I was reticent to start this book. I saw it got a lot if hype on social media, shich sometimes put me off. But, once I started it, I could see it was deserving of rhe hype.
I thought the story was very unique, bit of a mystery rolled into a drama. The characters were compelling as was the very specific situation that the family were in, in having a non verbal child and the many complications that brings.
The story kept me engaged, as a reader you went on the journey of potential mis justice and suspicion that the family felt, hoping that the truth would come out and that the fathers accident was actually an accident.
Thoroughly enjoyed this.

I was really excited to get approved for Angie Kim's new novel Happiness Falls billed as as a domestic thriller which seems to a universally loved.

The story is based around a Korean American family where the dad disappears after a walk with youngest child Eugene. Eugene has a rare genetic condition Angelman syndrome and is non verbal so it makes it difficult ti

Told from the perspective if Mia, Eugene's college aged sister, the book moves from a missing person case to a philosophical adn scientific study into what is happiness and human connections and communication.

The narrative voice is unique as Mia retells the story, in the first person from the present time so you essentially know the outcome of the missing person case from the outset with phrases like "knowing what I know now" peppered throughout.

Mia as a character is marmite, there's a lot of stream of consciousness from her mind and overthinking everything both within the standard narrative and additional footnotes which started to grate on me more and more as the novel progressed.

Overall, there are some really interesting messages about communication and our perceptions and biases against people who can't communicate verbally which did really resonant with me. However this couldn't take away from how much Mia iratated me. Overall, I think I would have enjoyed this book a lot more had it been told from a third-person perspective and we didn't have quite so much Mia.

It’s not totally clear from the start whether the mystery here is what has happened to Mia’s missing dad or whether it’s the unusual behaviour of her non-speaking brother, but Happiness Falls romps along until revelations about what (may or may not have) happened to Mia’s dad. After that the voiciness of Mia as protagonist is just a little bit irritating, and the pages of notebook evidence from her dad is plain boring. I hadn’t remembered until the author’s note at the end that I’ve actually read another of Angie Kim’s books, Miracle Creek, and actually had very similar feelings of this is an interesting concept but I’m not quite into it enough.

One of my favourite books I read in 2023!

A slow burn mystery, following a Korean/American family trying to figure out what happened to their father/husband. We follow 20 year old Mia, who's father leaves to go on a walk with her non-verbal, autistic brother Eugene. When Eugene returns home without his father, the family is left wondering what happened.

Being biracial myself, I always love books that discuss this, and Happiness Falls was no exception.

There were many thought provoking moments in the novel, such as the discussion on the use of "committed" suicide:
"She explained to Mom how I'd come up to her to discuss the police officials' use of the phrase "committed suicide." I'd argued the phrase was inherently judgemental, connoting guilt - you commit a crime, commit fraud, murder, sin; you don't commit strokes or depression. "

The scenes discussing Eugene being non-verbal also really shed a light on society's views on disabilities and the way that intelligence is measured.

One of the main themes of the book is the question: how do you define "happiness"? The whole idea of the happiness quotient was really interesting to me!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an arc of a new favourite book!

I found this a bit hard to get into, but as soon as I did I was completely hooked, layers of storytelling that is extremely well written, fully recommend

This is not an easy book to read , told from Mia's point of view, it explores the disappearance of her father, who was out walking with Mia's brother , Eugene who has communication problems from birth. Mia and her twin, John are both 20 and at college, though this book is set in the Covid lockdown period so life and routines are different. Mia does document the investigation and family life both at this time and in the past, but her mind also makes associations with other stuff and there are a lot of footnotes (some about theory of what is happening, others about family life) which mean that you do have to concentrate on the main thread of the plot. Characters are also coloured by Mia's personal opinions. This book is set in the state of Virginia so the legal system / police investigation is not familiar to me personally and comes across as heavy handed .
Now that I have finished, I can say that I did like the book on the whole, though it did seem like a chore to read it at times. Mia is egocentric which can be irritating . There are a few cases of non -communication within the family, not only involving Eugene, which does illustrate that this is a multi-facetted subject, but there was some repetition and perhaps another viewpoint may have added to the story. It is thought provoking and does challenge stereotypes in society in some ways.
Thanks to Net Galley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review

Happiness Falls tells the story of a family trying to deal with the disappearance of their father Adam. The only witness to what happened was their son Eugene who is nonverbal.

I loved this story of a mystery within a family drama.

For me the characters were excellent, so well-written and I could feel every single emotion that they experienced. Like most of us, I can't comprehend the enormity of what happens when a person goes missing. This book featured such a brilliant deep dive into the detail and emotional side.

I was instantly pulled in by the plot. The devastating circumstances that led to this family's journey had me completely captivated. I simply had to know what really happened.

A beautifully written book that will have you gripped from page one.

Thank you NetGalley and Faber and Faber for sending this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own.

Thank you so much NetGalley for this ARC.

I absolutely adored this book. Not just the ‘mystery’ it was advertised to be, Happiness Falls digs deep into family, communication, identity, disability, and what it means to be ‘intelligent’.

The author is a gifted writer but the story and structure were not for me. If felt too fragmented. I think for people with a connection to the issues discussed in this book it will be a highly enjoyable read.

Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher and the author for this eARC.

Happiness Falls demonstrates the skill and tenacity of a writer such as Kim in producing a gripping thriller that also shines a light on the diversity of experience and the complexity of understanding one another as humans. This book continually surprised me, while never leaving me feeling duped or as if I was suspending belief, and the character portraits are rich, thoughtful and allow you to both enjoy, root for and, at times, become frustrated with each key player in turn.

Centred on the Parkson family, and their three biracial children, the protagonist, Mia, is whip smart, endearingly sarcastic and, at times, painfully analytical, pessimistic and sceptical When their beloved father goes missing after his daily routine walk with Mia's younger brother, Eugene, who has autism and mosaic Angelman's syndrome, Mia holds herself somewhat culpable as she not only failed to realise that her father had not returned from the walk but also allowed her younger brother to deal with the trauma of what he had witnessed alone. As the events of the novel unfold, their family dynamics are slowly unpicked, and truths come to light that are shocking, heartbreaking and yet, at points, full of hope.

Kim grapples with some complex concepts and tackles some important prejudices and engrained societal beliefs and so it is fitting that the novel reads as a reflective exercise for Mia after the fact, and that she uses footnotes to add additional thoughts, context and scientific background. The two key questions posed are whether an ability to articulate your thoughts vocally represents your true intelligence (or indeed what exactly constitutes being 'verbal' ) and how we should measure happiness. Both are explored in different ways, with the former providing an emotional backbone to the story and a thrust to many of the red herrings and the latter adding a scientific tilt and helping to cast Mia's father in a range of different lights while also providing a foil to some of Mia's own attitudes and predilections. The idea that we have a baseline happiness level and that, by manipulating this, we can be made happier more easily is fascinating, and begs the interesting question of whether we should try to manipulate and shape our own happiness or not.

Throughout the novel and, as everything unfolds, you are not only confronted with the lack of understanding for many differently abled and non-vocal people, but kept perpetually wondering what actually happened to the Parkson family patriarch. Indeed, until the final few pages, it is difficult to accept a definitive answer, and, even then, there are many hanging threads. At times, Mia's persistent allusions to how they did not realise things were going to get even worse, begin to grate rather than titillate, and the ending, while reaffirming her absolute filial devotion, feels slightly rushed and ambiguous in a way that does not challenge but rather irritate as a reader.

With that said, the slow burn reveal of their family's history, and the relationships between each character, is rewarding, and shows the slow and stuttering growth of a family learning to communicate with one another and, often, failing. The cake scene is particularly moving as, by the final act, you sympathise with all of the characters involved, and it acts as a perfect example of how a family can be filled with people with good intentions but that these are not always conducive to open and healthy dialogue. Indeed, the most truthful and motivationally pure character in that scene is the one who cannot communicate by traditional means. The links back to Korea and the Korean War are a powerful touch, and add a texture to the ghosts of the family past that echo through into the family's current dynamic, struggles and, indeed, their happiness.

This is an absorbing and meticulously crafted novel with considerable research and care taken into it. While Mia's mind can be exhausting, the richness of her character, and the plot and people driving this, means that you are rooting for her little family from the first until the final page.

An intriguing and gripping story, I loved the characters and can't wait to read more by this author.

Happiness Falls was captivating from start to finish! I understood the characters’ motives, emotions and relationships with each other and I found the pacing effective. There were lots of beautiful passages about families, grief, loss and having a family member with special needs.

Ooofff this was great. A friend who also reads in Netgalley sent it my way and said 'this is the best I've read since we got so hooked by the ARC of Lessons in Chemistry'. She wasn't wrong. It's really well written, and the story is an incredible emotional roller coaster, I couldn't put it down!

Happiness Falls delves into a multitude of themes, including the intricacies of happiness psychology and the question of whether happiness is measurable. The inclusion of footnotes, while potentially irksome for some, proved to be a source of fascination for me, providing additional details that enhanced the overall reading experience.

This is a first for me by the author and one I enjoyed and I would read more of their work. The book cover is eye-catching and appealing and would spark my interest if in a bookshop. Thank you to the author, publisher and Netgalley for this ARC.

Happiness Falls is a thrilling novel focusing on themes of family, loss, love, independence, language and how we communicate to each other. I thoroughly enjoyed this book, which had a fair balance between a traditional mystery of what happened to Mia Parkson’s father on an outing with her non-verbal younger brother, Eugene, and the unearthing of family struggles. The language is beautiful here, and I especially loved the touch of footnotes at the end of each chapter, which gave it a very solemn reflection over the plot, both in terms of the present and the future looking backward. The family dynamics are drawn well and feel very real, like they could be any of our families, which I think only enhances the plot and keeps you turning the page. The focus on Eugene was done well and highlighted the capacity for communication even when someone is non-verbal! Ultimately, I thought this was a book that made me think in so many ways and with great depth. Not only did I find myself engaged with the thriller/mystery aspect of it, but I learned so much!

When Eugene, who is unable to communicate, returns home without his father, Mia should have noticed. When the police begin looking for her father, the trail is cold. Mia decides to investigate herself and discovers that her father was obsessed with happiness and has been carrying out experiments on his family for years! Believing that her father was having an affair, she instead discovers that he was helping Eugene to communicate.. As the story unfolds, the reader is provided with clues to help them make up their own mind : would Dad have been found if Mia acted sooner; is Eugene innocent or guilty? This kept me glued to the page and reading long into the night.

Happiness Falls where not much happiness is found. I really enjoyed this book, very different to anything I have ever read and really got me thinking about things I've never considered before which I love from a book. The narrator is Mia a clever 20 year old who lives in a remote part of Washington DC. I also enjoyed the footnotes element and it made Mia fee; more real and personal. There was deep characterisation which I really liked. When tragedy strikes the family and her Dad goes missing only her assumed non verbal brother knows what happened and as he is unable to knowingly communicate to anyone Mia her Mum and siblings go on a hunt to try and discover the truth. The book was suspenseful, knowledgeable and interesting. Topics covered were language, communication and families. The book looks back at family moments of the past to build a clear picture of dynamics and trouble they have encountered along the way. I really was fascinated about the language aspect how some people know exactly what's going on and aware of surroundings but are unable to communicate this to anyone and how frustrating this must be, whether its to do with language or motor skills. I will be recommending this book to others and looking out for more from this author

I read some early rave reviews of Angie Kim's new book (out tomorrow 1 February) and decided to give it a go.

Happiness Falls is billed as a mystery, and it is, but more than that it's a layered story of secrets, heritage, disability, responsibility and pop psychology. Unfortunately, I didn't enjoy it, my main gripe being the protagonist's voice which I found irritating, and the constant tangents and foreshadowing which really began to grate after a while.

Mia Parkson is a young Korean-American woman living in Virginia, whose family life is upended when her beloved father goes missing after a trip to the park with her brother Eugene, a non-verbal teenager who has Angelman Syndrome. As Mia and her family try to piece together what happened to their father, everything they believed to be true about him (and about Eugene) is upended.

The book offers interesting insights into nonverbal children and the way in which society treats them, but frequently goes off on tangents on the unrelated subject of "happiness quotient" (a concept by which you measure your happiness across different aspects of your life). Clearly this is a subject the author is passionate about (and she writes a detailed note in the afterword on the subject) but it didn't light a spark for me.

I found the many footnotes tedious and they detracted from the mystery at the heart of the story. Mia's voice is YA (naturally enough as she is a young adult), and I found her long-windedness incredibly irritating. Get to the bloody point Mia, I said to myself! The book is around 75 pages too long and dragged from the 25% mark onwards.

I wanted more about Eugene, and less theorising on happiness. Many others have loved this book and I'll share some more positive reviews. For me, a slog, not helped by an unsatisfactory ending. 2/5 stars

*Many thanks to the author, publisher @faberbooks for the arc via @netgalley. As always, this is an honest review.

What happens to a family when a father and his non-verbal son go for a walk in the woods, and the son returns home, hours later, alone? That is the central question of Happiness Falls, as it explores a family breaking down in the aftermath of the disappearance of their father, whose only witness cannot tell anyone what happened. As the police struggle for leads, heads turn towards the son, while his siblings and mother try to piece together the clues into this mysterious disappearance.

While the synopsis of this story sounds like a mystery, this book is much more literary fiction. At its core, it is about the relationships between siblings and parents, and just how far a parent’s love will go. The book does a deep dive into Angelman syndrome, a genetic disorder which causes delayed development, problems with speech and balance, and intellectual disability. I knew nothing about the disorder before reading this book, but even if I had had preconceptions about people who lived with it, those would be blown out of the window by now. The author shines a light in this book on young non-verbal people and their abilities, and the importance of communication and speech therapy for their independence and sense of self-worth.

I really loved this book. The characters were real and flawed, and the mystery element to the novel kept me wondering the whole time where the story was going to go. Honestly, this book was an almost 5 star read for me (I’m not sure why it wasn’t a full 5 stars, something is stopping me, but it came very close).

This was my first time reading an Angie Kim novel, and I will definitely be returning to more of her work. She has some fascinating ideas which she goes quite into detail about, but they never take from the story. The book is full of footnotes (so if they’re not your thing, you CAN skip through them, the author says this at the start), but I read through them all as they helped add to the background of the narrator and her thoughts and motivations.

I have seen some reviews complain about the footnotes and experimental side of this novel, but this wasn’t an issue for me. I barely wanted to put this one down the entire time I read.

I really really loved this book, and was so happy to receive an advanced copy.. thank you Faber!

I don't actually know what to make of this. It's certainly not the mystery I expected from the description. While it's an extremely interesting read, the marketing does make you feel a little duped. Instead it's a much more complex read around psychology, identity and communication. The mystery of their missing father is more of a vehicle for the ideas Kim was trying to get across.

The pacing was good and the characterisation is solid. While our narrator is frustrating at times, that's key to the storyline. I do think it was a little weighed down on the psychology side, specifically the footnotes which took me out of the story every time without fail. But overall, seeing the progression of this family's dynamic and how they try to approach doing the right this was fantastic.

A fair heads up though, this story goes in heavy on the communication potential for those living with Angelman Syndrome. Realistically I've seen quite a bit of mixed feedback on that aspect. While I don't feel informed enough to speak on how it's treated here, I think it's crucial for readers to know it's absolutely central to the book.

I'll be interested to see how this settles with me over the next few weeks. Well written but complicated.