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liamliayaum'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? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Ableism and Racism
Minor: Death of parent
caseythereader'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
3.75
- With HAPPINESS FALLS, Angie Kim once again gives us a page turner, this one a legal drama, missing person case and possible murder mystery all wrapped up together.
- I was so intrigued by Mia as the narrator of this story. She's bratty and bitter and thinks she knows everything (at first, at least). Her unique voice and the frequent detours to tell us important backstory made the book feel like a friend was relaying the story to the reader personally.
- There are some aspects of the book I wish were different - the pacing slowed way down in the second half, the footnotes felt mostly extraneous, etc. - but overall I was invested in the mystery.
- A through line of Kim's work is to make clear that disabled people are people, not childlike burdens to be pitied, which is sadly often rare in novels, especially mysteries and thrillers. I will be interested to see what disabled and neurodivergent readers have to say about this book, since I am neither of those things and neither is Kim, though she is the parent of a disabled child.
Graphic: Ableism, Cursing, Police brutality, Medical content, Grief, Death of parent, Injury/Injury detail, and Pandemic/Epidemic
Moderate: Cancer and Racism
Minor: Rape and Suicide
laura_berger'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
3.5
Graphic: Death of parent
Minor: Ableism, Cancer, Racism, Blood, Grief, and Pandemic/Epidemic
shannonweiss'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
4.25
It did get a little too bogged down with scientific terminology and rants at time. I read Miracle Creek by Angie Kim and thought she added science really well in that book, but in this one it felt like too much at times. But even through that, it was not hard to get through and I didn’t want to put the book down.
Graphic: Ableism
mrsbennettreads'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
4.75
Graphic: Ableism and Death
Moderate: Blood
Minor: Cancer, Racism, Rape, and Suicidal thoughts
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: Bullying, Cancer, Grief, 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: Bullying, Cancer, 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, Rape, Police brutality, Grief, War, and Pandemic/Epidemic
meganrae047'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
Graphic: Grief
Moderate: Ableism, Cancer, and Death of parent
Minor: Rape