Are You Happy? by Lori Ostlund
My Rating: 4 of 5 Stars


Lori Ostlund is back with 9 tales that will have you cheering, jeering, crying, and reminiscing about lost loves, childhood innocence, coming out, and family mortality. She peers into the lives of people like us who cannot escape their past and are uncertain of their futures. Children wanted and lost, the joy of made families to replace unsupportive ones, and friendships wrecked by outside forces.

You’ll see a parent pushed to the limit after their child is abused at the hands of a trusted colleague. Another explores the devastating loss of a couple’s child. Will their marriage survive? The novella takes a painful look at strained family relationships and necessary boundaries. I feel like it could be its own full-length book. I loved these characters and wanted to know so much more about them.

These stories are emotional and deep and show love in imperfect ways. Are You Happy? is forcefully compassionate and beautifully written. It’s a great weekend read that will make you think.

A strange (in a good way) short story collection to crack you up while covering a variety of heavier topics. I'm impressed by Lori Ostlund's ability to merge motherhood, sex & religion, family norms & dysfunction, education, memory, language, gun safety <i>and</i> more without feeling like it was all over the place. Looking back on the collection I found that so-so stories I could hardly recall anything from. The highlighting in my Kindle seems to disagree, as all of the stories have quite a bit I wanted to be able to revisit.

<b>The Bus Driver 5/5!</b>
The Gap Year 3/5
Are You Happy? 4/5
<b>Clear as Cake 5/5!</b>
The Peeping Toms 3/5
<b>The Stalker 5/5!</b>
Aaron Englund and the Great Great 3/5
A Little Customer Service 3.5/5
<b>Just Another Family: A Novella 5/5!</b>

(5/5 ⭐ because the 5/5's were THEE STRONGEST 5/5's I've given in a while, more than making up for the stories that I didn't enjoy)

To anyone who enjoys this collection I HIGHLY recommend Thanks for This Riot: Stories by Janelle Bassett, it's phenomenal.

{Thank you bunches to NetGalley, Lori Ostlund and publisher for the eARC in exchange for my honest review!

WOW! Lori Ostlund has articulated such brilliant ideas and stories throughout nine incredible works. Her writing had me so immersed and captivated. Following different queer stories some charming and others more dark. My favorite of all has to be “The Stalker” and its dark eerie backdrop.I felt myself there next to the characters, their fear was my fear. I truly cannot wait to see more from this author and what she has to offer.

1. The Bus Driver (4)
2. The Gap Year (3.5)
3. Are You Happy? (4)
4. Clear As Cake (3)
5. The Peeping Toms (4)
6. The Stalker (5)
7. Aaron Englund and the Great Great (3.5)
8. A Little Customer Service (4)
9. Just Another Family (3.5)

I’d highly recommend reading these short stories, Ostlund’s writing is alluring and inspiring. I had a phenomenal time reading this collection.

It's always challenging to rate short story collections because not every story resonates with the reader. However, Lori Ostlund did a phenomenal job capturing the struggles of women and the queer community.


My favorites are the following
The Bus ( When I tell you my jaw was on the floor after reading that ending)
The Stalker
Just Another Family

The Gap Year was the only one that I just couldn't connect with :/

Highly recommend to readers who enjoy complicated queer love and family dynamic stories!

This collection dives deep into an exploration of identity, relationships, and our general place in society. Each story had a subtle undertone of uneasiness that permeated through the characters. Even though the stories were brief, I felt like I could connect with at least one character's struggles in each one. There were certain tropes that I feel like were repeated and thus left a bit redundant since nothing new was added each time (ex: small town girl dating a big city girl that doesn't understand their small town ways of thinking). Some stories also felt a bit out of place tone wise--"The Peeping Toms" and "The Stalker", though two of my favourites, read more like they belonged in a collection of horror/thriller stories while the others had a more docile family drama tone. Overall, the writing was captivating and each story leaves the reader with something to think about beyond the confines of the pages--something I always look for in a good narrative.

This collection was such an interesting set of stories. nine stories on a range of topics all leading to a deeper understanding of humans as a whole.

I always find it somewhat difficult to review a set of short stories as I find it hard not to look at each story as a separate entity. However, this particular collection has a cohesion to it that while each story can stand on its own, together they paint a broader picture.

These are stories of relationships in tension due to circumstance. All sorts of relationships are represented, ex-best friends, lovers, parents etc. The narration and inner dialogue was superb and so intimate at times I felt like I was reading a character’s diary.

I look forward to what this author does in the future.

This a book told in many stories. Lori Ostlund tells us about people who try to find happiness and often fail in this pursuit. This is a great look in a different perspective about out pursuit of happiness and how it can become all consuming.

“She understood that an uneventful day was, in fact, the sum of the many moments that could have veered toward tragedy – but did not.”

It has been a while since I read a collection of short stories and I’m not sure I’ve ever read a collection in which I’m completely engrossed in all of them. An easy 5* if there ever was one.

Exceptionally vivid, seamless time jumps and well-rounded characters despite the fact that they are individuals. Although many stories end in ‘cliff-hanger’-esque ways, none felt despairingly unfinished.

With themes floating through each and connections linking back to one another (somehow! As they were written at different times and published across many years and publications), Lori’s characterisation, confoundment, collaboration and matter-of-fact points of view leaves the reader wanting more and more and more.

A personal favourite of mine was the intent to include education and writing as a motif throughout the series – as we are, at home, readers and writers celebrating readers and writers – even through the mundanity of life.

Thank you for letting me read this as my first ARC through Netgalley – I can’t wait to add more Lori Ostlund to my reading list.

(Shared with Goodreads and will share on Instagram shortly)

I really loved ARE YOU HAPPY? Lori Ostlund's writing, as always, is smart and insightful. I particularly admire how the stories in this collection are peopled with intriguing characters, each of whom I felt privileged to spend time with. Ostlund is masterful at character development. The collection also feels like a cohesive whole, which can be hard to do with story collections. It's not an exaggeration to say this will rank in my top 10 books of the year.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an advance e-galley; all opinions in my review are 100% my own.

This collection of short stories was dark, weird, and captivating. If you are a fan of well-timed dark humor this book is for you. I was hooked from the first story. The laser crafted details of the characters created an immersive experience and made it a balancing act of not devouring the entire collection in one sitting and spacing out reading it to savor each story.

Lori Ostlund has been a favorite ever since After the Parade, my introduction to her style and themes, a novel although she is categorized as a short story author. Well, these stories more than bolster that description. There's not a clinker in the bunch, and to define one or more as weaker than others is not a criticism since her weakest stories are stronger than those considered strong by other authors. She has a definite niche, in that she depicts the lives of women in couples and their experiences with others many times facing discrimination, also the effect that may have on their relationship. Several have cats named Gertrude, most are in long term relationships, many are college educators either adjunct or full, all instructors of writing usually of adult students. And yet every central figure is realistically limned and fully characterized. Her choice of geography could almost be called metaphoric -- many live in Albuquerque but are not from there originally. In fact, one narrator originally from Minnesota remarks "...best way to keep our relationship sound was to live a plane flight away from our families." If pressured to choose a favorite, I would have to choose Just Another Family, which contains most of her favored themes.

Lori Ostland's latest story collection ARE YOU HAPPY? is a fantastic book, from the multi-dimensional characters to the themes of writing and education to the zip of plot in each selection. I really enjoyed the cohesiveness of the collection; the stories seemed part of a bigger but single whole. Ostland's writing is meticulous with detail and emotion throughout, clearly a very talented author. This is the first book of hers I've read, so I'll definitely go back and read her others. Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the chance to see this early!

I really loved this collection. I think they’re weird in a way that resonated so well with me. The final story of the family with so much chaos was possibly my favorite out of all of them. I loved the characters in this one and especially loved how relatable they were even in a short story. This one covered so much life in just a few pages I could have read an entire book about Sybil and Rachel and the glass in the steaks. Thanks to Netgally for the ARC.

OMG. Loved loved loved this collection of short stories. As someone who grew-up on the short stories of Alice Munro, this collection of stories was an absolute gift.

ARE YOU HAPPY? By Lori Ostlund is a collection of nine short stories that revolve around the lives of families living their semi-regular life with humor and devastation weaved throughout. The queer stories and relationships provided unique and deeply true themes of longing, connection, loneliness, undoing and love. There was such an immense feeling of being unsettled, in the best way (The Stalker would like a word).

My favorite collections wrap you into each unique story but still fit into a larger moment, and this one did just that. My favorites were Just Another Family, The Bus Driver, The Stalker and A Little Customer Service!

Thank you NetGalley and Astra House for the digital ARC! The cover of this book had me drooling as well. I may have to grab a copy when it comes out next year just to have on my shelf!

I loved these stories, funny and heartbreaking, always a surprise.

Lori Ostlund is the real deal. I look forward to reading whatever she does next.

Thanks to the publisher for the e-galley.

As goes with short stories, some are more enjoyable than others. Overall, this was a solid read that I picked up here and there as a palate cleanser. 4/5

Happiness is a uniquely American preoccupation, and if you were to ask me, I feel miserable—and I say this as the highest compliment possible for this collection of short stories. These stories are so well-written that my empathic little heart ached for days after finishing each one.

Through eight short stories and a novella, we explore facets of love, fear, anxiety, childhood, and sadness in a way that is beautifully written and specially evocative.

I feel sad —but I feel something. I would rather read a book that makes me emotional or disturbed rather than a boring one. This is why I love reading, and I am starting a reading journal again.

4 stars. I highly recommend this book to someone who isn't afraid of complexity and feeling deep emotions. Definitely looking forward to reading more of her work.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the chance to read this!

If you want to feel all the feelings, sadness, fear, happyness and much more, this is the book for you. Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for the free eARC in exchange for my honest opinions.

omg I adored these stories so so much. I'm not even sure what it was about them that really captivated me because at the end of the day a lot of them were not 'about' a whole lot, a handful of the stories didn't ultimately 'go anywhere', but jeez the writing was just so pleasant and sucked me right into each story easily. had all my fav themes: womanhood, family, identity, queerness, misogyny and class. definitely interested in anything else Ostlund puts out there.

my one issue w/ it was that the characters started feeling muddled together - a lot of the stories were from very similar perspectives with very similar settings so they didn't stand out against each other super clearly. still enjoyed myself v much though!

Are you happy?
Lori Ostlund

The book follows a series of short stories from different people. Be warned though that this book deals with complex situations, and they can sometimes be challenging to read so go in with an open mind. It answers the question “Are you happy?” indirectly through each short story, making it a compelling read. I like how the characters in the story problem solve sometimes to see what can be causing their happiness to be wary. It was a very good read.

I’m not typically a lover of short stories, but I really enjoyed this collection. All nine are told with straightforward, prose, compassion, and with some dark humor thrown in. This collection tackles themes of belonging, acceptance, and how one reestablishes themselves. They also examine the specter of violence in life. I thought that the character development was done in a really smart way and I’m looking forward to reading more by the author. Thank you for the advanced copy!

Thank you so much to NetGalley for the ARC of this book!
What a strange, beautiful collection of short stories by Lori Ostlund. Whenever I read new collections, I pay a lot of attention to the way each story flows into the next and the specific placement of each piece. I really felt like Ostlund excelled in this department. While this collection explores a variety of topics — religion, sex, anxiety, love, etc. — each of the eight stories felt like they belonged together. I really loved this collection and would be really interested in seeing what else this writer has to say!

funny stories about heavy topics and well done writing. would definitley recommend.; 4 stars. tysm for the arc.

This collection of short stories felt like opening a box of tangled emotions—messy, raw, and incredibly human. Each story dives into complex relationships and the quiet moments that define us, with writing that’s simple but cuts deep. I loved how the characters felt so real, like you could pass them on the street.

The stories explore themes of loss, identity, and connection, and while some left me with more questions than answers, I didn’t mind—it felt intentional. If you like stories that sit with you long after you’ve finished, this is definitely worth picking up.

I really enjoyed this collection of short stories! I love when stories in collections feel interconnected with reoccurring characters and similar themes. I can say I actually enjoyed every single story in this collection, which is not always the case when reading these types of books. My only thought is that some of the stories seemed too similar and like I was reading the same thing over and over. Overall though, really enjoyable writing style!

This was a really great collection of weird/ funny/ sad/ queer short stories. “The Gap Year” and “Just Another Family” were standouts for me, but I enjoyed all of them!

A strange (in a good way) short story collection to crack you up while covering a variety of heavier topics. I'm impressed by Lori Ostlund's ability to merge motherhood, sex & religion, family norms & dysfunction, education, memory, language, gun safety and more without feeling like it was all over the place. Looking back on the collection I found that so-so stories I could hardly recall anything from. The highlighting in my Kindle seems to disagree, as all of the stories have quite a bit I wanted to be able to revisit.

Lori Ostlund's "Are You Happy?" is a compelling collection of short stories that delves into themes of class, desire, identity, and violence. Ostlund's writing is both evocative and restrained, offering a darkly humorous and compassionate examination of American life. It features rich characters, dark humor and insightful themes!

The pacing was a bit uneven, and the settings lacked a notch of variety to keep things interesting, but overall it was a beautiful collection.

First off thank you to #NetGalley for the ability to read this ARC in exchange for an honest and unbiased review. The collection of stories in Are you happy? came to me in a time of soul searching and self-discovery. This collection of stories are moving at the same time as tragic in many ways. They are realistic to a fault in the same ways that when describing events in my own life the phrase "I can't make this up" comes to mind. The complexity of humanity is evident in all of these snapshots. Not once did one of these stories end that I was not left in a state of wondering more. There is closure yet still an opening into more of these characters lives and it is truly a snapshot of the characters experiences in these moments. The depth of these stories is not to be taken lightly and in my opinion readers may need to be in a specific space to read such as it is not a lighthearted collection.

Dark, humorous, relatable, and so good! “Are You Happy?” was way more than I was expecting. Comprised of nine stories that touch on so many different topics, I was so impressed and moved by Ostlund’s characters, their struggles, and how it all turned out. This was my introduction to her work, and I’m so interested in reading more. It’s hard for me to write a standard or lengthy review for this because I don’t want to give anything away, but I think Ostlund’s voice is so unique and poignant that everyone will love this.

Thank you to #NetGalley for a review copy of #AreYouHappy. All feedback is my unbiased opinion, not paid, and simply for the love of books.

Are You Happy? By Lori Ostlund - 3.5/5 stars ⭐
Release date: May 6, 2025.

Are You Happy? Is a collection of eight short stories and one novella that explore class, desire, identity, and the looming threat of violence, particularly that experienced by women and the LGBTQIA+ community. The stories take place in a handful of locations - Minnesota, California, New Mexico - but the characters are not connected; they may live in the same cities, but they lead wholly separate and sometimes very different lives. The characters were linked by these places and little else (though I did notice a lot of the characters were teachers), something I found myself enjoying; I like a short story collection that shows different people living separate lives within a similar geographic area.

The stories had a wandering, meandering quality to them, which worked really well in some stories. In others, however, I felt like this was taken to the extreme, making me wonder why a story had been written about a situation at all if it was going to leave out so much. When writing my review on NetGalley, I noticed a lot of people really enjoyed the short story The Stalker; however, I felt like it just didn’t contain enough for me. I felt like it could have been a bit longer, could have done a bit more to really sink us into the situation and provide a bit more time for the characters and the story. As it was, it felt like passing briefly by a window and getting a snapshot of someone’s life, rather than being able to stand for a few minutes and get a better grip on a specific situation. Maybe that’s just a me thing, and maybe I missed the point of this story in particular, but I think it does need to be mentioned, because it was one of the short stories that moved my rating from what I thought would be a 4 down to a 3.5.

This collection fell prey to what a lot of short story collections do: some stories are simply more enjoyable to the individual than others, and the stories that are less enjoyable bring down the rating of the collection overall. In the case of Are You Happy?, I found that my favourite short stories were at the beginning of the book so, as the collection went on, I found myself less invested than I was at the start. Another thing that irked me in the second half of the book (something which is likely a personal thing) was that the final story was marked as a novella when it did not feel like a novella to me. I think my brain would have enjoyed it a little bit more had it not been marked as a novella, or had I simply not noticed it in the table of contents. To me, it simply read as a short story; sure, it was a little longer than the others, but I did not find the scope wide enough for it to be considered a novella. I did enjoy this story, but I would be lying if I didn’t admit I was a little thrown off by it being labelled a novella.

As for what I really did enjoy, I was a fan of Ostlund’s writing style. Even if I did not love the storyline behind every story, I liked the way Ostlund described things, and the way she used words to make the storylines unfold. The collection also felt quite cohesive to me; sometimes when you read a short story collection, there are some stories that clearly do not belong, but this was not the case here. All the stories felt like they fit in, like the puzzle pieces aligned to make the picture they were supposed to, without any missing or odd pieces that had been slotted in but tried to make an entirely different end result. Given I’ve read a lot of short story collections where this happens, I was glad that this one was cohesive.

I did not find this to be a groundbreaking short story collection; however, I did on the whole enjoy it, and that’s more than I can say about some short story collections I’ve encountered in the past. If you’re big on reading stories with queer characters, like reading about family tensions, identity and desire, or simply want a new short story collection to pick up and take for a spin, I would recommend picking this up when it is released on May 6. It is a cohesive, overall enjoyable collection of stories, and the cover being pretty doesn’t hurt its case either.

Thank you to NetGalley and Astra Publishing House for giving me an e-ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This review will be added to social media (Instagram) closer to the date of release.

Very few writers know how to do more with less like Lori Ostlund does. In just a few dozen pages, she manages to craft a life so complete in its simplicity, I cannot believe I have not known it all along. The language of these short stories is such that it's hard to remember that I'm not overhearing some fascinating story from a stranger whose name I'll never know. These stories are not complicated or overwrought or flowery or eccentric—they are exactly what they need to be, no more, no less. I am, historically, not the biggest fan of short stories, because I often find them lacking, or rather, find that I'm desperate to know more than was given to me. I never had this feeling while reading any of the stories in this collection, because Ostlund masterfully gives her readers precisely what they need to understand the full, rich reality of each protagonist with the most balanced of details. Not only do I understand who these people are, I know what I would say to them, what questions I'd ask, what anecdotes I'd share in return. Some stories, such as "The Stalker," felt so true and alive that I had to forcibly remind myself that this was, in fact, fiction, and not something I was told once at a party, slack-jawed and interrupting with questions. The people in these stories—to call them characters feels insufficient—each of whom could be my neighbor, my colleague, my friend, are easily some of the most realistic portrayals of humans I've ever come across, and I feel so lucky that I got to meet all of them. Each of these stories is a delight and a treat to be savored—what an unparalleled collection.