The book also explored some interesting themes, such as identity, family, and justice. The plot was fast-paced and full of twists and turns,

WOW WOW WOW
Thank you so much for letting me listen to this fantastic audiobook
The narrator was the most talented person I have ever heard on an audiobook
The way they could just switch accents and characters was amazing and really made the audiobook so much more immersive
I can’t wait for book 2

Easily 3.5 - 4 stars!! This is a clever book, with an LGBTQ+ MC, mental health issues and elements that reminded me of the hunger games/divergent/maze runner. I would recommend to anyone needed a hit of modern dystopia set in today's world/the near future. I feel like this is the start of what could be a great series.

I enjoyed listening to this book, however for me the ending was a huge disappointment. I understand that they have left it open for a sequel, however for me it was way to open and unresolved.

I got stuck right into this one. I immersive read and actually picked up the physical copy to read along!

I think that HappyHead encompasses everything dystopian and gives the unnerving vibes that I love so much from this type of book. No matter how un-realistic you think a storyline, with dystopian I always feel that it gives off the 'this could happen' vibe and that's what Silver did here!

I enjoyed the queer rep we had with HappyHead and I felt that all the characters were very relatable.

The narration was great, and each character had their own voice which was nice to hear as you don't always get that. The accents were fab! I'd say that perhaps it could have done with a check over as the narration wasn't as clean in terms of swallowing etc. but this didn't take away from the story or the listening experience in my opinion.

I'm very excited to see what comes in the next instalment, this was a solid debut!

I'd heard HappyHead recommended so I was eager to listen to the audiobook and it didn't disappoint. Seb is selected along with 99 other 17-year-olds to go to HappyHead camp. A scheme set up to help children of that age with an emphasis on mental health. Only all isn't as it seems and what Initially starts out as an opportunity becomes more of a frightening social experiment. I would have liked more conclusions drawn at the end, but it sets up for book 2, so HappyHead 2 needs to come out soon! Would pass on the recommendation.

HappyHead is a book all about Seb, a teenager sent to a retreat which aims to tackle the epidemic of mental illness amongst teenagers and young people. Seb wants to try to make his family happy by doing this, but it soon becomes clear to him that this program may not be all it seems, and as he befriends a boy named Finn and they grow closer and closer, the program becomes more sinister and the boys fear they may not be able to get out, and all they have is each other. I really enjoyed this book, as I find that the description really grabbed my attention, as mental health is such an important topic, especially these days, and I liked the idea of an ‘LGBTQ+ YA thriller’, especially in audiobook format, as I found the narrator to be excellent and the story was told very effectively both through the work of the author and the narrator. I found myself interested from the start but unable to stop listening towards the end, as the twists and turns were very compelling and I couldn’t wait to find out what would happen to the characters in the end! I can’t wait for more by this author, especially in this series, and would recommend this to anyone looking for an interesting and somewhat unnerving thriller with compelling characters and amazing plot twists.

This book transported me back in time over a decade, when I would devour books like The Maze Runner and Stormbreaker, and they would become my entire personality for a good few months after reading them!

HappyHead starts from a place of positivity and ends in a place of corruption. Set in what is billed as a wellness retreat, it explores how even the most well-meaning of things can be turned into something evil.

All of the characters were so vividly depicted, and portrayed in a very layered and nuanced way. The way all of the characters, but especially the main character Sebastian, were revealed to us slowly over the course of the book was masterful.

I also really liked how queerness was explored in this book. As a book about happiness, secrecy and authenticity it really lends itself to that and I thought it was a great way to explore the characters’ experiences.

There were some very dark themes explored as well, particularly ideas of eugenics, and I’m intrigued as to how that is going to end. That’s one theme I would have loved to have delved deeper into, so hopefully it’s something that will be much more central to the second book. It makes for such an interesting motive for a villain, and I definitely want to go further into her mindset!

I’m really glad the sequel to this book has already been confirmed, because this is a story that deserves to take its time being told. There is so much more to delve into, and there isn’t going to be an easy solution, so I’m really excited to see where it heads next.

The audiobook narration was also excellent. All the characters were brought to life excellently, sometimes uncannily so, and it was just an all-around great listening experience.

HappyHead is an amazing audiobook that completely blew me away by its creepy atmosphere and unsettling reality. In this book we follow Seb, a teenager who is sent to HappyHead to cure his depression and anxiety, however things are not how they seem. The writing and premise completely blew me away, everything felt so unique and unsettling I didn't want to put this down. I really recommend and can't wait till the second season.

Nach der TAROT-REIHE glaube ich ist HAPPY HEAD von Josh Silver mein Favorit an Neuentdeckungen dieses Jahr. Besonders in Verbindung mit dem Nachwort des Autors und seinem Weg zu diesem Buch. NICHT ÜBERSPRINGEN! In der Beschreibung steht SQUID GAME meets HUNGER GAMES und da werfe ich mal noch die letzte Verfilmung von JUGEND OHNE GOTT mit in den Ring und ich glaube das trifft dann den Vibe der Story recht gut. Ein Programm, dass sich um die Mental Health von Jugendlichen kümmert da diese oft herunter gespielt wird. Schmerzend aktuell. Leider sind auch diese guten Intentionen NUR der äußere Schein. Mehr möchte ich zur Story nicht sagen, da ich diese sonst spoilern würde. Nur ... TRAUE NIEMANDEM. Und wichtig... die Geschichte ist NICHT abgeschlossen und endet mit einem ziemlichen Cliffhanger. Aber Buch 2 kommt bald.

I listened to an audio version of this read by Huw Parmenter who has made it right onto my list of top narrators. He brought the story to life and helped to ramp up the tension and creep factor of the story.

Seb is sent to HappyHead, a place that claims it can fix the depression and anxiety of today's teens. The unsettling feeling starts immediately and rarely lets up for the whole story. I was on edge the entire time, with some heartache in there when we get Seb's outing story.

I think I've come across all the different personalities we get in this book throughout school and college so I think it captures teens, and their differences, well.

The second it finished I was desperate for a sequel, one preferably read by Huw Parmenter.

I was given a free copy of the Audiobook by Bolinda Audio through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

At various points in this book I audible screamed “I hate this. I hate this. I hate this.” back at [Narrator]. So suffice to say, I LOVED HappyHead.

Off the bat I need to heap all of the praise humanly possible onto narrator Huw Parmenter. I am an avid listener of audiobooks and the way that Huw brings this book to life is genuinely unparalleled. His accents, his characterisations - his airlock doors sound effects… 10/10. He manages to jump from creepy clinical overall to endearing queer intimacy to obnoxious teenage girl all within the same breath. Exemplary.

I wasn’t quite aware of the hype around the book before receiving it and just saw it was gay and a bit twisted. But the hype I’ve come to understand is most definitely deserved.

Despite being given the audiobook for free and listening solely to the audiobook, I still had to buy a Kindle Copy so I could go through and highlight key parts to go back to.

The entire book can be summed up as “if Room 101 was a formative summer school for Teenagers” but I can also try to break the trauma down into three definitive (spoiler free?) sections to discuss.

Acid Green (The Introduction)
Sebastian’s introduction along with our introduction to the titular HappyHead and the other members of the cohort felt really strong. I instantly warmed to Seb as the Narrator and his use of nicknames to quickly categorise the people around him even before learning their names made the whole thing a joy. The first act feels tense in a very clean, septic way.

My original notes from the first 3 chapters read “Conversion Therapy meets Saw? Soppy Christian Conservative Boomer energy?”

Serenity (The Midway Point)
This is where I started to scream a lot. I thought the trials and tribulations of Act 1 were intense, but the middle of the book made me feel emotions that could only be expressed in such a way that only local dogs and cats knew how I was really feeling.

Getting Fobbed Off (The Finale?)
After Serenity, I was focused solely on the plan of the duo and could not even bare the idea of it not working. The relationships that are built between Seb and his female companion and Seb and his male companion were so awkward and beautiful respectively that I could not bear the plan not succeeding.

Without spoiling anything, what I will say is I very much look forward with anticipation to what Josh Silver publishes next, he is a complete master of suspense and painter of real people. I mean the highest compliments when I say I was reminded of the mastery of Russell T. Davies in the way Silver brings his characters alive, I know this was of course in no part helped along by Huw Parmenter’s narration.

Follow my Instagram @hypefixate for more book & media opinions!

Format: audiobook ~ Narrator: Huw Parmenter
Content: 4 stars ~ Narration: 4.5 stars

100 teenagers are selected to participate in a project called HappyHead (a retreat for teenagers to help them with their unhappiness). Seb is one of those participants.

I’m a bit thorn to write this review. I generally liked it, but I think there were some unrealistic details (like family relations). But I like the way it was written when Seb’s internal voice mixed with actual conversations.

There are some similar elements to Hunger Games, but I wouldn’t directly compare it. Maybe it is a little similar to Squid Game, but still different. I’m not sure about dystopia, either. I would say HappyHead is a YA thriller. It is tense, fast-paced, and thought-provoking.

The narrator had a tough job narrating this audiobook, but he did great.

3.5 because of the details I mentioned above, but I will round it to 4 because it was a well-imagined YA Squid Game equivalent.

Thanks to Bolinda Audio for the advanced copy and this opportunity! This is a voluntary review and all opinions are my own.

I saw this book at my local shop and was very interested. To my surprise the audio was listed on here so I immediately jumped on it! I couldn’t be more happy to have been accepted. I absolutely loved the audiobook. The narration was great for the story (and I’m very picky when it comes to narration). A character in the book has a specific accent mentioned so it was nice to hear that in the audio. The story was very fun and gave black mirror vibes but in a YA way. No real bad scenes but there are “consequences” mentioned off page that keep you wondering what is happening. I cannot wait for the next book! The writing is very accessible and I think all YA and Adult ages would enjoy this book.
Thank you Net Galley & Bolinda Audio for the opportunity to listen and leave my honest review.

🎧Audio Book Review🎧

HappyHead
Josh Silver

🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

I cannot believe that this is a debut novel! 😱
This is so well thought out, presented and developed, it honestly reads so perfectly!

I was initially drawn to this by the front cover - so bright and bold that it really stood out to me.
Even though it was published in March (and apparently everywhere on Booksta), I hadn't heard of it yet.
My daughter enlightened me and said it has rave reviews, grab it quick!....and so I did and I did not regret one second of this!

Now, I've mentioned to you before, that my youngest son has mental health issues and given the whole theme of this book, I found it intriguing, enthralling and petrifying in equal measure!

Set in an era where mental health and wellness is talked about so much more openly and with a huge rise in cases of young people struggling, this book comes at the perfect time for us to really think about what we're doing to help and what our young people actually need.

Seb is offered a place at a radical new retreat designed to help solve the rising numbers of "unhappy" youths.
He sees this as a great opportunity to change how he is perceived and most importantly, make his parents proud of him.
When he arrives, he works hard to fit in more and make a good impression, but as the tasks and assesments grow harder and more extreme, he starts to wonder what he's let himself in for.

Set in what is essentially an inpatient facility, I actually found this really difficult at times to read. It really was extreme enough to be fictional, but oh my, the similarities with how things are today, were way too close for my liking!
I spent quite a while thinking, wow! We're literally not that far away from something like this - especially in the wrong hands!

On a happier note, I was completely fascinated with Seb's journey.
His need to make his parents proud and fit in was overwhelming - so much so he presented a version of himself that was not altogether true.
I loved his inner monologues and overthinking when presented with questions, tasks, trials and even when chatting with peers. Some heart-breaking and others plain hilarious!

I adored the relationship that Seb built with Finn. At first, giving him the support to come out of himself and fit in, but later, being supported by Finn to stand back and see things for what they really were.

The tasks were brilliant and fitted into the overall plot perfectly, drawing us deeper into this crazy world.

The writing was utterly gripping from the first page and I literally flew through this! I couldn't put it down and read on far too late into the night.
I was totally shocked by the ending, having not realised that this was a book 1 and I literally sat with my mouth ajar for a good 5 minutes after, just distraught that I still had so many questions and such a massive cliffhanger!

An absolute winner for me which will be on my mind for quite some time! And I definitely need to get my hands on book 2 asap to satisfy my addled brain....


**I also listened to this on audio and it was absolutely brilliant!

The narrator did an amazing job.

The way he managed to get Seb's persona across as well as convey the mental anguish within the monologues was just perfect.

I also loved the many different voices and personalities that he presented so well - the creepiness of the assessors, the bossiness of Eleanor and a top Manc accent for Finn😁

Would definitely recommend this audio version.



PS - I again loved having the author letter at the end - knowing Josh's early background was fascinating and then his experience in mental health services just solidified my fear! 🤔🤣



💕Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for my ARC copy - this is my honest review 💕

When the desire for wellness and happiness takes a more sinister turn, Happy Head project is born. A group of teenagers are gathered and put through increasingly traumatic testing in a bid to create happy humans and an ideal community. Of course, enforced happiness is not going to work and the teenagers begin to rebel against the rules with dire consequences. An interesting read and a great debut novel. Brilliantly narrated to feel as if we are hearing the POV of the protagonist and suffering each ordeal and shock alongside him. #heappyhead #joshsilver #netgalley #audiobook

Wow - This really took me by surprise and blew me away! The creepy atmosphere was present right form the outset and really pulled me in. One of the quotes on the cover of the book says that it's like Hunger Games, but better and I thought - 'Yeah, right'. Hunger Games is one of my favourite series and this is certainly along the same lines, but in a contemporary setting. I loved the main characters and they felt very relatable. My favourite books are genre fiction with queer main characters and this really delivers!

I'm finding it difficult to explain why this was so good without spoiling the entire plot and I do think that it's worth going into this without knowing much about it. But all I know is that I absolutely can not wait until the next book comes out. I need to know what happens!

I was given access to the audiobook by the publisher via Netgalley. I really enjoyed the narrator and his accents (especially his Manchester accent) were really good! There were several points though that I could hear him swallowing and I found it a bit....erm...unpleasant. But other than that minor thing, it was an excellent audiobook!

This was a totally different read for me, I don't really know how to review this but can tell you that I really, really enjoyed it!

I listened to the audio and the narrator was fabulous!

Seb is at the compulsory retreat, Happyhead, a place for unhappy teens. Here he gets 'therapy' and meets a group of people....one who he is fascinated with more than the others!

I was hooked from the 1st chapter and I knew something wasn't quite right!

I'm going to be absolutely vague about the plot because you need to experience it!

Here are some things I loved:

~ The writing and pacing were perfect.
~ Loved the names Seb had for the councillors!!
~ Fin - ice eyes!
~ Sebs take on obedience was eye opening!
~ Fin, just him!

You are totally kidding me with that ending! Whaaaaaaat! I need more! Immediately!

Seb is an unhappy teenager who has had an incident at school that has sparked a depressive period. His parents decide to send him to a camp called 'HappyHead' that focuses on the wellbeing of troubled teens. I hadn't realised this was dystopian (I hope) fiction and I was pleasantly surprised by the twists the novel took. The motives behind the camp owners are not pure and there are a lot of shady things happening at this camp. I thought it was a really interesting and unique read!

Not for me. I am going to have to search for the word "dystopian" harder in blurbs than I do now. I mainly found this book irritating, unrealistic (as regards parents/feelings rather than the concept of a place to "make" you happy). The only people who appeared to be happy at the end were Lucy and Raheem so the whole project had failed 98 of the 100 intake. Or maybe the point was that we should pretend to be happy for the sake of others, which appears to be the status quo.

I don't think the hiding his nature or homosexuality particularly helped Seb but maybe that was the point of the book also. Or maybe you're supposed to hide that too.

As you can tell I wasn't entirely sure what the point of the book was other than to enrage me and wonder why everyone is so obsessed with being happy. Its a purely western concept that we deserve happiness. Why not just do what puts a smile on your face for however brief a time?

The part of the book that I did enjoy was the autobiographical part at the end. It made me glad that Josh Silver enjoys writing. I hope he continues to enjoy it and is a success. I don't think he was writing for me so I'll give the next book a miss thanks. My advice to myself for being happy - stop reading dystopian novels.

The narration was good though. Huw Parmenter does a fine job of various accents and a stellar job of irritating teenage girl squeak. His vocal chords must have hurt after intoning Eleanor for more than a second or two.

Thanks to Netgalley and Bolinda for the advance review copy.