“Happiness shouldn’t be this hard” (Silvera, 157), few can read this quote and not reflect upon their own happiness. Adam Silvera continues to provoke these distinct memories from the reader throughout More Happy Than Not. The story surrounds Aaron Soto, a teen who is struggling to move on from his troublesome history. The memory of his dad’s limp body in the bathtub after committing suicide continues to haunt him. Aaron tries to find himself but his own suicidal thoughts hold him back. He leans on his girlfriend Genevieve and his possibly gay best friend Thomas, for support. Aaron fears the present but his true past uncovers itself and opens his mind to more than he bargained for. Silvera creates a storyline that starts with one issue,
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Adam Silvera met this demand by affectively portraying themes such as teen suicide and homophobia. Silvera exploits homophobia through multiple violent encounters. Two male characters, including the main character Aaron, share a moment of affection just prior to being physically assaulted in public, “But if you’re two guys like us, riding the Bronx tracks, you better make sure you hide any sign of affection” (Silvera, 192). This scene depicts the hate crimes committed against gay teens and later shows the lack of support provided by the public. Multiple gruesome crimes are committed in the name of homophobia all through the novel. Silvera also addresses the unfortunate prevalent scenario where suicidal people do not express what they are facing to others, “‘You should’ve asked for help before cheating’” (Silvera, 270). During this scene, Aaron was dealing with the results of a memory altering surgery originally performed to forget his sexuality, he was told that he was “cheating” or taking the easy way out, instead of facing his problems. The character underwent the procedure in hopes of preventing his suicidal thoughts, but when the memories return he finds himself with a greater issue then “before cheating”. Silvera used the enticing slogan “Here today, gone tomorrow” (Silvera, 1), for the Leteo Institute, a memory-wiping company. However, the slogan also strongly ties to the books ongoing theme of suicide. Suicidal individuals will often portray that there is nothing wrong until they become overwhelmed. Too many accounts of teens have been recorded where they are unfortunately here one day, then gone the next, with only the closest to the respective person being effected. Through Aaron’s father’s suicide, the reader is shown the effect of guilt and resentment on those closest to the individual, “…help me stay happy so I don’t end up like my dad” (Silvera,
Adam Silvera met this demand by affectively portraying themes such as teen suicide and homophobia. Silvera exploits homophobia through multiple violent encounters. Two male characters, including the main character Aaron, share a moment of affection just prior to being physically assaulted in public, “But if you’re two guys like us, riding the Bronx tracks, you better make sure you hide any sign of affection” (Silvera, 192). This scene depicts the hate crimes committed against gay teens and later shows the lack of support provided by the public. Multiple gruesome crimes are committed in the name of homophobia all through the novel. Silvera also addresses the unfortunate prevalent scenario where suicidal people do not express what they are facing to others, “‘You should’ve asked for help before cheating’” (Silvera, 270). During this scene, Aaron was dealing with the results of a memory altering surgery originally performed to forget his sexuality, he was told that he was “cheating” or taking the easy way out, instead of facing his problems. The character underwent the procedure in hopes of preventing his suicidal thoughts, but when the memories return he finds himself with a greater issue then “before cheating”. Silvera used the enticing slogan “Here today, gone tomorrow” (Silvera, 1), for the Leteo Institute, a memory-wiping company. However, the slogan also strongly ties to the books ongoing theme of suicide. Suicidal individuals will often portray that there is nothing wrong until they become overwhelmed. Too many accounts of teens have been recorded where they are unfortunately here one day, then gone the next, with only the closest to the respective person being effected. Through Aaron’s father’s suicide, the reader is shown the effect of guilt and resentment on those closest to the individual, “…help me stay happy so I don’t end up like my dad” (Silvera,