A review by bookcheshirecat
Funny Story by Emily Henry

emotional funny lighthearted medium-paced

4.5

“Life’s short enough without us talking ourselves out of hope and trying to dodge every bad feeling. Sometimes you have to push through the discomfort, instead of running.”

➽ Funny Story was indeed hilarious and heartfelt. I love Emily Henry's books but Happy Place was a big miss for me, so I was a bit apprehensive. I needn't have worried as Funny Story was amazing! The story is about Daphne and Miles whose partners left them and started dating each other instead. Distraught, Daphne is basically kicked out of her future home and becomes roommates with Miles instead, the only person who can understand her situation. It's still an awkward situation, especially when Daphne decides to make it seem like they're dating to spite their exes, who are now planning their wedding.

➽ Daphne and Miles really stole my heart. Daphne wants to escape town as she has built her entire life around her ex-fiance Peter and now that he's left her for his childhood best friend Petra, she feels lost. I felt sorry for her, as Daphne doesn't have any friendships, as everyone sided with Peter and since they only had mutual friends, she has no one on her side. She loves being a children's librarian - the only highlight in her life right now - but still searches for new jobs far away from her heartbreak. I loved how the story discussed finding new friends as an adult and building your own connections outside of a partner. Daphne is horrible at small talk (same), but still starts befriending Ashley, one of her coworkers. I loved their dynamic and how Daphne realized she tends to focus on being part of a couple but forgets to leave space for herself.

➽ Miles was also easy to love. He had a tough childhood filled with a manipulative parent, so he copes by always being positive and friendly to everyone. Unlike Daphne, he's good at drawing people into his orbit and actually works to befriend others by showing them kindness. He's a good guy and seeing him receive judgement for his job and background made me so angry. It was also great getting to see Julia, his younger sister who was amazing and definitely deserves her own book! I loved the chemistry between Daphne and Miles, they had such great banter from the start despite being stuck in an awkward situation. They complimented each other nicely and helped each other cope with their insecurities. The fake dating wasn't a big part of the story, but felt natural, especially with Peter and Petra having the audacity to invite them to their wedding. I thought there would be more drama about that, but I didn't mind the direction the plot took.
Expand filter menu Content Warnings