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bella_cavicchi's review against another edition
- 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
4.0
In short: another Angie Kim winner. I'm pleased.
Graphic: Ableism, Death, Grief, Death of parent, and Pandemic/Epidemic
Moderate: Bullying, Cancer, Infidelity, Racism, Xenophobia, Medical content, Kidnapping, Suicide attempt, and Murder
Minor: Rape, Violence, Colonisation, and War
isabellamarg's review against another edition
- 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
3.0
Happiness Falls follows the ensuing investigation into the disappearance of Adam Parson and how the family and their secrets may have played a role in why he went missing. Eugene, the youngest son, is autistic and has Angelman syndrome which prevents him from being able to communicate verbally. This complicates the investigation as Eugene was the last person to see his father, and also makes the authorities suspicious of him as well as the Park family.
This book combined two of my favorite genres: mystery and family drama. There were plenty of shocking twists and the book posed many deep, philosophical questions about the assumptions we make about language, race, disabilities, immigrants, our family, and ourselves. I love that one of the reasons Angie Kim wrote this book was to highlight that "just because you can't speak doesn't mean you can't think or understand." Eugene and his disabilities play a large role in the treatment of the Park family throughout the investigation into the disappearance of their father. Eugene is labelled as "non-verbal" and the novel explores the implications of this title and how harmful it can be when thinking about how people express themselves and the limitations we place on others. This novel also focused on the aspect of happiness: what it means to be happy and how we can make ourselves and our family happier. As a family deeply affected by a child with a disability, how does this create guilt and resentment with the other siblings Mia and John as well as within their parents themselves?
Overall, I went into this novel expecting a really intriguing and dark mystery and I was not disappointed. I did not expect the novel to focus so much on the aspect of language and verbalization, but I thought it was unique and allowed me to learn more about different speech therapy methods and hopefully un-train any biases I have regarding oral fluency being equated with intelligence. Happiness Falls beautifully captured the complexity and love of a family that is still learning to communicate with each other.
Moderate: Ableism, Racism, Violence, Death of parent, and Pandemic/Epidemic
moriahleigh's review against another edition
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Graphic: Grief and Death of parent
Moderate: Ableism, Racism, Police brutality, and Pandemic/Epidemic
Minor: Cancer and Forced institutionalization
thekatreturns's review against another edition
- 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
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
The other criticism I found in reviews of the book was that it went too deep into philosophy and the mystery of the
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
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.
Graphic: Ableism and Death of parent
Moderate: Racism, Suicide, Police brutality, and Murder
Minor: Rape and War
maidinnah's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Ableism and Death of parent
Moderate: Racism
Minor: Rape and War
livlosiewicz's review
- 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
5.0
Moderate: Grief
Minor: Bullying and Racism
melodyseestrees's review against another edition
- 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
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
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.
Graphic: Ableism, Grief, and Death of parent
Moderate: Bullying, Cancer, and Racism
Minor: Rape, Suicide, and War
skbat's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Ableism, Grief, and Death of parent
Moderate: Cancer, Car accident, and Pandemic/Epidemic
Minor: Bullying, Confinement, Cursing, Racism, Rape, Suicide, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Police brutality, and War
kotletka_polina's review against another edition
- 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
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.
Graphic: Ableism, Racism, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, and Pandemic/Epidemic
Minor: Rape and War
sparklefarm's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Forced institutionalization and Grief
Moderate: Death and Death of parent
Minor: Ableism, Cancer, Racism, Rape, and Pandemic/Epidemic