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A review by quasinaut
Funny Story by Emily Henry
funny
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
There are a lot of aspects of this book that I loved, and some that didn't quite hit for me.
The setting, most of the main and side characters, the conversational banter - both flirty and friendly, not just between Daphne and Miles - the get-to-know-Waning-Bay side quests - all of these were pretty great.
For me, though, it was frustrating that Daphne's choices and reactions were all based on her history with her unreliable father: her distrust of Miles for being charming, her judgement of Ashleigh as unreliable for running late, and so on. I wanted her to recognize sooner that she wasn't really seeing them as individuals, but conflating them with her dad and his behavior, and it harmed her developing relationships with them.
As a librarian, I am so grateful for how libraries were portrayed, both the good (community!), the bad (inappropriate patrons!), and the in-between. But there were still parts that bothered me - why was it totally cool for unattended adults to crash storytime? Why did only like four people work at the library? Why was Daphne planning a fundraiser? Why was it her sole focus for months? Why did Daphne do so much work when she wasn't at work?? Pet peeves of mine, sure.
Despite my complaints, the wonderful characters and humor and descriptions made this overall another fun Emily Henry read!
The setting, most of the main and side characters, the conversational banter - both flirty and friendly, not just between Daphne and Miles - the get-to-know-Waning-Bay side quests - all of these were pretty great.
For me, though, it was frustrating that Daphne's choices and reactions were all based on her history with her unreliable father: her distrust of Miles for being charming, her judgement of Ashleigh as unreliable for running late, and so on. I wanted her to recognize sooner that she wasn't really seeing them as individuals, but conflating them with her dad and his behavior, and it harmed her developing relationships with them.
As a librarian, I am so grateful for how libraries were portrayed, both the good (community!), the bad (inappropriate patrons!), and the in-between. But there were still parts that bothered me - why was it totally cool for unattended adults to crash storytime? Why did only like four people work at the library? Why was Daphne planning a fundraiser? Why was it her sole focus for months? Why did Daphne do so much work when she wasn't at work?? Pet peeves of mine, sure.
Despite my complaints, the wonderful characters and humor and descriptions made this overall another fun Emily Henry read!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Abandonment, and Alcohol