks of Being a Wallflower because of in the way Matt Greene had given us a detailed look into Alex's life in the way he told his story in a very truthful, intuitive way. It was slowly placed, and that was perfect for the genre it was set in, as to not rush the story along, and I loved that it was that way. It was downright hilarious in places that literally made me want to write all these different quotes down to write with my review, but there were so many witty one-liners that I kept picking a different favourite! Alex was just such a smart, funny and knowledgeable young boy, and that opened up my eyes to how refreshing it was to read about such an extraordinary character. He wasn't naïve and understood everything about his brain surgery and just how much his parents loved him. There was this one quote that stood out as my favourite. It's about Alex saying that he is his mother's world and she would die for him. That, is what I call truly connecting with the reader. Overall, Ostrich was a story about life's ups and downs, and how unexpected it can truly be. It was a pure and beautiful novel with everything you'll need to make you laugh, cry and leave you with memories of how whimsical this twelve-year-old boy was, and how wonderful his story really was. A true 5 star book. You can follow Rebecca s blog at or on Safiyah Afghan Ostrich is a funny, clever and captivating story of a young boy and his take on life and its issues; except he is a little different from other boys his age. He has just had brain surgery. Ostrich is a well written, mesmerising and thoroughly enjoyable coming of age book for both boys and girls. Readers will fall in love instantly with the

9 characters and the story. Sentimental and moving, witty and humorous, Ostrich is perfect for all readers. Peppered with interesting facts and witty humour Ostrich gives you the learning experience as well as being able to read an excellent book. It is a sensational book, perfect for all and wonderful to curl up with on a rainy day. Janette Skinner A fantastic, original, funny tale of a boy called Alex. He narrates a short window in his life with wit and wisdom. He is serious about grammar and his hamster. You will laugh and maybe also break your heart. It may be an overworked statement, but this is one of the best books I have read in a very long time, and I read constantly. It is an endearing tale of Alex, narrated by himself at a difficult and 'growing up' time in his life. The book is full of humour and very clever original word plays. The style feels original although it has been compared by other readers to works by Palacio and Mark Hadden. All the characters in the book are excellently portrayed and Alex himself is a boy you can t help but love. He matter-of-factly tells us that his ink eraser is made of pig urine and that calling bumper cars dogems takes all the danger and excitement out of them. He is serious about verb tenses and mnemonics like my very educated mother just showed us nine planets, and analysing porn. Alex also has a brain tumour and undergoes some surgery. The conclusion of the book is very cleverly done, there are layers of understanding and clues before the end is in sight. I had to go back and re-read some bits to fully appreciate them. It is difficult to say too much about the whole plot without spoiling the magic. I really enjoyed this book, I cared about the players, it kept my interest throughout and it has stayed with me a while. I would highly recommend it. You can follow Janette s blog at Robin Little A charming & engaging novel written from the perspective of a teenage boy with a brain tumor. Not a handbook for those dealing with ill teenagers but it does give an understanding of the difficulties.: This is a charming novel written from the faux naive perspective of a teenage boy with a brain tumor. The angst of growing up, maturing, discovering girls & worrying about exams is overlaid with the problems of a serious illness.

10 The novel although quirky & engaging does require an understanding of Schrodinger's Cat paradox and needs some mental dexterity. The book does give a fresh perspective to subject matter that could otherwise be a retread of the life of Adrian Mole. Megan Olwen Williams Ostrich is Matt Greene s impressive debut novel that is quite simply astounding. Our narrator Alex is a teenage boy that we accompany through the brain surgery he needs in order to cure his epilepsy, a journey which is difficult enough in its own right but even more so when it s accompanied by the trials and tribulations of entering adolescence. Alex notices that those around him change their behaviour towards him after his operation and Alex is determined to get to the bottom of why. Greene does such a good job of drawing us into Alex s complicated and troubled world that it s hard not to feel great affection for this teenage boy, who quickly has the ability to make us laugh out loud and yet also reduce us to tears. Greene s novel is unassuming yet brilliant, heart-warming and yet tragic, and constructed with such skill that at times I was left in awe. I m sure this is just the beginning of what will undoubtedly be a very successful literary career for Matt Greene, I look forward to seeing what comes next. Zarina de Ruiter A coming-of-age story reminiscent of 'The Fault In Our Stars' and 'The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time'. 13-year-old Alex has a brain tumour. When he returns home from the hospital after surgery he soon realises that his hamster Jaws 2 (not named after the movie sequel but the shark itself, as it's the replacement of his first hamster - Jaws) is acting peculiar. His parents pretend nothing is wrong and dodge his questions, so Alex enlists the help of a classmate to solve the mystery. Highly intelligent for his age, Alex's perception of the world is witty and intellectual and as he embarks on his investigation even adult readers can learn a lot from his narrative. And despite the subject matter the writing is humorous and the sentences are build up in a unique way to reflect how Alex views the world. While I enjoyed the investigative story and the quirkiness of the characters, ultimately my enjoyment of this novel was hampered by some of the things that are unsuited to a 13-year-old character. Heavy with adult themes, including pornography, it's fair to assume this is a book aimed at older teens and adults. However, that doesn't make it

11 ok for an author to have such a young character look into some of the more extreme sexual terminology. This coming-of-age story is reminiscent of 'The Fault In Our Stars' and 'The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time' but it isn't as emotionally powerful or intellectual and never really reaches their level of mind-blowing awesomeness; which is a shame, because author Matt Greene's writing is stylistic and fresh as he puts Alex's unique POV to paper. You can follow Zarina s blog at Barbara Middlemast-Neal One of the best novels I have read for some time, this features the voice of 12-year-old Alex, who is on a quest to find out why everyone (including his hamster, Jaws 2) is behaving oddly since he had brain surgery (Alex, not the hamster). Alex is exceptionally intelligent and inquisitive and has a tendency to miss-hear words, which results in hilarious Malapropisms, little jewels of laugh-out-loud humour, which are a joy to find scattered throughout the book (and from which the title "Ostrich" originates). Matt Greene has written a classic here - easily of the quality of Mark Haddon's "Curious Incident..." etc; it's an intelligent crossover book which will be appreciated by teenagers and - perhaps - even more so by adults. Brilliant. There is no facility to award stars on Lovereading, which is a shame as I would love to give it 5/5. It's one of the best books I have read in ages and is wonderfully funny and poignant. Superb for a debut novel and I look forward to reading the author's next book. Lesley Hart Ostrich, tells the story of a 12 year old boy, Alex, who is on the cusp of his teenage years. You are given an inkling, at the beginning of the story, that something is very wrong in Alex's World, but Matt Green has recognised that once a character has been diagnosed with an illness that, 'the character' disappears behind the symptons and 'what ifs' of their illness. Matt Greene is careful to ensure that Alex's illness is kept in the background for the majority of the story to allow us to get to know Alex. Whilst, Alex's, illness shapes him to a certain extent, it does not define him. Alex is funny, intelligent and eminently likeable, even when he's playing and trying to play the 'older child

12 hierarchy' game on the school bus. Alex, his best friend and 'first kiss' Chloe and hamster 'Jaws 2' have many adventures and misfortunes within the story that keep the pace lively. I believe Ostrich is a story I will read again and again, because the attention to, and significance of, detail in the story is something I didn't necessarily pick up on in my first read and Alex's character makes me want to know him. Rachel Bradley 14 years old. I enjoyed 'Ostrich' by Matt Greene. One of the main reasons why is because of the way that on nearly every page is a fact that you probably didn't know that manages to fit into the text - mixing two different genres together. For example:- "It's monitoring his heartbeat, which is perfectly normal, it's called a cardiogram" I would not have known this otherwise. Another interesting fact is that 'During the first world war, the people of that time called it the great war, as they didn't know it was coming'. I also liked the way it was told from Alex's viewpoint - that we can journey with him on the path of knowledge. If anything, I didn't like the occasional use of Frency which I didn't understand. Jade Craddock Twelve year old Alex has a brain tumour, but there s more important things in his life like finding out why his hamster Jaws 2 is behaving strangely, and so too his parents for that matter, preparing for his exams and obviously negotiating the difficult terrain of puberty. There is none of the morbid, despairing portrait of illness in this book, but instead one adolescent boy s more stirring concerns. Alex is largely oblivious to how his illness affects his parents, yet as we see their actions obliquely through his eyes we get a poignant sense of their struggle. However, in Matt Greene s first person narration, these moments are clearly in the background as we are instead made privy to Alex s own quirky and adolescent ruminations on life, where the gap between what he thinks is going on and what is actually going on belies his adolescent naivety. And as he describes things in his own unique way we are given privileged access to the intriguing mind of this compelling character. Whilst the writing style demands attention with its various parenthetical digressions, puns, malapropisms and

13 discussions of grammar, and perhaps will not be to everyone s taste, to me it perfectly captures the voice, concerns and mindset of Alex. Quirky, witty, poignant and profound this book is a gem and firmly places Matt Greene on the literary map. Daisy Pennock, age 16 The beautiful, amazing story of a boy battling with cancer. One of the best coming-of-age stories I have ever read. This book was the perfect book to read while relaxing after a long hot day. It made me laugh, it made me cry and at sometimes it made me want to go inside the book just so I could hug the main character. It is the perfect blend of humour, real-life drama and the strange thoughts of a boy. If you love the Perks of being a wallflower and Submarine, you will definitely love this!