Thank you very much to the publishers for sending me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!
When Seb is offered a place on a radical retreat designed to solve the national crisis of teenage unhappiness, he is determined to change how people see him and make his parents proud. But as he finds himself drawn to the enigmatic Finn, Seb starts to question the true nature of the challenges they must undergo. The deeper into the programme the boys get, the more disturbing the assessments become, until it’s clear there may be no escape…
I am always on the lookout for a new dystopian novel to dive into. So, when I saw Happyhead floating around on Twitter with people saying it was Squid Games meets They Both Die at the End, I knew it was a book I had to read. It well and truly lived up to my expectations and was extraordinary! It is certainly one to pick up if you are a dystopian fan.
When Seb is offered a place on a radical retreat that has been designed to solve the national crisis of teenage unhappiness, he is determined to make his parents proud and change how people see him. But, when he finds himself drawn into the enigmatic Finn, Seb starts to question the true nature of the challenges they must undergo at Happyhead. The deeper into the programme they get, the more disturbing the assessments become until it is clear there might not be an escape…
I was hooked into this book immediately and could not put it down. There are so many twists and turns along the way, plus some shocking revelations that make it impossible to stop reading. The way this book is set up is excellent. It lulls you into a false sense of security before ripping the floor right from underneath you and it is a truly thrilling ride.
This book is told from Seb’s perspective so we are immediately drawn into his world and what he is thinking. You immediately get to know his personality and feel the unease that he does about the program. He is determined to make his parents proud and will do anything to make that a reality. That puts him in a tricky situation at Happyhead and you feel that stress alongside him. His thoughts are even more obvious with the conflicts he feels around Finn. Whilst he tries to prove himself at Happyhead he can’t help but feel pulled to Finn. Without saying much, I adored these two characters and can’t wait to read more about them.
I had absolutely no idea that this book was part of a series. So, I was taken by surprise as I got towards the end of the book, still with so many unanswered questions in my mind. I can see how some people would not enjoy this as they may prefer standalones. For me, it had me hooked. I cannot wait to see what happens in the next instalment of this series.
Josh Silver’s writing is spectacular. I found it so interesting that he is a mental health nurse and used his knowledge to inspire this book. It brings forth some interesting discussions which I hope he explores more in the next instalment.
Overall, Happyhead is an extraordinary debut novel that had me hooked. If you are looking for a thrilling dystopian novel then I would highly recommend picking this up. I can’t wait to read the next book!
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