Rain's Reviews: This is What Happy Looks Like by Jennifer E. Smith

This Is What Happy Looks Like by Jennifer E. Smith

This Is What Happy Looks Like

If fate sent you an email, would you answer?

When teenage movie star Graham Larkin accidentally sends small town girl Ellie O'Neill an email about his pet pig, the two seventeen-year-olds strike up a witty and unforgettable correspondence, discussing everything under the sun, except for their names or backgrounds.

Then Graham finds out that Ellie's Maine hometown is the perfect location for his latest film, and he decides to take their relationship from online to in-person. But can a star as famous as Graham really start a relationship with an ordinary girl like Ellie? And why does Ellie want to avoid the media's spotlight at all costs? ~Goodreads
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Review

This Is What Happy Looks Like was a bit of a let down. It had it’s good elements and sweet moments but as a whole seemed a bit dull or monotone. The idea was good and the characters were enjoyable but something was lost in interpretation. Ellie is a good girl with a best friend named Olive and a beagle named Bagel. Ellie is a fun person. She has a good conscience and foundation. But she is missing somthing. There is a hole in her life and she doesn’t have any way of talking about it or fixing it- until this summer.

Graham was a cool- if not a bit gawky at times. He fit the famous-but-it-hasn’t-gone-to-his-head role well and the moment he starts thinking about his parents I start to like him. But like I said before there is a one dimensional feeling about him.

Jennifer E. Smith wrote The Statistical Possibility of Love at First Sight. One of the best books I read last christmas season and very unique. I was hoping for another hit when I picked up This Is What Happy Looks Like but it fell short of my expectations.

The constant explanation of how it was to be famous, the compare and the contrast between the two worlds. It was exhausting and repetitious and the dialogue was lacking. There are some good thoughts and little snippets of the author I enjoyed so much last time but that sparkle was missing.
~Rain
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"Sunrises over the harbor. Ice cream on a hot day. The sound of waves down the street. The way my dog curls up next to me on the couch. Evening Strolls. Great movies. Thunderstorms. A good cheeseburger. Fridays. Saturdays. Wednesdays, even. Sticking your toes in the water. Pajama pants. Flip-flops. Swimming. Poetry. The absence on smiley faces in an e-mail..."