Book Review: So Happy For You by Celia Laskey

Robin and Ellie have been best friends since childhood.

They’ve been through everything together, from Robin coming out to the death of Ellie’s dad. But when Ellie asks Robin to be her maid of honour, Robin is reluctant.

It’s not that Robin isn’t happy for Ellie, she just hates everything about weddings and marriage – plus the guy Ellie’s engaged to. There’s also the matter of the crazy (not to mention dangerous) wedding rituals that couples are resorting to in the hope of securing a lifetime of happiness.

Despite her misgivings, Robin finally says yes. But as the wedding day approaches, she gets the feeling that everyone in the bridal party is out to get her. And it seems Ellie is willing to do anything for the perfect day. After all, marriage is about sacrifice…

*****

Robin and Ellie have been friends since school. However, in a world where there is an increasing pressure to get married, Robin is relucent when Ellie asks her to be maid of honour.

As the day approaches, Robin can’t help but feel paranoid. After all, Ellie will do anything for a perfect day.

They say this book is a cross between Black Mirror and Bridesmaids and they weren’t wrong. It’s completely bonkers, in a good way.

So Happy For You is set in the future where the government encourages marriage, even offering tax breaks to married couples. This is due to the birth rate falling. There’s now lots of apps and websites and brides are trying all sorts of rituals to bring good luck.

This brought a feeling of dystopia to the novel. Very Handmaids Tale/Black Mirror.

It is told from the point of view of Robin. The narrative goes between the present day/lead up to the wedding with flashbacks to when the girls meet and the University days beyond.

Robin is not a huge fan of weddings, traditional or otherwise. However, when it is pointed out to her that she could use it as research for her PhD, she agrees to be in Ellie’s wedding party.

Robin is complicated. In some parts, I sympathised with her and in others, she was frustrating and not always likeable. Same with Ellie.

As the wedding draws near, everything gets crazier, and I really couldn’t predict what was coming next. There are many twists and turns. One moment bought laughter, then another would bring shock.

The tension is built very well, and you can really feel the anxiety of the characters.

This novel explores friendship, and I found the various fluctuations between Ellie and Robin very interesting and realistic. It also focuses on the pressure around weddings, marriage and how having the perfect day becomes an obsession.

It was, for the most part, a fun novel to read. There was one scene I didn’t like and struggled through, but I think that was the point.

So Happy For You is a unique novel. It has mystery, intrigue, crime, weddings (which should usually be romantic,) and brilliant but flawed characters.

This would make a perfect holiday/relax in the garden companion if you are looking for something a little different.

Thank you to HarperCollins/HQ for the review copy in exchange for an honest review. 

About Celia Laskey:

Celia Laskey is the author of So Happy for You and Under the Rainbow, a finalist for the 2020 Center for Fiction First Novel Prize. Her other work has appeared in Guernica, The Minnesota Review, Day One, and elsewhere. She has an MFA from the University of New Mexico and currently lives in Los Angeles with her wife and their dog Whiskey.

She enjoys gossiping about closeted celebrities, dissecting Taylor Swift lyrics, singing the praises of probiotics and diva cups, learning the names of plants via an app on her phone, rewatching Mad Men for the 43728th time, and picking up her holds from the library.

Say hello to Celia via her website or on Twitter. 

So Happy For You was released by HQ on 4th August 2022. Click to buy on Amazon UK, Amazon US and Waterstones. 

by

Laura

I’m Laura. I started Novel Kicks in 2009. I wanted a place to post my writing as well as give other writers like me the opportunity to do the same. There is also a monthly book club, a writing room which features writing prompts, book reviews, competitions, author interviews and guest posts.

I grew up by the sea (my favourite place in the world) and I currently live in Hampshire. I am married to Chris, have a cat named Buddy and I would love to be a writer. I’m trying to write the novel I’ve talked so much about writing if only I could stop pressing delete. I’ve loved writing since creative writing classes in primary school. I have always wanted to see my teacher Miss Sayers again and thank her for the encouragement. When not trying to write the novel or writing snippets of stories on anything I can get my hands on, I love reading, dancing like a loon and singing to myself very badly. My current obsession is Once Upon a Time and I would be happy to live with magic in the enchanted forest surrounded by all those wonderful stories provided that world also included Harry Potter. I love reading chick lit. contemporary fiction and novels with mystery.