OCTOBER 2018 - AudioFile
Narrator Michael Crouch demonstrates a wholly satisfying range of teen and adult voices in his performance of Katie Henry's dialogue-rich debut novel. Each of the five boys and girls in the eponymous club, along with assorted family members of various ages, receives a distinct and consistent tone and pitch, making it easy to recognize every speaker in the moment. Although moods range from wryly funny to angry, pompous to thoughtful, and more, Crouch's careful delivery makes him fall away completely, leaving us with Michael and Lucy at the center of a story of smart kids, school rebellion, heartbreak, and credible variations of adolescent faith. Together, Henry and Crouch provide listeners with empathetic youngsters, flawed and disappointing adults, and the clash between desire and circumstances. F.M.R.G. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2018, Portland, Maine
Publishers Weekly
06/11/2018
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. When his father’s job necessitates yet another move to a new town, Michael, a devout atheist who anticipates being miserable at his Catholic high school, finds himself unexpectedly invited into a “study group” of self-proclaimed heretics. Lucy wants to be a priest, Eden practices “Celtic Reconstructionist Polytheism,” Avi is Jewish and gay, and Max is Unitarian Universalist. Through creative, anonymous measures, they contest the sex education curriculum, the dress code, and the dismissal of a lesbian teacher for marrying her long-term partner. The school authorities and some students attempt to discover the subversives and restore discipline, while a developing romance between Michael and Lucy challenges both students to respect the other’s beliefs. When Michael commits an act that threatens his newfound friendships, he undergoes a spiritual awakening of sorts, which the author pulls off without sentimentality. None of Henry’s multi-dimensional, multi-ethnic characters fall into stereotypes, and her snappy dialogue sparkles throughout this skillfully crafted debut. Ages 13–up. Agent: Sarah LaPolla, Bradford Literary Agency. (Aug.)
From the Publisher
Most impressive here is Henry’s multifaceted take on religion. Michael isn’t searching; he know how he feels. Yet his introduction to others who feel differently—in the case of Lucy, passionately differently—opens him up. Come for the arch first-person narrative and puppy love, stay for the examination into belief.” — ALA Booklist (starred review)
“Heretics Anonymous hits all the right beats. Katie Henry has crafted a thoughtful, refreshing story. In a time when it can seem like tolerance is at an all-time low, this novel...provides a potent reminder of how different perspectives can coexist peacefully.” — Entertainment Weekly
“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
“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, Michael’s atheism included: he grows to understand why religion is important to others, but remains true to himself.” — The Horn Book
“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
“Hilarious, irreverent, charming, and an absolute delight! This book is everything I hoped for and more.” — Robyn Schneider, bestselling author of The Beginning of Everything
“Funny, touching, and wonderfully even-handed, Katie Henry’s debut novel is a weirdo’s guide to faith—in the best possible way.” — Anna Breslaw, author of Scarlett Epstein Hates It Here
“Katie Henry deftly weaves a nuanced coming-of-age story with the hilarity of medieval church history, feminist theology, and the achingly real struggle of coming to terms with one’s faith. I loved this book like WHOA.” — Joy McCullough, author of Blood Water Paint
Entertainment Weekly
Heretics Anonymous hits all the right beats. Katie Henry has crafted a thoughtful, refreshing story. In a time when it can seem like tolerance is at an all-time low, this novel...provides a potent reminder of how different perspectives can coexist peacefully.
Robyn Schneider
Hilarious, irreverent, charming, and an absolute delight! This book is everything I hoped for and more.
Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books
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.
Anna Breslaw
Funny, touching, and wonderfully even-handed, Katie Henry’s debut novel is a weirdo’s guide to faith—in the best possible way.
ALA Booklist (starred review)
Most impressive here is Henry’s multifaceted take on religion. Michael isn’t searching; he know how he feels. Yet his introduction to others who feel differently—in the case of Lucy, passionately differently—opens him up. Come for the arch first-person narrative and puppy love, stay for the examination into belief.
Joy McCullough
Katie Henry deftly weaves a nuanced coming-of-age story with the hilarity of medieval church history, feminist theology, and the achingly real struggle of coming to terms with one’s faith. I loved this book like WHOA.
The Horn Book
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, Michael’s atheism included: he grows to understand why religion is important to others, but remains true to himself.
Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books
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 (starred review)
Most impressive here is Henry’s multifaceted take on religion. Michael isn’t searching; he know how he feels. Yet his introduction to others who feel differently—in the case of Lucy, passionately differently—opens him up. Come for the arch first-person narrative and puppy love, stay for the examination into belief.
School Library Journal
06/01/2018
Gr 9 Up—St. Clare's is a home of plaid ties, blazers, and strict Catholic doctrine. When Michael is forced to move again and starts school at St. Clare's, he wonders how he will get by as a confirmed atheist. He is positive that he will have no friends and that absolutely no one in this straitlaced world will understand him. That is, until he meets the member of Heretics Anonymous. Lucy is a true believer and feminist, Avi is Jewish and gay, Max is an original who loves to sport a great cloak, and Eden is the paganist of the group. The heretics spend most of their time being sounding boards for one another, until Michael convinces them that complaining doesn't create change. One stunt at a time brings out issues great and small through the halls of St. Clare's. But will Michael take things too far and put his friendships and all of their futures at risk? A real and honest portrayal of teen socialization leads to an opportunity to discuss and drive activism among teen readers. The characters are by no means perfect. Each one struggles with family and personal issues which are reflected in their interactions with one another and other characters. 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. VERDICT Highly recommended, especially for teens who are passionate about a cause.—Elizabeth Speer, Weatherford College, TX
OCTOBER 2018 - AudioFile
Narrator Michael Crouch demonstrates a wholly satisfying range of teen and adult voices in his performance of Katie Henry's dialogue-rich debut novel. Each of the five boys and girls in the eponymous club, along with assorted family members of various ages, receives a distinct and consistent tone and pitch, making it easy to recognize every speaker in the moment. Although moods range from wryly funny to angry, pompous to thoughtful, and more, Crouch's careful delivery makes him fall away completely, leaving us with Michael and Lucy at the center of a story of smart kids, school rebellion, heartbreak, and credible variations of adolescent faith. Together, Henry and Crouch provide listeners with empathetic youngsters, flawed and disappointing adults, and the clash between desire and circumstances. F.M.R.G. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2018, Portland, Maine
Kirkus Reviews
★ 2018-04-30
Teen angst and religious reflection cross paths in this insightful tale of self-discovery.This engrossing bildungsroman centers on the travails of white, first-person narrator Michael Ausman. Reeling from his family's frequent moves, and now forced to change schools less than two months into 11th grade, Michael is resentful at being at the mercy of his father's job and worrying about how he, an atheist, will fit in at St. Clare's, the best private—and Catholic—school in town. Luckily, Michael soon falls in with others bucking the St. Clare's norm: Lucy, a devout Colombian-American Catholic bent on reforming the church; Avi, a gay, semi-observant Jew; Eden, a Celtic Reconstructionist Polytheist with Irish heritage; and Max, a Korean-American Unitarian. Together this group of iconoclasts forms "Heretics Anonymous," a deliciously secret society united in the belief, "That all people, regardless of what they worship, who they love, and what they think / Have a right to exist, and a right to be heard." The hypocrisy-busting acts of rebellion the group engages in range from hilariously annotating the school's sex-ed DVD to circulating an alternative school paper challenging the dress code and exposing the firing of a popular teacher. But when Michael goes rogue and acts alone, his entire world is threatened. With a page-ripping plot and realistic character development, Henry's funny, heartwarming tale of unlikely rebels soars: an auspicious debut. (Fiction. 13-adult)
