I have to be honest, this one wasn't for me. Maybe if I had seen the stage show I'd feel differently. There's nothing wrong with it, others will definitely enjoy it.

Such a simple story, but it resonates.
Evan Hansen is not comfortable in himself. He has anxiety and is struggling with finding his place. That sense of isolation is one that I think so many people can tap into. As part of his therapy, he’s been asked to write positive life-affirming messages to himself.
The messages don’t work. But one message he writes sets up a whole chain of events that nobody could predict.
What was evident here was that so many of the characters felt alone, or were struggling to feel part of something. Some were just better at hiding it than others. 
Throughout, I sensed things were not going to go quite as positively as it looked like they would. However, it’s hard not to warm to Evan and to feel happy for where he ends up.

I knew Dear Evan Hansen was a play, but I have no idea what that play is about so when I saw this ebook on Netgalley I thought why not give it a go! I've actually ended up listening to the audiobook version and I loved the narrator's chosen for this book, they were brilliant!
I can't say I connected with Evan at all really, I just kept thinking how deceitful and wrong his actions were. It's a very difficult position to be in, and I do understand how quickly that spiralled out of control for him, but I just couldn't like him in any way. 
Connor on the other hand was a pleasant surprise, I found his chapters very interesting and loved learning about his life. It was a shame there weren't more chapters from Connors POV.
The end however was quite surprising, I really enjoyed reading the last few chapters. Evan revealed some very emotional and truthful confessions which helped me relate with him, if a little too late. 
It's a decent book which deals with hard topics, but it missed the spot a bit with me.

Psychology, troubled minds of youngsters and their thought processes and not being fully understood by the older generation.  An interesting read dealing with a youngster in therapy, his school, family life and the twists of peer pressure, suicide of a young boy at the same school and how the suicide affects everybody.

“No one should ever feel they have to suffer in silence. We need to keep talking about mental health and continue to reach out to those who might be suffering.”

I would like to thank NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this to review, it has taken me absolutely AGES to get round to reading this and my god I wish I had read it much sooner.
Despite having a digital ARC of this I did end up purchasing a physical copy as well.

If you haven’t heard of Dear Evan Hansen by now then you must have been living under a rock for the past few years, the novel is actually inspired by the broadway musical- which is great for those people who haven’t or won’t get the chance to see the production (I believe it is coming to the West end later this year, so I am hoping to go in the new year *fingers crossed*)

DEH is oddly uplifting to say it is about a teenage boy who takes his own life and Evan getting caught up in a lie that he was this boys best friend.

Dear Evan Hansen perfectly deals with issues such as depression and anxiety, touching on domestic negligence and abuse.

I tried to listen to the soundtrack along with reading the novel, after all it was so easy to dislike the parents at times, but the songs were a great way to get more understanding, so if you are wanting to read it then maybe give that a go.

I can definitely say that I was brought to tears by this novel, not only did Evan resonate with me, I genuinely felt for Connor as well- he definitely wasn’t perfect, but he was clearly struggling but he felt that he couldn’t turn to his family in his time of need. It was very apparent that his parents didn’t know how to connect to him. If you listen to the song “To Break in a Glove” this is a perfect description for how Larry raised his children- he was hard on them because he thought it was the right thing.

I could genuinely sit here and ramble on about how many times I was close to tears because of this book, but instead all I will say is that I think it is a MUST READ, I have read a fair few books about mental health and this was brilliant, but not only is this a novel about depression, it is also about friendships and finding yourself, and being able to speak out about your problems

I would love it if Dear Evan Hansen made it’s way onto the big screen as well- I have seen that it may be in the works so I am keeping my fingers crossed for that as well.

My request on NetGalley was approved by the publisher, so thank you Penguin Random House UK Children’s!

Dear Evan Hansen by Val Emmich with Steven Levenson, Benj Pasek & Justin Paul

My Rating: 2.75 / 5 🌟

When I found out they'll be adapting Dear Evan Hansen into a book, I was actually quite interested to see how it will turn out. Unfortunately, everything fell flat in the this book.

I do have to say that I personally don't have anxiety or depression, so I can't really say much about the representation of it in this book. And reading about mental illness isn't really my cup of tea, which could already say a lot about why I didn't enjoy this book.

But I have listened quite religiously to the soundtrack of the first act of the musical and even seen performances of some of the songs, so I will be comparing the book with what I have heard and saw of the musical.

Going into this book, I didn't have the highest of expectations, considering I already knew what the first half of the story was about, as well as the characters. Yet I think the downfall of the book for me wasn't the story or the characters, but the portrayal of the characters in the book.

Our main character, Evan Hansen, is known as one of the most lovable character in Broadway, considering how he suffers from anxiety. Sadly, the book didn't manage to capture the essence of his character the same way the musical did.

Instead of having the lovable Evan Hansen that we see in the musical, we have an annoying and whiny Evan Hansen in the book. Just trying to finish the first chapter of this book was a struggle enough and I keep thinking if these two was actually the same character.

Moving on to the side characters. In the musical, you get to delve so much deeper into their thoughts and emotions with the soundtrack. But in the book, all you get is Evan Hansen's opinion and perspective about them. If he isn't fond of them, then you're not fond them. If he likes them, then you'll like them. And after already knowing who these characters are and experience what they actually felt, it's so hard to contrast Evan's opinion with your opinion and I find myself disagreeing with him which creates this dislike towards his character and also the other characters surrounding him. And I think this plays the biggest role on why I didn't like any of them or felt any connection to them like I did with the musical.

I also didn't really enjoy the writing style in the book as I find it to be quite cringe-worthy. I feel like it was trying really hard to connect with younger readers by being relatable but in the end, it all just felt weird and very messy.

I do want to say that my rating maybe biased as I do enjoy the musical (specifically what I have heard and saw of it), hence why I keep comparing the two.

Although, I do like how they incorporated some of the songs from the soundtrack into the book, whether it be an actual conversation or being performed. I truly enjoy that aspect of the book. 

Overall, I think the story of Dear Evan Hansen is an absolutely beautiful and has been captured successfully by the musical but unfortunately, the same couldn't be said for the book.

I would still highly recommend the musical if you're interested in the story of Dear Evan Hansen as I think it's an important story that must be shared and heard by everyone.

This one wasn't really for me. Although I really did like the writing and the characters (at first). The way suicide was handled in a large portion of this novel just doesn't sit right with me and I'm sure that some people will feel the same, while many won't mind. That was the sole point that tainted my enjoyment of the book, but it lead to me actually dreading to pick it up, which isn't really ideal, I guess.

Objectively this isn't a bad book at all, but sadly, it wasn't my cup of tea.

Thank you, NetGalley and the publisher for the chance to read this novel.

DNF 20%

After trying and failing to get into the eARC I received, I decided to try it on audiobook instead. Unfortunately, I just couldn't get into this book! It may be something that I will come back to in the future, but for now, it's a DNF.

I highly recommend checking out other reviews as everyone seems to love this!
Disclaimer: I have not seen the show this is based on, nor did I have any clue what it was about before this.

Overall opinion of the book:

Dear Evan Hansen was a book I'd been eagerly waiting to read and had heard nothing but amazing things about. The musical has been a big phenomenon and of course I wanted to pick up the book to read as I couldn't travel to America to see the show. I was left quite disappointed with the book however, and felt that it was quite problematic in parts.


I think my main disappointment with the book was with the main character, Evan. When you're reading a book that's in a first person perspective, it's so important to feel a connection with the character and more importantly, like them. If you don't, then it does make the book quite difficult to enjoy, which is what I unfortunately found with Evan. I felt he was very self centred throughout and also naive. He seemed to act as though he was the only person to experience what he was going through in regards to anxiety. As someone that experiences anxiety, I felt this was quite a naive way of thinking and I wasn't keen on how he treated and talked about his mother, especially when he gaslights her into thinking he's not lying about his friendship with Connor. While I understand his character doesn't depict what it's like to have anxiety as a whole, I couldn't help but feel disappointed by how it was portrayed a lot of the time. There were points in the book where the authors nail what a person with anxiety experiences very well, but as a whole I think anxiety could have been portrayed in a more sensitive manner.


There was one part in the book I found a little contradictory. Evan talks about his loneliness and how he wants to make friends, yet he sits on a lunch table with other people of "a lower social standing" and refuses to talk to them. He also refuses to ask them to sign his cast for fear of being associated with them. I understand in a school situation many people crave popularity, but if you're lonely and want to make friends, does it matter? The way in which he overthinks so many situations is very realistic and completely relatable, but his loneliness could have been relieved so much quicker if he was willing to open up to these people, easier said than done though, I know.
In regards to the plot, I can understand what the authors are trying to do, but I felt that it was sensationalising suicide in a sense. I know this wasn't Evan's initial intentions and it accidentally happened, but it didn't need to escalate in the way it did. I know there wouldn't have been a story if it was resolved straight away, but I wasn't comfortable with how his lie snowballed. I'm sure many people would enjoy the plot and be interested in finding out how Evan was going to get himself out of the situation, but it just made for an awkward read for me - particularly the parts where Evan is interacting with Connor's family. It all went a bit too far for me and I didn't like the thought of someone's death being used to further someone's place in society, intentional or not. I was also a little uncomfortable reading Evan's lies to Connor's parents. I think my main issue was with the foundations of everything good that happens in regards to helping those with their mental health is being based on a lie, it just doesn't sit right with me.


What was interesting about Dear Evan Hansen was the other teenager's reactions to Connor's death. It certainly reflected what today's society is like. While he was alive no one seemed bothered about Connor and his feelings, but as soon as he was gone people were writing lovely things about him on Social Media and sharing stories with each other. It reflects how important it is to check in with family and friends to ask them how they're doing and whether or not they're struggling. It's all too often we see a similar situation in our own lives or on Social Media.


There were a handful of comments made in the book that were only brief but were quite problematic in my opinion. At one point in the book (p. 45) Evan says, "a few kids of a certain body type watch me with envy", are we really fat shaming in a book? I didn't really think this comment was necessary or needed. It hints at the fact that people who are plus sized aren't happy with their bodies and are jealous of thin people when this just isn't true. There's enough fat shaming portrayed in the media, without it being reflected in a YA book to impressionable teenagers. I know this is only one line in a whole book, but it wasn't needed. At the beginning of the book there's also a part where Evan mentions that there'll be new gender identities and sexualities when he goes back to school. This comment just feels distasteful and is almost emphasising that those who don't comply with "normal" gender stereotypes or well known sexualities aren't valid? I'm not sure if this is me just reading too much into things here, but thats what it feels the authors are hinting at. 


Though I didn't enjoy the majority of Dear Evan Hansen, the last third of the book redeemed it for me and I did enjoy the ending. I didn't realise that Connor, the boy who commits suicide, also has chapters within the book. These chapters were my favourite parts of the book, and if there was a book based on Connor and his experiences alone, it probably would have got a much higher rating from me. Connor's character really stayed with me and I sympathised with his struggles with mental health. He was such an interesting and intricate character, the polar opposite to Evan, not to mention quite comedic in parts. I throughly enjoyed getting an insight into his personal life and feelings. 


Connor's experiences with mental health were written far more organically than Evan's and felt far more raw and realistic in my opinion. It was interesting to see how his life mirrors Evan's in the sense that they both just wanted to be noticed. It was also interesting to find out Connor's thoughts and reactions to Evan. The ending was good and I liked that it left many characters with a sense of peace, although I think it could have been tougher on Evan for his actions.


There was gay and bi rep in Dear Evan Hansen and it was interesting how it depicted different kind of friendships and emphasises that some friendships can be toxic. Overall I didn't hate this book, I just had high hopes for it and was left disappointed. Evan wasn't a redeeming character for me, I struggled to empathise with him and couldn't justify his actions, which made it difficult to fully enjoy the book. When looking at the musical, it seems to be far more emotive and engaging. It's a shame this didn't reflect through the book

Final thoughts:

Just because this wasn't the book for me, that doesn't mean you won't love it. I struggled to connect with the main character Evan, which in turn affected my overall opinion of the book. Even so, I absolutely loved Connor's chapters and wanted to learn more about him. The ending was definitely strong and did make up for the parts of the book I didn't enjoy as much.


It's a shame when you read a book you're really looking forward to and it doesn't quite meet up to your expectations, but it can't be helped. I hope I enjoy the show in November, after listening to the soundtrack though I think I will, the story seems to be portrayed in a better way on stage. Sometimes when reading a book adapted from the stage it's difficult to add everything into it. I felt the authors could have made the book more emotive and Evan a more engaging and likeable character like he seems in the musical. I longed for the emotions that are in the song You Will Be Found to be in the book too.

As a fan of the musical, I was already very excited to read this book, and I wasn't disappointed! The characters were exactly how I had imagined them and shed so much light on the story you can't usually get through just watching and listening to a musical.

Aside from the theatrical aspect of the book, the story tackles a lot of issues within mental health which are extremely important in our society today and should be addressed, and literature like this is doing a good job of making people more aware of this.

The story explores the life (and lies) young boy called Evan and his struggles with social anxiety. One small lie of his turns his life around, and as he gets deeper and deeper into the life of a boy at his school he has died, the more he believes his lies, and the more he manages to help others around him and across the world become more aware of the help there is available, and encouraging people to speak up if they feel alone.

This book is heartbreaking as well as uplifting, and I feel, a very important novel for teens to read right now.

A sweet book perfect for fans of the musical. The book is a heartbreaking look into mental health and the impacts that it can have on friends and family.

Evan Hansen doesn't fit in at school and he doesn't really have any friends. He takes pills to help with his anxiety and sees a therapist who asks Evan to write letters to himself.
When events lead to the parents of one of Evan's schoolmates thinking that one of Evan's letters is actually a suicide note from their son addressed to Evan, he can't bring himself to correct them. Things start spiralling out of control and Evan finds himself in the middle of a web of lies.
Can Evan keep living a lie?
Will the truth come out?

Dear Evan Hansen is based on the musical of the same name, which I didn't know much going into the book.
Evan was a likeable and relatable protagonist, but there were a few times when I wanted to reach into the pages and shake him for making the things worse.
The plot was interesting and I could easily believe how a lie could blow up to something so big.
I felt myself cringing as the lie progressed, because, inevitably, at some point the truth would come out and Evan would be in big trouble.
I liked the writing style but there were a couple of times where I had to re-read a sentence because I thought I'd missed something.
I'm interested in listening to the musical soundtrack.

Overall this was an enjoyable read.

Beautiful book! Really enjoyed this one. Easy to get into and kept my attention. Would love to read more from this author

Dear Evan Hansen is a fantastic read that will tug at your heart strings.  When Evan Hanson becomes involved in something, he has to lie and stick to it.  Suddenly, he is no longer invisible amongst his peers - and the girl he has had a crush on.  Evan knows what he's done isnt right, but can he tell the truth?  Amazing 4 star read about grief, loss, isolation and the pressure of being someone you're not.

I requested this book as an ARC to see whether it would be suitable for my son, a young man not dissimilar to Evan Hansen. I had no idea that it came from a musical background.  How pleased am I?

This book struck a chord on so many levels and I'd love to see it become a core text for today's young people.  Beautifully written, relatable, meaningful.  The characterisation is wonderfully raw.  This book will resonate and the themes will stay with you for a long time.

Perfect for young teens 13+ and adults alike.

HUGE thanks to the authors, publisher and NetGalley for the ARC.

Wow. Just... Wow.

This is beautiful, thought provoking and original. While Evan is not the most likeable of protagonists, you empathise with him as he gets sucked into posing as the best friend of a teen who committed suicide. Even though he makes a lot of bad decisions, you can understand why. People are complicated.

I can't imagine how there could be a musical of this book but if it's even half as good, it'll be amazing.

Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC without obligation.

I went into this book blind to the storyline, I knew there was a Broadway show but had absolutely no idea about the plot.  I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed it.  The theme is a sad, but very relevant, look at mental health issues, and also how we can get caught up in a lie and the consequences that come along with it.  

Evan Hansen is a loner, but he soon finds himself the popular boy in school as he gets caught up in a situation he unfortunately keeps digging himself further into,  As much as he starts to enjoy the new found attention, he realises it comes at a price to his own mental health and the lie is just not worth it.  Can he turn everything around, and how will the new found people in his life react?  

I thought this was an interesting and thought-provoking read.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to review this book.

Evan doesn't fit into his school or his life - he's different than everyone else.  A chance encounter allows this to change - but at what cost?  A thought-provoking novel about societal expectations and people trying to understand each other.  Highly recommended.

An honest and emotional story surrounding men's mental health among teens.

Dear Evan Hansen,

Today's going to be an amazing day and here's why...

When a letter that was never meant to be seen by anyone draws high school senior Evan Hansen into a family's grief over the loss of their son, he is given the chance of a lifetime: to belong. He just has to stick to a lie he never meant to tell, that the notoriously troubled Connor Murphy was his secret best friend. As Evan gets pulled deeper into their swirl of anger, regret, and confusion, he knows that what he's doing can't be right, but if he's helping people, how wrong can it be?

No longer tangled in his once-incapacitating anxiety, this new Evan has a purpose. Every day is amazing. Until everything is in danger of unravelling and he comes face to face with his greatest obstacle: himself. A simple lie leads to complicated truths in this big-hearted coming-of-age story of grief, authenticity and the struggle to belong in an age of instant connectivity and profound isolation.
 
This novel touches on the profound impact that mental health issues can have on teenagers in the modern day. I found this book deeply touching, through Emmich’s honest story of how incapacitating anxiety can create a world of total isolation amongst many teens. The novel also touches on the battle men can have with sexuality vs appearance, as well as the unspoken issue surrounding men’s mental health. 

I think this is a really empowering novel for male teens and should be read to give people a true perspective of these profound issues.

The book has become a Tony Award Winning Best Musical on Broadway, and I will be rushing to see it once it reaches Westend.

Lucy 

Breakaway Reviewers received a copy of the book to review.

I am a huge fan of musical theatre. Like. I am the kid in the back of the room living the lip-sync fantasy in every show, complete with jazz hands and closed eyes of emotion™ which is why when I heard hit musical Dear Evan Hansen was going to be novelised and released as a book, my world came crashing. My two favourite things together at last! 
Here are some thoughts on it. 
First the good: 
The book is a very faithful translation of the “musical” feeling. The references to the songs blend in subtly but are visible enough to build that show atmosphere I was looking for. In that regard, It didn’t disappoint. The narrative voice is so realistic and natural, I could definitely relate and imagine other young people dealing with the same thoughts Evan was working through. 
I really liked how effective and impactful the most emotional sequences were. The authors handle emotion beautifully and made me feel every bit as awkward, or as uncomfortable, as nervous or happy as Evan at any given point of the story. I found particularly funny his interactions with Jared, and unbearably awkward any time the Murphy family came into the scene. 
Now the bad: 
I understand the book had to be faithful to the source material and I understand the source material dwells on an incredibly difficult subject, but where the show makes it meaningful, the book seems to make it gratuitous. 
My main issue here is how suicide is treated as a plot device and nothing more. How selfish Evan is. How a kid’s death is nothing to him but first and foremost, an inconvenience, and then a tool to climb (like a tree… get it?) He knows what he is doing wrong, but he doesn’t care enough to come through and set the record straight and then what was a speck of dust became an uncontrollable snowball rolling down a hill and getting bigger and bigger. 
The plot is the same in the musical, but in the book, we also get his inner thoughts, and it makes him incredibly unlikeable. 
Apart from him, none of the other characters seem to be properly fleshed out. Zoey is meh, Jared is funny and that’s all there is, the Murphy’s are very one-note, and don’t even get me started on Evan’s mum. 
This book was a huge letdown and ended in a very unsatisfactory way. As much as I enjoyed reading some of it, I had to skim through other parts, some because they were just boring, others because they were just too much. 
I think publishers have a very big responsibility when it comes to what they put out there. For better or for worse they’re the gatekeepers, and letting through things that have a sort of “you matter” message buried under hundreds of pages of “but actually you don’t because kids like Evan will profit from the drama” or even “maybe if you die someone will start your very own [insert name] project” is not the way to go. 
There are better ways to deal with mental health issues, trauma, and suicide in fiction. Romanticising them is not one of them.