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blueacorn1991's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, and Suicide attempt
Moderate: Homophobia and Violence
dinipandareads'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
5.0
Holy fork, I was not ready for the magnitude of what-the-forkery this book would put me through. My head and heart are still reeling after finishing this and I donât quite know what to do with myself. This is not (exactly) a happy book despite what the title may imply. Oh... I canât get over how much Silvera has me forking turned around with this book! It hit so much harder than I expected it to, especially with the addition of the new chapter in this deluxe edition, and it had me aching with a longing for it to be so real. đ„ș I know this is a book that will stick with me for many years to comeâŠ
Honestly, thereâs not much that I can say about this that wonât give the story away and I donât know if itâs just my inability to see things coming in books, but I didnât expect the direction it took at all. Itâs a dark and depressing coming-of-age story that covers many deep subjects including homophobia, suicide/suicidal ideation, severe depression, domestic abuse, and amnesia amongst others. As much as I wanna say go into this not knowing what to expect in terms of the storyline, I would not pick this up if youâre not in the right headspace. <u>Please, please read the content and trigger warnings first!</u>
This has a slight magical realism/sci-fi element to it in the form of the Leteo Institute and its memory erasure/suppression procedure thatâll magic your bad memories away so that you can live your best life. The science and possibilities of it arenât very well explained or explored but I didnât mind because the central focus for me was on everything Aaron was experiencing in the now. Thereâs such a simple, evocative and enjoyable quality to Silveraâs writing that made it so easy for me to devour the pages. I practically finished this in one sitting (itâs currently 3:30am as I write thisâwho needs sleep, right?)! Although I was enjoying it enough until the 40% mark, I was admittedly a bit worried when it left me feeling slightly whelmed. But when the last few pages before Part Zero happened, it was like a flare went off and everything CLICKED and emotional combustion ensued.
I think another thing that made this book hit is that itâs so raw and the characters are so incredibly messy, confused, and volatile which makes them all the more realistic and relatable. The author breathes such life into these characters! My heart was torn apart reading Aaronâs story because it is like watching someone get hit over and over and over again. It's ugly and sad but also true. It hurt so much, even when heâs not always the most likeable character and there were plenty of times when I wanted to give him a good long shake but then I wanted to give him the biggest hug and protect him from everything. Thereâs so much anger, fear, sadness and desperationâsome people are really SO forking VILEâbut there is also a huge well of love, forgiveness, support and yes, happiness too. Silvera had me running the full gamut of emotions with this story that packs an immensely powerful punch!
Iâm so glad that I came across and bought this Deluxe edition because the "More Happy Ending" was the soothing balm I desperately needed, even as it made my tears keep flowing. All of you lovers of Aaron and his story deserve to read that last bit too. đ Iâm gonna forever be wondering how Aaronâs doing and if heâs okay. I seriously didnât expect to be bawling and snotty-ugly-crying to one of my first few reads of 2024 but HERE WE ARE. Thank you for your service, Adam Silvera!!!
Graphic: Cursing, Domestic abuse, Homophobia, Infidelity, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Medical content, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Sexual content
puddledunk's review against another edition
3.5
Graphic: Hate crime, Homophobia, Suicide attempt, and Toxic friendship
Moderate: Suicide and Medical trauma
ian_hasumi's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Moderate: Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Suicide attempt, and Death of parent
telliot'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
2.5
I liked the concept, but I felt like it was not executed very well.
Graphic: Bullying, Hate crime, Homophobia, Violence, Death of parent, and Outing
Moderate: Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, and Suicide attempt
tragicgloom's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.75
childhood friend who moved away for years and finally came back
home.
Iâm more happy than not.
Donât forget me."
I won't forget you Aaron â€ïž
Graphic: Death, Hate crime, Homophobia, Infidelity, Mental illness, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Violence, Grief, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Toxic friendship, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Bullying and Medical content
Minor: Drug use, Fatphobia, Pregnancy, and Abandonment
frqnc22's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
To sum everything up, I loved how real this book was and how it presented parts of everything Aaron had to go through in *painful* detail. I connected with his character and cried for him probably more than I expected.
As for the topics showed in this book, I truly didnât expect the memory erasing procedure and the great amount of pain that came with it. I expected the story to leave me with a bittersweet feeling, but clearly didnât expect such an introspective look on depression, homosexuality or memory loss. Iâm glad I didnât figure out what was gonna happen, because I was amazed by the storytelling. It is worth mentioning that I loved the flashbacks and where they were placed!
The sad reality depicted in the book, homophobia, was hard to read, especially all the fights and slurs. (Aaron: âThis is what death feels like, I think.â) Itâs hard to even imagine something as traumatic as Aaronâs life, and learning to accept yourself in a situation like his sounds nearly impossible. His whole life changed drastically just because he was brave enough to show his family the real Aaron. The fact that this also happens in real life makes everything worse.
All relationships broke my heart at some point, and some werenât healthy for the people involved, but they were significant to Aaronâs personal growth.
He made mistakes, but the most important thing is learning from them and understanding what he did wrong in the first place. Fortunately, he understands and tries to do better
As for the ending, I didnât expect another traumatizing experience for Aaron, but I learnt that this is not a happy bookđđ»
His way of thinking is truly inspiring, even though I was crying while reading the final pages. Truly an emotional rollercoaster, but Aaronâs development is everything! Being âmore happy than notâ seems difficult to achieve, but heâs doing his best, after going through the worst.
âDonât forget me.â
Graphic: Bullying, Hate crime, Homophobia, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Medical trauma, Suicide attempt, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Suicide, Toxic relationship, Blood, Grief, Death of parent, and Gaslighting
Minor: Infidelity
smilerac's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Graphic: Homophobia, Suicide, Violence, and Suicide attempt
jshawreads's review against another edition
- 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
More Happy Than Not is the story of Aaron, scarred by his past and struggling to find happiness with the help of his friends and girlfriend. Until Thomas shows up, who Aaron gets on with so quickly and so well, and other emotions seem to start up, making Aaron question everything that has gone on before.
I dont want to delve any further into the story, because any spoilers could REALLY throw off what happens. Part of what goes down was so shocking and so unexpected by me that I was literally sat outside in my city's Gay Village, ugly crying into my drink.
A really, really good book, gripping, emotional, and devastatingly sad. Read this when in a good mental state only.
Graphic: Death, Hate crime, Homophobia, Physical abuse, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Violence, Blood, Grief, Suicide attempt, and Death of parent
dead_vole_jumpscare's review
4.25
Graphic: Homophobia, Suicide, and Suicide attempt