The fiction novel Dear Evan Hanson by Val Emmish is a great portrayal of the urge to be seen and accepted. In the story, the readers are shown the 17-year-old neurotic, self-loathing Evan Hanson. Evan is an outcast who happens to come across Connor Murphy, the stereotypical "bad boy" in his last hours of life. The book is from the perspective of both Connor and Evan, switching from two of them throughout the chapters. During the encounter, Conner grabs Evan's journal page. After Conner has passed, the only thing on his person is the letter, which is traced back to Evan. The letter suggests they were friends but in reality, they weren't, he decides to go along with this and gets sucked into the Murphy family. Soon Evan's whole life is fragmented on this one lie. The novel is built upon one lie and keeps building on it until the breaking point. The way the readers are the only ones other than Evan who are not in the dark adds to a sense of precariousness. This book is very well-paced and the plotting made sense, the characters are written so well that I can easily picture each of them in my mind. One of my absolute favorite things about this story is how the author handled the topic of suicide and other mental health issues. The book shows examples of depression, substance abuse, suicide, social anxiety, body/gender dysmorphia, and more. The author shows that mental health issues aren't something that should be shamed or undermined, and captures the effects mental disorders have on young adults and the people around them. Another thing, I loved is how Evan (the main character) was in the wrong for most of the novel, which is contrary to what Evan thinks of himself. His growth and devolvement added to the very satisfying ending. This novel had me feeling every emotion once it reached its climax. Dear Evan Hanson was simply unforgettable and you can tell the message of acceptance and vulnerability was never forgot while writing this.
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