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1jessicabearx's review
dark
informative
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
This story beautiful.
Evan’s constant lying is frustrating and makes each chapter tense as you worry what he's going to get caught up with or try to get away with next. But that's the whole point of the story so can I really fault that. I wish Evan had faced the consequences for all his actions though, as he gets away with too many things that have ultimately caused others so much pain and frustration.
As a fan of the musical, I found this book added a lot to the story and overall experience. Definitely give it a read if you can!
Evan’s constant lying is frustrating and makes each chapter tense as you worry what he's going to get caught up with or try to get away with next. But that's the whole point of the story so can I really fault that. I wish Evan had faced the consequences for all his actions though, as he gets away with too many things that have ultimately caused others so much pain and frustration.
As a fan of the musical, I found this book added a lot to the story and overall experience. Definitely give it a read if you can!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicide, Mental illness, Death, and Suicidal thoughts
Moderate: Gaslighting, Child death, Panic attacks/disorders, Self harm, and Grief
Minor: Drug use
tays_dear_reader's review
dark
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief, Suicide, and Mental illness
Moderate: Self harm and Drug use
Minor: Panic attacks/disorders and Bullying
indigocrayon's review
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicide, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, and Mental illness
Moderate: Grief, Drug use, Drug abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Injury/Injury detail, and Addiction
Minor: Gaslighting and Bullying
remwandering's review
challenging
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
Connor's moments in the book are the greatest. You get more insight into who he is/was .
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicidal thoughts, Grief, and Panic attacks/disorders
Moderate: Suicide
Minor: Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, Bullying, Homophobia, and Mental illness
saoirse_the_thespian's review
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
As a fan of the musical, I can say this is a great stage to page adaptation. It is emotional and will have you crying. Also, it uses direct quotes from the musical which is always a nice touch for all the theatre nerds out there.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicidal thoughts, Self harm, Bullying, Toxic relationship, Drug abuse, Drug use, Grief, Mental illness, Toxic friendship, Panic attacks/disorders, Suicide attempt, Injury/Injury detail, Suicide, and Death
mjenae's review against another edition
5.0
This book destroyed me.
But that ending. I feel strangely calm now. Like how Evan must feel... like I've fallen with him, landed, and the only thing left to do is get back up.
Because you can't change the past, and you can't change how other people will react to it. But you can change the way you react. You can change the present—and maybe not just for yourself.
Maybe, even if the hand never came for you, you can be the hand reaching down to help someone up.
It's the least we can do, really.
But that ending. I feel strangely calm now. Like how Evan must feel... like I've fallen with him, landed, and the only thing left to do is get back up.
Because you can't change the past, and you can't change how other people will react to it. But you can change the way you react. You can change the present—and maybe not just for yourself.
Maybe, even if the hand never came for you, you can be the hand reaching down to help someone up.
It's the least we can do, really.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicide attempt, Suicide, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Suicidal thoughts, and Self harm
jamiejanae_6's review
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Content Warnings
Moderate: Self harm, Bullying, Panic attacks/disorders, Suicide attempt, Abandonment, Child death, Death, Grief, Suicidal thoughts, Mental illness, and Suicide
k1ddo0o0_'s review
emotional
hopeful
informative
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Grief, and Mental illness
Moderate: Bullying, Panic attacks/disorders, and Suicide attempt
james1star's review against another edition
emotional
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
I’ve listened to the broadway musical soundtrack for Dear Evan Hansen many times as there are some amazing and inspirational songs on there. I’ve never seen the show version but did recently watch the film which was enjoyable - some issues with the plot that the book shares - and I would recommend… mostly because of the songs thought.
The plot is we follow a first person account from Evan, a senior high schooler, who struggles with social anxiety (and other mental illness but none examined the best apart from his anxiety) and is told by his therapist to write letters to himself. One such letter falls in the hands of fellow student Connor Murphy who thinks it was made to cause a reaction (he’s bullied for being an outsider and having a ‘psycho’ persona) so keeps it. A few days later Evan is called to the principle where Connor’s parents tell him the sad news that their son died by suicide, believing this letter was his suicide note. Unable to come clean, he goes along with it, fabricating a friendship with a spiralling of lies. The novelisation does make some changes and additions but in general it follows the musical with some parts being exact copies.
What I liked was I believe the anxiety representation was quite believable and portrayed well, especially mentions of the ‘fight or flight’ sensation. Evan’s characters was rather developed but not all that multi faceted. Although not really that fantastic - and hence unrealistic - the speech Evan makes was a bit inspiring but it’s impact and message of we’re not alone is good. This is something we should take from the book and hopefully those struggling will reach out and know there are many others in a similar situation and people are there to help. It was quite an easy read as well, no amazing writing but it’s fine and generally an enjoyable reading experience.
The main thing I disliked was how Connor’s suicide was in essence a plot device and vehicle for Evan’s character growth. This representation wasn’t very good in my opinion and all that he essentially benefited from wasn’t properly addressed. I find it quite a stretch for someone’s anxiety to prevent them from saying ‘I wrote the letter’ and instead fabricate a whole friendship and all the necessary lies and effort that comes along with this. This leads Evan to control Connor’s story, their ‘friendship’ before his suicide, their adventures and discussions and also what is being done in his name - yes it’s helping people but the actions fall under a morally grey area that is hard to evaluate - and the way he felt about members of his family. The lies are also quite extreme, totally changing the person Connor was which is just wrong I feel. And the thing that most presses me is how Evan was a total stranger as well and with hindsight this ‘task’ would have been better suited for a different character. The ending was very unrewarding and I think the film did a much much better job.
Something that wasn’t in the film but is referenced multiple times in the book is the stalkery attraction Evan has to Connor’s sister Zoe. It’s not extreme but is most definitely cringy in how he made sure to glance at her and it was like a ‘fix’ he needed. Kinda eww. And so when they begin to have a relationship… umm I dunno? Their chemistry is also very unrealistic, it seemed too soon for something to start up and I personally hated this plot point.
All the characters except Evan weren’t really explored very much. This is most apparent with Alana as the film really adds a likeness to her where in this she’s basically a overachieving do-gooder and her personal feelings of loneliness are a very minor part - her song ‘anonymous ones’ is amazing btw, could totally relate to parts of it. A similar theme is apparent with all the secondary characters: Zoe, Jared, Cynthia and Larry (Connor’s parents), Heidi (Evan’s mum) and Connor himself. The film totally added a level of nuance and complexity to their personality which is touched on here but it’s clearly a story focusing on the character growth of Evan - possibly watching the film prior meant I couldn’t imagine and realise these characters in my head so I was constantly comparing them but still… other books do add depth to the whole cast and in less pages sooooo… yeah.
The characters from Connor’s perspective were my favourite and I believe Emmich really missed an opportunity with this book. These chapters were by far the shortest but a lot more interesting and ones I wish were explored more - there should have been more, made longer and delved deeper into his story. This is particularly the case in introducing us to the character of Miguel (who should’ve been the Evan but alas, it’s not ‘Dear Connor Murphy’) who I just wish could’ve had a larger part. I loved him and how his role could have been a trigger in Connor’s suicide - I’m not blaming him btw! - and there relationship was super intriguing. I really appreciated the inclusion of a queer character and that Connor’s possible queer (bi/pan) identity wasn’t used as a reason for his deteriorating mental health like so many other stories that concentrate on ‘queer shame’ so I am happy but really annoyed that this wasn’t explored more. Such a missed opportunity here, the book was an adaptation of the musical but in essence is just another version with a few minor changes, actually refocusing on - or at least rebalancing the impact of - another character would have been great.
Audiobook specific notes: it was well narrated, clear and the narrators made the story come to life. The two song parts were a little unnecessary unless more were included, especially as some parts of this book were a complete replica of lyrics. I think if I was physically reading this I’d have DNFd it but it was an east listen in the background whilst doing other tasks.
Overall, I wouldn’t really recommend this book. I’m glad I read it but the film adaptation of the show is better in my opinion with more fleshed out characters despite being six hours shorter and is more satisfying. Or if you don’t care for the story - something I am coming to terms with the more I think about it - I’d just listen to the soundtrack which is loads better.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness
Moderate: Suicide, Grief, and Death
Minor: Self harm, Drug abuse, Addiction, Suicide attempt, Suicidal thoughts, and Panic attacks/disorders
emmaward55's review
sad
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Oof. Those trigger warnings are no joke.
Some quick thoughts:
Evan was a character that I loved to hate - right until *that* twist in the end. He's inappropriate, makes poor and harmful choices, and prioritizes his own need for comfort over others (even when his narration is insisting the opposite is true). In essence, he's a realistic teenage boy.
I got such strong secondhand embarrassment from his words and deeds, that reading this book often felt like a minor anxiety attack.
Until like the final 90% or so of the book, I genuinely thought it had been mis-shelved as LGBTQ+. The straight "romance" is excruciating thanks to a certain dramatic irony. I dreaded every scene between Evan and Zoe and that KISS? Gross. Evan just kept crossing lines so blatant that a person with their eyes closed could have seen them.
Some quick thoughts:
Evan was a character that I loved to hate - right until *that* twist in the end. He's inappropriate, makes poor and harmful choices, and prioritizes his own need for comfort over others (even when his narration is insisting the opposite is true). In essence, he's a realistic teenage boy.
I got such strong secondhand embarrassment from his words and deeds, that reading this book often felt like a minor anxiety attack.
Until like the final 90% or so of the book, I genuinely thought it had been mis-shelved as LGBTQ+. The straight "romance" is excruciating thanks to a certain dramatic irony.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Panic attacks/disorders, Child death, Grief, Suicide, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, and Mental illness
Moderate: Cursing and Abandonment
Minor: Antisemitism and Drug use
Child death: It's a teenager (a senior in highschool)