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A review by fawnsbooks
Henry Hamlet's Heart by Rhiannon Wilde
5.0
Actual rating 4,5 - but it was enjoyable enough to round it up.
Read the digital ARC between 7 August and 24 August. Special thanks to NetGalley and Charlesbridge Teen for sharing this ARC with me in exchange for my honest review.
Henry Hamlet and his friends are in the last semester of high school. Neurotic Henry and his charming best friend Len are a great duo and despite their differences, their friendship just works. Like most teenagers, they have their own issues with friends, family, and final exams. Life in the last semester of high school is tough enough as is, but with the added challenge of Henry falling for his best friend, he's in for quite a ride.
Writing - 8/10 ⭐️
The book is not a literary masterpiece, but not every book has to be. The author managed to make me laugh out loud several times with her descriptions of Henry's somewhat strange family and the interactions between the friends.
Plot - 9/10⭐️
It's been a while since I graduated high school, but I remember the anxiety and the crushes, and the small issues that seemed to take over my entire life. Like most books about high schoolers, it is not fully realistic, but the author did a lot better than the creators of e.g. Riverdale. These kids actually did their homework. While reading I made a couple of notes. About halfway through I was already very invested in the characters and their stories ("This is so sickly sweet, I'm gonna cry") and 75% in I was desperately hoping for this book to have a happy ending. Some tropes felt a bit much, and sometimes the author went too deep with the day-to-day life, but generally, it was a great story.
Characters - 10/10 ⭐️
I am obsessed with Henry, Len, the rest of the friend group, Henry's parents, Henry's lovable grandmother, and her girlfriend and Ham Ham. I wish I knew more people like the people in this book.
Enjoyability - 10/10⭐️
Yes. This was one of the funnest books I've read this year. It made me laugh out loud, I even ended up crying (there's a chapter at prom with a song title, play the song once you see it. Seriously.) and I very much appreciated that it takes place a couple of years ago. The boys graduate in 2008, when MySpace was still popular and with all the stuff of the past couple of years, that was a fun time to go back to.
Read the digital ARC between 7 August and 24 August. Special thanks to NetGalley and Charlesbridge Teen for sharing this ARC with me in exchange for my honest review.
Henry Hamlet and his friends are in the last semester of high school. Neurotic Henry and his charming best friend Len are a great duo and despite their differences, their friendship just works. Like most teenagers, they have their own issues with friends, family, and final exams. Life in the last semester of high school is tough enough as is, but with the added challenge of Henry falling for his best friend, he's in for quite a ride.
Writing - 8/10 ⭐️
The book is not a literary masterpiece, but not every book has to be. The author managed to make me laugh out loud several times with her descriptions of Henry's somewhat strange family and the interactions between the friends.
Plot - 9/10⭐️
It's been a while since I graduated high school, but I remember the anxiety and the crushes, and the small issues that seemed to take over my entire life. Like most books about high schoolers, it is not fully realistic, but the author did a lot better than the creators of e.g. Riverdale. These kids actually did their homework. While reading I made a couple of notes. About halfway through I was already very invested in the characters and their stories ("This is so sickly sweet, I'm gonna cry") and 75% in I was desperately hoping for this book to have a happy ending. Some tropes felt a bit much, and sometimes the author went too deep with the day-to-day life, but generally, it was a great story.
Characters - 10/10 ⭐️
I am obsessed with Henry, Len, the rest of the friend group, Henry's parents, Henry's lovable grandmother, and her girlfriend and Ham Ham. I wish I knew more people like the people in this book.
Enjoyability - 10/10⭐️
Yes. This was one of the funnest books I've read this year. It made me laugh out loud, I even ended up crying (there's a chapter at prom with a song title, play the song once you see it. Seriously.) and I very much appreciated that it takes place a couple of years ago. The boys graduate in 2008, when MySpace was still popular and with all the stuff of the past couple of years, that was a fun time to go back to.