Reasons to Be Happy by Katrina Kittle

REASONS TO BE HAPPY
21. Cat purr vibrating through your skin
22. Jumping on a trampoline in the rain
23. Raw cookie dough
24. Getting yourself all freaked out after a scary movie
25. Dancing like an idiot when no one is watching

What happened to the girl who wrote those things? I miss that girl. She used to be bold and fun. Now she’s a big chicken loser.
How could so much change so fast?
Let’s see, you could be the plain Jane daughter of two gorgeous famous people, move to a new school, have no real friends, and your mom could get sick, and, oh yeah, you could have the most embarrassing secret in the world.
Yep, that about does it.
So, the real question is, how do I get that girl back?

To start, I just want to say this is one of those contemporary must-reads. Reasons to be Happy is the sort of book that is sure to make you cry and yet slowly rebuild you. It’s hopeful, powerful, and inspiring. I wasn’t sure about reading this one, the age of Hannah is a bit lower than what I usually read, but with the subject matter I thought I’d love it. I’m so happy I went ahead and read it. So, don’t let her age throw you off, I often forgot how old she was, because she’s so mature. While I love the cover, it doesn’t really fit the story at all. So don’t let it be your judge!

Hannah is in the eighth grade and her family is all perfect – her not so much. Her parents are famous actors and her aunt does award-winning documentaries. Her mom is very sick. Hannah’s just pretty much lost herself. She used to keep a notebook of her reasons to be happy, the simple things in life that most people take for granted.

I know many of you don’t like to read more than what the synopsis says, so I won’t go into any more major detail. (Tip: If you want to know her secret, read reviews on Amazon. If you’d rather it remain a mystery avoid them.)

There are some heavy subject manners, but it’s done in such a way that Reasons to be Happy is, like I’ve already said, inspiring. I would have loved to have had this book to read when I was around Hannah’s age.

I received Reasons to Be Happy from the publisher in exchange for my honest opinion.