Dear Evan Hansen: The Novel

By: Val Emmich, Steven Levenson, Benj Pasek, Justin Paul

Narrated by: Ben Levi Ross, Mike Faist, Mallory Bechtel

From the show's creators comes the groundbreaking novel inspired by the Broadway smash hit Dear Evan Hansen.

Dear Evan Hansen,

Today's going to be an amazing day, and here's why....

When a letter that was never meant to be seen by anyone draws high school senior Evan Hansen into a family's grief over the loss of their son, he is given the chance of a lifetime: to belong. He just has to stick to a lie he never meant to tell: that the notoriously troubled Connor Murphy was his secret best friend.

Suddenly, Evan isn't invisible anymore - even to the girl of his dreams. And Connor Murphy's parents, with their beautiful home on the other side of town, have taken him in like he was their own, desperate to know more about their enigmatic son from his closest friend. As Evan gets pulled deeper into their swirl of anger, regret, and confusion, he knows that what he's doing can't be right, but if he's helping people, how wrong can it be?

No longer tangled in his once-incapacitating anxiety, this new Evan has a purpose. And a website. He's confident. He's a viral phenomenon. Every day is amazing. Until everything is in danger of unraveling, and he comes face-to-face with his greatest obstacle: himself.

A simple lie leads to complicated truths in this big-hearted coming-of-age story of grief, authenticity, and the struggle to belong in an age of instant connectivity and profound isolation.

©2018 Val Emmich, Steven Levenson, Benj Pasek, Justin Paul (P)2018 Hachette Audio

Critic reviews

"[A] particularly authentic first-person narration about family dynamics, the importance of kindness, and the horrors of not fitting in at high school.... A must-read." (Publishers Weekly)

"Yep, the hit musical will make you cry just as much in book form." (Entertainment Weekly)

"Even in book form, Evan Hansen's story sings. Required reading, especially for anyone who's ever needed to be found." (Becky Albertalli, number-one New York Times best-selling author of Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda and Leah on the Offbeat)

A Superb Adaptation

The book is every bit as good as the musical and an absolute must read!

Dear Even Hanson

I like this book because it make you feel like you are not alone. I would recommend this book to anyone who like or has seen the musical or like me are about to see the musical. I chose my rating be the performance of the book was so good it had music and song from the musical.

Realistic look into lives of current-day teens

A current and modern view of emotions and feelings felt by young adults. It was so well told, it was as if you could feel the angst, pressure & intimidation experienced by the characters. While funny at times, it realistically dealt with the serious subject matter of teen suicide. Very well done.

Anyone who feels alone should listen to this.

For those who are struggling right now, remember there are people who love you and are willing to help you. Please reach out, you're not alone. Everyone has felt alone before. But if we all showed more kindness to others, the world will be a better place. A simple smile or favor can change another person's day or even life.

I was a huge fan of Dear Evan Hansen musical. Because I loved the story so much, I bought this audible book. There are so much more stories inside the book which the musical didn't have time to show. I finally understand what's going on inside Evan and Connor. Ben Levi Ross and Mike Faist's narration was so genuine and emotional. I cried so much times listening to this and I felt so sorry for both Evan and Connor. I didn't have the chance to see Ben Platt's performance, but after listening to this, I knew Ben Levi Ross is a great Evan and I look forward to seeing him perform one day. (Hope I can get the chance to fly from China to US to see him, fingers crossed)

This is an important read

This book takes you through the minds of those struggling with mental health disorders and while it is hard sometimes to acknowledge it it’s so important to let it in. This book had me in tears and I love the characters so much.

Great book and awesome message

I loved how this book makes me feel and act. The narrator Made it a little challenging to follow the plot because he never changed the way he talked when two different point of use were introduced. The chapter would end from Evans view and then immediately go onto Connors view and sometimes you didn’t realize that the character had changed until you were a little lost in the story.

I wanted more

I have never seen the Broadway show but I want to. I enjoyed the novel it just felt like something was missing but I can't put my finger on what exactly that it. By the end I wanted more. I wasn't a big fan of the narrator maybe that was part of the problem.

A must read book!!

This is a very touching and eye opening book! I saw the show on Broadway and knew I had to read it. The book was just as amazing as the play! Loved it!!!

Deeper Dive for Fansens & Works as a Stand Alone Story

Finished listening to this today! 📱💙👕

It was fascinating to see how Val Emmich, Steven Levenson, Benj Pasek and Justin Paul took Dear Evan Hansen the musical and adapted/expanded it into a novel. 💡

For devoted Fansens, like me, it stays true to the characters and voices I know and love from the musical. 🎶

It also gives us the opportunity to dive deeper into who they are and even introduces a new one, that really worked for me. ☺️

I think it also works as a stand alone story, for those not familiar with the broadway show. 📘

I highly recommend it, especially for teens/young adults, those who care about and/or are parenting teens/young adults, as well as those who have loved ones who died by suicide. I fit into both categories, which is what drew me to this story in the first place.✌🏼

Very good!

His voice is just as I imagine Evan’s to be and this reading of the book was very nice to listening to as I followed along in the book! It was also easy to navigate the chapters.