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A review by laura_cs
If It Makes You Happy by Claire Kann
5.0
I received an ARC of this title from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Winnie is thrilled to be spending her last summer before college working at her Granny's diner, Goldeen's. She'll get to spend time at her favorite home-away-from-home with her favorite people: her Granny, her 'baby' brother Winston, her cousin Sam, and her ungirlfriend Kara. But her plans for an easy summer quickly go awry in a quick series of events: first she is unexpectedly chosen as the Haven Summer Royalty Queen and thrust into the spotlight--a place she'd really rather not be. Then both Kara and cute Dallas volunteer to be her consort--and when Dallas wins the tiebreaker, suddenly things are not good between Winnie and Kara. Then Winnie loses her cool when the town doctor berates her about her weight, and suddenly everyone has an opinion about Winnie's appearance and her Granny is furious and meddling. Add in a cooking competition, some geese from hell, a grumpy little brother and a clingy cousin, and Winnie's easy summer is a thing of the past. What's a girl to do?
A fantastic sophomore novel from Claire Kann, "If It Makes You Happy" is a tale of love, friendship, family, and handling crises like a Boss. Winnie is a Queen of Communication, which I adore from a YA novel, as it sets up a positive example in dealing with friends, family, and romantic interests when there are problems rather than simply assuming (or mis-assuming) the situation. It also is a great example of what to do when you communicate and the other person doesn't listen. The ending is bittersweet because of this, but, again, is incredibly important. Winnie's voice is perfect: mature and independent, but still young and sorting life out. Her love of herself, her family, and her friends shines on every page--even when they're not all getting along.
The long and short of it is, "If It Makes You Happy" will, well, make you happy!
(Also, be on the lookout for a cameo appearance from "Let's Talk About Love" protagonists Alice and Takumi!)
Winnie is thrilled to be spending her last summer before college working at her Granny's diner, Goldeen's. She'll get to spend time at her favorite home-away-from-home with her favorite people: her Granny, her 'baby' brother Winston, her cousin Sam, and her ungirlfriend Kara. But her plans for an easy summer quickly go awry in a quick series of events: first she is unexpectedly chosen as the Haven Summer Royalty Queen and thrust into the spotlight--a place she'd really rather not be. Then both Kara and cute Dallas volunteer to be her consort--and when Dallas wins the tiebreaker, suddenly things are not good between Winnie and Kara. Then Winnie loses her cool when the town doctor berates her about her weight, and suddenly everyone has an opinion about Winnie's appearance and her Granny is furious and meddling. Add in a cooking competition, some geese from hell, a grumpy little brother and a clingy cousin, and Winnie's easy summer is a thing of the past. What's a girl to do?
A fantastic sophomore novel from Claire Kann, "If It Makes You Happy" is a tale of love, friendship, family, and handling crises like a Boss. Winnie is a Queen of Communication, which I adore from a YA novel, as it sets up a positive example in dealing with friends, family, and romantic interests when there are problems rather than simply assuming (or mis-assuming) the situation. It also is a great example of what to do when you communicate and the other person doesn't listen. The ending is bittersweet because of this, but, again, is incredibly important. Winnie's voice is perfect: mature and independent, but still young and sorting life out. Her love of herself, her family, and her friends shines on every page--even when they're not all getting along.
The long and short of it is, "If It Makes You Happy" will, well, make you happy!
(Also, be on the lookout for a cameo appearance from "Let's Talk About Love" protagonists Alice and Takumi!)