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4.1 AVERAGE
4.1 AVERAGE
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
The characters are so vivid, rich and full of life, the story is so heartwarming (and also heart breaking) and the writing really flows. I highly recommend anyone to spend 350 pages with norman foreman and his family.
hopeful
relaxing
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Slow start but worth sticking with it
funny
hopeful
reflective
slow-paced
⭐️ 5 ⭐️
Many thanks to Penguin books/Transworld publishers and Julietta Henderson for my ARC in exchange for an honest, unbiased review.
Norman and Jax are best friends (and aspiring comedians). They have a five year plan - by the time they’re fifteen, they want to perform at the Edinburgh Fringe. When Jax dies before they turn twelve, Norman decides paying tribute to his best friend just can’t wait. So, along with his mum, Sadie, they set off on their road trip adventure.
The Funny Thing About Norman Foreman is one of the funniest, most heart-warming, beautifully written books I’ve read in a VERY long time. I really didn’t want it to end.
It was like having the biggest (book) hug - It pulled me in from page one, and kept me enveloped in a tight, warm, comforting embrace, right to the very end.
The story is narrated from the POV of both Norman and Sadie. Their grief is handled with sensitivity, not sentimentality and the heart-rending moments are balanced out with gloriously witty, sprinklings of humour - there are so many laugh out loud moments, it left me grinning from ear to ear.
Norman and his supporting cast are wonderful, well drawn characters. I could visualise each and every one of them perfectly.
A charming, uplifting tale of love, family, friendship and hope.
I honestly can’t speak highly enough or put eloquently into words how much I enjoyed this amazing, feel-good read.
Norman captured my heart.
I LOVED it and would highly, highly recommend.
I hope you do too!
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Many thanks to Penguin books/Transworld publishers and Julietta Henderson for my ARC in exchange for an honest, unbiased review.
Norman and Jax are best friends (and aspiring comedians). They have a five year plan - by the time they’re fifteen, they want to perform at the Edinburgh Fringe. When Jax dies before they turn twelve, Norman decides paying tribute to his best friend just can’t wait. So, along with his mum, Sadie, they set off on their road trip adventure.
The Funny Thing About Norman Foreman is one of the funniest, most heart-warming, beautifully written books I’ve read in a VERY long time. I really didn’t want it to end.
It was like having the biggest (book) hug - It pulled me in from page one, and kept me enveloped in a tight, warm, comforting embrace, right to the very end.
The story is narrated from the POV of both Norman and Sadie. Their grief is handled with sensitivity, not sentimentality and the heart-rending moments are balanced out with gloriously witty, sprinklings of humour - there are so many laugh out loud moments, it left me grinning from ear to ear.
Norman and his supporting cast are wonderful, well drawn characters. I could visualise each and every one of them perfectly.
A charming, uplifting tale of love, family, friendship and hope.
I honestly can’t speak highly enough or put eloquently into words how much I enjoyed this amazing, feel-good read.
Norman captured my heart.
I LOVED it and would highly, highly recommend.
I hope you do too!
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Lovely story
I received an ARC of this book via Netgalley. The opening had me enthralled and then for a few chapters I was less than enamoured. For me there was a real lull in the writing style during the early to middle parts but once on the road the narrative moved with much more pace. It had lots of lovely elements, a road trip to give Norman a chance at his comedy career was just one. The search for his dad and perhaps meaning in Leonard's life;a couple more. I loved the buildup tot he final showdown. As a debut book for this author it has much to recommend it.
4 stars!
What a fascinating and heartfelt book! It was much longer than I expected but near the end, I felt like it wasn’t long enough! The ending chapters felt very rushed and major plot points were brushed over. I wished the author had spread out the ending of the story more and had less filler in the beginning.
I found Sadie to be one of the most relatable and genuine characters I’ve read in a really long time. My heart ached for her. She was doing the best she could to navigate life as single mother, no support system or family, raising a teenager who’d just suffered a traumatic loss.
I quite liked the fact that this book was written as a dual POV. The wildly diverse viewpoints of Norman and Sadie brought more detail to the story. The genuine relationship between the mother and young son was some of my favorite parts of the book. Their connection and dependency on each other was unbreakable, even in a time of unfathomable grief.
Adored the end of the book. Was rooting for Norman the entire time and loved how he finally found his footing right before The Fringe.
The side characters absolutely made this book. From the eccentric old man, to the burley poet, to the motor-scootering potential DNA donator. So many unique personalities that each brought something valuable to the story. And when they all came together for one common goal, my heart sang. Norman was surrounded by so many people who cared about him and wanted to see him thrive. They may not have been family by blood but many of them turned out to be family by choice.
One thing I thoroughly enjoy about books written in the setting of a foreign country is all of the local lingo that authors include. This book had so many witty come backs and hilarious one liners that wouldn’t have come across nearly as humorous to me, if it’d been set in the US. I also had the most fun trying to translate what James and his crew were saying because of their Irish slang. The author had me chuckling throughout the entire read. Especially with Jax’s smart mouth.
What a fascinating and heartfelt book! It was much longer than I expected but near the end, I felt like it wasn’t long enough! The ending chapters felt very rushed and major plot points were brushed over. I wished the author had spread out the ending of the story more and had less filler in the beginning.
I found Sadie to be one of the most relatable and genuine characters I’ve read in a really long time. My heart ached for her. She was doing the best she could to navigate life as single mother, no support system or family, raising a teenager who’d just suffered a traumatic loss.
I quite liked the fact that this book was written as a dual POV. The wildly diverse viewpoints of Norman and Sadie brought more detail to the story. The genuine relationship between the mother and young son was some of my favorite parts of the book. Their connection and dependency on each other was unbreakable, even in a time of unfathomable grief.
Adored the end of the book. Was rooting for Norman the entire time and loved how he finally found his footing right before The Fringe.
The side characters absolutely made this book. From the eccentric old man, to the burley poet, to the motor-scootering potential DNA donator. So many unique personalities that each brought something valuable to the story. And when they all came together for one common goal, my heart sang. Norman was surrounded by so many people who cared about him and wanted to see him thrive. They may not have been family by blood but many of them turned out to be family by choice.
One thing I thoroughly enjoy about books written in the setting of a foreign country is all of the local lingo that authors include. This book had so many witty come backs and hilarious one liners that wouldn’t have come across nearly as humorous to me, if it’d been set in the US. I also had the most fun trying to translate what James and his crew were saying because of their Irish slang. The author had me chuckling throughout the entire read. Especially with Jax’s smart mouth.
A refreshing read! Sadie and her son Norman take a trip to the Edinburgh Fringe and make a lot of discoveries along the way…about life and themselves. Likeable characters and a few teary moments but all in all a good read