Reviews with content warning for Ableism - Happiness Falls

Reviews tagging 'Ableism'

Happiness Falls by Angie Kim

81 reviews

madisus's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious reflective 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? Yes

4.0

I really enjoyed this book, and loved the thematic focus on language and communication. Some elements were a miss for me, but overall I loved Mia’s analytical POV and her insights and reflections on her own family and the community at large. This is the second book I’ve read this year set during COVID lockdown— Kim utilizes this as an active participant in the mystery, to great effect. General paranoia, lack of contact, and danger of illness all play a role in how this story unfolds.

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lindsayerin's review

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emotional mysterious 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? It's complicated

4.5

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iris_cy's review

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emotional mysterious reflective sad tense slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

This book fully encapsulates not only what it's like to have a family member with a disability but also how a family would behave in such a troubling situation. And because those two experiences are incredibly complex on their own, combining them and doing it this seamlessly is beyond impressive. There are no dull characters, and every detail was significant and mind bending. I can't describe this story as anything other than phenomenal.

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hellokaley's review against another edition

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informative mysterious 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? It's complicated

4.0

I was captivated by this story from the beginning. This is a mystery with elements of a crime drama, but at the heart, it is a story of a family in the middle of a traumatic event learning the capabilities of their fourteen year old disabled child.

A slow-burn mystery with theory sprinkled throughout. It touches on elements of ableism, racism, immigration, and mental health.

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amberjackonski's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging emotional informative inspiring mysterious reflective sad tense slow-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

1.0

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oceanwriter's review against another edition

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emotional informative 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

3.75

I was super drawn to books about Asian American families last year and this fit the bill perfectly. It turned out to be even more than I’d expected featuring a non-verbal autistic character. I have twin cousins similar to Eugene, so it was like getting a closer glimpse into what a day might look like from their perspective.

When Adam Parson doesn’t come home with his son, Eugene, his family desperately searches for answers. It seems as though only Eugene has the answer, but given he doesn’t speak, his mother, siblings, and the detective working on the case can’t hear his side of the story. Unfortunately, given Eugene’s history of outbursts along with some scattered bits of evidence, he is made a suspect.

The story is narrated by Mia, Eugene’s older sister. She helps to decode her father’s journal which is the family’s best lead they have to finding out what happened. In their findings, several different scenarios are compiled.

I was more interested in Eugene’s storyline than I was in the overall mystery, though it did have its intriguing moments. Though ultimately important to the plot, I grew bored whenever there were readings from Adam’s journal. Some parts of the story felt unnecessary while others felt unresolved, but for the most part, I had a good time reading.

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katbalts's review

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emotional reflective 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

4.5

This one felt extremely meaningful to me because I have two family members who are non speaking. I think Angie Kim does a really brilliant job at creating an extremely realistic family dynamic. I loved the characters, I loved the mystery, I loved the philosophy of this book. Really amazing and very special gem of a book.

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