A review by beatrizveigaaa
Happy Place by Emily Henry

5.0

i would die for this book, i would simply die on the spot, no questions asked, no hesitation. emily henry personally wrote this book for me. i am certain she hid cameras in my room because happy place hit a little too close to home. this book is everything to me and i will not tolerate any criticism. you may have valid points (you really don’t) but i do NOT want to hear it because this is my child and it would feel like a personal attack: “i just think the book could’ve approached this in a diff-“ SO YOU HATE ME??? YOU WANT ME TO DIE???? 

’He's become my best friend the way the others did. Bit by bit, sand passing through an hour glass so slowly, it's impossible to pin down the moment it happens. When suddenly, more of my heart belongs to him than doesn't, and I know I'll never get a single grain back.’

the literature gods finally heard my prayers and gave me what i’ve been craving for so, so long. after months of not being able to resonate with any book and feeling like i was losing this part of me that has shaped who i am for the past 3 years, i fell head over heels in love with happy place. reading this felt like reconnecting with a long lost friend. it isn’t just a book you read, it’s a book you experience with every fiber of your being. and it stays with you long after you’ve turned the last page

’You're like gravity. Everything keeps spinning, but my mind's always got one hand on you.’

i was hooked from the very first chapter. the characters felt so real, like they could just step off the page and join me for coffee. there were moments when I found myself laughing out loud, moments when I couldn’t wipe the smile off my face, and others when I had to pause because the tears blurred my vision and i needed to breathe (these were the most frequent)

’I imagined them all thinking it was worth it. Telling me how much they loved me. All my life, when I thought of my future, that was what I pictured. Not a career. The things I thought would come with it. Happiness, love, safety. And that dream had been enough for a long time. What was school if not a chance to earn your worth? To prove, again and again, that you were measurably good. One more deal I struck with a disinterested universe: If I'm good enough, I'll be happy. I'll be loved. I'll be safe.’

emily henry i’m under your bed because why would you write something like this as if it wouldn’t completely tear me apart? i felt both harriet and wyn’s struggles in my bones. the vulnerability, the fear of failure, of growing apart from their friends, the nostalgia and the longing for the past, the struggle with depression, the dysfunctional family dynamics, the need to prove their worth through their careers and accomplishments, the constant talking themselves down, the guilt of stealing the opportunity to a fulfilled life from their parents. all of it resonated deeply with my heart. i felt so seen by these characters that don’t even exist but somehow managed to provide me a sense of understanding and of not being alone. i found peace and comfort and security in these characters and i think that from now on i’ll carry them with me wherever i go. but what struck me most was how this book captured the essence of finding happiness in the little things and holding onto the people who make life worth living, it’s a reminder that happiness isn’t just about the big moments, but the little ones too. it’s about finding joy in your everyday life.

’It doesn't matter how busy life's been, how long the five of us have gone without seeing one another: meeting at the cottage is like pulling on a favourite sweatshirt, worn to perfection. 
Time doesn't move the same way when we're there. Things change, but we stretch and grow and make room for one another. 
Our love is a place we can always come back to, and it will be waiting, the same as it ever was.
You belong here.’

standing on the brink of a new chapter in my life, happy place could not have come at a better time. as a 21 year old close to graduation, I am acutely aware of how friendships can be tested by the new paths we all inevitably take but this book felt like a warm and reassuring embrace. each character is on their own journey, in their new lives, new city, new career, and yet, they are all trying to hold onto the friendships that have shaped them. the book ends up proving that while life can pull us in different directions, the connections you share with your friends can anchor you

for anyone standing at a crossroads, feeling the bittersweet pull of new beginnings, happy place is a must-read. it’s reassurance that, no matter where life takes us, the friends who truly matter will always be our happy place. a book i will revisit many times. it has left an everlasting mark on me