I didn't finish this book but feel like it is really topical for young people to read. With a lot of parents that go through cancer, I know there are many teens that are going through all this right now. There will be a lot of emotion that comes with it and it would support the reader if they could talk about it afterwards if they felt it resonated with them.

I would really struggle to recommend this novel to anyone, especially in education. The main character is incredibly unsympathetic, and the writing is far too try-hard for the readers it's marketed for. Having the main hook a tv personality that really hasn't been relevant for the last few years comes off as desperate too.

Humour
10-14
Philip Wright dreams of becoming a comedian like his real-life hero Harry Hill. Philip is dealing with typical middle school problems – too much homework, a demanding bully Philip calls The Yeti, and the heartbreak of unrequited love for a classmate. But Philip relies on getting laughs from his close friend Ang and his mum, known as his biggest fan. So when she cries instead of laughing, Philip knows something is wrong. It turns out she has cancer. And it’s an embarrassing one too. Humour abounds, sprinkled with honest tender moments that strike just the right note for young readers. it’s also full of information about cancer, delivered in a way that feels natural and will inform young readers whether or not they are dealing with this themselves. Hamill is a cancer survivor, and author of the nonfiction book for adults, B is for Breast Cancer. This is her debut novel, first published in 2016 in her native Ireland, and released this year to a North American audience. The cover put me off, and I delayed picking it up for a long time, but once I did I enjoyed this story immensely. It’s set in Ireland and feels quite Canadian, despite a fairly homogeneous set of characters, all well developed and authentic. My thanks to Annick Press for the digital reading copy provided through NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.
More discussion and reviews of this novel: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/31213671

#tear-yerker #MG #readaloud very well written book about a 12yo who wants to be a comedian/ discovers his mother has breast cancer. Really impressed with her getting into that pre-adolescent way of being.
My only quip is that this is an Irish book by an Irish author. I was reading the American edition and it was really annoying that they had to Americanise it - like please? Our global kids - as if they couldn't deal with the Irish troubles instead of the civil war - grow up American publishers and editors.

I wasn't too sure of this book at first. Philip is kind of whiny to begin with. I know there are a lot of boys around that age who are like that, but it made me want to scream at him. At the same time, I was in his corner. It gets frustrating when you don't know what is going on. I was with him wanting to know what was going on with his family. Hiding things from people does not make it easier, it just makes the person go crazy. This book is case in point.

As the book goes on, you can see Philip changing. He takes a tough situation and grows from it, helping others at the same time.

The ending was great. It gave you just enough to feel okay with the book ending, but still left somethings up in the air. There are hints as to what may happen in the future, but it is not spelled out. I like it when books let the reader come to their own conclusions on things instead of telling you every detail about every character.

I was given a copy of the book by NetGalley for an honest review.

Author: Christine Hamill
Publisher: Annick Press
Publication Date: 14 Mar 2017

What could be more embarrassing for a 12 year old boy than for his mom to have breast cancer? That's what Philip thinks at first but when he takes a step back and learns that it's not all about him he learns a lot about himself and those around him.

So I was wondering how much of this book would focus on mom's breast - the blurbs about the book made it seem kind of shallow in that regard. Philip was a bit one track at first but did learn and grow throughout. My issue was the other character's development - all of a sudden at the end he finds out his best friend is dating someone and he had no clue they liked each other, he learns about the bully's secret, and his crush now likes him. There didn't seem to be enough lead up to those events and some things were just left dangling - the poetry assignment for one. I just didn't think the book as a whole was fleshed out enough.

Laughter is The Best Medicine. Twelve-year-old Philip is a huge fan of English comedian and TV presenter Harry Hill. Philip aspires to become a stand-up comedian one day. So when his biggest fan, his Mum, starts crying in reaction to one of his jokes, Philip knows something must be seriously wrong.
This book made me laugh one minute and brought tears to my eyes the next. Christine Hamill did a wonderful job balancing a serious topic - a lone parent diagnosed with cancer - with lighthearted, comedic situations. Philip's life seems to get more complicated and confusing by the minute. He not only has to cope with his mother's diagnosis, treatment and perplexing behavior, but also with Yeti, the school bully, with his first crush, "the Godess", issues with his best friend Ang, his neighbor's annoying Chihuahua and poetry for English class.
The book is perfect for kids. IMHO it is suitable for readers aged 10 and above and should also appeal to more reluctant readers. Obviously, I don't fit into these categories, but I still loved it, so there's something for older readers here, too.
Philip's first-person perspective was very funny. The author's own experience of coping with breast cancer while raising a son ensures the serious topic is portrayed in an authentic and poignant manner. Some parts, such as the Harry Hill plotline were predictable, but overall, this was a heartwarming, uplifting, and touching reading experience. I devoured this in one sitting.
I received an ARC via NetGalley.

Philip is a twelve year old wannabe comedian. His best friend Ang at school knows he gets targeted by The Yeti, as he calls his bully as well as Ang knowing about Lucy, the girl he likes.

However, when Philips mum starts acting strangely and allowing him to have baked cakes and watch all the Harry Hill he wants to, he starts to realise something is different.

Which is when his mum friend Susie starts coming round more as his mum breaks down and reveals she has breast cancer and faces treatment. Philip is shocked and can't believe it, he writes more letters to Harry Hill with all his issues and doesn't give up.

Then when his mum meets others with cancer, the Harry Hill appreciation society is created as the patients all take off their wigs and also Philip shaves his head to fit in and make his mum feel less alone.

Then something amazing happens and Harry Hill gains a protégée for a performance which makes a dream come true!

I have had relatives close to me suffer with cancer unfortunately and this book is an amazing unique twist on how an idol can keep spirits alive in the face of the unknown to come.

Many thanks to the publishers for allowing me to review this book for them!

More Nuanced, and Touching, Than You Might Expect

I approached this book with some degree of trepidation. The blurbs suggested that our hero Philip's main problem with his mother's breast cancer was that it involved, you know, her "boobs", and how embarrassing is that? That just felt juvenile and cringe worthy. It didn't help that Philip is a bit shallow and scatterbrained in the first chapter or two, which led me to wonder whether I really wanted to spend a few hundred pages with this kid. Well, fear not. Once this book gets up and running every single character steps up in class, and the book just keeps getting better right up to the satisfying conclusion.

Putting Mom aside for a moment, Philip has an otherwise interesting list of issues - including a crush on a girl goddess, a hulking bully, an occasionally clueless best friend, a teacher, a looming poetry assignment, and some other standard issue middle grade concerns. We also have a "quirky" angle that started out twee but actually built up steam and ultimately worked. Philip wants to be a stand up comedian and his idol is Harry Hill, (who is, for American readers' edification, an actual, popular English comedian and television personality). Philip writes confessional letters to Harry asking for advice, and these letters are a very clever change from the usual diary entries or imaginary friends or the like.

All of that is frame, though, for the main event, which turns on how Philip and his Mom deal with Mom's diagnosis, treatment, and recovery. In this storyline Mom gets equal billing. Both of them takes turns being sad, scared, nutsy, grumpy, unpredictable, prickly, tender, hopeful and hopeless. The whole terrible saga is laid out in a middle grade version of clear eyed, which means that Philip is sometimes a reliable but uncomprehending narrator, and much of the subtlety in the storytelling lies in the difference between what Philip sees and understands and what he sees and misunderstands.

There are lots of other nice touches and interesting or edgy story choices made by the author, and some of the best moments just take up a line or two of text. This is not a heavy handed or preachy book, but it is rather sneaky. The upshot, for me, was that I became rather fond of all of these characters, and I especially appreciated the good humor and restraint that the author brought to the delicate balancing act of making all of these different pieces and bits work. A happy find.

(Please note that I received a free advance ecopy of this book without a review requirement, or any influence regarding review content should I choose to post a review. Apart from that I have no connection at all to either the author or the publisher of this book.)

I'll be honest, I didn't enjoy this book. I forced myself to finish it just because it's short and because I got a free copy. I wish I have something more positive to tell about my opinion, but I can't lie.



What I didn't like in the story:

a) Supposedly it's a funny book, but I can count with one hand the times I laughed while reading it. I understood that Philip wants to be a comedian, but some of his jokes were more pathetic than funny.

b) I didn't like how the cancer issue is handled. I think I read a third of the book when the issue finally appears. But meh. It's the main topic and it's treated superficially.

c) Philip is unbearable. For a lot of reasons: his “love” for the girl, his selfishness, his attitude. Ugh. I was so frustated with him. Sometimes he acted as an adult and sometimes as a little kid. I didn't like him as the narrator.

d) The plot is very flat. There are no surprises or excitement to know how the story will end. I was disappointed because I had big expectations of the book.


Among the good things: it's super easy to read, it has simple style/language; and, at least, it entertains. It seemes like the book didn't work for me at all.

Philip admires comedian Harry Hill and aspires to be like him. He and his best friend Ang practice jokes on each other. His number one fan his his Mum, until nothing he does makes her laugh anymore and she cries instead.

Yes his mother has cancer. And yes, it is hinted at but he doesn't figure it out until half way through the book. But was he does the story gets more human, more poignant and I almost cry in some places.

Good book, if for nothing else, to speak to kids whose mothers have cancer. And it isn't all doom and gloom.
<blockquote>
“Radiation therapy,” Susie said. “They zap the area with X-rays and . . .” “Radiation!” I yelled. “Are you crazy? Radiation killed Dr. Who in that Christmas special we watched. Don’t you remember? Five hundred thousand rads of the stuff, just before David Tennant regenerated into Matt Smith.” “I fell asleep five minutes in,” Mom said.</blockquote>

Thanks to Netgalley for making this book available for an honest review