Neanderthal Opens the Door to the Universe

Cliff (Neanderthal) is a high schooler who is struggling to deal with the loss of his brother, his abusive alcoholic dad, and troubles at school. He agrees to go on a mission with Aaron, the popular school quarterback, even though they dislike each other and were recently in a fist fight. Together, they try to make their school a better place by completing a list of tasks Aaron believes were given to him by god while having a near-death experience. After completing the list, they have a better understanding of themselves and the other people in their lives.

The story was unique, and the characters were different and all had their own issues. The outcome was predictable, but I didn’t mind because it was interesting along the way. I like the author’s writing style. I wish I had a highlighter while I read because I would like to go back and re-read some sentences. I think the book would be best for kids fifteen and up. It dealt with topics like suicide, drugs, alcoholism, child abuse, sexuality, bullying, and religious fanatics. If you are offended by curse words and crude language, you might not want to read the book. When I read about the list from god, I was afraid the book might push religion, but it does not.

Neanderthal Opens the Door is sad and funny. The book reminds you that most of us have something we need to deal with in our lives, and it is important to think about others, and it is okay to look to others for help, and we should try to make our world better.