Reasons to Be Happy

Gr 6—8—Hannah used to have many reasons to be happy; so many, in fact, that she kept an ongoing list. That was before she moved to a new school and before her mother was diagnosed with terminal cancer. Hannah's new circle is not what she envisioned; the mean-girl clique disdains her two passions, running and art. Overwhelmed by her unhappy school situation, her mother's illness, and her belief that she is extremely ordinary compared to her Academy Award-nominated actor parents, the eighth grader becomes bulimic. Her initial weight loss is praised by her unsuspecting parents and her crush, but Hannah finds it increasingly difficult to purge. With many aspects of life spiraling out of control, she accompanies her aunt, a documentary filmmaker, to Ghana, where she somewhat predictably yet touchingly has a life-changing experience. Although there are many issues at play in this novel, they are all realistically drawn. Only toward the end of the story, with the addition of the Academy Awards presentation, do the multiple dramas threaten to overwhelm it. Subplots involving a clique member with a mentally challenged brother and another with cutting issues are underdeveloped. The tension and conflict between Hannah and her father is palpable. Bulimia's emotional toll is honestly portrayed, with authentically rendered scenes involving frenetic binging, purging, and food theft. With minor shortcomings, this is an honest and open story of overcoming enormous challenges. While Hannah's struggles are not over, readers can believe that she has an excellent chance of overcoming her traumas.—Jennifer Schultz, Fauquier County Public Library, Warrenton, VA