Henry Tumour

by Anthony McGowan

It wasn't my fault Henry was in charge. As if school bullies and his mum's tofu sandwiches weren't enough for Hector Brunty, he now has another - a talking brain tumour. Henry Tumour turns out to be the perfect alter-ego, advising Hector on haircuts, high-fashion, and tactics for snogging the best-looking girl in school, Uma Upshaw. Controlling his speech and brain chemicals is one thing, but soon Henry Tumour is trying to make more decisions about Hector's life than he'd like. Can Hector overpower his tumour in order to get what he really wants... before they both go under the knife?

Genres: Young Adult, Fiction, Humor, Comedy, Contemporary, Teen

301 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2007

About the author

Anthony John McGowan is an English author of books for children, teenagers and adults. He is the winner of the 2020 CILIP Carnegie Medal for Lark. In addition to his 2020 win, he has been twice longlisted (for The Knife That Killed Me in 2008 and Brock in 2014) and once shortlisted (for Rook in 2018) for the CILIP Carnegie Medal, and is the winner of the 2006 Booktrust Teenage Prize for Henry Tumour.

Reviews

[Ishmael · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Laugh and the world laughs with you, snore and you sleep alone."

Here is a book that will make you laugh and cry. Sometimes on the same page. For those that do snore, don't worry, it's a page-turner, so you can stay up all night reading!

There's a special place in my heart for Henry Tumour. I first read it back when I was almost the same age as Hector, the narrator of the story. I felt an immediate affinity with him, as we were both having far more success in mathematics than with those myserious creatures, the opposite sex. I don't think it's too much of a spoiler to mention that he has a brain tumour. A talking one, called Henry. You're going to find out on page one anyway.

I decided to re-read this after obtaining an old library copy. There's so many references to books and comics, it felt like the whole story was an intricate inside-joke, which I, the reader, was invited to join.

There's swearing, snogging and stargazing. If you assumed that this book wouldn't make you think, just because the opening sentence is "Arsecheese.", you'd be wrong. There's some beautiful, profound moments interspersed among the highs and horrors of teenage life. Fortunately Henry, our favourite cancerous inner-monologue, always manages to bring us back down to earth.

I'm not sure who to recommend this to. Fans of William Shakespeare, Frank Miller, George Orwell? Who knows? I think anyone would find it hard to dislike this book.

I just ordered Hellbent too!

[Ringo The Cat · Rating 4 out of 5]

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 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.

[Miss Ryoko · Rating 4 out of 5]

This looks an awful lot like David Henrie on the cover. Aww, how I miss Wizards of Waverly Place!

I picked this book up at the library book sale a while back because the synopsis sounded hilarious... a talking brain tumor!? How could I pass that up. What really surprised me was how touching this book actually was. Now, don't get me wrong, it definitely had it's hilarious moments, but I found it to be moving as well.

I really loved Hector Brunty as a character. Not only was he nerdy but he was so humanized. And I really love how his relationship with Jack (his brain tumor) really changed him, at first for the worst, but in the end, the better. His gang of nerdy friends were all so great too.

The writing was fantastic. Hector's voice was loud and clear through the writing. I loved the style and presentation of the writing. Superb! Not only was the writing spot on, but the overall ability to take an idea that really, sounds so ridiculous (a talking brain tumor? Really?) and turning it into a fantastically written book with both humor and humanity in it - wonderful. There were many times I thought the story was going to take a turn for the worse and it was going to get crappy on me, but it just kept getting better and better.

I love Hector, now and forever. He will be a character I remember for many years, and one I think I will cherish.

And I must say, JK Rowling THAT'S how you do a fantastic epilogue! This was probably the greatest epilogue I ever read. I knew it was good when I was chuckling the first sentence in. Great epilogue. Great story. Fantastic job Mr. McGowan!

Oh, and with this book, I reached my reading goal of 330 books for 2013! Woot! A good book to reach my goal with!

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

Difficult to think of a book about a boy and his brain tumor as funny, but this one really is. Hector, who's been having rather severe headaches, starts hearing a voice. Not just any voice, it's the voice of Jack... Jack Tumor (who TALKS LIKE DEATH if you know what I mean).

Jack's funny at times, cranky at others. It's sort of like Heck's subconscious but better - at one point (and I'm paraphrasing here) Jack admits that he has access to everything in Hector's brain, including stuff he doesn't know is there. Some of that is girls (Uma and Amanda), some of that is how to best the school bullies, and some of it is bad graveyard poetry. Go figure.

Mom's a hippie from the CND demonstrations, serving mung bean soup and various icky-sounding teas, and doesn't seem terribly good at Mom-stuff, particularly when her son is finally diagnosed with the tumor. Or after, it seems.

The majority of the action takes place in a fortnight, which seems short but there's a lot packed in. I think the boys will like it, despite its being written in English, not American.

[Haley · Rating 5 out of 5]

In an overflowing, smelly, terribly lit save-a-lot I came across 'Jack Tumor'. Whilst looking at another book that didn't really interest me, I knocked over Anthony McGowan's masterpiece. One look at the first word, Arsecheese, I was sold. I took it home, not thinking much of it. Little did I know that this crude, hilarious, and beautifully insightful novel would change my life forever. Pretty amazing for an accident, right? Perhaps it was Hector Brunty, the humorous and very humanized character, or maybe it was his know-it-all brain tumor Jack that made me fall in love with this book. I would like to thank my clumsiness that brought 'Jack Tumor' and I together.

The only thing I will say is that the comic strip ending is only featured in 'Henry Tumour' Which is the original UK version. I'm completely satisfied with the ending as it is, but now I suppose I'm going to have to buy the UK version. enjoy the riveting, hilarious adventure of Hector and Jack. Along with the beautiful and touching words of Mr.McGowan.

[Kat · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really will never learn. How many times have I picked up a book I knew was going to be funny-beyond- belief, and read it on the train! After snorting with laughter very loudly on a train jam packed with people, this strictly became a read-at-home-only book. And this is one seriously funny book. The premise is simple. Hector discovers he has a brain tumour. Its name is Henry. And it talks to him, gives him advice and generally keeps him company. Whether Hector likes it are not.

The story is super clever as it deals with quite a serious and difficult topic, but in a way that is easy for younger people to relate too. A colleague told me about McGowan's other book, 'Hellbent', but the plot didn't appeal, so I went for this one instead. When I read to first word on the first page, it was sold, but due to the nature of that word, this is probably a book for older readers!!

[Tobias Hermansson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ändå väldigt fin relation mellan heck och hans kåta tumör 😌

[Neve Goldsmith · Rating 3 out of 5]

Funny. It makes me wish I was a comic nerd so I could get all the references. Defiantly need to re-read.

[Candice Lamb · Rating 4 out of 5]

I saw this in the guardians kids section and was pulled to it by the excellent front cover. A comic bookesque style of a boy and taking brain tumour.
Told through amusing tales of growing up, school bullies and that eventful first kiss. Henry tumour is the tale of a boy called Hector who is trying to get on with his life as well as having a tumour that talks. Sad in places but also uplifting. Great for teens and adults alike

[Megan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have to admit this book read kind of like a NaNoWriMo novel. I'm not saying that in a bad way. Just that the voice of the protagonist lends it to the type of writer who has a word count to fulfill or who gets paid by the sentence. There is a lot of extra stuff here. Do I really care about the Battle of the Fish and Chips Shops? Not really. But the way the author puts himself in the head of the main character, it's obvious that Heck cares about it, or at least has that flotsam floating around in his head, and by golly if he's writing a book it is all spilling out on the paper. At first I found this a bit annoying. But Heck is one of those characters who grows on you. By the last page, he was someone I could genuinely care about, for all of his silly meandering mental paths. His voice is very clear.

That's kind of how the entirety of this book was for me. At first I had a hard time settling myself down in the plot and setting. Not because I'm unused to British novels or slang, because I'm not, but because seeing the world through the viewpoint of someone who lives it every day naturally means you get a few strange things thrown at you all at once and not everything is going to be explained. But as the novel carried itself along, I grew more interested in Heck's life, his friends (though I never could tell them or the bullies quite apart), and his family. By the end of it I genuinely was rooting for Heck.

I had a hard time with Jack. Maybe it was just his ALL-CAPS dialogue though normally that doesn't bug me. I had a hard time figuring out what he was saying and what his motives were. It felt strange that a tumor would actually have motives. That kind of got me off on some long train of thought about If I Were a Brain Tumor, What Would My Life Goal Be? Would it be different if I were a tumor in somebody's colon, or a piece of plaque blocking their artery, or an ulcer in their tummy? Hmm. Thinking about the thought paths of vicious bodily problems occupied me quite a bit as I read along.

I would like to see this comic ending that got cut out of the American version. I HATE when books are changed from country to country. It is a pet peeve of mine. Here's hoping the comic can be put online somewhere...

[Tyler Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

When I first read 'Henry Tumour' I was around Hector's age and naturally related to a lot of the themes of the book, particularly being a nerd and largely ignored by the opposite sex.

I enjoyed it then and having re-read it now almost a decade later it's still just as brilliant. The plot is unique and despite its serious theme is executed really well, the dialogue is sharp and I can see why some would be frustrated by the ending but I actually think it's appropriate, Hector would like it.

Must say the best scene was the small cameo from Connor O'Neil, it was nice to see him doing well!

Overall a great book which is ould thoroughly recommend to anyone!

[Sally · Rating 5 out of 5]

An absolutely hysterical book about a boy with a brain tumour. It shouldn't be funny, but it ABSOLUTELY is! I mean, what author would be MAD enough to start their book with the heading and firts line "ARSECHEESE" I ask you! Of course, it's Anthony McGowan.

I love the way this novel unravels, drawing the reader ever deeper into the insanity that Henry's tumour causes him while he grapples with what this means to his life. It's like his inner monologue has read all of his Negative Thoughts and is either using them as a weapon against him or shouting them down to get Henry on side, either way - the tumour is taking over and is going to go out with a bang.

I've found this book to be a massive hit for those reluctant readers who have a good or higher reading ability, but low interest levels when it comes to reading. the main reason is that it doesn't talk down to the reader, whilst also having such great dark humour that those students (who normally feel like literature doesn't represent or connect with them) find themselves drawn in and enthused enough to turn the page and carry on reading! I normally reccomend it to one student, find that they've mentioned it to a friend and that they both take a copy! I even get thier friends coming by and reserving a copy as they are interested off the back of them starting the book too so it has flurrys of issues throughout the school year as groups discover it! It's one of my favourite parts of my job!

[Louisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Don't let the cover fool you. This is no Paul Jennings (not that I have anything against Paul Jennings). My point is, it's a little heavier than the cartoon cover might suggest. Yes, it is funny. Yes, it is about a teenage boy. Yes, it is set predominnantly in a school. Good for young teenage boys then? Maybe and maybe not. It is also about a boy who has a brain tumour: one that talks to him and controls his behaviour. So the theme of death and dieing, while it is dealt with in an unsual way, is important. It is also about bullying (some of it quite nasty) and the concept of who fits in and why that is or isn't important. All very common ideas that most teenagers are interested in, right? In order to 'keep it real' the author has allowed his characters some fairly coarse language - hence my earlier statement about Jennings who is much more careful. For me, the 'bad' language really contributed to the novel's humour as well as its authenticity. Set in Manchester, some of the vocabulary might baffle the average Aussie but it certianly won't ruin the experience. To conclude, this is a clever novel which tackles some very difficult and sensitive issues with sharp humour and honesty. I really enjoyed it even though it paints a pretty horrendous picture of teachers!

[Georgia · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have read this book twice now, which shows how much I love it, as I very rarely do that. It was even better the second time! This book is so full of witty phrases and laugh-out-loud bits, but it also tackles deep philosophical subjects like the meaning of life and what happens to us after we die in a very clever way.
Hector is a likeable and hilarious character, and his narration of his antics with his talking brain tumour Henry (who is also strangely loveable despite his educated insults and insensitivities hurled across Hector's mind every day) kept me gripped throughout the whole book, and Hector's love for Amanda Something made me "awww" several times. The only downside to the story is the fact that we don't really find out what happens to Hector and Henry in the end, although we are given a short but cryptic comic sequence on the final pages.
One of my favourites, and definitely definitely worth a read.

[Meeeriams Fleep · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have to admit I left this story three quarters of the way through becasue it was so depressing towarsds the end, HOWEVER..I did read lots of spoilers and whatever I may have initially thought about this story, I do not hesitatae for a moment to declare its absolute FANTASTIC BRILLIANCE, which I do suppose was highly influenced by reading McGowan's other book, Hellbent. Its surprisingly funny for such a depressingly sad topic, and had me cringing at times, laughing out loud, as well as being dampened by feelings of utmost tragic depression :/ HOWEVER, I still am of the ABSOLUTE AND COMPLETE CONVICTION that you really cannot ignore such a book. Do it justice, and then judge, critically if you like, BUT DO NOT UNDERESTIMATE THE BRILIANCE OF THE WRITING!!!

[Ryan Bruesewitz · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jack Tumor is a very interseting, but also a little sad novel. The novel is about a young teen in Britain named Henry and his troubles in his school with bullies, friends, girls, and above all his brain tumor. Hector quickly learns about his brain tumor, who prefers to be called "Jack", but Jack knows that he and Henry dont have much time (because he's still a deadly brain tumor), and strives to make the best of his stay in the boy's head. Jack claims to know and can access everything that has ever been stored in Henry's brain (much like the movie "Limitless") and helps him with processing information during school, and helps him get the girls at his school. Jack Tumor is an awesome book and i would recommend it to anyone who wants an easy but good read.

[Stefan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a funny, realistic book about a 14-year-old boy who is being tested for brain cancer. As the novel begins, he starts to hear a voice in his head that he calls Jack Tumor (hence the title). The novel is set in England, so along with a lot of British slang (is snogging what I think it is?) it creates a picture of school life in England. It seems surprisingly similar to American high schools, except that the bullying is much more pervasive. I enjoyed this book and would give it a 9 out of 10, but it will only go on the 8th grade shelf in my classroom.

[Marisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very cute, funny boy book. Unfortunately, the most inappropriate-likely-to-offend-somewhat-conservative parents, moment occurs in the first five or so pages of the book. Kind of limits who I can recommend to. Bummer. Matt said he read another book by the same author that's a retelling of Dante's Inferno, and that it was also very funny but slightly inappropriate. (That was a really bad sentence, sorry, in a hurry.) We don't seem to own it, though...

[Nancy · Rating 5 out of 5]

from the author of Hellbent. Hilarious, sad and romantic all at the same time. About a boy who gets a brain tumor. A talking brain tumor. That starts taking over his life, by insisting that his only reason for existence is to perpetuate his genes. You know what that might mean! The protagonist from Hellbent makes a cameo.

[Caren · Rating 5 out of 5]

Quirky plot, but more depth than first appears. Good teen read. (Original British title "Henry Tumour", a play on the name's similarity to Henry Tudor.) The author says the relationship between Henry (the tumor) and Hector (his host) mimics that of Prince Hal and Falstaff in Shakespeare's "Henry IV, Part I". The plot involves the battle between id and ego, pleasure and principle.

[Shealyn Reilly · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was actually pretty funny. I think the story was a little weird, but it was still enjoyable. I wasn't sure if I'd like this book or not because of the way it was written, but it was alright :)

[Alisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

I wasn't expecting to like this book, but it was amazing. It was funny in the strange teenage boy way, and I got very attached to the main character and his friends. I recommend this book to anybody who reads John Green or any funny, heartwarming books because that was exactly what this book was.

[Xylene Qien · Rating 4 out of 5]

Vulgar. But it turned out to be a really fun read in the end. Honestly it's kinda sad to see the Henry/Jack/why-the-two-names tumour go as the quirky personality kinda clings on to u in the further chapters. But it couldnt be helped.

[Jessi · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have never laughed so hard in a public library before in my entire life.

[Heather Browning]

Great young adult fiction, very funny but unexpectedly powerful. It left me a little shell-shocked.

[Adam Cabuk · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a really funny book, though i think that making a comdey book out of a killing illness like a brain tumour is a bit sad but it was a good comdey.

[Tineke Demosthenous · Rating 5 out of 5]

very good

[Daniel Z. · Rating 5 out of 5]

very humorous book with a cool plot and a good ending

[Jennifer Morland · Rating 4 out of 5]

I got this book at the dollar store. Loved it.

[Stargazer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved it. Wish it was first of a series - or at least a trilogy or summat.