I did nit finish this book, but might yet get back to it. I got to 20% and the slow pace was getting to me. I have read good reviews, so will give it another go in a few months.
An interesting premise with an excellent character Leonard, and lovely Norman, a boy with a broken heart and a mission.
thanks to #NetGalley for the opportunity to read this ahead of publication in exchange for an honest review.

My thanks to NetGalley and Bantam Press for a copy of “ The Funny Thing About Norman Foreman “
I must admit I struggled to get into this book but found it a decent read overall .
I think it would be a good read for an older teenager or young adult.

This was a warm, heartwarming read. Took me a short while to get into, but once I had, I really enjoyed the story.

The Funny Thing About Norman Foreman by Juliette Henderson.

All the emotions with this one! Lots of humour and a good dollop of sadness too. Ultimately a lovely, cheerful, uplifting read that I really enjoyed. I loved Norman & his mum Sadie (& Leonard was pretty great too)
Recommended for anyone looking for a lighthearted read about family, friendship & love.


Thank you to Random House and to Netgalley for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book.

Norman is twelve years old and unfortunately his best friend has just unexpectedly died. Together they had dreamt of performing at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival.
Norman along with his mum Sadie and her work late Leonard go on a journey which involves them trying to find Norman's father before arriving in Edinburgh to perform.
I found the first half of the story quite slow going but the pace did pick up in the second half. It was a sweet story that us occasionally funny and is all about following your dreams.
Thanks to netgalley and the publishers for this advance read in exchange for my honest opinion.

Imagine everything that a heartwarming book would be and I think you’d end up with something pretty close to “The Funny Thing About Norman Foreman.” It’s a lovely book telling the story of Norman and his Mum, Sadie.

Norman and his best friend Jax are 12 years old and are polar opposites but are united by many things including their obsession with comedy. They develop a 5 year plan to get to and perform at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival and spend many hours putting together their material. But when tragedy strikes, the plan falls to Norman and gets unexpectedly sped up. Within a few weeks, Norman and Sadie go on a journey, both literally and of self discovery that brings them into contact with a number of interesting characters, my favourite being Leonard who makes their journey possible.

While aspects of the story are fairly predictable, there are parts which are a surprise and I won’t spoil them here! My main criticism is that I struggled a bit to connect with Sadie as a character. Her love for Norman was clear and strong and once some of her past had been revealed, her thoughts and reactions made slightly more sense. But I still felt that some of her thoughts weren’t quite believable or were too extreme.

But overall I really enjoyed this book and Norman’s tale and would recommend it to others.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book.

Oh, how I hope that this debut novel by Juliette Henderson is the first in an amazing series! As uplifting as it is funny this book should not disappoint as we travel with Norman and his mother Sadie around the country, from Cornwall to Edinburgh on the journey of their lives.

Julietta Henderson's characterisation is superb and she manages to create relatable characters across the ages. Whilst far-fetched to a degree, everything in this book is there with a reason as we go on a journey of self-discovery, friendship and acceptance.

Humour is used throughout but readers should note that death, loss and grief plays an important role throughout but this is handled with grace and delicacy and, dare I suggest, more than a little insight. If you are comfortable with this the book might also be an interesting read for older YA readers.

A thoroughly enjoyable read!

With thanks to the author, publisher and Netgalley for the ARC.

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.

It took me a while to get into this book and work out who the characters were, but, once established, I enjoyed the roadtrip. However, maybe I just wasn't in the right mood for it but I found the humour a bit laboured and I didn't feel as involved as many other reviewers obviously did. It's a very good debut novel though and I will look out for further books by the author.
Thank you to netgalley and random house for an advance copy of this book.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an ARC of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for recommending this book.
I really enjoyed this one. The characters are so well fleshed out I felt like they were my old friends by the end of it. I loved the relationship between mother and son the most, as they knew their quirks and still loved each other regardless. The blossoming friendships between the other characters were beautiful too. Leonard and the finger flipping was brilliant.
I can't say much about the plot without giving too much away, except I liked how every issue was wrapped up nicely. Definitely a book I'd recommend to others.

A debut to be proud of by Julietta Henderson, characters to fall in love with and writing that makes you weep and laugh in equal measure. What more could you ask for?

So, Norman and his ‘best bloody friend ever’ Jax have a 5 year plan to make it to the Edinburgh Fringe by the time they are 18 and take the comedy world by storm. But Jax up and dies and Norman is bereft, lonely and needs a new plan. Upshot of this is that 12 year old Norman, his Mum Sadie and her tech savvy pensioner friend Leonard set off in Leonard’s vintage car on a road trip from Cornwall to Edinburgh collecting an array of wonderfully quirky characters on the way, in their attempt to confirm the identity of Norman’s father and secure Norman a place to perform at the Fringe festival. Only problem is, Jax was the funny one not Norman. What could possibly go wrong. Quite a bit as it happens.

A great feel good book that will stay with me for a really long time, highly recommended. Thanks to Netgalley for providing an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

Norman Foreman and his best friend Jax Fenton are twelve, they are a comedy duo with a five year plan to take their stage show and appear at the Edinburgh Fringe. A fantastic plan and then quite unexpectedly, Jax dies and Norman is grief stricken. Norman's mum Sadie and an elderly friend, Leonard resolve to get Norman to the 'Fringe' and perform as planned and what follows is a fabulous, heartwarming, life affirming road trip as they head north in Leonard's much loved old car. Juliette Henderson has scored a huge win with her funny, full of hope and beautifully crafted debut where Norman and Sadie narrate the journey in turn as we follow the three travellers and their encounters along the way.
Full of emotion, as the journey takes them from Penzance to Edinburgh, Norman is helped to deal with grief and the loss of his best friend, finally reaching their destination and not without some very funny incidents along the way!
I loved it for its warmth, humour and inspiration.
My question to Juliette - will Norman return with a new adventure? I hope so.

I can't begin to tell you how hard I've fallen for @JuliettaJulia1 #normanforeman. It's both utterly heartbreaking AND jam packed with joy. Hopeful. Funny. Sad. Touching. And brilliantly written. My first #BOTY2021, without a shadow of doubt.

This book is as uplifting as it is funny. Norman and his mother Sadie take us on a trip across the country, from Cornwall to Edinburgh; to find a missing father and for 12 year old Norman to perform in one of the biggest comedy festivals around.
Written very much in the vein of Harrold Fry and the 100 Year Old Man, Julietta Henderson sweeps us along with these two adorable characters, on a journey of self discovery, friendship and acceptance. We find the most delectable, quirky travel companions along the way, who help and hinder the progress, but always push them forward in some way or another.
This book is hilarious in places, yet it still manages to handle the highly sensitive topic of grief with delicacy and insight. Grief in its raw state and grief that has been buried for many years; both are unpacked here and through one catastrophic week, we witness the beginning of a new way forward, an understanding of the past, and a renewed appreciation of the relationship between a mother and her son. A relationship that is unbreakable and as solid as can be, yet set within that relationship are two individuals who feel that they are unworthy of the love received by the other. This epic journey gives them both a self-belief that can carry them forward and help heal the traumatic events of their past.
A fantastically entertaining read, but written with such care that creates complex, and credible characters – it is a book of hope and one that celebrates having the courage to follow your dreams.

A slow burning story as you follow Norman, mum Sadie and family friend Leonard on their road trip (with all the pit stops along the way) to the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, as part of Norman’s Five Year Plan. Henderson uses their trip from Cornwall up to Scotland as a way to examine Sadie’s life as mother and as a student following a traumatic life event, and Norman’s short life coping with debilitating psoriasis and dealing with the grief of losing his best friend suddenly.

I loved Norman; he’s kind, considerate and is slowly trying to find the courage to honour his beloved friend and also to find himself. He’s incredibly brave and the world needs more people like him. However I will admit I did lose my way in parts of this story, it felt very drawn out and affected my engagement with Norman, mum Sadie and Leonard.

⚠️Reader caution and potential spoiler; deals with suicide and the after effects. There’s also phrasing in this novel that might cause upset to those affected. ⚠️

A slow burner but it definitely grabs you. The roller-coaster of a ride that has you white knuckled and all your fingers crossed its going to work out OK. The list of characters keeps getting added at every stage of the journey, some awful some brilliant characters. You will know someone like them I guarantee it. Read the book enjoy and I will be looking out for a second book and keeping my fingers crossed there will be one.

Oh my goodness, but I loved this book.

A roller-coaster ride of hope and never giving up.

#NoSpoilers the characters are complex and credible. The minefield that is being a mum, and the minefield that is being a kid are so well observed. Heartbreaking and then hilarious.

An absolute joy to read.

Highly recommend.

What do you do when you're twelve years old and the best friend you've ever had, the "Rolls-bloody-Royce" of best friends, dies? When he was the other half of your comedy duo - the Morecombe to your Wise, Ronnie Corbett to your Ronnie Barker? What happens now to the five year plan they made to perform together at the Edinburgh Fringe? Well, maybe you just need to come up with a new plan.

Norman Foreman is grief-stricken when his best friend Jax dies suddenly. There is a huge Jax shaped hole in his life that no one else can fill. Always outgoing, outspoken and never still, Jax not only made quieter, shyer Norman funny and popular, he made him brave and got him into all sorts of scrapes he would never have had the nerve for on his own.

Norman's mother Sadie also misses Jax. Not just for his friendship and what it meant to Norman but for his noisy and lively presence in their home and his never-ending schemes. A single mother, Sadie lost her father, a not very successful comedian, the year before Norman was born while she was away at University. Her grief and anger at his death lead her to a short period of drinking and one-night stands so she was never sure who Norman's father could be. With her family of two and her boring job with an obnoxious boss, she's not sure that she's a good mother to Norman but knows she has to do something to help him overcome his deep misery. When she spills all her woes to Leonard, an elderly pensioner who works part time with her, he comes up with a plan to help Norman and so the three of them set off on a road trip from their home in Penzance to Edinburgh.

This is a wonderful book. A sweet and tender tale of friendship, love, family and learning to live for the moment. The characters are delightful and beautifully written. Norman is fragile but resilient and Sadie is a better mother than she thinks she is. Leonard is a surprisingly tech savvy octogenarian who is a pure delight with his use of computer graphics and google maps. Their road trip is full of pot holes and diversions, as they stay in some woeful accommodation, experience a local talent quest that erupts in violence, and befriend an unusual mix of characters along the way, and that's all before they even get to Edinburgh. A terrific debut novel – highly recommended!

It took me a while to get into this but after a short time I realised I was missing the company of Norman et al when I wasn’t reading. Very life-affirming, sweet and poignant and a good chuckle although I did have the odd tear. Madcap tale of going on an odyssey to the Edinburgh fringe and finding a father but discovering what you already have along the way. Delightful.

I was sent a copy of The Funny Thing about Norman Foreman by Julietta Henderson to read and review by NetGalley. This is a truly fabulous, entertaining, amusing and sensitive novel about a young boy wishing to follow in the comedic footsteps of the grandfather he never knew. This journey is made all the more poignant by the untimely death of his best friend who was going to be the funny man of their double act. With a new five year plan without best friend Jax, Norman Foreman and his mum Sadie set off on an adventure from Cornwall to the Edinburgh Fringe. I cannot praise this novel highly enough; it tugs at the heart strings and makes you chuckle, with a slightly outrageous story that is somehow totally believable! Read and enjoy!