Reviews with content warning for Death of parent - Happiness Falls

Reviews tagging 'Death of parent'

Happiness Falls by Angie Kim

83 reviews

melodyseestrees's review against another edition

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 against another edition

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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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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 against another edition

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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 against another edition

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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 against another edition

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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 against another edition

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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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