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starryz's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
starkva's review against another edition
1.0
This book was SO DULL. I was looking forward to it; I wanted to see the show - but I was simply not impressed with what I read. The dramatic irony was just too much. It took away any enjoyment I could have found by just making it stressful to read!
wylanslcve's review against another edition
3.0
3.25/5
(Review slightly edited on 17/02/22.)
DEH is my favourite musical despite its issues. Evan Hansen, particularly Ben Platt’s phenomenal portrayal of him on stage, is a character I’ve connected with on such a personal level. He does some pretty questionable things, but does that make him a bad person? In my opinion, it doesn’t, and it’s his grey moral compass that makes his character so compelling to me. I live for flawed characters like Evan; he’s not one of my comfort characters just because he’s relatable. It’s also because he’s real. He’s so human. He’s not necessarily a bad person; he’s just flawed as we all are.
But this novel feels somewhat lacking in terms of the emotional depth that makes the musical so dear (no pun intended) to my heart. Not in terms of the plot, because I knew going into it that the subject matter is quite controversial, but in the execution and adaptation.
Without the iconic musical numbers and the stellar performances of the OBC (especially for scenes between Evan and his mother, where Ben Platt and Rachel Bay Jones had such great onstage chemistry that it was almost like they were really mother and son), the extra emotion and depth of the story is missing. There were some excerpts of certain songs (only ‘Requiem’ and ‘Only Us’) that were included though, which I’m quite satisfied with.
As for the numbers that were removed entirely . . . the author tried to turn them into dialogue but it ended up losing the charm that the lyrics had, and came off as sometimes awkward and unrealistic.
I also have mixed feelings about Conner’s occasional POVs: sometimes, there were slipped right in the middle of intense scenes (such as the scene where ‘Words Fail’ would have played had this been the stage show), causing me to become detached from said scenes and lose some of that intense emotion I developed throughout these moments.
Furthermore, what Evan does is undoubtedly horrible. The musical isn’t afraid to show that through numbers such as ‘Good For You’ and Evan’s internal conflict that the audience can clearly take note of during his conversations with an imaginary Conner. The novel, however, has a rather biased approach to Evan’s actions, constantly attempting to justify them without shedding light on how a small part of him knows that what he does is wrong.
Otherwise, it’s a solid book, but I don’t think I’ll reread it. I will go listen to the musical soundtrack on repeat though.
(Review slightly edited on 17/02/22.)
DEH is my favourite musical despite its issues. Evan Hansen, particularly Ben Platt’s phenomenal portrayal of him on stage, is a character I’ve connected with on such a personal level. He does some pretty questionable things, but does that make him a bad person? In my opinion, it doesn’t, and it’s his grey moral compass that makes his character so compelling to me. I live for flawed characters like Evan; he’s not one of my comfort characters just because he’s relatable. It’s also because he’s real. He’s so human. He’s not necessarily a bad person; he’s just flawed as we all are.
But this novel feels somewhat lacking in terms of the emotional depth that makes the musical so dear (no pun intended) to my heart. Not in terms of the plot, because I knew going into it that the subject matter is quite controversial, but in the execution and adaptation.
Without the iconic musical numbers and the stellar performances of the OBC (especially for scenes between Evan and his mother, where Ben Platt and Rachel Bay Jones had such great onstage chemistry that it was almost like they were really mother and son), the extra emotion and depth of the story is missing. There were some excerpts of certain songs (only ‘Requiem’ and ‘Only Us’) that were included though, which I’m quite satisfied with.
As for the numbers that were removed entirely . . . the author tried to turn them into dialogue but it ended up losing the charm that the lyrics had, and came off as sometimes awkward and unrealistic.
I also have mixed feelings about Conner’s occasional POVs: sometimes, there were slipped right in the middle of intense scenes (such as the scene where ‘Words Fail’ would have played had this been the stage show), causing me to become detached from said scenes and lose some of that intense emotion I developed throughout these moments.
Furthermore, what Evan does is undoubtedly horrible. The musical isn’t afraid to show that through numbers such as ‘Good For You’ and Evan’s internal conflict that the audience can clearly take note of during his conversations with an imaginary Conner. The novel, however, has a rather biased approach to Evan’s actions, constantly attempting to justify them without shedding light on how a small part of him knows that what he does is wrong.
Otherwise, it’s a solid book, but I don’t think I’ll reread it. I will go listen to the musical soundtrack on repeat though.
deedralapray's review against another edition
4.0
I really loved this book, but I felt like I was holding my breath for Dear Evan Hansen the entire time. I have wanted to see the musical since it came out, but now I really want to. I cannot even imagine how the inner dialogue in Evan Hansen's head is played out on stage. It HAS to be. Right? So much of this story depends on this.
This is a book that I could recommend to just about anyone, but especially to those who feel just outside of the circle.
This is a book that I could recommend to just about anyone, but especially to those who feel just outside of the circle.
emilyyyrich's review
3.0
Slightly frustrating and slightly unfulfilling and yet somehow still quite compelling.
thewallflower00's review against another edition
3.0
My first impressions were that this is another “whiny kid” YA book. What I mean by that is it tries to make the character identifiable and relatable by immediately making him an social outcast with no friends and low self-esteem… except that every YA story is like that, so it gets grating. It’s as cliche as the “bully” trope (which this book also has). But the problem is… it works. He feels like I felt back then, struggling to break out of a shell, anxious and depressed all the time. I can’t imagine how easy it is to stay in your fortress after cable modems and wireless connections. But I’m digressing.
There are typical YA topics like suicide and social stature. As I read on, it didn’t really get better. One thing about introverts is that we don’t say much, but we put a lot of weight in what we do say. That means we act with integrity when we speak. No hemming or hawing. No lies. And we have a dedication to the truth, to the point of correcting others just to have something to say. Evan Hansen doesn’t act like this. He picks up an idiot ball and runs with it to the end of the novel.
In fact, I might say that this is the quintessential YA novel. But that’s not a good thing. I mean that in the sense that this book throws all the typical ingredients in the pot and what comes out is pizza. You can’t really ruin pizza, but you can make it unexciting. Just another reheated concoction that everyone else makes.
There are typical YA topics like suicide and social stature. As I read on, it didn’t really get better. One thing about introverts is that we don’t say much, but we put a lot of weight in what we do say. That means we act with integrity when we speak. No hemming or hawing. No lies. And we have a dedication to the truth, to the point of correcting others just to have something to say. Evan Hansen doesn’t act like this. He picks up an idiot ball and runs with it to the end of the novel.
In fact, I might say that this is the quintessential YA novel. But that’s not a good thing. I mean that in the sense that this book throws all the typical ingredients in the pot and what comes out is pizza. You can’t really ruin pizza, but you can make it unexciting. Just another reheated concoction that everyone else makes.
bellsb00ksandwritings's review against another edition
4.0
The beginning and end were beautiful. The part in between was a bit boring. It did make me feel so much and I'm kind of a mess now, so I don't really know how to rate this. I think 3.5? If the entire book was as good as the beginning it would undoubtedly have been 5.
smittybeans0018's review against another edition
3.0
It’s an interesting concept, to make a novelization of a Broadway musical. And I think the material lends itself well to this—Dear Evan Hansen is, at its heart, a painful coming-of-age story.
What I think worked well was the character development and the dialogue, both spoken and internal. Each character is distinct and sensitively realized. You can tell Emmich really paid attention to the source material. I also think the dialogue is believable and well-written, and that Evan’s rich inner world is conveyed perfectly by his extensive inner monologues.
The things that were less well-realized were mainly the sense of place as well as the chapter structure. While the author invests much in the characters themselves—and he should have, if he wanted the novel to be as compelling as the musical—the scenery is barely touched. I feel that the work would have been enriched by more vivid description of setting, like Evan’s room or the school or the characters’ houses. Some description happens, but it’s pretty general. This makes it seem more spare like the set of the musical, but that doesn’t work as well in the translation to novel format. Also, while I liked the interpolary Connor chapters, which gave me more insight into that character than even the musical did, I think their placement felt random and inconsistent. This made the shift of first-person narrative from one character to the other feel a bit awkward.
Overall, though, an enjoyable read. I liked getting to see a novelist’s perspective on these characters and this story, and I especially liked the inspiration lists at the end of the book. It’s always satisfying for me to see what makes artists produce their work. I would recommend this as a quick read to fans of the musical or someone who enjoys a good coming-of-age story.
What I think worked well was the character development and the dialogue, both spoken and internal. Each character is distinct and sensitively realized. You can tell Emmich really paid attention to the source material. I also think the dialogue is believable and well-written, and that Evan’s rich inner world is conveyed perfectly by his extensive inner monologues.
The things that were less well-realized were mainly the sense of place as well as the chapter structure. While the author invests much in the characters themselves—and he should have, if he wanted the novel to be as compelling as the musical—the scenery is barely touched. I feel that the work would have been enriched by more vivid description of setting, like Evan’s room or the school or the characters’ houses. Some description happens, but it’s pretty general. This makes it seem more spare like the set of the musical, but that doesn’t work as well in the translation to novel format. Also, while I liked the interpolary Connor chapters, which gave me more insight into that character than even the musical did, I think their placement felt random and inconsistent. This made the shift of first-person narrative from one character to the other feel a bit awkward.
Overall, though, an enjoyable read. I liked getting to see a novelist’s perspective on these characters and this story, and I especially liked the inspiration lists at the end of the book. It’s always satisfying for me to see what makes artists produce their work. I would recommend this as a quick read to fans of the musical or someone who enjoys a good coming-of-age story.
alexamarlene's review against another edition
4.0
*4.5
I couldn’t help but sing the songs as I was reading this book. I think this story works better on stage than it does on paper (I have never seen the full play, but from a few videos I’ve seen that is what I am assuming), but I still really enjoyed it and made me tear up a couple of times.
I couldn’t help but sing the songs as I was reading this book. I think this story works better on stage than it does on paper (I have never seen the full play, but from a few videos I’ve seen that is what I am assuming), but I still really enjoyed it and made me tear up a couple of times.