Get Happy

Crazy about all the books by this author. A wonderful, original quick read. Highly recommend for those readers interested in inter-personal relationships and creativity.

This book is a nice story for teens or young at heart. Got some good songs in it for beginners.

This book is fabulous. I loved the music in the book. I also loved how you can see and hear the music from the book. This book should definitly be made into a movie. The soundtrack and the movie would be amazing!!!!!

Set in Evanston, just outside of Chicago Get Happy is a delightfully quirky and heartwarming story that I think many people will enjoy. Minerva and her best friend Finn have that typical teenage banter that’s filled with dry humor and endless sarcasm – all things that I love.It's her birthday and all Minerva wants is this ukele that she's been eyeing for ages. She doesn't get it. Instead she receives a sweater from her mother - so not an uke. She also receives an unexpected gift from her absentee father that sends her into a tailspin and she's not quite sure what to make of it. She doesn’t disclose any of this to her mother who has an “off limits” attitude about the topic of her father. That same day, Finn convinces her to try out for Get Happy with him. It’s a welcome distraction to audition for this business where they dress up as characters and sing for kids birthday parties. At the audition, Minerva and Finn meet Hayes and Cassie. These four are such a funny group together led by the business owner Joy who’s a bit of a character herself. Some of the funniest stuff stuff in the book happens during the Get Happy birthday parties and Minerva’s first experience is hysterical!I really liked Minerva, a remarkable songwriter who pours her emotions into her words. Her curiosity about her father overshadows a lot of the book and brings out the insecurities she has felt all this time but never admitted aloud. She’s curious but she can’t bring herself to reach out to him directly. Since her mother refuses to discuss him, she operates covertly to find any information she can about him. The more she finds, the more confused she feels about him. It all comes down to a very uncomfortable scenario that forces Minerva to confront her family for the truth. It's a painfully crushing experience that had me feeling so badly for her.One thing I can say is that not everything is resolved in the book and I’m good with that. It’s more the breakthrough that’s the important event in Get Happy. Minerva does have to survive the damage that's left when the truth finally comes out and the impact that it will have on her life. Even with the upheaval that ensues, Get Happy is enjoyable and the many mentions of different places in and around Evanston and Chicago made me smile extra, especially the description of riding the El which Amato nails perfectly!

In her dream world, Minerva would write songs all day long, songs she would play on her ukulele that she got for her 16th birthday. In reality, Minerva writes songs that she plays on her ukulele that she constructed out of tape, a rule, a marker and a cookie tin. I love the carefree style of Minerva, she doesn’t ask for much, she likes the styles of Goodwill, she’s carefree and she has a great, easygoing relationship with Finnegan. Finnegan is the positive energy in her life, he is her motivator. His comments and energy drive her and support her just like a best friend should. There are no romantic ties between the two of them, they have fun together, and they feed off each other. When the two of them get jobs dressing up for children’s birthday parties I am elated but hesitate as Hayes and Cassie are now joining the mix. This is the perfect job for the two friends for they can have fun together and earn some cash at the same time. My concerns are mixed as Hayes fits right with the characters of Minerva and Finnegan, carefree and fun but Cassie seems uppity and showy. When Minerva intercepts an overnight package from her father, Minerva starts to wonder exactly who her father really is. The letters accompanying the package does not correspond to what her mother has been saying for the past fourteen years. With Finnegan by her side, Minerva starts to peel back the layers of her past. The book is an eye-opener and I pumped my fists as Minerva steps out of her comfort zone. Such a mixed book blending emotions with laughs as Minerva embraces life. I really enjoyed the ending, there is no big bow tied on the end, no cliff hanger and no disappointments, it’s an ending that’s authentic.

Minerva Watson gets a big surprise when she intercepts a package on her seventeenth birthday. The father that she believed abandoned her and her mother when she was small has sent a birthday present and the note indicates that this isn't his first attempt to keep in touch with her. Minerva has always believed her mother when she said her father abandoned them. But she and her mother aren't the kind that share secrets, Minerva doesn't know how to bring up her father.Some quick research shows that her father has returned to work at the Shedd Aquarium in Chicago and has become an expert on starfish. Minerva hates him and hates him even more when she learns that he has remarried and has a stepdaughter - stepdaughter who happens to be a fellow employee at Get Happy.Minerva feels both curiosity and rage when she thinks about her father. She also feels great anger at her mother for keeping them apart. Her mother is actually a real piece of work. She's jealous, controlling, and doesn't really know her daughter. Giving her an ugly sweater for her birthday instead of the ukulele she wants in just the first clue. The final straw is when she cleans her daughter's room and throws away all of the things that Min treasures and then expects Min to thank her.Luckily, Min has a close friend in Finnegan and a new friend, and potential boyfriend, in Hayes who are there to support her. She is also a budding songwriter and her songs finish many of the chapters. You can really see what she is thinking and how she is feeling in her songs.I like that the ending is realistic. Min, her mother, and her father have lots to work on to build a healthy relationship for all of them. But I feel confident that Hayes will be there to help her through it all.