This book is not the most light-hearted of teen fiction, but the caper-like feel certainly gives readers a reprieve from the heavy topics. 

**Trigger warning for suicide talk**

Cliff, commonly known to Happy Valley High School, is often referred to as Neanderthal, both behind his back and in his presence. He is an outcast and a loner, and feels more alone than ever since his older brother committed suicide. Suddenly, one of his worst enemies shows up at school after a near death experience and claims to have received a list from God on how to save HVHS and turn it into an enjoyable place to be. Cliff accepts Aaron's proposal and embarks on one of the craziest missions of his life. 

I did enjoy the humor throughout this book. It felt very sardonic, at times overly blunt and other times overly existential, which is just my cup of tea, really. A good bit of this story felt oddly forced into feeling like the moral of the story. However, that didn't stop me from enjoying the experience of confronting bullies and turning the school into an enjoyable place to be. This almost felt like magical realism in a way. Cliff and Aaron would go somewhere, talk to people, and the next day they would disvoer that everything had changed overnight!

There was also a surprising amount of cursing and sexual innuendos that seemed to be part of some of the characters' main personality traits. I wasn't off put by it, but I could see how some people would be. The language didn't seem to be useful in furthering the plot in any way, but it is how plenty of high schoolers talk. 

Similarly, the religious aspects were not too over the top. I believe Christianity was portrayed through multiple lenses, both as something that could be positive and negative. Norton didn't get much more nuanced than that, despite the fact that he made Christianity into some of the major plot points. I think he was trying to go for a bit more nuance with Aaron's perspective, but I didn't really get it as a reader. 

**There isn't any direct description of suicide, just conversations around Cliff's brothers' deaths and Cliff's own processing of the emotional baggage. I felt as though the emotional conversations were handled very well and I'm glad Cliff went through both times when he bottled it up and times when he was able to explore and let out his emotions - I think that's very important to the conversation around suicide. **

I received a copy of Neanderthal Opens the Door to the Universe from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

A well written, character driven novel that handles some very serious topics with sensitivity and grace while also providing readers with a heartwarming ending without feeling didactic or cliched. Teens will easily root for Cliff and company, I know I did. A must add to YA collections, most definitely.

This might just be the most hopeful YA I’d read in a long, long time. What started as a ‘stereotypical’ high school story became everything but, when the school ‘jock’ has a near-death experience and claims God needs him and the school ‘loser’ Neanderthal to turn everything around. Every character started jumping from the page, so complex and fully realized that I couldn’t help but fall in love with them all. A beautiful book to rekindle your hope in humanity!

My first reaction when starting this read was to roll my eyes at all the High School clichés. You have the outcast who lives in a trailer park (with an abusive father), the popular jocks, the bullies, weird nerds, drug dealing teens…but then everything changes when Quarterback Aaron wakes up from his coma. He has seen the face of God – who looks remarkably like Morgan Freeman – and God has given him a list to change all this. And he specifically asked for Cliff’s help.

The author takes all these familiar YA elements and turns them upside down, making Cliff one of the most stand out characters I have ever read in contemporary YA. Still reeling from the suicide of his brother, with many questions he will never get the answer to, he joins Aaron in their mission to change the school. At times, the writing feels a lot like John Green’s, and can really pack an emotional punch; the characters are complex and have so much dimension you feel like you can really know them. It allows for the author to surprise you in so many ways.

It’s surprising in its (un)predictability. As a reader of a LOT of YAs, it’s evident an author cannot escape the formulaic nature of high school contemporaries. The way the author deftly manages to pull twists out of this is astounding. At many times I found myself wowed by the depth of the characters: how Cliff remains so hopefully through everything, how Aaron canbe such a good person and friend, how Teagan… no spoilers, I’m just still in awe!

It’s honest, irreverent, sweet, funny, incredibly sad, and still hopeful. Neanderthal Opens the Door to the Universe is an absolute must for fans of YA Contemporary. It’s at times brutally honest, yet so hopeful and relatable that you can’t put it down. Give yourself a mental hug and read this book.

Wow. I absolutely loved this book. It punches you right in the feels, in the best way possible. The characters were lovable and covered a very serious message, while managing to keep you cheering them on the whole time.

I went into this book with the expectation that it was a YA book, and it is, to some extent. It is about a teenage boy and his teenage life. That said, it is more of an adult book that takes place in a teenage universe. I would not recommend the book to anyone of any age who is offended by profanity or the idea that some teens use drugs and have sex. This is not Anne of Green Gables (not that Anne of Green Gables isn't great). The content of this book is for more mature teens and adults who are not offended by rated "R" movies. Also, I feel like the profanity, drug use, and mentions of sex are important to this story. If you sanitized the content of this book, it would ring pretty hollow.

I don't want to go to far into the storyline of this book. If you read the synopsis you should know if this is the type of book you would enjoy reading or not.

I didn't enjoy this book, I loved it. I loved the realness of the people and how authentic their pain seemed. I loved how the story engaged me from the first page of the book to the last. Most of all, I loved our neanderthal, Cliff.

Cliff sees himself as huge and ugly and awkward - completely and hopelessly isolated from the rest of the world. The only time he is not ignored is when he is being bullied. The only time people talk to him (including teachers) is to insult or harass him. I understood him and empathized with his pain wholeheartedly.

The secondary characters are all pretty terrible people, at least at first glance. His father is a horrible violent drunk and his mom is a weak enabler who fails Cliff over and over again. Teachers and students at school alternate between ignoring Cliff and persecuting him because they have labeled him a troublemaker. Everyone misjudges Cliff based on his size, his quiet nature, and what they thought of his older brother. But, Cliff is guilty of misjudging those around him too.

The beauty of this book is actually in the interactions with Cliff and the secondary characters. Once Cliff starts to connect to those around him, he learns what most adults eventually figure out - we are all struggling in our own way and fighting our own war. Even kids that are entitled jackasses act that way for a reason, it may not be a good reason, but they have a reason.

This book isn't about suffering fools and their abuse, it's about confronting the reasons why people are the way they are and trying to help when you are able to. It's about the idea that people who deserve compassion the least, need it the most. Also, it is about the strength, character, and joy you gain when you attempt to help other people and make your corner of the world better.

I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys an engaging story and is not offended easily.

Cliff is a 6'6" and 250 pound loser, in fact his nickname at school is Neanderthal. He has no one in his corner and everything has gone bad to worse since his older brother's suicide last year. Cliff can't stand the star quarterback, Aaron. When Aaron returns to school after a near-death experience, he says that he saw God when he was out of it. The real kicker is that God gave Aaron a to-do list to make Happy Valley High suck less - and that he needs to help Neanderthal. No one is more surprised than Cliff himself when he agrees to help Aaron with the list which features everything from a vindictive English teacher, a mysterious computer hacker, a decidedly unchristian cult of Jesus Teens, the local drug dealers, and the meanest bully at the school. For the first time since he lost his brother, Cliff feels like he's part of something bigger than himself. Fixing a screwed up school isn't as easy as it looks and as soon as Cliff think they've completed the list, he realizes their mission hits much closer to home than he expected.

I'm so glad I found Neanderthal Opens the Door to the Universe by Preston Norton. YA Contemporary isn't usually my go-to genre choice, but this new novel is a compelling must-read. Cliff is now one of my favorite leading guys in YA. He's been dealt a crappy hand in life and he's so fed up by everything, but he hasn't given in and has hope for the future. After all with Aaron, he begins to try to put make seemingly small changes in order to enact bigger, positive change at their school and in their own lives. Another one of my favorite things about Cliff is his sense of humor. I mean, sometimes his inner monologue is laugh out loud funny - if crude at times. The author does a brilliant job of developing his cast of characters from the main characters and the supporting characters, but Cliff himself is for me the most compelling. I felt an entire spectrum of emotions for him from misty-eyed sadness, red-hot anger, to uplifting hope.

Overall, Neanderthal Opens the Door to the Universe is an absolute must for fans of brutally honest, yet ultimately hopeful, funny, and relatable YA Contemporary with a well-written cast. If you're interested in the work and writing style of John Green and Andrew Smith, you may enjoy Preston Norton's style. I will definitely have to check into Norton's other releases and his future projects.

In a galaxy far, far away, Admiral Ackbar is happily holding an advance copy of “Neanderthal Opens The Door To The Universe” by Preston Norton, exclaiming, “It’s a trap!” A good kind of trap tho ‘coz this book, you guys, is addicting. I started reading and planned on finishing it over the weekends but I can’t keep on flipping past through the pages and when I’m done, I did the unthinkable for someone who has a monster pile of a TBR: I came back to page 1 and read it again. And then I spent some more time obsessing about how lovable its characters are, how funnier things are, and how clearer its message is on reading it the second time around.

The titular Neanderthal is sixteen-year old Cliff Hubbard, an uninvolved big guy who tends to use his fists when dealing with the school bullies. His only friend before was his older brother, Shane, who committed suicide months ago before the book starts.And now he is left aimlessly alone along the harsh halls of high school. So while traversing said halls, Cliff was provoked and had a scuffle with popular goodlooking quarterback, Aaron. Cliff got suspended for a week for it. He vowed he would beat the living lights out of Aaron once his suspension is over. But alas, Aaron got into an accident then came back from coma after three days Messiah style, proclaiming that he has a God-given to-do List and Cliff has to be his anointed holy sidekick. Cliff accepted, because Aaron echoed something Shane said when he was alive: Life isn’t just existing, it’s a door.

The book is in first person PoV. Because he has no friends, Cliff outwardly looks reserved and quiet but my oh my, his narration and character descriptions are bursting with wit. Even Aaron, during his fight with Cliff was surprised when he deigned to trade insults with our homeboy, “Wow, the Neanderthal knows words and shit.” Yep, Cliff is brains and brawn, baby. Really, these people who are name-calling him Neanderthal could never be so wrong because he is far from a dim-witted caveman that they think he is. He is reasonably good at math. He reads classic sci-fi and dystopia books for recreation. And has an arguably superb taste in films (you be the judge: sci-fi, Quentin Tarantino and Jim Carrey). Although he has these Shane baggage and domestic issues going on, he did not sound overly maudlin about them. And despite his reputation as a blood-thirsty, brawl-magnet student of Happy Valley High, he is a gentle giant deep inside.

The book accomplished the daunting task of fleshing out a large cast of characters. I appreciate Aaron, his redemption arc and his mortal enemies turned best of friends relationship with Cliff. I adore Tegan, the love interest with an overflowing sass and personality. I especially like how she broke out of the manic pixie dream girl box. She has her own hopes and dreams, one of which is to become a spoken word artist, and she was given her own domestic issues to deal with. Another stand out character for me is Noah Poulson. I love his complexity as a Christ-believing, preacher’s kid, only openly gay student of Happy Valley High. For years, he was trying to establish a Gay Straight Alliance in school but to no avail. His weariness breaks my heart because he’s been trying so hard and is on this battle alone for too long. His biggest obstacle and heckler is his sister, Esther, the leader of Jesus Teens. Aside from them, there are the teachers, the druggies, the nerd herds, all of which are given things to do, things to say, and while reading I can feel that they have their own lives that exceed their allotted pages in the book.

The book is not perfect. You have to heighten your suspension of disbelief to get through some plot elements. First is the List itself. As the story delves deeper, it becomes less and less the epiphany that Aaron claims to be. But where did it exactly come from? The book did not explain. My guess is it’s a manifestation of Aaron’s subconscious guilt to his douchebaggery, but even then the List appears too much all-knowing. For the record, I can easily forgive this because as Cliff said, the List felt like the right thing to do and its comprehensibility is beside the point. Second is this important scene that heavily relied on coincidence. I will be purposely vague here so as not to give away too much. So there is this lucky hoodie birthday gift from Shane which Cliff thought is actually bad luck because bad things happen when he is wearing it. At the crucial moment that I am talking about, Cliff was able to pull out of its inner folds, an important piece of paper with something important written on it. I can maybe forgive the coincidence thing but wait what, was the hoodie never ever been washed all these months? Because in my personal experience of accidentally leaving notes on clothes and washing it, the paper would mush and the ink would blot, all things written on it beyond recognition.

Now what really warmed my heart for the book, despite its flaws, is its overall message of hope delivered in a very entertaining way. The book is hilarious with its rife pop culture reference, memes and such. It’s funny how I was on the verge of tears a lot of times but this book just refuses to make me ugly cry with its jokiness. It will engage you in deep reflection but it also has this built-in cheer up feature to pull you up from some serious funk mode. In a way, Cliff and Aaron became the prophets of Happy Valley High in their own right, stirring the people to never stop caring. The ending felt earned and accomplished. The book has a lot of shining moments that delivers something profound about finding your own place under the sun. If you are a person like me who sometimes finds herself crumbled with the crises of existence, shaking a fist to the universe, yelling, “WHAT’S THE POINT?”, this book is for you. Its characters will shake their fists with you, yell with you, ask the questions with you, seek and maybe find the answers with you.

Diversity Watch:
The setting is in Montana. Cliff noted that they are a pre-dominantly white town. Jack Halbert, the leader of the nerds is the only black kid in their school. Niko Kaleoikaikaokalani, a school bully and is in the List, is Polynesian. Noah is the only openly gay student at the start but another freshman student came out, another one he is pep talking to come out, and at least a couple of bisexuals mentioned.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher, Disney Hyperion, for a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

I was really excited to read this one! Jock and social outcast band together to make their high school a better place? Sign me up! It’s a little more complicated than that though. The jock, Aaron, has a near-death experience and believes that God told him that he needs the help of the social outcast, Cliff aka Neanderthal, to make their high school a better place.

Personally, I found the beginning a little rocky but I do understand why it needed to be that way. We get introduced to the characters and their way of life before Aaron’s accident. The beginning was probably my least favourite part about this book, but it get’s so much better from there!

Almost all of the characters seemed to have some sort of depth and personality to them, even if they were mentioned briefly. It’s a nice change because secondary characters can usually end up being pretty flat and predictable so that was a nice change. I also loved seeing all of the character development, or lack thereof, going on because it made the story feel more real. In real life, people don’t always change when something big happens, so it was nice to have a couple characters who didn’t really change when we would expect them to.

The outcome of this book and how things played out definitely took me by surprise, things did not exactly turn out the way I was expecting, but I liked it better that way because my current issue with most YA is that it is getting pretty predictable. It’s nice being thrown a curve ball once in a while.

I think my most favourite part about this book though is I finally understand, or at least have some knowledge, about what is happening in the movie 2001: A Space Odyssey. It is not crucial to see the film before reading this book, and I’m not even sure if I would recommend the movie (it’s really weird), but the movie plays a pretty significant role in this book so the decision is up to you. (I watched the movie a couple years ago, I did not watch it for this book.)

I apologize if this review is pretty vague, I really did not want to spoil anything and I’m almost positive I didn’t. But I HIGHLY recommend this book! It’s not very often that I give a book 5 stars, but this one deserves it. I feel like there is so much good content in this book, so much insight to ingest, that I will probably reread it in the future.

The premise of this book is great but the execution... not so much. I found myself rolling my eyes too much to even continue.

Cliff Hubbard is the titular Neanderthal: huge and with enough baggage to trigger a fistfight in the opening pages of this book. This baggage is slowly but surely unpacked as he and former fist-fightee, now friend Aaron, go on the modern high school equivalent of a quest as they try to check off the items on a list that Aaron received from God after a near death experience.

WHAT?? I mean, seriously. This book sounds so off the wall and weirdly religious, but it is so, SO much more than what meets the eye. Cliff as a narrator is self-deprecating and hilarious, while also showing small glimpses of the emotional trauma he has been through. The side characters all have distinct personalities and their own problems that are handled within the narrative sensitively and with an amount of deftness that I was not expecting from a book with the word Neanderthal in the title.

The writing leans heavily on Cliff's lack of self-confidence and I think sometimes to goes too hard into certain stereotypes about teenage boys. Some of the prose was beautiful and the writing was never bad, but I think one or two more rounds of edits would have made it even MORE beautiful and less "haha farts."

I am choosing to leave out my opinion of the plot other than that I think it was GREAT because I think this is the type of book where the less you know going in, the happier you'll be. I knew next to nothing, and it was lovely to be surprised at every corner with this book. I think this book would be a benefit to anyone who reads it.

This book was not my favorite. I was disappointed because I had heard so many word-of-mouth rave reviews of it. However, each character read like he/she was the exact same person, everyone spoke in exclamation points most of the time, and the whole novel read like frat brothers who are high and musing about the meaning of life. It had it's moments, and there was definitely some witty dialogue. Overall, though, it was a letdown.

Slight 'suspension of disbelief' required in this quotable, culturally-referring smart teen school drama.

I will remember Cliff for quite some time. A unique soul, so tenderly written to be sympathetic and capable, but he's also whippet-smart and many times had me chuckling aloud as I read his witticism and recognised his quoting.

It's also a different sort of plot for a teenage novel. Yes, there is bullying, family problems, romance, but there is also... a coma, a religious experience and a list from God. Don't reread that, you didn't misunderstand.

Cliff (called Neanderthal by almost everyone at school) is huge. A misfit due to his tremendous bulk, he is still reeling and raw from his brother's suicide a year earlier, and constantly worn down by his father's violent nature. Thus, he does not suffer fools and ends up in a bloody battle with star quarterback Aaron, after which Aaron also has an accident that leads him to fall into a coma.

Cliff is as surprised as us (though really, it would be a dull book if this didn't happen!) when Aaron awakens and comes to him telling Cliff that he has a list from God of ways they must work together to improve their high school.

You'll probably guess that Cliff does, in fact, decide to work with his arch-nemesis, and together they try to improve the mindsets of teenage drug dealers, embittered teachers and school bullies.

I ADORED this. Cliff made it for me, but Norton is not a one-character writer, and doled out personalities and wit to a range of his teenagers, to the extent that you think: "these guys are just TOO smart!", but I made a conscious decision not to listen to this little voice as I was enjoying the cultural references and biting one-liners too much to care.

A different take on a school story, with elements of Mean Girls and even Thirteen Reasons Why, it's definitely its own beast, and pretty, pretty PLEASE cast this well for a film!!!!!

Some terribly moving moments, but mostly it's an entertaining and clever treat, for adults and teens alike.

With thanks to Netgalley for the advance e-copy.

NEANDERTHAL OPENS THE DOOR TO THE UNIVERSE was an engaging story about a young man finding some purpose in his life. Cliff Hubbard - called "Neanderthal" by the other students at school because he's 6' 6" tall and weighs 250 pounds - has been lost since his older brother Shane's suicide nearly a year ago. He's angry and uninvolved beyond hating everything and everyone at his school. His home life is also falling apart as his unemployed drunk father is taking out his anger on Neanderthal and his mother is not intervening.

When one of the kids Neanderthal hates most - Aaron Zimmerman , high school quarterback and popular kid, recovers from a near death experience and says he has a to-do list from God which will make things better at their school, Neanderthal is in. Maybe this is the purpose that will help him come to terms with his brother's death.

As Neanderthal and Aaron try to right wrongs and change things for the better, Neanderthal begins to find friends and even a girlfriend. They deal with the worst bully in the school who really isn't such a bad guy, the local Jesus Teens who are led by a fanatical girl, and try to track down a computer hacker among other things. Neanderthal's faith in others is tested but he always manages to keep at least a hint of hope.

This was a great story about friendship and making small changes to make a big difference. I liked it. However, the language was often crude. It was hard to find a family-friendly quote. If you can overlook the language, Cliff was a thoughtful and articulate young man who reads and thinks deeply. The book is filled with quotes from the books and movies that he uses as life guides.

This is an amazing book! Nearly a year after his brother's suicide, Cliff is barely making it through the day. But when his arch-nemesis, Aaron Zimmerman, returns from a near-death experience with a list from God that necessitates help from Cliff, somehow Cliff finds himself with a crazy new focus: fix Happy Valley High School. There's romance, abuse, humor, burned out teachers, unlikely friends, bullying, and most importantly, HOPE.
I can't wait to see this book on Awards and Bestseller lists!

Neanderthal Opens the Door to the Universe is a witty, heart-warming, and relatable journey about leaving your world better than you found it and finding your way out from under grief.

NODU follows Clifford Hubbard aka Neanderthal (but only to the jerks that he goes to school with). Cliff has always kept to himself, his only and best friend was his older brother, Shane. Now that Shane's gone, Cliff is surviving his life, merely existing instead of truly living. With no brother, no friends, and no respect or kindness from his peers, Cliff doesn't have the most optimistic view of humanity.

Unfortunately, his solitude is forcibly disturbed when All-American football star, Aaron, returns from a near-death experience and recruits Cliff on his mission from God.

NODU is complex. It might sound weird, but I feel like the plot is something you have to experience, rather than try to explain. At its basest form, it's about an unlikely partnership trying to make their tiny piece of the world (Happy Valley High School) a better place, but it's truly so much more.

As Aaron and Cliff try to accomplish each item on THE LIST, their lives become intertwined with the fates of a motley crew.

Norton has created a wonderful cast of beautifully-broken characters. Cliff, alone and grieving for his only partner in crime; Aaron, who must reconcile that his future has to veer off from the life he's always lived; Tegan, a fierce force of nature who doesn't know if she's enough; Noah, an openly-gay Christian whose own family doesn't accept his sexuality; Mr. Spinelli, a jaded teacher who's forgotten how to love his life; and Cliff's mother, a woman who needs to finally say ENOUGH.

They're all hurting, and in that, they're all so human. There's something in each of them that resonates in me, and I think will resonate with most readers, too. NODU shows that the path to making something better can come from places that you don't expect. At first Cliff thinks that he can't fix anything because HE is broken; through his relationships with the other characters, he starts to think that maybe he's wrong. Most importantly, sometimes fixing the broken parts in others helps heal the broken parts of ourselves.

Neanderthal Opens the Door to the Universe was an emotional read that will reach out to your humor, empathy, grief, and happiness. Moreover, there are some beautiful moments and conversations that are sure to inspire you to look at the example set by Aaron and Cliff and start to think about starting a LIST of your own.

Wow. Just wow. "Neanderthal Opens the Door to the Universe" is a stunning accomplishment of YA literature. My praise knows no bounds: Each character is vividly drawn and unique. The plot is compelling, humorous, and heartbreaking. The content is all at once meditative and irreverent-- after all the narrator is a teenaged boy. Norton manages to deftly and genuinely explore what it means to be human (and in high school). I think this is a must read and a welcome addition to YA literature exploring LGTBQ themes, as well as suicide and depression. "Neanderthal" is perfect for fans of John Green and Becky Albertalli.

Such an amazing novel about a lost boy helping the world find itself!

Clifford (aka Neanderthal) is not having an easy high school experience. He's 6ft 6 and 250 pounds which makes it pretty hard for him to blend into the scenery and not be noticed. He's having the worst year of his life after his brother commits suicide. 

Luckily he meets Aaron and together they embark on the most unlikely of friendships. Aaron is the school football star, a real golden boy compared to Cliff who gets harrassed endlessly at school and at home by his alcoholic dad, It's not an easy story to read, but it is eventful and I thought it was realistic and at times heartbreaking,

The story includes profanity, alcohol and drug use and religion- all things that I like to give you the heads up on. I'd hand this to teens 14 and up, but YMMV.

Verdict- buy

I find myself reaching for YA more often than not when I want a book to read that I know I will truly enjoy. I think it is important to read what you enjoy, not just what everyone else says you should like. So I found myself reaching again for YA adult novel when I picked up Neanderthal Opens the Door to the Universe. I wasn't exactly sure what to expect because of the subject matter dealing with God and death, but I will say that in the end I thought the message was good. I thought that Neanderthal was a breath of fresh air in the YA genre. I liked that the main character was someone who isn't the traditional swoon worthy protagonist that you might expect in the novel, and I loved seeing the new relationship's Cliff makes throughout the book unfold. Many relevant subjects of today's high school culture are touched upon here. This is an important book about diversity, acceptance, and hope. And a great debut novel from Preston Norton. I hope to see more great work from him in the future.

I tried getting into this book because I am always looking for books to recommend to male student, but I could not make myself read on! It was a DNF for me, which is super rare. I could not get past the language! So many F*bombs! I don't mind swearing in books, but this was too much and didn't add to comedy or the character.