Reviews with content warning for Chronic illness - The Funny Thing about Norman Foreman

Reviews tagging 'Chronic illness'

The Funny Thing about Norman Foreman by Julietta Henderson

2 reviews

reading_ladies_blog's review

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adventurous funny reflective sad slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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readundancies's review

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adventurous emotional funny hopeful lighthearted medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

So this is the one I think. The book to beat. We're not even fully through half the year but this is very likely to take the cake in terms of Favourite Read of 2021 for me.

Before I begin to explain why you absolutely need to pick this book up because it is just glorious in every way, shape, and form, let me drop a context bomb on ya:

I genuinely thought this was a middle grade novel going into this.

Yeah, that's right, a middle grade novel.

Evidently, you can tell I'm the type of reader who definitely walks in with some preconceived notions based on the synopsis (and sometimes the cover) alone, and does absolutely no other pertinent research once said conclusions have been made. This time, I actually did take a quick gander at Goodreads to see how people had shelved this one, and since I didn't actually see a single person file this under middle grade, I will admit, there was a small part of me doubting the veracity of the middle grade adventure I had decided to embark upon. But I'mma stubborn gal, and so because my brain had committed to hopping onto the middle grade train as soon as I arrived at the station, I continued to wade through my delusion.

Now, in my defence, if it looks like middle-grade novel, and sounds like a middle-grade novel, it's probably a middle-grade novel. That's just basic inferencing. But I very quickly realized that I was completely wrong in my assumption. There was a very blatant F-bomb within the first 20-ish pages of the novel and my exact thoughts about it were: Well then. I suppose I was bloody wrong about the middle grade nonsense. Which was very promptly followed up with: But like, fuck, I am so into this novel.

That was 20-ish pages in. That's how quick Juliette Henderson suckered me into this. Me, the girl who thought she was getting into a cozy middle-grade read about a boy who just needs to build his confidence in the face of loneliness was already over 100% committed to story because I was terrified for myself when the moment when all the shit was going to go down because I could already feel the fucking bawl coming on like a sneeze that's not ready to be expelled from the body but still tickles your nasal hairs and their nerve endings because it shall not be ignored even in it's infancy. 20-ish pages. I did not know what I was getting into when I set my sights on this novel and it wildly surpassed all expectations.

I'm still in awe that this is a debut novel.

But let's get into the meat and potatoes.

One of the best aspects of this novel is the rather shorter chapters. They felt bite-sized, and seamlessly transitioned from one POV to the other so that the pacing was just effortlessly gliding along the air currents that each chapter wrought. It made it so easy to slip into when I had forced myself to put it down, while still allowing the reader to savour the story. I should note now that I am in full agreement that this is in fact an adult contemporary novel, which I don't tend to pick up very often, but oh my word am I ever glad that I did. We flip between Sadie, a single mom who is honestly not always on the ball with respect to life in general but is trying her gosh-darn best, and Norman, her twelve year old son who's best friend Jax has just passed away and he's having a real rough go of it.

The writing was phenomenal. I was almost instantly in love with it. Sadie’s voice was SO STRONG and Norman’s was too but in a more subdued and simpler way. I wasn't prepared to become so enamoured by the dual POV combo of mom and son that has been very much done before but this version has something else extra added to it and the resulting flavour is swoon worthy to the nth degree. And the humour? I LOVED IT. I cannot stress that enough. It was topical and sassy and self-deprecating and incredibly evocative emotionally. It painted a picture for sure and I was and forever will be here for it.

The characterization? Amazing. Jax obviously isn’t alive in this story but by golly does he have a presence. The way our two leads narrate bring his character to life in such a vivid way; just by remembering little bits of him - of his words, of his actions, of his thoughts. He becomes this physical entity that slips through the story’s pages like shadows stretching out into night, not alive but still imposing. And it's not just the fact that a character who is very much dead feels very much alive, I was thoroughly impressed by every single character that popped up into this story, supporting or main. The Goth girl on the bus with her tiny dog, Bill and his bacon sandwiches, Adam and his mobility scooter, everyone. Every single character in this novel is a fucking personality and no matter how small the role, they felt real.

It took only two pages for me to fall head over heels for Leonard. And by head over heels I mean I physically could not contain my emotions within my body so much so that I was literally fluttering my hands around in excitement. I fell in love with Sadie and her humour from the first page and Norman and his hopelessness right from the get go.

Can we talk about Norman for a second? Can we talk about how he generated all these feelings in me that I actually purposefully read the book slower than I wanted to because I wanted to draw my reading journey out as long as possible? Can we talk about how he was giving me second hand anxiety while he was prepping for his first open mike event? Can we all just collectively agree that Norman Foreman deserves all the hugs in the world? Because I want to be the one that gives them to him and I have never wanted to hug a fictional character more than I have wanted to hug Norman Foreman.

My one minuscule complaint is that the overall plot was slightly predictable. But that’s actually not really even a complaint it’s more so an observation because with respect to execution it just it made sense. Everything fit and I got my ideal ending.

Here's some excerpts from my brain as I waddled about in Norman Foreman's story:

Norman. Foreman. Be still my heart, this kid is just too sweet.
The cry is coming. Right now it’s hovering just beneath my lacrimal glands and my word it’s ready to burst free.
It is wild how I can be on the brink of full on bawling my eyes out at the writing in this story, and like a page later I’m biting my lip so I don’t laugh aloud obnoxiously at the thought of the risky business involved with an old man flipping his boss off.
Page 82: I thought this at the 20-page mark but didn’t commit to it because I thought it was too soon. I’m calling it now, I think this might be my favourite read of 2021. Insta-5-star vibes incoming.
This is like found family → lost family → (new)found family again and I'm so satisfied.
Every other line just hits me right in the feels. Like I swear every line is a goddamned gem and I think it can’t get any better and then Bam! the next line rolls into the station and hits me like the freight train that it is and I can’t get enough. It’s line after line after line and I fall for this story a little bit more each time. I can’t handle it.
This Goth girl just be truth bombing Sadie unprompted and out of nowhere but the reality is, sometimes you just need to be slapped in the face with the facts, you know?
I don’t even know what ‘gaun yersel’ means but it doesn’t even matter because it is clearly something positive and affirming in this case and that’s all Norman needs right now.

In the end, I did not bawl. But there were so many moments my eyes filled with tears that never left my eye sockets. This was brilliant. I loved it with every bit of my heart. It's officially on my all time favourite list because the impressions I got from the book even at only a quarter of the way through stood the test of time.

And so I'll leave you with one of my favourite quotes from this novel (one of many, I assure you):

When we finished Jax and Norman’s Five-Year Plan, Jax goes, Norman Foreman, you are the bee’s knees and I am the dog’s bollocks and there’s nothing in the world that can stop us now. - Chapter 4, pg. 21

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