Title: Charming as a Verb
Author: Ben Philippe
Type: Fiction
Genre: YA, Contemporary, Romance
Publisher: Balzer + Bray (HarperCollins)
Date published: October 13, 2020

A complimentary digital copy of this book was kindly provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

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.

⤖ My Review ⬻

I really enjoyed The Field Guide to the North American Teenager when I read it in early 2019! Philippe left an impression on me with his writing and storytelling styles. Plus, it’s so rare for me to read YA books with male protagonists, which made his book stand out to me as well. Needless to say, I was super excited when his next book, Charming as a Verb, was announced!

The cover stood out to me (the colours and style) and I just found it so pleasing to look at! The synopsis also sounded super cute. Therefore, I was so happy when I was accepted for a digital ARC! And with good reason. With the very first chapter, I was transported to the busy streets of NYC and I loved it.

I also really liked reading about Halti and his shenanigans. When Corinne was introduced, I was super intrigued! I found both of them to be interesting characters, and I was eager to see how their story played out. The supporting characters were interesting as well and I love how diverse they were–I remember all of them even now a month after I finished Charming as a Verb which doesn’t happen very often with me.

The plot was also fresh and left me guessing about what would happen next (which was great because–as some of you might know–I don’t like being able to predict things)! Overall, I liked that this was a refreshing, cute YA contemporary while also touching on some more serious subjects. I can’t wait to see what Philippe will write next!

⤖ About the Author ⬻

Ben Philippe was born in Haiti, raised in Montreal, Canada, and resides in New York City where he teaches and writes for television. He is an alum of Columbia University and a graduate of the Michener Center for Writers of UT Austin. To this day, he still does not have a valid driver’s license, which is both #beautiful and #brave.

⤖ Places to Purchase the Book ⬻

⤖ Let’s Chat ⬻

THANK YOU FOR READING MY REVIEW! HAVE YOU READ THIS BOOK? WHAT DID YOU THINK? AND IF YOU HAVEN’T READ IT YET, DO YOU WANT TO, OR NOT? HOW COME? LET ME KNOW YOUR THOUGHTS IN THE COMMENTS!