Charming as a Verb by Ben Philippe – 9/10
This book follows Henri Haltiwanger, a Haitian-American who is a senior at FATE Academy, which is a fancy private school in New York. He constantly juggles his dog-walking business, debate club, and complicated relationships as he stresses about university. He believes that he has it all under control, but throughout the book it is clear that he starts to lose grasp. Henri is a social butterfly, receiving invites to many parties and has a great reputation! Everything were normal until Corrine Troy, his neighbour and classmate, blackmails him into teaching her how to be more sociable and outgoing. As the end of the year approaches, Henri is torn between living up to his father’s dream by going to a prestigious university, or pursuing what he is truly passionate about.
I enjoyed this book as it shows how family expectations can overwhelm and prevent a person from striving for their dreams. The characters are easy to get attached to and I was sad when the book ended. Would recommend!
