Charming as a Verb

Charming as a Verb is a contemporary young adult novel written by Ben Philippe and published in 2020. It follows the story of Henri Haltiwanger, a charming and hardworking high school senior who allows his identity to be shaped by his family’s and society’s expectations. Charming as a Verb explores the value of discovering one’s authentic self, fighting against the projections of other people, and finding one’s own voice and dreams.

Ben Philippe is a Haitian-Canadian author and screenwriter.

This guide is based on the following edition: Charming as a Verb by Ben Philippe, published by Balzer + Bray (2020).

Plot Summary

Henri Haltiwanger is a star student, dog walker, and devoted son. He is inherently kind, good-natured, and charming, but he uses several public-facing personas to fit in with the larger world around him. Living in Manhattan, Henri is a tough young man who finds that his friendly charm and personable smile are helpful in proactively dismantling prejudices.

Henri’s parents emigrated from Haiti, and Henri was born in the United States. As a child of immigrants, Henri feels pressure to succeed; his parents sacrificed their own dreams to make sure he would have more opportunity and stability. Henri experiences America differently than his peers at school or his parents because he is first-generation American. His parents work hard but aren’t rich. His father is the building manager of an apartment complex on the Upper West Side, and his mother is a firefighter-in-training. Henri is ashamed of his family’s financial status compared to the opulent wealth of his peers at FATE Academy, where he attends on a scholarship.

Henri’s father has long encouraged him to make Columbia University his dream. Henri is a senior in high school, and college acceptance is the ultimate goal of the last four years of hard work. Henri is granted an admissions interview with Donielle, a playwright and alumnus of Columbia University. He is sure he will ace the interview. After all, he’s always been well-liked and charming. Donielle, however, sees through Henri’s hollow explanations of why he wants to attend Columbia. She quickly figures out that Columbia is not Henri’s dream—it is his father’s. Now, Henri must deal with the stress of months waiting to hear from Columbia while replaying the unsuccessful interview in his mind. Meanwhile, Henri keeps busy with his dog walking business and practices on the school’s debate team.

Henri and his parents live in a small apartment in the building where his father Jacques works. Henri’s school mate, a senior named Corinne, lives in the building with her mother Chantale, a Dean of English at Columbia University. Although they attend the same school, Corinne and Henri do not interact much. When Corinne gets a new puppy, though, her mother hires Henri as the dog walker.

Corinne is intense about school and is fixated on academics; she does not go to parties like Henri does and avoids most social interactions. Corinne figures out that Henri’s dog-walking website is his own fabrication and that the company he supposedly works for is not a company at all. Corinne tells him she’ll keep his secret if he helps her be more social. Corinne is upset that a recommendation letter from her English teacher for her dream school, Princeton University, reveals that Corinne does not have a social life. Henri brings Corinne to a party and is surprised to discover that he likes Corinne. Corinne is funny, direct, unpredictable, and strong. Soon, Henri and Corinne strike up a friendship that turns into deeper romantic feelings.

Henri can tell Corinne things he does not tell his parents or even his best friend Ming. Henri’s passion is sneaker design, so a back-up college application to McGill University in Montreal would be an excellent fit because they have a world-renowned design major. Corinne encourages Henri to pursue his application to McGill, but Henri refuses to deviate from his father’s dream that he attend Columbia. Corinne arranges a trip for Henri and herself to go to Montreal, where Corinne’s aunt lives. In Montreal, Henri has a successful interview with McGill’s design program and falls in love with the cold and romantic city. He and Corinne kiss and agree to be a committed couple.

Henri plays down his interest in McGill around his parents. College acceptance letters start trickling in. Henri knows that his nemesis at school, a wealthy young man named Marvyn, will be accepted into Columbia because he is a legacy student, well-connected to rich and powerful people in the city. Henri tries not to let Marvyn bother him too much, but Marvyn clearly demonstrates how the college admissions system is rigged against kids like Henri.

Ming gets into his dream school, Peking University, and Corinne is accepted into Princeton. Meanwhile, Henri worriedly waits for his acceptance into Columbia. During spring break, Corinne and Chantale travel to Switzerland for Chantale’s academic conference. While they are gone, Henri spends time in their apartment taking care of the puppy. When he sees that Chantale has left her laptop open, unlocked, and open to her professional Columbia e-mail, Henri realizes he can write an email on his behalf from Chantale’s email to the Dean of Admissions. At first, Henri tosses this idea aside because he knows it is immoral and possibly illegal. The temptation is too great, however. He sends the email. When Corinne surprises him by coming home early, she tries to initiate sex, but Henri feels too guilty to go through with it. This creates emotional distance between Corinne and Henri.

Henri is thrilled when he finally gets his acceptance notice into Columbia. However, as soon as he receives the news, he is called into his college counselor’s office. Mr. Vu has been alerted by Columbia that Henri’s acceptance was flagged for suspicious behavior. Henri admits to the email he sent from Chantale’s account. Columbia rescinds Henri’s acceptance. Henri goes home and confesses his actions to his parents. Henri argues with his father, telling him that he can’t understand the pressures Henri faces in the impossible dream of getting into Columbia. The fight is hurtful, and Henri inadvertently throws his privilege compared to his father’s lack of opportunities in Jacques’s face.

On the street, Henri runs into Corrine, who has heard about the email from her mother. She is angry with Henri and points out that Henri not only ruined his own professional chances, but also risked her mother’s professional reputation.

Ming insists on visiting. Henri has never let Ming see his apartment because he is worried that Ming will judge him for being poor, but his friend’s unconditional support teaches Henri that he is worth more than his apartment or the fabricated appearance he tries to project into the world. Ming encourages Henri to feel hope.

Henri visits his uncle Lionel, nicknamed Lion. Lion is currently working as a doorman in a luxury building, always on a hustle. Lion used to live with them until Jacques kicked him out, worried that Lion’s lifestyle would be a bad influence on Henri. Lion helps Henri understand his privilege and encourages him to take responsibility for his mistake.

While on a dog walk, Henri runs into his father; they talk about their conflict. Henri’s father explains that he sacrificed his own passions for a dead-end job in the interest of supplying security for his family. He assures Henri that Henri is his beloved son, not a trophy. Henri’s father is concerned that Henri has sacrificed his moral code for ambition. Henri explains to his father that being Black and relatively poor at a school like FATE is not the dream life that Jacques imagines. Although FATE is giving Henri a good education and is opening doors for him, Henri faces pressures that his father can’t understand. They both acknowledge that they do not fully know one another’s lived experiences. Jacques ultimately supports Henri’s dream to go to McGill and study sneaker design.

Henri apologizes to Chantale. She forgives him but reveals that Corinne convinced her to write a real letter of recommendation on Henri’s behalf to the Dean of Admissions. When the Dean received two letters of recommendation from Chantale’s email, he flagged Henri’s application as suspicious. Ironically, Henri would have gotten into Columbia had he not sent the fraudulent email. Chantale and Mr. Vu convince Columbia not to contact the other schools Henri has applied to. Henri is suspended from FATE for a week and is required to take a mandatory summer ethics seminar. He is also grounded.

Henri’s parents accompany him to his team’s final debate competition, which they lose. Corinne attends the event and after days of ignoring Henri, they speak. Corinne’s trust in Henri has been destroyed; they break up but resolve to try to stay friends. Henri receives his acceptance to McGill University.

In the epilogue, Corinne and Henri are in their second year of college. They meet in Saratoga Springs, halfway between McGill and Princeton. They are both doing well at school and have gotten back together.