Monday, September 4, 2023

9.4.2023 - Happiness Falls

Happiness Falls by Angie  Kim

Many, many thanks to NetGalley and Random House Hogarth for gifting me a digital ARC of the sophomore book by Angie Kim.  I loved her debut, Miracle Creek, and couldn't contain my excitement about reading her next book.  It surpassed my expectations - 5 glowing stars!

A bi-racial Korean-American family is all back under one roof during Covid.  Twin college students, John and Mia, are home with their parents and special-needs brother, Eugene.  Eugene has both autism and Angelman Syndrome, leaving him unable to speak.  When their dad and Eugene go out to the park, only Eugene comes home, bloody and hysterical, unable to express what happened.  The mystery is on to figure out what happened.

This story is told in Mia's voice, complete with footnotes to let the reader in on her thoughts, which to me was a very powerful writing technique.  Loved the Star Trek references too!  You got a look into the family dynamics and relationships, as well as their history and their belief and trust in each other.  But how much do we truly know others' thoughts and feelings, especially when one person cannot speak?  How does that change the family?  This is a wonderfully-written book, full of science facts to make you think and maybe change the way you look at people, especially those who don't look or communicate like you do.  In addition, it's a tense mystery that I just couldn't put down.  Highly recommended - a must read!

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