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pipe_dream's review against another edition
5.0
I hate this book. I love it and I hate it.
Leaves you with 'Yesss, tell them!' and 'How could you do this?!'.
It should be mandatory reading for everyone.
Leaves you with 'Yesss, tell them!' and 'How could you do this?!'.
It should be mandatory reading for everyone.
calturner's review against another edition
5.0
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher who gave me an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Wow. Writing a review of 'Somewhere Inside of Happy' is not going to be easy. This is a book that made me laugh, made me cry and ultimately broke my heart. From the outset you know that Maisie Bean lost her teenage son, Jeremy, 20 years ago, but even so you find yourself desperately hoping that the outcome will be different. The characters come alive on the page and the use of language is remarkable and draws you in from the very first word.
I've reviewed books in the past and have said that they will stay with me for a long time to come and that the characters are unforgettable, but 'Somewhere Inside of Happy' is all of that and more. I feel bereft at having to say goodbye to Bridie, to Jeremy, to Rave, to Valerie, to Fred and to the unforgettable Maisie Bean. I didn't want it to end. I knew the denouement would be hard to read, but I had no idea just how much it would move me. That I would gasp out loud and cry buckets of tears, feeling every painful moment with Maisie and her family.
Beautifully written and filled with memorable characters, 'Somewhere Inside of Happy' is a book that I will never forget. There are no words to describe just how much this book has moved me. Simply remarkable. If I could give it more than 5 stars I would.
Wow. Writing a review of 'Somewhere Inside of Happy' is not going to be easy. This is a book that made me laugh, made me cry and ultimately broke my heart. From the outset you know that Maisie Bean lost her teenage son, Jeremy, 20 years ago, but even so you find yourself desperately hoping that the outcome will be different. The characters come alive on the page and the use of language is remarkable and draws you in from the very first word.
I've reviewed books in the past and have said that they will stay with me for a long time to come and that the characters are unforgettable, but 'Somewhere Inside of Happy' is all of that and more. I feel bereft at having to say goodbye to Bridie, to Jeremy, to Rave, to Valerie, to Fred and to the unforgettable Maisie Bean. I didn't want it to end. I knew the denouement would be hard to read, but I had no idea just how much it would move me. That I would gasp out loud and cry buckets of tears, feeling every painful moment with Maisie and her family.
Beautifully written and filled with memorable characters, 'Somewhere Inside of Happy' is a book that I will never forget. There are no words to describe just how much this book has moved me. Simply remarkable. If I could give it more than 5 stars I would.
susandelgado's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
ryancull's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
funny
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
inestee's review against another edition
emotional
funny
mysterious
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
portybelle's review against another edition
5.0
We've all seen them, those news conferences on tv where distraught parents appeal for their missing child to come home. It's heartbreaking for anyone to watch, but especially so as a parent thinking of how you would feel if it happened to your child. Somewhere Inside of Happy takes you into the heart of Maisie Bean's family when the unthinkable happens and her teenage son Jeremy goes missing. Maisie has had a really tough life, escaping an abusive marriage which nearly cost her her life and now works really hard to provide for her two children. Her mother Bridie lives with them too and she is suffering from dementia which at times causes her to lash out at her daughter, not recognising her and thinking she is a stranger who want to cause her harm.
Told in multiple voices, Somewhere Inside of Happy takes the reader through five days which changed Maisie's family's life. It was awful imagining what Maisie goes through after realising Jeremy was missing. I felt furious with the media who were so intrusive, camped outside the family home looking for dirt on Maisie and her family, making them look so bad and it made me reflect on how we probably all make assumptions about families in this situation depending on what we are fed by the media. It was heartbreaking too reading about Maisie's marriage and the violence she suffered at the hands of Danny. Through this though, the reader sees what strength she has discovered she has. Most difficult to read though were the chapters showing hour by hour what was happening with Jeremy. I read those chapters feeling so uneasy - what had happened to this kind and sensitive young man?
The book ends with a very powerful epilogue. It was really moving reading about what had happened to Maisie and her family and friends twenty years on. It showed the strength of Maisie to have come through the ordeal that she did and showed that the love and support of family and friends is so crucial in testing times. Maisie was such an amazing character, so courageous, gutsy and ultimately so strong. Through her in this epilogue, we see how forgiveness can be healing. The epilogue has such an important message too which, sadly, is probably just as relevant to certain sectors of society today.
Somewhere Inside of Happy is compelling reading despite the heartbreaking tale which is unfolding and it is beautifully written. I really felt quite drained by the end, feeling I'd gone through the whole emotional journey with Maisie. It's one of only a very few books to make me a snivelling wreck. Please be warned you will need hankies and lot of them.
Told in multiple voices, Somewhere Inside of Happy takes the reader through five days which changed Maisie's family's life. It was awful imagining what Maisie goes through after realising Jeremy was missing. I felt furious with the media who were so intrusive, camped outside the family home looking for dirt on Maisie and her family, making them look so bad and it made me reflect on how we probably all make assumptions about families in this situation depending on what we are fed by the media. It was heartbreaking too reading about Maisie's marriage and the violence she suffered at the hands of Danny. Through this though, the reader sees what strength she has discovered she has. Most difficult to read though were the chapters showing hour by hour what was happening with Jeremy. I read those chapters feeling so uneasy - what had happened to this kind and sensitive young man?
The book ends with a very powerful epilogue. It was really moving reading about what had happened to Maisie and her family and friends twenty years on. It showed the strength of Maisie to have come through the ordeal that she did and showed that the love and support of family and friends is so crucial in testing times. Maisie was such an amazing character, so courageous, gutsy and ultimately so strong. Through her in this epilogue, we see how forgiveness can be healing. The epilogue has such an important message too which, sadly, is probably just as relevant to certain sectors of society today.
Somewhere Inside of Happy is compelling reading despite the heartbreaking tale which is unfolding and it is beautifully written. I really felt quite drained by the end, feeling I'd gone through the whole emotional journey with Maisie. It's one of only a very few books to make me a snivelling wreck. Please be warned you will need hankies and lot of them.
lubos's review against another edition
5.0
posledné stránky som dočítal so slzami...
....a to sa mi už dávno (a možno nikdy) nestalo
....a to sa mi už dávno (a možno nikdy) nestalo
devmin's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
sad
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Domestic abuse
Moderate: Homophobia