This was my first of the author.
Wonderful, stylized writing from the start.
Unfortunately, while I was initially drawn into the story, as it progressed, I was overwhelmed by the detail of Eugene's situation & medical conditions. I also found the evolution of the story of what actually transpired in the park interesting but ultimately still hypothetical.

With great thanks to NetGalley & Random House Publishing Group for this e-ARC!

I received a copy of this novel from the publisher via NetGalley.

This is narrated by Mia, a college student, whose father goes missing while in an area of parkland with her brother Eugene. Eugene is autistic and has Angelman Syndrome, meaning that he does not speak and cannot tell anyone what happened to his father. I liked Mia's sardonic voice initially, but it became rather relentless, as did her habit of ending chapters with ominous foreshadowing of the 'if only we had known what would happen next' variety. She also used footnotes more than was ideal for a reader using a Kindle, as I was. There was a fair amount of science, linguistics, sociology and psychology, which was better integrated into the story in some places than others.

I found the ending rather unbelievable, although I am sure the author has done her homework and my scepticism is of the variety the book seeks to address. I also found the ending underwhelming and unsatisfactory. Covid seemed to be used as a bit of a plot device - popping up where it was useful.

I preferred this author's first novel.

This is one of my new favorite books of all time. The premise of this book is that Adam Parson is missing. As Mia, the narrator and daughter of Adam, and her family search to find him they discover secrets that he has been hiding. This book was so compelling, had a great mystery/thriller feel and even with all of what happened it came to a conclusion that I was happy with. I thought this book was well-written, well-researched and I loved the story and the structure. I have never had a fiction book that has footnotes embedded within it to share opinions or musings the narrator is having. Having the footnote element really brought something extra to this book. Mia as the narrator was the perfect choice as she was self reflective, which brought a more emotional element. I enjoyed with the last book and this one that the author embedded another real-world issue to bring light to it. In this book one of the characters, Eugene is diagnosed with “non-verbal” autism and Angelman syndrome and this book reminds us that just because someone cannot speak does not mean they do not have a want to express themselves, and figuring out how to communicate with Eugene since he was the last to see their dad, Adam, is one of the main plot points in this story. Through Eugene, the book had this embedded call to action to not stereotype people who are characterized as “non-verbal” and gave insight on new possible ways to communicate with non-speakers. This was a phenomenal read and I look forward to rereading it again after it is published. I loved this author’s first book, but I think this might be even better.

I couldn’t put it down. A satisfying thrilling read with great research depth and beautifully humane story. Despite some stumbling plot twists, this is surely a five star rating and the best thing I’ve read so far this year.

Happiness Falls (sweet heaven, what a play with this title!) follows a family of five. Our narrator, 20 year old Mia, lives in Virginia with her parents and two brothers after moving to the United States from South Korea as a teenager. She has a twin, John, and a younger sibling, Eugene, suffering from an inability to speak due to motor function issues. The plot revolves around an incident at the local park, where Adam, the father, takes his younger son on daily walks. The boy comes back home alone, shaken, and Adam is nowhere to be found.

I haven't read Angie Kim’s first novel, but if the mystery is as good as here, I can’t wait to sit down with it. The writer is like John Wick of prose, no loose ends left behind; I appreciate that. One does get attached to these poor folks trying to do their best when problems are quickly piling up, causing my mind to pace back and forth, fingers crossed it won’t come to the worst. I enjoyed the character study thanks to flashbacks and how new knowledge was changing my expectations and fears when specific family members were faced with new challenges.

I can truly feel the heart the author put into her work. She mentions spending a fair share of time around kids jailed in their own bodies, looked down at, understanding so much, but feeling incomplete without the ability to communicate with others. Mia mentions many times how thoughtless she is around Eugene who became a prop in the life of his family. This timely story on happiness, prejudice and disconnection is set during the recent pandemic, which makes it even tighter and more claustrophobic.

Every chapter has a few bits of philosophic flavor to begin with, supposedly Mia’s thoughts, and that was the weakest point of the book in my opinion - our narrator. Mia is a brat, she says that herself a few times and as much as I understand how difficult it would be to make Helena, the mother, a guiding voice, I think the premise of divagations on happiness and belonging would suit a more experienced person better. Mia has a fresher, not defeated by life outlook at the described events, but I couldn’t stop thinking what Angie is trying to tell us doesn’t suit the mind of Mia who is too often negative and skeptical to a weird point of not learning.

This is an important voice and I’m glad my fellow bookworms will have the opportunity to hear it this coming autumn. What I’ve experienced will surely stay with me for a longer while. Angie pays such a beautiful tribute to people who help others to bloom on a daily basis. It’s a real skill to tackle so many important topics at once, keep the mood eerie and sinister, yet make the reading so smooth and vibrant.

Thanks to the author and publisher for providing a review copy through NetGalley.

Loved Angie Kim’s novel Miracle Creek and I feel the same way about her new novel Happiness Falls.I was drawn in from the first pages could not put the book down.A missing father the only witness his autistic sons who can not talk.This is so well written so tense will be highly recommending.#netgalley #happinessfalls

HAPPINESS FALLS
BY: ANGIE KIM

About 4.5 Stas rounded up!

"I lost a world the other day. Has anybody found?" --Emily Dickinson (1896)

"One sits down on a desert sand dune, sees nothing, hears nothing. Yet through the silence something throbs, and gleams. 'What makes the desert beautiful,' said the little prince, 'is that somewhere it hides a well'..." --ANTOINE DE SAINT-EXUPERY The Little Prince (1943)

"It's a crazy world out there. Be curious." --STEPHEN HAWKING, The Universe in a Nutshell (2001)

I loved Angie Kim's award winning debut called, "Miracle Creek," so much, that I was compelled to buy the physical hardcover of it to place on that special shelf for favorites. The purpose of which is to serve as a visual reminder of the books that I absolutely won't forget One thing I learned after finishing her latest, new novel called, "Happiness Falls," is that Angie Kim is either quite adept at doing her research or, that she is blessed to have a brilliant mind. I quantify my opinion by how much psychological, and philosophical insight she uses in her character development, which we as readers hear from her main character named Mia. Mia is twenty years old and throughout this narrative, it is her voice that propels this deep character study forward. Mia has a fraternal twin brother named, John. A mother who is Korean, but has a PhD, in linguistics. Her father is American, who after many years working a high powered job, compromises trading places with Mia's mother Hannah to be the stay at home Dad to take care of Eugene. This involves him taking Eugene to a special school where he can get several forms of therapy, to doing all of the routine chores of running the family household.

The storytelling was intelligent and emotional at the same time. This is a story that we are told from the very beginning, that the father, named Adam is missing. Mia informs us that her father who failed to return from a nearby park, would never not assist her fourteen year old brother, named Eugene in accompanying him home. Eugene, who the family believes can't communicate. has blood on his shirt, and under his fingernails. Eugene has been diagnosed with both Autism, and Angelman Syndrome, and as Mia explains in her conversational tone, Eugene can't explain to the family what happened to their Dad I had never before heard of Angelman Syndrome before, but Angie Kim handles this disability with at first descriptions of Eugene's outbursts to be loud, disruptive to his older siblings, but ultimately also with tender compassion by the novels end.

The detective that is assigned to the missing person's case of Adam, tries to punish Eugene by her attempts at placing Eugene in a detention center. This deeply disturbs his mother, Hannah, his sister Mia, and twin brother John. The time frame of which this novel takes place is in 2020, during the Covid lock down period. This contagious virus that we all remember prior to the vaccines being developed, gives the family and their lawyer a chance to try to exonerate Eugene from being charged with manslaughter. The female detective that is investigating believes that Eugene is dangerous, and would have placed him in a prison, but because of the raging Pandemic, the detention facility isn't accepting any new placements that specific day. This is a lucky break for the family, which buys them time to try to prove he is innocent.

Upon reflection, this is definitely an intelligently written novel that is both clever and controversial. I have to be honest, I did prefer Miracle Creek to, "Happiness Falls, which I have to admit that it isn't for everyone. Mia who has an analytical mind and an explanation for everything attempts to study pages recovered from her father's notebook that she guesses correctly is filled with experiments he has performed on his children. This is Angie Kim's insertion of the "Happiness Quotient,"which is both famous and fascinating. This was a multifaceted novel that examines what it must feel like to be misunderstood, the immigrant experience, it compares scenarios in which it gives examples of how we attain happiness comparing two sets of circumstances and of life altering situations. This is a family who has many secrets which with each discovery kept the tension taut. There are certain things that are discovered that kept my interest, because I wanted to find out what really happened to the husband and father. It is a twisty turning revelation of a ticking clock full of the unearthing of hidden motivations. It examines love, language and presents a family who learns how to connect. I did enjoy this very much, and it is a powerful tale of the lengths this family travels to ultimately understand one another.

Here is my review for "Miracle Creek." https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2542883974

Publication Date: September 5, 2023

Thank you to Net Galley, Angie Kim, and Random House Publishing Group--Random House. Hogarth for generously providing me with my ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own

#HappinessFalls #AngieKim #RandomHousePublishingGroupRandomHouseHogarth #NetGalley

Happiness Falls...this book! My favorite so far of 2023!! It was such a clever and unique story that was full of twists. The mystery of a father disappearing and the only one who may know what happened is the teenage son who is non-speaking and neurodivergent. The story is narrated by the 20 year old daughter, Mia, who shares her intriguing thoughts on her family as she tries to figure out what happened (along with her twin brother and mother). Somehow the story effectively incorporates what it's like to be half-Asian, the COVID pandemic, and Virginia law on intellectual disabilities. In addition, there is quite a bit of psychology woven into this story, including understanding the relativity of happiness, and even referencing the popular Yale course many readers will be familiar with. There was so much for me to relate to in this book, It was thought-provoking, powerful, and redemptive. I loved every minute!

Thank you very much to NetGalley and Random House Publishing for the advanced reader's copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you to NetGley and Random House for the eARC.

This book was nothing like what I expected. I really struggled with Mia as our main character and her decision making skills - or lack thereof. Ans never learning anyone else’s POV.

This book felt a bit longer than it needed to be. But certainly punched you in the gut with the ending.

This book was quite simply fabulous. There was a great mystery, it was a great character driven novel with all the character so well developed. I had hoped for a different ending, that being said it was a very original And thought out conclusion to a fabulous novel. Thank you thank you for my advanced copy. I think it’s one of my all-time favorite books. I will certainly recommend it to all my book, friendly, friends, and family.

I absolutely loved this book and couldn’t put it down. It’s set during the original lockdown of COVID when a family’s dad goes missing. He was with his son with autism and Angelman who can’t communicate with the family to tell them what happened.
Great writing and a great mystery!

Exactly the type of novel I like.- Informative, suspenseful and so well written.. A father goes missing and the daughter of the family tries to reconstruct the events of that fateful day. The problem is that the last person who saw him is her non-verbal younger brother. Truly fascinating!

This was a thrilling book! First time reading this author and I thought this story was well executed and I was pulled in from the beginning. A stunning first impression.

How great is author Angie Kim? Miracle Creek was a top read for me in 2019 and I literally cheered when I received an advanced copy from Random House. This book is a slow burn that kept me guessing until the end with a cast if characters that were complex and rich with nuance. Although this novel didn’t hit the same way that Miracle Creek did for me, I won’t forget the descriptions of parenting and living with a special needs child. From personal experience, Kim’s description of this is spot on. Read this with a book club - lots to discuss.

Happiness Falls by Angie Kim is an intricately woven novel that explores the complexities of family dynamics and the lengths people will go to protect their loved ones. Mia, a Korean-American twenty-year-old, along with her mother and brother Eugene, frantically search for their father who went missing during a walk in a nearby park. The only witness is Eugene, who has a rare genetic condition and cannot speak, making it difficult to piece together the events leading up to the disappearance.

The novel delves deep into the perspectives and emotions of each family member, revealing secrets and hidden truths that have been buried for years. As the investigation progresses, the characters are forced to confront uncomfortable truths about their relationships with each other and with their missing father.

Angie Kim has masterfully crafted a mystery that is both gripping and emotionally resonant. The characters are flawed and relatable, and their struggles and conflicts are portrayed with empathy and nuance. The novel is full of twists and turns, and the pacing is excellent, keeping the reader engaged and invested until the very end.

Overall, Happiness Falls is a thought-provoking and heart-wrenching novel that explores the intricacies of family relationships and the lengths people will go to protect their loved ones. Angie Kim's writing is powerful and evocative, and this novel is a must-read for fans of family dramas and mysteries.

Millennial malaise and family dysfunction with a compelling twists. Dad’s missing and the only witness can’t talk, and the protagonist likes to take the oath of least resistance. Not quite as excruciatingly heavy as her last book, but there’s still suffering along with the quirk. 4.5 rounded up.

Fantastic sophomore novel. I am utterly amazed at her talent. This was so well-written and worth the wait. Absolutely do recommend this if you enjoyed Miracle Creek.

This book is an outstanding work that includes different genres inside a portal with an extra intelligent, thought-provoking style. My expectations were too high after reading the author's previous work, "Miracle Creek," and luckily it exceeded them. The story is narrated by Mia, a twenty-year-old member of a Korean American family who is a genius, emotionally reserved, skeptical, pessimistic, and straightforward - her father's daughter. Her mother specializes in linguistic studies while their father retires from his job that requires him to travel a lot, to spend more time with his family and provide the required care their 14-year-old son Eugene needs. Eugene suffers from autism and Angelman syndrome, a rare genetic disorder that prevents him from speaking. The other member of the family is John, Mia's twin brother, who is mostly optimistic, joyful, good-natured, and a peacemaker, helping them resolve issues by meeting in the middle.

That tightly-knit family's struggling but also embracing life is destroyed when Eugene returns home alone, erratic, terrorized, running directly into his sister. He went to the park near the Potomac River for his daily walking exercise with their dad, but he returns home alone, which is not normally possible because their dad never lets him run in the streets unsupervised.

The entire family starts searching for him, trying to follow the path he took and looking for him in the woods. But it seems like he vanished into thin air. They realize it's time to call the police, but before doing that, the officers knock on their door. They find their father's backpack through their search, and they also listen to a cryptic voicemail message their father got and deleted the day before, which raises the alarm. Did their father commit suicide or did he leave his family and run away? Or what if somebody hurt him, and that person may be related to them?

The slow-burn mystery still keeps you on your toes, and as the author throws out another theory your way, you just start guessing another possibility until your brain hurts.

I have to admit being inside Mia's mind was an exhausting but exhilarating journey. The book is written in short chapters and includes some random thoughts and very interesting and smart footnotes from Mia. I think I mostly enjoyed reading them because they shed light on several issues, including linguistics, mental health, racism, immigration, adaptation issues, and society's views about people regarding their intelligence. When I saw the length of the book, I thought I might get bored, but luckily, it didn't happen. Actually, I was more intrigued to spend more time inside the quirky, honest, and unique thoughts of Mia, who also tells about the dynamics of the family, which made me love each of the members a little more. They are far from perfect, but it's so obvious to see how they care for each other and how hard they try to understand each other's predicaments.

The book objectively reflects the difficulties of taking care of a teenager who suffers from rare conditions that make him imprisoned in his own head. He cannot articulate his feelings, needing coding to express the situations he deals with. The misery that each family member endures to help him and the pain young Eugene feels not to be treated like a normal teenager, not to form enough words to escape from his inner prison were perfectly described. It's impossible not to feel their pain and sadness, even though they sacrifice so much.

Overall, it's absolutely one of the best books of the year! It shook me to the core! Especially the heart-wrenching, powerful ending made me dab my eyes. I highly recommend you read it!

Many thanks to NetGalley and the Random House Publishing Group/Hogarth for sharing this brilliant book's digital reviewer copy with me in exchange my honest thoughts.

This book starts off with a missing father and a family desperate to find him - but what makes it unique is that the only person who knows what happens can not communicate it to his family.

I adored this book and devoured it in a couple of days. I think I enjoyed it even more than Miracle Creek. This book felt hybrid mystery/literary fiction with an amazing dynamic breadth about disability rights intertwined (but not heavy handed). Kim opens up her readers to imagine what it must be like to be “non-verbal” due to a disability like autism, both on a micro level (family) and a macro level (society). This book made me question ever using that phrase ever again and opened my eyes/gave me a whole new level of empathy for families that have differently abled kiddos.

Though this book has a relatively quick-moving plot as the family tries to figure out what happened to their father, the character development in this book really brought it home. Such wonderful and flawed characters- the moving back and forth in time really helps the reader get to know them.

This could very well be the best book I read this year. I was hooked from the first sentence and continue thinking about it for a long time.

I read and loved Miracle Creek, by Angie Kim, so I was very excited to read this new book of hers. It did not disappoint and in fact exceeded my expectations. A father has gone missing while out with his 14 year old son, who is unable to communicate through speech. Something tragic appears to have happened and as they try and understand what exactly that is, we get to know the members of the family and their diverse personalities. Reading the book, I truly got a feeling that I knew the family and why each one of them acted and thought the way that they did.
Kim also brings in some interesting theories and techniques of communication. It's a book that is rich in content and perfect for book club discussions.

Thank you to NetGalley for an advance copy of this book. I can't wait for another book from this author!