Reviews tagging 'Rape'

Happiness Falls by Angie Kim

42 reviews

thekatreturns's review

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emotional hopeful mysterious reflective sad tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

I am absolutely blown away that this comes from the same author as Miracle Creek, which has been thoroughly critiqued for its intense ableism. But I guess this book is proof that people can learn and grow and change their behavior with more information and more relationships with those most affected. Because, my goodness, this book is everything the general public should be reading about nonspeakers with regard to disability politics. The difference between the two is ridiculous and near unbelievable, and yet, the trajectory of Angie Kim’s learning is very clear me as someone who has been immersed in autistic community since the mid aughts. I know exactly how she got here, it’s clear as day, she even names specific people she learned from in the authors notes, and yet I’m still astounded that she got there at all when so many don’t. Thank you, Angie, for listening to neurodivergent people, autistic people, and most specifically nonspeakers. For broadening your horizons from the people at the center of Miracle Creek, who mean well and yet do so much harm. For addressing the nonspeaking community’s relationship with pseudoscience, testing, and disbelief directly, in the text, in an incredibly thoughtful and empathetic way. And also, for writing a damn good literary mystery. 

Yeah, aside from this being a book that I’m heartened is doing well in sales and reviews because its message is so crucial for the world to understand- this is a great book and it is not at all too preachy about said message. 

Many other reviewers found Mia annoying, but it was extremely easy for me to get into her head. Probably because we have pretty much the same personality and thought patterns. I didn’t find anything annoying, but then again I am a huge sucker for footnotes in literature. I enjoyed the morphing of her observations
“we should have done this” “I wish this had happened this way” from being like “if this had happened differently maybe we’d have solved the mystery” to “if this had happened differently maybe I would feel differently.” It’s subtle, and maintains the tension longer than it could have otherwise.


The other criticism I found in reviews of the book was that it went too deep into philosophy and the mystery of the
dad’s Happiness Quotient experiments.
I disagree with these reviewers, because, well, the idea of Welcome to Holland (a seminal essay by Emily Perl Kingsley) is constantly on the mind for disabled people and their families. The philosophies presented are a natural fit, and their hyperlogical presentation by the characters is one of many signs of autistic traits in the rest of Eugene’s family and therefore quite realistic.

Which brings me to my final point. This is not a 5 star book for me, and it so, so easily could have been. I desperately wanted to
switch into Eugene’s perspective for an epilogue. Not to get answers to Mia’s burning questions, because I think it’s beautiful and metaphorically resonant that the family doesn’t have answers to everything. But to spend some time in his head, to give him the chance to write the ending to this chapter of his story. I can see how that would feel weird for Angie as she’s not nonspeaking herself, but I maintain it could have been done in collaboration with a nonspeaking cowriter. I can also see how that would be seen as indulging doubters by saying, “yes, this kid can write, here, look at him!” But he’s not real, so no real child is being made into a self narrating zoo exhibit. Plus, the line this book walks with presenting very conclusive proof of spelling for Eugene, and acknowledging the pain of doubt, is so deft that I trust Angie and her brain trust of nonspeaking people in the acknowledgments to have handled it. If this book ever gets a sequel about some other mystery happening to these characters, I want Eugene to narrate it.
My second criticism is that Matthew Rushin should be in the acknowledgments, given that
autistic young people navigating the legal system in Virginia
is a huge plot point. Was any of this story directly inspired by him? Probably not, the details are very different. But I seriously doubt the relevant laws in real life would exist without his story.

Also, sorry if it seems disrespectful that I’ve referred to the author as Angie throughout, just a habit in transcribing my previously orally expressed thoughts. I mean full respect when I say that everyone who’s ever been criticized for something they write should listen and learn like she has very clearly done. 
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maidinnah's review against another edition

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emotional informative mysterious reflective 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

4.5

Cerebral, smart, and thought-provoking, Happiness Falls asks you to challenge your ingrained biases, reflect on the power of language, think about our need for closure, and ponder the meaning of happiness, all while slowing unfurling the mystery of a father’s disappearance. Mia’s presumptive and know-it-all attitude can be grating at times, especially since she’s the narrator. Additionally, this is a book that plays with a lot of ideas and ends with some open plot points, which may be unsatisfying to some readers. However, I was very invested in the Parksons, learning about who they are and how they feel about each other, especially Eugene, the non-speaking autistic youngest son, whose plight is as central to the story as the mystery. 
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marymwest's review against another edition

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emotional informative mysterious reflective slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

Perhaps a 3.5. On audio. Objectively this was a good book and I recognize that. I really appreciate Eugene’s storyline and the research and attention to detail that the author put in to making his story come alive. However, I found the MC annoying and I didn’t love that covid & the pandemic were incorporated in the storyline (although technically necessary for the plot). I felt like the whole thing kept dragging on and on despite the bulk of it taking place over the course of only 3-4 days. And then in the end, I didn’t feel satisfied with how everything wrapped up, but not in the way that it was supposed to feel ambiguous, you know? 
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melodyseestrees's review against another edition

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

3.25

There are so many frustrating elements to this story, especially the ending. The character motivations seemingly make sense but the character actions do not necessarily match up quite right. There are many questions in the latter half of the book but don't hold your breath and wait for all the answers.
Mia goes 'eh, I don't care to know' and erases any evidence that was on her presumed deceased father's phone.
The end pacing also did not match up with how the rest of the story had been. A good portion of the dialogue around Eugene felt microaggression level ableist at best, though the surprise therapist at the end had the best dialogue with Eugene. Perhaps this is realistic but something about it felt off. This led to the rating falling from the expected 4 to a 3.25.
The edition I had did 'footnote' information in a jarring and disruptive way to the reading experience. Some whole pages had maybe a paragraph of information to them in an italicized font that was frustrating to read. These thoughts of Mia's surely could have been worked into the actual text as a mark of who she is as a person. 
There were a few characters who appeared, did maybe two actions, and then disappeared never to be seen again
looking at you unhinged lady in the park with pepper spray and supposedly existing band of teenage boys
. There were plot beats that were dropped.
We saw hints and part of the lead officer having seemingly faked one or two injuries in previous cases but this played very little in the hearing against Eugene for hurting her.
The notebook revealing that Mia's father was running experiments on his family, having no exploration done into it. Was he really just writing notes to himself? Was he writing a paper? Was he as unhinged as park pepper spray lady? We'll never know!
The police, having access to the same information as Mia not putting together the unlock code, as all of that info came from the notebook they were scanning and sending to Mia. Can police even do that during an active investigation?
Harmonee's backstory being sort of explained despite her having very little to do with the story. The perspective of familial trauma given was interesting but never really led anywhere. One could argue that whole history didn't need to be spelled out since it amounted to John was special cuz he looked white, Mia was treated like she was dumb because she didn't look white, Eugene witnessed a death firsthand, John and Mia learned how to whisper yell.

This book felt like it was trying to fit several stories into one- Harmonee's story, Mia's dad's story, Eugene's story, and Mia's memoir.
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skbat's review

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challenging 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

5.0

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kotletka_polina's review

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dark emotional hopeful mysterious 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? It's complicated

4.25

It was not what I expected. This book leaned more towards literally fiction despite the premise being set as a thriller/mystery. The open ending is very anticlimactic giving that the resolution seemed so close.
But I liked this book. Even though it has too much yapping at times, I really sympathised with the characters, feeling what they were feeling at that moment: rage and infuriation at their fathers’s secrets, nervousness and suspicion with each new peace of information revealed. I even found the narrator relatable somehow.
Even though it’s not the vibe I expected to get I still pretty much enjoyed it. Read the entire book in a couple of sittings without getting tired of complicated vocabulary (English isn’t my first language). It brings awareness to numerous important subjects and highlights issues I hadn’t paid enough attention before. I liked this book more than I expected. 
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sparklefarm's review against another edition

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emotional mysterious tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

I love discovering new-to-me authors and loving them immediately. This was an excellent read - I was hooked and in suspense from the get-go. Philosophical, tense, and personal - not a mix I expected, but one I really enjoyed. The author's note was meaningful (although upon reflection made some of the philosophizing and reflection within the work a bit heavy-handed, although I don't know that I really minded). Highly recommend.
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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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jaimc's review

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challenging emotional reflective sad medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No

4.5

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emma_sky's review

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dark emotional informative mysterious reflective sad 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

3.5

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