Oddly endearing.
Fern is 10 years old and has been on the run with her mother Alice all her life.
She doesn't know why, or from whom, or what. She just knows that Alice doesn't put down roots, doesn't linger in any one place for long at a time, and their landing pads are usually squalid and off the beaten path.
This time they have landed in Pine Lake Apartments. Former sanitarium and home to an eclectic group of misfits that have obviously been looking for their own place to disappear.
Fern sees ghosts. And she's sure she's seen a dead body in the dumpster, but nobody believes her. But the other tenants are willing to get together for a seance to try to contact the "dead" person in the hopes of finding out who she is, and who killed her.

That's only a scratching of the surface of this story. There is Glass Girl. The Mermaid Woman. The Old Soldier. The Professor. And the mysterious person who has been leaving threatening notes for Alice and slashing the tires on her car.

This story was a Merry-Go-Round of "what was that?" and "he did what?"

And it was compelling from beginning to end.
My only complaint was the format. Not the author's fault. The formatting from NetGalley was a little odd and made it difficult to follow at times. The story itself was oddly sweet and something I could probably see myself reading again.

Thanks to W. W. Norton & Company | Liveright and NetGalley for allowing me to read this one ahead of publication.

This was an interesting read that, at times, felt more like a YA novel than I expected. The tone, pacing, and emotional beats reminded me of something aimed for a younger audience.

The chapter titles were definitely a highlight — super creative and almost poetic, which added a fun, clever layer to the storytelling. And I have to say, 10-year-old Fern was such a standout. She was sharp, observant, and emotionally aware in a way that made her feel wise beyond her years.

While I didn’t fully connect with the plot or pacing, I appreciated the unique structure and the subtle themes about family, grief, and identity.

Out October 14th, 2025
There are flashes of brilliance, especially in the way it captures grief, longing, and the surreal edges of everyday life. As a collection, it felt uneven. Some stories dazzled, others drifted. The tone shifts from experimental to intimate, and while that variety can be intriguing, it left me feeling a bit disconnected. I kept hoping for a stronger throughline or thematic anchor to tie it all together.

Still, Sparks knows how to write pain and beauty in equal measure. If you enjoy literary fiction that leans into the strange and the sorrowful, this is worth a read—just don’t expect every story to resonate.

Thank you to NetGalley and Liveright for this ARC!

I’m not quite sure where to start with this one!

The writing style was definitely unique, but maybe not for me personally. The dialogue not being in quotations threw me off the entire time and really affected my immersion in the story.

I also agree with other reviewers that this read more like a YA story than adult fiction. I wanted a bit more suspense, I think. Still, it was a fun story and a quick and easy read.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an e-ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This seemed more like YA than an adult novel, which I wasn't expecting. The lack of quotation marks was also a little confusing.

“Happy People Don’t Live Here” is so unique !

It's the kind of novel that is both whimsical and complex, funny and dark.

Fern, a 10-year-old girl with a detective’s eye and a restless spirit. She moves along with her mother Alice, a miniaturist and trauma survivor, as they bounce from one hiding place to the next. The story takes place in their new spot, the crumbling Pine Lake Apartments, once a sanitorium and now a building filled with eccentric neighbors and lingering spirits.

Fern believes very much that she’s stumbled upon a murder but her mother is more focused on their real-life threats. The chapters alternate between Fern’s curiosity with Alice’s sorrowful grief and guilt. Sparks plays with tone in each perspective.

What makes this book so memorable isn’t just the mystery and the setting. It’s the relationship between mother and daughter. #wwnortonandcompany #ambersparks #happypeopledontlivehere

This was not what I was expecting but it was good. Once I could finally figure out how to download it. Did anyone else have a weird download with black out spots.

What a weird wonderful little book. I absolutely loved it, the only thing that I had a rough time with at first was the lack of punctuation around quotations. I’m not sure if this is an intentional stylistic choice or just one if the perils of an uncorrected proof, but. Definitely threw me off.

The writing in this is absolutely addictive and the story is totally bizarre. From the funny little chapter titles, to the multiple mysteries swirling around, to all the quirky and queer characters - I was hooked. I’m obsessed with Fern (she reminds me so much of my niece), I wanted to know all of Alice’s secrets and could read a whole novel about every resident (living and dead) at Pine Lake. Something I love in a book is characters with interesting careers or hobbies, and everyone in this book had an interesting way of spending their time. I thought this was weird and engaging, and I loved the way it all came together. It was a really fun read.

Thank you to NetGalley and W. W. Norton & Company | Liveright for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

This novel started out strong for me, and Sparks has beautiful, lyrical writing.


Some standout quotes include:

""Brilliant bright white haze before the blackness of night"
"looking up, and up, trying to make sense of the night's glossary of stars".


Happy People Don't Live here is a mystery centered around a 10 year old's investigation when. she finds a body in a dumpster. Sounds cool right? Unfortunately for me, while a good read, it wasn't what I was expecting. There were some great contemplations on life, taking risks, and what makes happiness, but I didn't feel that "Happy People" were not living in the apartment complex. I think happiness was on full display. I also feel like the story started strong but wrapped too quickly, a pacing issue that didn't allow for the mystery to build in a way that kept me on the edge of my seat.

I like the idea that because Fern is a child, people think her experiences are just fantasy, and she gets frustrated by this.

I look forward to more from Sparks.

“I’m a kid, I’m not delusional!” The heart of Happy People Don’t Live Here, Amber Sparks’ debut novel, is Fern – a 10-year-old who definitely does not (totally does) believe in fairies and is an amateur sleuth. Dragged around the country by her mother Alice, who is always running from something, they land in Pine Lake Apartments – a former sanatorium that now houses an interesting collection of characters. A mermaid, a woman made of glass (really has a condition where her bones break easily), an award-winning novelist, a medieval studies professor, and a whole bevy of ghosts. When Fern sees the dead body of someone she believes to be a mysterious resident, Detective Fern is on the case. Well, she has to be, because no one believes her.

The narrative is told from the alternating perspectives of Fern and Alice. As Fern starts uncovering the secrets of Pine Lake, Alice, slowly leads the reader through her secrets and why she thinks she is getting threatening mail. Fern, with the help of the handyperson, holds a séance, resulting in another interesting character populating the grounds.

Fern is fully captivating as a central character. We see Pine Lake and its characters through her eyes as she questions them, peeks through windows, and carefully follows the tropes in her favorite girl detective mystery books. What I was hoping for was more development of this cast of characters. Is the Mermaid real or just a performer in a large fish tank? She certainly spends enough time in the tub! Who is the glass lady, and what is she really dealing with? I had expected a full cast of characters, but we only get snippets, which left me wanting more.

That aside, the storyline is interesting and develops well through its two fully-fleshed central characters. Fans of the Flavia de Luce series by Alan Bradley, especially those who also like a more fantastical storyline, may particularly enjoy this book. I look forward to reading more by this author.
Thank you to Liveright and NetGalley for an e-ARC in exchange for my honest review. My opinions and thoughts are my own.

3.25/5

I'm not sure what age demographic this book is supposed to be for, but it reads a bit YA. And not in a bad way, I know some people mean that as a bad thing. But in this case, it had an easy and fun tone to it that makes me think lot of younger readers would enjoy it.

I did really like the chapter header, I thought those were really fun. More books should have chapter headers, why are those no longer as common as they used to be?

I didn't like how the dialogue was not in quotations, for some reason I really do not like that. It takes me so long to get used to it and makes for a very different reading experience.

Overall, this was a quick, easy and fun spooky story. I think a lot of people of varying ages will enjoy this book. And its setting is perfect for the Halloween season!

Thanks to NetGalley for the e-ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review! My Goodreads review is up and my TikTok (Zoe_Lipman) review will be up at the end of the month with my monthly reading wrap-up.

I quite enjoyed this odd, fanciful little book. Thanks to netgalley and the publisher, I was able to read this arc about fern, Alice, and a cast of lovable weirdos living at an apartment complex that began its life as a sanatorium. Fern and Alice, a daughter/mother duo, are on the run, constantly trying to escape their old life and abusive husband/father. Alice is a miniature artist, and Fern is a bright young girl who is obsessed with various things, mostly being a detective. Throughout this novel, we meet various apartment residents, including ghosts. Though this story is pretty cutesy at times, I didn’t find myself annoyed by it because the characters within were so fully imagined and rich that the whole thing still felt very messy, and very human, in the very best way. This was a quick read and still dealt with some heavy emotional moments, while providing a lot of laughs, too! Delightful little story- very well done!

Thank you W.W. Norton & Company for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

I adored this book, first and foremost. It was heartfelt, beautifully written, and completely unexpected – like a mix of Gilmore Girls, Coraline, and The Haunting of Bly Manor. Sparks offered a fresh take on the concept of ghosts and hauntings, which was really intriguing to me. Plus I'm a sucker for a plucky girl detective character.

Happy People Don't Live Here follows the story of Fern and her mother, Alice, as they move into a dilapidated apartment building in Minnesota. The building houses a cast of eccentric but believable characters and absolutely brimming with ghosts – faint smudgy spirits, some mere wisps of smoke, others nearly full bodied apparitions. Fern can see them; Alice cannot. Alice is much too preoccupied staying one step ahead of her past to have much patience for Fern's girl detective antics, especially when Fern claims to have found a dead body in the dumpster that no one else had seen.

This book was an intimate portrait of mothers and daughters, of family, both found and born into, and of the lengths people will go to hide their secrets. It really felt like it was written for me specifically, leaning into, and ultimately subverting, all my favorite tropes. Sparks' writing had a poetic cadence to it but never felt overwrought or overbearing that I found incredibly captivating, as well as the use of multiple points of view.

This book definitely belongs on your October TBR pile if you're a fan of Shirley Jackson, ghost stories or Nancy Drew.

A very unusual cast of characters lives at the Pine Lake Apartments and the 10-year-old Fern loops them all into her childlike detective antics. This was a very quick read with a spooky and at times unsettling tone to it. Perfect for a cozy October evening.

I thought this book was unique and quirky, blending elements of a YA coming-of-age story with a haunted house backdrop. The premise had a lot of potential, and the tone was fun in places—but I found myself wanting something a bit more serious or eerie. It walks a fine line between genres, which may appeal to some readers, but personally, I was expecting more genuine suspense or horror. Still, it was an engaging read with a distinct voice.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

Reading Happy People Don’t Live Here felt like being pried open—gently at first, then with increasing urgency. Amber Sparks doesn’t just write stories; she detonates them. Each one is a spark in a powder keg of rage, grief, absurdity, and longing. And together, they make up one of the most arresting collections I’ve read in ages.

The title doesn’t lie—these aren’t cheerful tales. They’re stories about women who are angry, undone, othered, and unrepentantly complex. Some of them bleed. Some burn. Some vanish entirely. And all of them feel terrifyingly true, even when dipped in the surreal or fantastical. Sparks writes like someone who sees the world a little differently and refuses to play nice about it.

What I loved most was how she balances sharp, stinging commentary with moments of absurd beauty. These stories are short, but they hit hard—each one a self-contained revolution. It’s like stepping into a carnival mirror maze of modern womanhood, except every reflection shows you something you’ve been trying not to admit.

This book made me feel feral, seen, and electrified all at once. If you like your fiction biting, weird, and infused with dark, feminist fury, Happy People Don’t Live Here is a must-read. Just don’t expect to walk away unscathed.

Interesting, yet slow to start. Fast read, perfect for spooky season. What are the buried secrets in Pine Lake Apartments? You’ll have to join Alice in a spooky investigation that starts when her daughter finds a body in a trash can!

ARC Review – 4.5⭐️ rounded up

Summary:
Alice and her 10-year-old daughter, Fern, are always on the run—though Fern doesn’t know why. Their latest stop is Pine Lake, Minnesota, where they move into an eerie old apartment building that once housed a sanatorium. Fern quickly becomes fascinated by the strange residents, giving them names like the Glass Girl, the Cursed Lady, the Old Soldier, and Mermaid Lady. When a woman claiming to be a former patient appears and asks for help finding her sister, Fern begins to piece together the history of the building—and the secrets her mother has been running from all along.

Review:
This book hits a rare sweet spot: it’s told mostly from a child’s point of view, but the themes and emotional weight are very adult. Think Pan’s Labyrinth or Coraline—Fern’s voice is observant, sharp, and sometimes heartbreaking. The atmosphere is moody and unsettling, and the line between the supernatural and psychological is beautifully blurred.

The mother/daughter relationship is the soul of the book. Alice and Fern feel real—messy, loving, flawed, and deeply intertwined. It’s one of the most believable portrayals of a parent and child I’ve read in a while.

While the story includes elements of mystery and ghostly suspense, it’s also a quiet meditation on trauma, depression, domestic abuse, and the way grief lives in the walls of a home. It’s haunting in every sense of the word, and it lingers long after the final page.

Bottom line: A deeply atmospheric, emotionally rich story with a standout child narrator and a layered look at inherited trauma. Not a horror novel in the traditional sense—but quietly devastating and haunting all the same. I’d recommend it to fans of literary fiction with gothic or speculative edges.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I absolutely adored Happy People Don't Live Here by Amber Sparks, even though it was maybe a bit twee and precious at times - but just the right amount of twee and precious for me. Alice and her young daughter Fern move into a creaky former sanatorium turned apartment building, where Fern discovers a dead body and starts investigating despite her paranoid mother's warnings. Alice has secrets of her own - there's a reason they're always moving and she's so paranoid - and she's also a miniaturist, which adds to the book's precious quality but also speaks to her need to keep things small and controllable. The story unfolds in this wonderfully weird world populated by the kind of people you'd expect to live in a converted sanatorium: there's someone who performs as a mermaid, a neighbor who communes with spirits, a professor specializing in obscure medieval topics. The writing itself is lovely, but there's something about the whole story that has this magical, kooky, almost childlike sense of charm to it - not undeveloped or simplistic, just delightfully earnest in a way that feels younger than typical adult fiction. As someone who's not usually drawn to YA, this hit exactly the right balance of whimsical gothic mystery with enough substance to satisfy, and I found myself not wanting to leave this strange little community Sparks created.