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Book Reviewed by:Adam Silvera's extraordinary debut confronts race, class, and sexuality during one charged near-future summer in the Bronx.
Part Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, part Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe, Adam Silvera's extraordinary debut confronts race, class, and sexuality during one charged near-future summer in the Bronx.
The Leteo Institute's revolutionary memory-relief procedure seems too good to be true to Aaron Soto - miracle cure-alls don't tend to pop up in the Bronx projects. But Aaron can't forget how he's grown up poor or how his friends aren't always there for him. Like after his father committed suicide in their one bedroom apartment. Aaron has the support of his patient girlfriend, if not necessarily his distant brother and overworked mother, but it's not enough.
Then Thomas shows up. He has a sweet movie-watching setup on his roof, and he doesn't mind Aaron's obsession with a popular fantasy series. There are nicknames, inside jokes. Most importantly, Thomas doesn't mind talking about Aaron's past. But Aaron's newfound happiness isn't welcome on his block. Since he's can't stay away from Thomas or suddenly stop being gay, Aaron must turn to Leteo to straighten himself out, even if it means forgetting who he is.
Silvera writes in a YA voice that is so true - so near perfect. Aaron wants to fit in; he wants to be like everyone else. His words are so believable as a young man who is vulnerable yet determined. Genevieve and Thomas are rendered quite nicely, too, as young characters emerging into their own identities...continued
Full Review
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(Reviewed by Bradley Sides).
In Adam Silvera's YA debut, More Happy Than Not, Aaron Soto, a poor Hispanic teenager, goes through a lot of difficult situations. His dad committed suicide when Aaron was younger. He doesn't really love the girl he thought he once loved. His best friend, Thomas, is his complicated love interest. Yeah, life is tough for our protagonist. Aaron tries to deal with his situation in the best way that he can, but his dilemma haunts him - so much so that he is constantly sad and anxious. Aaron thinks he finds the answer to his problems when he discovers the Leteo Institute, a company that erases unwanted memories.
The concept of erasing selected past events sounds like something out of a science fiction story (and it is - ...
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If you liked More Happy Than Not, try these:
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The Perks of Being a Wallflower meets The End of the F***ing World in this dark young adult comedy about four unlikely friends dealing with the messy side of grief who embark on a road trip to Graceland.
by Sarah Henstra
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Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe meets I'll Give You the Sun in an exhilarating and emotional novel about the growing relationship between two teens boys, told through the letters they write to one another.
Aaron Hartzler, author of Rapture Practice
Inventive and daring, Silvera's gritty debut kept me turning pages until 2 A.M. His writing crackles with challenging questions, searing and timely.
