Happiness Falls: A GMA Book Club Pick: A Novel

Having read and loved Miracle Creek by Angie Kim, I was excited to read her second novel. Unfortunately it was not nearly as good. I found the science and math parts about the happiness quotient to slow down and distract from the plot. Eugene was a great character and I appreciated how Angie Kim portrayed his disability and limitations.

Kinda hard to get into at first, as it felt very YA at the beginning, but I ended up really enjoying this book! Very grateful to pick it back up. Lots of smiles, thinking moments, and some tears.

One of the best books I read all year. Smart, gripping, interesting characters, and even educational.

I have mixed feelings about this book. I liked the story and absolutely appreciated the way Angie Kim brought much needed insight to a condition that’s so misunderstood. Not only for the people that it effects, but the families as well. With that being said, this was not the book that I was hoping for. I truly enjoyed the first half of the book, and where it was headed. But after the first half it started to go down hill and started to lose my interest. There were so many different directions the book was going, that I got frustrated. I did like that Angie Kim gave us a look into Eugene's personality and accomplishments. There were footnotes, that at times felt so off topic and random, that I was tempted to stop reading them. I felt that this book could’ve been wrapped up much sooner. There were somethings that didn’t really add up for me and felt forced. Will be thinking about this book for a while.

@mandomom chose Happiness Falls, by @angiekimask This book not only entertained, but educated the reader. We learned so much about a topic most of us would probably never know about. It really opened up our eyes. And it makes you look at the world differently now when somebody is nonverbal. It allowed us to engage with this family on a deeply personal level. We were there through some very stressful times all while trying to understand the challenges they faced, culturally and emotionally. These challenges weren’t just with Eugine but it followed what the rest of the family endured during his care and protection. I think everybody was able to identify with somebody in the book; maybe this is why it made the book such a fast read. At first many of us thought it was going to be a challenging read, because there were lots of big words that were a little intimidating, because it talked about conditions and topics that we were unfamiliar with. However, since the author made the characters relatable, I think that’s why we were so interested. Many of the members finish the book in just a few days. Well done Angie Kim 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Also, are you team “needs to know” or team “OK with not knowing”???? I definitely was waiting for her to press that final button IYKYK 👀👉🏼📱 #happinessfalls #angiekim #betweenthecovers #bookclubhq