Joe loves predictability. But his life is about to become a surprising adventure.
Joe-Nathan likes the two parts of his name separate, just like his dinner and dessert. Mean Charlie at work sometimes calls him Joe-Nuthin. But Joe is far from nothing. Joe is a good friend, he’s good at his job, good at making things and good at following the rules, and he’s learning how to do lots of things by himself.
Joe’s mother knows there are a million things in life he isn’t prepared for. While she helps guide him every day, she’s also writing notebooks full of advice about the things she hasn’t told Joe yet, things he might forget and answers to questions he hasn’t yet asked.
Following her wisdom – applying it in his own unique way – this next part of Joe’s life is more of a surprise than he expects. Because he’s about to learn that remarkable things can happen when you leave your comfort zone, and that you can do even the hardest things with a little help from your friends.
What did I think?
Having adored Helen Fisher's fabulous debut, Space Hopper, I was so excited to read her second novel, Joe Nuthin’s Guide to Life, and it is just wonderful. This should be everyone's winter read as it left me with a glow that lasted longer than the Ready Brek one ever did.
Joe-Nathan doesn't have a bad bone in his body; that's what his mother says and everyone knows that mothers are always right. Joe's mum knows that she won't be there to help him every day of his life, so she has written some advice for Joe to follow when she is no longer there to guide him. I think we should all have one of Joe's mum's guides to follow - the world would be a much nicer place if we did.
There's something so endearing about Joe-Nathan and it's not just one or two things, it's his whole essence. The way that Joe tries to help Mean Charlie, even though Charlie is horrible to Joe, just shows what a lovely character he is. Just as well my heart is not made of ice as Joe would have totally melted it.
Incredibly captivating and completely unforgettable, Joe Nuthin’s Guide to Life is easily one of my favourite books of the year. It's an unmissable read and very highly recommended.
I received a digital ARC to read and review for the blog tour and this is my honest and unbiased opinion.
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About the author:
Helen Fisher is the author of Space Hopper, her debut novel of 2021. Joe Nuthin’s Guide to Life is her second novel. Helen has degrees in psychology and ergonomics and was the senior evaluator at RNIB for a few years. This background informs much of her writing as she is fascinated by the psychology of everyday life, especially in terms of relationships. Inspiration for Helen’s protagonists and other characters are often drawn directly from herself, her friends and family. She explains that her creation of the character of Joe Nuthin is partly to examine ‘the importance of what some might think of as a small and ordinary life’.
Helen was born on a US military base and spent the first five years of her life in the US, before returning to the UK with her family settling in Suffolk. She returned to Suffolk as an adult and now lives in a village with her two children and a cat called Bear, who thinks he’s a dog. When she isn’t working on her third novel, she walks a lot, talks a lot, likes a jigsaw and the occasional Mojito. @helenfisher_author.
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