Summer before sophomore year was going well for Happyface. His brother, Everett, was home from college and causing a ruckus as always. His parents were their usual drunk yet endearing selves. And then there was Chloe Hills. Chloe was perhaps the hottest girl who had ever given Happyface the time of day before, and although the relationship hadn’t progressed past friends, he was certain that this was his moment to score. 

Then came the day when everything changed. There is nothing more to say about it.

School starts and Happyface finds himself in some new and unexpected situations. He now lives in a hole-in-the-wall apartment with his mother after a messy divorce. He has zero contact with his dad, he’s at a new school with no friends, and let’s just say things with Chloe are deep in the gutter. Rather than wallow in self-misery, Happyface decides to do the only thing that comes natural: slap a smile on his face and act like everything is great.

The smile on his face manages to convince everyone around him that everything is okay too --- at least temporarily. The first person Happyface convinces is the amazingly beautiful Gretchen. He is immediately smitten. Like most teenage boys, he has no idea how to talk to girls, but they eventually manage to strike up a conversation. He is inducted into her group, which includes the interesting Moon sisters, some ex-boyfriends, and the egotistical Trevor, who also happens to be vying for Gretchen’s affections. Even though Happyface is conflicted on where he stands with Gretchen, he’s just thrilled to have friends.

So the journey of adolescence continues. Happyface butts heads with an English teacher who actually cares about what is happening in his life. The relationship with Gretchen grows by leaps and bounds, although never quite in the ways he hopes. Parties are held, driver’s license tests are passed, school dances come and go, and he holds it all together --- at least on the outside. It isn’t until his tragic past is revealed that things begin to crumble. Suddenly he’s the center of attention at school, but only in hushed conversations and whispers. Gretchen won’t talk to him, and he further alienates himself from the people he cares about. Only by confronting what he has been avoiding for so long will Happyface truly live up to his namesake.

HAPPYFACE is presented as a sketchbook, full of drawings, written text, pasted-in e-mails and online conversations, etc. This format truly lends itself to capture extensive insight into the mind of an adolescent male. It also makes for a fun read. The character of Happyface is one in which most teens can relate. He has problems at home, he’s shy and awkward around the opposite sex, he’s carrying some emotional baggage, and he desperately wants to fit in. Plus he has a great sense of humor that comes alive in many of the drawings and the occasional comic strips scattered throughout. The sketchbook format is wildly popular among younger readers, but it hasn’t gained wide popularity for adolescents just quite yet. That is about to change with the funny and endearing HAPPYFACE.

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