This is.a terrific debut from a super talented author.

Great characters and story, with loads of heart and originality.

Highly recommend,

Norman is a kid you instantly fall in love with.

This beautifully crafted story about two 12 year old friends, Norman and Jax, is bittersweet- heavy on the bitter when Jax dies suddenly and Norman is left to carry on their comedy duo on his own, when he is the straight faced counterpoint to Jax's funny man.
The resulting ride, told in alternating viewpoints between Norman and his mother, Sadie, is heartfelt, sad, and so entertaining.

In the unlikely event your best friend dies when you are 12 years old, how should you proceed? There’s not a manual, a guidebook, or anything written and explained in detail so one can follow, you know, as a ‘in case of emergency’ type of situation.
For Moms, there is not a single response you could give to your child to attempt and explain this tragedy.
Norman Foreman taught us in this poignant and very clever story that sometimes, your parents (or parent in this case) won’t have all the answers. and when you see yourself in this predicament just when you are preparing the greatest comedian act there ever was and your partner in crime is no longer alive to do it with you, you just stop alltogether. Sometimes not looking back..
Sadie, Norman’s mother was a character that I honestly hadn’t stop to understand quite well until I read this book a second time. After dealing with her own grief and knowing firsthand what it means to lose somebody so dearly, she fought her own demons in a way that lead her to a down spiraling path. From that little time of bender, Norman was born and Sadie didn’t even know who the father was.
In spite of this, Sadie overcame the obstacles and managed to build somewhat of a life for her and her little boy, even if her job is not what she expects and her boss’s constant nagging.
How do you explain to your pre-teen son that his friend will never come back?
How do you avoid his despair, his grief and his sorrow when you yourself are battling these from time to time?
And this is where Sadie learns that the road to recovery after such a loss, doesn’t (and shouldn’t) be traveled alone.
For this, she enlists the help of one of Leonard, the elderly janitor from her office who surprisingly knows his ways around Google Maps, and the three of them drive to Edinburgh to get Norman prepared for the Fringe (his and Jax’s dream).
I loved Juliette Henderson’s easy way of writing and portraying these relatable characters. They most definitely are some of the most realistic ones I’ve read about in a long, long time. Sadie is a mom who doesn’t give herself enough credit and Norman is a kid that faced with the most unthinkable of tragedies at such a tender age, will teach us all about what it means to carry on with a smiling face, just like in the words of the immortal Freddie Mercury: ‘Inside my heart is breaking, my makeup may be flaking, but my smile, still stays on’.

this was a really fun story, it worked well for the story and I had a lot of fun reading this. The author has a great writing style.

I received a free advanced reading copy of this novel from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This novel was impossibly heart-warming. The story of a mother's love, the limitless boundaries on "family," and life after loss, I did not expect to enjoy this book the way I did. It was funny and bittersweet. (Also, comedienne Katherine Parkinson narrates the audiobook!)

This book was a nice change of pace from the thrillers (psych, action, suspense) and romances that have made up a lot of my reading lately.
Told from alternating points of view, the plot runs smoothly through both characters, giving the reader insight to deeper thoughts and motivations.
That’s not to say that it’s a heavy book, because in spite of the tragedy at the beginning, the author maintains a balance of serious and lighthearted moments.
I was particularly taken by Norman’s attitude. Equal parts young boy and old soul, I related to him in a way I did not expect.
I loved how he took old comedic records and tried to emulate them with his best friend, Jax. I thought it showed how some people can latch on to certain things, even in the most unexpected ways.
Another thing about Jax and Norman’s friendship was that it perfectly illustrated why people should never assume things about other people, especially kids. One never knows where that connection could pop up.
I did have a harder time with Sadie. I understand why the “not a good mum” thing came up, because I think every mom has those thoughts at one time or another.
But there were times that I felt like it was too much of it. Her guilt over not being able to cook properly, Norman worrying about her, not having a good enough job…there were times that it seemed like she just whined on instead of making changes and actually doing something.
I really like Leonard – and once he joined in on “the plan” I thought the book really took off. He was interesting and seemed like someone it would be fun to know.
Do they make it to Fringe? Well, you’ll have to read it for yourself to find out. But I highly recommend this coping/coming-of-age/buddy road trip/family matters story.

3 stars

You can read all of my reviews at Nerd Girl Loves Books.

Twelve year old Norman and his best friend Jax are a comedy duo whose 5 year plan is to debut their act at the Edinburgh Fringe comedy festival. Then Jax dies. To overcome his grief and honor Jax, Norman decides he has to perform at the festival himself. The problem is that Jax was the funny one, not Norman. Norman also decides it's time to meet his father and convinces his mother Sadie to embark on a journey to find his dad and perform at the festival. They are aided by Sadie's co-worker and they all learn a lot about themselves, and each other, along the way.

The book is well written and the author delves deep into Norman's grief and Sadie's feelings of inadequacy. The book is filled with a lot of minor characters that the group meet along the way that add a lot of heart to the book. The book does drag a bit in the middle, but overall, it's an enjoyable read.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from NetGalley and Harlequin. All opinions are my own.

Heartwarming, poignant and well written. This was an engrossing read and I loved the style of writing and the fleshed out characters.
It's good debut and I hope to read other books by this author.
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

Little Miss Sunshine meets Wonder in this delightfully charming, quirky book THE FUNNY THING ABOUT NORMAN FOREMAN (MIRA) by Julietta Henderson.

Twelve-year-old would-be comedian Norman has got a lot going on, including a chronic case of psoriasis, a distinct lack of comic timing and a dead best friend. All his life it’s just been him, his single mum Sadie, and Jax, the ‘funny one’ of their comedy duo. So when Jax dies not only is Norman devastated, it’s also the end of the boys’ Five Year Plan to take their comedy act to the Edinburgh Festival Fringe when they turned fifteen.

But Norman decides to honor Jax by performing at the Fringe, on his own. And not when he’s fifteen—but rather in four weeks’ time. But there’s another, far more colossal objective on Norman’s plan that Sadie wasn’t quite ready for: Norman wants to find his father. Eager to do anything that might put a smile on her boy’s face, Sadie resolves to face up to her own messy past and track down the father who doesn’t even know Norman exists, and whose identity Sadie herself isn’t quite sure of.

What I loved best about THE FUNNY THING ABOUT NORMAN FOREMAN was how incredibly original it was. I haven't read a book like this in .... And it's funny!

Although at times a little over the top, characters I cheer for, emotions I relate to, and the sweetness of a family found all make The Funny Thing about Norman Foreman by Julietta Henderson a memorable debut. This book is a story of healing and of creating a family out of love and empathy. The lesson of the book is clear – never give up because you never know.

Read my complete review at http://www.memoriesfrombooks.com/2021/05/the-funny-thing-about-norman-foreman.html

Reviewed for NetGalley and a publisher's blog tour.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and HARLEQUIN – Trade Publishing for my copy of The Funny Thing About Norman Foreman by Julietta Henderson in exchange for an honest review. It published April 13, 2021.
Wow! That is not what I was expecting, but in the best possible way! This was a hard story to read, and brought up a lot of my own questions, of what would I do or say in the same situation.
This found-family-style story was quite heartwarming, deep and lighthearted at the same time. I also appreciated the attention given to psoriasis. That may sound weird, but the representation of skin conditions was encouraging, due to my own personal skin issues. Although not psoriasis, I found myself able to empathize with Norman and growing up with a skin condition, and how basically nothing helps and the social, emotional and self-esteem affects of such issues.
I also learned quite a bit about the UK, about geography and it was nice to hear little-known places brought up.
Overall, if you're looking to get your heart both wrecked, and warmed, you'll enjoy this book.
Trigger Warnings: Child death, grief.

This novel doesn't shy away from hard emotions but fails to deliver a satisfactory ending.

Norman Foreman is a comedy genius. Or well, he is when he and his friend Jax get together and do their routine. The two have great dreams of being a professional due when they grow up. But at the tender age of 12, Jax passes away and Norman's dreams disappear. But he knows Jax wouldn't want him to give up. So he makes a plan to go to the biggest comedy event in the UK and to find his father along the way. Can his mom pin down who his father is and can Norman learn to be funny on his own?

This book's plot is the ilk of Little Miss Sunshine and other similar tales. This is yet another story about a road trip because their child wants to show off their (nonexistent) skills. There growth, tragedies, and other debacles like every other road trip story. The book breaks away from tradition not showing us the actual event that is the crux of the story. I found that bad writing as the other skipped ahead to an epilogue glancing over the actual event.

At first, it's pretty good. A great story of mom and son with each section showing them as dimensional people. But at 80 percent the story is slogging along. Julietta Henderson rushed through the ending and events lose any realism that the book held. I was ready for it to be over even though the ending was disappointing,

The Funny Thing About Norman Foreman does have heart but is slogged down in cliches and a rushed unsatisfying ending.

4.5 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌠 I loved this novel, it truly was a heartfelt and feel-good read. What started off as a sad situation, Norman's best friend Jax (the Rolls Royce of best friends) has just passed away and Jax and his mum Sadie are trying to cope with this massive loss. Jax was a huge part of their lives, he had such a presence that I could feel him coming off of the page every time Norman or Sadie spoke about him. Jax and Norman had plans to be a comedy duo at the Edinburgh Festival, but now Norman has had to change his plans to get to the festival himself and do a show for Jax. Sadie promises to get him there, along with another promise, to help him find his dad (she actually has no idea who he is).

Sadie's workmate Leonard, an elderly gentleman, offers to help her with both of these goals, and so starts a wonderful and funny, though at times sad, journey for all three of them to achieve what seems like two unachievable goals.

There were certainly some characters in this story, as well as our three main characters, you have the potential fathers, and the people they meet along the way. My favourite has to have been Big Al, who they meet at their first stop, he was a definite diamond in the rough.

There were so many times I laughed out loud during this novel and so many others where my heart bled for Norman, but I was in the passenger seat on this road trip for the entire journey and when the end came, it was perfect.

Sometimes you want to read a book that reaffirms your faith in human kindness; Julietta Henderson's novel The Funny Thing About Norman Foreman is that book.

Told from the alternating perspectives of 12 year-old Norman and his exhausted single mom Sadie, we meet them in their home in the small town of Penzance in Cornwall, England. Norman is a kind young man who suffers badly from psoriasis, causing him severe pain.

His only friend is Jax, a bad boy who gets into trouble at school, but is true-blue to his pal Norman. They watch endless hours of comedy on TV, and have worked up their own comedy routine, with Jax as the funny one and Norman as the straight man. They have a Five Year Plan to end up at the world-famous Edinburgh Fringe Festival in Scotland. They call themselves "the Rolls Royce of friends".

When Jax dies of an asthma attack, Norman and Sadie are both devastated. Norman decides that to honor his friend, he will go to Edinburgh and perform alone. The only problem is that Norman is the straight man, not the funny one.

Sadie has a connection to the Fringe Festival. Thirteen years ago that is the place where she had a series of one night stands with four men, resulting in the birth of Norman nine months later. Along with the help of Leonard, retired IT expert and part-time janitor at Sadie's job, they track down the four men and plan a road trip to Edinburgh.

Leonard has arranged for stops along the way for Norman to work out his comedy routine at open mic nights, while Sadie contacts the four possible fathers. Hijinx ensue.

The writing is crisp, with plenty of humor and a little sadness. Sadie has some really funny one-liners, and it seems that everytime they need a skill- setting up a spreadsheet, Photoshopping- Leonard had taken a helpful adult education class at the community center. (He can also ice a wedding cake, weld, and cook a proper Spanish paella.)

When Norman and Sadie needs some kindness, there are people there to help: Big Al, the 6'2 beer-swilling Keats-loving poet who gives Norman pointers on his performance, Tom (a possible father) and his girlfriend Kathy who attend Norman's disasterous talent show where two Frank Sinatra inpersonators end up fighting onstage, and a young Goth woman Sadie meets on a bus who helps Sadie find a missing Leonard.

The spirit of young Jax hangs over all of this lovely story, a mashup of Ricky Gervais' Nextflix show After Life, the Broadway show/movie Mamma Mia, and a buddy road trip movie. (Now you know you can't resist.)

If you're looking for a delightful story that will renew your faith in the goodness of humans (couldn't we all use that right now), pick up The Funny Thing About Norman Foreman. I'm still smiling thinking about Norman, Sadie & company. It's a love letter to single moms and their sons, and this would make a fantastic movie, I certainly hope someone options it right away.

Thanks to Harlequin Books for putting me on Julietta Henderson's tour.

Title: The Funny Thing About Norman Foreman
Author: Julietta Henderson
Genre: YA
Rating: 5 out of 5

Twelve-year-old Norman Foreman and his best friend, Jax, are a legendary comedic duo in waiting, with a plan to take their act all the way to the Edinburgh Fringe. But when Jax dies, Norman decides the only fitting tribute is to perform at the festival himself. The problem is, Norman’s not the funny one. Jax was.

There’s also another, far more colossal objective on Norman’s new plan that his single mom, Sadie, wasn’t ready for: he wants to find the father he’s never known. Determined to put a smile back on her boy’s face, Sadie resolves to face up to her own messy past, get Norman to the Fringe and help track down a man whose identity is a mystery, even to her.

I’ll be honest, initially, Sadie’s voice almost made me put this down. She just sounded so defeated. I am SO glad I didn’t! This ended up being a fantastic read! Norman is an awesome kid. I have no idea how he has such a positive attitude, considering everything, but he’s so uplifting and inspiring!

And, actually, Sadie is defeated when the book starts out. By life. By all the tragedy and hardship she’s experienced, by her own regrets, by her fears for Norman, and her grief. This story is as much her journey as Norman’s, and it ended up being such an enthralling story, with both laughter and tears, and I enjoyed it immensely.

Julietta Henderson is a full-time writer. The Funny Thing About Norman Foreman is her debut novel.

(Galley courtesy of Harlequin/MIRA in exchange for an honest review.)

(Blog link live 5/5.)

What a wonderful story! Sweet, funny, and tender are three words I'd use to describe Julietta Henderson's debut novel, The Funny Thing About Norman Foreman. She's created a terrific story about friendship, family, loss, love, and life. You can't help but get caught up in Norman's grief and his plan to honor his BFF Jax, along with his other plan of seeking out his father. Talk about an emotional rollercoaster. This book will have you sobbing, laughing, and smiling all the way through.

Norman is twelve years old. His BFF is Jax. They are a comedy duo with dreams of performing at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe when they turn fifteen. Except, Jax suddenly dies. And, Norman is left with a Jax-sized hole in his life. He's lost his BFF, his partner in comedy, and the one person who always managed to get him to try new things and enjoy life. Mired in grief, Norman decides he will honor Jax. Yep, he's going to perform at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe THIS year. Oh, and he's decided that it's about time he met his father. Say what? Norman is determined and he's made a new plan. Sadie, his mother, is also missing Jax. She worries about Norman as she watches him coping with his grief. And when she learns about his new plan, she shares her concerns with an older friend named Leonard. After listening to Sadie, Leonard hatches a plan to help Norman. He decides they are going to take his car and they are going to get Norman to the Edinburgh Festival Fringe to perform and they are going to find his father. Sadie was not expecting this at all. She's not really sure who Norman's father is and she worries how Norman will handle a critical audience when he performs. And yet, she goes along with Leonard's plan, because she is willing to try anything to make her boy smile. Plus, Norman keeps reassuring her that the worst has already happened, so everything to come must be better than what's already happened. So, off they go, packed for an adventure and filled with hope, along with some anxiety and nervousness. And, that is all I will write about this fantastic story. You MUST read it for yourself - you are going to fall in LOVE with The Funny Thing About Norman Foreman.

The writing is top notch. The characters are unforgettable. And the story is unputdownable. Henderson has written a truly delightful read that will warm your heart. This is one book you won't forget. So, I would happily recommend The Funny Thing About Norman Foreman to anyone and everyone looking for their next great read - check it out!

Twelve-year-old Norman Foreman is quite the kid, it has always just been he, his single mum Sadie, and his best friend Jax. He has also struggled with a bad case of psoriasis, but is literally the best possible sport about it. I mean how can you not be, especially when Norman and Jax have a comedy routine to work on as part of their documented Five Year Plan. They had planned to take their comedy act on the road to the Edinburgh Festival Fringe when they turned fifteen. Norman decides to honor Jax by taking this on solo, even though Jax was always the ‘funnier’ of the duo. As one does, he updated his Five Year Plan for accuracy, but he made one big addition - finding his father. Sadie is stunned by this, but wanting to make her grieving son happy, she takes a hard look at her messy past and they head out on a road trip to try and track down the man that has no idea about his son, and what ensues is unforgettable to say the least.

There are no words for how fantastic and wonderful and utterly moving this book is. It is so well written, the characters are flawed but come into their own, and the story is filled with healing, laughter, and plenty of ‘what is happening’ moments. I was absolutely blown away at how much I adored this one. Norman and his mum were such a great pair, they each had such great stories, and their journeys were unlike any I have been on in a while.

Thank you to @NetGalley and @mirabooks for the advanced digital copy to review. This one is available now and I strongly suggest you add it to your list!

Thanks to Mira Publishing and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of The Funny Thing About Norman Foreman for an honest review.

Things that will make me love a book:

Quirky characters that are better together.
Found Family
The Underdog wins
Elderly main or strong character

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.

Henderson has written a strong character driven book that deals with some difficult topics while balancing them with humor and strength.

Sadie is a single mom who is trying to balance life when her son's best friend, the Rolls-bloody-Royce of best friends, dies. Norman and Jax had 5 year plan to perform as a comedy duo at The Fringe. Now without the other half of the duo, the plan has changed but must go on. Enter Leonard, an elderly co-worker of Sadie's who concocts a plan to get Norman to The Fringe. Then they embark on a roadtrip like no other to get Norman to The Fringe to perform.

I cannot recommend this book enough. This book is just what I needed at just the right time. I could read books like this all day every day. I will be watching with great anticipation for more fabulous works from Henderson.

Trigger warnings may include: suicide and sudden death

➳ I was gifted an early copy of this book by Mira and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

When reading a synopsis of a book each of us have buzz words or themes that jump out and indicate this will probably be a book you really enjoy. This book had a few of those for me, some I didn't discover until I started reading, so let me share those with you here:

➳ adventure/road trip
➳ old man/grandfatherly character
➳ found family
➳ character-driven
➳ humor

With a list like this there should be no doubt whatsoever as to why I loved this story. Norman is a lovely little boy with severe psoriasis who didn't have many friends and definitely never had a best friend. That is until Jax came along. Jax managed to alienate every child in his class with his over-the-top behavior and potty mouth. So when he met Norman he knew he was likely his last chance at making a best friend and luckily Norman thought Jax was the best thing to happen to his class.

They were "The Bloody Rolls-bloody-Royce of bloody best friends," as Jax so eloquently put it.


Jax and Norman were 12 years old and had been fast friends for six years until a terrible tragedy struck and Jax died, leaving Norman with a gaping hole in his world that he didn't know how to fill. Out of desperation to lift Norman's spirits his mother, Sadie, blurts out that she would take Norman to the Fringe, a comedy festival that Norman and Jax had always dreamed of performing at. And even though they weren't planning to go for 3 more years Norman jumps on the opportunity to honor is friend by living their dream; even if Norman was the not-funny one.

Sadie, at a loss as to how she can possibly get her son a spot at the Fringe and also help him find his father, the second thing on his newly minted five-year plan list, she vents to her elderly friend, Leonard, about it who then decides he's going to help Sadie and Norman make this dream come true one way or another. Sadie is worried that her son doesn't have what it takes to get on the stage so Leonard arranges for Norman to perform at several open mic nights in various cities on their way to Edinburgh. But it turns out that Norman, Leonard, and Sadie learn a lot more than how to perfect a comedy show on this adventure full of hijinks, laughter, tears, and facing your fears.

"Hold on to your hat, Norman, old man! You're going to the Fringe, Baby!"


As I listed above some of my favorite things in books are old men and adventures and character-driven stories and this book hits the nail on all three heads and doesn't miss. Leonard is the perfect grandfatherly character with his wise advice, steady demeanor, and determination. Not to mention that he's just adorable- especially how he worships his lovely wife, Iris. He is exactly the type of friend Sadie needs in her life and on this trip. While Sadie loves her son more than life itself she is also a realistic and relatable mother. She isn't perfect, stiff, and coiffed. She has flaws, makes mistakes, and tends to be a bit unorganized. She's a person that all mothers can see themselves in even if they don't want to admit it. And while we're on the subject of realistic characters, Norman fits the bill perfectly. So many books and movies for adults present us with a carbon copy child that rarely acts like the way a real child would but that isn't the case with Norman at all. He's so well-written he practically stands up off the page. Characters are definitely one of Julietta Henderson's many strengths. She really seems to understand the human condition. Along the way we meet many other characters, both fun and some not so much, but Leonard, Sadie, and Norman are the stars of the show.

This story had me smiling so big nearly the whole time and when I wasn't smiling it's because I was outright laughing... and sometimes crying. Another thing this author does exceptionally well is balancing tragedy with humor. Our characters are each dealing with their own set of hardships, some of them together and others alone, but they always manage to have a good time and laugh through the tears. Jax may have passed but he's just as present in this story as if he was still right there beside this family. Both Sadie and Norman really loved Jax and deal with their grief in their own ways but one thing they have in common is thinking fondly on his crazy hijinks and using his outrageous advice and ideas to keep them going. I just love Jax and how full of life he was... so full of life that even after he was gone he still blinded both the characters and readers with his presence.

Among everything else done well in this book I also thought the pacing was perfect. Just enough action to keep the momentum going until it rolls to a graceful stop at the end. This is a story of friendship, love, hope, and self discovery among a million other things. It may not have you on the edge of your seat and it may not be a literary masterpiece, But what it is is better than all that. It's facing your fears and coming out the other side stronger. It's accepting who you are and learning to love that person. It's finding a place where you can think about the people you've loved and lost and smile instead of cry. It's a story about a boy and his best friend and the people that love them.

I also want to mention that I was able to listen to a large portion of this on audio and I highly recommend it. The narrator does the three main characters voices beautifully and with aplomb. The nuances she added while reading, especially the funny parts, really elevated the reading experience. This story is great no matter how you consume it but if you like audiobooks you should add this one to your list!

Content Warnings: suicide (off page), death of a friend, death of a parent, bullying, grief, illness. (less)

The Funny Thing About Norman Foreman turned out to be a pleasant surprise for me. Given the synopsis, I expected it to be emotional, but I really didn't expect to connect with these characters in a way that made it thoroughly compelling. I even found myself connecting with 12-year old Norman. In fact, Julietta Henderson made every character relatable in some way even if I didn't really have anything in common with them. This one is a story about family, friendship, loyalty, learning, and determination. It's very well written and engaging - just an all-around impressive debut novel.