Reviews tagging 'Death of parent'

Happiness Falls by Angie Kim

81 reviews

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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cryptofauna's review

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emotional mysterious reflective 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? Yes

4.0

oh my gosh. another book that i really wasn’t that into at the beginning (a common trend for me, i am a hater at heart) but holy shit i’m so glad i continued. moving, tense, mysterious, emotional, riveting. i loved every character and although it took a second to get going at the beginning the plot was very strong. super well researched and you could tell just how much the author put into this story especially after reading her notes at the end.
felt very respectful of disabled people as well. ofc not an expert, but the experiences of everyone felt realistic and compassionate even when they resented him as typical glass children do
my only dumb and silly gripe is that at one point the author used kitty-corner instead of caddy-corner. how did that get past editors 
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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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kelsey_mary's review

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emotional mysterious 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

4.25

Mia is the main character in this book, who has two siblings, a twin brother and a younger brother, Eugence, who has multiple medical conditions that render him unable to talk or communicate. Eugene and her dad go on a walk during lockdown and her dad never comes back. Eugene is unable to communicate what happened. Due to Eugene's violent behavior, he becomes the number 1 suspect their dad's presumed death. While the cops investigate, Mia's family uncovers a secret about what Eugene and her dad have been doing that may lead to the answers they need regarding his disappearance. I love Angie Kim's writing - it keeps me engaged and she brings in characters with traits and backgrounds that are new to me. About halfway through the book I could not put it down and had to know how it ended. She always wraps up her books nicely - maybe not in the most ideal way for the reader, but a way that leaves them satisfied and reflective.
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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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shira243's review against another edition

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challenging emotional informative mysterious reflective tense 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

4.5

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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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