More Happy Than Not, by Adam Silvera → Start Date: June 5, 2015

[Vicki]

Katie and I would love it if you could join us!

[Katie]

This one sounds like a unique story, and I'm excited to read it!

[Katie]

I just got my copy of this one in the mail today, and I'm so excited to start this. It looks like a great story, and I've heard a lot of good things about it.

[Vicki]

YAY!!! Mine will be here tomorrow!

[Vicki]

I'm DYING for my book to arrive today!! LOL

[Katie]

I hope your book comes soon! I started this and read the first 5 chapters of Part One. It's really interesting so far.

the setting (view spoiler)[I really like reading about Aaron's neighborhood, and how the guys there all get together and play games like Manhunt. (hide spoiler)]

Genevieve (view spoiler)[I really like her. She seems to really care about Aaron, and she's also passionate about the things that she's interested in, like art. (hide spoiler)]

Thomas (view spoiler)[He seems like a nice guy so far. I look forward to finding out more about him. (hide spoiler)]

Aaron's family (view spoiler)[I hope we find out more about them soon, and about why his father killed himself. (hide spoiler)]

Aaron (view spoiler)[I really like him. He certainly doesn't have an easy life, with his lower SES background, and his father's suicide, and his own suicide attempt. (hide spoiler)]

[Katie]

I've now through chapter 10 of Part One. I'm really liking this.

Genevieve (view spoiler)[I really like her relationship with Aaron, and how much he really wanted to do something special for her birthday to surprise her. (hide spoiler)]

Thomas (view spoiler)[I feel like he's a good friend to Aaron, since they're able to talk about more difficult things, and he knows the bad things in Aaron's life, even though he only met Aaron not that long before. I like how they're able to hang out, so Aaron still has someone even though Genevieve is away. (hide spoiler)]

Leteo procedure (view spoiler)[There were some interesting thoughts on this procedure expressed by the people at the rally. If this really existed, it would be a controversial moral isuse, since it brings up the question of, is it okay to ever erase memories? Like the people at the rally were saying, if someone does something wrong, should they be able to erase the guilt, or should they have to live with the guilt? It is very interesting to think about. (hide spoiler)]

[Vicki]

My book JUST arrived!!!! Yay! But I don't like the small print.

[Katie]

I hadn't noticed that before, but now that you mentioned it, it does seem smaller print than in a lot of other books.

[Katie]

I've now finished Part One, and I'm really liking this. It doesn't shy away from showing some of the tougher and grittier parts of life, and I like that.

Thomas (view spoiler)[At the very end of Part One, Aaron thought that Thomas was gay, and he seems very sure about this, but I'm not sure how he figured this out and what gave him that idea, or if he is even right about it, for that matter. I do know that Thomas is a nice and caring guy, and I really like his character. (hide spoiler)]

the neighborhood boys (view spoiler)[Wow, they can be pretty intense sometimes, especially Me-Crazy with his fighting. (hide spoiler)]

[Vicki]

Quick read?

[Katie]

It's been going pretty quickly so far, and it's pretty engaging and easy to get into, in my opinion.

[Katie]

I finished Part Two, and I'm really liking this.

Genevieve (view spoiler)[I feel really bad for her since she really cared about Aaron and he hurt her by breaking up with her. I think he should have told her the truth about him being gay so that it wouldn't hurt her as much. (hide spoiler)]

Aaron (view spoiler)[At the very end of this part, it mentioned his memories that he had forgotten being unwound. I wonder if that means he had a Leteo procedure before that he doesn't remember. (hide spoiler)]

Thomas (view spoiler)[I guess Aaron was wrong about him being gay. But I'm glad that he's cool with Aaron being gay. Aaron still seems convinced that Thomas isn't straight, though, and I don't know why. (hide spoiler)]

Aaron's mom (view spoiler)[I'm glad she was also okay with him being gay. (hide spoiler)]

Aaron's "friends" (view spoiler)[I don't really like them, especially since they beat him up for hugging Thomas. (hide spoiler)]

[Vicki]

I'm so glad it's good! :o)

[Katie]

I've now finished Part Zero, which was quite an interesting section.

Aaron (view spoiler)[So he did have a Leteo procedure before to forget being gay, but then he ended up realizing he was gay again, so burying the memories didn't really change him. (hide spoiler)]

Collin (view spoiler)[I thought he seemed sweet, until he basically abandoned Aaron at the time when Aaron really needed him more than ever, after his dad had committed suicide. (hide spoiler)]

Aaron's dad (view spoiler)[I don't like him, since he would rather kill himself than face having a son who is gay. (hide spoiler)]

Genevieve (view spoiler)[If she was with him during the procedure, I guess that probably means she knew he was gay the whole time. But maybe she also thought the procedure had really turned him straight. (hide spoiler)]

[Katie]

I just finished this book, and wow, I am really impressed by the emotional punch that this story packed. It was amazing.

Aaron (view spoiler)[The whole thing with him getting amnesia is so sad, because it means he may never be able to create new memories, and instead he is stuck with the ones that he had originally wanted to get rid of. This was a pretty bittersweet ending. (hide spoiler)]

Thomas (view spoiler)[I believe that he is really is straight, and that he wasn't just lying out that the entire time. I hope that he can make Genevieve happy. (hide spoiler)]

Genevieve (view spoiler)[I feel bad for her and how she was in love with someone who could never love her back, so I hope she finds happiness with someone who can love her in the way that she deserves. (hide spoiler)]

Collin (view spoiler)[I didn't like how he was never going to really tell his girlfriend, Nicole, the truth about him being gay. I think that she had a right to know that. (hide spoiler)]

Aaron's family (view spoiler)[I'm glad that his mom and brother both really care about him and love him. (hide spoiler)]

[Vicki]

Don't give up on me yet. LOL I"m taking this book with me on vacation.

[Jacquelyn, thebrunettebooknerd]

Vicki, have you started this one? I plan on starting it on Tuesday so I can always hop in with y'all!

[Vicki]

I was going to bring it on vacation but I forgot the book at home. I won't be able to read until next Friday.

[Jacquelyn, thebrunettebooknerd]

Okay! I know I will be reading it next week but I am not sure when. It'll probably be around then anyway so I will still post spoilers and my thoughts. :)

Hope you have a GREAT vacation! What are your plans for today?

[Vicki]

No plans yet. Our first day we just check out the area to see what's available. We are right on the coast and have a beautiful view of the cove from our room and whale watching too. So right now I am having coffee and looking out at the waves crashing in the ocean and hoping to see a whale or two. LOL

But we will definitely go to the local grocery store and downtown to check out the little shops. Lol

We got stuck in accident traffic in the mountains yesterday so our ten hour journey to get here ended up being 13 hours 45 minutes. So we might just veg all day and watch the view. Lol

How about you? Getting a lot of reading done?

Have a told you lately just how much I value our friendship? :)

[Jacquelyn, thebrunettebooknerd]

First and foremost, that is SO SWEET of you to say! I definitely value our friendship so much too and I am glad that I will be able to talk to you and everyone else a lot more now that it is summer!

That sounds AWESOME. Whale watching sounds so cool! Sounds so relaxing.

I love going to check out all of the little shops whenever we go to a different place. When we went to the Grand Canyon two years ago, our hotel was on this very long, main road with TONS of shops. We spent a whole afternoon exploring and stopping in each one to see what there was! Hope you find some cool shops worth stopping in for. :)

Oh, wow! That must have really stunk but I guess you just have to be thankful and grateful that you were not involved in the accident.

I am getting a TON of reading done lately. My last final was on Tuesday so I've been enjoying my first few days of summer. I am already on my 12th book of June so I am reading a book a day as of now! LOL

We leave for vacation 3 weeks from today and I am so excited! We still have a lot to do but I am really looking forward to it. :)

[Vicki]

Wow! 12 books? Cool!! :)

You know, I almost lost my oldest daughter when we went to the Grand Canyon in 1972. She was only two years old. My mom was holding her hand and I was carrying my son and I heard my mother yell, "Kimberly!" I turned around to see my daughter running toward the edge of the rock/cliff (her death) and there was no fencing at that point and she turned around to look at my mother and she was just giggling and laughing and being a two-year-old and thank God she tripped and fell. Without exaggeration I'm telling you she fell 2 to 3 feet maximum from the edge of going over into the Grand Canyon. I've been afraid of heights ever since! But it's BREATHTAKING there!!

Enjoy reading! :)

[Jacquelyn, thebrunettebooknerd]

Oh my gosh!! That must have been terrifying. We were on one trail and I am not sure whether my mom wasn't paying enough attention or what but it was a very curvy trail and instead of turning she kept walking straight. I yelled out and it wasn't like she was as close as your daughter was, but it was still scary because that drop is no joke!

[Vicki]

Are there still areas that aren't fenced in then? And how about taking a mule down into the canyon on those narrow trails?? No thanks!!! Lol

[Vicki]

Are there still areas that aren't fenced in then? And how about taking a mule down into the canyon on those narrow trails?? No thanks!!! Lol

[Jacquelyn, thebrunettebooknerd]

Yes, certain spots there are still no fences around. AND that trail I was just talking about had those mules!! They were coming up while we were going down so we had to move over as far as we could to get out of their way. It was already so narrow and crowded so that just made it even worse! LOL

[Vicki]

OMG! I hope you moved to the inside of the trail and not the outside!! Lol

[Jacquelyn, thebrunettebooknerd]

Oh yes! We were on the inside and the mules were on the outside. I like it that way. :P LOL

[Vicki]

Ha ha! I guess so!! Lol

[Trisha, lives on coffee]

well....depending on when you guys start, I hope to join you (fingers crossed my library is frantically pulling these books off shelves for me! LOL)

[Jacquelyn, thebrunettebooknerd]

Fingers crossed you can!! I probably will start either next Friday or Saturday.

[Vicki]

Awesome! I can get back to it next Friday/Saturday! I can't believe I forgot it at home, but at least it's my own book! lol

[Trisha, lives on coffee]

I'm starting this one tonight!!

[Jacquelyn, thebrunettebooknerd]

I think I will too. So many books!!!

[Vicki]

Yay!! This is the book I'd left at home and I'm excited to get back to it.

[Trisha, lives on coffee]

I finished Part I - about 100 pages in

I'm confused. I can't tell if this book (view spoiler)[ is just about a kid growing up in a tough area and making difficult choices
or if this is about leteo, a corporation coming to help them wipe bad memories out.
if Leteo isn't the purpose, what is the point of introducing it but having nothing much happen after 100 pages (hide spoiler)]

Thomas(view spoiler)[ I like him. I agree with Aaron. I think Thomas may be interested in him. At the very least, I think he feels drawn to Aaron. Maybe it's that they share the same missing dad - even for different reasons - or maybe that Aaron is the first in a while to listen to him...but thomas definitely seems to like Aaron
I think it's cute (hide spoiler)]

Aaron(view spoiler)[ he seems to really appreciated Thomas too. I think their friendship has really filled a missing hole for both of them. Aaron's friends ARE intense and Thomas seems to bring a softer/real side out of both of them, making them actually talk about real stuff.
I also wonder if Aaron isn't a little awe-struck by Thomas - he almost seems to have a little crush too. we'll see :) (hide spoiler)]

Genevieve(view spoiler)[ I like her too...but sometimes she seems to hold Aaron at arms length. It might be because of the attempted suicide or it might just be the way she is, but she doesn't seem to have the same connection/discussions that he and Thomas have. (hide spoiler)]

[Trisha, lives on coffee]

and I"m done

wow, this was a very dark book

(view spoiler)[ I'm not sure how much I liked this one. I mean, I did like it, it dealt with some very dark themes and thoughts

but it was almost too dark for me, too much :/ (hide spoiler)]