Reviews tagging 'Grief'

More Happy Than Not by Adam Silvera

24 reviews

isobelmoore's review against another edition

challenging emotional reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide, Homophobia, Violence, Suicidal thoughts, and Grief

jshawreads's review

challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad medium-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

4.0

First of all, who on earth gave Adam Silvera the ability, and the right, to so deeply and aggressively cause me to cry like a bitch in public whenever reading his books? Everything of his I have read has been so deeply emotional, and connects on a level that few other authors have managed.

More Happy Than Not is the story of Aaron, scarred by his past and struggling to find happiness with the help of his friends and girlfriend. Until Thomas shows up, who Aaron gets on with so quickly and so well, and other emotions seem to start up, making Aaron question everything that has gone on before.

I dont want to delve any further into the story, because any spoilers could REALLY throw off what happens. Part of what goes down was so shocking and so unexpected by me that I was literally sat outside in my city's Gay Village, ugly crying into my drink.

A really, really good book, gripping, emotional, and devastatingly sad. Read this when in a good mental state only.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Death, Death of parent, Grief, Homophobia, Hate crime, Physical abuse, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Suicide attempt, and Violence

growing_haru's review against another edition

dark emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Grief, Suicide, Blood, Death of parent, Cursing, Suicide attempt, Homophobia, and Hate crime

Moderate: Homophobia and Suicidal thoughts

badmom's review against another edition

dark emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Adam Silvera’s first novel shows his talent for creating teen characters who are authentic in both their immaturity and depth. This story blends elements of speculative fiction with very real issues that young adults (and grown-ups, though in different ways) face, and it’s done with love + care for all of the characters. Find the edition with Silvera’s follow-up chapter; it shows the growth of not only the main characters but the author as well. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide, Toxic friendship, Death of parent, Dementia, Homophobia, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Grief, and Hate crime

Moderate: Bullying, Domestic abuse, Alcohol, Gun violence, Drug use, Medical content, Sexual content, and Suicide attempt

Minor: Emotional abuse and Pregnancy

delvainy's review

challenging dark emotional reflective sad medium-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

3.5

I liked this book a lot when I was 18. As I got towards the end of the novel, though, I was abruptly reminded that I was not a happy person at 18. It’s a very sad book, y’all, which is not the reason I’m rating it pretty low. Some parts of it bothered me, like having a trans guy be misgendered every time he’s mentioned. Of course I am aware that this is all about internalized homophobia, but he was never once referred to as a guy. I also didn’t love the way the main character interacted with Thomas

Spoiler

after being told Thomas was straight.

Otherwise, it was a pretty good book, but it just felt a bit mean? To the reader that is, haha. I did appreciate the deluxe version’s new last chapter, though. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide attempt and Suicide

Moderate: Toxic friendship, Grief, Homophobia, and Hate crime

Minor: Transphobia

Spoiler

He also experiences pretty intense memory loss.

ingridmaria's review

dark emotional 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? It's complicated

4.75

This book stuck hard in my head for days. It surprised me, but not in a shock-value way. The internalised homophobia was so real and I really need to re-read it knowin the ending. I didn’t read the deluxe edition, but apparently I should have because of the extra chapter

Spoiler

seeing as this one ends so unhappily. But then again that might take away from why I liked it so much</spoilers>. Knocked a quarter point off because the first 70 pages could (maybe should) have been 30.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness, Death of parent, Hate crime, Homophobia, Physical abuse, Suicide, Self harm, Suicide attempt, Violence, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, and Suicidal thoughts

Moderate: Infidelity

Minor: Cursing, Vomit, Drug use, Child abuse, Child death, and Dementia

gabuwu's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

I read this because it was challenged at my local school district and I was offered to serve on a committee to review it. This book was deeply, deeply depressing but I enjoyed it regardless. I do have some qualms with the way some of the characters were presented, but I am glad I stuck with it till the end because there was a point where I was iffy and then instantly shifted to one of my most memorable books I've ever read. I feel like this book however, should contain some pretty big trigger warnings. It is very, very, VERY upsetting. Like, I honestly had to take a few breaks here and there just to get thru it. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Homophobia, Hate crime, Suicide, Grief, and Death of parent

anton13's review against another edition

adventurous challenging emotional funny hopeful inspiring reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Wow… just wow. Once again Adam has written a sob story and it’s amazing. Like almost better than they both die at the end. I do have to warn that it’s got a lot of content that can be triggering to people so pls check tw before reading it. But Omg over all an amazing read. One of the best books I’ve read! And the end… I was not expecting that. Everything seemed to be a mess so the fact that Adam was able to tie it all together like that in the end and give a satisfying end was just wonderful. I laughed and cried with these people, just an amazing book

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Grief, Mental illness, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Homophobia, and Violence

Moderate: Bullying, Medical content, Hate crime, Medical trauma, Child death, Cursing, Dementia, Drug use, Suicide, Chronic illness, Death, Self harm, and Terminal illness

Minor: Sexual content, Alcohol, Domestic abuse, Addiction, Gun violence, Murder, Suicidal thoughts, Transphobia, Emotional abuse, and Pregnancy

mxbluet18's review against another edition

emotional slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

0.5

Trigger warnings for More Happy Than Not include: attempted suicide; depression, domestic abuse; homophobia and suicide. Also just a general spoiler warning for content and characters.
☆
☆
I honestly can't say I liked this book. I couldn't like the main characters, nor his friends. they just all seemed really boring and flat, with no actual substance to them. Like, it feels as though Aaron's only personality trait is being gay, and the internalised homophobia that led to him having the Leteo procedure and trying to convince himself that he's straight.
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I also just got confused about the timeline, and how Aaron knew Evangeline, and just all of it. I found the entire book very confusing and can't say I actually enjoyed reading it. I think it's probably one of the few books with gay representation that I haven't enjoyed.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide, Domestic abuse, Death of parent, Suicide attempt, Medical trauma, Medical content, Homophobia, Grief, and Mental illness

parasolcrafter's review against another edition

emotional funny hopeful reflective sad fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

yknow that image of the guy whos crying but holding a thumbs up??? thats how i feel rn

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Bullying, Child abuse, Classism, Cursing, Death, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Grief, Hate crime, Homophobia, Physical abuse, Self harm, Suicide attempt, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Violence, and Suicide

Moderate: Sexual content