'Dead happy' by Josh Silver.

My rating: 5 (out of 5) stars

I haven't posted here in a while. I've still been reading but nothing's grabbed me quite in the way this book did.

This was a gripping, emotional follow-up to Happyhead. In continuing to skewer cults and pseudo-psychology, Josh Silver delivers a real humdinger of a book.

Seb's journey continues. A queer teen, he's been enrolled in a programme that claims to foster happiness, even in the most unpromising. The psychological and emotional battering given to these younger characters should be enough to make you spit. Or give you a gut punch. Those who don't change (including Seb's would-be boyfriend, Finn) see the other side of the coin. The only humour comes from Seb's sardonic asides. They made me smile even as I fumed and inwardly raged.

Their fight back is one of the main plot drivers. Do Seb and Finn win out? You'll have to read it to discover.

I let this book sit in my tbr pile for far too long. Once I got going though, I had to see it through to the end. Huw Parmenter's performance as narrator is stellar, adding much to the story. Highly recommended.