Reviews

The Boy Who Made Everyone Laugh by Helen Rutter

alexhempstxck's review against another edition

emotional funny hopeful inspiring 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? No

4.0

nickimags's review against another edition

challenging hopeful medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

This was a such a lovely audiobook and laugh out loud funny! 

I spotted this on Scribd recently and was hooked from the beginning. I loved getting to know soon to be 12 years old Billy, his Mum and Dad and his annoying pony obsessed little sister, Chloe. Oh yes, and Granny Bread, who Billy is especially close to.
 

As the above synopsis mentions Billy dreams of being a stand up comedian, but unfortunately his has a terrible stammer. He desperately wants to get rid of it and makes lists of ways to make it go away. 

Billy was such a lovely boy and so funny! My heart broke for him when his plans didn’t go the way he wanted, I wanted to give him a big hug and tell him everything would be okay. 

There were some lovely supporting characters, and one particularly horrible one who I wanted to get by the scruff of the neck and give a good talking to, that’s how good the writing was! Fortunately it’s not all sad, as each chapter starts with a joke, which always made me laugh out loud, but then I do like children’s jokes! 

I tend to stay away from audiobooks read by authors as the samples I’ve heard haven’t been very good, but Helen Rutter reads her own book superbly! She knew how to make me laugh out loud, worry for Billy and make me want him to succeed no matter what. 

The idea for this story was inspired by Helen Rutter’s son, who has a stammer; she wanted to write a book that he would love to read, starring a child like him. 

I highly recommend this on audio if you enjoy books about children overcoming adversity. 

aworldfullofbooksandtea's review against another edition

emotional funny inspiring fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

cdb2453's review against another edition

funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted fast-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

3.5

The main character in this story has a stammer, amd he struggles to accept himself and fit in with his peers at school. My boyfriend had a stutter growing up and dealt with similar issues, so I connected to the events in this book from stories I have heard about situations with people not understanding you or becoming impatient. This is a great book for upper elementary and middle schoolers to build empathy for peers who may have a stutter or something that makes them different or unique in some way. 

jweibler07's review

5.0

A book you just want to hug. The story of Billy Plimpton and his middle school experience may be unique due to his stuttering, but it is a story many will be able to connect with.

elliot_cheung's review

5.0

Emotional and always optimistic. Finished in 1 hour fast and easy read
100% recommend

poppyflaxman's review

3.0

Thank you to the publisher for sending me a copy for review.

This is a great debut from Helen Rutter. I was lucky enough to be able to go to a virtual author event with her and the publishers in which she spoke about the process of writing. Rutter worked closely with her son who, like Billy, has a stammer and I think that really shows in the final product. Previously, whenever I've read a book with a character who has a stammar it has been used as a plot point to overcome. In this novel we follow Billy who learns to accept that it is just one aspect of his full self.

The jokes at the beginning of each chapter were a great touch and I am sure this will be a book kids love.

nadjatiktinsky's review

Billy wants to be a comedian, but his stutter ruins the punch lines of all his jokes and makes it impossible for him to make friends. When he starts at a new school, he comes up with a plan to avoid speaking entirely so that none of the other kids will make fun of him, and dedicates himself to trying out internet remedies to make his stutter go away. I especially liked how imperfect Billy is as a character. As he begins to make friends for the first time, he struggles to learn how to be a good friend, and makes a few unkind mistakes along the way. This book is sweet and funny, and is sure to speak to any kid trying to fit in.

mishall_k's review

3.0

3 stars :)

fallchicken's review

3.0

Young boy who stammers discovers that his stammer doesn't define who he is. Uplifting I guess. Learned about stammering "from the inside". Something you might want to read if you or someone around you is a stammerer.