Thank you to Netgalley and to the publisher for giving me a free advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I enjoyed this one, though not nearly as much as Field Guide to the North American Teenager. I love the way Ben Phillipe writes his characters, especially teen boys.

Like Field Guide, this book is definitely more geared toward high school students. There’s quite a bit of language, teen partying, etc. That being said, we offer Field Guide to our 8th graders as a book club option in the spring near the end of the year, and I would definitely recommend either book to my students for independent reading. Both are especially good for accelerated boys who need a bit of a push with their reading but don’t want to sacrifice enjoyability in the process.

Interesting elements here. We have a male as a protagonist in a teen romance; an uptight female character who is sex-positive.; and while romance is a major plot element it's not the only focus. A lot of the plot is pretty expected, though.

Henri “Halti” Haltiwanger can charm just about anyone. When Corinne Troy finds out about his dog walking business, she blackmails him for help in making friends. Henri only has his sights on Columbia, and he will do anything to get in. He does something unbelievable that gets him in a lot of trouble. I find it's relatable and a lot of students will find the "cheating" lesson relatable. The characters have so much personality, and I loved it.

Henri seems to have his life together. He's excelling at school, has a successful dog-walking business, and seems to be on the right track to be accepted into Columbia. But then he's found out. His dog-walking business may not be with a reputable company, so he gets blackmailed by his neighbor. And he starts falling for her. Ben Philippe does an amazing job of writing flawed characters in the most likable and addicting way. He shines a light on the pressures teens are under to succeed in a myriad of ways. You'll be rooting for them to succeed and understanding of their missteps. Don't sleep on this one!

Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins for the e-Arc.

I was unable to get to this book. It was on my short list, but the awards committee work I was doing brought me away from it.

I did not love the writing but the story is good and I like that it is a romance from a boy's perspective. I am seeing more interest in that type of romance novel so I will probably but it even though I didn't love it. I do love the cover though. Cute and creative!

I just LOVE Ben Philippe’s writing. Every time I read a book by him I am expecting it to be great and Charming as a Verb did not disappoint. Hand to students who enjoy anything by Jason Reynolds or Jeff Zentner. And be prepared to give them more!

Ben Phillipe is quickly becoming one of my favorites writing for the teens. The main character in this story is trying to figure out girls, college applications and whether his dreams are his own or if they are the dreams of his immigrant dad.
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Send me more like this. I really enjoyed this book. Unfortunately I didn't get around to reading it until it had already been out for awhile. But I promise to push it like crazy if/when its out in paperback. - Review of Field Guide

*I received a digital copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*

After loving this book, I'm beginning to realize that Ben Philippe is an insta-read author for me! Charming as a Verb has so much heart in it, as well as wonderful characters and a fantastic plot.

I stumbled upon Ben Philippe's first book, "The Field Guide to the North American Teenager" last year and fell in love with it. The writing was so engaging and the characters were so likeable. I knew that I would be picking up his books going forward...which brings me to this one. I am so glad that I have kept up with this author. His stories are a delight to read. While some of the choices Henri made were stupid and absolutely the wrong thing to do, I relate to those thoughts (but would never think to act on them). This was another great read and I am eagerly anticipating his next novel.

Phillipe does an excellent job in bringing his cast of characters to life with individual and quirky voices. The characters are fully developed and experience the "real teen life of today. This was almost as good as his debut novel. I would definitely recommend to my students. I received a digital copy from Net Galley in exchange for an honest review.

In Charming as a Verb a student once again struggles to please a parent. Henri Haltiwanger, a charismatic first-generation Haitian American teen, has a dog-walking business that is self-run, even though he pretends to be working for "Uptown Updogs." When Corinne, an awkward high-achieving African American classmate and client, discovers his secret, he agrees to help her socially in exchange for her discretion. As they spend time together, an attraction grows. Henri, who aspires to go to Columbia to please his father, secretly hopes Corinne's mother, a dean at Columbia, will help him get in. Henri will do anything to achieve his father's dream, even though he's beginning to think it's not right for him. He steps over the line, taking a risk that may cost him everything, including the girl he's fallen for.

As a Columbia alum and a NYC educator with many Haitian students, I was eager to pick up this read. Of course, I already love Philippe’s prior work.

Haiti was a bit of a pain in the ass as a narrator, but a lot of the quips and struggles held true to an authentic teen voice. There were many “ugh why did you make that choice” moments, and I personally feel Cori could have had an even stronger voice, but overall this is a great story about honesty, choosing your own future, and keeping it real under the pressures of NYC lifestyle.

Thank you Netgalley for the ARC.

Really enjoyed this YA title. The story was well put together and I enjoyed the characters. I liked seeing the relationship development between Henri and Corinne, and just thought,"how can you be so stupid?!" when Henri made the decision he did. It was a bit unrealistic that he kind of got away with it, but still an enjoyable book.

I received a free digital copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Halti is Columbia University bound. He knows it. His dad knows it. His friends know it. The admissions staff at Columbia-they still need to make the decision. So while the decision is being made, Halti continues the dog walking business he owns, practices with the debate team, and enjoys time with his friends. Yet, when he gets a new client-the parent of his classmate Corrine-things go a bit south. When Corrine discovers that Halti isn't just a dog walker at Uptown Updogs, but the owner, operator, CEO, etc, she coerces him into helping her build her social life to impress one of their teachers and, as a result, the admissions team at Princeton. The two, who initially butt heads, grow fond of one another and learn from their classmate.
This book was clever and inventive, one that seems to actually show a semi-realistic view of life of today's teens who balance life and the pressures that parents put on them. I would definitely read this again and recommend it to teens (if I worked with that age group).

This was an absolute delight, and an excellent addition to any collection - particularly those with an eye toward inclusivity.

This book was absolutely fantastic. I've already added it to our library collection and recommended it to students.

I loved Ben Philippe's debut novel "The Field Guide to the North American Teenager" and this follow up did not disappoint. Philippe has a great ear for the teen voice. His characters are smart and capable, yet stumble into the same stupid mistakes we all do--not listening closely enough, not seeing another's perspective, and putting others into boxes based on what little we know of them. The conversation is both witty and heartfelt, and the characters and their world felt real and sparkling new at the same time. Henri is a charmer and so is this book.

<i>"It's established knowledge that all the effort you put into being the perfect college applicant should in turn also look effortless. The great catch-22 of Higher Education. Be perfect and make it look easy."</i>

I came at this book with (probably) an unusual perspective -- someone actually working in higher education. Not the target demographic, I know.

But I loved this book. Ben Philippe creates this effortless, effervescent prose which is just easy to read and easy to get lost in. His characters are fully developed and realized -- even the ones you only meet briefly. They are *real* people, with flaws and imperfections, and yet you still root for them.

Full disclosure: I received an ARC from NetGalley, but I will 100% be purchasing this book, because (1) diversity, and I want my house to be filled with books which feature POC; and (2) I think it is so. damn. important. for college-bound kids to read. I'm on the other side of this course, but I see the Haltis and the Corinnes and the Mings (and the Marvyns) -- and I see how burned out they already are. Each year I ask them how many schools they applied to -- I applied to 4; they look at me in disbelief and say that 10 is on the lower end -- and what they did in high school. And it is so much -- just to be competitive to enter college. I don't know how they do it -- and then we ask them to do it again for 4 more years. I know tour guides and students who take over Instagram accounts will say it's not competitive -- but it is. I see it. Is it cut-throat? Perhaps not. Is it collaborative? Perhaps not.

Point being -- I thought this book was great at (1) showing the stress/pressure kids have to deal with in college admissions; (2) the systemic inequality that pervades education; and (3) the lengths kids will go to to secure that spot. I also really appreciated that, in the end, Halti didn't go to an Ivy (more on that in a second) and he followed his passion and that there were also consequences to his actions. (Although it did still magically all work out...)

I do have a few quibbles though, some of which are *highly* personal:
(1) I'd love to know the logic behind the choice of schools Philippe chose as Halti's "back-ups." I mean, it's great that Duke made the list, but I did NOT appreciate this bit:
<i>"Only Duke, Northwestern, and McGill have extended me interviews, and all three are completely out of geographic reach. I have no interest in getting paddled pledging a fraternity in North Carolina..."</i>
OUCH, DUDE. What did Duke ever do to you?!
And yes, I bristle because that's my school where I work, and I resent the implication that that's the only future Halti would have at Duke. (He wouldn't.)
(2) My husband's ex-wife went to McGill so....again, something that didn't land with me for 100% personal reasons. I get it -- Montreal and McGill are supposed to be quaint, urban, charming alternatives to Manhattan but...bleargh. Associations are too strong there.
(3) I think this was probably a product of reading the ARC, but I couldn't quite pin down the time. At times it was winter, then Fall, then back to winter, then there was a pool party...? Hopefully that got cleaned up.
(4) The one thing I couldn't quite get behind plot-wise was Halti's Big Decision (spoilers). Yes -- I understand that it worked to reinforce the point about the pressures the admissions process puts on teenagers who can't even vote, but...it bothered me a bit. And here's why. First -- it seemed too rash and impulsive for Halti -- and also too stupid. I get that he was feeling his inadvantages and insecurities (I'm no stranger to those myself), but it just seemed like a misstep he would have known he couldn't have afforded to make.
Two--even if I can get accept that, it seemed a bit contrived to give Halti an "out" for Columbia. Like, if he hadn't made his Big Decision, he would have gotten in, and then he would have had to go. Which wasn't the point of the book. (And my brain is too mushy right now, but I also found it odd that Philippe went to Columbia and then wrote a book about how it was okay to not get into Columbia. Yes, that's good advice, because as Donielle Kempf said "You'll end up exactly where you're supposed to be," and it's nice to hear that you shouldn't want to go to an Ivy just because it's an Ivy. But that's also a little easy for someone who got into an Ivy to say.)

Quibbles, though. I'll definitely be checking out Philippe's other books and purchasing this for our home library.