More Happy Than Not

I don't remember if I ever finished watching Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. I mean, I remember Kate Winslet singing the Clementine song, and I remember Serious Actor Jim Carrey with probe-thingies on his head, but that's about it. I feel like if I'd remembered more of the movie then I might have had more realistic expectations going into More Happy Than Not. It was good, but really heavy and dark - much more than I expected for a YA novel - with themes of depression and suicide and bullying/violence because of the main character's sexuality as he runs around with his friends in his neighborhood, where poverty and violence is rampant, parental supervision all but a joke, and selling drugs a reasonable means of getting by. As with another reviewer, I did wonder why the idea of bisexuality wasn't explored at all, considering Aaron doesn't want to be gay and does repeatedly profess to love the girlfriend with whom he is intimate, even when he's only in his own head. I did appreciate the complexities of Aaron's relationships with his neighborhood friends, and the idea of the Leteo Institute's procedures to help one forget, and thought it was well-written. 3.5 stars.

CW: attempted suicide, suicidal ideation, finding the body of someone who has died by suicide; physical abuse, bullying, homophobia, denial of sexual orientation, violence because of perceived sexual orientation, depression, and probably others that I've missed.