Customer Reviews

Happyface

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Happyface
By Stephen Emond
Publisher: Little, Brown & Company
# of Pages: 320
Age Rating: 14+
My Rating: 4 Stars

Synopsis:
Enter Happyface's journal and get a peek into the life of a shy, artistic boy who decides to reinvent himself as a happy-go-lucky guy after he moves to a new town. See the world through his hilariously self-deprecating eyes as he learns to shed his comic-book-loving, computer-game playing ways. Join him as he makes new friends, tries to hide from his past, and ultimately learns to face the world with a genuine smile. With a fresh and funny combination of text and fully integrated art, Happyface is an original storytelling experience.

Review:
I was not expecting Happyface to be like this. When I first got this book, I was going to wait to read this intill I was done with one other book but the drawing in the book just drew me in and I just had to read it to find out what happens next in the book and I finished reading it in one hour.
The book was very engaging ( that's why I couldn't put it down. :D) Happyface was character that I could kind of relate to a little, I could understand now he wanted to start over and become a new person, Happyface.
I really like how the author rewrote this so that the plot was fresh.( I can say a whole list of books who's plot are a girl/boy's mom & dad fight together and they move to a new house and they have to go to a new school.)
It was kind of heavy but Happyface wry, honest perspective help makes it lighter, it was just like as if you were reading a real journal written by a real person.
I really enjoy this book but it's not my top-favorite go-read-now book. Boys will enjoy reading this book because it is told from a boy's perspective but girls will enjoy this too.
I give it 4 stars.


Enjoy! :D:D:D

Happyface, like Whip It, is another teen story that surprised me. It's got so many elements that you find in other young adult books, but some how Emond manages to put enough of a twist on the story that I could not put the book down.

One reason is that it's not a normal book. This is Happyface's journal. After having to leave his home town after his parent's divorce, the young man decides he's not going to be the quiet kid in the corner drawing pictures, and reinvents himself as Happyface - the happy, outgoing, cool kid. We follow his journey through his notes and artwork. Don't be fooled, this isn't a silly story. While Happyface tries to maintain a sense of humor in his new persona, the story and themes are relatively serious.

What I think I really enjoyed about this book was Emond's writing Happyface as an unreliable narrator. You don't realize it at first. When you start the book, it feels very "Dear Diary" and you assume that Happyface is just telling you everything about his life. But you begin to realize that pieces are missing. He's not documenting his life for future generations, he's just using this journal to sketch, to vent, to ramble...so bits of information trickles in at a random pace.

I think this is what really drew me into the book (no pun intended). Suddenly, I realized, maybe Happyface wasn't doing as well as he said. Maybe things that happened to him and around him were not everything he wrote down. Because how much would you write down about something that changed your life forever? You wouldn't need to - your life has changed, why would you have to note why??

It's a very fast read, perfect for older teens, especially reluctant reader boys who are trying to figure themselves out. I really loved this book and the idea behind it.

As a middle school teacher, I was excited to find a Youth Novel geared toward boys that had a bit of an edge to intrigue them. The artistic component of the story drew me in as a reader and I found myself taking in much more of the story through the artwork and the varying artistic styles used. Undoubtedly, the content is intense, but children live such crazy lives these days that they can handle it. It just reminds us that everyone has at least one skeleton in the closet...

The notion of putting on a happy face is one that all middle and high schoolers can relate to and Emond does a spectacular job of showing the positive effects of the facade and the ultimate cracking that we all know will come.

Excellent read!

-Nancy

I am currently in High School, and I am exactly the same age as Happyface. This book is much more realistic than most of the novels, TV shows, and movies that are aimed at teenagers. I can relate much more with this book than I can with others, since I am also the biggest loser imaginable.
Stephen Emond's Happyface was very realistic because of several factors. For one, too many adolescent dramas don't show what teenagers actually talk about. Which is stuff that adults don't want to hear. Drug & alcohol references, dirty jokes, lots of swearing, and rantings about how much family life sucks are really what we talk about. And in teenage television shows, by the end of the episode whoever experimented with drugs or alcohol has a complete physchotic meltdown within a couple of days and stays a stright-edge for life. That NEVER happens in real life.
What also seperates this Young Adult book from others is the social structure. In so many cliche movies, a high school loser with two buddies and without glasses goes on an adventure and by the end is the stereoypical cocky popular guy with a blonde girlfriend and a red convertible. These movies make us genuine social outcasts feel pretty crappy about ourselves. The social structure of the book is so accurate that I can even relate to individual experiences. Like when Gretchen has a party in her basement. On halloween this popular girl that I'm not really friends with invited me to her party. I was so akward there, I was too shy to talk to anyone even though I knew them all, and I kept to myself the whole night. Pretty much the same thing happens to Happyface.
This is the kind of book that shools should use for assigned reading. If kids could find more book like this, it would open them up to reading and we would have a smarter and more world-aware generation of teens.

Summer before sophomore year was going well for Happyface. His brother, Everett, was home from college and causing a ruckus as always. His parents were their usual drunk yet endearing selves. And then there was Chloe Hills. Chloe was perhaps the hottest girl who had ever given Happyface the time of day before, and although the relationship hadn't progressed past friends, he was certain that this was his moment to score.

Then came the day when everything changed. There is nothing more to say about it.

School starts and Happyface finds himself in some new and unexpected situations. He now lives in a hole-in-the-wall apartment with his mother after a messy divorce. He has zero contact with his dad, he's at a new school with no friends, and let's just say things with Chloe are deep in the gutter. Rather than wallow in self-misery, Happyface decides to do the only thing that comes natural: slap a smile on his face and act like everything is great.

The smile on his face manages to convince everyone around him that everything is okay too --- at least temporarily. The first person Happyface convinces is the amazingly beautiful Gretchen. He is immediately smitten. Like most teenage boys, he has no idea how to talk to girls, but they eventually manage to strike up a conversation. He is inducted into her group, which includes the interesting Moon sisters, some ex-boyfriends, and the egotistical Trevor, who also happens to be vying for Gretchen's affections. Even though Happyface is conflicted on where he stands with Gretchen, he's just thrilled to have friends.

So the journey of adolescence continues. Happyface butts heads with an English teacher who actually cares about what is happening in his life. The relationship with Gretchen grows by leaps and bounds, although never quite in the ways he hopes. Parties are held, driver's license tests are passed, school dances come and go, and he holds it all together --- at least on the outside. It isn't until his tragic past is revealed that things begin to crumble. Suddenly he's the center of attention at school, but only in hushed conversations and whispers. Gretchen won't talk to him, and he further alienates himself from the people he cares about. Only by confronting what he has been avoiding for so long will Happyface truly live up to his namesake.

HAPPYFACE is presented as a sketchbook, full of drawings, written text, pasted-in e-mails and online conversations, etc. This format truly lends itself to capture extensive insight into the mind of an adolescent male. It also makes for a fun read. The character of Happyface is one in which most teens can relate. He has problems at home, he's shy and awkward around the opposite sex, he's carrying some emotional baggage, and he desperately wants to fit in. Plus he has a great sense of humor that comes alive in many of the drawings and the occasional comic strips scattered throughout. The sketchbook format is wildly popular among younger readers, but it hasn't gained wide popularity for adolescents just quite yet. That is about to change with the funny and endearing HAPPYFACE.

I thoroughly enjoyed happy face. The story and artwork were really well done and original from other books I have read. Kept my interest and could really relate to the characters.
Can't wait to read another one by Steve!

I highly recommend this book to anyone who went through high school. Personally, I felt, at times, that I either knew this person or was this person at some time during high school. What drew me in to this book wasn't so much the story, but the style of writing. It is filled with hand drawn pictures (as if doodled in a notebook during class) and simple comic strips that go along with the story. Happyface is such a sad but very good book. I highly recommend it!

The format of the book is very unique, that's what I liked the most. I looked forward to the drawings and amusing comic strips. I also liked how honest the protagonist was. He is known to us and most of the characters as Happyface. At first he starts off as an awkward nerd, but then transforms himself into someone who always smiles and is liked by everyone. In journal format he talks about how is life was before and after a certain event. About this event, I won't spoil it, but I don't like how that portion of the story was developed. To me it felt as if it kind of came out of nowhere. I get what the author was going for, but I just didn't like it. *shrug* I also thought some of Happyface's problems were his own fault. This guy is very possessive and somewhat mentally unstable so it was kind of hard to side with him or feel that much sympathy towards him, especially when he exhibited stalker-like tendencies (even as a child he was not that great with his emotions). He should have talked to a professional, his mom, or at least his friends, just someone.
Again, I still did like how the protagonist was so honest. As a reader, you really came to understand why he did all the actions he did and why he tried to hide it behind a smile. In a way, it makes you think about how easy it could be to just pretend certain bad things in your life don't happen and just smile. Maybe eventually you'll be happy. I like how this book made me think that even though Happyface did not really learn much in the end. In my opinion anyway. I just feel like he did not make much progress on that front.
For all his flaws, I loved reading about Happyface. It was extremely fascinating to me and I could not stay away from the book for long no matter how much I needed to. I recommend this, just know what to expect.
-T.V and Book Addict

What if you had the chance to start over, to be a new person...would you? This is exactly what happens to Happyface, he's given the opportunity to start anew and make a name for himself in a new school with new friends. It doesn't come without consequence and what results is his very own journey into who he truly is. And, I loved it.

The new rage in story telling it seems is this journal mixed with art as is seen in books like Diary of a Wimpy Kid and Artsy Fartsy. I'm a huge fan when it's done right and Happyface falls into that category easily for me. I might also add that in an environment where finding books for boys can be difficult I find that this is a welcome addition. Stephen Emond has done a fabulous job by creating a well written and interactive story, in which boys and girls will connect to if for no other reason than through the means by which his story is told.

Happyface's story is one that many kids can relate to these days. Parents separated, troubles with siblings, difficult times with kids in school and a hard time with school in general. Without a doubt much of the world's teenage population has dealt with one or more of these problems. In Happyface the main character (called by the name of "Happyface" throughout) is given a chance to start over, he begins as a new face - a happy face if you will - with new possibilities and he decides to make the most of the opportunity. I won't ruin the story for you, but I will say this, as we all do - Happyface stumbles. Through his struggles, new friendships and old, Happyface will finally come to see who he truly is and who he values most in his life.

Happyface is a fresh new take on a reoccurring theme in many homes today and even those without the opportunity to `start over' will learn a little bit about themselves. Be aware, it's a story with heartache and reality that's sometimes hard to take, but necessary for the story. You won't regret picking this one up and it's definitely a book teenagers will absolutely connect with.

Originally reviewed & copyrighted on my site, There's A Book.

I'm not going to do a long book review here since others have done that. I will say that Happyface is not your typical book. It is unique with numerous illustrations and artwork. It is also a good, positive read for boys. The only issue I have with Happyface is the small, tedious print which may be a turn-off for some kids. Thank you to Hachette Book Group for my review copy.