Alex's goal is to send his Golden iPod into space for other forms of life to learn about planet Earth and human beings. Because of this, the story is not told in chapter form, but is organized by his iPod recordings. His love of astronomy is infectious, from his idolization of astronomer Carl Sagan and his love of the book (and movie) Contact, to his scientific detailing of his daily observations.
As Alex travels to SHARF and records his thoughts and observations, we learn that his father left the family when he was a baby, and now Alex takes care of his mother and himself, as his older brother moved to Los Angeles. On his travels he meets new people and journeys with Terra, Steve, and Zed. With each recording Alex makes, the reader learns more about Alex's family and the serious reality of his mother's state of mind.
This story is about searching for answers and wanting more, and Alex's voice is funny, heartbreaking, and real.
FROM SEE YOU IN THE COSMOS:
“What if the times when we feel love and act brave and tell the truth are all the times we’re four-dimensional,” he says, “the times we’re as big and everywhere as the cosmos, the times when we remember, like REALLY remember, really KNOW, that we’re made of starstuff.”
NYT Review HERE.