I don’t gravitate toward light-hearted romance when selecting a book to review. I made an exception for Emily Henry’s latest release, “Funny Story.”
Henry, a young and exceptionally successful author, transitioned from the juvenile genre to adult romance in 2020 with her debut novel, “Beach Read.” Since then, she’s published one book a year. Each of those five novels landed on the New York Times Bestseller list and they’ve all been optioned for adaptation to the big screen.
Embracing her title as the ‘Queen of the Beach Reads,’ Henry is unapologetic in her mission to deliver humor and entertainment to her readers. She believes we all need a refreshing escape.
In “Funny Story”, Daphne cuts ties with her old life to start anew in her fiancé’s small, Northern Michigan hometown. She’s living the dream — engaged to a perfect man, living in a perfect home and thrilled with a perfect job as a librarian at the charming local library. Life seems flawless — until it isn’t.
When her fiancé falls for a childhood sweetheart, Daphne’s future crumbles. Suddenly, she’s left without a fiancé, a wedding, or a home. She still has her job and supportive colleagues who gradually become a more significant part of her life.
Does a love triangle ensue? Not quite, mathematically, it’s more of a love quadrangle. Daphne’s fiancé Peter ditches her for Petra. Petra dumps her boyfriend Miles and moves in with Peter, so Daphne becomes Miles’ new roommate. What could possibly go wrong — or right? Together, they navigate the chaos of their intertwined lives in a comical misery loves company’s arrangement.
Agreed, it’s a work of "chick-lit," but don’t dismiss it as shallow or predictable. Henry’s characters, particularly Daphne and Miles, are fully fleshed out. They’re complicated, human and, like many of us all, burdened with emotional baggage, prone to overthinking, anxiety and misinterpretation — all adding more bumps along an already rocky road.
As for the ending, Henry’s aim is not a perfect resolution, but a comforting, hopeful and beautiful happy-for-now moment. She achieves this with “Funny Story,” and the result is a truly enjoyable read.
“Funny Story” is available at your local libraries.
