Blodeuedd's Monday Review: Charming as a Verb by Ben Philippe

Narrated by: James Fouhey

Length: 8 hrs and 6 mins

Release date: 10-13-20

Publisher: HarperAudio

YA Fiction

To review

When I read YA fic I do prefer the more sad dramatic ones it seems. This was good, but yes not a lot happened

Halti goes to a fancy school, he lives in a fancy place, except he doesn't. His dad works as a I do not know, my brain is not working, janitor, handy man, whatever, and they live in the basement. He is smart, loves shoes, and is all about getting into Columbia.

So yes that is what the book was about. Thinking about Columbia. Helping a girl find the social scene. Falling for a girl. And doing some stupid things. Seriously Henry, bad bad bad.

Not the most exciting book, but still a good normal book, about normal things. I also really wonder about their love of sneakers, they were intense, they read magazines, so much I do not know.

Good narrator. Good voices for male and female, he did do well with everyone.

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.