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HappyHead

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About this listen

When Seb is offered a place on a radical retreat designed to solve the national crisis of teenage unhappiness, he is determined to change how people see him and make his parents proud.

But as he finds himself drawn to the enigmatic Finn, Seb starts to question the true nature of the challenges they must undergo.

The deeper into the programme the boys get, the more disturbing the assessments become, until it’s clear there may be no escape …

2024, The Carnegie Medal for Writing Outstanding book written in English for children and young people, Long-listed

©2023 Josh Silver (P)2023 Bolinda Publishing Mysteries & Detectives Mystery, Thriller & Suspense Mystery Fiction

Critic reviews

‘Dark and thrilling.’ (Taron Egerton)
'HappyHead is a heart-pounding must-read. Thought-provoking and absorbing, it is nearly impossible to put down.' (Ravena Guron, bestselling author of This Book Kills)
‘Tense doesn’t quite cut it. It’s SO GOOD!’ (A.F. Steadman, author of Skandar and the Unicorn Thief)
'An unforgettable debut that recaptures the thrills and spills of great YA dystopian fiction.' (Melissa Welliver, author of The Undying Tower)
All stars
Most relevant
If you like heart stopper and the hunger games you’ll love this book and my favourite character is and will always be Finn and if you like this i recommend they both dye at the end which is about thes to boys who meet because that day they will both dye but that doesn’t stop them finding love in each other

An amazing story of love and action

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A truly engaging and thought-provoking book. Both laugh-out-loud funny and gut-wrenching. Best narrator I've heard in a long time too.

Fantastic Book!

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I'm a huge fan of dystopian fiction. I knew nothing about this book when I started other than that. Let me tell you dystopian fiction is at its best when you go - "oh dear lord - that's how I would experience it".

You are cheerily welcomed into a claustrophobic and anxious environment, with painted smiles that make you feel legitimately nauseous. Your succor comes in following two characters you want nothing more than to save, save each other and ultimately save you!

Wonderfully read, these are characters who will remain in your heart, mind and cells.

Enough now, I'm off to immediately experience the sequel!

Anxious dystopia at the finest level

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Written with great suspense and
great wit, intriguing relationships and overall story and amazing narrator

Wit, theme, perfect narration

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I listened to this book as part of my Radio Show 'Read To Me' available on Mixcloud, It was a series of shows exploring books about teenagers and tech and mental health. I had no expectations of this book, It just came up when I searched for teenagers and tech.
It was a phenomenal listen, Huw Parmenter is now up there with my top narrators, he embodies these character so wonderfully you are completely and utterly immersed in the story. The story itself is great and really highlights how venerable teenagers are, The ultimate reason that these teenagers have been essentially kidnapped (albeit with the parents consent) is a little weak, but all the characters are so good it really doesn't matter. Maybe this will strengthen in book two which I can't wait to listen to.
Very much recommend!

Absolutely Brilliant!

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