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Charming as a Verb Kindle Edition

by Ben Philippe (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars 319 ratings
See all formats and editions

From the award-winning author of The Field Guide to the North American Teenager comes a whip-smart and layered romantic comedy. Perfect for fans of Nicola Yoon and Jenny Han. 

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.

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Previous page
  1. Reading age
    12 - 18 years
  2. Print length
    334 pages
  3. Language
    English
  4. Grade level
    6 - 12
  5. Publisher
    Balzer + Bray
  6. Publication date
    October 13, 2020
  7. Page Flip
    Enabled
  8. Word Wise
    Not Enabled
  9. Enhanced typesetting
    Enabled
  10. Sticky notes
    On Kindle Scribe
  11. ISBN-13
    978-0062824264
  12. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Gr 9 Up-Henri "Halti" Haltiwanger can charm just about anyone. He has a smile for every occasion and knows the effect each one has on his audience. Corrine Troy, his classmate at the prestigious FATE Academy and apartment building neighbor, can't seem to charm anyone. Henri is a scholarship student, the son of Haitian immigrants, and his dad is the building's caretaker. Corrine and her mom are tenants in the small but posh building. Their paths typically only cross when Corrine is impatiently waiting for Henri's debate club practice to be over so she can use the room to study. But, when Corinne decides she needs to shed her "intense" persona to help make her more marketable to colleges, she blackmails Henri into helping. As they get to know each other, sparks begin to simmer below the surface until they move from annoyances to friends to much more. Henri and Corrine are both Black and Henri's best friend was born in China and was adopted by white Jewish parents. While race does factor into some of the story, it is not the leading focus. James Fouhey does a great job expressing Henri's voice; Corrine's clipped words and phrasing make her interactions with Henri at times humorous and in others sweet. VERDICT This book is quite charming and will have readers cheering for Henri and Corrine.-Courtney Pentland, Omaha, NEα(c) Copyright 2011. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Review

"Packed solid with freestyle wit, real bestie charm, and the everyday diverse glory of New York City."

-- "David Yoon, author of Frankly in Love"

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0831PS93Q
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Balzer + Bray (October 13, 2020)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ October 13, 2020
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 5683 KB
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 334 pages
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars 319 ratings

About the author

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Ben Philippe

Ben Philippe

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Ben Philippe is a writer and screenwriter born in Haiti and raised in Montreal, Canada. He is the author of the memoir SURE, I'LL BE YOUR BLACK FRIEND, as well as the young adult novels CHARMING AS A VERB and the William C. Morris Award–winning THE FIELD GUIDE TO THE NORTH AMERICAN TEENAGER. He bravely does not reside in Brooklyn, NY with a spouse and/or cats.

Customer reviews

4.6 out of 5 stars
4.6 out of 5
319 global ratings
A cute summer read
4 Stars
A cute summer read
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.⁣⁣⁣This was such a cute summer themed enemies-to-lovers romcom read. A coming of age with the two main characters being a BIPOC. Read in one sitting while smiling and LOL at the cute narratives. And as a dog mama, the entire dog walks and scenes were my absolute favorite. ⁣
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Top reviews from the United States

BChad
5.0 out of 5 stars Good writing
Reviewed in the United States on August 2, 2022
Verified Purchase
This is a very good YA Novel, with fully-developed characters, plotline. A minimum of curse word, witty dialogue. I really liked all the characters, notwithstanding the conflicts they experienced.
2 people found this helpful
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D. Dunstock
4.0 out of 5 stars ALL THE CUTE
Reviewed in the United States on January 30, 2021
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" All children are charming as an adjective, but you're charming as a verb."
.
This book is... simply put... charming!
.
Henri Haltiwanger, high school senior with a trademark Smile, is navigating the end of high school amidst classes, debate team, his dog-walking side business, and applying to college with his hopes and dreams resting on admission to Columbia. Charming is told from the perspective of Henri, who, I must say, I simply ADORE. Henri is smart, sweet, thoughtful, hilarious, but not perfect. And I enjoyed how real this character feels. If there is any reason to read this book, it would be for Henri :).
.
Charming as a Verb explores first relationships, father/son bonds, friendship, and second-chances. It is a fast read with a lot of lol-moments and several happenings that will make you say "aweeee". I really, really enjoyed this one and will lok for more Ben Philippe to read in my future :)!
One person found this helpful
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Danielle
5.0 out of 5 stars First times a charm
Reviewed in the United States on November 10, 2020
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This is my first book from this author and I really enjoyed his style of writing and the way the story unfolded. It's witty and sarcastic and full of smart banter between many of the characters. I liked that even the peripheral characters were solid and contributory to the story. Henri and Cori were such a treat to get to know. I loved City's evolution and her personality in general. Great read!
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LB
5.0 out of 5 stars The author hit just the right note!
Reviewed in the United States on January 4, 2021
Verified Purchase
I don’t usually read YA books but I’m so glad I read this one. The characters were so well developed, and I mean-all of them. It’s so refreshing to find an author that leads you to understand the parents and home life of the main characters. I will never forget Henri and Corinne and wish I could look into their future. Kudos to this talented young author.
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Erika
4.0 out of 5 stars Very Cute
Reviewed in the United States on October 19, 2020
Verified Purchase
The main characters were all so likable. I wanted to see them do well. The focus on the pressure to succeed as a first generation American was an important lesson. The epilogue was perfect. I would love to get a glimpse of how these kids are doing in 10-15 years.
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dap300
5.0 out of 5 stars Great book!
Reviewed in the United States on April 4, 2023
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Throughly enjoyed this book!
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Pine Reads Review
3.0 out of 5 stars Enjoyable, But Not Amazing
Reviewed in the United States on October 13, 2020
By all definitions, Henri Haltiwanger is charming. He’s also perfected the method of charming people to an art, from his dog-walking clients who just drool over him to the other students in his prestigious high school. As the son of Haitian immigrants, his one dream for as long as he can remember has been to attend Columbia University. After Henri’s interview with a Columbia alumnus goes awry, Henri will do just about anything to secure his spot at the school. Enter his “intense” neighbor and classmate Corinne Troy, whose mother is a dean at Columbia. When Corinne sees through Henri’s not-entirely-honest dog-walking scheme and blackmails him into helping her change her image at school, Henri agrees…mostly because he sees a possible solution to his own problem. Amid the pressures of the final months of high school and the flurry of college applications, Henri and Corinne find themselves getting much more than they bargained for, both with their goals and with each other.

This was a fun read that brought me back to the excitement and anxiety of my senior year of high school. The descriptions of applying for college and the apprehension that goes along with pressing the “submit” button and waiting for a reply were spot-on. However, the romance seemed to move very fast and was not entirely developed, and some of the characters felt one-dimensional and left much to be desired. I was not a fan of Corinne’s abrupt and short-lived change from studious to wild because it did not feel true to who she was, especially since she reverted right back to studious once she got what she needed from the change. Despite these flaws, the second half of the book was entertaining and kept me engaged. Overall, it was an enjoyable read, but not the best book I’ve read this year.

(Pine Reads Review would like to thank NetGalley and the publisher for providing us with an ARC in exchange for an honest review. Any quotes are taken from an advanced copy and may be subject to change upon final publication.)
4 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

José Gabriel Granthon
5.0 out of 5 stars Important!!!
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on July 17, 2022
Verified Purchase
I think every teen should read this book! I'd like to have read this when I was a teenager. Amazing
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