Mia, a hyper-analytical college student, isn't initially concerned when her dad & younger brother Eugene don't return home—they must've lost their phone or stopped for errands. But by the time Eugene runs through the front door bloody and alone, the family's life is about to be upended. With their dad missing, the only witness who knows what happened is Eugene, who has a rare genetic condition and doesn't speak.

I LOVE this book; everything about HAPPINESS FALLS just vibes with me really well. From Mia's sometimes overly critical & nerdy voice to the exploration of quantifying happiness, I was utterly absorbed in the story from page one. Even with the amount of footnotes in the book that reflect Mia's narrative voice, I adore reading these references and think it's such a brilliant way to capture Mia's personality further.

While the core plot is about searching for the missing dad, HAPPINESS FALLS is slower-moving compared to most thrillers as Mia references the family's past experiences living in South Korea, growing up with Eugene, and her reflections as a half-Asian & half-white individual.

I especially appreciate that HAPPINESS FALLS explores how we assume intelligence from people's speaking ability. Kim mentioned her own story of immigrating from South Korea and experiencing her classmates' cruelty first-hand because she doesn't speak "perfect" English. Similarly, how other family members treated Eugene because he doesn't talk reflects our biases and ableism of those who have trouble communicating themselves vocally.

HAPPINESS FALLS pairs well with HURT YOU (Marie Myung-Ok Lee); both cover the experiences of Korean-American families navigating anti-Asian sentiments while raising a neurodivergent child from the sibling's perspective. HURT YOU is more YA than HAPPINESS FALLS, but I highly recommend both books to neurotypical readers.

HAPPINESS FALLS is my first Kim novel but it definitely won't be my last. I can't wait to go back and read MIRACLE CREEK!