I personally only knew that this was a big musical, I didn't know what the story was about. if you are like me, 30 something, allow me to warn you, this is about high school kids and suicide, I felt icky and old.

Strong, powerful, it touched my heart and made me think. I have a daughter that suffers from depression and I hurt for her sometimes. Love and kindness and listening is what I learned.

Really wanted to read this, once I heard how popular this story was. I loved it. It was such a good book and I’ve told so many people they should read it too!

Evan Hansen writes letters to himself. It is an assignment from his therapist to help him be more positive and try to overcome his incapacitating anxiety. When one of these letters is found on the body of a classmate who has committed suicide Evan is drawn into their family’s grief and begins to feel as if he finally belongs. Unfortunately, he has to maintain the lie he never meant to tell, that he was the secret best friend of the troubled Connor Murphy.

All of a sudden Evan isn’t invisible, he has a purpose, a website, is a viral phenomenon, and is living a life he always dreamed of. His simple lie leads to complicated truths both about himself and Connor. I found this book authentic in its handling of loneliness during your high school years and the lengths that a person may be driven to go in order to find a place to fit in.

Some of Evans' decisions seem a little far-fetched, such as recreating fake emails to prove that they were secret friends but the author did an excellent job of justifying why his decisions. Overall, I found this a touching coming-of-age story and I am looking forward to seeing the theatrical version.

I really love the Broadway play so I was very excited to read this. While I did like it for the story that was magical in its own right. I especially loved how much deeper this book went into the characters that I love. The same great humor even though I do miss the songs.

I didn't love this one like I had hoped I would. To be fair, I am not the target audience for this book. I have never seen the musical or heard any of its songs so I was pretty clueless going in. I can't tell you how this book compares to the musical but this story does stand on its own. Maybe a younger audience will enjoy this one more than I did but I spent a large part of the book wanted to pull these kids to the side and give them a mom talk. It was a pretty easy read and I am glad I gave it a try.

It all starts with a letter. Evan doesn't have really any friends and has a hard time getting through each day. As a part of therapy, he writes letters to himself to put things in a positive outlook. Connor picks up the letter and takes it from Evan. He dies with that letter in his pocket and suddenly everyone thinks that Connor and Evan were great friends and everything grows from there.

One of my biggest pet peeves is lying of any kind. Unfortunately, this book is packed with lies. Instead of letting Connor's parents know the truth behind the letter he lets them think that he was really friends with Connor. He then proceeds to expand on that lie and becomes a big part of Connor's family's life. He even starts dating Connor's sister who he has had a crush on for a very long time. Almost everything that Evan does in this book is a lie or is tied to a lie and I have to tell you that I had some issues with it. I just felt like Connor's family had enough to deal with without being manipulated by Evan.

There were some things that I did like in this book. I liked that the story is told from two different points of view. I expected Evan's point of view but the second one was a bit of a surprise. The point of view that I didn't expect was really my favorite part of the book. I thought that those sections of the book were very well done.

I listened to this book and I thought that the narrators did a good job with it. The female narrator listed did a couple of song segments worked into the story and the males handled the two points of view. I thought that they both did a great job representing their character. Their voices were very pleasant to listen to for long periods of time. I think that I liked the story a bit more because I decided to listen to the audiobook.

I think that a lot of readers are going to like this book a lot more than I did. The book does touch on a lot of important issues but I couldn't get past all of the deceptions.

I received a digital review copy of this book from Little, Brown Books for Young Readers via NetGalley and borrowed a copy of the audiobook from my local library via Overdrive.

Dear Evan Hansen follows a boy named Even Hansen who, after a boy in his grade kills himself, is wrapped up into the boy's family after they believe the letters Evan has been writing to himself were really written by their son and now think Evan is their son's friend whom they never heard of, bringing them comfort in the fact that their son had a softer and friendlier side to him.

I read this book after seeing the play and also for school. I did not mark it on my Goodreads because I just usually don't mark things I've read for school on Goodreads but I might reread this book later and then mark it--I don't know. I did really enjoy this novel and I think the novel did a good way of incorporating the play while also making some changes. I just was not very surprised when reading this because I already knew the major plot beats but I would definitely recommend it for someone who is interested in the story. If I hadn't seen the book before reading this, I probably would have bumped up my rating so don't let this review discourage you.

After watching the musical on stage, it was especially nice to dip in and out of this novelization, going back to re-read certain scenes or deliberate on the characters' motivations. This story is complex, and my feelings towards it are never straightforward, but it's nice to revisit the themes with different perspectives.

Although I am aware of the musical the novel is based on, I have not seen a live performance or listened to any of the music. So, about the book - Evan Hansen suffers from anxiety and is somewhere between social pariah and nobody on the high school social ladder, but that changes when a letter he wrote to himself, by order of his therapist, ends up with Connor Murphy, who later commits suicide. Connor's parents believe Evan and Connor were good friends, and unwilling to let them down, he creates a friendship with Connor. Soon everyone knows who he is and he is spending time with the girl of his dreams - Connor's sister. For the first time, Evan feels like part of a family as the Murphy's accept him as one of their own, but the guilt over his lies become too much for Evan to maintain. The idea of Evan creating his version of Connor Murphy to be horribly wrong - but I give credit to the writers for acknowledging that. I found it interesting that Evan was not the only student to use Connor's death as foundation to elevate themselves and it rings true to what happens in society, tragically. I would have appreciated the book more without the epilogue, but the ending felt rushed so perhaps made it necessary. I think I would have liked the novel better, if the main character was actually the ghost of Connor Murphy and not Evan Hansen. This review is all over the place - but I have such mixed feelings about the book - I almost wish it was just a story of Evan learning to deal with his anxiety and his relationship with his mother - the book never dealt with why Evan felt so compelled to spend time with the Murphy family and I think that motivation would have made Evan a more effective protagonist.

Dear Evan Hansen: The Novel is a must read for any fans of the musical. It follows the same time period as the musical, going through what happens when Evan inadvertently puts himself in the spotlight following a classmate's suicide. Evan turns this error into a positive, using his newfound fame to bring the school closer together and help Connor's family. Unfortunately, this is all done through an increasingly complicated series of lies that will eventually come to light.

The most amazing thing about this book is that it added a layer of depth to the characters that wasn't there during the musical. The supporting characters became more real, and it made the overall experience so much richer. If you enjoy Dear Evan Hansen, read this and make the story even more incredible.

Young fans of the musical will devour this adaptation and will appreciate its novelized form. Throw the soundtrack on in the background and it'll make it an even more immersive read.

The power of of one lie can be devastating. Evan's lie was not planned or maliciously executed to hurt anyone. In fact, his lie sort of fell into his lap when he least expected it. The letter he wrote to himself as part of his therapy sessions was found in Connor Murphy's pocket. When confronted about why "Connor" wrote to Evan and why he said the things he said, Evan didn't have the heart to tell the truth. 
As a matter of fact, he sought the advice of another boy who warned Evan not to tell the truth. And we all know what happens to a white lie after it snowballs down a snowy hill for a long time!!!! Eventually it takes more work to cover up the original lie with more lies!
Told in alternating perspectives (most Evan), this story was powerful! When Connor Murphy narrates the story, the reader slow learns more and more about how he met with fate the day he spoke with Evan. When Evan narrates the story we learn about how Evan's life was spiraling out of control too. Two boys. Two lives. Similar problems. Two completely different ends. 
This story's message about how you never know what someone is going through by just seeing the surface of their lives, is the central theme of this very powerful story about coming of age, struggling with identity, family expectations, and societal norms. It was fabulously told and told in a way that will be remembered for a very long time. 
I highly recommend "Dear Evan Hansen" to any YA or Adult!

Reading this book was intended as a prep for seeing the musical. It seems like the Tony Award winning show was an ideal basis for a teen novel. Topics like suicide, social outcasts, anxiety and social media are prime territory for YA audiences.

Evan Hansen is a sympathetic character who struggles with his lack of friends, his father’s disinterest in anything he does and his abysmal future. He finds himself ensnared in a lie that grows exponentially and mires himself in guilt. Connor is another disenfranchised student but unlike the effusive Evan, he lashes out in his frustration and gets into trouble. His story slowly unfolds and he is an enigma – not at all a stereotype. The anguish of being an outsider is wonderfully depicted. The pain and loneliness is clearly felt as readers learn more and more about these young men. The boys’ families are not black or white but rather they are flawed parents who are trying to do their best (at least to their way of thinking.)

Emmich captures the use of social media to generate interest in a story, in a cause. It demonstrates the ephemeral nature of holding people’s attention. What might not completely work is the extreme enveloping of Evan by Connor’s family. There may be some trivializing of the total impact of loss on a family suffering from losing a member to suicide. But since this was originally a musical theater story, the plot is tied to the stage drama.

Evan Hansen and the other oddball characters are refreshing and intriguing. They show depth and are richly detailed. The book embraces the idea from Walter Scott’s poem: “oh what a tangled web we weave when first we practice to deceive.” As the lies build, the plot gets a little outrageous, but the stories of Evan and Connor are strong. A delightful book that will touch hearts but also enlighten, whether or not one will ever see the theater production.
3.75*

I’m not really sure how to review this story. The cover caught my attention and the blurb made me wanted to read. I had a hard time connecting to Evan throughout this story. He could be blah at times. Not sure if that’s how the author wanted him to be. The whole pretending to be Connors best friend and misleading his family wasn’t cool at all. I do like how the story touches on how we can be surrounded by people and still be alone. If you’re hurting seek help. I did like the message at the end. Even though this book didn’t blow me away I would most likely read another book by this author.

I had a really hard time getting into this book, even though the beginning was enjoyable. The ending was really rough and I thought it was lackluster. If i DNFd books, I probably would have.

I've been wanting to see the broadway show, but this book will have to hold me over until then. This book was uplifting, heartbreaking, and tragic all in one. Evan is stuck in a unique situation that he put himself in. The lie he told helps get him noticed and enables him to live a "better" life. I enjoyed Connor's chapters a bit more than the others. Evan was interesting and the secondary characters somewhat helped move the story along. I didn't love it, but I didn't hate it either.

Quite fun! I'm a big fan of the musical, and while I've never gotten to see it live, I've listened to the soundtrack many times. I was a bit apprehensive to get into the book, but I think that it really enhanced the experience of listening to the soundtrack. I think that book adaptations of musicals are so interesting, and I hope to see more soon!

*Thank you to Netgalley for this free copy in exchange for an honest review.*


I really liked this book. The characters are well-written and rounded out. It lacked some of the magic others may have found for me, but that could be because I’ve never heard of the original work that inspired this kook.
Evan has (in my opinion) preeety bad anxiety and to help alleviate his stress, he writes letters to himself. Things go left and a letter ends up in the hands of someone who is NOT Evan and another student at his school ends up committing suicide (unrelated to the letter).
This book dealt with some very heavy topics such as self harm, depression, and the aforementioned suicide.

Please take care of yourself before reading this.

I have heard of <em>Dear Even Hansen</em>, the Broadway musical, and I know it's been very successful, but beyond that I was pretty clueless. When I saw that there was an ARC available of a book, based on the hit show, I put in my request right away.

<em>Dear Evan Hansen</em> is a Young Adult novel and as such, hits all the right notes. It is easy to see why this is such a popular show and likely to be a very popular book - especially in the YA crowd.

Evan Hansen is a high school teenager with a lot of struggles. His parents are divorced and he lives with his mother who works often and takes night classes in order to get a better job to support herself and her son. Evan is in therapy and one of the things he has to do is write letters to himself to bolster or comment on his day. Each letter begins, "Dear Evan Hansen."

These letters, of course are private memos, like diary or journal entries, but in letter form. On one particular day, the school bully, Connor Murphy, grabs a letter from Evan's hands. In addition to mocking Evan for the letter, Connor wants to know why Evan is writing about his (Connor's) sister. Telling Connor that he has a crush on her would be even more embarrassing for Evan. Connor walks off, taking the letter with him.

Connor doesn't show up in school for days after the incident, and when Evan is called to the principal's office, he's worried about having to confess to the letter and his crush on Zoe. Instead, Evan is informed that Connor took his own life and one of the things found with him was a letter he wrote to Evan. No one realized that Connor and Evan were such friends. And so begins a series of lies from Evan, to Connor's parents, to Zoe, to his own mother, mostly with good intentions.

Despite having been a bully and a loner, Connor's legacy builds and grows as a misunderstood young man with a secret life as a kind heart. A truth that doesn't come out, because of Evan's lies, is that Connor did indeed have a secret relationship with another young man.

The writing of this book is smooth and very easily readable. We move from chapter to chapter so nicely that it is easy to get caught up and keep reading longer than you intend to.

Evan is seriously flawed, but what teenager isn't? It's all about finding their own way, often with mistakes. It is what they learn from those mistakes that determine the adult they will become. In a YA novel like this, the mistakes are on a grand scale and yet everything feels plausible.

There was a point, perhaps two-thirds of the way through, that I started to worry about where this was headed and I absolutely did not want to go there. Had it gone in the direction I thought it would take - and a direction that so many YA novels WOULD have gone - I would have given this a very low rating. As it is, it's tough to give a high score to a book in which a person lies so much and so often, but it's what Evan does to redeem himself that provides the strong backbone for this story.

Looking for a good book? Dear Evan Hansen by Val Emmich is a strong, wonderful YA book that should be enjoyed by fans of the genre.

I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher, through Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review.

This was a fantastic story! It is easy to emphathize with Evan and his invisibility. Once he isn’t invisible anymore, he definately changes as a person. I don’t agree with the choices he made but can understand why he did what he did. I remember how hard High School can be sometimes. It’s interesting how he came out of his shell and was more outgoing once he started getting more attention. Evan was able to find his own self-worth through the choices that he made. It is a well written story. I could see how tough it would be for him to come clean once the situation snowballs out of his control. He grew as a character over the length of the story and the ending is a fitting conclusion for Evan and the reader. I would definitely recommend this to anyone who enjoys YA Contemporary.

I received an eARC via netgalley and won a physical copy via the author’s instagram giveaway. All opinions are my own.