Score: 5/5 Bookmarks

Thank you to Balzer + Bray for gifting me a review copy of this delightful young adult book! Charming as a Verb, by Ben Phillippe covers a range of serious topics—race, classism, drug use, family issues, sex, self doubt etc. but handles them all with a gentle touch that will have you in deep contemplation one moment and laughing out loud the next.

The author has created such wonderful characters in this story, that it takes no time at all to fall in love with them, and feel like they could be members of your family or friend circle.

Henri is charming and has learned that a smile will get you a long way. He’s a popular student at FATE Academy in New York, is a dutiful first-generation Haitian son to his parents, and a trusted dog walker for his well-off neighbors. But his easy smiles mask an ambition to get ahead…and at what price?

Enter Corinne Troy, who attends the same school and lives in Henri’s building. She also seems to be the only one immune to Henri’s charms, but she’s in need of some social skills and an image makeover.

What starts as a mutual hustle / blackmail turns into a real friendship between the two. This book was laugh-out-loud funny while also being insightful and sweet. Basically, I can’t recommend it enough!

The author has obviously woven some of his own life into the story as well—as authors are want to do. He is also Haitian but was raised in Montreal and now lives in New York City. He went to Columbia University as well, and I can’t help but wonder what other aspects of the book were taken from the author’s own experiences.

Synopsis:

Henri “Halti” Haltiwanger can charm just about anyone. He is a star debater and popular student at the prestigious FATE academy, the dutiful first-generation Haitian son, and the trusted dog walker for his wealthy New York City neighbors. But his easy smiles mask a burning ambition to attend his dream college, Columbia University.

There is only one person who seems immune to Henri’s charms: his “intense” classmate and neighbor Corinne Troy. When she uncovers Henri’s less-than-honest dog-walking scheme, she blackmails him into helping her change her image at school. Henri agrees, seeing a potential upside for himself.

Soon what started as a mutual hustle turns into something more surprising than either of them ever bargained for. . . .

This is a sharply funny and insightful novel about the countless hustles we have to keep from doing the hardest thing: being ourselves.