Sixteen-year-old Aaron Soto is struggling to find happiness after a family tragedy leaves him reeling. He's slowly remembering what happiness might feel like this summer with the support of his girlfriend Genevieve, but it's his new best friend, Thomas, who really gets Aaron to open up about his past and confront his future.
As Thomas and Aaron get closer, Aaron discovers things about himself that threaten to shatter his newfound contentment. A revolutionary memory-alteration procedure, courtesy of the Leteo Institute, might be the way to straighten himself out. But what if it means forgetting who he truly is? (Via Goodreads.com).
Pages: 293
Release Date: June 2nd, 2015
Rating: 4/5 Stars
Review:
More Happy Than Not was Adam Silvera's debut and the last novel of his that I had not yet read. I truly enjoyed More Happy Than Not; however, History is All You Left Me still remains my favorite Adam Silvera novel. More Happy Than Not follows Aaron, a boy from the Bronx, who's father recently committed suicide and his new friendship with a boy named Thomas is slowly making him happy again. Prior to reading More Happy Than Not, I had only known that it featured a gay main character and that Leteo, an institute capable of erasing bad memories, existed. I had no expectations for the plot of the novel and was absolutely shocked by the end.
While I enjoyed the first half of the novel, had I not previously read a book by Adam Silvera, I would not have kept reading. The writing and characters were fine; however, I felt as though nothing was happening. I felt that everything was mediocre and I had no compulsion to continue except for the fact that I had previously read his books and loved them. I kept reading because I was waiting for his brilliant story to unfold. The second half of the novel was truly amazing and unexpected. Unbeknownst to the reader, the first half of the novel is setting up the plot for the remainder of the story. Although the first half of the book was not my favorite, looking back at it when the plot was unfolding in the second half of the story, I was shocked and amazed. If you were not propelled by the first half of the story, I recommend continuing forward. I was absolutely riveted by the remainder of the story.
Adam Silvera's books always make me cry. His standalone novels are always emotional, however, I did not expect how emotional More Happy Than Not would be. My heart was breaking for these characters. I did not realize how attached I was to these characters until the second half of the novel. I could not stop reading and I could not stop crying. I felt so bad and sympathetic for these characters. I wanted to jump into the book and take them away from their pain.
While I did feel sympathetic for the main character especially, I did not approve of all his decisions. In addition, I only saw Aaron as a three-dimensional character. The other characters felt rather flat to me, especially Thomas. I still do not completely understand why Aaron valued their friendship so much. I never felt that they had a deep connection or an important friendship.
One of the most fascinating parts of the story is the creation of the Leteo Institute. The institution has recently developed the capability to target and suppress memories of their clients to allow them to live an easier life. While the institute is strict with who they allow to go under the procedure, it made me think about the potential harms of this technology if it truly existed. They can erase the memory of loved ones that passed or cheating spouses, but what if the technology was used for anything? What is someone just uses it to suppress a time when they were anxious or to forget someone that broke up with them? The technology can benefit some, but it could ultimately be used for any reason. It also raises ethical questions, like should a murderer be allowed to suppress the memory of killing someone or should they have to live with that guilt? It might help some, but would the procedure truly benefit the entirety of society?
More Happy Than Not was not my favorite Adam Silvera novel; however, I still very much enjoyed it. It was an emotional read that I will be thinking about for a long time. I am glad to be caught up on all his books, but I wish there were more to read. I adore Adam Silvera and I am excited to read whatever he publishes next. I recommend adding More Happy Than Not to your to-be-read pile and any other books by Adam Silvera.
