Reviews tagging 'Death of parent'

Happiness Falls by Angie Kim

94 reviews

ncamp214's review against another edition

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reflective sad tense slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.0

I am so disappointed in this book. I absolutely loved the beginning. I was pulled in right away, hoping to have a mystery/thriller about what happened to Adam Parson and how Eugene could save the day despite being non-verbal. The book slowly dissolved into a plot with a lot of threads that never seemed to connect. Mia, the narrator, is extremely unlikeable and untrustworthy. Her extra thoughts in the footnotes took me out of the story and were more often than not unrelated. I was really hoping for a big reveal or satisfying ended, but the author didn't give us that. It was ambiguous, which I *think* was the point? 

After reading the acknowledgements I was FLOORED that she choose to write a book about a debunked method of communication called FC. While I am not well researched in the Autism or non-speaking communities, from I have read, writing a book on this topic seems to be at best irresponsible.
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jenniferduann's review against another edition

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dark emotional informative mysterious 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? It's complicated

5.0

I don't usually go for thriller/mystery books but this is a masterful exception. The book raises such good questions about the nature of disability, intelligence, communication, and how well we can ever know those we love.
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clalaure's review against another edition

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dark emotional sad tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

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arayo's review against another edition

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challenging emotional informative mysterious tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

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astoriareader's review against another edition

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emotional mysterious reflective 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

4.0

SYNOPSIS
  • One morning, Adam goes missing. Adam took Eugene, his teenage son with a dual diagnosis of autism and Angelman’s syndrome, to the park, and Adam never returned home. Rather, Eugene returned home by himself, and he’s in a bit of an unusual state. Due to Eugene’s condition, he is nonverbal, and he has some motor difficulties as well. Thus, the family cannot simply ask what happened.
  • The remainder of the Korean American family consists of two college-aged twins, Mia and John, and the mother/wife.
  • What happened to Adam? Did Eugene have anything to do with it?

MY THOUGHTS
  • This was pretty good overall. 
  • It is told from Mia’s perspective, which I enjoyed.
  • This felt less like a thriller to me, and it was more a thought-provoking, contemporary fiction & about family. All the family members slowly start to really understand each other.
  • There were some parts that dragged a bit, and in my opinion, it could’ve been trimmed down a bit.
  • I enjoyed how the book challenges readers to defy the notion that lack of verbal communication skills means someone is not intelligent. I liked seeing a nonverbal character, Eugene, shown to have so much more to him than the world, including his own family, has given him credit for over the last 14 years.

TL;DR: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️worthwhile read & a great one to discuss with others. 

Thanks to Random House Publishing and Netgalley for this digital ARC in exchange for an honest review. This book is out now.
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njhokie14's review against another edition

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challenging mysterious medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.75

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yeaeun's review against another edition

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hopeful informative mysterious tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? N/A
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

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katrinarose's review against another edition

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mysterious reflective 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

4.0

After reading the masterpiece Miracle Creek in 2022, this was my most anticipated book for 2023, and Angie Kim did not disappoint. She has such a skill for writing a mystery that has intrigue and suspense without neglecting great character development, prose, and interesting themes/discussion, which is a problem I have with most mystery books I read. While this book was never scary, the way the narration references things that come later (saying things like “if I only knew at that moment”) builds suspense very effectively. 

I have to say my favorite part of this book are the characters, specifically the members of the family. Each one is so unique, and have such dynamic realistic relationships with each other. I love the flashbacks and asides that help us get to know them. Mia is probably the most realistic yet unique 20 year old character I’ve ever read about. So often adult authors seem to forget what young adults act like and Mia is a perfect blend of mature yet impulsive, intensely thoughtful yet still learning how to slow down and apply nuance, hard-headed yet soft. I can see how she may come across as annoying to some readers but I loved her personality. And her parents are given equal nuance which is often left out in young-adult narrated stories.

I don’t have any major complaints but I do think the mystery itself was the weaker part of the book, which doesn’t sound great but everything surrounding it is so well done that it didn’t matter to me. I’m so looking forward to anything else this author publishes!
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ncoletti's review against another edition

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challenging emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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dixiecarroll's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful mysterious reflective tense 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? No

4.75

this was such a surprise to me because I could NOT PUT THIS DOWN. It isn’t a thriller or all mystery, but it was a page turner. A father goes missing and only his non verbal son witnesses what happens… mystery ensues! Except so much more because it’s a portrait of grief, general family dynamics, etc. I loved it so much. 
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