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What a wonderful tale!! Except for Sadie’s obnoxious boss, Henderson gives the readers a cast of characters to love, to laugh with, to ache for, to cheer on. It’s surely impossible not to fall in love with a boy like this: “I think maybe all the parts of me that were good were actually made of Jax. And I think about that a lot because I’m pretty sure it’s true.” I enjoyed The Funny Thing About Norman Foreman. It’s not perfect but it avoids most of the pitfalls which could have spoiled it and I found it readable, amusing and touching. It took me a bit of getting used to this writing style however once I did, I thoroughly enjoyed the journey that Norman, Sadie and Leonard took me on. It was a rollercoaster of emotions and a great read. I would definitely recommend this book! – Emily, VIC, 3 Stars
The Funny Thing about Norman Foreman - Penguin Books Australia The Funny Thing about Norman Foreman - Penguin Books Australia
Norman’s quiet, lonely life gets a surge of excitement when a new student named Jax joins his class. Jax is loud, funny and a perpetual troublemaker—the yang to Norman’s yin. Their instant friendship is strengthened by their shared love for stand-up comedy. The two dream of performing as a comedic duo at Edinburgh’s Festival Fringe when they turn 15.Thank you to Penguin Random House SA for gifting me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
The Funny Thing about Norman Foreman: The most uplifting
I do believe this book is worth a try. Perhaps it is out there just waiting to be read by you. Maybe it needs to be read as much as you need to read it. And maybe when you read this book you’ll think, I’ve heard this phrase before. One just never knows. But I do know this, I’m happy I read this book. – Kirralee, SA, 4 StarsNorman has psoriasis; this leaves his skin with red, itchy and dry patches that are sensitive to touch. Norman has always been a loner until he met Jax. Norman and Jax became the best of friends and had a dream of one day performing at the Edinburgh Fringe, but Norman is left to dream alone after Jax suddenly passes away. Norman Foreman will capture your heart. His story had me in tears, both of laughter and sorrow, as he bravely battles against the odds to achieve his dream. The Funny Thing About Norman Foreman is a book full of hope, humour and kindness, with one of the most endearing central characters I've met in a long time. An utter delight! Sarah Haywood, bestselling author of THE CACTUS
The Funny Thing About Norman Foreman - HarperCollins Publishers The Funny Thing About Norman Foreman - HarperCollins Publishers
Sensational debut by Australian writer Julietta Henderson... This is one novel that meaningfully earns the description of "feel-good".' Apple Books Review Sadly at just twelve years old, Jax died. Struggling with his grief having lost his one and only friend and the person he thought he would have by his side forever, Norman comes up with a new plan, which includes finding the dad he has never met and performing solo at the Edinburgh Fringe, this year, as a tribute to Jax. Norman – whose left eyebrow is hairier than his right; whose ears move up and down far more than other people’s when he chews; whose skin is plagued by psoriasis……is a small boy with a very BIG HEART. But - and I know I’m just being repetitive with this type of complaint - Sadie and Norman sounded exactly the same. I could sort of accept it, as Norman was a product of Sadie’s influence and he was seemingly precocious, but it still bugged me that they felt like the same character.Recommended: I enthusiastically recommend The Funny Thing About Norman Foreman for readers who are looking for a humorous and unique (quirky?) story, for those who appreciate stories with thoughtful themes (see above), for those who enjoy supporting debut authors, and for book clubs. Thanks to Joanne at Portobello Book Blog (her review) for the recommendation in our 20 blogger collaboration this summer!
JULIETTA HENDERSON
There is humour in this book, it’s certainly moving at times, and there are characters to connect with, but, it didn’t quite work for me.....I really liked There are some twists in their adventures, som of which you don’t really expect. But the ending will turn your heart to mush. Oh my heavens. Julietta Henderson has given us a gift. I feel like I have spent time with close friends that I don't want to part ways. I laughed out loud, I sighed, I cried, I smiled and I hurt.
Reader Reviews
Let’s face it, it could have been dreadful: a twelve-year-old boy with psoriasis dreams of doing a comedy show at the Edinburgh Fringe with his best friend (who is the funny one) but the best friend dies suddenly. His single mum and her very elderly friend decide to help him do a Fringe show anyway, and try to find out who his father is, to boot. It could be sloppy, sentimental, manipulative drivel and I’m not even sure why I tried it, to be honest – but I’m glad I did because it’s nothing of the kind. The funny thing about Norman Foreman is that he’s wheedled his way into my heart, and I suspect I’ll have a Norman shaped hole there forever.” Clare Pooley, author of The Authenticity Project What a delightful read! This book is about what's really important: caring for each other and finding ways through the problems life throws at us, no matter how terrible they can be. The story is both hilarious and heart-warming, with one 'helluva' brave, wise, and lovable twelve-year-old hero... Three cheers for Norman Foreman! * Hazel Prior, author of AWAY WITH THE PENGUINS * The story, which centres on 12-year-old psoriasis-suffering Norman’s quest to find his birth father and secure and fulfill a slot at Edinburgh’s Festival Fringe, a road trip from his home in Penzance, Cornwall up through England and Wales into Scotland, is in many ways one of those giddily possible adventures of destinies oriented that make books in this genre such a sweet delight. Norman Foreman had never had a friend until Jax Fenton came into his life. The two were inseparable, more like brothers than best friends. They wanted to be comedians, a double act and as such they wrote a five-year plan at ten years old which included performing at the Edinburgh Fringe by the time they were fifteen.
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