Publishers Weekly
04/11/2022
In Henry’s (This Will Be Funny Someday) funny, heartwarming take on film noir, retired 16-year-old detective Gideon Green routinely wears a trench coat and felt fedora, and—following the fall of his once-successful kid detective agency—eats alone in the school cafeteria. But when his former best friend Lily Krupitsky-Sharma, who dumped him in the seventh grade, approaches him for help, he agrees—hoping to prove that “I was right to consider myself a detective.” Lily, now the school newspaper’s features editor, wants to write a story about an uptick in nonviolent crime in their Southern California town, San Miguel—and Gideon has the detecting skills she needs. So he joins the newspaper as copy editor, a gig that involves detecting “what’s wrong,” but the stakes are considerably raised when the duo discovers a dead man. Gideon proves equal to his noir heroes, falls into a rousing romance with the newspaper editor, and heals his troubled relationship with his single-parent dad in an entertaining, emotional read. Snippets of the story rendered in noir-style prose add an amusing note to the writing’s overall excellence. Gideon is of Mexican descent; Lily is “a brown girl with two moms.” Ages 13–up. Agent: Sarah LaPolla, Bradford Literary. (May)
From the Publisher
"Funny and poignant. This crowd pleaser gives both a satisfying ending for aspiring sleuths and a character arc that will win readers’ hearts." — Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books (starred review)
"A tongue-in-cheek charmer: Sit back and enjoy the show." — Kirkus Reviews
"An entertaining, emotional read. Snippets of the story rendered in noir-style prose add an amusing note to the writing's overall excellence." — Publishers Weekly
"Katie Henry has gifted us with a cleverly-crafted mystery absolutely brimming with humor and heart. Gideon Green is the rare kind of character you’ll find impossible to forget." — Kit Frick, author of I Killed Zoe Spanos and Very Bad People
“Katie Henry tells a poignant, heartfelt story of a teen detective trying to puzzle out a crime as well as the relationships in his life, and I rooted for Gideon all the way.” — Goldy Moldavsky, New York Times bestselling author of The Mary Shelley Club
“Funny, mysterious, and full of noir goodness. I loved every moment of this novel.” — Maureen Johnson, New York Times bestselling author of Truly Devious
Praise for This Will Be Funny Someday: "Like any good comedy, this novel deals in truth. Like any great comedy, it also nails the difficult job of infusing nuance." — Booklist (starred review)
"Henry’s background as a playwright shines. Readers will enjoy watching [Isabel] undergo the process of self-transformation, one punch line at a time." — Publishers Weekly
"There are some bracing truths here, and Henry puts into words what her readers perhaps cannot, offering understanding and compassion in a world often too demanding of their growing up." — Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books
"Isabel is achingly and sympathetically flawed and her growth, realistic; readers will undoubtedly connect with her journey. Honest truths delivered with humor and heart." — Kirkus Reviews
Praise for Let's Call It a Doomsday: “Henry writes witty dialogue, creates complicated characters, and treats different religious beliefs with sincerity and respect... This one’s a gem.” — Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
“A rare YA novel in its approach to religious faith as a life-giving, if complicated, aspect of a young adult’s life... Ellis is a protagonist to root for.” — Publishers Weekly (starred review)
“A whip-smart and compelling protagonist who grapples with deep questions about the nature of belief, identity, and control... One of the few YA titles with a Mormon protagonist... Humorous dialogue and richly developed supporting characters add to the appeal.” — School Library Journal (starred review)
“As Ellis learns to consider the hopeful alongside the negative scenarios, the story rushes toward its intriguing, suspenseful conclusion... A too-rare, well-rounded portrayal of a religious adolescent, from the author of Heretics Anonymous.” — The Horn Book
“Henry treats Ellis’ faith with respect and sensitivity while still realistically depicting her struggles to find love and acceptance of herself in a community that is not always supportive of LGBTQ+ individuals... the final few chapters send the reader on a satisfying rollercoaster.” — Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books
Praise for Heretics Anonymous: "With a page-ripping plot and realistic character development, Henry’s funny, heartwarming tale of unlikely rebels soars: an auspicious debut.” — Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
“Most impressive here is Henry’s multifaceted take on religion. Come for the arch first-person narrative and puppy love, stay for the examination into belief.” — ALA Booklist (starred review)
“In addition to being a frequently hilarious comedy with its share of complicated romance, the story presents a thought-provoking look at faith, questioning but ultimately respectful of Catholicism and other beliefs.” — Horn Book Magazine
“The story adeptly asks readers to question what they believe and why, without being preachy, judgmental, or dismissive. Humor interlaced with more serious ideas make for an interesting and enjoyable read. Highly recommended, especially for teens who are passionate about a cause.” — School Library Journal
“In this entertaining coming-of-age story, five free-thinking students launch a clandestine campaign against their school’s rigid policies and practices, with unanticipated consequences. Snappy dialogue sparkles throughout this skillfully crafted debut.” — Publishers Weekly
“Genuine and heartfelt doctrinal questions arise in between the pranks and the conversations Michael has with his new friends, allowing both believing and nonbelieving readers to find their way into this exploration of the way feelings about family and faith intersect. A balanced perspective of possibilities of faith and skepticism.” — Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books
Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books (starred review)
"Funny and poignant. This crowd pleaser gives both a satisfying ending for aspiring sleuths and a character arc that will win readers’ hearts."
Booklist (starred review)
Praise for This Will Be Funny Someday: "Like any good comedy, this novel deals in truth. Like any great comedy, it also nails the difficult job of infusing nuance."
Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books
"There are some bracing truths here, and Henry puts into words what her readers perhaps cannot, offering understanding and compassion in a world often too demanding of their growing up."
Maureen Johnson
Funny, mysterious, and full of noir goodness. I loved every moment of this novel.
Goldy Moldavsky
Katie Henry tells a poignant, heartfelt story of a teen detective trying to puzzle out a crime as well as the relationships in his life, and I rooted for Gideon all the way.
Kit Frick
"Katie Henry has gifted us with a cleverly-crafted mystery absolutely brimming with humor and heart. Gideon Green is the rare kind of character you’ll find impossible to forget."
The Horn Book
As Ellis learns to consider the hopeful alongside the negative scenarios, the story rushes toward its intriguing, suspenseful conclusion... A too-rare, well-rounded portrayal of a religious adolescent, from the author of Heretics Anonymous.
Horn Book Magazine
In addition to being a frequently hilarious comedy with its share of complicated romance, the story presents a thought-provoking look at faith, questioning but ultimately respectful of Catholicism and other beliefs.
ALA Booklist (starred review)
Most impressive here is Henry’s multifaceted take on religion. Come for the arch first-person narrative and puppy love, stay for the examination into belief.
Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books
"There are some bracing truths here, and Henry puts into words what her readers perhaps cannot, offering understanding and compassion in a world often too demanding of their growing up."
Kirkus Reviews
2022-03-02
A 16-year-old detective discovers that noir films are at best iffy guides to both real-life crime investigations and personal relationships.
Pulled away from his bedroom and massive library of old movies by Lily Krupitsky-Sharma, a childhood friend–turned–ex-friend since middle school, who asks for help with a story she’s secretly writing for the school newspaper, Gideon finds himself both intrigued by oddities in their SoCal town’s crime statistics and dazzled by the paper’s smart, charismatic, bisexual editor-in-chief, Tess Espinoza. Deftly twirling noir and rom-com tropes together, Henry chucks in, on the one hand, a corpse, all sorts of conveniently placed evidence of police corruption, and even a comprehensive overheard confession, and on the other, a meet-cute in a bustling newsroom that leads Gideon and Tess into a heady and hilarious high school romance that is likewise chock full of revelations and confessions. Gifted with Sherlock-ian powers of observation, Gideon is so full of himself that he actually wears a trench coat and a fedora. Still, by the end he has not only learned how to rein in his impulse to blurt out infuriating personal comments, but has found ways to mend his relations with Lily and with his single dad, too. Gideon’s father is Mexican and White, and brown-skinned Lily has two moms; names cue some ethnic diversity in the supporting cast.
A tongue-in-cheek charmer: Sit back and enjoy the show. (Fiction. 13-17)
