REVIEW: More Happy Than Not by Adam Silvera

Pages: 300
Format: UK Paperback
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Release Date: July 24th 2018 
Genre: Contemporary
TW: Discusses suicide
Buy The Book: Book Depository - A Great Read

Life hasn't been easy for sixteen-year-old Aaron Soto, but with the help of his girlfriend he's slowly remembering what happiness might feel like.

Then Thomas shows up …

Thomas is smart and funny, and before long Aaron is spending all his time with him. But as Aaron's feelings for Thomas intensify, tensions with his other friends start to build.

Soon Aaron is faced with a choice - one that will make him question what it is he wants, and how far he'll go to get it.

Why does happiness have to be so hard?

OH BOY. This is one of those books that everybody seems to talk about. Despite hearing so much about it, it took me until the UK release to finally read it. And damn, was I excited. Through the heartbroken tweets of my fellow bloggers, I knew that this story was a bit of a sad one. I’ve lost count of the people I’ve seen sobbing online after finishing it. So, as excited as I was to finally start reading this book, I was also cautious. Whilst we’re here, can I get a round of applause for managing to dodge every single spoiler for this book? Except knowing I was in for Sad Times, I had no real idea of what was in store for me within the pages.  

More Happy Than Not takes places in our world, but at a time where a procedure that allows people to erase memories exists. Despite not originally believing in the idea, Aaron begins to look into it more when his life hits complications he could never have prepared himself for.  

The whole concept of this book is just so interesting. The idea of being able to forget certain things that have happened in life is as intriguing as it is terrifying. Weaving the procedure into the world we live in now was a great way of giving the story a creepy, dystopian vibe, whilst keeping the setting of our everyday lives.

Aaron owned my heart from merely a couple of pages in. His story is heartbreaking and whilst it’s easy to understand why he thinks the way he does sometimes, there were moments when I wanted to shake some sense in to him. His relationship with the other characters were complex and kept me hooked because I wasn’t quite sure how things were going to turn out between everyone. 

Each character in this story is written with such depth. Even minor characters who only appear a handful of times have a distinctness about them that makes them unique. You can’t help but get attached to them and feel a part of the story.

- Realistic teen characters. Believable, relatable, accurate voices. The characters in the book are perfect for their target age range. 

- Emotional rollercoaster. Expect to feel a little bit of everything throughout this story. 

- Plot Twists for Days. 

Now. LET ME TALK ABOUT PART ZERO. Oh boy, was I unprepared for that whole chapter. It has to be one of the best plot twists I’ve read in a few years. I WAS FLOORED. Considering I’d planned on doing a little bit of reading before bed, I reached this part of the book at about 12:30am and of course couldn’t put it down. So, guess who ended up utterly sleep deprived in the morning? This girl. I was tired but happy though because thanks to the awful reading slump I can’t seem to shake off, no book had made me read into the early hours of the morning in a long time. 

A whole emotional journey with wonderfully written characters. Even though I wish I’d been able to read this story sooner, book was well worth the wait. My heart was crushed, torn apart, severely beaten. But overall, the story made me more happy than not. *finger guns*

Royal Rating: