Assessment and abstract of the Pricey Evan Hansen novel adaptation by authors Val Emmich, Steven Levenson, Benj Pasek, Justin Paul.
Spoiler Free Assessment
Pricey Evan Hanson is a novelization of the Broadway musical of the identical identify. It’s written by the identical artistic staff because the musical so it’s certain to be correct if not a bit phoned in.
I’ve by no means learn a novelization of a musical earlier than so I wasn’t certain what to anticipate. Actually, I don’t assume I’ll learn one other one. I acquired the story fairly proper based mostly on the soundtrack alone and I believe only some finer particulars have been stuffed in from the e-book.
The soundtrack for the musical is so effectively scored you just about get the entire play within the songs. For each beat of the e-book I knew what was coming. I don’t know how this e-book would learn if I hadn’t heard the soundtrack first. When you learn it with out data of the play please let me know within the feedback.
Evan Hansen is a painfully shy teenager crammed with anxiousness that causes him problem simply getting off the bed on daily basis. His anxiousness turns into heightened when he by accident will get concerned with Connor, one other teenage boy, who then commits suicide.
Evan learns many classes alongside the way in which and the reader will get a glimpse into what being mentally unwell as a teen is like. It hits loads of the speaking factors with out ever being too edgy or graphic.
Pricey Evan Hansen is a good introduction to this new(ish) YA style. Books about onerous to take care of topics like suicide have been popularized with 13 Causes Why. However let me inform you proper now, Pricey Evan Hansen is way extra prone to make you’re feeling heat inside and much much less prone to make you need to ugly cry.
There’s a cause Evan Hanson began as a musical. It stays mild regardless of the heavy material. It’s approachable and has as pleased an ending as you may count on from a e-book of this nature. It’s essential to keep in mind, the musical got here first. It was written for singalongs not for shock worth.
That’s refreshing infrequently although. We’d like literature that covers robust topics that households can really feel comfy studying collectively. Pricey Evan Hansen is ideal for that.
Begin a dialogue with a household e-book membership! Speak to one another about your emotions. Be trustworthy about your anxieties. Search skilled assist if you’ll want to. And perhaps simply sing collectively infrequently.
3/5 timber 🌳🌳🌳
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The musical has additionally been tailored right into a film that might have been nice had it not insisted on casting the unique actor for the lead. He’s far too outdated to be enjoying a highschool pupil and it’s tough to look at him flirt with a a lot youthful and youthful trying actress. Additionally, they eliminated one among my favourite songs. Boo.
Pricey Evan Hansen Abstract
Pricey Evan Hansen is a Broadway musical. It’s now additionally a novel and a film. I’ve by no means learn a novelization of a musical earlier than, it was okay.
I really like musicals. I really like the music on this musical. The e-book doesn’t have any music, and that’s lame however anticipated. The e-book does nevertheless fill in all the main points of what occurs in between the songs and since I’ve nonetheless by no means truly gotten to see the stage play this abstract should do.
Evan Hansen is a painfully shy teenage boy plagued with crippling anxiousness. His therapist recommends that he writes letters to himself. “Pricey Evan Hansen, as we speak’s gonna be day and right here’s why…”
Tremendous lame however couldn’t harm to strive proper?
He’s attending the primary day of college with a solid on his arm. He broke it working his summer season internship as a forest ranger apprentice. His objective given to him by his mom is to discover a new buddy to signal his solid.
Evan fails fairly onerous at this straightforward process. He doesn’t even strategy anyone about signing the solid. However he does get it signed by the tip of the day.
He has a confrontation with a infamous boy from college. Connor Murphy, brother of Zoe Murphy, Evan’s crush. Connor is ostracized as a pothead and is a usually antagonistic loner.
On the finish of this confrontation Connor sarcastically indicators Evan’s solid in enormous letters. Later that afternoon Evan is writing his remedy task to himself and prints it off within the library. Connor finds it and goes to carry it to him when he notices that it mentions his sister Zoe.
Pondering that Evan is mocking him he pockets the letter and storms off. Evan proceeds to lose his thoughts over how embarrassing this shall be.
The following day Evan retains ready for the bomb to drop. Retains ready to seek out out that Connor leaked the letter to everybody at school. He then will get known as to the principal’s workplace the place Connor’s mother and father are ready for him.
Very confused, Evan approaches the Murpheys. They inform him that Connor has dedicated suicide they usually discovered the observe that he wrote to Evan. The one headed “Pricey Evan Hansen.”
In stupefied horror Evan doesn’t deny that the letter was written by Connor. Moreover, the Murpheys are confirmed of their principle that Evan was Connor’s solely buddy after they see the massive CONNOR signature on Evan’s solid.
That is principally the premise to a darkish sitcom. All through the entire e-book Evan continues to dig himself deeper and deeper right into a gap simply because he’s incapable of confrontation.
Evan feels extraordinarily responsible and attends Connor’s wake solely to find no different college students present up. He then goes to the Murphey family for dinner to seek out that Zoe is rightfully suspicious of his relationship together with her brother.
In an effort to sustain the ruse Evan wants some proof of his friendship with Connor. He grabs his solely buddy, a jerk who doesn’t even like him, Jared. For a worth, Jared agrees to assist Evan fabricate some emails.
As every thing progresses Evan finds himself getting nearer to Zoe. Till he very inappropriately tries to kiss her on her deceased brother’s mattress. Dangerous transfer.
College students on the college are beginning to neglect about Connor and the entire incident so Evan, Jared, and an overachiever named Alana provide you with the idea for The Connor Undertaking. A technique to memorialize him.
All through every thing Connor himself seems as a type of ghost to look at what is going on within the wake of his loss of life. It is a gadget that I really feel would work significantly better on stage than in a e-book. On stage it isn’t bizarre to have that actor observe the goings on, in a e-book, simply use flashbacks and omniscient narration as an alternative.
However it’s by means of one among these ghost recollections that we be taught that Connor was at the least considerably homosexual and had his coronary heart damaged by a boy named Miguel.
Connor observes Evan giving an extremely awkward speech wherein he states they have been finest pals. Connor is aware of this isn’t true however is a ghost and may’t do something about it.
Zoe and Evan proceed to bond regardless of his unbelievably dumb transfer to kiss her earlier than. She confides her grief and emotions in him.
Finally they start courting and he or she invitations Evan over for dinner. He finds that she has additionally invited his mother to shock them. Zoe’s mother and father provide Connor’s faculty fund to Evan as a thanks. Evan’s mother is extremely offended and turns them down.
Evan grows additional away from his struggling, working mom and nearer to the Murphey household as a surrogate. He fabricates a suicide observe from Connor to present them additional closure. Alana will get a maintain of it and posts it on-line.
This has the alternative of the meant impact. The mob mentality of the web decides that Connor’s household should be in charge for his loss of life and start sending them threats. The stress of all of this causes Evan to lastly admit the reality. He faked all of it.
He leaves the Murphey dwelling in a fugue state. He waits for days or even weeks for them to crash every thing down on him however they by no means do. Every part acquired to date uncontrolled that everybody could be harmed by the reality popping out. The Murpheys proceed the lie for Evan.
Ultimately Evan bears sufficient guilt for a dozen lifetimes till Miguel finds him and affords a bit closure. Filling in some gaps of how Connor should have felt in his last days.
Evan and Zoe clearly break up and don’t see one another romantically ever once more. Though they do discover some forgiveness in a 12 months or so.
Connor finds his technique to the afterlife to a hopefully happier place.
Total I loved Pricey Evan Hansen however the musical has extra power behind it. The novelization hits all of the factors however doesn’t pack a punch.
In case you are on the lookout for a YA e-book that discusses psychological well being points, this one could be place to start out. Even with the darkish themes of suicide and extreme anxiousness the e-book is mild and approachable. I can positively suggest it for teenagers and fogeys.
I’m glad I now know the finer factors of the story although and it has enriched my listening expertise of the soundtrack.
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