A review by sandrylene
If It Makes You Happy by Claire Kann

5.0

I loved this book so much. So many moments of "YES, this is what complicated relationships (familial and otherwise) can be like!" and "YES! this is what being fat is like." and "YES! this is what it's like to have someone in your life basically tell you that you don't get to have an opinion or rights on what you do with your life."

If you're queer, particularly poly or ace, if you're fat, if you've been in a difficult or an unhealthy familial relationship, and given how on target she is on those, I would assume also if you're black, you'll 100% recognize moments in here, and for me this felt really vindicating and empowering.

I especially loved this for basically handling a bunch of life being difficult and sometimes pretty bullshit at you, but getting through it in a way that doesn't feel hopeless or like you have no agency. It's a lot of characters having believable flaws, making believable mistakes, having believable conflict, and then working through it and mostly doing better. Just simultaneously a very realistic book, and still a very hopeful book, and wow is that something I'm appreciating in 2020, heh.

I also just enjoy Claire Kann's sense of humor. :)