7/10
rounded up to 4 stars

The main character in this book is Harley. But that’s not who this book is about. At least not in my eyes. 

Harley is the gravitational pull around which all the other characters revolve, like a solar system. 

At a top level, Harley is a black gay twenty year old (ish) who has dropped out of university due to depression and anxiety. He’s in the forest with a blade and about to kill himself when Muddy sees him and stops him. 

Lo and behold, Muddy is the roommate in the flat that Harley is staying in - thanks to their mutual friend Chelsea. 

The book seems like it’s about Harleys struggle with anxiety and depression. And it might be. But he’s the least interesting character in the book. Instead, it’s Muddy and his buddy Finlay who are bursting out of the page with multi-faceted, complex characters. 

It’s Muddy and Finlay that are hilarious and macho and touchingly sensitive and continuously surprising. It’s the two of them I have the most compassion for. 

This was one of those books that I enjoyed reading, but whenever I put it down, I wasn’t drawn to pick it up again. I suppose when the lead character is the least interesting, that happens. 

I hope Muddy and Finlay get their own tv show. 

#netgalley #smalljoys

In 2005, twenty-one year old Harley is an anxious, depressed, gay, black man with has a father that does not love or accept him. Harley has dropped out of college, works at a low level job with no future and decides that life is not worth living. Harley takes himself in the woods and while attempting to take his own life he’s interrupted by a young man named Muddy that is out birdwatching. Muddy becomes Harley’s “person”. In time, Muddy shows Harley what true friendship is about, how precious and valuable he is and why life is worth living. This is a heartwarming story of friendship, acceptance and personal growth.

This book was not my usual read, very 'youngish' and with a lot of cultural references I wasn't familiar with. It's the story of a young Black gay man who is estranged from his father and fighting mental issues. He has a core group of friends, one who is a very macho straight guy who turns out to be emotional and loving. I was more invested in the book as this relationship developed and the characters came more into their being. This is a character driven novel, not really much of a plot (which I seem to gravitate toward), still I'm glad I read it since it is a world that exists outside of my own life and it's good to be curious about people you don't normally interact with.

Small Joys is a moving, sad, powerful debut novel about friendship, chosen family, and the search for happiness.

The main character is Harley, a man in his early twenties who is struggling with loneliness, depression and a persistent feeling that he is not worthy of anything. His despair is so severe that he contemplates suicide. 

Muddy is a new roommate who becomes friends with Harley. Muddy is a wonderful character. He is kind and  accepting and generous and exuberant and caring. He takes Harley under his wing and looks out for him. He introduces Harley to activities he loves, such as birdwatching and listening to the music of Oasis. 

Harley and Muddy become close. They spend a lot of time together and confide in each other. Muddy shows Harley that there are people in the world who can be trusted. He teaches Harley to grab whatever bits of happiness that life presents. Harley begins to embrace the small joys. 

This is not to say that it’s a cheerful novel. Many dark topics are explored, such as racism, homophobia, severe depression, deep anxiety, and suicide. We are shown the world through Harley’s eyes, and it is not a welcoming place. 

The friendship between Harley and Muddy is beautiful to see, and it is uplifting to watch Harley’s slow struggle to believe in himself. 

I greatly enjoyed this touching, well-written story. I look forward to reading this author’s future works. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️,

As much as I wanted to enjoy this book, it just wasn't for me. I'm not saying there is anything wrong with it, but I just couldn't get into it. Even though the plot was one that is interesting, I just found myself bored through the book, and it was a struggle to finish it. Unfortunately, you can't love them all. Thank you, NetGalley for the eARC. 2 stars.

This is a love story, but not a romance. Harley is facing the challenges of being a gay black man in England in 2005. Complicating matters is the extreme religious devotion of his father. Harley returns from University to spend the summer with his friends and learns to love and be loved. There are several uncomfortable scenes where Harley explores his sexuality with an unsafe partner. By that point, the reader is already invested in his life and fears for his well being. Elvin James Mansah's debut novel develops like real friendships develop with starts and stops and misunderstandings. When the book ends, you will miss the characters, which is one sign of a good story. I look forward to seeing what Mensah creates next.

This book is all the feelings - sad, funny, heartbreaking, hopeful.  You will feel it all.  This is the story  of a young, gay, black man that wants nothin more than to be loved and to matter to someone.  His group of friends and found family had Sally Rooney vibes to me - 20 somethings that do nothing and everything together.  So grateful to have read this beautiful book.

This debut novel centers around a young, Black gay man in Britain. The experiences the young man endures cause him to be suicidal.  He becomes infatuated with one of his flatmates as they spend time together bird watching.

The author’s writing style gives the reader a glimpse into British society.  Through dialogue and descriptions the reader becomes immersed into everyday Britain.  The pace of the novel is slow with not a lot of resolution to the story lines. Because of the pacing, some readers may grow impatient with the novel.

I was sent a digital copy of this book by the publisher, Penguin Random House via Netgalley.

A story about two friends that find each other on the worst day of one of their lives. As titled, this book is full of small joys as we read about a new friendship blossoming.

This is such a delightful book that I hoped it would never end! Harley drops out of university and rooms with Muddy and several other charming and quirky roommates. Muddy is a birdwatcher which confuses but also intrigues Harley. Chelsea, Finlay, and Noria are all part of the friend group and there are such funny moments! But Harley has trouble with his father who refuses to believe when Harley comes out to him as he himself has been fired for homophobia. This is one of those books where you laugh, you cry, you may want to hit a wall ,but you can't stop reading! So sweet
Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC!

"Life could still feel wonderful, I thought, even if it really wasn't"

Harley, whose never really fit in, recently dropped out of Uni and moved back to his small English hometown. Struggling with with depression and feelings of self worth he seeks out the few people he had connections with before college. In walks Muddy, a new roommate, who completely changes his life. This novel is such a powerful story of friendship, of finding those <i>small joys</i> that make it worth living.
"Friendship didn't insulate you from affliction, but it did make the path to some sort of recovery feel worthwhile and almost pleasant, it allowed you to experience the most wonderful things, even in the dark."
I loved the way this story unfolded and the honest and raw look at how depression can be so isolating and how it can twist the way you value yourself and others. 

Thanks to NetGalley and Ballantine books for allowing me an ARC. All opinions are honest and mine alone.

Oh this book. What a debut novel. It's heartbreaking and hopeful and so so beautiful. Despite the dark and heavy themes, there is always a glimmer of light and hope.

Harley is navigating through anxiety, depression, and an overwhelming sense of being unworthy. He drops out of university and is adrift. He keeps everything to himself but as his friend group slowly expands, he slowly opens up. His friends keep showing up and giving him support and unconditional love that he didn't expect but always longed for. Everyone should have a friend like Muddy who lights up a room and draws everyone into that light with him. 

This is a book that will resonate in my heart and head for quite a while. 

*I received an advance copy of this book from NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine, Ballantine Books and I am required to disclose that in my review in compliance with federal law.

Truly beautiful story of friendship and found family, of loving yourself and being able to receive love from others. The frank and moving depiction of crippling depression and anxiety was inspiring, but the absolute genius of the story was in the simple truth of friendship. Would that we all had a Muddy  in our lives, though I’ll bet many of us have awfully something close, whether we realize it or not. 

Cry in front of someone. Hug somebody. Check up on a friend. We’re all just one real encounter away from heaven or our own hell. 

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for my free copy. These opinions are my own.

Small joys was an honest, emotional book about a young man's journey into young adulthood. Elvin James Mensah writes beautifully about the main character's experience with mental health, his struggle for parental acceptance and learning just where he fits, all the while, learning to find support within his group of friends. Thanks #NetGalley#BallentineBooks

This book was a small, no it was a LARGE, joy!!! It was such a delight. It highlights so many important themes and does so with heart, humor and humility!!!!

"Small Joys" is based on the story about two young men, Harley and Muddy, who form a strong bond despite their completely different upbringings.

Harley is struggling with depression and contemplating suicide due to being shunned by his religious father. He is saved by Muddy, whom he later discovers has a mutual friend with him, Chelsea, and is also staying in the same shared flat.

Muddy takes Harley under his wing, teaching him to appreciate life's simple pleasures, bird-watching, music, etc.Together with other young people in their rental house, they form a supportive family, helping each other through their individual struggles. 

The story is more character driven than anything and the topics mentioned were very sadly relatable to me in so many levels.

I particularly loved the subliminal message from it: in our community sometimes the better family is the one we get to choose.

I could have used less amounts of: doesn’t it? Aren’t you?, isn’t he?, am I? Although I can see how it connects to their characters.

Overall I really liked it and for sure will be in my list of recommendations.

I obtained a copy from Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine via NetGalley, this is a genuine review from my part in exchange. #SmallJoys #NetGalley

Many thanks to NetGalley and Random House Ballantine for gifting me a digital ARC of the debut novel by Elvin James Mensah - 4 stars!

Harley is a young Black gay man who just dropped out of university because of his anxiety issues.  His religious father never accepted Harley because of his sexual orientation and they are estranged.  The book opens with Harley in the woods contemplating suicide when a housemate, Muddy, finds him.  Muddy is straight, in a relationship with another housemate, and is now on a mission to help Harley.  He introduces him to the things he loves - birding, rugby, the band Oasis.  Along with their other core friends, Finlay, Chelsea, Noria, they form their own found family.

This is a quiet book with strong characters.  It's filled with difficult subjects such as mental health, suicide ideation, abuse, but also filled with hope, friendship, acceptance, and love.  Great debut!

I heard so much about this book so I felt like I had a good grip going in on what to expect. I feel like I got so much more. This is such a beautiful, unique portrayal of being a kind human.

4.5 stars rounded up

This was a quiet book that started with a quiet but potentially traumatic event that slowly wormed its way into my heart. At 300 pages, it's far shorter than many of the books I've been reading, but the emotional impact was much bigger. By the end, I just wanted to hug Harley and Muddy, and yes, even Finlay, Noria, and Chelsey. But mostly Harley and Muddy.

I didn't know much about this book when I began, so I really enjoyed letting the story quietly unfold, even as I made the adjustment to understand UK phraseology. I'm sure I missed references to British pop culture, but that's okay. This story was much more about the characters, and while Harley and Muddy were the obvious characters to love, I started seeing what Muddy and Harley saw in the others. 

I loved how inclusive this story was in terms of race, sexuality, and positive platonic relationships. This book did a great job of addressing toxic masculinity and I loved that Muddy and Harley were able to call Finlay out when he said something without really thinking about the impact his words would have and that he really tried to hear them. This story had the potential to leave me sad and depressed and while it does have its dark moments, it also has many wonderful examples of friends who would do anything for each other. By the last few chapters, quiet tears were streaming down my face, but I was also smiling through it all. 

TW include homophobia, assault, abusive relationships, racism, depression, and attempted suicide

I highly recommend this book with those trigger warnings in mind.

Harley and Muddy make an unusual pair. This book seemed to sneak up on me.  It was dark and it was deep.  But in the end it was such a sweet story.  It shows that you have to really get to know someone before you should judge who they are.  What was sometimes sad and ugly was also beautiful.  This book will stick with you.