Evie is an athletic teenager that shows great
promise in competitive running.
When she is hit by a piano that rolls out of a
truck, her legs and life are shattered. Also shattered are her parent’s dreams
for her future which they had all mapped out.
Evie and each other person in the
story are forced to come to terms with what they face.
Lucy is being treated for cancer. Her mother has
died and she is everything to her father.
When the resentful and cruel Jemma
joins the group, she brings with her heavy emotional baggage that is vented on
her ward mates through her attitude toward them.
From her window, Evie sees something mysterious
going on in the park opposite the hospital. What is hidden in the newspaper
wrapped in plastic? One placement and a pick-up cause Evie to share what she sees
with the other girls. Curiosity gets the better of them and this sets off a
series of events that put their lives at risk.
This is an interesting mystery that interweaves the
emotions, behaviours and attitudes of the three girls. Jemma is the stand-out character
here. Why doesn’t she want Evie to tell anyone about what’s happening in the
park? What is she hiding?
Jane Godwin has produced a well-crafted mystery
with strong personal interaction between the girls as the spark that lights up
the story. Jemma is the character you love to hate and that makes the reader
grind their teeth, hoping to see her get her comeuppance.
The novel reflects on how a person’s upbringing
shapes their life and the degree that shaping can reach. It’s also about coming
of age, and change and acceptance of the differences in people. This is all bound
together in an engaging novel with an unexpected climax, equally as shattering
as the events that bring the girls together.
Title:
As Happy As Here
Author:
Jane Goodwin
Publisher:
Hachette, $16.99
Publication
Date: August 2019
Format:
Paperback
ISBN:
9780734419231
For
ages: 12+
Type:
Middle Grade Fiction
