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lilawsahar's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
Tbh I think the happiness quotient part was unneeded in the story. That’s just my take.
Also ACAB.
Graphic: Grief, Death of parent, Pandemic/Epidemic, Death, Bullying, Confinement, and Police brutality
Minor: Sexism, Rape, and Racism
rachelkreadsbookz's review
- 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? It's complicated
5.0
Graphic: Death of parent
Moderate: Bullying
annoyedhumanoid'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
4.0
- wasn't as gripping. it started to drag three-fourths of the way through, and i got fed up with all the cheap foreshadowing of the form "looking back, i wish [x] hadn't happened".
- didn't feel as expertly-crafted. though i recognize that's kind of the point—
not all mysteries, especially missing person cases, have neat solutions; that's life —it was still somewhat disappointing. i'm trying tolearn the lesson Mia did and accept an open ending—i choose to believe that her and John's mind-meld recreating the accident was a display of fraternal jeong, just the tiniest bit of magical realism.
Graphic: Death, Grief, Ableism, Death of parent, Injury/Injury detail, and Pandemic/Epidemic
Moderate: Cancer, Violence, Infidelity, Police brutality, Sexism, Suicide, Bullying, Blood, Hate crime, Murder, Cursing, Terminal illness, and Xenophobia
Minor: Sexual violence, Confinement, Alcohol, Sexual assault, Rape, Car accident, Deportation, and Gun violence
ktdakotareads's review against another edition
- 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
4.0
Moderate: Blood, Bullying, Racism, Pandemic/Epidemic, Medical trauma, Injury/Injury detail, Grief, Death of parent, Death, Cancer, and Medical content
Minor: Car accident
mcs213'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
4.5
Graphic: Ableism
Moderate: Grief, Bullying, Cancer, and Death of parent
Minor: Rape
ashylibrarian'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
3.5
Y’all, I struggled with this title, and I’m unsure why.
There is an intriguing mystery – who-/how-/whydunnit? - there are great themes of language, accessibility barriers, family, pandemics, the intersectionality of law enforcement, race, and disability. I enjoy most of what I read while I am actively reading it, but I don’t find myself looking forward to picking it back up and reading more.
This is a good book! I am just struggling to find the want to read it (which could very well be some reading burnout for me at this current moment and have nothing to do with the book).
Graphic: Ableism and Grief
Moderate: Cancer, Bullying, and Rape
savvyrosereads'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
4.5
Rating: 4.5/5 stars
When her father unexpectedly goes missing and the only witness is her non-speaking teenage brother, Mia must confront secrets within her family in order to find out the truth.
I loved Angie Kim’s debut novel Miracle Creek, so Happiness Falls is one of my most anticipated releases of the year, and it did not let me down. If I had to pick one word to describe this book it would be “beautiful”—the storyline and character relationships are beautifully rendered, the prose is beautifully written, and the overall message of respect, autonomy, personal fulfillment, and happiness is beautifully communicated.
This is also one of those books that is so thought-provoking I am positive it will sit with me for a long while, and I am already looking forward to an inevitable reread and everything I will glean from a second look. For now, I thoroughly enjoyed the reflections on happiness and expectations we place on ourselves and others, as well as the frank and thoughtful look at disability and the lives and rights and intrinsic personhood of non-speaking individuals. I also loved Mia, and the infusion of humor into what is otherwise a very serious novel was unexpected but brilliantly (at risk of sounding like a broken record, *beautifully*) done. And finally, while I’m still skeptical of the use of the COVID-19 pandemic in novels, I thought this one infused the feeling of early-to-mid 2020 exceptionally well, and wove the pandemic into the plot line in a realistic and interesting way.
In short, if you are a fan of literary mysteries, reflections on family, immigration, neurodivergence and disability, and so much more, pick this one up as soon as you possibly can!
CW: Ableism; xenophobia; discussions of the pandemic; grief/loss (literally) of a parent; some police brutality (both on page and referenced)
Graphic: Ableism
Moderate: Bullying, Grief, Pandemic/Epidemic, War, Police brutality, and Rape