A review by bites_of_books
Happiness Falls by Angie Kim

dark emotional informative mysterious reflective sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.5

Happiness Falls is a true mystery book, one that truly keeps the reader guessing but also learning a lot. Our narrator is Mia, a young woman whose father goes missing after going to the park with her 14-year-old brother who has Angelman syndrome and autism. Mia is an overthinker and easily goes off on tangents as she tells the story of her missing father. I personally enjoyed the various footnotes and also the scientific explanations about language, psychology, philosophy, etc. All-in-all it can be a difficult book to get through if you struggle with tangents and a narrator who doesn't disclose everything right from the start. It all makes for a really engaging and mysterious story that enlightened me about people diagnosed with Angelman syndrome, people with autism who are non-verbal, speech therapy, all also in the context of a mixed Korean American family. There were so many layers to this novel: cultural backgrounds, in regards to disabilities, the criminal justice system, cops, sibling relationships, and parenthood. 

I'd recommend this one if you like mysteries, novels that feature people with disabilities, and if you like tangents and footnotes in your novels.