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Dear Evan Hansen

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An original musical that explores the poignant desire for human connection in the tumultuous life of one young man. Evan is shy, lonely, and bullied for it―teeming with the irrepressible emotions all too familiar with anyone who's ever been a teenager. After a tragedy strikes, Evan's life suddenly gets turned around, but is it ultimately for the better?

144 pages, Paperback

First published May 30, 2017

449 people are currently reading
6911 people want to read

About the author

Steven Levenson

2 books22 followers

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5 stars
3,950 (54%)
4 stars
2,145 (29%)
3 stars
914 (12%)
2 stars
216 (2%)
1 star
77 (1%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 733 reviews
Profile Image for Mary Lins.
1,040 reviews154 followers
June 11, 2017
I saw "Dear Evan Hansen" on Broadway last week and the first thing I thought when it was over was: "I want to see it again!" Well, plane trips to NYC and ticket prices for this Tony nominated (9!) show preclude repeated viewings for me, so buying this book and reading the script while listening to the glorious soundtrack will have to do until it either comes my way on a road tour or is made into a movie. It's stunning, heartbreaking, thought-provoking AND hilarious!

The only drawback to reading this book instead of seeing the musical is that you'll miss Ben Platt's STUNNING portrayal of Evan Hansen. I've never seen anything like it and he will surely win the Tony. I was utterly FLOORED by is performance and I don't know how he can do it 8 times a week!

Can you tell I have ALL the love for this show?
Profile Image for Geo Just Reading My Books.
1,426 reviews334 followers
May 4, 2020
Great book! Great show!
O lectură captivantă!
De câte ori nu am mințit fiecare dintre noi pentru a nu provoca și mai multă durere?
Asta face și Evan. Iar minciunile devin din ce în ce mai multe, se simte prins ca într-o capcană....
Evan este un tânăr ce suferă de anxietate, iar psihologul i-a recomandat să-și scrie în fiecare zi câte o scrisoare care să îl motiveze.
Ce te faci când scrisoarea îi e luată de Connor, un coleg de școală care se sinucide?
De aici începe povestea minciunii. Evan se dă drept cel mai bun prieten al lui Connor pentru a nu provoca și mai multă durere familiei acestuia. Deși, începe să realizeze că are mai multă încredere în el, socializează mai ușor cu cei din jur. Cu toate acestea minciuna rămâne!
Până când totul poate ieși la iveală. Ce va face Evan în acest moment?
O lectură interesantă, perfectă pentru adolescenți dar și pentru părinți.
Recenzia mea completă o găsiți aici:
Profile Image for Katie.
666 reviews77 followers
September 11, 2017
I am such a mess after finishing this book. I picked it up because I wanted more context to go with listening to the soundtrack, and I figured that at the rate I am going, I am never going to see the show (and unless a miracle happens, I definitely won't see it with Ben Platt, which makes me so upset because I knew I should have bought tickets last December and then I didn't) and this book did not disappoint. It's the script to the show, and I would listen to the soundtrack when the song would come up in the script, and there was just so much that I related to in the story and I really felt it deeply. I loved everything about it, and I recommend it to everyone.
Profile Image for Jessica J..
1,074 reviews2,443 followers
December 29, 2017
I haven't seen this show yet, but I'm dying to because the music has meant so much to me. The first time I heard “Waving Through A Window,” it felt like someone had taken a letter opener to my forearm or my sternum because it so eloquently described what it feels like to be a teenager with crippling social anxiety. I know it's corny as hell, but it made me feel understood and that's a really powerful thing.

And so I love the show and knew I had to have the companion book and I consumed it in a single sitting. I couldn't give this five stars, though, because the show doesn't have the kind of mythological backstory that Hamilton or Rent had, that makes this kind of book feel so urgent and necessary. It doesn't have the larger than life creative wonder that is Lin-Manuel Miranda that makes this kind of book feel like you're getting inside the head of someone inimitable. It gives you lots of behind-the-scenes info, but it was kind of lacking that sense of vitality that the Hamilton book had. Fans will love it, I'm sure, but I don't think they'll feel like they've missed out if they skip it, either.

Also, I've met Benj Pasek’s mom and...actually, I shouldn't say anything more than that because I could get myself into real trouble. But I wish she could hook a girl up.
1 review1 follower
June 13, 2017
This story is absolutely incredible. I love the music from the show, and getting to read this and understand the whole story made it a million times better. If you are unable to go to New York to see Ben Platt's fantastic performance, then this is definitely the next best thing.
Profile Image for Cassandra.
830 reviews94 followers
August 24, 2017
“You think you’re going to turn around all of a sudden and start telling everyone the truth? You can’t even tell yourself the truth.”

Honestly, what did I expect? Anything less than perfection from the script of a musical that is currently sweeping the nation and enrapturing the hearts of theater veterans and theater virgins alike?

With Broadway shows such as Hamilton and Wicked, their quality is undeniable. But with Dear Evan Hansen, the heart and message behind it is what makes it so freaking good.

“No one deserves to be forgotten.”

A lot of people know that this show is about suicide, but it’s so much more than that. It’s about the truth being distorted, about mental illness, and how media and culture portray and handle things like suicide. This show isn’t just about Connor’s death; it’s about how the people left behind handle it, whether that be his family mourning or his ‘friends’ using his death to raise awareness (and money).

“What if ev’ryone knew?/Would they like what they saw?/Or would they hate it too?”

The music from this show is so raw that even though I know the whole soundtrack by heart, I still listened to it while reading this. It made the show even more heart wrenching. You feel for Evan, you feel for Connor, and you feel for their friends and family.

Basically, you feel. And that’s exactly what a show, or it’s script is supposed to make you do.

I know this show isn’t for everyone, or Broadway shows in general, but if you have the time or the interest, pick this up. It’s worth it.

“You will be found.”
Profile Image for Paula W.
540 reviews89 followers
October 26, 2018
I was fortunate enough to see this twice on Broadway with the original cast -- both times before the Tony Awards where Ben Platt, Rachel Bay Jones, and the musical itself won darn near every award out there. And deservedly so.

Although reading this while listening to the cast recording helps, it in no way comes close to the gut wrenching, stellar performances that one gets to see at the live show. I will admit that I went to the first show fully unprepared to begin crying during the first song and almost never stop until the curtain call, but cry I did. So, I brought an entire box of kleenex the second time. I and the good folks in my row and the row behind me used it all up.

If you are not okay with crying in public, this + cast recording is a good option.
Profile Image for Jennifer Girard.
1,320 reviews61 followers
February 26, 2018
I don't even know how to explain all my love for this play! I was obsessed with the songs without knowing the story or anything but now that I've read the play I'm crazy about it even more! I NEED to see it live and i'm very disappointed I won't be able to see it with Ben Platt as Evan.
Profile Image for Tessa.
863 reviews23 followers
September 12, 2018
So let the sun come streaming in
‘cause you’ll reach up and you’ll rise again
If you only look around
You will be found


Well, I’m glad that’s over now. Maybe I have to see the musical in person to understand it better but the script itself is just horrible.

Evan is a terrible character. Yes, he may have a mental illness but that doesn’t justify his actions. The pack of lies he tells Connor’s family (and soon, the entire internet) is repulsive. Maybe he didn’t mean for it to end up like this. But claiming to be best friends with a person who just committed suicide EVEN THOUGH Evan didn’t even know him? To raise money (50,000 dollars!) to rebuild an orchard they apparently visited together? To date Connor’s sister even though all he does is lie to her face?

The more I read, the more I got pissed off. To treat a grieving family like that is a gruesome thing to do. The soundtrack was okay but I can’t see the appeal of the storyline.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for PinkAmy loves books, cats and naps .
2,616 reviews251 followers
August 14, 2018
***Thanks to NetGalley for providing me a complimentary copy of DEAR EVAN HANSEN by Steven Levenson in exchange for my honest review.***

I’ve heard rave reviews about Tony award winning DEAR EVAN HANSEN, but the book didn’t work for me as well as I think the musical might have.

I had empathy for Evan’s anxieties and social issues, but more empathy for the people to whom he lied. Although his intentions weren’t malicious and at times may have been kind and not simply self-serving, I don’t think mental illness is an excuse for hurting others, on purpose or as collateral damage.

As a play DEAR EVAN HANSEN would probably keep my focus on Evan rather than the other characters. Clearly by the reviews others loved and related to the story, so read other reviews and make your choice.
Profile Image for Finch.
23 reviews17 followers
May 23, 2019
guess what I picked up at the show last night?
Profile Image for Mel Steadman Hunt.
738 reviews31 followers
August 1, 2017
Seeing as there's no chance I'll ever be able to go to broadway and see this, and still no news of a UK tour, I have resigned myself to just reading the script and playing the soundtrack over and over again.
I just want to see Ben Platt and Laura Dreyfuss as Evan and Zoe.. Someone pay for me to go to New York please...



This musical has just touched me and I haven't even seen it. Just from the soundtrack and the script, I've built an obsession and I can't see it fading any time soon. This is up there on Harry Potter obsession level for me.
Profile Image for Jamie (TheRebelliousReader).
6,148 reviews30 followers
January 8, 2018
5 stars. Half hilarious and half one continuous punch to the stomach. Amazing.

One thing about me, I am a huge fan of Broadway Musicals and I fell in love with the soundtrack to Dear Evan Hansen last year. I knew the story and since it's not likely I will ever see the show live (sobs) reading the screenplay was the closest thing for me I guess. I wasn't prepared. I was not prepared at all to sob the way that I did while reading this but it was worth it. It's a beautiful coming of age story with such a lovable and relatable main character. It deals with such heavy topics with such honesty and rawness that I commend Steven Lenson and he deserves all the success the show has garnered.

I really don't have anything else to say except to read it. If you haven't listened to the soundtrack do that too. You definitely won't regret it. Just be prepared for the emotional rollercoaster this will put you through.
Profile Image for Valarie.
234 reviews
February 26, 2018
Like watching a DVD, with a very good commentary, and supplemental features with making of documentary and interviews with cast and creators. Perfect for the fan of the show and the fan of musical theater in general. Play your soundtrack CD to hear the songs as you read them, and the comments, for extra fun!
Profile Image for havies_tea (book slump).
50 reviews17 followers
February 20, 2025
Words fail to explain how this book made me feel. I have been like Evan for as long as I can remember. Invisible. Anxious. Introverted. Awkward. Silently suffering.

It's odd to review a book that is supposed to encompass the feelings of being in school and all the struggles when I still feel like I'm there myself mentally.

I do think this book healed a little something within me, and I don't think I'll be able to get it out of my mind for a long time. Please give it a try if you've ever felt like no one was there 🫶🏻
Profile Image for Brianna Flores.
432 reviews7 followers
April 5, 2018
I really enjoy the experinece of reading a libretto of a musical and listen to the soundtrack as I'm reading. Its the closest you can get to actually seeing the Broadway show cause really I will never know if I will get the chance to see the show. I thought Dear Evan Hansen was a raw powerful story......HOWEVER! I had a few problems with it. First the soundtrack. I didn't really like it very much there was a three songs (You Will Be Found, Words Fail, So Big/So Small) that i really loved and the rest was kinda meh for me. Second the story, liked it at first except Even Hansen. I'm sorry but if you lie to the whole freaking world about knowing a person to get attention and not get any consequences from it really really really aggravates me. I was fuming after reading the finale cause i was thinking...."That's It? Really".

So this was kinda a let down for me just cause of the story and maybe because it was also over hyped for me. If i ever get the chance to see it, I will probably give it a chance and maybe have a different opinion
Profile Image for Elizabeth.
896 reviews
November 27, 2019
Even though I read the script by mistake (instead of the novel) it was incredible. Such a complicated story about teenagers, suicide, social media, and trying to fit in. Can not wait to see the play in January!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Dean Oken.
272 reviews
April 12, 2018
It’s truly hard for me to properly articulate how much this musical really means to me. When people think “musical” that think show tunes, dancing, romance cliches. That is not this musical. Because it’s not a musical, it’s the contents of my heart.

Dear Evan Hansen is the most beautiful thing I’ve ever witnessed, ever. And it is truly so hard for me to explain why it effects me so deeply. At its core, this story is the purest form of me. No shields, no safeguards, it’s everything in my heart that would tumble out if someone were to examine it. Every character, is me. Evan, constantly in a state of panic, obsessing and worrying about every single thing. Jared, who hides his insecurities in a facade of humor. And Connor, who is so lonely, so broken, so inept to humans, he kills himself. And yet somehow, they all come together to form my heart.

Believe it or not, DEH is actually a really hard thing for me to experience because it’s just so purely, me. That’s not something I like to do often, let down my guard and just, be. I cry when I listen to it, I cried when I got to see it, I’m crying now. So frankly, I don’t even know if this review is making any sense, who cares, I never make sense anyways. But this fucking masterpiece touches every single thing that’s ever effected me and it hurts in the most beautiful way possible. Suicidal thoughts, depression, self deprecation, anxiety, paranoia, insecurities, absent parents, loneliness, lack of family, lack of normality, chaos, self loathing, love, loss, and everything in between.

Does it hurt to have your heart cut open and laid out in front of you? Yes, it does. But at least you grow closer to yourself in the process. That’s why every time I read this script I make sure I’m home, alone, with only my tears.

#youwillbefound
Profile Image for Alex Vivonia ゚・: *.
17 reviews5 followers
August 7, 2017
What an absolutely brilliant story. Though I have been listening to the soundtrack for months, I know every lyric by heart, I am so glad to have finally the context surrounding the songs. Dear Evan Hansen is very unique and entirely realistic, yes there is an outrageous lie told that I have never seen happen in real life, but the setting and characters are so relatable to most people today. From a single parent just trying to breakthrough to their child, to the outsiders who feel forgotten.

To add to my reading experience, I would listen to the songs as they appeared in the story, and I have to say that's what blew my mind. I can't imagine how it is to see this live! I am not kidding when I say every single song made me start sobbing, like full blown ugly tears. There's just something about reading the lyrics while hearing the actors emotions shown through.

Overall I love this beyond words! I really hope to one day make it to one of the shows because this story has truly impacted me.
Profile Image for Lindsay.
78 reviews93 followers
December 28, 2017
I'd give this way over 5 stars if I could.

I got a copy of this for Christmas and decided today to get in my Dear Evan Hansen emotions and read through it while listening to the songs when they came up.

I've listened to the soundtrack countless times this year and watched a bootleg of the OBC performance on YouTube so many times. I've been able to share it with others and get them in their emotions.

I love this musical with all of my heart and I want others to experience it. If you can't find a version to watch, but are curious about it, PLEASE pick this up. You won't regret it.

Now I'm all in my emotions.
Profile Image for Celine.
323 reviews3 followers
August 25, 2019
Ik vind het een beetje lastig om dit boek te raten, omdat dit het script is van de musical. Maar ik ben wel achter een trope gekomen waar ik echt een hekel aan heb (een verhaal dat draait om liegende personages).

De liedjes: 5*
Het verhaal: 3*
Conclusie: 4*

Edit: Toen kwam ik er ineens achter dat ik mijn reading challenge van 2019 had gehaald??
Profile Image for Chelsea 🏳️‍🌈.
1,931 reviews6 followers
September 5, 2019
It's a strange experience reading the script for a musical without having seen it or listened to songs from it beforehand.

As stories go, this felt pretty basic to me. I didn't find that moment where it all felt super relatable and that's not because my high school experience was amazing. It just didn't do much for me?

It didn't help that I found the conclusion rather unsatisfactory. I mean, I get that there's no right or wrong way for a parent to react to a tragedy of this nature. I'm glad Connor's parents found some comfort in the end... it just seemed weird that there were no real consequences for Evan's actions. The "reveal" that he related to Connor's struggle more than initially revealed didn't lessen my horror at the charade he kept up for an entire school year.

But, I'm sure the actual performance is great.
Profile Image for Tyler McCubbin.
40 reviews
January 4, 2018
All around, this is an incredible read. If you don’t have the soundtrack, I would highly encourage downloading, better yet PURCHASING, the soundtrack because it’s one that will be with us for years to come. The story is complex. The characters are very realistic. The plot is twisted, exploring the mind of a person who we as society are so easy to cast aside and shun because of the “abnormal”-ness. Embrace Evan. Feel something for his mother and for Connor’s parents. Wrap yourself up in the struggle that Zoe has/had with her brother Connor. Get mad at Jared. Get annoyed by Alana. In all, surround yourself with everything that’s inside Dear Evan Hansen.
Profile Image for Mariel Harbor.
14 reviews
June 4, 2018
Dear Mariel, this is going to be a great review and here's why:

This was a beautiful play, but I'm glad I spent $16 on the script instead of hundreds for tickets and a trip to NYC.

There were certain lines and parts of this that struck me, but overall, this play was somewhat average. I enjoyed learning about the characters, envisioning how things were done on stage given the stage directions, and seeing how the story progressed and carried along with the music.

I think the overarching themes are extremely relevant to our current time period, but I think this play is just scratching that surface.

Sincerely, me.
Profile Image for Kristine.
108 reviews1 follower
June 3, 2017
This. Book. - the story, the music, the style, just everything about it- was an absolute pleasure to devour. I neeeed to see the show in person one day, but I'm so glad that I was able to fill in the gaps of my prior understanding of the story and that I was able to read it in full. I loved listening to the songs along with reading the lyrics and felt that I was able to connect to the characters more by doing so.
107 reviews13 followers
December 12, 2017
So... I've listened to the soundtrack probably a hundred times. I love this show, and reading the script to get the full picture was amazing.

It is amazing to see the play as it plays out. I can't wait to see this play when it eventually has a national tour but until then this will tide me over.

As for the story... It isn't easy to get through. But it is a message everyone should read.
107 reviews13 followers
December 23, 2017
Book #100 of 2017.


This book follows the journey of just a spark if an idea to Broadway and the Tonys and beyond. Beautifully put together, any fan will appreciate the remarkable insights and photographs, especially those who haven't been lucky enough to see the show yet.

Worth the price of admission.
Profile Image for Joni Newman.
241 reviews4 followers
January 14, 2018
I got this book for Christmas and thought it would be a nice if heavy coffee table read, but it ended up being way cooler than that. My trivia loving soul enjoyed the behind the scenes look at this awesome musical and since I haven’t been able to actually see the show yet, it was also great to read the script.
Profile Image for Audrey.
739 reviews52 followers
July 20, 2019
yayyy cute. I like collecting these. This one wasn't as interesting or engaging to me as the Hamilton one, mostly just because I feel like there were less hidden meanings in the more simplistic songs. Still, it was fun to read about even if it went a little slower. And it's prettyyyyy and it's nice having the whole script so that I can put on a one-woman show if necessary.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 733 reviews

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