"It was that I had a history of not liking myself in English. I had made so many mistakes in the language. What if I lapsed back into that version of myself?"

Thank you SO much to @celadonbooks for this ARC copy of Like Happiness by Ursula Villarreal-Moura.

I wasn't sure what to expect going into this book, but oh my goodness It was something that I needed.

This book follows Tatum, and alternates between her current life, and a letter she is drafting to the man that she had a... complicated relationship with.

The writing in this story is so exceptional, and it just never stops. I can't find myself wanting to stop reading it. It's been a while since I fell in love with a book that doesn't have swords and dragons lol

The length is perfect.
The story is fantastic.
The character? Relatable.

Can honestly say that Ursula Villarreal-Moura is an auto buy going forward.

I was super engaged in this--I wanted to know what happened, I cared about the characters, I loved the way it went back and forth between time periods. I read most of this in one day. The ending made me so mad on behalf of the protagonist and I feel like the book balanced things really well. I'd definitely recommend it to anyone interested based on the premise/genre.

Thank you to Celadon Books and Netgalley for the chance to read and review this ARC.

Oh my goodness. This is one of those books you will think about in the future. I’m genuinely sad to leave this reading experience.

Tatum, a young writer seeking direction and her future, writes a letter to the author of her favorite book, Happiness. When he responds, they begin a relationship that spans several years. Only once in a while does the relationship become physical, instead, for Tatum it’s a relationship of the mind, of words, and of her inner aspirations. M. Is a mirror, mentor, and guide for Tatum, and this also drifts into friendship. Throughout the book, M is no longer a person that can be held up as this ideal - and in fact, he betrays her in the worst possible way - for Tatum, and she also discovers who she wants to be and how she wants to live her life.

The writing is lyrical and precise, with the type of details that make the settings real. It winds culture, language, and personhood throughout the book.

Thank you to NetGalley and Celadon Books for this wonderful story.

There is lots to discuss in this short novel, well written, told from one women's perspective. I think my students will get a lot from it so would recommend

A woman's story. A .Mexican woman, bisexual, immersed in reading and art and Japanese culture, finds her identity in an older author and devotes a decade of her life to him. Was it abusive, was it growing pains, the desire to belong. She wrestles with lots of questions after he is accused of sexual abuse

A complex and beautifully wrought story of a young woman who has tied herself to a famous writer.

When Tatum is contacted by a reporter, she is unsure whether she wants to look back at the years that her live revolved around the legendary writer M. But through a series of flashbacks and conversations, Tatum looks back at her experiences with M and the choices she made.

I found the writing to be beyond exceptional and mesmerizing as it exposed truth after truth. For me, the strongest portions are the details of being a shadow citizen or the microaggressions she endured. I will pick up anything Ursula Villarreal-Moura writes !#Celadon #Likehappiness #ursulavillarrealmoura