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Sammy Hong

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Sammy Hong is currently reading

Shoe Dog: A Memoir by the Creator of Nike

by Phil Knight

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(page 145 of 400)
"A quote I really liked is, “Leaning back in my recliner each night, staring at the ceiling, I tried to settle myself. I told myself: Life is growth. You grow or you die.” I thought the meaning of this quote was very deep." — Mar 26, 2020 01:23PM

Jan 12, 2020 09:21PM

Sammy Hong is currently reading

Suggested Reading

by Dave Connis (Goodreads Author)

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(page 310 of 304)
"Clara received a call from Ashton about Jack. He said that he thinks Jack might have overdosed on drugs when he broke into the high school. The last thing Jack told Ashton was, “There is no catcher in the rye.” He was referring to the book “Catcher in the Rye,” the one that Clara gave him. Now Clara feels that this is her fault. She thinks its her fault for Jack’s self inflicted harm" — Dec 04, 2019 09:14PM

Nov 04, 2019 06:33AM

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Dear Evan Hansen

by Val Emmich (Goodreads Author)

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Reading for the 2nd time

read in October 2019

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Sammy Hong said:

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

" “Today is going to be a good day and here’s why: because today you’re you and that’s enough.” A simple thought like this every day is what it took to get Evan Hansen through his Senior year of High School. Evan had always been an outsider and struggl “Today is going to be a good day and here’s why: because today you’re you and that’s enough.” A simple thought like this every day is what it took to get Evan Hansen through his Senior year of High School. Evan had always been an outsider and struggled to make friends. His mom put him through therapy sessions to help him with his social skills, but he made little improvement. As an exercise given to him from his therapist, he wrote a positive letter to himself saying why today was going to be a good day. On the first day of senior year, Evan decided to write about the girl he liked, Zoe Murphy. But when Connor Murphy, Zoe’s brother and known for being a troubled teen, finds Evan’s letter, he goes ballistic and becomes angry at Evan because he though Evan was trying to mess with him by writing about his sister. Evan fears that Connor will tell his sister and expose him, but instead, Connor takes his own life. A few days after Connor’s death, his parents confront Evan because when they found Connor, he had Evan’s note in his pocket. His parents immediately thought that Evan was Connor’s friend, but they completely misunderstood it. Evan tried to explain to the Murphy’s that the note was not Connor’s, but he couldn’t. He felt that he had to help the Murphy’s with their son’s death. So he decided to make up a fake friendship with Connor. He started a fundraiser to raise money for kids like Connor, made fake emails containing fake conversations between the two, and even started a website. Now, Evan is known around the school. His lies have made him famous. The whole time Evan was convinced that he was doing their write thing, until everything starts going downhill. Now he has to find a way to climb his way out of the hole he dug himself into. After holding the secret for a long time, he finally admits to the Murphy’s that he was lying the whole time. But the Murphy’s don’t expose him. Maybe they were protecting themselves and Evan by hiding the truth. The author, Val Emmich, did a really good job of showing lots of emotion. I also like how he decided to add Connor’s perspective as a ghost. However, I feel like the switch between
Evan and Connor could sometimes be confusing.
A discussion question could be, “Are you mad at Evan for not saying the letter was his in the beginning?” I would say I was mad at him at first, but now I’m not so upset because in the end, it all worked out. Because of his fake friendship with Connor, he grew out of his shell and learned to express himself. His lies, in a way, helped him. But he also kept digging a deeper hole for every lie he told. I think he should have told the Murphy’s in the beginning that he had written the letter and then found a way to help them and kids like Connor. That way he could keep himself from getting into trouble, become more confident in himself, and help raise awareness about suicides. Some readers thought that this book was too depressing. One complained that Evan’s whole character was based too much on his anxiety. Another said that all the characters were too bland and extremely unlikeable. However, other readers enjoyed Evan’s growth and how he learned to belong. One described the book as a slow motion train wreck that you know you should not watch, but you just cannot look away. Another loved how the outcome was positive and Evan helped himself and the Murphy family. I thoroughly enjoyed “Dear Evan Hansen” because the message of this book relates to teens today. It lets people know that they’re never alone. Now I need to see the musical! ...more "

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(page 400 of 368)
— Dec 03, 2019 05:27PM

Dec 04, 2019 08:41PM · see review