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olivialandryxo 's review for:
More Happy Than Not
by Adam Silvera
This is the second book I’ve read by Adam, and just like HIAYLM, I read it in less than a day. That must be a sign that his books are absolutely amazing.
Spoiler: they are.
I’m not listing trigger warnings because I’m not sure I could cover them all, but just know this is a very heavy book. It might be difficult to read for some people. Be careful.
This was a really impactful read. It didn’t make me cry or even break my heart, as Adam is said to do, but it was still very good. There was also a lot of diversity; Aaron is a closeted gay Puerto Rican teen, and he, his family, and many of his friends live in poverty. I can’t speak on any of the representation, as I don’t identify with any of these groups.
I liked this story, but for 50-60% of the book I wasn’t sure exactly what purpose Leteo served. Yes, I knew it was a procedure that helped people “forget” certain memories, but I thought it was a pointless, minor detail. The twist definitely shocked me, and even though I wasn’t a big fan of what happened in the last 15-20%, it added a new element to the story.
I liked part zero. I liked seeing Aaron’s life prior to the story, despite much of it being sad. I think it added more depth to his character, and to his family.
Most of my mixed feelings are about the ending. I feel like a little bit too much was crammed in and there weren’t enough pages to make it work. It wasn’t the end I expected, but at the same time I did like it. I also liked that, despite the hardships throughout this novel, the end said it’s possible to find happiness.
One other thing that bothered me was how Aaron always thought Thomas was gay and closeted. Thomas said he was straight, but Aaron kept thinking he was lying to himself. He would say things like “Trust me, Thomas isn’t straight. I know him.” and at one point thought Thomas was having sex with girls to make him think he’s straight. That just seems wrong.
I said this in my HIAYLM review and I’ll say it again here: I like that Adam’s books openly talk about sex. This one talks about m/f and m/m sex, and although those scenes aren’t my cup of tea, they’re important.
I think I covered everything. I recommend this book to all that can handle its content. So far Adam’s books are two for two, and I can’t wait to read TBDATE!
Spoiler: they are.
I’m not listing trigger warnings because I’m not sure I could cover them all, but just know this is a very heavy book. It might be difficult to read for some people. Be careful.
This was a really impactful read. It didn’t make me cry or even break my heart, as Adam is said to do, but it was still very good. There was also a lot of diversity; Aaron is a closeted gay Puerto Rican teen, and he, his family, and many of his friends live in poverty. I can’t speak on any of the representation, as I don’t identify with any of these groups.
I liked this story, but for 50-60% of the book I wasn’t sure exactly what purpose Leteo served. Yes, I knew it was a procedure that helped people “forget” certain memories, but I thought it was a pointless, minor detail. The twist definitely shocked me, and even though I wasn’t a big fan of what happened in the last 15-20%, it added a new element to the story.
I liked part zero. I liked seeing Aaron’s life prior to the story, despite much of it being sad. I think it added more depth to his character, and to his family.
Most of my mixed feelings are about the ending. I feel like a little bit too much was crammed in and there weren’t enough pages to make it work. It wasn’t the end I expected, but at the same time I did like it. I also liked that, despite the hardships throughout this novel, the end said it’s possible to find happiness.
One other thing that bothered me was how Aaron always thought Thomas was gay and closeted. Thomas said he was straight, but Aaron kept thinking he was lying to himself. He would say things like “Trust me, Thomas isn’t straight. I know him.” and at one point thought Thomas was having sex with girls to make him think he’s straight. That just seems wrong.
I said this in my HIAYLM review and I’ll say it again here: I like that Adam’s books openly talk about sex. This one talks about m/f and m/m sex, and although those scenes aren’t my cup of tea, they’re important.
I think I covered everything. I recommend this book to all that can handle its content. So far Adam’s books are two for two, and I can’t wait to read TBDATE!