I felt like this book could have gone more in depth to how having dyslexia has affected his life, how he copes with the issues that arise, and even go into detail about dyslexia and the stigma around it, how schools ignored/ignore needs and how they could improve or how a parent can advocate.
Hanley did touch on a few ways that dyslexia has affected him and how he managed, but I felt like the story didn't go deeper into those areas and it was just explained how he became a comic.

“So a dyslexic walks into a book publishing office…” The joke practically writes itself, doesn’t it? That’s how I felt when I saw my favorite comedian Phil Hanley was publishing a book. How could someone, who is known for his trouble with the written word, write a novel? It didn’t seem like a winning combination. But one of the many things I learned from Phil’s book is to never count him out. From his days in special education to his viral comedic clips on YouTube, Phil walks us through a beautiful story of his life and road to fame.

Thank you to Holt & Co for providing me with an advanced copy of this novel

I became a fan and an admirer of Phil Hanley and his comedy from following his crowd work clips on Instagram. He's somehow both sweet and snarky at the same time and now after reading SPELLBOUND, I'm convinced he's a wizard and casts a spell, for I am even more enamored and charmed by him... and seeing his big heart of pure gold. There were several times throughout the book that I was moved emotionally and sometimes just one sentence could bring me tears. And of course, it's filled with his laugh-out-loud and wickedly sharp humor. He truly is a wordsmith.

I respected his attitude, of looking at the positive of even the difficult things that happened to me while still being honest with how much he struggled. Even though I'm not dyslexic, I still found myself connecting and relating to him in several ways including feeling directionless in life and dealing with self-doubt. It also made me realize how much I take reading and writing for granted and how much it can affect someone's day to day if they struggle in that avenue, and especially one's self-esteem and mental health.

I absolutely loved and adored his family and friends who have supported him from day one, and especially his mother. An incredible person and parent she is and reading Phil's story I'm so glad he has for his mom. She never once wavered her support and belief in her son, always gave him the patience, space and freedom he needed, and the encouragement to purse comedy. It was really cool to learn about all the connections he made along the way that would all help propel him further to his goal starting from his friend brining him to his first open-mic to a comedian connecting him with the booker of the legendary Comedy Cellar.

Reading about his path and all that it took for him (including all the challenging school years) to be where he is now, making people laugh all around the world is just incredible and inspiring. The last chapter really got to me. It was so fascinating to learn how he has created his own way of writing. His own language in which no one else is smart enough to understand. And also his effect on people, particularly students with learning disabilities. I look forward to the privileged chance of seeing him perform live one day.

Much, much gratitude to Henry Holt & Company and NetGalley for the arc in exchange for my honest review.