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 griefover 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.
Suddenly, Evan isn't invisible anymore—even to the girl of his dreams. And Connor Murphy's parents, with their beautiful home on the other side of town, have taken him in like he was their own, desperate to know more about their enigmatic son from his closest 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. And a website. He's confident. He's a viral phenomenon. Every day is amazing. Until everything is in danger of unraveling 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.
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 griefover 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.
Suddenly, Evan isn't invisible anymore—even to the girl of his dreams. And Connor Murphy's parents, with their beautiful home on the other side of town, have taken him in like he was their own, desperate to know more about their enigmatic son from his closest 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. And a website. He's confident. He's a viral phenomenon. Every day is amazing. Until everything is in danger of unraveling 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.
Reviews-
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Listeners will hear the story of the Broadway musical DEAR EVAN HANSEN in this behind-the-scenes account. Narrator Taylor Trensch takes listeners on a journey that starts with the musicians-lyricists Pasek and Paul meeting in college, where their idea for EVAN HANSEN originated. The story climaxes with their play receiving six Tony Awards, including Best Musical. Trensch's voice fits the story well. He sounds like he could be one of the young creators or actors in the show. As he tells their stories, he also recounts the stories and enthusiasm of the play's diehard fans. The hit musical has captivated audiences, and the audiobook, aided by Trensch's passionate narration, gives listeners an experience to remember. A.G.M. © AudioFile 2018, Portland, Maine
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September 1, 2018
Gr 9 Up-A novelization of the Tony award-winning Broadway musical of the same name. Evan Hansen, deeply lonely, anxious, and invisible to his peers, finds himself accidentally associated with the suicide of a classmate. The web of lies and truths and growth that comes from the original mistake changes Evan's life and many lives around his. Emmich, in collaboration with the playwright and song-writing team of the original musical, has pulled off a very successful translation from stage to page, helped by the fact that the core themes are classic YA material-heartfelt, morally ambiguous without being morally impossible, and tuning into the small connections and discoveries between teens. VERDICT An unpredictable and endearing take on some classic themes, this novel will especially appeal to fans of the show but will also be easily accessible to new audiences.-Katya Schapiro, Brooklyn Public Library
Copyright 2018 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.
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September 1, 2018
Grades 9-12 Evan Hansen, a teen crippled by anxiety, starts each day by writing a letter of encouragement to himself. When loner Connor Murphy finds one of the letters at school and dies by suicide days later, his parents deliver the Dear Evan Hansen to Evan, who lies about being Connor's best friend. As the Murphys embrace Evan, his lie goes viral, giving comfort to the grieving family and making him a social media darling. But as the lies build, Evan's guilt forces him to admit the truth. In this stage-to-page adaptation, characters' back stories offer depth only hinted at by the Tony Award-winning musical. Connor's posthumous narration offers insights into his mental state, while Evan's voice and interior monologues reveal the intensity of his own. The ending eases some of the rockiness of Evan's life, and while there are no overt consequences for his deception, he is seemingly left to ponder his actions. Readers who long for acceptance will welcome this opportunity to experience Evan's story.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2018, American Library Association.) -
July 1, 2019
With Steven Levenson, Benj Pasek, and Justin Paul. A novelization of the Broadway musical. When classmate Connor commits suicide, Evan perpetuates the misunderstanding that he was close friends with Connor. Evan's tribute goes viral, making him the poster boy for teen-suicide awareness. Evan's social anxiety is superficially developed and feels like an excuse for his poor choices. Nevertheless, the focus on teen suicide and our increasing disconnection through social media could start vital conversations.(Copyright 2019 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)
