book review
William Shakespeare taught us that a light heart lives long.
Written by no other than the renowned Australian author, Richard Yaxley, The Happiness Quest is an emotionally capturing novel, in which a gentle and yet direct approach is taken to emphasise the simple way in which teenagers can deal with “constant sadness”. Throughout the book, 15-year old Tillie Bassett takes every suggestion she’s given to help her find happiness again, from taking anti-depressant pills to joining support groups where forced laughter is an obligation for the redemption of the soul. It is only when she meets a psychologist with the name of Gilbert the Goldfish, is that when she starts her happiness quest, in which she goes on a mission to find out what the true meaning of happiness really is.
Yaxley’s authorial intent is very powerful, for not only does he provide hope for those who are battling depression, but he also provides a great insight on a realistic explanation of what depression is. In other words, he neglects the dictionary medical definition and creatively portrays the thought process of a depressed mind. Many would argue that it is entirely obvious how miraculously Yaxley enhanced his readers an empathetic understanding of the life of a ‘sad’ person, which I completely agree with.
However, his writing approach using a third person’s perspective had somehow decreased the effectiveness of his powerful emotive language used to provide clarity and empathy on the topic of depression. Instead of giving one the opportunity to live the life of another and experience their troublesome state of mind, Yaxley seemed to miss such an opportunity and just provided the reader with another bystander view on the issue. Therefore, even though the book was completely successful in depicting its purpose, the writing style of the author had slightly hindered it from being ‘the best book ever’.
Besides the author’s purpose, the book also provides one with a feeling of fulfilment and wholesome, no matter what their mental well being level might be at. If you are looking for an engaging, realistic read, that takes you on an emotional journey to “look for the happy” in the world, this is the book for you. However, please keep in mind that this book revolves around the idea of mental health issues, specifically depression, as well as a brief reference to self harm. Hence, this book is recommended for senior students ONLY!
-M Gebraeel, Year 10
Richard Yaxley, Author