HappyHead

Gr 9 Up–This first book in a duology by debut author Silver finds 17-year-old Seb being admitted into a unique program dedicated to increasing happiness in a generation of youth drowning in sorrow. At first, he is reluctant, but he quickly finds that he desperately wants to make his parents proud. Upon arrival, Seb discovers that this program is not at all what he had in mind. Participants are microchipped, must change rooms daily, and are tasked with completing various assessments that challenge them physically, mentally, and emotionally. Seb begins to assimilate into his new life for 13 days while noticing that some of the other participants are not so quick to do the same. Finn, a fellow HappyHead participant, makes a name for himself as being resistant to the structure that this program demands. Seb and Finn find themselves entangled in a dangerous search for the truth and to discover the real intentions behind those in control at HappyHead. Silver has successfully created a dystopian novel that stands out from its contemporaries. While the story takes place in modern Scotland, the worldbuilding inside the HappyHead compound gives it an otherworldly feel. The budding romance between Seb and Finn feels slightly out of place and more like an afterthought. Seb is gay and coded as white while other participants are representative of various undisclosed ethnicities.