What Happened to Henry?

by Sharon Pywell

Idolizing her older brother throughout their childhoods, young Lauren Cooper witnesses his transformation in the aftermath of a sudden tragedy and a compromising, but strangely enlightening, disorder. A first novel. 25,000 first printing.

Genres: Fiction

304 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2004

Reviews

[Kate · Rating 4 out of 5]

Henry is not quite of this world. He holds the siblings together as they attempt to raise themselves. Distant father and a grieving mother give them no guidance. They all turn out OK. Realistic characterizations, strong story line.

[Lindsey Porter · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book much more than I thought I was going to. What kept me reading was how unexpected the plot was to me. I started reading thinking that it was going to be a boring book about a girl going to a religious school, as foreshadowed by the first few chapters. In reality, it developed into something drastically different that I never expected. Early on, the main character's brother Henry realizes that he can see into the mind of someone who died in Hiroshima. This plot pushed the boundaries of my usual reading style. Additionally, I also loved the writing style of the author. She wrote in a way that allowed for time to seem natural. I did not, however, enjoy subplots that seemed almost random. There were parts of the story that strayed away and never really connected with the main story. During these points, I was disengaged. Overall, the this book is a bit strange, but definitely worth reading.

[Diego Navarro · Rating 4 out of 5]

“What Happened to Henry” is a novel by Sharon Pywell. This book is an adult type of book, it has themes of strong emotional connections and just adult themes over all, I would say that this is a mix between a mystery and love book, and love as in family love. The story begins with the introduction of a Catholic family; the Cooper’s. The protagonists; Henry, Lauren, and Winston are introduced. Henry being the oldest, then Lauren, then Winston. A strange occurrence happens, there new born sister died in her crib. This catapulted their mother into a depression that leaves her unable to properly take care of her children, their father engulfs himself in his work to try and get rid of the pain. This leaves Henry in charge of his ‘normal’ sister and with ‘saw-using’ Winston. As they grow older Henry starts to break down, one specific incident he started to think that he has entered the mind of Suriyu Asagao. He is very important in the story. As they grow older Lauren begins to see that she no longer has Henry to protect her, and that she is slowly losing him. The central conflicts in this novel are that of Man vs. Self and Man vs. Supernatural. Man vs. Self is shown in both Henry and Lauren, Henry is seen as this father figure as a loving and caring person that his siblings could always go too, but inside Henry is also damaged by the traumatizing death of their youngest sister. Lauren has this conflict as well; she battles her own thoughts of Henry as of his always right and perfect older brother and the fact that Henry is thinking the thoughts of a Japanese man. Man vs. Supernatural is a conflict that affects Lauren and Winston; the two of the siblings are forced to take care of their older brother who is slowly deteriorating from his ‘crazy’ Japanese state of mind. The two of them also have to face the fact that their brother is not as perfect as they thought of. I believe that the theme that Pywell is trying to tell is that family love is the strongest kind of love. I think this because even though Henry has become ‘crazy’ and different from how he was, Lauren and Winston still took care of him, Lauren didn’t care that her marriage was falling apart instead she was always there for her big brother .The writing style of Sharon Pywell is very diverse; she writes very descriptively and uses long and short sentences to put her thoughts on the readers head. She uses quotes very well. I chose this book, because it sounded interesting. I was drawn into it because one of the main characters is an older brother and so am I, so I could relate to what Pywell wrote about Henry. I would recommend this book to everybody, because it has all the ingredients to a great novel.

[Tianna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Story Progression/development: 5
Characterization: 5
Conflict: 5
Conclusion: 5

Additional Thoughts:
This book was as close to fictional genius as it can get with an intense beginning and an ending that didn't leave you feeling like nothing was concluded.
The premise of the story is that Henry can inhabit the mind of a "habakushi" or survivor of the atomic bomb in Hiroshima, Asagao. Asagao is unaware of his presence in his mind and slowly Asagao permeates from a dream to reality, which creates the conflict in the book.
The characters were beautifully organized and developed throughout the story and the reality of their situations was amazing.

Quotes:
-"None of us is safe. But some of us are loved. That is better than safe."
-"Happiness can make a person a little less alert to other people's troubles."
-My Ishiru told me once that men blew up loving things because they could not make any breathing thing out of their own flesh, like a woman makes a child, and this affected their minds in strange ways.

[Rachael · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved the idea of this book: a boy who also lives in the mind and soul of another man. I loved the characters: the three siblings struggling through the death of their baby sister; their mother, her depression, and crazy catholic religion, etc. I loved that the man whose mind Henry could overhear was a Japanese survivor of Hiroshima. I completely enjoyed the ongoing tension/question about mental disorder versus real connection between Henry and this man. The book and the writing were downright beautiful in parts. However, I felt let down by the ending with the spirits and the baby. It felt silly and mundane, oddly enough, given that we are talking about the supernatural/spiritual. I would have liked it better if the question of what happened to Henry wasn't entirely resolved, or maybe I just wanted another resolution.

[Michelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is brilliant. Henry occupies the mind of a survivor of Hiroshima and therefore the minds of his siblings as well, as they try to take care of him. He is not worried about the details of life and often reassures them with zen-like sayings and sounds much wiser than his years. His brother and sister are often sparring and Henry is the bridge of calm in their relationship. Their are minor inconsistencies in this book. For example, how neatly tied up a character's life is in the end or how Winston seems to be the focus at the beginning and then loses his destructive bent. These are neither here nor there, however, given what a wonderfully inventive ride this book is.

[Amy · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was interesting, but a bit odd. Henry is one of three surviving siblings. His parents lost an infant daughter to SIDS, which traumatizes the family. After receiving a severe electric shock, he forms a link to the lost spirit of a deceased Japanese man. Henry helps this wandering spirit to find his ultimate home, while simultaneously losing and finding his own. It was helpful to have read "Peony in Love" to understand the beliefs and view of the afterlife introduced by Henry's unique experiences. While I enjoyed reading it, I wouldn't read it again.

[Karen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting read about mental illness but I kept wondering if there was more to the story.

[Patricia Connolly · Rating 4 out of 5]

That's the thing... It wasn't just Henry. It was his whole family. Challenging because of the complexity of mental illness, but warm and funny and evocative.

[Barbara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Slow reading. I was fascinated with Ausiago and the concept of what Henry is really experiencing.