Book Review: Happy That's Not True

Title: Happy That It's Not True

Author: Carlos Aleman

Genre: Fiction

Review:

This book was achingly sad...yet beautifully written. Told from the point of view from several characters, Carlos Aleman brings to life the story of a dysfunctional family. Although not very long in length (220 pages on my Nook), the novel covers the span of many years, and follows the path of various family members as they grow up from kids to adults.

Let me put this right up front: if you're looking for a happy read, don't look here. Life is harsh. Life isn't fair. Life can be sad. And Happy That It's Not True highlights all of that. Married to a Octavio, an active soldier, Adriana is the young mother of Cara and Alex. However, as Octavio isn't home often, Adriana can't help but feel she doesn't get to see her husband enough and soon their marriage becomes a wreck. As a result, they file a divorce and Adriana marries Luciano despite the fact Adriana knows she will always love Octavio in her heart.

It soon becomes clear that Luciano is an abusive man--his temper is volatile and he enjoys terrorizing the household. Not surprisingly,  Cara and Alex start to hate their lives (at this point they are in their teens). Cara escapes with art, Alex with food. The only thing that keeps them going is the infrequent visits they get with Octavio and their love for their mother. But one day, Luciano pushes it too far when he almost kills Adriana in a drunk fit. He is jailed and Cara and Alex are sent to live with Diego, their uncle.

Diego and Octavio are probably my two favorite characters in the book (though if I had to pick just one, Diego would probably win)--probably because I wish more men like them existed. Diego provided an anchor for Cara and Alex throughout their hardships. I love how Diego seizes life by the throat and, well, shakes the life out of life. Here's a scene I love: Cara and Diego are talking and they're watching a musician perform. To Diego, Cara says, "Maybe he's [the musician] is on drugs." And Diego replies, "Maybe. Or maybe he's high on life." I find that line oh-so-beautiful....*sigh*

Another quote I love from this book is: "Love is like a stubborn disease. There's no way to cure it."

For quite a big chunk of the book, it seems as if the characters just can't catch a break...unfortunate events keep on happening to them. Cara finds no joy in her work, Adriana is badly hurt, Alex is battling his low self esteem, Octavio dies on duty...but somehow they find the courage to continue on with life. 

There really is no "happy" ending to this novel, but then again, there really isn't a "happily ever after" in real life either. The writing was well done. The only confusion I had was when the POV switched from the narrator's voice to the character's voice. I couldn't figure out if the story of Cara, Alex, Diego had actually happened or if the narrator was just making up a story. But other than that, it was an excellent read!

Rating: