You Will Be Found
Benj Pasek & Justin Paul
This is the book of the viral hit-song from Broadway hit 'Dear Evan Hansen'. The show's the story of a struggling, lonely lad who happens upon a way to put himself in an unexpected position of both power and likability, but only via his genuine desire to soothe the pain of others, and bring comfort.
En route he becomes distinctly less likeable as we watch his own needs begin to obscure his original aims in his painfully human search to belong, and a series of well-meant but ill-judged decisions turn good intentions into a slowly-building, inevitable implosion.
And it's all played out on the howling screens of social media against the backdrop of unforgiving high school politics.
Published at almost exactly the start of the first pandemic lockdown in 2020, the book's themes of isolation, fear, loneliness and grief suddenly took on an unexpected relevance and meaning, as it was bought not only by its intended audience - fans of the show - but as gifts to be sent to isolated friends and family, and for comfort by people who suddenly found themselves more alone than they'd ever been.
The illustrations were made in ink on A3 paper, for client Little, Brown USA.
Where to buy:
UK: Blackwells / USA: Indiebound
