By Quentin Monasterial
Courier Columnist/Reporter
If I could give an award for the best underrated book of the year, it would most likely go to Adam Silvera’s debut novel, More Happy Than Not.
In this riveting novel, Silvera explores issues that so many popular authors tend to leave uncharted because of the precise care and meticulous caution that is required to do so. The way in which Silvera is able to accomplish this is unexpected and unconventional.
The novel takes place in a futuristic society, though not during a period of time in which intergalactic travel is a common means of transportation or guns shoot laser instead of bullets. It follows the life of 16 year old Aaron Soto, a boy whose family is impoverished and struggling to remain standing under the tragic weight of Aaron’s father’s suicide.
An important factor that drives the story is the breakthrough technological advancement: a medical procedure that can erase memories.
Although the book doesn’t provide a realistic, detailed, medical explanation behind this innovation–which isn’t the point of this development at all–the way the author uses this scientific breakthrough as a tool to heed his literary purposes is brilliant and yields one of the most mind-boggling plot twists that truly swept the rug out from under my feet.
Unfortunately, I can’t reveal much more about this “plot twist” because if I describe the plot in any more detail then the climax won’t have the same effect as it had on me. If you’re like me, that sounds about as condemning as a death sentence.
That aside, the portrayal of diversity is great. The coming-of-age issues Silvera tackles are a bit disturbing at times, and it is anything but “happy,” as is implied by the title.
In fact, the title More Happy Than Not is the complete opposite of the feelings that Aaron grapples with throughout the entire story. My mood mirrored his and I was constantly sympathizing with him and hoping something happy would finally happen to him.
This novel teaches us that sometimes that isn’t the case, and although it may seem like there isn’t something we can do about it, we have to realize that there actually is; you see, Aaron learned that he couldn’t wait and let something happy occur–he had to bring that happiness into his life on his own.
So despite the heartbreaking, tear-wrenching struggles and emotional obscenities that are displayed throughout this the book, I was left with a smile (a hollow, melancholy one) in the end.
