A review by bookshelfbella
Happiness Falls by Angie Kim
challenging
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
slow-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
5.0
✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* 5/5 stars ✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:*
"You know how sometimes when you first get back home after a long trip, it seems a little different from how you left it?"
Adam Parsons, father and husband, is missing and the only person with him that morning was his son, Eugene. Eugene has a rare genetic disorder, "Angelman Syndrome", which impacts his ability to speak to or communicate with his family. As the desperate search ensues, the Parsons family must learn to band together and support one another. This story deals with love, language, communication, biracial identities, and the meaning of happiness within one's own life.
Happiness Falls was simultaneously a slow burn and a page turner. The narrative, at times, dragged but I felt that this contributed to the overall feeling of dread in the story. This pace captures the pit feeling of waiting for bad news and how fear and anxiety can slow any amount of time down. This, combined with the burning desire to know what happens next, creates the perfect storm to get lost in this book.
Mia, the 2o-year old daughter, narrates the story. Angie Kim does an excellent job of writing from her young and flawed perspective. Mia spends a lot of time trying to understand her imperfections and deals with the guilt of what she did or didn't say to her dad. All the while, she is learning how to mend and support the rest of her familial relationships, including her twin brother John, her brother Eugene, and her mother.
This begins as a missing-person story, but ends as an intimate family drama; the Parsons learn how to talk to one another in ways they never could before.
I belly sobbed my way to the end of this book.
"You know how sometimes when you first get back home after a long trip, it seems a little different from how you left it?"
Adam Parsons, father and husband, is missing and the only person with him that morning was his son, Eugene. Eugene has a rare genetic disorder, "Angelman Syndrome", which impacts his ability to speak to or communicate with his family. As the desperate search ensues, the Parsons family must learn to band together and support one another. This story deals with love, language, communication, biracial identities, and the meaning of happiness within one's own life.
Happiness Falls was simultaneously a slow burn and a page turner. The narrative, at times, dragged but I felt that this contributed to the overall feeling of dread in the story. This pace captures the pit feeling of waiting for bad news and how fear and anxiety can slow any amount of time down. This, combined with the burning desire to know what happens next, creates the perfect storm to get lost in this book.
Mia, the 2o-year old daughter, narrates the story. Angie Kim does an excellent job of writing from her young and flawed perspective. Mia spends a lot of time trying to understand her imperfections and deals with the guilt of what she did or didn't say to her dad. All the while, she is learning how to mend and support the rest of her familial relationships, including her twin brother John, her brother Eugene, and her mother.
This begins as a missing-person story, but ends as an intimate family drama; the Parsons learn how to talk to one another in ways they never could before.
I belly sobbed my way to the end of this book.