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jackiejackiejackiee's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I saw this book on TikTok and I found the premise to be interesting. I think Angie Kim wrote a really cool book underscoring how little we really understand about communicating with one another, or rather how much stock we put into certain forms. I was a little dissatisfied with the ending, the whole book as an undertone of a thriller but ends in such a way that makes me a tad annoyed. Overall a really great read and I would recommend it to others, just not as a true thriller.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent and Ableism
sbalash's review
adventurous
challenging
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
It is so very dimensional and informative that any reading would find connections to the story and characters.
maxithebookgeek's review against another edition
Ugh, the narrator became grating and the story didn’t hold my attention.
books_w_bex's review against another edition
4.0
3 for the story. 4 for the writing style. I felt like the book skidded to a halt a little at the end, nothing really happened in the last 3-4 chapters. I guess I found it a bit unsatisfying. But the writing style and Mia’s POV and voice were extremely effective. The writing style is academic and intellectual, which I really enjoyed. Especially the POV’s sidebars which really gave the book the feel of someone talking to me.
koberoi's review
emotional
informative
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
Such an interesting concept made overly complicated and somehow slow. Maybe better to read than listen? Lots of footnotes. Much too much was said instead of shown.
jaec11's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
Great story of a missing person mystery interwoven with family.
Great representation, family, and overall relationship development. Writing felt a little forced and info-dumpy at times, protagonist wasinfuriating, sometimes on purpose i think, and at least self aware, but still hadnt wuite redeemed herself by the end. A lot of plotpoints were very convenient, and although this was acknowledged at times, it overall just felt a little too perfect sometimes
Great representation, family, and overall relationship development. Writing felt a little forced and info-dumpy at times, protagonist was
katelynpopulus's review
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
tense
slow-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
brantleysanders's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Story was compelling, and I liked the perspective of the characters. I was getting slight True Biz vibes because it involved a community I’m not familiar with.
I’m not sure how I feel about the book being set during covid lockdown.
I’m not sure how I feel about the book being set during covid lockdown.
jornumme's review
challenging
emotional
informative
mysterious
fast-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? It's complicated
3.5
melyssa57's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
informative
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
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? No
5.0
Read all of my reviews at bit.ly/PageBedtime
Happiness Falls, at the surface, is a literary mystery about a father who goes missing in a Washington DC-area park, and the last person who was with him was his young son who has a rare genetic condition that prohibits him from speaking. What's more is the fictional story takes place during the summer of 2020, which posed additional challenges in solving the missing person case in the midst of a global pandemic. On a deeper level, the story is more philosophical and thought-provoking. It begs the questions, what does it mean to be happy? What is the difference between being non-verbal and non-communicative? How does verbal language communicate intelligence? What role does race play in how we perceive and are perceived? How do we protect the ones we love, especially in the most challenging of circumstances?
The book is narrated by the older sister, who is a twin. She and both her brothers and mother come together as a family to work out and reconcile what has happened to the patriarch of their family. The specific plot of the mystery is not necessarily the most important aspect of the book, but it helps propel the story forward. I found this story to beautifully written, and I appreciated the way it made me think about things. There's a lot to unpack beyond the mystery, which is resolved in the course of the books nearly 400 pages. This is one I slowly savored and wouldn't mind reading again.
Recommendation: This book was on my TBR list for far too long. I am happy I read it. This is one of those books where you're not going to get a nice and tidy ending, but you will get a complete and fulfilling story. I highly recommend this book for readers who enjoy cerebral reads that can easily be discussed with others.
Until next time ... Read on!
Regardless of whether I purchase a book, borrow a book, or receive a book in exchange for review, my ultimate goal is to be honest, fair, and constructive. I hope you've found this review helpful.
Read all of my reviews at bit.ly/PageBedtime
Happiness Falls, at the surface, is a literary mystery about a father who goes missing in a Washington DC-area park, and the last person who was with him was his young son who has a rare genetic condition that prohibits him from speaking. What's more is the fictional story takes place during the summer of 2020, which posed additional challenges in solving the missing person case in the midst of a global pandemic. On a deeper level, the story is more philosophical and thought-provoking. It begs the questions, what does it mean to be happy? What is the difference between being non-verbal and non-communicative? How does verbal language communicate intelligence? What role does race play in how we perceive and are perceived? How do we protect the ones we love, especially in the most challenging of circumstances?
The book is narrated by the older sister, who is a twin. She and both her brothers and mother come together as a family to work out and reconcile what has happened to the patriarch of their family. The specific plot of the mystery is not necessarily the most important aspect of the book, but it helps propel the story forward. I found this story to beautifully written, and I appreciated the way it made me think about things. There's a lot to unpack beyond the mystery, which is resolved in the course of the books nearly 400 pages. This is one I slowly savored and wouldn't mind reading again.
Recommendation: This book was on my TBR list for far too long. I am happy I read it. This is one of those books where you're not going to get a nice and tidy ending, but you will get a complete and fulfilling story. I highly recommend this book for readers who enjoy cerebral reads that can easily be discussed with others.
Until next time ... Read on!
Regardless of whether I purchase a book, borrow a book, or receive a book in exchange for review, my ultimate goal is to be honest, fair, and constructive. I hope you've found this review helpful.
Read all of my reviews at bit.ly/PageBedtime