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gymjam_reads's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
Despite the raving reviews and loving another of Adam's books, I really couldn't get into this one. The characters didn't come alive to me and I couldn't connect to the storyline. The message behind it is powerful and it is an emotional read but sadly, it just seemed a bit flat to me.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Homophobia
Moderate: Suicide, Suicide attempt, Physical abuse, Grief, and Death of parent
jennboyack_scott's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, Suicide, and Self harm
Moderate: Mental illness, Dementia, Physical abuse, Medical trauma, Drug use, Homophobia, Panic attacks/disorders, Cursing, Alcohol, Toxic friendship, Medical content, Hate crime, and Injury/Injury detail
dinipandareads's review against another edition
dark
emotional
informative
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Please be treated to my 3:30am profanity-laced thoughts after immediately finishing this book. I'm not sorry! I was WRECKED!! đ
Holy fork, I was not ready for the magnitude of what-the-forkery this book would put me through. My head and heart are still reeling after finishing this and I donât quite know what to do with myself. This is not (exactly) a happy book despite what the title may imply. Oh... I canât get over how much Silvera has me forking turned around with this book! It hit so much harder than I expected it to, especially with the addition of the new chapter in this deluxe edition, and it had me aching with a longing for it to be so real. đ„ș I know this is a book that will stick with me for many years to comeâŠ
Honestly, thereâs not much that I can say about this that wonât give the story away and I donât know if itâs just my inability to see things coming in books, but I didnât expect the direction it took at all. Itâs a dark and depressing coming-of-age story that covers many deep subjects including homophobia, suicide/suicidal ideation, severe depression, domestic abuse, and amnesia amongst others. As much as I wanna say go into this not knowing what to expect in terms of the storyline, I would not pick this up if youâre not in the right headspace. <u>Please, please read the content and trigger warnings first!</u>
This has a slight magical realism/sci-fi element to it in the form of the Leteo Institute and its memory erasure/suppression procedure thatâll magic your bad memories away so that you can live your best life. The science and possibilities of it arenât very well explained or explored but I didnât mind because the central focus for me was on everything Aaron was experiencing in the now. Thereâs such a simple, evocative and enjoyable quality to Silveraâs writing that made it so easy for me to devour the pages. I practically finished this in one sitting (itâs currently 3:30am as I write thisâwho needs sleep, right?)! Although I was enjoying it enough until the 40% mark, I was admittedly a bit worried when it left me feeling slightly whelmed. But when the last few pages before Part Zero happened, it was like a flare went off and everything CLICKED and emotional combustion ensued.
I think another thing that made this book hit is that itâs so raw and the characters are so incredibly messy, confused, and volatile which makes them all the more realistic and relatable. The author breathes such life into these characters! My heart was torn apart reading Aaronâs story because it is like watching someone get hit over and over and over again. It's ugly and sad but also true. It hurt so much, even when heâs not always the most likeable character and there were plenty of times when I wanted to give him a good long shake but then I wanted to give him the biggest hug and protect him from everything. Thereâs so much anger, fear, sadness and desperationâsome people are really SO forking VILEâbut there is also a huge well of love, forgiveness, support and yes, happiness too. Silvera had me running the full gamut of emotions with this story that packs an immensely powerful punch!
Iâm so glad that I came across and bought this Deluxe edition because the "More Happy Ending" was the soothing balm I desperately needed, even as it made my tears keep flowing. All of you lovers of Aaron and his story deserve to read that last bit too. đ Iâm gonna forever be wondering how Aaronâs doing and if heâs okay. I seriously didnât expect to be bawling and snotty-ugly-crying to one of my first few reads of 2024 but HERE WE ARE. Thank you for your service, Adam Silvera!!!
Holy fork, I was not ready for the magnitude of what-the-forkery this book would put me through. My head and heart are still reeling after finishing this and I donât quite know what to do with myself. This is not (exactly) a happy book despite what the title may imply. Oh... I canât get over how much Silvera has me forking turned around with this book! It hit so much harder than I expected it to, especially with the addition of the new chapter in this deluxe edition, and it had me aching with a longing for it to be so real. đ„ș I know this is a book that will stick with me for many years to comeâŠ
Honestly, thereâs not much that I can say about this that wonât give the story away and I donât know if itâs just my inability to see things coming in books, but I didnât expect the direction it took at all. Itâs a dark and depressing coming-of-age story that covers many deep subjects including homophobia, suicide/suicidal ideation, severe depression, domestic abuse, and amnesia amongst others. As much as I wanna say go into this not knowing what to expect in terms of the storyline, I would not pick this up if youâre not in the right headspace. <u>Please, please read the content and trigger warnings first!</u>
This has a slight magical realism/sci-fi element to it in the form of the Leteo Institute and its memory erasure/suppression procedure thatâll magic your bad memories away so that you can live your best life. The science and possibilities of it arenât very well explained or explored but I didnât mind because the central focus for me was on everything Aaron was experiencing in the now. Thereâs such a simple, evocative and enjoyable quality to Silveraâs writing that made it so easy for me to devour the pages. I practically finished this in one sitting (itâs currently 3:30am as I write thisâwho needs sleep, right?)! Although I was enjoying it enough until the 40% mark, I was admittedly a bit worried when it left me feeling slightly whelmed. But when the last few pages before Part Zero happened, it was like a flare went off and everything CLICKED and emotional combustion ensued.
I think another thing that made this book hit is that itâs so raw and the characters are so incredibly messy, confused, and volatile which makes them all the more realistic and relatable. The author breathes such life into these characters! My heart was torn apart reading Aaronâs story because it is like watching someone get hit over and over and over again. It's ugly and sad but also true. It hurt so much, even when heâs not always the most likeable character and there were plenty of times when I wanted to give him a good long shake but then I wanted to give him the biggest hug and protect him from everything. Thereâs so much anger, fear, sadness and desperationâsome people are really SO forking VILEâbut there is also a huge well of love, forgiveness, support and yes, happiness too. Silvera had me running the full gamut of emotions with this story that packs an immensely powerful punch!
Iâm so glad that I came across and bought this Deluxe edition because the "More Happy Ending" was the soothing balm I desperately needed, even as it made my tears keep flowing. All of you lovers of Aaron and his story deserve to read that last bit too. đ Iâm gonna forever be wondering how Aaronâs doing and if heâs okay. I seriously didnât expect to be bawling and snotty-ugly-crying to one of my first few reads of 2024 but HERE WE ARE. Thank you for your service, Adam Silvera!!!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Toxic relationship, Medical content, Domestic abuse, Mental illness, Death of parent, Cursing, Suicide attempt, Suicide, Homophobia, Suicidal thoughts, Self harm, Physical abuse, Injury/Injury detail, and Infidelity
Moderate: Sexual content
frqnc22's review against another edition
dark
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Taking such a long break from this book clearly wasnât good, but as soon as I grabbed the book months later, I dived right back into this dark and emotional world.
To sum everything up, I loved how real this book was and how it presented parts of everything Aaron had to go through in *painful* detail. I connected with his character and cried for him probably more than I expected.
(Aaron: âIâm sorry my past is so terrible I couldnât live in it anymore.â)
For some time I thought Aaron and Thomas were gonna be endgame. Iâm not good at predicting whatâs gonna happen in books, movies or TV shows, so I didnât really expect them to not get together. But, in the end, I actually like this aspect of the story (Aaron: âHe loves me without being in love with me.â) Their relationship developed so nicely through the book. They deserve each other, because of how supportive, understanding and helpful they are. And I think this counts as a happy ending for them, since their friendship remains.
As for the topics showed in this book, I truly didnât expect the memory erasing procedure and the great amount of pain that came with it. I expected the story to leave me with a bittersweet feeling, but clearly didnât expect such an introspective look on depression, homosexuality or memory loss. Iâm glad I didnât figure out what was gonna happen, because I was amazed by the storytelling. It is worth mentioning that I loved the flashbacks and where they were placed!
The sad reality depicted in the book, homophobia, was hard to read, especially all the fights and slurs. (Aaron: âThis is what death feels like, I think.â) Itâs hard to even imagine something as traumatic as Aaronâs life, and learning to accept yourself in a situation like his sounds nearly impossible. His whole life changed drastically just because he was brave enough to show his family the real Aaron. The fact that this also happens in real life makes everything worse.
All relationships broke my heart at some point, and some werenât healthy for the people involved, but they were significant to Aaronâs personal growth. He constantly seeks acceptance and comfort (what we all deserve from those we love) from right people (Thomas: âJust remember that I love the hell out of you, okay?â) or sometimes from the wrong people (like Collin, who called crying âlittle-b*tch tears because guys donât cryâ), but he realized that he deserves to be at peace with himself.
He made mistakes, but the most important thing is learning from them and understanding what he did wrong in the first place. Fortunately, he understands and tries to do better (Aaron: âThe problem was that I didnât know any better because I forgot my life. And now I know I canât forget.â) Iâm glad he is on good terms with Genevieve after everything that happened between them. He shouldnât have been with Collin behind her back and she shouldnât have stayed with him just to pretend he wasnât gay. Theyâre both aware of their mistakes now.
As for the ending, I didnât expect another traumatizing experience for Aaron, but I learnt that this is not a happy bookđđ» However, he is so strong for dealing with his amnesia in the way that he does, by living each day however he can (Aaron: âMy life isnât one sad ending - itâs a series of endless happy beginnings.)
His way of thinking is truly inspiring, even though I was crying while reading the final pages. Truly an emotional rollercoaster, but Aaronâs development is everything! Being âmore happy than notâ seems difficult to achieve, but heâs doing his best, after going through the worst.
âDonât forget me.â
To sum everything up, I loved how real this book was and how it presented parts of everything Aaron had to go through in *painful* detail. I connected with his character and cried for him probably more than I expected.
As for the topics showed in this book, I truly didnât expect the memory erasing procedure and the great amount of pain that came with it. I expected the story to leave me with a bittersweet feeling, but clearly didnât expect such an introspective look on depression, homosexuality or memory loss. Iâm glad I didnât figure out what was gonna happen, because I was amazed by the storytelling. It is worth mentioning that I loved the flashbacks and where they were placed!
The sad reality depicted in the book, homophobia, was hard to read, especially all the fights and slurs. (Aaron: âThis is what death feels like, I think.â) Itâs hard to even imagine something as traumatic as Aaronâs life, and learning to accept yourself in a situation like his sounds nearly impossible. His whole life changed drastically just because he was brave enough to show his family the real Aaron. The fact that this also happens in real life makes everything worse.
All relationships broke my heart at some point, and some werenât healthy for the people involved, but they were significant to Aaronâs personal growth.
He made mistakes, but the most important thing is learning from them and understanding what he did wrong in the first place. Fortunately, he understands and tries to do better
As for the ending, I didnât expect another traumatizing experience for Aaron, but I learnt that this is not a happy bookđđ»
His way of thinking is truly inspiring, even though I was crying while reading the final pages. Truly an emotional rollercoaster, but Aaronâs development is everything! Being âmore happy than notâ seems difficult to achieve, but heâs doing his best, after going through the worst.
âDonât forget me.â
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness, Suicide attempt, Injury/Injury detail, Panic attacks/disorders, Homophobia, Medical trauma, Physical abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Bullying, and Hate crime
Moderate: Death of parent, Gaslighting, Blood, Toxic relationship, Suicide, and Grief
Minor: Infidelity
jshawreads's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
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
4.0
First of all, who on earth gave Adam Silvera the ability, and the right, to so deeply and aggressively cause me to cry like a bitch in public whenever reading his books? Everything of his I have read has been so deeply emotional, and connects on a level that few other authors have managed.
More Happy Than Not is the story of Aaron, scarred by his past and struggling to find happiness with the help of his friends and girlfriend. Until Thomas shows up, who Aaron gets on with so quickly and so well, and other emotions seem to start up, making Aaron question everything that has gone on before.
I dont want to delve any further into the story, because any spoilers could REALLY throw off what happens. Part of what goes down was so shocking and so unexpected by me that I was literally sat outside in my city's Gay Village, ugly crying into my drink.
A really, really good book, gripping, emotional, and devastatingly sad. Read this when in a good mental state only.
More Happy Than Not is the story of Aaron, scarred by his past and struggling to find happiness with the help of his friends and girlfriend. Until Thomas shows up, who Aaron gets on with so quickly and so well, and other emotions seem to start up, making Aaron question everything that has gone on before.
I dont want to delve any further into the story, because any spoilers could REALLY throw off what happens. Part of what goes down was so shocking and so unexpected by me that I was literally sat outside in my city's Gay Village, ugly crying into my drink.
A really, really good book, gripping, emotional, and devastatingly sad. Read this when in a good mental state only.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Death, Death of parent, Grief, Homophobia, Hate crime, Physical abuse, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Suicide attempt, and Violence
mousmoulo's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.5
i had zero plans to read this book but ended up doing so anyway and it was a hell of a ride. it was emotional, raw and painful to read, and the end was so bittersweet it made my heart ache. i honestly didn't expect to like it as much as i did but here we are. it's a book i'll definitely be thinking of for a while.
the reason for the "low" rating is that i've definitely outgrown this type of book and never got fully immersed into it, but i know i would've made this my whole personality if i read it as a teenager lol
(definitely check trigger warnings if you're planning to read it)
the reason for the "low" rating is that i've definitely outgrown this type of book and never got fully immersed into it, but i know i would've made this my whole personality if i read it as a teenager lol
(definitely check trigger warnings if you're planning to read it)
Content Warnings
Graphic: Dementia, Hate crime, Physical abuse, Infidelity, Death of parent, Homophobia, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, and Violence
Moderate: Child abuse, Medical trauma, Suicide attempt, and Domestic abuse
Minor: Drug use
alice17bex's review against another edition
dark
emotional
sad
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
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicide attempt, Homophobia, Mental illness, Suicidal thoughts, Injury/Injury detail, Hate crime, Physical abuse, Suicide, and Self harm
ingridmaria's review against another edition
dark
emotional
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.75
This book stuck hard in my head for days. It surprised me, but not in a shock-value way. The internalised homophobia was so real and I really need to re-read it knowin the ending. I didnât read the deluxe edition, but apparently I should have because of the extra chapter seeing as this one ends so unhappily. But then again that might take away from why I liked it so much</spoilers>. Knocked a quarter point off because the first 70 pages could (maybe should) have been 30.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness, Death of parent, Hate crime, Homophobia, Physical abuse, Suicide, Self harm, Suicide attempt, Violence, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, and Suicidal thoughts
Moderate: Infidelity
Minor: Cursing, Vomit, Drug use, Child abuse, Child death, and Dementia
kalin_grace's review against another edition
dark
reflective
medium-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? Yes
2.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Death of parent, Toxic relationship, Child abuse, Bullying, Child death, Dementia, Emotional abuse, Hate crime, Homophobia, Injury/Injury detail, Medical trauma, Physical abuse, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, and Toxic friendship
Moderate: Fatphobia
Minor: Abandonment
parasolcrafter's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
reflective
sad
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? Yes
4.75
yknow that image of the guy whos crying but holding a thumbs up??? thats how i feel rn
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Bullying, Child abuse, Classism, Cursing, Death, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Grief, Hate crime, Homophobia, Physical abuse, Self harm, Suicide attempt, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Violence, and Suicide
Moderate: Sexual content