More Happy Than Not (2015-06-17) [Hardcover] - By Adam Silvera

I have had to pause momentarily several times while reading this book to just breathe and take in the beauty of a scene or one particular sentence. I love this book.

Buy it! You won't regret it.

I absolutely adored this book. I had been looking for a book to fill the void left by Aristotle and Dante discover the secrets of the universe and this book definitely gave me that fix. It was such a different kind of story telling with the pseudo sci fi element but the core of it was very much realistic.

It was sad and funny, devastating and hopeful. It made me smile at the end. Which is strange to say considering Aaron didn't get the boy, he lost his friends, his friends best him up and he might have irreversible brain damage. But he ended up accepting the truth that he was trying to suppress about himself and his family and that was what made this book great. It was a bittersweet but hopeful journey and end. Everyone should read this book

This was a phenomenal page-turner of a book. When I read the book jacket I was a little concerned about the similarity to Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (or whatever the exact title). Anyhow, right from the beginning you can sense this is going to be much edgier and the protagonist's aim is far more complex and gut-wrenching than forgetting a failed relationship.

Anyhow, I was captivated by Silvera's writing from the very first page. I had to stop reading frequently by the end because I could not stop weeping every few pages. This is a painful book. Something about the almost carefree first-person narration makes it even more painful by the end. Something about the way the young people in the book look at every minor bump in the road as a tragedy or huge event (first time you have sex, fighting with your siblings, growing away from your close friends) is really brought into focus when an actual tragedy occurs.

I think the characterization of this book as gay/lesbian literature is too narrow. This is a profoundly affecting work about the human condition and it is exceptionally beautifully conceived.

This book is my contender for best book of 2015 so far. If you are in a happy place, read it. If you're feeling kind of low then you should have a pizza, watch some I Love Lucy, and wait until you're happier before tackling it. Bravo Mr. Silvera!

Needlessly tragic book. It feels as if the author wanted to make it more dramatic by making the hero suffer more and more as the story progressed. I didn't find it deep or touching, just poorly written.

[...]

Romance Score: Good Effort

There was SO MUCH good here. Aaron and Genevieve are adorable with their “remember when” game and their sweet, thoughtful dates and their joy and panic about their first time. The slow tension of growing close with Thomas and trying to understand what that means is also sweet in its own way. I’m taking points away because of things that happen in the last half of the book (including a rather emotionless repeated action in an alley).

Feminist Score: You’re Trying

Aaron’s mom tried to put herself in between her husband and her kids, and that’s something no mother should ever need to worry about. But, I appreciated her strength, her dedication to her sons’ happiness, and her efforts to do her best. Again, a mother trying to do her best with very few good options.

At first, I was really excited by Genevieve and Aaron’s relationship – they are so sweet, he obviously cherishes her, and the physical moments involve a lot of consent. But once Genevieve heads to art camp, things kind of fall apart and it hurt my heart to see her making choices so that she ends up with less than she deserves. Yet, by the end, it seems like things are turning around for her.

Diversity Score: Good Effort

There’s a lot covered in this book – I got the sense reading that Aaron’s family was Hispanic (and double checked for the review – they’re Puerto Rican). In Aaron’s neighborhood there’s quite a bit of racial diversity – his boss has an “Arab accent” and his friends are varying skin tones. Everyone is lower income and I appreciated that this story incorporated details about that as part of the scenery and Aaron’s life without making it an “issue.” The biggest factor of the story, though, is with sexual orientation – Aaron slowly realizes what he thinks he likes may not be the true or only answer. The unfolding, unpuzzling of his feelings was sweet and painful and sad and joyful and made the story doubly poignant. With this it would seem that an A+ is in order, but events near the end made me dock a point. Yes, I know what happens reflects reality, but this book has just enough of a hint of the future that I had hope that maybe the end-of-book events could be excluded from Aaron’s experience.

Awesome Factor: A+ Success

I LOVED this book. All the characters came together perfectly. Before reading, I had only heard that the book was amazing and a must-read, I was totally shocked when things started to come together and, as much of a gut-punch as it was, I LOVED it. Aaron was a sweet character – as a boyfriend and as a confused, sad teen. I wanted to date him or comfort him – or both. His story is going to stick with me for a while as I think about my own life and the things I wish I could escape.

Favorite Character

Thomas – He has amazing date ideas that he’s not too miserly to share with a friend (rooftop planetarium? AMAZING) and highschool-me would totally want to date him. He also is an amazing friend to Aaron, being caring, honest, and gentle when Aaron opens his soul. I loved that he was comfortable enough to react the way he did and I’m so excited that teen readers will have him as an example of how to be a friend or ally.

Favorite Line

“Sometimes pain is so unmanageable that the idea of spending another day with it seems impossible. Other times pain acts as a compass to help you get through the messier tunnels of growing up. But the pain can only help you find happiness if…” (270)

Is this worth a book hangover?

ABSOLUTELY. I feel silly because I’ve been so enthusiastic about the books I’ve reviewed, but this is really an amazing book with great characters and an intense story. To prove it: it was a cool weekend in the middle of July and I stayed inside and read this book.

Fun Author Fact

Adam Silvera is really, really tall. Unfun fact: he struggles with depression. I mention this because I’m so thankful that authors are speaking up about these kinds of things and providing an opening for their (teen) readers to talk about them.

There are some books that just leave you feeling breathless and a little bit drained after finishing them. Debut author Adam Silvera has hit me hard in the emotions with his book More Happy Than Not. Talk about a book that packs a punch. Silvera’s debut is heartfelt and honest. It may have a concept that is slightly similar to Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind however, I felt like More Happy Than Not was a wholly original read. I felt as though this was not a story that I’ve read before. You know how some books can feel like the same story over and over again? That was absolutely not the case with this book. After finishing the very last line, I find myself eager to read whatever Silvera comes out with next.

Aaron Soto is a poor Hispanic kid who lives in the Bronx projects in a one bedroom apartment with his mother and brother, Eric. Aaron has a girlfriend, Genevive who is patient with him and caring and overall wonderful. He’s got some friends who are okay but honestly, not as supportive as they could be. Aaron lives his life the best that he can — he’s happy now in a sense, but certain things still bother him. For instance, the absence of his father, who committed suicide last year. Aaron has mostly good memories of his dad, who sure was more into athletics and was distant from Aaron. Still, he misses his dad. Aaron is afraid that he will commit suicide like his dad.

His happiness begins to change and get better when he meets this kid from another project named Thomas. Thomas has these crazy eyebrows but he gets Aaron. And so, the two form this amazing friendship bond over movies on Thomas’s rooftop and long conversations. Unfortunately, Aaron’s friends and his girlfriend begin to get resentful of his friendship with Thomas. Aaron also begins to question his sexuality. Meanwhile, there is this procedure that is all the rage being performed by the Leteo Institute where these doctors are able to extract and bury memories which seems like a legitimate solution to Aaron for his issue — forget that he is actually gay and just be straight. However, this may be out of reach for Aaron given that he’s a poor kid and the procedure is rather expensive.

I feel like I know Aaron Soto intimately, as though he is one of my best friends. More Happy Than Not is a book with solid characterization. I challenge you to read this book and to not empathize the entire time with Aaron. I thought the intersection of Aaron’s race, class, and sexuality was fascinating. He’s dealing with these different characteristics and challenges head on. I mean, I think that the experience of a white middle class gay person is different from the experience of a non-white poor person. And so, I thought this made Aaron’s character journey compelling. I also liked that Aaron was a comic book fan who loves fantasy and drawing. I liked that this unique touch was consistently revived throughout the book. Silvera doesn’t just add in a characteristic and then forget about it. Instead, every word and every characteristic counts.

The Leteo procedure is perhaps the biggest theme aside from sexuality in Adam Silvera’s debut. Throughout the book we get to see Aaron deeply consider and question the procedure. He wants it and then he doesn’t. And then it seems like the perfect solution and then it doesn’t. We learn about his friend who had the procedure to forget his twin brother who was murdered and how his friend had to move because he could not be triggered with those memories of his brother. It’s absolutely fascinating and philosophical to boot. There’s so much to discuss and think about in regards to the Leteo procedure that I think this book would make a perfect discussion piece for your local young adult book club.

Setting feels like a character in Silvera’s More Happy Than Not. Set in the Bronx, you get the feel of a large city and the close knit neighborhood within. I feel as though I know Aaron and all of his friends. I feel as though I’ve walked the streets of his project after reading. It’s like I’ve taken the subway with Soto. I love that feeling. I love that I know all about the bodega Aaron works in under his boss, Mohad. I love that I know the comic book store that Aaron loves to spend his time in as well as the track that he enjoys running and holding conversations on. Silvera has brought the Bronx to life in More Happy Than Not.

I am slightly in shock over how much I enjoyed and took away from Silvera’s debut. There is a big twist. When it happened, I had to put the book down and breathe for a few minutes. Then I needed to talk to someone and explain what just happened because it just blew my mind. If you are looking for a book to blow your mind and make you feel all sorts of emotions, order yourself a copy of More Happy Than Not by Adam Silvera.

More Happy Than Not takes us through so many relatable situations that I'm not sure where to begin. I was honestly a little disappointed with the first few chapters of this. It started off pretty slow and the main character, Aaron, lacked a lot of depth. I didn't feel like I really knew much about him at all.

Then the world shifted on its axis and I found myself able to relate to Aaron on levels I never realized existed for me before. In ways I'm not quite entirely ready to discuss publicly. Especially since my mother occasionally pops into my blog. My heart broke over and over again as Aaron was dealt one blow after another.

The world is described just enough that I was able to enter it, giving just enough details for a partial immersion. Where this novel really shines is the characters, who come off the page in a way that makes them seem so real. It's almost as though Silvera painted them onto the page one layer at a time.

I finished most of this book in a single day. I would have finished the whole thing in a day were it not for the interference of real life (Boo!). I found myself relating to Aaron and his story in ways I wasn't ready for. There are a few other twists and turns that I didn't see coming that make the story so tragically beautiful. I thoroughly enjoyed it and look forward to reading a good deal more from Adam Silvera.

For this review and more, please visit my blog at vicariousbookworm.wordpress.com

The Basics:

Aaron is struggling to find happiness after his father’s suicide and his own suicide attempt. The closest he’s come is the time he’s spent with his new friend, Thomas, but that happiness comes with a confused bundle of other feelings and dangers, especially for a kid living the Bronx in the not too distant future, where levels of sexual equality and understanding haven’t changed a whole lot. What this future can offer him, however, is Leteo, a medical procedure that can alter his memories and the feelings attached to them to “straighten him out.” He’s beginning to think it’s his only chance.

The Downside:

The speculative and hyper-realist elements here unfortunately work against each other at points. Aaron’s social world is so grounded and lifelike that it at first feels like a brutally and beautifully honest look at a particular teenager’s life, before the sci-fi side of the story takes some of those true-to-life moments and puts a less grounded spin on them, making them more technically complicated but emotionally simpler. In particular, what appears to be a refreshingly positive sex scene turns out to be something else entirely.

The book as a whole is also unfailingly depressing. Not a flaw in and of itself, but the ending tries to offer some of the hope hinted at in the title, and that hope comes off a little more hollow than seems to be the intent.

The Upside:

The Leteo procedure is a strong and fascinating sci-fi storytelling concept, and would likely garner no complaints from me if the story’s every turn were not so compellingly written that the whole equation feels like the stifled potential of multiple stories. It’s a twisting slight-of-hand narrative that throws itself whole-heartedly and skillfully into the feelings of every scene, even the illusionary ones.

The depictions of gender role prejudice, pressure, and violence, while hardly pleasant to read, are admirably unflinching. That part of the honesty remains throughout, and though the many fake-outs sometimes cloud the story’s direction to the point of clouding its meaning, by the end, the spirit of self-acceptance, kindness, and respect for differences is perfectly clear.

Review copy: ARC from publisher

Adam SIlvera brought me into Aaron’s world and twisted up my emotions. There were tears – multiple times. The characters were distinct and devastatingly realistic. The cover and title would imply that this is a happy book – and there is happiness to be found here, but there’s also a heap of unhappiness.

Aaron is a teen who’s gone through some tough times and wants to remove them from his memory to make the pain stop. Anyone can probably understand the temptation to erase the painful bits of life. The book is about much more than that single decision though. Aaron is navigating relationships and searching for happiness where he can find it. He often finds it with his friends. Their laughter and love keep him going, but may not be enough.

This is a book that you won’t want to miss.

After hearing a good amount of buzz for More Happy Than Not, I picked it up from the library without knowing much about the plot. I highly recommend going into this book without knowing too much, and my summary will be purposefully vague. More Happy Than Not follows teenager Aaron Soto. He lives in the Bronx, and when the book opens readers find out that his father recently committed suicide, and Aaron attempted suicide. Now we are following his life in his apartment complex, and seeing how Aaron is dealing with the life he’s been dealt.

More Happy Than Not is a contemporary novel with a science fiction twist. Aaron lives in our time, but there is a new medical procedure called Leteo that can alter our memories. If you get Leteo, you will be able to forget something in your life, and you’ll never know you even got the procedure. Aaron’s neighbor had Leteo before he moved away, and Aaron’s not sure if he believes the procedure even works. I really enjoyed this sci fi element in the book, as it really made things interesting.

As for my critiques of the novel, I will begin by saying that the first 100 or so pages were quite boring for me. There was no clear direction for the novel, and I even considered putting the book down without finishing it. That all changed at a certain point in the book. Things begin happening quickly, and I was sucked into the story. The slow beginning does make sense as the book continues, so I didn’t detract from my rating because of it. However, I tell you so that you can push through the beginning if you find it boring at first. Trust me – it’s worth it!

I also found that the ending of the novel was a bit rushed and not explained as fully as I would have liked. More Happy Than Not is a short novel under 300 pages, and I think expanding the ending a bit would have really helped the story. I also noticed some editing mistakes and grammar issues throughout the book, which will hopefully be fixed in later editions.

Nonetheless, I absolutely loved the story within More Happy Than Not. I know it might not seem that way based on this review, but I really don’t want to give anything away. Trust me when I say that Silvera creates a plot that is detailed and carefully constructed. This is the kind of book I want to read over and over to catch his hints for a later reveal along the way. More Happy Than Not makes an excellent book for a book club, because there are so many elements to be discussed, including memory, mental health, and whether we can change who we are.

I also wanted to quickly mention that I loved the setting of the book. I did live in the Bronx for a semester in college, so I was a bit familiar with where the book took place. However, I really enjoyed being taken inside Aaron’s community. His neighborhood functions in a really interesting way. I loved how Silvera incorporated all of the neighborhood games into the novel, and showed Aaron’s so-called friends as familial yet toxic at the same time.

All in all, I thoroughly enjoyed More Happy Than Not, and highly recommend it. This is Silvera’s debut novel, and I am impressed with how well his writing is already. I will be picking up his other books for sure, and I hope you’ll give this one a try. If you’ve already read it, please discuss it with me! There are many interesting conversations that may be had from reading this book.

*This review originally posted on Adventures in Polishland

A teenage boy attempts to erase his knowledge of his homosexual orientation. This is more contemporary than speculative, although speculative elements fuel the plot. The local, social details of the protagonist's life are repetitive but fairly convincing; the speculative elements and the major plot developments they dictate are predictable, which isn't a deal-breaker because the heart of this book is an inevitable, tragic grief. It begins in larger society, but becomes intrinsically tied to the protagonist; it's an exploration of the social role of sexual orientation and the effect of internalized homophobia. I think it has the potential to be productive as a thought experiment and an expression of rage and sorrow, but the genre and emotional appeal didn't work for me personally. Consider this a mild recommendation, as I trust it to appeal more to other readers.

The diversity this book featured was what drew me in. The sci-fi aspect hooked me to it. And last but not least, the emotions in it made me fall in love with it. Adam Silvera's book was one of the best debuts I've read so far this year.
There's a place that relieves memories.Things that haunt people day in and day out. But some things people like Aaron can't get the procedure to forget. Some people just have to try to think about other things. But things change when Thomas shows up. And he ends up not wanting to forget.
This book definitely caught me off guard. When I started it, I was hooked onto the contemporary romance aspect of it. I seeing the cutesy moments were what made me fall in love with this book. But then when the sci-fi aspect came into it, it made it even better. It made it really cool and gave it a super cool twist. It gave it a unique twist, something I've never read before.
But the main thing that made me fall for this book was the emotion in it. From the smiling, to the laughing, to the heart breaking emotions that I felt while reading this, it wasn't a surprise I couldn't put it down once I had time. I felt everything that Aaron went through and by the end of the book I was gutted. Like completely. This was such a good book.
As far as the diversity, I loved this part so much I started recommending it to a co-worker before I even finished it. The first thing he mentioned (besides the fact that Adam Silvera was hot lmao) was the fact that the main character kind of reminded him of himself. Although he's not a teen, I love the fact that I was able to book push it. Diversity in any book is exciting, but in YA, I have to say it makes me "More Happy Than Not." (Pun intended.)
So much about this book I wasn't expecting but when it came down to it, that's what I loved. Adam Silvera's debut has made me super impatient for whatever else he plans to write!

"More Happy Than Not" by Adam Silvera is a beautiful and heartbreaking novel. This is Silvera's first novel and I think he did a tremendous job. The protagonist, Aaron Soto is a sweet and sensitive 16 year-old boy. Aaron's dad committed suicide a few months before, and Aaron is understandably having a difficult time coping with his grief. Aaron has a supportive, loving mother and a feisty girlfriend but he still feels like he's not as happy as he should be. Aaron also tried to end his own life following his father's demise. While his girlfriend is away during the summer, Aaron meets Thomas. A quick but meaningful friendship blossoms. Aaron starts to question his sexuality and his unexpected romantic feelings for Thomas in the process. This is of those kind of novels that are hard to review but there is an exceptional plot twist that you will not see coming. I think the twist was the best part of "More Happy Than Not". Leading up to the twist, I felt like the story dragged a little too much. I also felt like the ending left me feeling deflated and emotionally exhausted, so that's why I'm giving this book 4 stars instead of 5. I really liked this book but I didn't love it. I felt like something was missing and I couldn't put my finger on what it was? This is a Young Adult novel but the language is very adult. Maybe not recommended for children younger than 14 (lots and lots of profanity). I sincerely hope Adam Silvera continues to write and publish more novels in the future. He's a compelling and talented writer. I hope you enjoy "More Happy Than Not". It will definitely make you THINK and FEEL.

More Happy Than Not was one of my most-anticipated reads for the year, and I was not disappointed at all. It’s hard to review this one simply because it is one of those books you must read to experience. The synopsis doesn’t give much away, except this: The Leteo Institute has developed a procedure to alter and remove certain memories, and when Aaron (whose friends aren’t that great, whose mother is overworked and hardly ever there, whose brother is distant, and whose father committed suicide) meets Thomas and can think of no one but him, he decides to turn to Leteo to “straighten himself out” because being gay isn’t welcome where he lives. That’s not even half of the book though, but I honestly can’t tell you anything else without spoiling it or giving something away.

I can talk about Adam’s writing though, which is honest, heart-wrenching, sad, hopeful, and wonderful. Aaron’s voice is so well-done. Chapters can move from gut-wrenchingly sad to laugh-out-loud funny within a page, and it never once felt disjointed or stilted. I will say it was hard to connect with Aaron at first, mostly because he’s not really sure who he is, but I definitely wanted to keep reading. It’s practically impossible to not want to reach into the book and hug him, to want to be his best friend, to tell him to keep going, keep trying, keep living. He’s a brilliant character.

Remember how I said you can’t really talk about this book without giving anything away? Well, it’s true, because there are many twists and turns and surprises throughout this whole book. I never once knew what was going to happen next and I was on the edge of my seat waiting to see. My heart was broken and put back together and broken again. I cried and laughed and cried some more. This book is a rollercoaster in the best sense of the word.

More Happy Than Not is a book of self-discovery and acceptance. It’s about being okay with who you are and not caring what anyone else thinks of it. It’s also about heartbreak and pain and hope. A few quotes I especially liked:

“Sometimes you just have to push ahead to find what you’re looking for.” (Page 136)

“Sometimes pain is so unmanageable that the idea of spending another day with it seems impossible. Other times pain acts as a compass to help you get through the messier tunnels of growing up…” (Page 270)

The bottom line: There’s no way to summarize this book or how wonderful it is without simply saying, “Go read it.”

Wow. What an absolutely stellar debut. This book is unforgettable in the very best way. The concept reeled me in immediately, the voice and the superb writing hooked me, and the characters kept me turning page after page to see how their journeys in this stage of their lives would end. Talk about a journey for our main character, Aaron. Wow. I am truly speechless at this point in time. I don't know that anything I say will accurately portray just how moved I was by this story because I love this book SO much and I really need you to get that.

It's heartbreaking but so beautiful as Aaron learns about love and regret and taking chances and consequences. This exploration of sexuality was riveting. The portrayal of Aaron's social class was so very much appreciated in a category (YA) that often forgets or stereotypes this class; oh my goodness, you have no idea how refreshing it was to see this portrayed so correctly and I didn't have to read an "urban" book to see it done right. THANK YOU. This novel is so rich and grounded in its characters, its world, its journey, and how it's told (those twists!!!) and I wouldn't want it told by anyone else.

Silvera is fearless in writing the search for confronting honesty. The story is without a doubt tough, a battle in the mind as the main character dares to challenge what he knows and doesn't want to be true. That couldn't have been easy to write and I appreciate every single word, all of the blood, sweat, and tears that were poured into making sure every word of this story was written and seen by the masses. More Happy Than Not is a lovely, funny, heart-wrenching story about truth and what we do to live without it and what happens when we realize it's too late to live with it. I loved it. I loved this book so much. So much that I'm happy to proclaim that Adam Silvera is a master storyteller and you can bet I'll be on board for everything he writes next.

In the film Shadowlands, to help him deal with his grief, the dying wife of C.S Lewis tells him, “The pain then is part of the happiness now. That’s the deal.” It’s always been one of my favorite quotes. So moving. And if you've lost someone dear, you know it's so true.

I chose this book because of its unique premise. It combines a gay coming of age story with an intriguing speculative fiction element. For the first two-thirds of the book, frankly, I thought I was going to be disappointed because author Adam Silvera spends way too much time on the set-up - covering similar ground as in countless other coming out stories. Sixteen year-old Aaron Soto hangs out with his group of rough neck friends in their Bronx neighborhood, worries about his over-worked but doting mother, feuds with his video-game obsessed older brother, loses his virginity to Genevieve, the girl he think he loves until he meets Thomas, the new hottie in town, who awakens his latent desires. Yadda yadda yadda – all the usual suspects.

And yet…throughout there's foreshadowing of darker undercurrents – particularly with regard to Aaron’s father’s suicide and his own subsequent attempt. For the most part, these two topics go unexplored, ostensibly due to Aaron’s reticence to dwell on negative things in his past. But is that the whole story? Is it the true story?

All I can say is once you get past the redundancy of the early chapters and the tale begins to unfold in earnest, it’s enthralling and gut-wrenching. And while the protagonist is gay, and certainly his coming to terms with that is integral to the story, Silvera is really addressing much bigger, more universal themes about coping with grief and pain. Aaron learns, perhaps too late, that the risk we take when we love someone is that we’ll eventually lose them, one way or another. Because the pain then is part of the happiness now.

That’s the deal.

This one really sneaks up on you. A sophisticated addition to the LGBT YA canon and an all-round powerful debut.

Note: I received this book from Penguin Random House for an UNBIASED review. Receiving this book doesn't change my true opinion of the book whatsoever.

"Memories: some can be sucker punching, others carry you forward; some stay with you forever, others you forget on your own. You can’t really know which ones you’ll survive if you don’t stay on the battlefield, bad times shooting at you like bullets. But if you’re lucky, you’ll have plenty of good times to shield you."

This book/masterpiece is about a boy named Aaron Soto who lives in Bronx, in a one-room apartment where his father killed himself in the bathtub. Aaron finds it tough to live further with the bad stuff going on in his life so he attempts suicide too. But fortunately, he survives and continues to recover with the help of his patient girlfriend Genevieve.

Then, there is a new boy in the story - Thomas. He's sweet and doesn't mind talking about Aaron's past, on his rooftop where he sets up his projector to watch movies. On the basis of the three weeks Aaron spends with Thomas ,when his Genevieve goes for an art camp, he's confirmed that he has fallen for Thomas in a way he feels is not right.
This when Aaron decides to turn to Leteo Institute's memory-alteration procedure to turn-off these new-found feelings and forget that he's gay.

This is the [UNBELIEVABLE] DEBUT of Adam Silvera written extremely flawlessly while looking effortless. The characters are very powerful and have been written in a way that add to the perfection of this book. Aaron narrates the story such that any one who starts reading would be easily sucked in until the end where you just want to put down the book in front of you, kneel in front of it and clap while wiping off the tears it leaves you with. There is not even a single place in the book where you can say - this part could've been written better - which makes me give it all-aces.

I'm so glad that the author cared enough to write this story and share it with us. Truly. It made me cry more than what I cried after watching 'The Notebook'. What embroiders the perfection of this book is its format - the way it has been written in parts and the smileys... When I received this book I really praised the reviews and appreciation it received as a debut. Now, that I have finished it, I am one of the people in the crowd. Whenever I'll look at this book in my library, I'll be forced to look at it with my nostalgia of Aaron and his life, with teary-eyed smile.

CONCLUSION: Indeed, it is the perfection of a book about a boy and his tale of realization and heartbreak, which needs to be read by every single person in the world as a necessity. BUY IT NOW!!!!!!!!!! Okay?

I am moved to tears after finishing this book. Slowly, slowly the story of Aaron, of who he was and who he didn't want to be rooted inside me. At first, I wasn't sure if I even liked the book, the story, yet somehow I connected with Aaron's struggle for happiness and saw more than a coming of age story about a gay teen. I saw a story about realizing how the good and bad, the wanted and undesired of life cannot be erased.

This story threw me for a loop, a twist I truly wasn't expecting. Don't expect a sweet Hollywood ending, or a romantic HEA here because real life, even in the universe painted in this book, is messy. Just know that Aaron does get an HFN, he gets many of them.

Sometimes, a book really does live up to the hype. In this case, a story about a confused 17 year old and the heartache and heartbreak of his life. There is a slightly science fiction aspect that figures in the background but isn't really a part of the plot until much deeper into the story. The book blurb notes the 'Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind' aspect but the trippiness of that movie is replaced with pathos and heart. What we have is a very real and grounded story (but never maudlin or saccharine) and a character in Aaron Soto that you want to follow and love as he falls in and out of love himself.

Plot: Aaron is a teen boy surviving life in the Bronx - drugs, frenemies, sex, part-time jobs, comics, video games, goofing off, and the dawning realization that the future is no longer a nebulous, far off proposition. But he is also realizing he might be gay - despite or in spite of having a wonderful girlfriend. Everything changes when he meets Thomas - a guy his age from a neighboring project. They strike up a friendship and suddenly Aaron is no longer sure - about Thomas, about himself, and most especially about Leteo - a clinical treatment that might allow him to forget feelings for Thomas, not lose his friends, and live a normal hetereo life with his girlfriend.

The immediacy of a teenager - longings, wants, pain, and more are so beautifully rendered in this book. Author Silvera weaves a delicate balance between the harsh realities of the Bronx projects and Aaron's heart. In other hands, this could have been a very harsh and unforgiving book with an overly strong moral message. But instead, Aaron's character is both flawed and insightful, hopeful and despairing. It is a heady mix that keeps you reading, even as Aaron and all the other characters make both the right and the wrong decisions in search of their happiness.

There are several themes explored here: loss, memory, homophobia, normalcy, friendship, and especially love (not just his own exploits but also what his family and others do for love, in searching for love, and despite love). So although the book synopsis makes it sound like either a) a gay story, b) a supernatural sci fi, or b) a moralizing sermon, in reality it is at heart a story of love and life with a well executed twist at the end.

I'm really not into books that are psychological mind games or heavy on the statements since they tend to be at the expense of story. Fortunately, with More Happy Than Not, the focus is completely on the very unique and distinct characters and doesn't fall into the trap of trying too hard to be clever. Reading between the lines, this is likely semi-autobiographical and therefore so many little details really add to the authenticity of the story. But the depth and distinct characterizations make this a book that is more than just an experience of reading someone's story; it's one that really makes you muse about life since there is so much said in very low key and subtle nuances. As the kids in the story play street games, video games, drink beer on rooftops and party despite the consequences, we're completely drawn into the story of their lives.

It really is all about the writing here. I think in the YA genre we forget or forgive the lack of good writing so easily and so often. But with More Happy than Not, we have a book that really should be a classic and required reading for teens in schools. Rich with life, it is a book that is easy to read but stays with you long after you finished.

Reviewed from an advance reader copy provided by the publisher.

In the film Shadowlands, to help him deal with his grief, the dying wife of C.S Lewis tells him, “The pain then is part of the happiness now. That’s the deal.” It’s always been one of my favorite quotes. So moving. And if you've lost someone dear, you know it's so true.

I chose this book because of its unique premise. It combines a gay coming of age story with an intriguing speculative fiction element. For the first two-thirds of the book, frankly, I thought I was going to be disappointed because author Adam Silvera spends way too much time on the set-up - covering similar ground as in countless other coming out stories. Sixteen year-old Aaron Soto hangs out with his group of rough neck friends in their Bronx neighborhood, worries about his over-worked but doting mother, feuds with his video-game obsessed older brother, loses his virginity to Genevieve, the girl he think he loves until he meets Thomas, the new hottie in town, who awakens his latent desires. Yadda yadda yadda – all the usual suspects.

And yet…throughout there's foreshadowing of darker undercurrents – particularly with regard to Aaron’s father’s suicide and his own subsequent attempt. For the most part, these two topics go unexplored, ostensibly due to Aaron’s reticence to dwell on negative things in his past. But is that the whole story? Is it the true story?

All I can say is once you get past the redundancy of the early chapters and the tale begins to unfold in earnest, it’s enthralling and gut-wrenching. And while the protagonist is gay, and certainly his coming to terms with that is integral to the story, Silvera is really addressing much bigger, more universal themes about coping with grief and pain. Aaron learns, perhaps too late, that the risk we take when we love someone is that we’ll eventually lose them, one way or another. Because the pain then is part of the happiness now.

That’s the deal.

This one really sneaks up on you. A sophisticated addition to the LGBT YA canon and an all-round powerful debut.

Note: I received this book from Penguin Random House for an UNBIASED review. Receiving this book doesn't change my true opinion of the book whatsoever.

"Memories: some can be sucker punching, others carry you forward; some stay with you forever, others you forget on your own. You can’t really know which ones you’ll survive if you don’t stay on the battlefield, bad times shooting at you like bullets. But if you’re lucky, you’ll have plenty of good times to shield you."

This book/masterpiece is about a boy named Aaron Soto who lives in Bronx, in a one-room apartment where his father killed himself in the bathtub. Aaron finds it tough to live further with the bad stuff going on in his life so he attempts suicide too. But fortunately, he survives and continues to recover with the help of his patient girlfriend Genevieve.

Then, there is a new boy in the story - Thomas. He's sweet and doesn't mind talking about Aaron's past, on his rooftop where he sets up his projector to watch movies. On the basis of the three weeks Aaron spends with Thomas ,when his Genevieve goes for an art camp, he's confirmed that he has fallen for Thomas in a way he feels is not right.
This when Aaron decides to turn to Leteo Institute's memory-alteration procedure to turn-off these new-found feelings and forget that he's gay.

This is the [UNBELIEVABLE] DEBUT of Adam Silvera written extremely flawlessly while looking effortless. The characters are very powerful and have been written in a way that add to the perfection of this book. Aaron narrates the story such that any one who starts reading would be easily sucked in until the end where you just want to put down the book in front of you, kneel in front of it and clap while wiping off the tears it leaves you with. There is not even a single place in the book where you can say - this part could've been written better - which makes me give it all-aces.

I'm so glad that the author cared enough to write this story and share it with us. Truly. It made me cry more than what I cried after watching 'The Notebook'. What embroiders the perfection of this book is its format - the way it has been written in parts and the smileys... When I received this book I really praised the reviews and appreciation it received as a debut. Now, that I have finished it, I am one of the people in the crowd. Whenever I'll look at this book in my library, I'll be forced to look at it with my nostalgia of Aaron and his life, with teary-eyed smile.

CONCLUSION: Indeed, it is the perfection of a book about a boy and his tale of realization and heartbreak, which needs to be read by every single person in the world as a necessity. BUY IT NOW!!!!!!!!!! Okay?

I am moved to tears after finishing this book. Slowly, slowly the story of Aaron, of who he was and who he didn't want to be rooted inside me. At first, I wasn't sure if I even liked the book, the story, yet somehow I connected with Aaron's struggle for happiness and saw more than a coming of age story about a gay teen. I saw a story about realizing how the good and bad, the wanted and undesired of life cannot be erased.

This story threw me for a loop, a twist I truly wasn't expecting. Don't expect a sweet Hollywood ending, or a romantic HEA here because real life, even in the universe painted in this book, is messy. Just know that Aaron does get an HFN, he gets many of them.

Sometimes, a book really does live up to the hype. In this case, a story about a confused 17 year old and the heartache and heartbreak of his life. There is a slightly science fiction aspect that figures in the background but isn't really a part of the plot until much deeper into the story. The book blurb notes the 'Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind' aspect but the trippiness of that movie is replaced with pathos and heart. What we have is a very real and grounded story (but never maudlin or saccharine) and a character in Aaron Soto that you want to follow and love as he falls in and out of love himself.

Plot: Aaron is a teen boy surviving life in the Bronx - drugs, frenemies, sex, part-time jobs, comics, video games, goofing off, and the dawning realization that the future is no longer a nebulous, far off proposition. But he is also realizing he might be gay - despite or in spite of having a wonderful girlfriend. Everything changes when he meets Thomas - a guy his age from a neighboring project. They strike up a friendship and suddenly Aaron is no longer sure - about Thomas, about himself, and most especially about Leteo - a clinical treatment that might allow him to forget feelings for Thomas, not lose his friends, and live a normal hetereo life with his girlfriend.

The immediacy of a teenager - longings, wants, pain, and more are so beautifully rendered in this book. Author Silvera weaves a delicate balance between the harsh realities of the Bronx projects and Aaron's heart. In other hands, this could have been a very harsh and unforgiving book with an overly strong moral message. But instead, Aaron's character is both flawed and insightful, hopeful and despairing. It is a heady mix that keeps you reading, even as Aaron and all the other characters make both the right and the wrong decisions in search of their happiness.

There are several themes explored here: loss, memory, homophobia, normalcy, friendship, and especially love (not just his own exploits but also what his family and others do for love, in searching for love, and despite love). So although the book synopsis makes it sound like either a) a gay story, b) a supernatural sci fi, or b) a moralizing sermon, in reality it is at heart a story of love and life with a well executed twist at the end.

I'm really not into books that are psychological mind games or heavy on the statements since they tend to be at the expense of story. Fortunately, with More Happy Than Not, the focus is completely on the very unique and distinct characters and doesn't fall into the trap of trying too hard to be clever. Reading between the lines, this is likely semi-autobiographical and therefore so many little details really add to the authenticity of the story. But the depth and distinct characterizations make this a book that is more than just an experience of reading someone's story; it's one that really makes you muse about life since there is so much said in very low key and subtle nuances. As the kids in the story play street games, video games, drink beer on rooftops and party despite the consequences, we're completely drawn into the story of their lives.

It really is all about the writing here. I think in the YA genre we forget or forgive the lack of good writing so easily and so often. But with More Happy than Not, we have a book that really should be a classic and required reading for teens in schools. Rich with life, it is a book that is easy to read but stays with you long after you finished.

Reviewed from an advance reader copy provided by the publisher.

Basically, I have little interest in gay literature. However, some books that fit that genre are quite surprising, and this is certainly one of them. This is a coming of age novel, in this case focusing on the Main character, Aaron, as he becomes aware of his liking for other boys. This isn't an easy realization for Aaron to accept and through a new technology which makes the subject forget his past, he aims to "forget that he's gay". This mix of the gay coming of age theme with the speculative fiction theme makes for a novel that certainly goes beyond genre and will be of interest to readers regardless of sexual preference. It is slow developing and doesn't really get underway until the latter third of the book. The ending isn't predictable and it is an all around good read which I an recommend to all.

** Trigger warning for violence, suicide/suicide attempts, and racist/sexist/homophobic language. **

“My scar is pressed against his forearm, and if I had as much hope in life back then as I do now, it would’ve never existed in the first place.”

“Every mistake I’ve made, every wrong I’ve repeated, every unhealed heartache: I feel it all and more as the weight of my old world crushes me. If you looked inside me, I bet you’d find two different hearts beating for two different people, like the sun and moon up at the same time, a terrible eclipse I’m the only witness to.”

Aaron Soto’s having a f***ing terrible year. (There is a glorious amount of swearing in MORE HAPPY THAN NOT, and I think it only appropriate that I pay it homage.)

Along with his older brother Eric and mother Elsie, Aaron lives in a one-bedroom apartment in the Leonardo Housing project in the Bronx. Though she’s employed full-time as a social worker at Washington Hospital and also has a second job at a supermarket, handling meat four nights a week, Elsie can barely afford to keep a roof over their heads and food on the table.

Part of the family’s financial troubles are due to the drop from two incomes to one upon the death of Aaron’s father Mark, who killed himself four months ago; Elsie came home to find her abusive husband dead in the bathtub, his wrists sliced open and his blood coloring the bath water a horror movie shade of red. Though he didn’t get much sympathy from his so-called “friends” – Brendan, Baby Freddy, Skinny-Dave, and Me-Crazy – Aaron spent many nights crying on his girlfriend Genevieve’s lap. Despite Gen’s unwavering support, just two months later Aaron made his own attempt: a smiley face carved on his wrist, using his dead father’s straight razor.

After months of being treated with kid gloves, Aaron’s doing better: he’s got a job at nearby Good Food’s, which allows him to slip his mom some extra cash for the rent, with just a little spending money left over for comic books; he and Gen are stronger than ever; and he just struck up a friendship with Thomas, a fellow geek from neighboring Joey Rosa. But when Genevieve leaves on a three-week art retreat, Aaron’s surprised and more than a little discomfited to find his attentions straying: to Thomas. When his new bestie rejects his tentative advances – without, it’s worth noting, rejecting him as a person – Aaron turns to the Leteo Institute, and its experimental and controversial memory suppression/alteration procedure.

In a society where being gay makes you a target – of teasing, harassment, ostracization, and outright violence – is it preferable to erase who you are to achieve a certain kind of happiness, even if that happiness is based on lies?

This book sucker-punched me in the heart. Silvera creates an earthquake of emotions and then throws his audience right in the epicenter. MORE HAPPY THAN NOT is, to borrow a phrase from Aaron, a weird mix of ugly and hopeful. Even as Aaron is beset by tragedies both mundane (the end of a romantic relationship) and extraordinary (a violent gang assault for acting marginally gay in public) – and even during those darkest moments when Aaron seems to give up on himself – I found myself holding onto the hope that he would, one day, get his happy ending. And he does; kind of, sort of. But even this happiness is mercurial and fleeting, born as it is from one final, monumental, super-ironic tragedy.

MORE HAPPY THAN NOT is billed as a mashup of ETERNAL SUNSHINE OF THE SPOTLESS MIND and ARISTOTLE AND DANTE DISCOVER THE SECRETS OF THE UNIVERSE; I’ve seen the former, but have yet to read the latter (though it is in my towering TBR pile). While the premise is vaguely similar to ETERNAL SUNSHINE – a gay, YA take on the idea, you might say – the story is still unique, original, and highly inventive in its own right. The science fiction element – which is a large part of what initially drew me to the story – is really just icing on the cake; Aaron’s journey to self-discovery and -acceptance is really where it’s at.

Aaron makes for a compelling narrator: sometimes unreliable and self-defeating, but also surprisingly insightful, self-aware, and open to growth. His reasons for wanting the Leteo procedure inspired some rather conflicting emotions in ye ole cockles. On the one hand, you have the grief and agony of a love lost: acutely painful, to be sure, but also a universal experience that most of us must overcome at least once in life. Hardly worth tinkering with your brain over. (And, to be fair, Leteo’s policies prohibit procedures for such trivial reasons anyhow.) More than once I wanted to sit Aaron down and give him the clichéd “other fish in the sea” speech (which I’m sure I met with an exaggerated eye-roll when I was his age).

On the other end of the spectrum lies a key element of Aaron’s identity, his sexual orientation, which has consistently made him a target of hate, violence, and bigotry. Guys aren’t supposed to like guys; being gay is a choice; you can teach or even beat the gay out of someone. “No Homo,” and all that nonsense. Leteo’s procedure suggests that, while being gay isn’t a choice, *continuing* to be gay just might be. (Access to the procedure aside.) For me, this was the crux of the story, above and beyond Aaron’s broken heart: when who you are isn’t deemed acceptable by society, then denying yourself becomes a sad yet understandable – even necessary – survival strategy.

Coming of age is hard enough; doubly so when your friends, family, and community find your very being wrong, even offensive; infinitely so when there might just be a way out/around – should you choose to exercise it.

MORE HAPPY THAN NOT is easily the most original and lovely coming out story I’ve ever read. About halfway through, there’s a truly epic plot twist that catapults the story from “great” to “can’t miss.” Like, my jaw literally dropped. If there was a Plot Twist Hall of Fame, Adam Silvera would be guaranteed a spot. Genius. I’ve read some truly amazing books so far this year, but MORE HAPPY THAN NOT is bound to be one of my favorites. It’s pretty much impossible for me to oversell you on this book.

It also doesn’t hurt that Aaron is a geek after my own heart: he loves fantasy books, spends his free days lounging in the local comic book store (and is even working on his own story!), and delights in watching cheesy ’80s movies on a rooftop projector. I would for real love to have him as a friend.

** Full disclosure: I received a free electronic ARC for review through Edelweiss. **

This book was truly amazing. Must note though: this is not a happy story, nor does it have the perfect ending, but thats what makes this book so powerful and beautiful at the same time.The feels throughout this book were incredible, and i loved the message that even though bad things happen in life that we may want to forget, they make us who we are as a person and play a role with the type of person we hope to become. Only major issue i have with this book is the characters besides Thomas. I felt like there was not very much to them overall, and would have liked to see they're part is Aaron story. Definitely will say this is one of my top books of 2015, and maybe of all time. Total must read for sure. Looking forward to reading more from Adam Silvera in the future =)

Remember that time...I won this book (signed!!!) in a twitter giveaway from the author himself (@adamsilvera)! I had already heard so many great things about it and it was on my goodreads tbr shelf already.

I absolutely loved this book. I had some issues with the first half of the book. I was a little confused. But, it all made sense in the end. If you are reading this and aren't sure if you want to continue, you must! It will all come together! It comes together in a marvelous way. It reminded me of Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close in that sense. Reevaluation and a different perspective completely enriches the story.

This book is structured so well. I even thought I predicted the ending, but it was far more intense. The thing I predicted happened, but there was a big OMG moment in addition.

This book is a great take on what makes a friendship. There are a lot of different types of relationships in this book. The characters all have good and bad qualities. They are fully realized people.

This book takes place in a NYC neighborhood. There's kind of a Hey Arnold feel to it, except much more adult. There's definitely more violence in this book than there was in the 90's cartoon.

I wouldn't really call this a sci-fi book, but the premise is based on a fictional scientific procedure so I guess it technically is. The Leteo Institute introduces such an interesting question. If you could forget specific parts of your life, would you? It adds an interesting layer to a lgbt coming out story.

There are a lot of geeky references in this book and I loved them all. There's a stand-in for Harry Potter that is wonderful to read about.

I give this book a 5/5! I am so tempted to go back and reread it knowing what I know now. This is a great addition to the LGBT YA books out there. We need more interesting books like this!

19542841
More Happy Than Not
Adam Silvera

the store / Goodreads

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.

Adam Silvera's extraordinary debut novel offers a unique confrontation of race, class and sexuality during one charged near-future summer in the Bronx.
_______________________________________________________________________

Here Be the Players
Aaron wasn't bad. You might think he's boring at first, but he gained depth as the story continued. It was revealed that he was gay. And he had so many problems because of it. So much happened. He had to accept it. But it was odd. He did seem a bit normal for the area. (The lower side. The poorer side of town. You get my meaning hopefully.) Played manhunt. Had a girlfriend. Did the do. He seemed so normal that everything just seemed so terrible. Perhaps, that was on purpose. He was a nerd of sorts. A comic book nerd. But his person revolved around the gay thing. It seemed like he was just the 'gay guy'. That was a bit confusing. He did have other personality traits. Why not mention that and lessen his 'gay guy' title? Not sure... It was interesting to see what happened to him. I didn't love his character, though, but he did have his good points. He was willing to admit his lies. But he wasn't great as I expected him to be.
Thomas was interesting. Someone who can't decide. About anything. That's okay, though. You're only a teenager. It is understandable. What I did understand was why he had to lead poor Aaron on. Aw...poor Aaron. I sympathize with the poor guy. He didn't expect Thomas to do what he did. (Evasive maneuvering! Dodge and weave, boys!) I did like Thomas. He did many things. And he didn't decide. Which wasn't bad but wasn't good either. He was a good friend. I imagine he'd be a good boyfriend as well. Who knows?
Genevieve was interesting as well. An artist. She was amazing. She was loyal. She stayed with Aaron. Loyalty was a trait she had. She was a great girlfriend and friend. Smart. Funny. Quirky. She tried her best to help. And maybe that's what's important.

The Adventure Begins (And Ends)

The beginning was a bit boring. Two guys becoming friends out of the blue. How was this different than other stories? You might be asking yourself that. It seemed so typical. Closeted gay guy likes seemingly straight guy. Whoops. Forgot to tell you seemingly straight guy is gay. But this story wasn't anything like that. It seemed so different. You start to wonder why Leteo was important and why it was in the blurb. You feel a bit for the relationships Aaron had. They were all great. The loving bond from girlfriend Genevieve. The funny and kind Thomas. The rough friendships he has with the kids on the block. Brendan the sorta best friend. Me-Crazy. (I liked Me-Crazy a bit. Just a bit. He was the whackjob people are worried about. Crazy and insane. Reckless. But he did push it a bit too far.)
Towards the middle, things got interesting. We had the feelings rising. The question of being gay. What's this? What am I feeling? And Aaron was worried about revealing things.
And then...it got real. So soul-crushingly real. It started to hurt. We learned the
procedure Aaron went through. The Before. The things that made him get the
procedure. And the thing that made him remember. It made me gasp. I held my
breath. I was worried for Aaron. I was worried in general. What is wrong with
those people? What's wrong with the people who created Leteo? Leteo can destroy
lives, but they can also help. Is the pro worth the con? Which outweighs which?

The Swoon-Gasp-Swoon Factor

It was truly dramatic. The fights. The Collin thing. The hiding. The quietness. Holding things back. It was the sort of drama that you don't expect.
You expect the father to find out about his son and be angry.
Well. You got that and more.
I truly didn't expect the beating that Aaron got that unwound his memories. Whoa. And they said they were your friends? You need better friends, duded.
This drama drew you in. What's going to happen? What not? Who will attack next? You clung to the pages. The story drew you in. You had to know.

Ka-Pow Power

N/A

Kiss Kiss Fall in Love

The romance...it's actually hard to place. Are we talking about Aaron's wants? Or Collin's which was real? Or Genevieve's which was fake?
I didn't particularly like Collin. He was rude. His rejection was uncalled for. He was rough and touchy. Assuming things really. He didn't care for Aaron. I don't think so at least. He seemed to use Aaron for sex. To calm his urges.
Genevieve... Ah. She was good as a girlfriend. She tried to be kind. And help. Tried to make Aaron feel straight when feeling gay made him feel terrible. I thought they had a good bond. But Aaron was rude to her. She didn't deserve it. He could have let her down easy or something. I hoped they gained trust with each other again. And maybe they did in the end.
And Thomas. Such a good friendship. Romance was going to ruin it. You could tell. Thomas was too flighty. Unpredictable. You wouldn't know if he would accept Aaron as a boyfriend or not. He was a bit rude. What's wrong with a kiss? You're a teen. Let it be. You people are reckless! What's wrong with a kiss?

Special Effects

It showed the rough side of town. The poorer side.
I am a middle class person. Always have been. My parents aren't rich. They were never rich. My family made enough money, though. I still wanted the lavious 1% lifestyle as many do. But my life wasn't too bad.
So it's a punch in the gut when I read this side of the story. The faulty plumbing. The sharing of rooms. The needs over the wants. Not even considering the wants anymore. The two jobs, maybe more.
It was a stab in the gut. The smack of reality.
I never realized how bad people have it.
I'm lucky. I know that. I've known it for a while. I never saw much poverty. My friends were rich private school kids or well-off public school ones. I grew up wailing about wanting the stuffed bunny, and then it's in my arms.
One distinct memory I had was one when I was around nine. There was a new toy out. And I wanted it. My half-birthday was coming up. Declaring the importance of one's half-birthday, I got my dad to purchase it for me. It was around $10-20. Now...I feel so bad.
I wander the streets of New York City and yearn to place a dollar in the guy's cup. Or put a granola bar there. Make some contribution. I don't. Why? I'm a shy person. Not the cute shy. The shy that will rage if you dare make me interview that person, what are you doing, staph. Yes. That person. I'm that person. So I got what I wanted as a kid. I needed to be pleased. Being an only child didn't help much either.
And this...this is someone's reality. Kicking beer cans. Grafitti. Kissing in the dark. One bedroom apartments. Even my aunt has two bedrooms! (One's been made into a closet.) And she lives in a city where rent is expensive with a capital E.
I don't see the truth sometimes. I've been blindsided by everything I know.
This story showed me the truth.

The End

The ending was good. Worthy. It fit the story. Especially the title. More happy than not. And that's what Aaron got. His happiness. Or, at least, more happiness than not. It was a good ending.
I did feel like Aaron finally became someone else. Someone that suited who he wanted to be. Accepting of his fate. Things happen. You have to accept it after a certain point.

This story really made an impression. It started out a bit boring, but it ended on a high note. Something that changed and different.

Rating:
5/5

Aaron has a dilemma. He likes boys instead of girls. This is a problem to his family, and to his girlfriend. He does not want to like boys instead of girls, “that way.” So he heads to the experimental memory treatments created by the Leteo Institute. What the experimental treatments do to him, and how his friends and family react to them and the eventual conclusion make up the bulk of this fascinating, thought provoking YA novel.

Another reviewer wrote something to the extent that this book should not be just marketed and branded as just a gay/lesbian, or a YA novel. I have to agree with this. This book can easily appeal to adults, although the main character Aaron is a teenager going through severe teen angst and an identity crisis. The characters are interesting and well drawn-you can sympathize with Aaron and his plight, but you can easily see the other people's points of view too. Part of the summary on the back states that the book tackles race, class and sexuality and it does that, in a discussion provoking way. This would be an excellent book to give to a recently outed adult or young adult, as it discusses intently the ways people hide from their true selves. There are illusions to medical /psychological ethics as well. At times when reading about the Leteo “sessions,” I was unpleasantly reminded of Conversion therapy, the therapy that a person is either forced into or goes into willingly is the therapy that is designed to turn someone homosexual into a heterosexual person. It is controversial, has been banned in some states, and is extremely unethical. Plus, it doesn't work; and has horrible aftershocks on people who choose or are forced to go through it by their families. I couldn't help but think of conversion therapy as Aaron undergoes his "memory-relief" sessions at the Leteo Institute.

Be in a good mood when you read this book. By the time you finish it, you may not be in a very good one, and will need to do something to improve your attitude. I was very depressed initially after I read this book in one sitting, but I did some yoga and felt better. Other reviewers have pointed out this book is depressing, and they are right. Don't let that stop you from reading what will be one of the most talked about books this year.

Really well done work, an outstanding debut. Aaron Soto is a poor Hispanic teen living with his mom and brother in a one bedroom project apartment in the Bronx. He's got a sweet girlfriend, understanding and compassionate. His buddies are the usual teen boys, friends but not really close, they aren't exactly supportive of each other. Not that many teen boys are. However, Aaron could use a friend who is. Enter Thomas, another teen residing in the projects, who becomes a friend who really gets Aaron. The boys become close, caring friends. After awhile, Aaron begins to question his sexuality and the undeniable attachment he has with his friend.

Aaron doesn't want to feel this way. His mother, brother and girlfriend are all less than supportive and happy with his quest in this area of his life. He decides to make a change...there's something new, all the rage. Courtesy of the Leteo Institute, there are doctors that could extract memories from his brain, in essence, allowing him to "forget" that he is gay. Of course, this is expensive therapy, out of the financial reach of his family.

There's a lot going on here.....confused teen aged emotions, painful revelations, and medical procedures with questionable ethics to change a person as society or family dictates. It's an outstanding story, one that touches issues that can be considered hot button topics, but it's much more than gay fic lit, it's a book for all readers raising important questions about expectations, society and life in general.

All the relationships here are well-portrayed and thus hurt so much.

This is about love, sexuality, relationships, memory, and choices or lack thereof about those things.

I loved the bits of geekiness (multiple flavors of it) from Aaron, Thomas, and Collin and the art from Genevieve and Aaron. I liked how vivid the neighborhood culture Aaron grew up in was. All of that made this feel grounded when the spec element could have prevented that.

The premise of this book is interesting, and it has a very inventive plot. If there was a medical procedure to "change" the brain of a gay person to make that person straight, should the gay person go through that procedure in the hope that life would easier for her/him? Should the person go through with the procedure no matter what the side effects might be? Initially I was drawn in by the story, but the book needs ruthless editing to make the flow of the book easier to follow. Flashbacks are fine in a novel if they are done in an organized way. Unfortunately, that is what is lacking in this book so the plot becomes more and more confusing. If the publisher hires a good editor to rework More Happy Than Not, I would be more likely to buy this book, and to recommend it to my patrons.

Adam Silvera's debut is powerful, extremely well written and real. The world that Aaron Soto lived in felt very real to me; the Bronx the author described felt like it could exist today…minus the Leteo project. I loved the way Aaron spoke to the reader and how the family he has and the family/friends he created just felt like they could be down the block. My heart broke for him in so many places and I just wanted to give him a big hug. I am pretty sure he would not approve though. And just as I settled in that this was 99% contemporary, A TWIST happened and I sat there with my MOUTH OPEN IN SHOCK. Well done, Adam, for pulling that off. I didn't see it coming and I loved it!!! After I was done with this book, I went back and reread the novel to see if I could tell. Wow, wow, wow. This book deserves all the high praise it can get and i am very excited for Adam Silvera's next book. Is it 2016 yet???

I am pleasantly surprised at how much I loved this book. LGBTQ are usually not my go to reads, but this book was so beautifully written, that I am glad I picked it up.

The book tackles very relevant topics, such as depression, suicide, memory loss, and homophobia. While it's has a bit of science fiction peppered in, the book is very realistic and very in tune with what we see in our world today.

If you're looking for a happily ever after type of novel, this isn't it. Don't let that deter you.

More Happy Than Not was such an incredible surprise to me. I apparently didn’t read the blurb very carefully (or the reviews – I just saw that they were glowing and knew that the main character was gay) because I didn’t remember about The Leteo Institute before I started reading, so that bit of sci-fi element to the book (some people are calling it fantasy, but I’d say it’s more sci-fi – the idea is that scientists come up with a way to make you forget parts of your life) took me by surprise. Once you get to the point that involves that, the book takes a very interesting turn!

What I LOVED:

The setting.
This book is set in the Bronx and has a definite inner-city feel to it. Right from the start you find out that one of the neighborhood kids was shot and fights are pretty much a part of the norm. They run a bit wilder than is typical in the buttoned-up suburbs, and that raises the stakes when Aaron is questioning his sexuality – it’s not the type of environment where being gay is accepted (in fact, pretty much any time the boys touch each other they have to declare “no homo.”) Not that being gay in the suburbs is easy, but in this urban setting it seems downright dangerous (I suppose the same is true is certain rural settings as well, but I digress.) At any rate, the gritty setting created a unique backdrop for this story that shaped it in many ways. The setting in this one wasn’t just an afterthought – it might as well have been a character. (I wasn’t at all surprised to read in Silvera’s bio that he grew up in the Bronx himself.)

Friendships.
This book really focused on the relationships between Aaron and his friends and girlfriend. These relationships were crazy and funny and, at times, sweet. Aaron and Genevieve form a bond that can only be forged out of both joy and pain, and Aaron’s relationship with Thomas is endearing and humorous in a world that could easily be all about pain. The fun moments with friends kept this book from being too dark. (I should also mention that Aaron’s relationship with his mom is refreshing too!)

The struggle for identity.
Once Aaron realizes that he’s having feelings for his best friend, he doesn’t immediately want to go to The Leteo Institute to forget. It’s through a series of pretty painful events that Aaron comes to that conclusion – that being gay is just too hard and that it would be easier just to forget that part of himself. He’s sure that Leteo can change him into the person he wants to be. This part of the story was intriguing, but then there are some HUGE revelations that turn the whole thing upside down – I really don’t want to spoil anything, but I will say that Aaron’s journey is way more complex than I ever imagined. In fact, the second half of the book (or maybe just the last quarter?) is almost a completely different book as it moves into the realm of the fantastical – but all still grounded in Aaron’s very painful reality.

The negatives:

The ending.
I wasn’t sure how I felt about the ending to this book. It was very strange and completely open-ended, which some people love, but I usually don’t.

This book is different from anything else you’ll read, and for that alone it deserves praise. It’s a surprising novel about accepting who you are – or forgetting it completely. But trust me, this is not a book you will soon forget. I give it 4.5/5 stars.

HIGHLIGHTS: MORE HAPPY THANT NOT is an intriguing book that reads like a contemporary novel with a sci-fi twist. Aaron's life is kind of a mess - his father committed suicide, and Aaron's still coming off a failed attempt of his own. But things quickly start turning around - life is great with his girlfriend, and he even makes a new friend in Thomas. But as the pages turn, relationships and feelings change as truths are revealed. The concept of the Leteo Institute is kind of terrifying and fascinating. Silvera develops Aaron wonderfully, and provides an equally excellent cast of side characters. This book is realistic, despite the Leteo / mind-altering concept. Relationships seem genuinely complex, and nothing is going to be easy for any of these characters. All in all, this is a highly impressive story.

LOWLIGHTS: As much as I enjoyed this book, it didn't click with me emotionally. I should have been bawling my eyes out by the end, but the writiing did not have that much affect on me. But, that doesn't mean it wasn't a good story - this is a great book, but it didn't tug at my emotions the way it seems to be doing with everyone else.

Wow. This book is beautiful and heartbreaking. I wasn't planning to read this in one sitting but I could not put it down! It is very well written. You will fall in love with the main character. This should be required reading for all teens. It's all about loving yourself for exactly who you are. I wish I could go through a Leteo procedure to forget this book and re-read it!! Highly, highly recommend for ALL ages!

After hitting the audience with depressing circumstance after depressing circumstance, you would think the book would have a more positive ending with prospects that things will get better for the main character. Instead, the positives outcomes from this torturous journey vastly outweigh the avalanche of misfortune Aaron has throughout the book. Finishing this story left me unsatisfied and sad, but if you're into tragic endings then go ahead and read it.

This book was so funny, and real, and poignant. It had me hooked from the very first page. The characters were warm and relatable. The writing style was heavenly; Aaron has such an amazingly strong voice. It took a lot of turns that I really wasn't expecting. Also it broke my heart into a thousand pieces at the end. But whatever. It's fine. I'm fine. *sobs*
I can't wait to read more from this author!

Struggling with what to rate this between 4.5 and 5. It's beautiful and heartbreaking (yes, I cried) and nothing like I imagined. This will be taking a permanent place on my shelves as soon as I can buy a copy.

Very well written with a well planned story, but I didn't get wrapped up in it, and that's because I know I am not the main targeted audience for this story. It's a great novel though, and if you're interested, I recommend it.

The first part of this one is slow, but then . . . Wow! The twist! The other twist! The heartbreak! A poignant message told in an authentic voice. I'll say nothing more to avoid spoilers, but if you haven't, go read this book immediately.

I received this book from Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.

MORE HAPPY THAN NOT is perhaps my favorite debut so far this year, and certainly my favorite queer book of the year. Silvera's dialogue rings SO true, and the questions this book raises and the format in which they're raised—about memory, about being gay, about if you can or should change that—are unique and well-handled. Aaron's story is compelling, emotional, and gut-wrenching and I was with him until the very last page. The buzz surrounding this book is absolutely worth it, and I look forward to seeing what Silvera has next up his sleeve.