Tsundoku reviewed Charming as a Verb by Ben Philippe
Read Ben Philippe!!!
4 stars
I was already familiar with Ben Philippe from his first book, the excellent "The Field Guide to the North American Teenager", and this makes a good complement (despite different settings).
Ben knows how to fucking Punch you in the gut or dick or whatever. Obviously you need conflict for 95% of stories, but it's basically seeing characters reaping what they sow, and you've become attached to them.
At least in this one.
Field Guide (not to go into it too much) was very different because to be frank the main character is an Asshole. Henri is definitely not an asshole, though he's very much a fuckboy.
It's hard not to love Henri, and I think it's crucial. Obviously you should have empathy for protagonists in books, but I'm more saying, if you cannot understand where Henri is coming from when he does a massive fuck-up, you will have a very …
I was already familiar with Ben Philippe from his first book, the excellent "The Field Guide to the North American Teenager", and this makes a good complement (despite different settings).
Ben knows how to fucking Punch you in the gut or dick or whatever. Obviously you need conflict for 95% of stories, but it's basically seeing characters reaping what they sow, and you've become attached to them.
At least in this one.
Field Guide (not to go into it too much) was very different because to be frank the main character is an Asshole. Henri is definitely not an asshole, though he's very much a fuckboy.
It's hard not to love Henri, and I think it's crucial. Obviously you should have empathy for protagonists in books, but I'm more saying, if you cannot understand where Henri is coming from when he does a massive fuck-up, you will have a very rough time with this book.
Also the book is FULL OF DOGS. what's not to love?
