TITLE: MORE HAPPY THAN NOT | AUTHOR: ADAM SILVERA | PAGES: 300 | SOURCE: BOUGHT | GENRE: CONTEMPORARY WITH A BIT OF SPECULATIVE SF |
RATING: ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️
CONTENT WARNING: homophobic language, suicide, hate crime
SUMMARY: Aaron Soto is 16 and it's summertime. His father recently died by suicide, and he is recovering from his own suicide attempt. In the midst of his recovery, he is determined to have a happy normal life with his mother, brother, his girlfriend, and his friends. A new friend, Thomas, comes into his life and soon him and Thomas are the closest of friends. This awakens some new feelings in Aaron. While this sounds like a your typical YA contemporary premise, somehow the Leteo Institute, a company that helps people forget specific memories to help them through trauma and pain, comes into play as well.
I can't really express too well how Adam Silvera created such a heartbreaking, but also heart mending coming of age story. I mean I started this book with the expectation that it would make me cry...that it would break me. As I was reading it, I was scared I was going to be disappointed because the beginning was just a little bit bumpy for me because I couldn't quite connect with Aaron and the writing. But as the story kept going and each layer of the plot was slowly revealed while Silvera developed Aaron's character and back story, everything just came together and I JUST BROKE DOWN. AARON SOTO IS MY SMOL SWEET SON AND I WILL PROTECT HIM AT ALL COSTS.
~deep breath~ okay. as aaron continued to discover who he is and was on his journey to being okay with his sexuality (he identifies as gay), i was scared about how this was going to end. i wanted aaron to get his happy ending because he deserves it. and i was sort of heart broken about the ending but again it's a testament to adam silvera's writing and skill that even though aaron's story wasn't perfect, it was still hopeful and like the title says...aaron turned out to be more happy than not which was bittersweet but so so good and genuine.
other things i enjoyed was how adam silvera captured the bronx. i've never been to new york period but i felt like i was there. he perfectly described the neighborhood and all the places aaron frequently haunts with his friends. it felt like i was there in middle of summer playing a game of manhunt.
overall, i really really loved this. it's a really sad book but it's also incredibly hopeful. this was poignant and important and GOD PLEASE READ THIS BOOK. i can't wait to read silvera's other books and will be bumping his books up on my tbr.
~deep breath~ okay. as aaron continued to discover who he is and was on his journey to being okay with his sexuality (he identifies as gay), i was scared about how this was going to end. i wanted aaron to get his happy ending because he deserves it. and i was sort of heart broken about the ending but again it's a testament to adam silvera's writing and skill that even though aaron's story wasn't perfect, it was still hopeful and like the title says...aaron turned out to be more happy than not which was bittersweet but so so good and genuine.
other things i enjoyed was how adam silvera captured the bronx. i've never been to new york period but i felt like i was there. he perfectly described the neighborhood and all the places aaron frequently haunts with his friends. it felt like i was there in middle of summer playing a game of manhunt.
overall, i really really loved this. it's a really sad book but it's also incredibly hopeful. this was poignant and important and GOD PLEASE READ THIS BOOK. i can't wait to read silvera's other books and will be bumping his books up on my tbr.
