Book Review: HappyHead by Josh Silver

HappyHead by Josh Silver
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Suspenseful young adult dystopian thriller where evil lurks behind a smiling face.

HappyHead by Josh Silver is a new young adult dystopian thriller about a mysterious residential treatment facility that claims its mission is to fight the rise of systemic unhappiness across society’s youth and its inaugural session of 100 hand-selected teen participants. From the outside, HappyHead appears to be a beautiful and luxurious spa-like opportunity for young adults who are seeking to improve personal growth or, for some, gain an advantage in their upcoming journey to achieve adult success. The reality may be something much, much different, and unexpectedly deadly.

The story unfolds from the point of view of the main character, Sebastian “Seb” Seaton, a young man struggling with feeling loved and accepted for who he is by his family, especially his parents, and they don’t even know that he’s gay. Seb seems like such a regular kid, working through understanding himself, his feelings and beliefs, and others, while developing a foundation for his true persona. His attraction to the dark, wounded Finneas is achingly meant to be. His narration reveals a humorous and clever personality, and the snark is strong and entertaining.

Nothing about the routine or treatment at the facility is what Seb expected, and, from the start, he feels unsettled and off-balance, like everyone is in on a joke except him (and so was I as a reader.) The smiling visages of the “Overalls” and HappyHead treatment staff are eerie and add to the constantly rising feeling of suspense. Several of the activities at HappyHead triggered my “AwHellNo” alarm and upped the terror of the story, such as the implanting of a ‘chip’ in the breast of the young participants. Each subsequent twist kept me glued to the story as the action and the fates of the characters careened forward.

Quickly a fan of Seb’s “voice,” I was completely absorbed into Seb’s story. The descriptions of the facility and grounds are vivid, starting even before setting foot on the actual property. Set somewhere in the Scottish countryside, Seb’s parents literally drop him off in the middle of nowhere on a dead-end road, surrounded by tall reeds and sunflower fields obscuring the sight of any buildings or landmarks nearby. Later, there are scenes of confusing, undistinguishable white interiors and dark, dense woods, all confined within tall, electrified fencing, enhancing the pervasive feelings of desperation, isolation, and lack of individual control.

With its sympathetic main characters and interesting range of intense secondary figures, suspense-filled atmosphere, and twisty plot, I recommend HAPPYHEAD to readers of young adult dystopian thrillers, especially those wanting complex but realistic LGBTQ representation.

I voluntarily reviewed this after receiving an Advanced Review Copy through TBR and Beyond Book Tours.

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