More Happy Than Not

Aaron Soto has a lot going for him, and a lot against him. While he's surrounded by a great group of friends and has a quirky artist girlfriend by his side, he's also still mourning the death of his father (who took his own life) and recovering from a stupid suicide attempt of his own. When his girlfriend leaves for a few weeks, Aaron meets a guy named Thomas and they start to hang out. Slowly, he starts to pull away from his childhood friends in favor of spending time with the new one. Things are starting to change for Aaron. His feelings for his girlfriend are disappearing, and he can't stop thinking about Thomas. Meanwhile, there are all these protests going on around his home because of a new institute called Leteo, which can apparently erase people's bad memories in order to give them a better life. When Aaron finally confesses his feelings to Thomas, the hurt and rejection that follow make him desperate to erase it all and start over. But what if erasing your memories doesn't really get rid of who you are? There is no better way to put yourself in someone else's shoes than by reading a book. The main character in More Happy Than Not probably couldn't be more different from me if he tried, except in one very important way -- he likes men. That might be a little bit of a spoiler, but if you've heard anything about this book at all, you probably already know. That's because Adam Silvera's debut novel is not only a New York Times bestseller, but it's also being lauded as one of the most poignant, touching coming out stories in modern fiction, and I would have to say I agree. If you can, set aside any prejudices you might have to read this book. No matter what you think about poverty, suicide, homosexuality, underage drinking, sex, and psychology -- set it all aside and read this book. There is so much inside it that is needed in our society today, messages that need to be conveyed, stories that must be told. It deals with young love, confusion, heartache, finding out who you are, and my favorite -- the power of memories. I love reading books that mess with characters' minds and consider the possibilities of experimentation on the brain (after all, I wrote one). This does all of that, and deals with the pain and trauma of growing up in the most beautiful, relatable way. Silvera writes about rejection in a way that I always wished I could after a crappy breakup. His character sees the world in much the same way I do when I'm heartbroken and feeling alone: ugly, broken, but still worth living in -- no matter how bad it gets. “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 you can remember it.” For everyone who thinks that your memories are the only things that make you who you are, maybe you're right. But Silvera poses the question: what if you're wrong? What if who you are, what you like, and what you want in life are all ingrained in you? What if things really wouldn't be easier if you could erase all the hurt in your past? If everything happens for a reason, then maybe we should accept the things that happen to us -- good and bad -- and learn from them in whatever way we can. More Happy Than Not is bold, brash, and something completely different. For that reason alone, I highly recommend it -- but it's also written with such empathy, care, and life-affirming humor. It's a really special book. I hope you enjoy it.

More Happy Than not is a likable story about a likable character, despite a pretty glaring plot hole. The story is set in the near future, or perhaps even modern day in a slightly alternate universe where memories can be erased. One of the people who receives the procedure, a secondary character at best, is a boy who lost his twin brother when the murderer mistakes the brother for him. He receives the procedure in order to forget his brother. His parents move to a different neighborhood where no one will tell him about the missing piece. There lies where you have to roll with it, have to buy into an internet age where you can effectively erase someone in a permanent way. When everyone isn't a Google or Ancestry.com search away from the truth. But rolling with it is worth it for the question this raises about the torture the parents go through in being the ones who remember their other son, but must keep him a secret. The central character is Aaron. When we meet him he is very in love with his girlfriend, but attracted to a boy he meets, and battling depression over his father's suicide. I think most readers will suspect why the situation might not be as it appears on the surface long before it's explicitly stated. The book asks if the relief from pain that comes from forgetting is worth what's lost. Is it fair to take away the memory of a twin, a past love, an experience that might otherwise help the person grow? Doesn't doing so rob the person, even if the person is the one wanting the procedure, of their identity? What would the world be like if we didn't get a chance to learn from the obstacles in our way? Aaron, his girlfriend, and the boy he meets, as well as Aaron's mother, are all terrific characters. I think in lesser hands Genevieve, the girlfriend, would be not just unlikable, but dull. Instead, she is one of the many characters who my heart broke for. She is an interesting, talented girl, who fell in love with a boy who may not be able to love her the way she loves him. She would easily carry her own book. The neighborhood kids were well-drawn, each one unique even while playing the same games, going through the same rituals. I respected the talent it took to make everyone a real person. There's a lot of sadness in this story, and don't be surprised if the ending breaks your heart.

As all of his books are after 'They both die in the end' this book made me cry like a baby. I would highly recommend you to read it. Although it is heartbreaking but it gives a wonderful message and I hope you get it💙

4.5/5 stars. I got so sucked into this book and these characters! This was a fantastic story and I couldn't stop telling everyone I knew about it, there came a part in the book where I couldn't believe what I'd just read and I sat for a minute in shock! I love when a book can get you so wrapped up into it, however the end wasn't 100% how I would have loved it to end and the first 50 pages were a little bit hard for me to get into the book hense the 4.5 instead of a full 5 stars but I loved it and recommend it to everyone! A fantastic story about discovering who you are, I went straight ahead and ordered another book by Adam Silvera after finishing this one!

Wow. First off, this book is a slow burn. You think you have the long and the short of it about halfway through, but it gets intensely interesting at that point. I can't honestly say I was surprised by any of the plot twists (because they were set up very well by the author), but they were well-written and drew me in. For some reason, this book reminds me of "The Outsiders" by S. E. Hinton. This one is better and has a more compelling plot, but the desolate feeling of adolescence feels similar. I am duly impressed with the author (Adam Silvera) and his ability to hold back. He could have written everything he ever thought on every topic he covers, but he kept it all very sparse and contemplative. An excellent read.

“I don’t want to be me. I don’t want to second-guess if my friends are going to be okay with me being me, and more importantly, I don’t want to see what happens if they’re not.” Mr. Silvera has a beautiful way with words and Aaron’s story is heartbreakingly addictive. This remains one of the most diverse books I’ve read, with depth and care taken with each and every character. It’s important to pay attention with all of the side story components running at the same time. Lessons learned with hard life topics are emotional and gut wrenchingly beautiful. I own multiple copies of MHTN and it’s a privilege to read this author. His work will take you outside of your comfort zone with every book.

Le sujet est difficile. Les émotions ressenties à lire ce qui est le premier roman d'Adam Silvera sont très fortes. Je n'étais jamais passé par autant de mouvements émotionnels en lisant quoique ce soit de toute ma vie et pourtant je suis un très grand lecteur. Silvera réussi le pari d'être brillant avec ce premier roman : brillant dans le choix du sujet, dans la forme de l'écriture, dans la concision de ce qu'il donne à voir. Sans doute à mes yeux le meilleur roman que j'ai lu en plus de 25 ans.