Charming as a Verb

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A witty, well-developed bildungsroman that presents a Black teenager carefully attempting to navigate systems that disproportionately disadvantage him. Can I just say, that I will definitely reread this book to feel the utter warm joy I felt the first time I read this. The ending is probably one of my favorite ending from all the YA Contemporary Romance I've read this year. It shows his impending burnout and shines a light on the impossible standards forced on teens today. From the award-winning author of The Field Guide to the North American Teenager comes a whip-smart and layered romantic comedy.

Norris’ evolution from cynical outsider to caring insider is a journey well-worth following—especially as it’s accompanied with laugh out loud moments [and]insightful revelations.I enjoy Ben Philippe’s storytelling (I enjoyed his first book, The Field Guide to the North American Teenager) and thought these characters were terrific.

This book was just what I wanted, and needed, to pick up, and I really enjoyed the audiobook version. But what I really appreciated about this book was the level of depth in all other aspects just under the surface. In Charming As A Verb, Corinne and Henri's relationship evolves from just neighbors/classmates, to friends, to lovers. But what makes Charming as a Verb stand out is not only how relatable the characters are, in their best of moments, but also in their worst. He’s incredibly driven and committed to his future, as well as part of an ambitious immigrant family focused on truly making it.This reminds me a little of The Map from Here to There by Emery Lord but this sounds like a better read.

Maybe I'm saying this because I cared about Corinne more than Henri, but I just wanted to learn more about her life and get a glimpse of what's going on with her. Although this book was predictable at times, I found myself easily falling into this story, rooting for Henri much more than I expected to, and falling in love with his best friend Ming. I don't really have many complaints because this story is written in a way where you know what's happening, but you also know that it could have been written better.Considering his family’s lower economic status and the limited job opportunities for high schoolers, I understand his reasoning behind this method of circumventing his disadvantages. He could be that stereotypical energetic puppy best friend, but he’s very genuine and kindhearted and it really shows on paper. I truly enjoyed seeing them learn more about each other throughout the story and show their affection for each other. The argument that even scholarships do not fully fix both inequality and feelings of inadequacy is a powerful one. The 103 third parties who use cookies on this service do so for their purposes of displaying and measuring personalized ads, generating audience insights, and developing and improving products.

Morris Award winner Philippe turns up the charm in his sophomore novel…From its dynamic, easy-to-love characters to the endearing prose, this novel easily embodies Henri's cultivated suaveness, and his unusually confident persona, bring a fresh perspective.I adored Henry, even if he's far from perfect and makes plenty of mistakes, and I also loved Corinne. My favorite genre to read is contemporary realistic fiction, and I'll never say no to a graphic novel. It comes with consequences, deservedly so, and while it’s not great watching characters you’ve been getting to know forced in this situation, I felt the ending and resolution was exactly what was needed. The guy's running around all day—charming people, making it by with dog walking, running to his next engagement, and having a constant dialogue with himself in his head—and it's a lot. And not writing like her can be a good thing, since I'm still mad at her for giving me a book hangovwer after the song of achilles.