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.

“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.

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!