BLOG TOUR: Joe Nuthin’s Guide to Life by Helen Fisher

Published July 18th, 2024 by Simon & Schuster UK
Humorous Fiction, Disability Fiction

Today is my stop on the blog tour for this heartfelt and mesmerising story. Thank you to Sara-Jade at Books and the City for the invitation to take part and for sending me a copy of the book in exchange for my honest review.

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ABOUT THE BOOK:

‘Extraordinary’ Heidi Swain
‘Life-affirming’ Hazel Prior
‘Big-hearted’ Caroline Day
‘Beautiful’ Julietta Henderson
‘Heartwarming’ Daily Mail
‘Unputdownable’ My Weekly
‘A joy’ Good Housekeeping
 
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.

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MY REVIEW:

Oh, my heart was not ready for this book. Tender, moving, funny and uplifting, this is one of those books that will strike a resonant chord in the heart of every reader. Exquisitely written and emotionally astute, Helen Fisher has crafted a delightful story filled with joy, humour, heartbreak and hope in equal measure. 

Joe Nuthin’s Guide To Life is a story about love, life, friendship, community, and self-discovery. It follows Joe-Nathan, who lives at home with his mum, Janet, and works at The Compass Store. He has OCD, and lives his life governed by his routines such as going to the pub every Friday evening, and getting a takeaway on Saturday nights. To help Joe live an independent life, Janet has put together a blue notebook that is filled with all the things Joe might need to know and any time he doesn’t know what to do in a situation, he consults the book. But the most important thing to know about Joe is that he doesn’t have a mean bone in his body. Unfortunately, others do. Mean Charlie at work has nicknamed him Joe Nuthin while Owen is even nastier. Thankfully he has some good friends, such as Chloe and Hugo Boss, who always have his back. 

Joe is a special character unlike any other you have read. He stole my heart and I loved living every moment of this story alongside him. One of the things I liked about Joe is that although he lives a simple life according to strict rules, he is actually a very nuanced character whose black and white view of the world offers gems of wisdom that many of us could learn from. I loved his relationship with his mum, Janet. She’s a fantastic mum and I loved that she created this beautifully written manual to help him through life. She wants her son to embrace life and enjoy independence, and although it is Joe and Janet against the world at the start of the book, we soon discover he has so many others in his life to also encourage him as he bravely stepped outside of his comfort zone to experience new things. The love and camaraderie radiated from the pages and the characters were so much fun to read. I had a real soft spot for Chloe, his fiery and loyal work colleague. But it was his relationship with Charlie that I found most touching as Joe discovers Charlie is hiding dark secrets, showing incredible kindness as he tries to help him in his own unique way.

Thoughtful, heartfelt, mesmerising, and achingly human, Joe Nuthin’s Guide To Life is a must read that will warm you from the inside and restore your faith in others. 

Rating: ✮✮✮✮.5

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MEET THE AUTHOR:

Helen Fisher spent her early life in America, but grew up mainly in Suffolk where she now lives with her two children. She studied Psychology at Westminster University and Ergonomics at UCL and worked as a senior evaluator in research at RNIB. She is now a full-time author.

Helen’s debut novel, SPACE HOPPER, was published by Simon & Schuster UK in Feb 2021. Her upcoming novel, JOE NUTHIN’S GUIDE TO LIFE (Simon & Schuster) was published in 2023.

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BUY THE BOOK:

Waterstones* | Bookshop.org* | Amazon*
*These are affiliate links

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Thanks for reading, Bibliophiles xxxx

Please check out the reviews from the other bloggers taking part in the blog tour.