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Charming as a Verb Hardcover – 12 Nov. 2020

4.4 4.4 out of 5 stars 326 ratings
Teachers' pick for school years 1–9

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.

Product description

Review

“Henri’s narrative swagger effortlessly charms the reader, but it’s his growing self-awareness that gives this delightful novel its depth… An intelligently narrated romance with plenty of witty banter and a diverse cast.” — Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books (starred review)

“A witty, well-developed bildungsroman that presents a Black teenager carefully attempting to navigate systems that disproportionately disadvantage him.” — Publishers Weekly (starred review)

"This book is quite charming and will have readers cheering for Henri and Corrine....A diverse cast of characters, racial tensions, and ethical dilemmas make this so much more than just a simple romance." — School Library Journal (starred review)

“Morris Award winner Philippe turns up the charm in his sophomore novel…From its dynamic, easy-to-love characters to the endearing prose, this novel easily embodies Henri's cultivated suaveness, and his unusually confident persona, bring a fresh perspective.” — ALA Booklist

“This humorous, first-person narrative with a conversational, almost conspiratorial, tone will captivate readers.” — Kirkus Reviews

“A witty, humorous, realistic snapshot of the pressures young people face as they make their way into adulthood. Through memorable, multifaceted characters, Philippe explores themes of how race, class, and socioeconomic status can open doors for some, while closing them for others. Refreshing, romantic, and at times laugh-out-loud funny, the book is satisfying and, yes, charming.” — Horn Book Magazine

“Packed solid with freestyle wit, real bestie charm, and the everyday diverse glory of New York City.” — David Yoon, New York Times bestselling author of Frankly In Love

Praise for FIELD GUIDE: “A witty debut with whip-smart dialogue that will find much love among fans of authors like John Green and Jason Reynolds.”
School Library Journal (starred review)

“Ben Philippe’s sparkling dialogue along with prose that occasionally borders on lyrical (although in a completely cool, hip, manly way) is sure to delight readers. Norris’ evolution from cynical outsider to caring insider is a journey well-worth following—especially as it’s accompanied with laugh out loud moments [and]insightful revelations.”
New York Journal of Books

“With a perfect balance of snark, keen observation, and wry humor, Ben Philippe has given us the brilliant Norris Kaplan—by far, the funniest, wittiest, smartest character I’ve ever read! Norris Kaplan would be the perfect teen host for The Daily Show!”
Ibi Zoboi, author of American Street, National Book Award finalist

“A refreshing, captivating read, one which will definitely appeal to its teen target audience but will also satisfy older readers, who will appreciate its clarity and emotional acuity.”
Toronto Star

“In Philippe’s funny debut, 16-year-old black French-Canadian Norris Kaplan must navigate life and love in Austin, Tex., after he and his mother move there... Philippe has a gift for dialogue and touches on a few instances of racism with sensitivity and humor in this crowd-pleaser.”
Publishers Weekly

“It’s no longer tenable to imagine that the anxieties of a white heterosexual young man expelled from an expensive prep school capture the spirit of our era. Today’s snarky young anti-hero instead looks like Norris, the black French Canadian boy in The Field Guide to the North American Teenager.”
The Washington Post

From the Back Cover

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.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ BalzerBray; 1st edition (12 Nov. 2020)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 336 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0062824147
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0062824141
  • Reading age ‏ : ‎ 13 - 17 years
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 13.97 x 2.77 x 20.96 cm
  • Customer reviews:
    4.4 4.4 out of 5 stars 326 ratings

About the author

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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

4.4 out of 5 stars
326 global ratings

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Black Love -  a breath of fresh air!
5 out of 5 stars
Black Love - a breath of fresh air!
Henri Haltiwanger (everyone calls him Halti) is cool, popular, charming and a first generation Haitian son. He attends the prestigious FATE academy and walks dogs for New Yorks elite. His dream is to attend Columbia University. Halti isn't from a wealthy background but his easy smile helps him to fit in with his peers. But then Corinne Troy, his neighbour and classmate, blackmails him when she finds out his dog walking job isn't very legit. What does she want? To be popular!I don't tend to find many romantic comedy books with Black protagonists so this was a breath of fresh air. I love Halti! He has that super easy swag and comes across so sure of himself. He's able to blend in with any situation whilst keep his not so privileged side of him a secret, even from his best friend Ming who has a sneaker fetish! Halti dreams of going Ivy League and is devastated when he flops his interview. It becomes quite clear that his reasons for wanting to go to Columbia aren't as clear cut as we thought. Really it's his dad's dream. As someone who was pushed to go to uni by a parent I can understand the pressure!Corinne is hilarious! She is definitely intense and has no idea how she comes across but she has the best one liners. She tells it how it is which is a great contrast to Halti who is more aware of himself. I was rooting for them to get together and cheeered when they did. My fav scene is when she walks in on Halti and Evie at a party and it's a classic case of not reading the room! I do wish there was more of Evie as after the party, their relationship falls off and Evie disappears. I would have loved more scenes with Evie and Corinne.Charming As A Verb is a great book for those trying to figure out the next steps after school—we've all been there. There's no bigger pressure than trying to please your parent. Even though Halti messes up with his desperate attempts to get into Columbia, Corinne actually helps him to go for his true passion. You'll read the book like damn where's my Halti?!I look forward to reading more from Philippe and I hope there's a part two to Halti and Corinne.
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Top reviews from United Kingdom

  • Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 17 July 2022
    I think every teen should read this book! I'd like to have read this when I was a teenager. Amazing
  • Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 16 November 2020
    Henri Haltiwanger (everyone calls him Halti) is cool, popular, charming and a first generation Haitian son. He attends the prestigious FATE academy and walks dogs for New Yorks elite. His dream is to attend Columbia University. Halti isn't from a wealthy background but his easy smile helps him to fit in with his peers. But then Corinne Troy, his neighbour and classmate, blackmails him when she finds out his dog walking job isn't very legit. What does she want? To be popular!

    I don't tend to find many romantic comedy books with Black protagonists so this was a breath of fresh air. I love Halti! He has that super easy swag and comes across so sure of himself. He's able to blend in with any situation whilst keep his not so privileged side of him a secret, even from his best friend Ming who has a sneaker fetish! Halti dreams of going Ivy League and is devastated when he flops his interview. It becomes quite clear that his reasons for wanting to go to Columbia aren't as clear cut as we thought. Really it's his dad's dream. As someone who was pushed to go to uni by a parent I can understand the pressure!
    Corinne is hilarious! She is definitely intense and has no idea how she comes across but she has the best one liners. She tells it how it is which is a great contrast to Halti who is more aware of himself. I was rooting for them to get together and cheeered when they did. My fav scene is when she walks in on Halti and Evie at a party and it's a classic case of not reading the room! I do wish there was more of Evie as after the party, their relationship falls off and Evie disappears. I would have loved more scenes with Evie and Corinne.

    Charming As A Verb is a great book for those trying to figure out the next steps after school—we've all been there. There's no bigger pressure than trying to please your parent. Even though Halti messes up with his desperate attempts to get into Columbia, Corinne actually helps him to go for his true passion. You'll read the book like damn where's my Halti?!

    I look forward to reading more from Philippe and I hope there's a part two to Halti and Corinne.
    Customer image
    5.0 out of 5 stars
    Black Love - a breath of fresh air!

    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 16 November 2020
    Henri Haltiwanger (everyone calls him Halti) is cool, popular, charming and a first generation Haitian son. He attends the prestigious FATE academy and walks dogs for New Yorks elite. His dream is to attend Columbia University. Halti isn't from a wealthy background but his easy smile helps him to fit in with his peers. But then Corinne Troy, his neighbour and classmate, blackmails him when she finds out his dog walking job isn't very legit. What does she want? To be popular!

    I don't tend to find many romantic comedy books with Black protagonists so this was a breath of fresh air. I love Halti! He has that super easy swag and comes across so sure of himself. He's able to blend in with any situation whilst keep his not so privileged side of him a secret, even from his best friend Ming who has a sneaker fetish! Halti dreams of going Ivy League and is devastated when he flops his interview. It becomes quite clear that his reasons for wanting to go to Columbia aren't as clear cut as we thought. Really it's his dad's dream. As someone who was pushed to go to uni by a parent I can understand the pressure!
    Corinne is hilarious! She is definitely intense and has no idea how she comes across but she has the best one liners. She tells it how it is which is a great contrast to Halti who is more aware of himself. I was rooting for them to get together and cheeered when they did. My fav scene is when she walks in on Halti and Evie at a party and it's a classic case of not reading the room! I do wish there was more of Evie as after the party, their relationship falls off and Evie disappears. I would have loved more scenes with Evie and Corinne.

    Charming As A Verb is a great book for those trying to figure out the next steps after school—we've all been there. There's no bigger pressure than trying to please your parent. Even though Halti messes up with his desperate attempts to get into Columbia, Corinne actually helps him to go for his true passion. You'll read the book like damn where's my Halti?!

    I look forward to reading more from Philippe and I hope there's a part two to Halti and Corinne.
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Top reviews from other countries

  • Danielle
    5.0 out of 5 stars First times a charm
    Reviewed in the United States on 10 November 2020
    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!
  • Dulce Queen
    4.0 out of 5 stars Relatable & Touching!
    Reviewed in the United States on 10 February 2025
    4.5⭐️ Henri, is determined to make his family proud of him by doing everything possible to get accepted into Columbia University. However, as time inches closer he becomes weary of if he has a chance to actually get in. Henri, very much so conflicted decided to go ahead and do something that backfires. Often times we see parents who sacrifice their dreams for the sake of their children, push them too hard/ have high expectations or want to live their life through their children. I felt for Henri. I was glad his mom was able to acknowledge the pressure they put on him & eventually his dad was able to come around and strengthen their father-son bond. It was nice to see Corinne stand up for herself and put boundaries in place. This story was very touching and relatable, from having an immigrant parent as well.
  • BChad
    5.0 out of 5 stars Good writing
    Reviewed in the United States on 2 August 2022
    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.
  • LB
    5.0 out of 5 stars The author hit just the right note!
    Reviewed in the United States on 4 January 2021
    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.
  • D. Dunstock
    4.0 out of 5 stars ALL THE CUTE
    Reviewed in the United States on 30 January 2021
    " 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 :)!