Dead Happy

Gr 9 Up–This second and final book in the "HappyHead" duology picks up right where its predecessor left off. After a failed attempt to escape with his love interest, Finn, and a tumultuous voyage on a sinking ship, Seb and the remaining nine HappyHead participants find themselves on the island of Elmhallow. As the next part of their journey to happiness, they must complete trials in order to accumulate bloodstones. The couple that obtains the most will be declared the winner. But what is the prize? And where is Finn? After settling into Elmhallow, Seb starts seeing signs indicating that Finn is nearby. Now not only does Seb need to successfully complete the trials while convincing everyone else he is falling in love with his assigned partner, Eleanor, but he also has to find Finn if they want to have any chance of escaping. Silver wraps up his duology in a way that is both satisfying and contemplative. This book is everything that HappyHead was and more. The stakes are higher. The challenges are more intense. The characters are more complex. And this time around, the romance between Seb and Finn is fully fleshed out and integral to the story.