Not Exactly the Vibe I Expected

 

TITLE: The Happiness Blueprint

AUTHOR: Ally Zetterberg

PUBLISHER: MIRA

PUBLISHING DATE: April 2, 2024

PAGES: 368   

SOURCE: ARC

FROM GOODREADS: Klara and Alex are having trouble connecting, but at least their calendars are in sync. 

Klara—who’s always thought of herself as a little different, a sneaker in a world full of kitten heels and polished boots—is feeling a disconnect these days. She has type 1 diabetes, currently works in a dead-end job, and is in desperate need of a change. When her dad falls ill, Klara begrudgingly agrees to help run his small construction company while he recovers, even though it means moving back home and pushing the boundaries of her comfort zone to the extreme. 

Alex has been a shell of himself since his brother died in an accident. He’s unemployed, has bills piling up, and is distant from friends and family. His therapist is encouraging him to keep things manageable by setting up a calendar, checking off tasks each day, and looking for work to help get him back on his feet. When an ad pops up for a carpenter position at a small construction company, he jumps at the chance to take a step forward. 

Klara's and Alex’s stories unfold through a series of miscommunications in this clever and witty novel from debut author Ally Zetterberg that’s about finding acceptance and even love in unexpected places.

MY THOUGHTS: When I first saw this cover, I expected some sort of romantic rom-com, which was fine.  However, the tale here is much deeper and at times, even depressing, so be aware of that going in if you decide to give this one a go. 

Klara lives in London working at a job with very little human interaction, managing her Type 1 diabetes, and connecting with her family via a phone app and Thursday night Facetimes. When her father, who lives in the family home in Sweden, becomes ill, and someone needs to come and help run the family business, everyone looks to Klara, especially since she is out of work and has the least number of things to work around.  Klara is not excited to return home and is worries she knows nothing about running a construction repair business.

Alex is smack dab in the middle of a deep depression when the book opens. He has been out of work for about 6 months, ever since his brother tragically died in a bicycle accident.  However, turns out it wasn't exactly an accident and Alex's depression is deepened by the fact that the police cannot locate a key witness so the culprit can be held fully accountable.

This book tackles medical issues, a possible terminal illness, death, depression and low self-esteem.  Oh, and you can add in some family drama and deep seeded family issues. I will be honest in the beginning I had some difficulty connecting to the writing style.  I later on learned something about the MC which I sort of suspected and once that elephant in the room came out, reading became more enjoyable and easier.  It took some time for Klara to grow on me, but I did like Alex straight off the bat.  In addition, once the two characters meet, and start communicating a lot through a shared calendar app of all things, the book picked up.

This book does have a big miscommunication trope and I know some people really get irritated by those so be warned.  And like I said, there are some heavier topics than I anticipated for the cute graphic cover represented.  However, I am glad I preserved with this one and I really enjoyed the ending - giant unicorn statues and all (and if that doesn't get your attention and make you curious, I don't know what will).

MY RATING: 4 PAWS