Was it Actually a Funny Story? A Review of Emily Henry’s Latest Release

Funny Story was on my list of anticipated releases for 2024 yet for some reason the release date slipped by me and I’ve only managed to read it several weeks later.

It was a quick read and recognizably Emily Henry yet something appeared to be missing for me. Let’s break it down.

Librarian Daphne’s engagement to Peter falls apart suddenly and she finds herself looking for a new place to live. Enter Miles, the ex-boyfriend of the girl Peter is now dating, who you guessed it, is also in need of a new roommate.

The vibes between Miles and Daphne seem to be off in the beginning, they’re only roommates out of convenience, but they do start to hangout more as the story progresses. Funny how things work out some times, isn’t it?

Throughout the story, we keep learning more about Daphne’s life, her relationship with her ‘CrossFitt-crazy’ mother and her ‘sends-a-postcard-once-in-a-while-father’. She’s also not made any friends in the small town in Michigan where she moved for her ex-fiancé’s job. I could relate somewhat to the trajectory of friends of the couple vs the individual’s friends and understood her loneliness. I was so proud when she went out with a friend from work.

On the other hand, we have Miles. He seems to be a bit all over the place, working multiple jobs and very private. Luckily, his sister drops in the second half of the novel and breaks down the wall a little. Slowly, but surely we got to learn about Miles’s character as well.

I wasn’t quite getting the Miles and Daphne vibe until he started showing up at the library with her favorite chai. I loved how things developed slowly. The visiting father interlude was also good for Daphne’s character, the bits about the charity Read-A-Thon event were also fascinating. I did not find the ending very satisfying ad wanted just a few more chapters to wrap things up nicely.

Overall, I’m happy to have read this. Daphne is a memorable character indeed, but this has not turned into my favorite Emily Henry book. However, I will still read whatever Henry publishes next.

Have you read this book? What did you think of it?