Warhead: The True Story of One Teen Who Almost Saved the World
Written and Narrated By: Jeff Henigson
Length: 9 hrs and 23 mins
Wonderful -BUT- Why on EARTH did his mom marry his dad?!
Okay, okay—so maybe the blurb for this review seems like it’s going on a tangent, but really! When you listen to close to 9 1/2 hours of what a cold, cold, COLD man Jeff Henigson’s father was? Good cow!!!
Why oh why can’t parents just tell their kids that they love them? People who can’t manage that simple thing should NOT be having children.
We enter the story with a young Jeff who’s absolutely SMITTEN with spaceflight. The space shuttle will be crossing the desert, and Jeff’s mom pulls his brother and him from school so that the two will have this First Ever Experience. Which totally sets up how awesome his mom is. NATurally, Dad is far toooo busy with his job to do this and to be part of his children’s lives. That Mom mutters under her breath about this? Oh, I felt for her.
But then, it turns out, this is THE Way of Jeff’s father. But I see I’m about to digress so lemme get back to the story…
A serious accident leaves young Jeff zoning out and having little seizures. A trip to a neurologist, an MRI later, and suddenly the poor kid is finding out he has a very serious form of brain cancer (You know, as opposed to the UnSerious Ones). He’s so scared and whereas he’d just been thinking of his future, of perhaps even kissing a girl again, NOW he’s worried he has no future.
Treatment treatment treatment Dad can’t say he loves Jeff when the kid begs to be told Tests tests tests Meets with other kids who’ve had terrible diagnoses and finally to:
The Starlight Children’s Foundation where Jeff has the chance to make any wish of his posssssibly come true. His new and dear friend Monique said she had her own wish for a day of training with an Olympic champion come true, and she encourages Jeff. At first he thinks: Man! SPACEFLIGHT!!!
But then of course his hunger for Dad’s love and respect makes him take a chance on… World Peace? See, Dad doesn’t have conversations; he orates to his family. Mostly about what a hellhole the Earth is and how Reagan is going at Gorbachev with a Nuclear Chip on His Shoulder. This has Jeff thinking that maybe he can travel to the Soviet Union and speak with Gorbachev. The Foundation thinks this is wonderful, but friend Monique doesn’t. When she points out that perhaps this is Jeff’s father’s wish rather than something he himself wants, he blows a fuse. And when Mom throws a monkey wrench into the works and jeopardizes his chance? He blows another fuse. This is a story about a poor kid who is just a young kid and is dealing with some serious issues. Cautioned to Be Strong for Mom, Jeff blows only those two fuses and instead stuffs everything else in.
Depression, anyone?
Of course Jeff kinda sorta gets his kinda sorta wish. And nothing happens. Dad is still Dad, and Mom is still Mom, and he comes back from his trip, where he was sincerely respected and lauded, and his own family dismisses him with a: That’s nice, dear.
What I thought’d be a Stand Up and Cheer book is instead a facing of reality and growing up… IF you’re given the chance to. Jeff’s friendships are strained by his diagnosis, his declining health, his possible death. And they’re tested by his own fear of his cancer friends’ diagnoses, their declining health, their possible deaths. We’re not guaranteed anything in this life, something Jeff learned when he was baaaarely coming into young adulthood. And through some pretty nifty writing, we get to see what it’s like to be on the knife’s edge through his eyes, through his words.
Which brings me back to his Dad. Cuz there’s a lot of THAT man here, and at no point did I like the guy. In the Afterword, Jeff says that OBVIOUSLY we can see the relationship was complicated, but at no point did he NOT love his father. Which was probably the saddest thing of all, cuz presumably the man loved his children, but the absolute only affection the man was able to express was to the family dog. Everyone else he was cold to, if not belittling. He expressed outrage, and he disparaged those whom he should’ve loved. He was manipulative and withheld favor, and the paltry few positive words he had for Jeff were so eagerly, so pathetically snapped up. I can say pathetic, can’t I? After all, I often wished to be the family cat for all my father was able to express to the furry thing. Nope, wanted to cry for Jeff, wanted to strangle the man, wanted to whack Mom upside the head.
Okay, so that’s it for my soapbox; just be ready for an occasional wish to throttle.
Onto the narration. In the story, we hear that Jeff was a fantastic mimic and was popular for his impersonations. This shows through loud and clear with his performance. From his tones for an imperious and condescending father, to the jolly Ho Ho Ho of a Soviet interpreter, Jeff seems to be having fun with his narration. It’s obvious this was a period of time that impressed itself greatly upon him. What he can’t remember, he’s gathered through interviews with the people involved. I was surprised he went and talked with his elementary school teacher again. See, an incident was so horrifying for him, so humiliating that he zoned out whenst it was happening. Apparently he was ready to face that particular demon to get the facts of that wretched day right (And THAT scene danged near made me cry). For memories of his cancer friends? Parents who were in the next room (And if THAT doesn’t make YOU wanna cry…!)
A jolly good Listen, but seriously. If you listen to this and can feel for the guy’s father, I congratulate you on your evolved soul. Me, well I’ve already said my piece, so I’ll just add that it was a good look at complicated family dynamics. No, he didn’t get to meet Gorbachev, but he did manage to do good AND get some much-needed positive attention.
Too bad he had to go to the USSR to get it…
…Just saying…
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