Funny Story
by Emily Henry (Goodreads Author)
Lee Bradley's review
Jul 18, 2024
it was amazing

This is my 3rd Emily Henry. I loved it. It's a romcom: there are 4 main
characters and countless "minor" characters. The oft' repeated plotline
goes like so: (from the back cover of the book)

"But it's all just for show, of course, because there's no way Daphne
would actually start her new chapter by falling in love with her
ex-fiancé's new fiancée's ex ... right?"

So, right off you know there are 4 players. Besides Daphne we have
Peter, Petra and Miles.

OK, let's pair up the main characters. Peter & Daphne are engaged & are
about to marry, Petra and Miles are in love (or were).

But Miles is Daphne's roommate.

If diagrams are your thing, try this

Miles -- Petra
      \
Peter -- Daphne

The "story" "starts" w/ Peter & Daphne meeting each other when wind
blows her floppy hat off, sending her chasing it into a garbage can. He
picks her up and pretty much instantly falls in love. Flash forward (3
years). Peter and she are soon to marry but a day after his bachelor
party for a "best friend" Petra, he dumps her for Petra.

This somewhat confusing (and contrived) plot is developed in vintage
Emily Henry. We learn bit by bit about Miles, Daphne, their parents,
their jobs, their friends, their siblings.

Ashleigh works w/ Daphne at the town library (and becomes a close
friend). Julia, Miles's younger sister, shows up mid-book. Why is not
clear. But becomes clearer as the story unfolds.

Miles is a bit of a mystery. When we 1st meet him we learn he's a
stoner, owns a winery & tends its bar. His "backstory" is hidden.
There's a lot about him that makes you think he's a loser. But then he
surprises you, doing nice things for others. "Issues" both he and sister
Julia struggle w/ because of their dad slowly get revealed.

Jason (JayJay to Starfire), Miles's dad, appears about mid-book.
"Starfire" is his new, latest, girlfriend. A nonstop talker, "new age,"
spaced out, gorgeous woman. You are tempted to conclude both she and he
are "off their rockers." They appear to want to move in, uninvited. The
rooms shared by Daphne and Miles are already overcrowded (Julia and her
stuff are there now). But when the hotel they (dad and Starfire) booked
is found out to be cockroach infested, they find a cleaner one. As their
visit continues, their dad and Starfire's enthusiasm for life is
catching.

The underlying disconnect both Miles & Julia have w/ their dad becomes
clearer. It explains why Julia's visit is an attempt to help both her
brother and her open up to others.

Henry's trademark humor is on display everywhere. She is a master of the
metaphor. The dialog / banter is almost nonstop. One quote won't suffice
but try this. On page 283, when we find Peter and Petra at their wedding
party observing Miles and Daphne (who got invited (long story ... !)
"dirty dancing" we hear Daphne whisper to Miles "from the way Petra is
gawking at me, you'd think we'd just performed a hand standing
sixty-nine in front of God."

The organization of the book is helpful. Most chapters (there are 38 (a
sort of epilogue) are dated xx days until I can leave, where xx starts
at 108 and decreases to 1. Daphne's plan is to leave the town she's in
and move to a new job and place that doesn't remind her of the disaster
of her split w/ Peter.

Without revealing anything that happens in the last 50 or so pages, I
became very worried.

Emily Henry knows exactly what she is doing.

Highly recommend.