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A review by wendys_lit
Happiness Falls by Angie Kim
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
a fantastic mystery that really focuses on the impact loss does to family, and how having a special needs family member is so much more than people on the outside just assume it to be.
we follow mia, a type-a, cynical twenty year old half-korean, half-white girl and what seems to be just another day in her life. when her special needs brother eugene returns in a frenzied rush from a park visit without their father, mia and the rest of her family begin to wonder what happened, and where to go from here. with eugene being autistic and having angelman syndrome, it is not possible for him to communicate the events verbally, and it is already difficult enough for his family to read his cues. mia and the rest of her family begin to piece together what could have possibly happened at the park to have left eugene so traumatized, and find out where her father is.
kim did an incredible job here. i loved, loved miracle creek and had this idea that it would be her single banger--boy, was i glad i was wrong. happiness falls focuses more on the family aspect: twins trying to outdo one another, to connect, to gain some sort of attention from parents that are sort of busy trying to connect and understand their child who is "non-verbal" (a term kim describes with great disgust for the word). the mystery is obviously the meat of this story, but the conversations between mother and kids, between therapists and patients, friends and family...these are all the delicious vegetables and spices in this who-dunnit broth. ALSO: kim does a great job of describing what it's like to have a special needs family member be treated by society and their family (as someone who has a sister with autism!) instead of coddling them, making them feel inadequate or babied at a grown age, they should be respected, given a chance to speak for themselves, in any way possible. a big sense of suspense throughout the chapters, ALWAYS felt like i was holding my breath. incredible.
i will say the ending was very, very good, but i wanted a bit more from it. i feel that with many mysteries, a lot of authors purposely leave questions unanswered, but i wanted more for and from mia. this was such a tiny bit of my own personal preference though. incredible audiobook, sweet author's note, loved reading this.
we follow mia, a type-a, cynical twenty year old half-korean, half-white girl and what seems to be just another day in her life. when her special needs brother eugene returns in a frenzied rush from a park visit without their father, mia and the rest of her family begin to wonder what happened, and where to go from here. with eugene being autistic and having angelman syndrome, it is not possible for him to communicate the events verbally, and it is already difficult enough for his family to read his cues. mia and the rest of her family begin to piece together what could have possibly happened at the park to have left eugene so traumatized, and find out where her father is.
kim did an incredible job here. i loved, loved miracle creek and had this idea that it would be her single banger--boy, was i glad i was wrong. happiness falls focuses more on the family aspect: twins trying to outdo one another, to connect, to gain some sort of attention from parents that are sort of busy trying to connect and understand their child who is "non-verbal" (a term kim describes with great disgust for the word). the mystery is obviously the meat of this story, but the conversations between mother and kids, between therapists and patients, friends and family...these are all the delicious vegetables and spices in this who-dunnit broth. ALSO: kim does a great job of describing what it's like to have a special needs family member be treated by society and their family (as someone who has a sister with autism!) instead of coddling them, making them feel inadequate or babied at a grown age, they should be respected, given a chance to speak for themselves, in any way possible. a big sense of suspense throughout the chapters, ALWAYS felt like i was holding my breath. incredible.
i will say the ending was very, very good, but i wanted a bit more from it. i feel that with many mysteries, a lot of authors purposely leave questions unanswered, but i wanted more for and from mia. this was such a tiny bit of my own personal preference though. incredible audiobook, sweet author's note, loved reading this.