More Happy Than Not by Adam Silvera is a book about Aaron Soto, a boy who lives in the Bronx with little money and friends who do not support him. The Leteo Institute has created a procedure where they can erase memories, and one that Aaron would like to erase is his father who committed suicide. Then, he meets a new friend, Thomas. Soon they bond over movies and comics, and when Aaron begins to spend too much time with him, his friends become suspicious, and he must look to Leteo to sort things out like his sexuality.
More Happy Than Not is definitely another book worth more than five stars. I loved every moment and it kept me engaged the whole time. However, I will warn you: it is one of those books that will make you cry in almost every chapter and crushes your heart. Again, I LOVED it. There were many nerd references and moments of humor and laughs that made me smile. Between metaphors and characterization, I seriously grew attached to the characters.
A little bit of background: Silvera wrote this as “therapy”- he wanted to imagine how his life played out if he came out at the age of sixteen. I, myself, think it is quite ironic how this book was “therapy” when it was making me cry in the middle of class.
However, do not let all of this fool you- Silvera is literally one of the kindest people I have met. He is close friends to another of my favorite authors, Becky Albertalli, (go check out my review of Becky’s first books) and it was just recently announced that they are writing a book together called What If It’s Us which will publish next fall.
This book is another that will extend the diversity of the YA community. Silvera has also published two other books: History Is All You Left Me and They Both Die At the End. (Yes, those are just as heart-breaking.) I cannot wait to see what other pieces he publishes and how he will influence not only the YA community but society as a whole.
