Book Review: HappyHead by Josh Silver

A retreat for teenagers. Unsettling challenges. A dark experiment. All to combat the epidemic of unhappiness. This is HappyHead.

For part of my degree, I have to study and analyse young adult literature. As I'm writing a dystopian novel, I tend to lean more towards reading dystopias and my most recent read is Josh Silver's debut novel, HappyHead.

My tutor recommended this novel to me and after getting it from the library, I can safely say, I will be getting the sequel.

HappyHead is the first book Silver has published, but you wouldn't think that by reading it. I thoroughly enjoyed delving into the dark and twisted world Silver's created and thought it definitely deserves to be reviewed on here.

The synopsis of the novel is:

"We are in an epidemic. An epidemic of unhappiness.

Friends, here is the good news: HappyHead has the answer.

When Seb is selected for an innovative retreat designed to tackle teenage unhappiness, it's his chance to finally be good at something. Getting close to the troubled Finn is definitely not part of the plan.

But the challenges the participants must undergo become more unsettling by the day. And together the boys start to question the true nature of the experiment.

What is it that HappyHead really wants from them? And will they even make it out alive?"

That's the blurb on the back of the book. It's accompanied by quotes from others who have read it, which say it's "an unforgettable debut that recaptures the thrills and spills of great YA dystopian fiction" and "Like Hunger Games but better".

As a fan of dystopian novels, the blurb and the cover copy intrigued me. Especially since Hunger Games was such a successful phenomenon when it was released.

Having now read the book, I can confirm that the praise for HappyHead is warranted.

And I'm going to tell you why.

Review: HappyHead by Josh Silver

Genre: Young Adult Dystopia

Sub-genre: Thriller

Rating: Five stars

HappyHead is a first-person, present-tense novel aimed at young adults. It follows teenager, Sebastian, as he arrives at HappyHead, a government-run retreat, aiming to eradicate teenage unhappiness.

From the very start, the creepy vibe is evident with a black smiley face after an introductory letter, inviting Seb to the retreat. And throughout the novel, the dark and ominous atmosphere only intensifies.

As Seb is the sole protagonistic narrator, the focus is on him. The readers get an insight into his thoughts and his mind as the novel is told from his perspective. The present tense adds a sense of immediacy to the action and puts us as readers right into the action, allowing us to watch it unfold with a sense of suspense because we don't know what will happen.

The book starts with Seb and his family driving to HappyHead. It's clear through the interactions that his parents are hoping that this retreat, whatever it may entail, will finally be something that Seb is good at and can make them proud.

His sister, Lily, is a little prickly, but it's through her that we learn Sebastian is gay, but his parents do not know. This information is subtly revealed but plays an important part in the trajectory of Seb's character arc throughout the book.

Seb isn't given much of a choice about attending HappyHead. When he leaves his parents and, accompanied by Mark - Antiseptic to Seb - enters the retreat, Seb meets the enigmatic Finn. An introductory assembly is given to all the teenagers, who vary in levels of excitement at being at HappyHead and having no outside-world contact for two weeks.

From there, each person is assigned a bedroom. They undergo a quick procedure to insert a chip into their clavicle. And the experiments begin.

Seb is put in a group with Finn, Eleanor, and Ash. The four characters are very different and none of them are perfect, even Seb. But that just makes him an even better narrator.

As the book develops, so do the challenges and when reading it, I was taken on a tumultuous journey with Seb that sees him battle internally. He wants to do his parents proud and that means succeeding at HappyHead.

Even if he has to suppress a part of himself. Even if he has to put himself in danger. And even if he has to befriend the very suspicious, overly eager and untrustworthy Eleanor.

The plot was amazing; HappyHead is a real page-turner that I couldn't put down. It's a strong dystopian novel with elements of the thriller genre and there is plot twist after plot twist followed by a cliffhanger at the end.

But what I loved the most about this book was Seb. As a protagonist, I thought he did a great job. He isn't a perfect character. He has his flaws and he knows that and isn't afraid to admit it. But he comes across as very real and very authentic as a teenager.

His narrative voice was so enjoyable to read because it was chatty and conversational in places but also serious as well. Humour and sarcasm were used a lot throughout and that put me right into Sebastian's mind and immediately gave me a sense of him as a person and what he was thinking.

And that window into Seb's internal monologues was present throughout the entire book. Pair that with the non-stop action and the increasing suspense and tension, in terms of both the mystery of what HappyHead actually is and Seb's relationship with Finn, and you've got an enticing young adult novel that will keep you reading until the very end.

So if you fancy a dark, thrilling and compelling read, give HappyHead a go. You can read it on Amazon here.

If you do give it a read, let me know in the comments what you think.

Until next time...