Review: The Funny Thing About Norman Foreman by Julietta Henderson

The Funny Thing About Norman Foreman by Julietta Henderson

My rating: 3.5 of 5 stars
Published: April 2021

Norman is a 12-year-old boy who has a five-year plan with his best friend Jax, to do their comedy routine at the Edinburgh Fringe. When Jax dies unexpectedly, Norman has to forge his own way without Jax. He revises the five-year plan to go to the festival this year. With the help of his mother, Sadie, and family friend, Leonard, he is on a quest to find his father and perform a comedy routine. The journey will not be easy for any involved, but hopefully, it will bring them something that they all need.

Thank you to Mira/Harlequin and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book.

Norman is covered in psoriasis and keeps mostly to himself. But he and Jax are "the bloody Rolls-bloody-Royce of bloody best friends." They look out for each other. Jax's death is not only hard on Norman, but also on Sadie. She's not used to having to entertain Norman and Jax always kept her up to date of what was going on with them when Norman would forget his phone.

Norman is a loveable character. You instantly feel for him and want to take him under your wing. Leonard is another loveable character. He's the grandpa we all wish we had. Sadie has a lot going on in her head which doesn't help with her mothering. She has her own hangups with her father which has transferred to fear for her son.

Will they be able to accomplish the goal of finding Norman's father and having Norman perform at the Fringe?

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Review: On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous by Ocean Vuong

On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous by Ocean Vuong
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Published: June 2019
 

On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous is the story of a young man, writing to his mother. His mother is Vietnamese and she herself is suffering from PTSD, but she would never admit it. The letters are to be a way of letting go of the pain since his mother is not able to read. She calls him Little Dog and is frequently abusive to him. To top it off, Little Dog is small for his age and is often teased and bullied in school. He also is gay. How do you deal with all of these things when no one wants to listen to what you have to say.

This was a deep and moving story that touched me from the very beginning. You want to reach in and just give him a hug. You just felt sorry for him. This is supposed to be a novel, but it read more like a memoir.

One of my favorite quotes from this book was "Because freedom, I am told, is nothing but the distance between the hunter and its prey." This quote hit me deeply.

If you are looking for a moving story that will grip you from the start, this is a great story!

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