What starts as a weird transaction between the two turns into a real friendship (and more) as they get to see each other beyond the labels, preconceived ideas, and Smiles. Turns out that Cori is not just brilliant but totally and bluntly honest, hilarious, and almost always gets what she wants (usually thanks to a series of note cards to study from and exceedingly detailed multi-point plans). And while Henri is game, he has no idea what he’s in for. She blackmails Henri into helping her revamp her image as someone less uptight and socially awkward, hoping it will improve her college recommendation letters. Senior year ends up holding many surprises, the biggest (and best) being Corinne, his upstairs neighbor and the most intense girl in his class. Black and poor, Henri knows he doesn’t have the same opportunities or connections that help his classmates at the Fine Arts Technical Education Academy sail easily through life, but he keeps working hard and Smiling, hoping it all pans out. His dad’s their building’s super and his mom recently traded in her life as a paralegal to become a firefighter. Henri juggles the dogs, school, debate team, and preparing to hopefully attend Columbia, his dream school (well, maybe his.

He runs a dog walking company that’s not so much an actual company as it is just him with a more professional looking front to get more business. Haitian American Henri is always hustling, beaming his Smile at everyone, but reserving his real smile for the few that really know him beyond his school persona. SO, that said, guess what? Yep! I looooooved this book. Reviews that just could be summed up as “this book was fine, I guess” don’t serve anyone. I’m going to use my blog time to say, hey, look at this GREAT book. If a book isn’t something I’m enjoying, unless I think it’s an actively harmful or horrible book, I’ll just set it aside and move on. I abandon probably three times as many books as I finish. If, for some reason, you were to click on my name and read a bunch of my reviews in a row, you might think, good lord, she just looooves everything.

This is a sharply funny and insightful novel about the countless hustles we have to keep from doing the hardest thing: being ourselves.

Soon what started as a mutual hustle turns into something more surprising than either of them ever bargained for.

Charming as a verb ben philippe