Suddenly, Aaron has to deal with the realization that he's gay in a place where being gay isn't welcomed, or choose to not deal with it - by going to the Leteo institute and having his memories taken away. When sweet, eccentric Thomas comes along, he's everything Aaron needs in his life and more. He can't turn to his family or guy friends, and his girlfriend tries to be supportive but Aaron doesn't really feel able to talk to her either. The story is about Aaron, who is trying to pick himself up after both his father's suicide and his own attempted suicide. You would only see shadows hugging, indiscriminate.' 'From the shapes cast by the green paper lantern, you would never know that there were two boys sitting closely to one another trying to find themselves. And, unlike other books that try to do many things at once, all the many themes are executed well. Oh, and it's also one of the most diverse books I've ever read. It's about coming to terms with ones sexuality, it's about friendship, it's about memory and forgetting, it's a love story, and it's about choosing to be happy, despite the sad. Because this book is an overlapping of several stories and themes, each one as powerful as the last. Personally, I do not think the promised big twist is particularly hard to guess if you've read the description and seen the movie this is being compared to, but I don't think much hangs on it anyway. The quirky dialogue and nerdy references to comic books, Star Wars and action heroes are much needed to lighten up an otherwise very distressing novel. I opened with that quote for a reason - while definitely entertaining, More Happy Than Not is a dark, sad book that deals with homophobia, depression and suicide.

More happy than not