Dear Evan Hansen

Dear Reader,

Today is going to be a good day, and here's why: I just finished Dear Evan Hansen: A Novel. 

     If you are a musical theater geek, as I am, you know very well who Evan Hansen is and what the general plot entails. Dear Evan Hansen is a musical that opened on Broadway in 2016. It immediately became a hit. From the effective use of light and sound to the commentary on mental health and social media culture, the musical had little space for failure. The show is raw, real, and funny. A year and a half later, the smash hit musical that competed against the notorious Hamilton, was converted into a novel. The story follows a high school senior that struggles with anxiety as he spins a tangled web of lies surrounding the suicide of a fellow classmate.
     The author, Val Emmich, is a credited actor - working on shows such as 30 Rock and Ugly Betty. Emmich teamed up with the Dear Evan Hansen playwright Steven Levenson to create a novel to give the audience, now reader, and insight to all of the things that were left out of the musical. 
     In the book we get a a peak at Connor's perspective of the situation. If you saw the show, you might have been left wondering if Connor's post-mortem appearances were his ghost or Evan's imagination. The book makes it very clear that it is in fact the spirit of the late Connor Murphy. The chapters flip back and forth between the perspectives of Evan and Connor, ultimately giving a barely seen character a little more agency. 
     Seeing as though the book credits much of the musical's lyrics, I took it a step farther and purchased the audiobook as well - a very justified decision. Many scenes are word for word lyrics from the show. We even get the opportunity to hear one of the characters sing clips of one of the original songs, Requiem.
   All in all, the book was a delight to read and receives Book Stars. If you cannot afford the cost of a ticket to see the actual show, I highly recommend spending $20 on the novel. And if you've already seen the musical and know the songs word for word, this extra insight is exactly what you would appreciate. 

Sincerely, Me