Like Happiness follows Tatum, who lives in Chile with her current partner. She hears from a reporter that an accomplished author who she had a decade-long relation ship with has been accused of assault. She reflects on this relationship that defined much of her young adult life and grapples with the ways in which it affected her.
I liked the way this book grappled with the power dynamics between Tatum and Mateo without being too heavy handed. The reader knows that the story will not end well and Villarreal-Moura builds that tension well as the relationship that was built on shaky foundations falls apart. The book did end a little abruptly, and I wish we saw Tatum grapple with the events at the end of the book more fully than she did. Otherwise, this was a promising debut that explores its themes well, while still allowing the reader to come to their own conclusions.
I liked the way this book grappled with the power dynamics between Tatum and Mateo without being too heavy handed. The reader knows that the story will not end well and Villarreal-Moura builds that tension well as the relationship that was built on shaky foundations falls apart. The book did end a little abruptly, and I wish we saw Tatum grapple with the events at the end of the book more fully than she did. Otherwise, this was a promising debut that explores its themes well, while still allowing the reader to come to their own conclusions.