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A review by mirrorchaser
Dear Evan Hansen: The Novel by Val Emmich
4.0
This was my first time reading a novelization of a musical and it was an interesting experience.
I guess
Certain passages mirror songs and I caught them immediately but felt that they were fluid enough to not be noticed as odd by someone who wasn’t familiar with the show.
Just to put it out there, full transparency, all that jazz... I am a major musical theatre nerd. One of those "listens to show tunes for fun, "collects playbills," "seen 'em all," theatre people. I've seen Dear Evan Hansen in person, I've watched bootlegs, I've listened to every cast recording and cover out there, and this book had pretty big shoes to fill.
[b:Dear Evan Hansen|39088507|Dear Evan Hansen|Val Emmich|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1521490556l/39088507._SY75_.jpg|60663163] tells a very important story of Evan Hansen, a pretty average high school kid, and the slippery slope of trying to fit in. When most kids get tangled up in lies for popularity it is something like their natural hair color, listening to a band, or knowing someone famous. Well, Evan didn't stop at a little white lie. He accidentally capitalized on a major life event of a classmate, Conner Murphy, who he barely knew when their assumed association skyrocketed him into popularity and drew a lot of attention to "The Conner Project," something that Evan began working on with great intentions. As things spiral out of control, Evan battles between doing what he knows is right and keeping the new friends, pseudo-family, and life that he has built in the wake of the Conner Project.
I wish that the novelization had went a little deeper with the characters, showing the impact of Evan’s lies. The real take away in the book is that lies hurt you more than anyone else and the show was able to show a little more emotion from the supporting characters to explain how lies were affecting them as well.
Not a horrible read but I’d pick the show any day!
I guess
Certain passages mirror songs and I caught them immediately but felt that they were fluid enough to not be noticed as odd by someone who wasn’t familiar with the show.
Just to put it out there, full transparency, all that jazz... I am a major musical theatre nerd. One of those "listens to show tunes for fun, "collects playbills," "seen 'em all," theatre people. I've seen Dear Evan Hansen in person, I've watched bootlegs, I've listened to every cast recording and cover out there, and this book had pretty big shoes to fill.
[b:Dear Evan Hansen|39088507|Dear Evan Hansen|Val Emmich|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1521490556l/39088507._SY75_.jpg|60663163] tells a very important story of Evan Hansen, a pretty average high school kid, and the slippery slope of trying to fit in. When most kids get tangled up in lies for popularity it is something like their natural hair color, listening to a band, or knowing someone famous. Well, Evan didn't stop at a little white lie. He accidentally capitalized on a major life event of a classmate, Conner Murphy, who he barely knew when their assumed association skyrocketed him into popularity and drew a lot of attention to "The Conner Project," something that Evan began working on with great intentions. As things spiral out of control, Evan battles between doing what he knows is right and keeping the new friends, pseudo-family, and life that he has built in the wake of the Conner Project.
"The me I am is not the me I was." - Dear Evan Hansen
I wish that the novelization had went a little deeper with the characters, showing the impact of Evan’s lies. The real take away in the book is that lies hurt you more than anyone else and the show was able to show a little more emotion from the supporting characters to explain how lies were affecting them as well.
Not a horrible read but I’d pick the show any day!