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Jack Tumor (2009)

by Anthony McGowan(Favorite Author)

3.72 of 5 Votes: 4

ISBN

0374329559 (ISBN13: 9780374329556)

languge

English

genre

Humor

publisher

Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR)

review 1: One of the coolest ideas (a talking brain tumor) and definitely one of the coolest opening words for any book: Arsecheese. The tone is set: we get deliciously vulgar ( thought often decidedly man-) humour as well as unpredictable scenes featuring Hector Brundy – your typical nerdgeek who’s into comic books, Star Trek as well as Buffy the Vampire Slayer. That last part definitely won over the cat.Henry Tumour is a sensitive tale about growing up, and making the best of things, despite your shortcomings , even if that something is a brain tumor that threatens to take over your life as well as your geeky personality. When life is short, the last thing you need is a brain tumor trying to turn you into Super Stud (to keep in tune with the comic book theme of the novel). The... more sensitivity of the novel is smartly disguised in brutally honest bully scenes, sex-talk and snogging fests with Uma Upshaw (I am not inventing this name!) and tragic-comic reveries about has been hippie-feminists. Also disguised amongst the stream of consciousness writing are important questions about your own mortality, and the need/want/use of morality in light of the finality of all things (with Hector as the Ego and Henry as the Id). This is never an easy question to answer, but in the mind of a teenager with a brain tumor, the whole thing almost gets something hilariously grotesque.The cat definitely rates this book 4 stars, but she felt her mind wander a bit at times, much like Henry takes Hector’s mind on a bit of a mind trip. Otherwise it would have been a 4+… Be that as it may, Henry Tumour is as fresh as fresh can get, and you’ll find yourselves sniggering along with the crude jokes and reveling in the TV and other pop culture references.
review 2: The main character has a brain tumor named Jack that coaches him on how to be cool. Interesting concept, but I feel that the author could have done a better job with it. It is a semi-interesting book with his hippie mom, no dad, dorky friends, brain tumor, England slang terms, and unique way of looking at life. It was an OK way to spend some down time, but I did not love this book. Maybe I would have liked it better if I was a boy, but regardless, this book was OK. less

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