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A review by kazuchuu
Dear Evan Hansen: The Novel by Val Emmich
4.0
"I just have this feeling sometimes that even the best therapist in the world couldn't fix me."
Trigger warning: anxiety, depression, suicide, mentions of drug abuse.
Okay, I ended up loving this way more than I thought I would.
I'll admit that, when I started, the writing seemed off and very "choppy" to me, eerily similar to other books I've rated below three stars. But my love for the musical made me stick around and I am so glad it did. There is so much more revealed, and the story unravels in such a beautiful way, especially towards the end. I'm especially happy that Connor got some chapters; we got much more insight into his character than the musical offered. And even though Miguel was never there in the musical, I am super glad he's in this book. I really wanted Connor to have had at least one friend (not Evan, although those two had great potential), and I was happy when Miguel made an entrance. (Okay, I'm pretty sure Miguel was more than just a friend, and those bits were super cute and super sad at the same time, but you get me.)
Evan was relatable in a way I didn't expect. He had good days and bad days and days when he was in a really dark place, but he still managed to climb out. Possibly the best thing about this book is the way it portrays mental illnesses; they never just 'go away'. It's not easy to just heal and leave them behind, and while Evan is still fighting his way out even at the end of the book, he's progressed so much as a person and I couldn't be prouder of my boy.
And another thing: give me my Connor and Miguel novella, coward. I NEED IT.
4/5
Trigger warning: anxiety, depression, suicide, mentions of drug abuse.
Okay, I ended up loving this way more than I thought I would.
I'll admit that, when I started, the writing seemed off and very "choppy" to me, eerily similar to other books I've rated below three stars. But my love for the musical made me stick around and I am so glad it did. There is so much more revealed, and the story unravels in such a beautiful way, especially towards the end. I'm especially happy that Connor got some chapters; we got much more insight into his character than the musical offered. And even though Miguel was never there in the musical, I am super glad he's in this book. I really wanted Connor to have had at least one friend (not Evan, although those two had great potential), and I was happy when Miguel made an entrance. (Okay, I'm pretty sure Miguel was more than just a friend, and those bits were super cute and super sad at the same time, but you get me.)
Evan was relatable in a way I didn't expect. He had good days and bad days and days when he was in a really dark place, but he still managed to climb out. Possibly the best thing about this book is the way it portrays mental illnesses; they never just 'go away'. It's not easy to just heal and leave them behind, and while Evan is still fighting his way out even at the end of the book, he's progressed so much as a person and I couldn't be prouder of my boy.
And another thing: give me my Connor and Miguel novella, coward. I NEED IT.
4/5