The Reluctant Journal of Henry K. Larsen

by Susin Nielsen

Thirteen-year-old wrestling fanatic Henry used to have a normal life. Now, his therapist wants him to keep a journal so he can express his feelings about what happened.
Henry has moved with his dad to a new city, where nobody knows their name. He lives off a diet of pizza, whilst hiding from the comically overbearing neighbours and avoiding being an obvious target for bullies at his new school. But then he meets Farley and Alberta, social misfits who refuse to let him be alone. And bit by bit, the past begins to come out.
Heartbreaking, surprising and laugh-out-loud funny, The Reluctant Journal of Henry K Larsen is about the things that remain after your life has fallen to pieces.

• ISBN10: 1783443669
• ISBN13: 9781783443666
• Publish Date: 4 February 2016 (first published 1 September 2012)
• Publish Status: Active
• Publish Country: GB
• Imprint: Andersen Press Ltd
• Format: Paperback (B-Format (198x129 mm))
• Pages: 272
• Language: English

Reviews

[elvinagb]

Henry K. Larsen is a thirteen year old boy, living with his father in a new city where they have moved to escape after “IT” happened. Henry’s mother is not living with them and now Henry is left to copy with what happened pretty much on his own. He is reluctant to make any new friends at school or in his apartment building, he doesn’t want anyone to know what happened. His therapist gives him a notebook to keep a journal in. Henry is reluctant at first but gradually starts to open up about “IT” and that is how we learn about Henry’s life and what happened to his brother Jesse.
This story is darkly humorous at times, but Henry’s journal lets us really see what happens when bullying is not stopped or dealt with and what can happen when a bully becomes a victim. Tragedy can affect everyone on both sides of a crime and we forget that often there are more victims than we realize. Henry and his family also have had to pay a price for Jesse’s actions and will have to live with what Jesse did for the rest of their lives.
We have a glimpse of what Henry’s life will become and can have some hope that although he and others will never forget what Jesse did, they will find ways to cope and move on with their lives.

[wcs53]

The Reluctant Journal of Henry K. Larsen is a wonderful book. Once I started reading it I really did find it hard to put down. As may be deduced from the title, the book is the story of Henry K. Larsen written in the style of a personal journal. The reluctance to write the journal is revealed in the story, but it would spoil it to give it away here.

The story is set mainly in British Columbia, with a little bit of Ontario thrown in. I have never read the Diary of a Wimpy Kid books so I'm not sure how this compares, but I can imagine that this is a more mature and gritty Canadian-style story, aimed at teens, tackling the very serious issue of bullying and the consequences that could grow from bullying that spirals out of control.

Even with the serious issue at the centre of the story, this is a very humorous and enjoyable read. You have to love and also have sympathy for the central character. Due to the 'IT' event that Henry writes about, he and his family have had to relocate to a new home, new school, and a new job for his father. His mother has not yet joined them in their new home and this brings added stress to the situation. Some new and interesting people come into his life - both at his new school and in the apartment building they have had to move into. Some of these people are the ones he becomes closest to in the end, even though at first he perhaps didn't want to know them or open up to them.

There are moments that bring you close to tears and there are some really funny laugh out loud moments, especially in some of the jokes that Henry shares with his psychiatrist.

Although the book has a quite satisfactory ending, the characters still have things to work out as they move forward with their life. I have no idea if there are plans for another installment or not, but I would welcome another journal of Henry K. Larsen just to see where some of the relationships go. However, I don't think it would be so reluctant a journal and perhaps we are best left with this one.

This is a book that I'd readily recommend. I know that my family will enjoy it at some time. There is a lot that can be learned from it, especially in the way that bullying either is or is not dealt with in the story.

The Reluctant Journal of Henry K. Larsen is published by Tundra Books and will be released on 11 September 2012. The author, Susin Nielsen, is the award winning writer of such books as Dear George Clooney: Please Marry My Mom and Word Nerd

DISCLAIMER - I received this book for review as an ARC galley from NetGalley. This in no way influenced my review.