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soobooksalot's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
mysterious
reflective
tense
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
4.0
It's somewhat ironic that a book dealing with communication is hard to describe.
At it's base, Happiness Falls by Angie Kim is a missing-persons story. But it's so, so much more.
The story is uniquely told by 20-year-old Mia, a Korean-American whose father Adam goes missing while in a park with her brother Eugene.
Eugene is nonspeaking, being afflicted with both autism and Angelman syndrome. Gathering information about Adam's disappearance proves a challenge.
We as readers come to know so many details about the Parson-Park family from Mia's perspective - not only of Adam and Eugene, but also her twin brother John and mother Hannah. Their family history, their challenges and backstories.
The story takes place during the height of Covid, which serves as a parallel to being closed off from others, and finding alternate methods of relating and communication.
While there is a mystery to uncover in Happiness Falls, it's ultimately a story of acceptance, diversity, connection, and what can make us truly happy.
It's a book to be experienced - recommended! (And also her debut Miracle Creek, if you haven't already read it.)
At it's base, Happiness Falls by Angie Kim is a missing-persons story. But it's so, so much more.
The story is uniquely told by 20-year-old Mia, a Korean-American whose father Adam goes missing while in a park with her brother Eugene.
Eugene is nonspeaking, being afflicted with both autism and Angelman syndrome. Gathering information about Adam's disappearance proves a challenge.
We as readers come to know so many details about the Parson-Park family from Mia's perspective - not only of Adam and Eugene, but also her twin brother John and mother Hannah. Their family history, their challenges and backstories.
The story takes place during the height of Covid, which serves as a parallel to being closed off from others, and finding alternate methods of relating and communication.
While there is a mystery to uncover in Happiness Falls, it's ultimately a story of acceptance, diversity, connection, and what can make us truly happy.
It's a book to be experienced - recommended! (And also her debut Miracle Creek, if you haven't already read it.)
Content Warnings
Moderate: Racism, Bullying, Pandemic/Epidemic, Death of parent, Grief, Ableism, Cancer, and Death
suzydunk's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
mysterious
reflective
sad
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? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cultural appropriation, Bullying, Pandemic/Epidemic, Death of parent, Racism, Rape, Death, Racial slurs, and Sexual assault
lilawsahar's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
- 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
God I learned so much from this book. I am destroyed that Eugene lived for 14 years without being able to communicate because he doesn’t have fine motor skills and his disability enables him to speak. How did he wake up each day knowing that he was going to be treated like an idiot and he had to continue on? The realization that people live like this in real life is gut wrenching. And how I contributed to this idea. Not treating people with disabilities as equals. Makes me sick. Everyone needs to read this book. It blew me away with that insight alone.
I am also utterly sick that we will never know what happened to their dad. Did Eugene kill him? We will never know especially since she put the wrong passcode in the cell phone. I wouldn’t have done that. They don’t know who Eugene is because he wasn’t able to communicate with them. But Eugene knows them. That’s gut wrenching to me. What happened to him??
Tbh I think the happiness quotient part was unneeded in the story. That’s just my take. He just wanted his daughter to have a good life. But the story isn’t able her. It’s able Eugene and him.
Also ACAB.
Tbh I think the happiness quotient part was unneeded in the story. That’s just my take.
Also ACAB.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief, Death of parent, Pandemic/Epidemic, Death, Bullying, Confinement, and Police brutality
Minor: Sexism, Rape, and Racism
killerpancake's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
informative
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
sad
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? Yes
5.0
This one hits so hard. I have to spoiler tag what I loved though because it's a bit spoilery. I would recommend going in knowing as little as possible.
The author weaves the themes of language and communication so deftly in this book. Knowing how damaging it is to people who live without the ability to communicate and the tangable damage it does slices my heart into peaces.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Xenophobia
Moderate: Death and Death of parent
Minor: Rape and War
annoyedhumanoid's review
mysterious
reflective
slow-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
4.0
i loved the narration. i understand why it isn't for everyone, but my brain works in the same way so i felt at home. i also appreciated how this book advocated much more strongly for the humanity of its characters with disabilities than Miracle Creek (Angie Kim's debut novel) did. and that it took place during covid times. my main issues were that, compared to Miracle Creek, the plot:
- 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.
nonetheless, this has cemented Angie Kim as an author on my radar, and i'm looking forward to her next book.
Content Warnings
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
dark
reflective
sad
medium-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
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Blood, Bullying, Racism, Pandemic/Epidemic, Medical trauma, Injury/Injury detail, Grief, Death of parent, Death, Cancer, and Medical content
Minor: Car accident
mrsbennettreads's review against another edition
mysterious
sad
tense
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
4.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death and Ableism
Moderate: Blood
Minor: Rape, Cancer, Suicidal thoughts, and Racism
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