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A review by gabs_parr
Funny Story by Emily Henry
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
To start- I’ve seen several reviews already across several sites saying, “this book wasn’t very funny for a book called ‘Funny Story’” or “I was expecting more romcom, less drama”… to be very clear, it is very obvious by the end of the first chapter that the meaning of the word “funny” in the title is used in the context of “ironic” not “haha”. So, with that in mind, she couldn’t have picked a better title, because nothing about the situations and backstories in this book is funny. But if you’re a bit of a cynic, like our main character Daphne, you will find lots of ironic moments all throughout that will make you do that nose breathing laugh 😂 That being said, it’s also Emily Henry- OF COURSE we have several laugh out loud moments sprinkled in amongst the angsts, drama, heartbreak, sadness, etc. The nod to the title at the end is very sweet as well. Loved that.
Okay, now moving on. Funny Story is Emily Henry at her best. I wasn’t sure if she would ever top Happy Place for me emotionally or Book Lovers for me in the swooning department, but with this novel she managed to outdo herself and completely blow her previous works out of the water.
Daphne and Miles are two people who have been repeatedly beaten down by the people who are supposed to love them. And haven’t we all felt that way before? What I loved about this book was the character study of the effect that growing up with this constant feeling can have on us. Will you internalize it and start to doubt yourself, never believing that you are good enough and always cutting yourself down, holding yourself back in order to “protect” the people you love from who you perceive yourself to be? Or will it be more external for you, where you stop trusting everyone around you, stop expecting anything from anyone, and build up your walls higher and higher to stop others from getting in, often running away or hurting them before they can hurt you? This book explores these concepts deeply through our beautiful, messy, flawed, and ever-so-lovable protagonists.
This book isn’t really about romance, though there is romance, and it is technically a romance novel. This is a book about finding self-love, self-discovery/fully realizing your autonomy/ learning how to be a whole independent person on your own (something a lot of people never learn how to do when they spend their entire 20s in LTRs), FRIENDSHIP, and confronting your past so you can move forward with the future you deserve. This is a book about two complicated people who have messy, complicated relationships and their journey through healing after a lifetime of repressed emotion and trauma for both of them.
The way they navigate through will have you laughing, crying, rolling your eyes, and at one point (for me) wanting to scream. I felt all the emotions and swooned all the swoons. I couldn’t have loved this book more. And of course, it really goes without saying, Julia Whalen is, as always, utter perfection. She is HANDS DOWN the best narrator in the business.
Okay, now moving on. Funny Story is Emily Henry at her best. I wasn’t sure if she would ever top Happy Place for me emotionally or Book Lovers for me in the swooning department, but with this novel she managed to outdo herself and completely blow her previous works out of the water.
Daphne and Miles are two people who have been repeatedly beaten down by the people who are supposed to love them. And haven’t we all felt that way before? What I loved about this book was the character study of the effect that growing up with this constant feeling can have on us. Will you internalize it and start to doubt yourself, never believing that you are good enough and always cutting yourself down, holding yourself back in order to “protect” the people you love from who you perceive yourself to be? Or will it be more external for you, where you stop trusting everyone around you, stop expecting anything from anyone, and build up your walls higher and higher to stop others from getting in, often running away or hurting them before they can hurt you? This book explores these concepts deeply through our beautiful, messy, flawed, and ever-so-lovable protagonists.
This book isn’t really about romance, though there is romance, and it is technically a romance novel. This is a book about finding self-love, self-discovery/fully realizing your autonomy/ learning how to be a whole independent person on your own (something a lot of people never learn how to do when they spend their entire 20s in LTRs), FRIENDSHIP, and confronting your past so you can move forward with the future you deserve. This is a book about two complicated people who have messy, complicated relationships and their journey through healing after a lifetime of repressed emotion and trauma for both of them.
The way they navigate through will have you laughing, crying, rolling your eyes, and at one point (for me) wanting to scream. I felt all the emotions and swooned all the swoons. I couldn’t have loved this book more. And of course, it really goes without saying, Julia Whalen is, as always, utter perfection. She is HANDS DOWN the best narrator in the business.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Abandonment
Moderate: Sexual content, Alcohol, Cursing, and Drug use
Minor: Infidelity
The drug is literally just regular marijuana. It’s not anything crazy or serious and it’s occasional, casual usage, not incessant, lifestyle usage.