The Reluctant Journal of Henry K. Larsen

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.

Reviews

"Both disarming and endearing. A realistic, poignant portrait of one teen who overcomes nearly unbearable feelings of grief and guilt."
Kirkus

"Nielsen’s balance of humor and pathos is finely honed, making this a surprisingly breezy read for so heavy a topic"
Daniel Kraus - Booklist

"Nielsen writes about the heaviest subjects with the lightest of touches... the balance between tragedy and humour is so carefully managed, that this is a truly uplifting, even happy read."
Andrea Reece - Lovereading4Kids

"Gloriously character driven... poignant and witty"
The Bookbag

"The Reluctant Journal of Henry K. Larsen is the perfect mix between funny and sad... A beautiful story."
Snuggling on the Sofa blog