Josh Silver is one of my favourite new authors of recent years and in Dead Happy, he has another hard hitting smash hit on his hands.

I really enjoyed this book. Following on from book one, this was a smooth progression and grabbed my attention right from the start. I loved Seb’s character and I actually found myself sympathising a lot with Eleanor, who had fantastic development throughout the book and became an unexpected ally to Seb and the others as the truth behind the program was revealed. I read this quickly as I couldn’t put it down-it was fantastically written and I loved reading the epilogue and finding out where certain characters ended up. This is amazing and I would 100% recommend this series to anyone looking for a bit of a thrilling mystery.

I really enjoyed HappyHead, finding it an ominous thriller that rang too true. Silver has really levelled up in this sequel, with an increase in tension and horror.

This sequel and the setting of Elmhallow also has distinct touches of Lord of the Flies. The isolated nature of this island and the ever increasing feverish nature of their devotion is incredibly unsettling. These tasks become stranger and more daunting, both physically and emotionally. It is psychological warfare that sends shivers up your spine. Silver shows the gradual indoctrination of this cult-like group, with the temptation of acceptance and love being weaponised against these vulnerable young people. We also go a step further in terms of dehumanisation and othering from the first book. There is also an interesting thread about institutionalisation and the mental health crisis that Silver explores too.

Within it all, we have our central trio (ish) of Seb, Finn and Eleanor. I thought these characters were excellent in the first book and Silver takes up their development a notch here. We get more insights into your lives and why this particular experiment might have them in their clutches. It allows for some moving moments, but also for some excellent character arcs. Around them, our supporting characters are also given more depth and we particularly get to spend time with the odd couple who run Elmhallow. Their story again is devastating and sends a clear warning of alternate paths taken.

We also get to uncover a little more behind HappyHead’s history and this story is heart-breaking as it is horrific. The ultimate motivations behind it speak to real life issues, but through a twisted lens. In our current political climate, they are particularly sickening. Silver is delivering one hell of an impactful message here and I can only hope it is listened to.

Dead Happy is a thought-provoking read, with touches of horror, in this claustrophobic and chilling read.

Dead Happy is a brilliant concluding sequel to HappyHead, Josh Silver's debut YA dystopia which satirised the wellbeing industry and its effort to 'fix' the problem of teenage and unhappiness. In HappyHead, Seb was sent to a mandatory wellbeing retreat with increasingly bizarre and twisted challenges to complete; however, he uncovered a more sinister secret purpose behind this with the help of his troubled love interest, Finn. In Dead Happy, Seb finds himself as part of the chosen ten elite participants sent to the remote island of Elmhallow where there are even more perverted challenges in store - this time to be completed in pairs with the aim of finding true love.

This is a gripping and well-written read with great development of the main characters and lots of shocking but clever plot twists. John Silver explores the question of teenage mental health with real sensitivity and nuance, and the novel also touches on darker topics like eugenics. It is also great to read a mainstream work of YA genre fiction which places a same-sex relationship at its heart.

I would recommend this book for readers aged 14 upwards because of the adult language and themes. HappyHead has been really popular with teenage readers and I have no doubt that Dead Happy will be too - many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for sending me an ARC to review!

This is the sequel to dystopian thriller ‘Happy Head’. Seb has completed his time at the Happy Head facility and his assessors think he’s now 'happy' and compliant enough to go on to the next stage in their plan to eradicate teenage depression. What they don’t know is that Seb has a plan to expose Happy Head for what it really is.

In this sequel we get to see Seb find his self-worth and his voice. His relationship with Finn is still a central plot point, but Seb becomes a force of nature in his own right too. We also get a new villain in the form of one of the other Happy Head contestants whose lack of success at Elmhallow leads him to drastic actions reminiscent of the classic Lord of the Flies.

Silver's grasp of teenage sarcasm creates a very realistic and relatable narrative voice for Seb, managing to inject dark humour into the dire situation the characters find themselves in. The warmth of Seb's voice plus the gripping climaxes that unfurl one after the other are guaranteed to keep readers engaged. I read this as a digital arc, but had I had a physical copy, it may have found itself flying across the living room at times when the tension became too much.

This is undoubtedly a Hunger Games for a new generation, and as a series it's far more relatable than most of the popular dystopian YA fiction you'll find in your library. For one, it is speculative rather than full on sci-fi/fantasy. There is nothing in Happy Head and Dead Happy that doesn't currently exist. The existence of the Happy Head facility is absolutely believable under our current government, as terrifying as that seems, and the teens that find themselves at Happy Head are dealing with an array of mental health issues as well as simply being 'different'.

Thank you to netgalley and Oneworld for the digital ARC.

WOW what a sequel that was ❤️
I was gripped from the start and then was on edge for the rest of the book
I can’t get over some of the things the characters go through in this book I would of been terrified if I was at Elmhallow
🧡💚❤️💛💙💜

A nail-biting follow-up to ‘Happy Head’, ‘Dead Happy’ immediately picks up from where the last books left us, thrusting us back into Seb and Finn’s adventure to uncover the truth about Elmhallow.

I have been eagerly anticipating this book since finishing the first, and Josh Silvers did not disappoint! As with the first one, the writing is sharp, the characters are fully-realised and there’s a darkness which manages to be both sinister and exhilarating to read.

The sign of any good book is when your mind races about all of the sequels and/or prequels that could follow, explaining smaller details of the story or expanding on lesser-known characters, and that was certainly the case with this one…

I’ll be keeping my eyes peeled for whatever Josh Silver writes next!

After reading 'Happy Head' by Josh Silver, with its killer twists and cliffhanger ending, I was desperate to read the sequel. 'Dead Happy' is a brilliant follow up. We open following the final candidates, including Seb and Eleanor, as they come to on a sinking ship. They find their way onto an island, Elmhallow, where they are put through a series of challenges to bond and ascend as a couple. It was creepy, cultish and everything I wanted from a sequel.

At some moments, it was easy to forget the experiments and laboratories from the first book as they live in huts on an island and return to a more rustic life. However, their is still a creepy undertone, with the doctor and the project looming over proceedings. What is truly going on here? Will Seb, Finn, Eleanor and the others get out alive? Read and find out!

The only let down with this sequel is that all the loose ends are tied up - it rushes to a conclusion where I would easily have read another book to make this a trilogy! Bring on Josh Silver's next novel. 4.5 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher who provided an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

After the cliffhanger ending of 'Happy Head' I was keen to read this follow-up and it didnt disappoint. Just as much of a page turner as the first book, it's a great read. It's dark, but Seb also provides a lot of lighter moments with his internal thoughts about what's happening to them all. Readers that loved the first book will find a lot to love about this one too.

This was absolutely, stunningly incredible.

It's important to note first of all that this is the 2nd and final book in this series. This review will contain some spoilers. And secondly, this book (as with the first) is very dark and very graphic at times. Some themes include mental health, suicide, violence, abuse, and more.

But if you're in a place where you can cope with those things, this is an absolute must read.

It's over a year since I read Happy Head, and I was worried about getting back into the story after so long. I needn't have worried, though, as the author did a great job of setting everything back up while also getting straight into the action.

With this story, Sebastian and The Ten are taken to the mysterious island of Elmhallow. Here, they undertake more trials to test their relationship in order to win sacred bloodstones. I found this story to be overall darker than the first, but also twistier. It was absolutely full of some really amazing heart-in-your-mouth moments. Later in the book, especially, I was physically shaking with how good it was.

Sebastian grew a lot in this story. He felt a lot more rebellious, and I also found his commentary quite a bit more sarcastic. This really suited the tone of the story. He's a very interesting character. Something I also loved in this book were flashbacks to moments from his past. They added some really interesting substance to his character and story.

Finn was great too. It took a while for him to show up, but as the book went on, he appeared more and more. His relationship with Sebastian is so perfectly crafted. It feels like they're so perfect together, and the pangs when they're apart felt so real.

The plot was really interesting - it followed on exactly from the first book. If you've read that one, you'll know it didn't get a HEA or a HFN AND it ended on a cliffhanger. I'm pleased to say both things were resolved perfectly here. As stated earlier, some parts are very dark. Other parts though were very pleasant.

Josh Silver is an incredible writer, and this series deserves so much love. One of my favourite reads so far this year.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with this ARC. This is my honest review

HappyHead have moved their unique brand of therapy to a remote island. Manning and her close team are using a more hands-off approach here and their proxies on Elmhallow look and behave like social media super influencers. And are just as irritating. And probably just as unhinged. How did they get to be on the island? What is their ultimate goal? Will they help or hinder the young people on their path to contentment? Ha.

In this book we get a wider view of Seb’s life before HappyHead. Josh Silver crafts some interesting parallels between a church in Seb’s hometown and the way some of The Ten begin to adapt to island life. We see the young people being conditioned to think that their lives on the island are actual freedom as opposed to the tyranny of their lives outside HappyHead, where they have to attend school and live by societal rules.

I love Seb’s acid asides versus his spoken dialogue! A couple would’ve made me spit out my tea, if I’d been drinking any. I love Seb full-stop. His integrity. His normal human complexity. His struggles. His need to be loved. But where is Finn? Is he even still alive?

In a world that tries to fabricate couples and other ties, it’s interesting that relationships are ultimately so important here.

I was gripped from page one. And then, partly terrified, partly intrigued, like a HappyHead candidate, I kept daring myself to turn the page. Brilliant stuff.

Thank you to OneWorld Publications & Josh Silver for the chance to read an eARC of this thrilling book.

Dead Happy was just as exciting as Happy Head if not more! SIlver expertly combines suspense with intriguing characters. It felt like watching a show on telly and can't wait to see what else Silver comes up with!

I had to read this when I saw there was a sequel to Happy Head because I loved that! This wasn’t as good as Happy Head in my opinion - it felt a bit slower to get going and I wasn’t as invested in the plot - but it’s still a great read. Like Happy Head, it continues with its contemporary-Hunger-Games-on-steroids vibes! The characters of Seb, Finn and Eleanor are excellently written and the plot is clever and twisty.

I haven't read the first book but I read this one was really intrigued by this book as the plot as it felt very suspenseful and exciting coupled modern day element of being a participant.