Jersey Hicks Blog

Section 7; Page 310-368

Well, this is the last section of my book and I will have to say it ended not how I expected. I did learn some new things about Evan even this late in the book that I will share later in the post. Overall I finished the book it got boring at some points but it kept my attention well enough that I was able to finish the book and do posts about it.

When Evan was in the tree and we were told that he accidently fell out and broke his arm he actually tried to commit suicide, but failed. This was actually heartbreaking to read because it just is terrible that in this book one person tried and failed, and one person actually succeeded. This really shows how many people struggle with these thoughts no matter who they are. And most people won’t ever share what they are struggling with.

At the end of the book, we learned that Zoe and they somehow made up. They aren’t best friend or anything but they don’t hate each other anymore. It is honestly crazy that Zoe was able to get over what Evan did. But it shows that she doesn’t hold a grudge and gives people a second chance.

After finishing this book the deeper meaning shown throughout the book is definitely self-identity, and feeling that you are worth it. A lot of the characters in the book didn’t struggle with this but some did. They believed they weren’t worth it and they just gave up on trying. Another one is also the power of storytelling because this whole book was based on a lie, and it just kept building off a lie.

This book was based on describing a kid that was described through the eyes of Evan. But Evan described how he thought he was since he was never actually his friend. This just shows how the narrative of storytelling doesn’t actually tell the whole story.

Section 6; Page 254-310

Holy moly this section was filled, well it actually started out pretty boring but towards the end, everything started unraveling and it was crazy to read. But before we get to that there’s some other stuff to talk about.

So basically Evan was basically living a life he never thought he would be able to all because of a lie, but that lie was really starting to weigh down on him since his “friend” Jarder knew everything that he did it didn’t help because he could just tell the truth about Evan. But he thought he had everything he wanted, and he did but it started to fall apart right at the end of this section.

As I said in the last section this book does show a deeper meaning behind some of the surface stuff that happens. In this section it showed a lot about how you don’t want to build yourself up on a lie because that lie can break at any moment and you will be taken out with it. It also shows that even when you think you have everything in life you want or need there will be something thrown at you to test how badly you want the life you have. In Evan’s case, he was thrown the whole thing with Connor, and because he was to afraid to say no this isn’t true he was built on a lie and he lost everything he had, including himself through the process.

Evan really needs to read this, maybe it would help him know that he is doing the right thing by telling the truth. (https://kriscarr.com/how-to-tell-the-truth/)

On to the crazy thing that happened right at the end of this section, Evan lied about once again another thing, and this damaged those around him such as Zoe, Evan’s girlfriend who is Connor’s sister. Well, actually ex-girlfriend now. But he made a lie that basically set the whole house on fire and he sat there actually like he didn’t do it. Until the truth was eating at him and he said how he and Connor weren’t actually friends… You could assume how Connors’s family took that.

Section 5; Page 202-254

This section was a weird one to read. Many interesting things happened, and I’ll have to explain that later in the post. This section felt like a longer one, not as much big things or life changing events happend.

Ok, so a group of people and Evan started this thing to help out with Connor and remember him. During the assembly when Evan was speaking, he dropped all of his notecards and he basically fell apart on stage he got really embarrassed and he felt like everyone was going to make fun of him. But turns out we learned during this section everyone loves what Evan did, and how his speech was. It was getting shared everywhere and it was something a lot of people felt like is what people needed to hear.

I think Evan needs to read this website https://www.student.unsw.edu.au/speaking-audience

Evan has basically changed the way everyone thinks of Connor. So I guess by Evan starting this big lie of being his best friend he turned it into something that will actually help people. So in the end I can’t tell if lying was good even if it did help change everyone’s perspective.

This book shows a lot of deeper meaning throughout the book. Starting with the fact it addresses mental health and doesn’t show this as a bad thing. It helps the readers understand that mental health isn’t something that people choose upon themselves but it almost just happens, after amounts of life-changing events and trauma. Such as for Connor was seen in his family as an outcast he wasn’t someone who was included in the family. Which was told later in this section helping us understand why he wanted to kill himself.

Oh, and the weird part is Evan has a crush on Connors’s older sister Zoe, and he has been trying to rizz her up. I think this is really weird that the guy that he is lying to be friends with who killed himself is now talking to his sister…. :/ Also, I think this joke needs to be told, “How do you tell the sex of a chromosome? Pull down its genes,”

I think this book is going to end with Evan making sure people realize how to help people that struggle with mental health, and to not just ignore it and not help them. I’m excited to keep reading and learn about what happens in the next section.

Section 4; Page 155-202

Ok so to recap Evan is counting the lie about being Connors bestfriend, and he and a few other people are now wanting to do assembly’s and like meetings to make sure Connor, and what happend to him and is never forgotten. But during this Evan has to keep lying about how him and Connor were “close” when they really weren’t and only talked like twice there whole life.

I think it is really interesting how the author decided to keep writing with Connor seeing everything that is going on after he died. Just he is a ghost and no one sees him. I think he chose to do this because it shows that no one sees him still, before he was gone and even after no one saw him. It just helps people understand that something changed but in the end nothing changed.

I’ve said this before but I usually don’t like reading books that aren’t murder mystery because they don’t keep my attention, but this book actually has. It helps that I have to write about it so I actually have to absorb something from it but the way Emmich writes and is able to keep sometimes a boring topic/moment interesting it impressive.

Section 3; Page 99-154

Evan needs new friends because his one friend named Jared is not a “friend” he is almost a bully but acts like he is there for him when he needs him.

This book really goes in depth about a high school kid that goes through struggles, and I think that is able to get the audience that doesn’t necessary go through these struggles and thoughts.

Section 2; Page 52-99

Connor Murphy, also a high schooler killed himself but the first person to find out was Evan because of his interaction one day with him. Evan was the last person to have talked to him and this puts a lot of weight onto Evan. Evan is stuck with the thought of this being his fault and how the one day he talked to him Connor killed himself later that day.

Emmich has the first part of this book focusing on their lives and switching perspectives from Evan to Connor before he passed away. Emmich writes about suicide so it brings a realization that it affects people who you would think wouldn’t have been affected by them. It shows how even with kids who don’t show it or look like they are struggling could be and people need to realize that it happens because of the environment they are in and how they struggle with mental health.

I have also realized that I hate the friends that Evan has and they are not even close to being true friends. They are rude to Evan which does not help him at all with his anxiety. Most friends help calm your nerves and what you’re going through but his friends almost start his nerves and create these scenarios in his head that he focuses on throughout the day.

Section 1; Page 1-52

I've started reading this book and so far it is keeping my attention and not too boring. It's interesting to learn from different perspectives from high school kids, since everyone growing up has there own stories and what they go through. The characters in the book are all so different from each other and from different cliches when they try to mix it up and talk to other people it just doesn't go well.

Evan is who this book focuses on and so far he doesn't know who he is. He struggles with the idea of understanding his self-worth and who he fits in with. He struggles with anxiety and being afraid of talking to new people. This leads his therapist to tell him to talk to someone new. In this first section Evan talked to two new people they may not have been good interactions but he did talk to someone. To cope with what goes on in his life he writes letters to himself to understand what happened that day, and to make hopes of what will happen before the day has started. 

Evan is seen as a weird kid in every other kids eyes. He is shy and doesn't enjoy people knowing him or getting close to him. He likes to stay in the shadows and keep to himself. This causes no one to know him even though he is a senior in highschool and has been at this school with everyone else for years. He's just a very shy and timid person that is struggling to be at peace with himself. 

Emmich has a great way of writing this book so you can feel just how Evan feels in the book in the situations he is in. He is also able to write so it shares a lot of information but at the same time it's not information that is making you bored from it. 

I’m going to be reading Dear Evan Hansen by Val Emmich. I’ve been wanting to read this book since it came out, and I never had the chance. It also has a show that the book was based on so that makes it more interesting because you can read the book and then watch the movie. I also am excited to read a new genre since I usually only read thrillers. I’m excited to read the book and see my thoughts on it since I’ve heard it’s a great book. I’m apprehensive about if I’m going to say interested throughout the book since a book needs to be like nail-biting wanting to know what happens or I tend to not like the book. I’m going to make sure I read the book and actually understand what I am reading so I am able to write about it.

These stories reflected on parts of history that others have no idea of how it affected someone. After reading these stories it helps people understand what things were like during this time, and what they had to go through. From reading De Las Casas’ story it shows how brutal it was for the Indians living under those circumstances. The violence that occurred and what the Christians made them do without even having a choice was brutal and something that no one can imagine without having these stories to read and understand. If these stories weren’t written and published people would have never understood anything about what even happened.

De Las Casas’ reading demonstrates that as one culture invades and takes over the other culture will ultimately be taken over and have no choice but to surrender to them. De Las Casas’ wrote, “Christians attacked them with buffets, and beatings, until finally they laid hands on the nobles of the villages” (De Las Casas 89). This quote shows how Christians will do whatever they have to do to get what they want no matter what is in their way. This reading shows how once a place so populated and flourishing more than it has ever, now looks abandoned, all because of one culture invading and taking over. The Indians were living happily on their island until the Spaniards showed up and changed the way they lived, and took away the sense of freedom.