Jack Tumor

Full review at http://yannabe.com/2009/09/01/review-jack-tumor/

Summary: Hector’s hearing voices—well, one voice—and that’s never good. And this particular voice happens to be a talking brain tumor. Also not good.

Review: Hey, writers! Are you grappling with how to tackle a heavy topic like mortality without making a total downer of a book? Here’s a little known technique that might do the trick: Add a talking brain tumor!

I know, this book sounds weird. I picked it up at the library without reading the premise, so when I got home and saw what it was, I pawned it off on my partner.

And then he started laughing. Out loud. A lot.

So I had to see for myself. I’m here to report that yes, this book is weird. But it’s also bloody show more brilliant. Note: I can get away with saying “bloody” because of the aforementioned brain tumor but also because the author is British, which serves as further proof that non-American English-speakers can write a damn good book.

Sometimes, the funny bits turned into tangents that seemed to exist for funny’s sake and not the story’s sake. But they were awfully funny, after all, and it was only a couple times that the tangents interrupted the flow of the story. (I hesitated even saying anything because I loved this book so much, but I wanted to explain why it didn’t get a full 5 stars from me.)

Check it out for yourself:

“Hector?”

A man looking a lot like a doctor was staring at me. …

I nodded.

“I’m Dr. Jones.”

I nodded again. He hadn’t said anything yet that I felt like disagreeing with.

“As you know, this is a teaching hospital. Would you mind if some ah, observers sat in?”

Before I had the chance to mind, a group of gormless-looking students began filing into the room. Not all gormless-looking. There was one exceptionally pretty girl, with the kind of straight black hair I like.

It meant I was going to get an anal probe for sure.

I felt the electric tingle of a blush as the whole scene played out before me: the pink rubberized truncheon they were going to use, the sparking electrodes at the end of the probe, the giggle from the students at the farting noise produced as the probe was extracted, my stuttering efforts to say it wasn’t me but the probe that made the noise.

“So, you’ve been having some problems?” said Doc Jones.

Problems! Where did I start? show less

Jack Tumor is a humorous, and at times raunchy, story about freshman Hector Brunty, who finds himself at the bottom of his high school social chain. With enough problems from bullies, lack of interest from girls and his hippie mom who imposes her bizarre foods and tree-hugging clothes on him, life gets more complicated for Hector when he meets Jack, his talking brain tumor. Jack’s smart alec and domineering ways begin to take control of Hector’s body, making Hector have a new sense of fashion and coolness. Hector becomes everything anti-geek, torments the bullies and makes out with the hottest girl in school. But all of this comes at a cost, as the more Hector gives up control to Jack the closer he is to his death and further from show more the person he wanted to become. Although this novel can be challenging to read because of the British slang, author McGowan writes brilliantly from a hormonal teenage boy’s perspective. From sexual fantasies to perverse humor to cruel behaviors, readers will either be laughing or cringing throughout the entire novel. This coming of age story has a message of self identity and “that sometimes the only way to see clearly is to lose your mind completely.”

Age Appropriate: 17 to 21 years-old
This book is more likely to be appealing to males. Advanced readers or those with cultural experience/knowledge of the U.K. will be able to follow this book more easily. show less

Reviewed by Kira M for TeensReadToo.com

Hector Brunty has a lot in life to worry about. From bullies to his mum's mung bean soup, life seems to like to throw him nasty curves until it finally takes on a new perspective (literally). When Hector gets diagnosed with a brain tumor, things seem like they couldn't get worse - until the tumor starts talking.

The tumor claims it can coach Hector into creating a better social life for himself. The tumor, however, starts forcing him to do questionable things that make him uncomfortable. This makes Hector decide once and for all to rid himself somehow of the cancer. But how can you defeat a tumor that knows what you're going to do before you do?

JACK TUMOR is a surprisingly hilarious book despite the show more sensitive topic it addresses. The characters are fun to read about and Hector's social life has a humorous twist to it. Readers will relate to Hector's embarrassing family, his school life, and might even feel bad for him at times, but will have fun laughing their heads off one page and then feeling discouraged for the main character the next.

Those who like realistic fiction, humor, and books about surviving school will enjoy reading this book. show less