Happiness Falls by Angie Kim

Rating: 5 of 5 stars 

Pages: 387 pages
Published: August 2023

Happiness Falls, at the surface, is a literary mystery about a father who goes missing in a Washington DC-area park, and the last person who was with him was his young son who has a rare genetic condition that prohibits him from speaking. What's more is the fictional story takes place during the summer of 2020, which posed additional challenges in solving the missing person case in the midst of a global pandemic. On a deeper level, the story is more philosophical and thought-provoking. It begs the questions, what does it mean to be happy? What is the difference between being non-verbal and non-communicative? How does verbal language communicate intelligence? What role does race play in how we perceive and are perceived? How do we protect the ones we love, especially in the most challenging of circumstances?

The book is narrated by the older sister, who is a twin. She and both her brothers and mother come together as a family to work out and reconcile what has happened to the patriarch of their family. The specific plot of the mystery is not necessarily the most important aspect of the book, but it helps propel the story forward. I found this story to beautifully written, and I appreciated the way it made me think about things. There's a lot to unpack beyond the mystery, which is resolved in the course of the books nearly 400 pages. This is one I slowly savored and wouldn't mind reading again.  

Recommendation: This book was on my TBR list for far too long. I am happy I read it. This is one of those books where you're not going to get a nice and tidy ending, but you will get a complete and fulfilling story. I highly recommend this book for readers who enjoy cerebral reads that can easily be discussed with others. 

Until next time ... Read on!

Regardless of whether I purchase a book, borrow a book, or receive a book in exchange for review, my ultimate goal is to be honest, fair, and constructive. I hope you've found this review helpful.

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All the Sinners Bleed by S.A. Cosby

Rating: 4.5 of 5 stars 

Pages: 341 pages
Published: June 2023

Listen. I slept on Razorblade Tears, and didn't pick up a copy until several years after publication. So, when I heard about S.A. Cosby's newest book, All the Sinners Bleed, I took myself right on up to Barnes & Noble and got a hardback copy. And, boy, am I glad I did! I love the way Cosby writes. I like the way he weaves themes of social justice, race relations and morality into his stories. I enjoyed the grittiness of the plot that sucks you in from chapter one and is hard pressed to let go upon completion. He is a storyteller in every sense of the word. So, let me try to tell you a little about this story. 

This novel features the first Black sheriff, Titus Crown, in a small Virginia town who finds he has a serial killer in the community a year into his tenure. The inciting event ocurrs early on in the novel and the bulk of the book surrounds Titus trying to unravel the mystery and locate the killer(s). Cosby definitely writes a thought-provoking, fast-paced, suspense-filled novel. My only critique is that the ending fell a little flat because I would have liked to know more about the antagonist and their motivations for doing what they did. Additionally, being a proponent of Black love, I was a little disappointed in what happened with the protagonist and his girlfriend. Having said that, it was totally realistic what happened and how it unfolded. I'm thankful for Cosby writing Darlene as the heroine of her own story. (Asking for a friend - Can we get a spinoff, Mr. Cosby?)

Recommendation: Overall, I enjoyed this story and found it to be a good read. I would rank Razorblade Tears above this one, but still a strong piece of fiction, indeed! 

Until next time ... Read on!

Regardless of whether I purchase a book, borrow a book, or receive a book in exchange for review, my ultimate goal is to be honest, fair, and constructive. I hope you've found this review helpful.

Read More