What do you think?
Rate this book
Anna Bloom #2
Have a Nice Day
Anna Bloom has just come home from a three-week stay in a mental hospital. She feels . . . okay. It's time to get back to some sort of normal life, whatever that means. She has to go back to school, where teachers and friends are dying to know what happened to her but are too afraid to ask. And Anna is dying to know what's going on back at the hospital with her crush, Justin, but is too afraid to ask. Meanwhile, Anna's parents aren't getting along, and she wonders if she's the cause of her family's troubles.
352 pages, Paperback
First published October 16, 2012
90 people are currently reading
2098 people want to read
About the author
Julie Halpern
17 books428 followersJULIE HALPERN is the author of five young adult novels and one picture book for young readers. Maternity Leave is her first novel for adults. Prior to her life as full-time mom and author, Julie was a school librarian. In her imaginary spare time, she enjoys traveling, watching television for grown-ups, and eating baked goods. Julie lives in the Chicago suburbs with her husband, author and illustrator Matthew Cordell, and their two children.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 159 reviews
September 22, 2014
This book helped me a lot. I felt like I had years worth of therapy after reading it. I have lots of anxiety and panic attacks like Anna. When I went to the bookstore I said I couldn't handle anything sad and that I needed something that would not make me cry. One of the girls suggested this book. When I got home I realized it was book 2. So I had to go back and buy the first book, which I also loved.
The book starts out with Anna leaving the mental Institution and the story is her journey to incorporate everything she learned into her daily life. I love that Halpern showed what a struggle it was for her to even leave the house. And how each class was super hard to get through. I loved the amount of details she had. I also was happy that she explained how she got better, not just say that she got better. Her best friend Tracy was awesome. Everyone needs a best friend like her. Her relationship with Tucker was nicely written. All the scenes with Justin were pretty heart breaking, especially the end meeting they had at the coffee house.
I would recommend this book to anyone, especially people that have anxiety, depression or panic attacks.
The book starts out with Anna leaving the mental Institution and the story is her journey to incorporate everything she learned into her daily life. I love that Halpern showed what a struggle it was for her to even leave the house. And how each class was super hard to get through. I loved the amount of details she had. I also was happy that she explained how she got better, not just say that she got better. Her best friend Tracy was awesome. Everyone needs a best friend like her. Her relationship with Tucker was nicely written. All the scenes with Justin were pretty heart breaking, especially the end meeting they had at the coffee house.
I would recommend this book to anyone, especially people that have anxiety, depression or panic attacks.
December 29, 2012
As someone who spent a good chunk of her teenage years dealing with severe depression, I absolutely love & adore Anna Bloom. She's thoroughly real & true to life in her voice, her concerns, & her fears & hopes - so much so, that you wonder if Julie Halpern kept a diary herself during those years that she's referring back to. "Get Well Soon" was outstanding, but I liked "Have a Nice Day" even more, because it shows Anna trying to re-learn how to live a "normal" version of her life in spite of how abnormal she feels - & although the results are wobbly & uneven, even downright crappy at times, she still survives, & even finds a fair amount of things to rejoice at in a quiet way.
Anna's return from Lake Shit, the mental hospital she just spent three weeks at, coincides with the meltdown of her parents' marriage. As if it isn't enough to be worried out of her mind at having to go back to school & pretend she's okay, hoping the horrible panic attacks don't return & thinking obsessively about her classmates all knowing where she's been. On top of those two major life events/serious causes for concern, Anna can't stop thinking about her (maybe?) relationship with fellow patient Justin. If they only kissed twice, never even had "the talk," & may not ever even see each other again (or at least for a really long time), are they even in a relationship? How will she find out if he still thinks about her, or if he's moved on to some new hot girl patient? Why can't she seem to find the words to reply to his letters? And why is she thinking so frequently about her school friend Tucker?
Anna approaches all these issues with a combination of gut-wrenching terror (literally) & punk-music-fueled sarcasm, as well as the unflinching support of her wrestling-obsessed best friend Tracy & a group of kids she eats lunch with who are becoming ever more a part of her life. For every backslide Anna experiences, she learns ways to push herself forward (sometimes with the help of yoga guru Rodney Yee, sometimes with the Ramones) & it's a truly normal, everyday, & therefore breathtakingly beautiful process to see. Anyone who ever suffered from depression, feelings of inadequacy, fear, or lack of fitting in - either in school or one's own family - will be thrilled at just how deeply this book resonates, & will cheer for Anna with each small success. Thank you for validating my experiences of teenage misery, Julie Halpern, & somehow making them all seem normal. Please, please, please keep writing teenage novels for "the rest of us."
Anna's return from Lake Shit, the mental hospital she just spent three weeks at, coincides with the meltdown of her parents' marriage. As if it isn't enough to be worried out of her mind at having to go back to school & pretend she's okay, hoping the horrible panic attacks don't return & thinking obsessively about her classmates all knowing where she's been. On top of those two major life events/serious causes for concern, Anna can't stop thinking about her (maybe?) relationship with fellow patient Justin. If they only kissed twice, never even had "the talk," & may not ever even see each other again (or at least for a really long time), are they even in a relationship? How will she find out if he still thinks about her, or if he's moved on to some new hot girl patient? Why can't she seem to find the words to reply to his letters? And why is she thinking so frequently about her school friend Tucker?
Anna approaches all these issues with a combination of gut-wrenching terror (literally) & punk-music-fueled sarcasm, as well as the unflinching support of her wrestling-obsessed best friend Tracy & a group of kids she eats lunch with who are becoming ever more a part of her life. For every backslide Anna experiences, she learns ways to push herself forward (sometimes with the help of yoga guru Rodney Yee, sometimes with the Ramones) & it's a truly normal, everyday, & therefore breathtakingly beautiful process to see. Anyone who ever suffered from depression, feelings of inadequacy, fear, or lack of fitting in - either in school or one's own family - will be thrilled at just how deeply this book resonates, & will cheer for Anna with each small success. Thank you for validating my experiences of teenage misery, Julie Halpern, & somehow making them all seem normal. Please, please, please keep writing teenage novels for "the rest of us."
June 3, 2013
The first book in this series, Get Well Soon, is one of my favorite books. Granted, I read it about 4 years ago when I was in the sixth grade, and my reading taste has definitely changed since then, so maybe it really was gooey all along. Anyway, something about this book, Have a Nice Day, reeks of chick lit. Anna oozes over boys, and sometimes I feel like that's the only theme: "better get back my loony-bin boyfriend or find a new one!" Get Well Soon was more real, it was raw and got to some really interesting points about Anna's three weeks in a mental hospital as compared to regular life - with a love interest thrown in for good measure. In this book, Anna seems like a completely different person - which I think was supposed to happen at some point, because the mental hospital stay did change her - but the change happened too quickly and too abruptly. She goes straight from being submissive, depressed and introverted before her stay to being some badass fat chick who wears tights and Chucks and swears at her teachers. I tried to like this book because I adore the first one, but unfortunately, I think Halpern lost Anna's voice to the raging sea of chick lit.
Read
January 23, 2019This book is a sequel to Get well soon. I am really glad they made a sequel because it helped make the story longer and more interesting
October 31, 2014
Have a Nice Day, by Julie Halpen, is one of the most relatable books I have ever read.
The parents of the narrator took their average, depressed, teenager daughter and sent her to a mental hospital. Anna, the narrator, did not have a mental disorder, however. She was depressed and had panic attacks once and a while, but everyone does. Once she got settled in at this hospital she actually made some of the closest friends she ever had. Then, of course, her parents took her out of the hospital and she wasn't to see her friends again. She had to now go back to school, with the every day worries of looking fat in everything she wears, keeping her school friends who don't really understand her that much, and catching up on all of her missed assignments. Of course she also receives the scared glances from her classmates now that she's gotten the title of The Mental Hospital Girl. To top everything off, her parents are getting divorced, and her mother is sending her to a support group. Anna admits that this support group is better than most others she's been to, but it's still a support group. Her relationship with her "best friend" is pretty awkward, but they're working to be best friends again. All the while, Anna keeps trying to find a way to regain communication with her "more-than-friend", Justin, who is still at the mental hospital, but she doesn't know what to say or how to say it. Yet as time went on, she told her friends and family more and more about her troubles, and everything got much better. One of her friends in school became much more than that, and Justin didn't mean nearly as much anymore. However, she did end up writing that letter...
My favorite aspect of this book was that the character was so relatable that I pictured her being exactly like me. In the end of the story, everything changed for the better, and I was rather disappointed. I thought the story would be more realistic. However, I thought about it and realized that bad events in life will eventually lead to better circumstances. I only rated this book 4 out of 5 stars because I found that the story was rather slow at some points. However, Julie Halpern did an amazing job describing the feelings of Anna in a very realistic way. This book makes you think of how the smaller things in life have the biggest impact. "Sentiments from those who cared about you, no matter how small, were important."
The parents of the narrator took their average, depressed, teenager daughter and sent her to a mental hospital. Anna, the narrator, did not have a mental disorder, however. She was depressed and had panic attacks once and a while, but everyone does. Once she got settled in at this hospital she actually made some of the closest friends she ever had. Then, of course, her parents took her out of the hospital and she wasn't to see her friends again. She had to now go back to school, with the every day worries of looking fat in everything she wears, keeping her school friends who don't really understand her that much, and catching up on all of her missed assignments. Of course she also receives the scared glances from her classmates now that she's gotten the title of The Mental Hospital Girl. To top everything off, her parents are getting divorced, and her mother is sending her to a support group. Anna admits that this support group is better than most others she's been to, but it's still a support group. Her relationship with her "best friend" is pretty awkward, but they're working to be best friends again. All the while, Anna keeps trying to find a way to regain communication with her "more-than-friend", Justin, who is still at the mental hospital, but she doesn't know what to say or how to say it. Yet as time went on, she told her friends and family more and more about her troubles, and everything got much better. One of her friends in school became much more than that, and Justin didn't mean nearly as much anymore. However, she did end up writing that letter...
My favorite aspect of this book was that the character was so relatable that I pictured her being exactly like me. In the end of the story, everything changed for the better, and I was rather disappointed. I thought the story would be more realistic. However, I thought about it and realized that bad events in life will eventually lead to better circumstances. I only rated this book 4 out of 5 stars because I found that the story was rather slow at some points. However, Julie Halpern did an amazing job describing the feelings of Anna in a very realistic way. This book makes you think of how the smaller things in life have the biggest impact. "Sentiments from those who cared about you, no matter how small, were important."
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 26, 2015
3.5 Stars
Well I felt this book was dragging the whole plot and at some parts were a little bit boring, but some parts were okay. There was nothing really surprising and too interesting about the plot, its just that this teenage girl is trying to deal with many issues and her being depressed. I liked how the author has also shown her character develop throughout the stories through her parents and peers. If you like being in a perspective of a kinda typical teenager, this book might be it for you.
Well I felt this book was dragging the whole plot and at some parts were a little bit boring, but some parts were okay. There was nothing really surprising and too interesting about the plot, its just that this teenage girl is trying to deal with many issues and her being depressed. I liked how the author has also shown her character develop throughout the stories through her parents and peers. If you like being in a perspective of a kinda typical teenager, this book might be it for you.
January 7, 2023
4.5 ⭐️’s
September 2, 2021
I will say that it’s not as fun as the first one, but it’s still really good.
November 13, 2017
Have A Nice Day, by Julie Halpern, was quite a disappointing and depressing book from my perspective. Although one should not judge a book by it’s cover, sometimes it can be hard not to. When I first saw the picture on the cover, I was not really thinking about the deeper meaning and how it related to the summary on the back. My initial thoughts were, “Hey, that looks like a neat book and has a smiley face on the cover! The story seems interesting. Why not?” Well, to say the least, I was not impressed.
Anna Bloom has recently returned home after living in a mental hospital for the past three weeks. Anna tries to get back into her normal routine, while living a not-so-normal life.
Although Anna really did not want to, she had to go back to school and deal with her problems. School was not a comforting place to Anna. Once she seemed to settle in to each class, her bowels would make themselves known to her, and cause her to spend more time in the bathroom than she did learning. She liked to call this the “Bastardly Irritable Bowel Syndrome.” Anna, however, was able to meet up with some of her old friends during lunch and art class and feel semi-comfortable. Her best friend is Tracy. Despite their contrasting opinions on WWE, the two still get along so well. However, ever since Anna came home, something has been different between them. This awkward atmosphere was resolved once she finally admitted that she met a boy at the hospital that may have like her too. To add on to the list of things Anna had to worry about, she just so happened to stumbled upon some feelings that emerged for one of her art friends, Tucker. Now Anna has to choose between her mental hospital friend, Justin, and her real school friend, Tucker.
The characters in this book appear pretty bland to me. There was not much detail or background given to the characters that would add to the overall emotional mood, and to allow the reader to connect with each character on a personal level. This book was basically Anna rambling on about an endless list of reasons as to why her life stunk.
However, Anna was able to learn towards the end of the book, through all her experiences, that despite what one might have been through, things will get better if you work at it. Anna had to deal with some rough things that people her age should not have to go through, but she confronted her issues, and was able to be happy.
I was able to understand the cover of the book shortly after I finished reading it. Anna seemed to be broken, like the cracked smiley face, trying to figure out her problems. Yet, the smile on the face remained in the end when she realized that she could be happy, and dare I say “have a nice day.”
Anna Bloom has recently returned home after living in a mental hospital for the past three weeks. Anna tries to get back into her normal routine, while living a not-so-normal life.
Although Anna really did not want to, she had to go back to school and deal with her problems. School was not a comforting place to Anna. Once she seemed to settle in to each class, her bowels would make themselves known to her, and cause her to spend more time in the bathroom than she did learning. She liked to call this the “Bastardly Irritable Bowel Syndrome.” Anna, however, was able to meet up with some of her old friends during lunch and art class and feel semi-comfortable. Her best friend is Tracy. Despite their contrasting opinions on WWE, the two still get along so well. However, ever since Anna came home, something has been different between them. This awkward atmosphere was resolved once she finally admitted that she met a boy at the hospital that may have like her too. To add on to the list of things Anna had to worry about, she just so happened to stumbled upon some feelings that emerged for one of her art friends, Tucker. Now Anna has to choose between her mental hospital friend, Justin, and her real school friend, Tucker.
The characters in this book appear pretty bland to me. There was not much detail or background given to the characters that would add to the overall emotional mood, and to allow the reader to connect with each character on a personal level. This book was basically Anna rambling on about an endless list of reasons as to why her life stunk.
However, Anna was able to learn towards the end of the book, through all her experiences, that despite what one might have been through, things will get better if you work at it. Anna had to deal with some rough things that people her age should not have to go through, but she confronted her issues, and was able to be happy.
I was able to understand the cover of the book shortly after I finished reading it. Anna seemed to be broken, like the cracked smiley face, trying to figure out her problems. Yet, the smile on the face remained in the end when she realized that she could be happy, and dare I say “have a nice day.”
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 14, 2022
Really loved it! I just wish it was written in diary format like book one to continue the trend.
May 10, 2013
In this sequel to Get Well Soon, Anna Bloom has been released from Lakeside, the mental hospital where her parents sent her to get treatment. Now, she has to readjust to life on the outside. While at “Lake Shit” (as the residents refer to it), Anna made new friends - including Justin her sort of boyfriend – and lost weight, so it wasn’t all bad; however, she is still really angry at her parents for sending her there. Her home life is thrown more out of whack when her parents tell her and her sister that they are getting a divorce. Returning to school proves challenging at first even with her best friend Tracy by her side. Anna’s anxiety causes her to have IBS (irritable bowel syndrome), which in turns causes her more anxiety at school because she is constantly having to run to the bathroom, and by doing so drawing attention to herself. Missing school due to this problem was one of the things that made her parents send her to Lakeside to begin with. However, Anna is surprised to find herself readjusting relatively quickly and feeling somewhat normal. She even as has a potential boyfriend or two, but she can’t stop wondering about Justin back at Lakeland. Eventually Anna realizes that she must get some closure on her time at Lakeland in order to be able to move forward with her life.
Have a Nice Day is written in the format of Anna’s journal, so readers get a firsthand account of what is going on inside the main character’s head. What goes on inside of Anna’s head is both realistic and irritating (at least to this adult reader). By its nature a journal is meant for the writer to have an outlet for thoughts and feelings and is not written with an audience in mind; this is reflected in Halpern’s writing style. This is a character-driven novel that moves slowly in the plot department. Anna is a realistic teen but not necessarily a likable one. She is extremely self-centered and obsessed with her appearance throughout most of the book though she does show some growth at the end. The references to her new look (due in part to confidence gained through her weight loss) grew tiresome as did descriptions of her IBS (to be fair I have a low tolerance for references to “poo”). Teens who like Anna and find her humorous will enjoy this book. Readers who don’t find much to like in Anna will want to abandon this novel quickly.
Have a Nice Day is written in the format of Anna’s journal, so readers get a firsthand account of what is going on inside the main character’s head. What goes on inside of Anna’s head is both realistic and irritating (at least to this adult reader). By its nature a journal is meant for the writer to have an outlet for thoughts and feelings and is not written with an audience in mind; this is reflected in Halpern’s writing style. This is a character-driven novel that moves slowly in the plot department. Anna is a realistic teen but not necessarily a likable one. She is extremely self-centered and obsessed with her appearance throughout most of the book though she does show some growth at the end. The references to her new look (due in part to confidence gained through her weight loss) grew tiresome as did descriptions of her IBS (to be fair I have a low tolerance for references to “poo”). Teens who like Anna and find her humorous will enjoy this book. Readers who don’t find much to like in Anna will want to abandon this novel quickly.
July 13, 2019
I feel like what happened here is someone read the first book and then said, "I want more." But the author didn't really have more planned and just started writing, and looked to see where it got her. I really liked the first book in this series, but was less enthusiastic about this book. I think because there was a definite beginning and end to the first book - Anna's entrance and exit from the mental hospital. But this one was more just about her returning to her normal life. The romance wasn't forbidden this time, and therefore wasn't as interesting. I mean, for most of the book she was just a normal teenager doing normal teenager things. And the fact that she started out kind of punk but ended up with the big accomplishment being going to the homecoming dance seemed a bit out of character, like the author went "what do normal high schoolers do?" instead of considering what the punky teenagers do. Maybe being punk was supposed to go away as she integrated into the school community, but that makes it a kind of shitty story, so I hope I'm wrong about that and the author just didn't consider very carefully. Also the first book was really funny, and this one was much less so. I'd strongly suggest leaving the first book after you read it and not picking up the second. Maybe write your own ending for Anna.
November 10, 2016
After enjoying Julie Halpern's first book about Anna Bloom, GET WELL SOON, I was excited to pick up the sequel. The story, Anna's tale of returning to regular life after her three week stay in a mental hospital, can be understood and appreciated whether or not you read the first book. Anna gives powerful insight through humor and her understanding of CATCHER IN THE RYE, which is being discussed in her English class upon her return to school. I enjoyed the amount of high-school romance involved, as she struggles to communicate with Justin, her suicidal first-kiss from Lakeland (the hospital). If you've ever read a story that people claim "romanticizes mental illness" or things of the like, you may agree that boy (or girl) drama can sometimes take away from the plot and message of the story and even become problematic. This, however, was not the case in GET WELL SOON. Anna's goofy and sarcastic character is relatable to anyone who's ever felt a bit crazy, and especially to lovers of Cap'n Crunch. This is the kind of easy, nearly mindless reading that can be done on a nice beach in Summer or curled up in blankets in the colder months. Happy reading :)
July 31, 2016
This book is the epitome of why I shy away from reading the second book in a series. It was TERRIBLE! It felt SOOOOO long and I couldn't focus - everything (even clipping my toenails) was more interesting to me than this book. Maybe I should have known; I mean, I didn't LOVE the first book, so this book wasn't likely to be better, but I did like "Get Well Soon," and a part of me wondered what would happen with Anna and Justin in the real world, outside of the mental hospital. So I gave in and read "Have a Nice Day." #ReadingRegrets #SequelsOftenSuck!
June 9, 2014
This book was very hard to read for someone with a distracted mind like mine. Anna writes in her journal in a narrative voice and is constantly going off on tangents about her past with a boy at lakeland, moaning about her weight, or just randomly going off about sometime. Her sentences are juvenile and immature which takes away from her character, and there is very little growth until the very end.. I wouldn't recommend to anyone unless they could really relate to the depression aspect of this book.
November 2, 2015
I have to say I enjoyed Get Well Soon over this one. I felt that this book dragged on, even though it only covers three weeks. I really wanted her and Justin to get together, but life outside Lakeshit is much different. So in less than two months Anna checks into a mental hospital, gets out and is suddenly okay? WTF.....
October 10, 2022
The book was great TRIGGER WARNING SUICDE AND SELF HARM so if this bothers you refrain from the book. If you're someone that isn't affected by this trigger warning read the book the main character is relatable and hilarious. Some parts of the book had me smiling 😁
November 22, 2014
I couldn't even get through this book... The main character was so annoying and the plot was just no where to be seen and I stopped at page 105 and nothing had even happened.
July 4, 2024
Would not recommend for people with active mental illness. It’s filled with very misleading and inaccurate information that can be detrimental to those actually wanting a genuine, unbiased perspective of seeking out mental health treatment. For example, Anna mentions how her thoughts about how antidepressants could make teenagers want to harm themselves even more. Not really the best thing for a teenager who’s really struggling and looking for someone positive to identify with on their mental health journey. It paints mental health professionals in a generally negative way which can deter teens struggling with mental health to put their trust into someone who can help them.
Like the first book, Anna spends almost the entire book fantasizing over Justin and their short-lived romance at the hospital and nothing spent on actually improving her mental health. Pretty much no real growth here like in the first one. Anna also spends a good part of the beginning talking about how disappointed she is when she doesn’t get special treatment from her teachers about being in a mental hospital for 3 weeks.
What I really wished there was more of was Anna’s relationships with her mother, father and sister. I feel like it was such a tiny subplot compared to all her different boy events with Justin, Tucker, and possibly Miles. It would’ve showed more about how she grew in the last three weeks (as slow as the book itself felt) and how her family grew with her. I liked reading about her interactions with the three of them and felt it gave more depth to her character. It’s a shame it wasn’t mentioned much. I also really liked her friendship with Tracy; I felt those two aspects were the only things I liked.
MC spends the entire book lamenting about how all adults suck, mental hospitals suck, teachers suck, etc. and fantasizing over boys versus focusing on healthy coping skills and habits. Everything is everyone else’s fault but hers. She doesn’t take accountability for any of the things she says or does (except very minimally) and it’s hard to picture how realistic it was when she slowly got better by the end of it.
Like the first book, Anna spends almost the entire book fantasizing over Justin and their short-lived romance at the hospital and nothing spent on actually improving her mental health. Pretty much no real growth here like in the first one. Anna also spends a good part of the beginning talking about how disappointed she is when she doesn’t get special treatment from her teachers about being in a mental hospital for 3 weeks.
What I really wished there was more of was Anna’s relationships with her mother, father and sister. I feel like it was such a tiny subplot compared to all her different boy events with Justin, Tucker, and possibly Miles. It would’ve showed more about how she grew in the last three weeks (as slow as the book itself felt) and how her family grew with her. I liked reading about her interactions with the three of them and felt it gave more depth to her character. It’s a shame it wasn’t mentioned much. I also really liked her friendship with Tracy; I felt those two aspects were the only things I liked.
MC spends the entire book lamenting about how all adults suck, mental hospitals suck, teachers suck, etc. and fantasizing over boys versus focusing on healthy coping skills and habits. Everything is everyone else’s fault but hers. She doesn’t take accountability for any of the things she says or does (except very minimally) and it’s hard to picture how realistic it was when she slowly got better by the end of it.
October 22, 2024
Excerpts
p. 56 We had just been assigned Catcher in the Rye... "I hear it's a classic."
"Well, you know what Mark Twain said: 'A classic is something everyone wants to have read but nobody wants to read."
p. 70 The group therapy session ended with Peggy (the counselor) directing us to take three slow, deep breaths.... "This week, think of all you have, not what you have not. Remember who you are and why that is a good thing. Commend yourself for still being here." I almost clapped at the end, but no one else did so I was glad I resisted the urge.
p. 95 [Classmates discussing Catcher in the Rye] "I found Holden's voice refreshing, really. It's as though he's explaining who he is by the way he views other people."
pp. 160-161 In English, Mr. Groban assigned an in-class essay on "support." "Holden didn't realize he had people supporting him, and he tries to make it on his own. Who do you look to for support in your life? What do they do for you? How do you thank them?"
p. 173 Before bed, I finished "Bartleby the Scrivener." The first light it shone was that all parents are f****d up, genetics or no."
p. 177 [The importance and value of laughter] (Too long a paragraph to type here.)
pp. 235-236 [My favorite part of the book. Anna has just hurt Tucker's feelings and he's upset. She thinks back to her 3 weeks in the mental hospital. How can she fix the situation? By offering a sincere apology.] (Too long a section to type here.)
p. 319 Over the past few weeks I had realized that feeling good wasn't about how you got there but knowing you could.
p. 56 We had just been assigned Catcher in the Rye... "I hear it's a classic."
"Well, you know what Mark Twain said: 'A classic is something everyone wants to have read but nobody wants to read."
p. 70 The group therapy session ended with Peggy (the counselor) directing us to take three slow, deep breaths.... "This week, think of all you have, not what you have not. Remember who you are and why that is a good thing. Commend yourself for still being here." I almost clapped at the end, but no one else did so I was glad I resisted the urge.
p. 95 [Classmates discussing Catcher in the Rye] "I found Holden's voice refreshing, really. It's as though he's explaining who he is by the way he views other people."
pp. 160-161 In English, Mr. Groban assigned an in-class essay on "support." "Holden didn't realize he had people supporting him, and he tries to make it on his own. Who do you look to for support in your life? What do they do for you? How do you thank them?"
p. 173 Before bed, I finished "Bartleby the Scrivener." The first light it shone was that all parents are f****d up, genetics or no."
p. 177 [The importance and value of laughter] (Too long a paragraph to type here.)
pp. 235-236 [My favorite part of the book. Anna has just hurt Tucker's feelings and he's upset. She thinks back to her 3 weeks in the mental hospital. How can she fix the situation? By offering a sincere apology.] (Too long a section to type here.)
p. 319 Over the past few weeks I had realized that feeling good wasn't about how you got there but knowing you could.
September 12, 2018
So, this is a sequel. I didn’t realize that until after I started, but the story stands well enough on its own.
If I had read the first book, Get Well Soon, I might have been better prepared for Anna’s opening snarkiness. But that’s OK too. She’s only a day removed from a three-week stay in a mental hospital. She has a lot to work through.
Including her parents’ pending divorce. Anna’s family is a very interesting dynamic, and adds a lot of believability. That’s helpful, because Anna’s friends can seem a bit over the top at times.
Tracy, her best friend, is very much over the top as a huge wrestling fan. Or more correctly, a tiny person who’s a huge wrestling fan and very much “in your face.” She’s a fun and funny foil, and I like that, but for someone who’s so sharp-edged, she has a strangely hard time reading Anna’s sarcasm. BFFs should be more in tune than that.
Another of Anna’s friends, Tucker, demonstrates very clear signs of Aspergers. Given how much Anna analyzes everybody else, you’d think she would be a bit more vocal about his quirks. Then again, there are other times when Tucker acts like the coolest teenager in town.
And I’m not completely sold on how the Anna-Justin post-hospital affair plays out. Thank goodness Halpern doesn’t end the book at that moment. As I said before, Anna has a lot to work through. I’m happy to cut her some slack, in order to get back to all the good parts.
If I had read the first book, Get Well Soon, I might have been better prepared for Anna’s opening snarkiness. But that’s OK too. She’s only a day removed from a three-week stay in a mental hospital. She has a lot to work through.
Including her parents’ pending divorce. Anna’s family is a very interesting dynamic, and adds a lot of believability. That’s helpful, because Anna’s friends can seem a bit over the top at times.
Tracy, her best friend, is very much over the top as a huge wrestling fan. Or more correctly, a tiny person who’s a huge wrestling fan and very much “in your face.” She’s a fun and funny foil, and I like that, but for someone who’s so sharp-edged, she has a strangely hard time reading Anna’s sarcasm. BFFs should be more in tune than that.
Another of Anna’s friends, Tucker, demonstrates very clear signs of Aspergers. Given how much Anna analyzes everybody else, you’d think she would be a bit more vocal about his quirks. Then again, there are other times when Tucker acts like the coolest teenager in town.
And I’m not completely sold on how the Anna-Justin post-hospital affair plays out. Thank goodness Halpern doesn’t end the book at that moment. As I said before, Anna has a lot to work through. I’m happy to cut her some slack, in order to get back to all the good parts.
November 22, 2018
So, this is a sequel. I didn’t realize that until after I started, but the story stands well enough on its own.
If I had read the first book, Get Well Soon, I might have been better prepared for Anna’s opening snarkiness. But that’s OK too. She’s only a day removed from a three-week stay in a mental hospital. She has a lot to work through.
Including her parents’ pending divorce. Anna’s family is a very interesting dynamic, and adds a lot of believability. That’s helpful, because Anna’s friends can seem a bit over the top at times.
Tracy, her best friend, is very much over the top as a huge wrestling fan. Or more correctly, a tiny person who’s a huge wrestling fan and very much “in your face.” She’s a fun and funny foil, and I like that, but for someone who’s so sharp-edged, she has a strangely hard time reading Anna’s sarcasm. BFFs should be more in tune than that.
Another of Anna’s friends, Tucker, demonstrates very clear signs of Aspergers. Given how much Anna analyzes everybody else, you’d think she would be a bit more vocal about his quirks. Then again, there are other times when Tucker acts like the coolest teenager in town.
And I’m not completely sold on how the Anna-Justin post-hospital affair plays out. Thank goodness Halpern doesn’t end the book at that moment. As I said before, Anna has a lot to work through. I’m happy to cut her some slack, in order to get back to all the good parts.
If I had read the first book, Get Well Soon, I might have been better prepared for Anna’s opening snarkiness. But that’s OK too. She’s only a day removed from a three-week stay in a mental hospital. She has a lot to work through.
Including her parents’ pending divorce. Anna’s family is a very interesting dynamic, and adds a lot of believability. That’s helpful, because Anna’s friends can seem a bit over the top at times.
Tracy, her best friend, is very much over the top as a huge wrestling fan. Or more correctly, a tiny person who’s a huge wrestling fan and very much “in your face.” She’s a fun and funny foil, and I like that, but for someone who’s so sharp-edged, she has a strangely hard time reading Anna’s sarcasm. BFFs should be more in tune than that.
Another of Anna’s friends, Tucker, demonstrates very clear signs of Aspergers. Given how much Anna analyzes everybody else, you’d think she would be a bit more vocal about his quirks. Then again, there are other times when Tucker acts like the coolest teenager in town.
And I’m not completely sold on how the Anna-Justin post-hospital affair plays out. Thank goodness Halpern doesn’t end the book at that moment. As I said before, Anna has a lot to work through. I’m happy to cut her some slack, in order to get back to all the good parts.
January 17, 2020
This book was not as good as the first one.
I also procrastinated for so long on doing this review.
It took me a long time to get through, and was much longer than the first book (the first book was a good length. The editor did their job there.)
It felt rambly, all the time. I have no idea why we needed to know EVERY ONE of Anna's thoughts about every subject all the time.
Missing punctuation on page 226
Readers were correct about Anna being kind of immature (/having a childish sense of humour). While this sense of humour is actually okay, it did make Anna seem like she was 11:
"'How about buttsnicker?' Tracy suggested.
'What? I meant a synonym for appreciate.'
'Who says buttsnicker isn't a synonym for appreciate? I just made it up.'
'Fine. I buttsnick you, T, for taking me to *spoiler*. Even if we don't find anything.'
'That's my little buttsnicker.'" (244).
Main criticisms:
1. It was too long.
2. Too un-edited--too much of Anna's rambling thoughts about things like cereal, school and other things I can't even remember because they were so meaningless.
3. It dragged on.
4. Life in the mental hospital was so interesting, full of events and a decent amount of drama, whereas Anna's life afterwards was kind of dull to read about. What really worked in the first book was mostly missing from this one.
Good things:
1. Interesting to get a look at Anna's family life. Her therapy sessions were also interesting. These parts both made the story better.
2. Tracy was occasionally funny.
3. I liked Anna's sister.
This review is terribly disorganized but I just wanted to write some basic things so I can remember in the future what I thought about the book.
I would recommend to readers who read the first book in this duology.
I also procrastinated for so long on doing this review.
It took me a long time to get through, and was much longer than the first book (the first book was a good length. The editor did their job there.)
It felt rambly, all the time. I have no idea why we needed to know EVERY ONE of Anna's thoughts about every subject all the time.
Missing punctuation on page 226
Readers were correct about Anna being kind of immature (/having a childish sense of humour). While this sense of humour is actually okay, it did make Anna seem like she was 11:
"'How about buttsnicker?' Tracy suggested.
'What? I meant a synonym for appreciate.'
'Who says buttsnicker isn't a synonym for appreciate? I just made it up.'
'Fine. I buttsnick you, T, for taking me to *spoiler*. Even if we don't find anything.'
'That's my little buttsnicker.'" (244).
Main criticisms:
1. It was too long.
2. Too un-edited--too much of Anna's rambling thoughts about things like cereal, school and other things I can't even remember because they were so meaningless.
3. It dragged on.
4. Life in the mental hospital was so interesting, full of events and a decent amount of drama, whereas Anna's life afterwards was kind of dull to read about. What really worked in the first book was mostly missing from this one.
Good things:
1. Interesting to get a look at Anna's family life. Her therapy sessions were also interesting. These parts both made the story better.
2. Tracy was occasionally funny.
3. I liked Anna's sister.
This review is terribly disorganized but I just wanted to write some basic things so I can remember in the future what I thought about the book.
I would recommend to readers who read the first book in this duology.
April 17, 2019
I saw this book secondhand and because I am attracted to bright colors, picked it up due to it's cover (despite the conventional wisdom of not judging a book that way). I also did my requisite reading of the back cover story description and i scanned a random page inside to see if the writing style appealed to me - check and check. I didn't even know that the book was a sequel until I was already a little ways in and remembered to add it to my goodreads page. The OCD in me wondered if i should stop and read the first one instead and then thought, "nah, i'm enjoying it, so just go ahead and keep reading." Glad i did because i really liked the characters and the way events unfolded - realistic but still entertaining. To me it got better as it went along. I did notice a lot of scatological references made by Anna, but when you know about her past bouts with IBS, it does make sense as being a "crappy" (but effective and harmless) way of using humor to cope with things. She also inspired me to start doing yoga again, so that was a bonus. I wasn't expecting The Great American Novel, so for me this was a random read that i enjoyed more than i anticipated.
July 7, 2019
2.5 Stars
I think I would have given this book five stars if it wasn't for the problematic moments. Like the fact that the main character repeatedly calls the bra shop where her best friend works "Sluts R Us." And the fact that she sends a letter to someone stating "I better be careful. One false move, and my wrist could turn into a bloody disaster area. And I don't mean bloody in the British sense of the word." There are a lot more but those are the two that stand out the most.
Otherwise, this is the type of book (mental health fiction) I usually like to read with a perspective I don't usually read from (a fed-up, angsty teen). It kept me entertained and I enjoyed seeing some character development (only with the main character though. The others were a little one-dimensional).
I don't regret reading this at all. I can't rate it higher though.
I think I would have given this book five stars if it wasn't for the problematic moments. Like the fact that the main character repeatedly calls the bra shop where her best friend works "Sluts R Us." And the fact that she sends a letter to someone stating "I better be careful. One false move, and my wrist could turn into a bloody disaster area. And I don't mean bloody in the British sense of the word." There are a lot more but those are the two that stand out the most.
Otherwise, this is the type of book (mental health fiction) I usually like to read with a perspective I don't usually read from (a fed-up, angsty teen). It kept me entertained and I enjoyed seeing some character development (only with the main character though. The others were a little one-dimensional).
I don't regret reading this at all. I can't rate it higher though.
April 18, 2023
this book took me a long time to finish. i really liked the first book in the series because i relate to a lot of anna's feelings, but in this one it's completely different. anna still has that self-consciousness and shyness, but at times it seems as if these two things are never present and were never a problem. i saw only later in the book how justin was almost like a bridge for anna, but most of the book was focused on her obsession with him. one thing i feel like is necessary to mention is the author's use of the words "coming out" to describe anna openly talking about being in a mental hospital. as a queer person this is kind of...weird. anna is (presumably) a cishet girl and using the term "coming out" is just strange to me. overall i just thought the book lacked what get well soon had. 3/5
April 1, 2022
This book was okay. I wouldn’t say it was my favorite book, the story was dragged out and there were a lot of parts that were boring. Someone who likes reading about the typical life of a teenager would enjoy this book. Anna left a mental hospital and was going back to high school to live her life. She also had to deal with her parents suddenly getting a divorce. School was more awkward than usual with all of her classmates asking questions and confused about where she was. “Was life meant to be lived in an okay space because it was a hell of a lot better than living in a bad one.” (Pg.206) I chose this quote because it was relatable. Living in an okay place is definitely better than living in a bad one, that resonated with me.
May 31, 2017
A really good sequel.
I am usually skeptical about sequels, especially when it's not some hyped series (i.e. Divergent, etc...), but this was really enjoyable. Anna Bloom is a great character, and the story was very well written. I was glad Anna was able to stand up for herself and move on from her past. I felt she made a lot of progress in the second book. My only gripe is how quickly she moved on from Justin to Tucker, after droning on and on about about Justin for so damn long. All in all, a nice sequel.
I am usually skeptical about sequels, especially when it's not some hyped series (i.e. Divergent, etc...), but this was really enjoyable. Anna Bloom is a great character, and the story was very well written. I was glad Anna was able to stand up for herself and move on from her past. I felt she made a lot of progress in the second book. My only gripe is how quickly she moved on from Justin to Tucker, after droning on and on about about Justin for so damn long. All in all, a nice sequel.
April 10, 2018
So I just finished reading Have A Nice Day (Anna Bloom #2) and it was fun. However, I feel like the events went really slowly and there wasn't that much to talk about. I think there are a lot of unneeded repetition where we could fill in more events that could keep the reader going. And don't get me wrong, I love Julie Halpern she is AMAZING but I don't think this series was 'that' interesting.. maybe it's just me, addicted to plot twists or exciting events.
January 20, 2020
I think if I had listened to this as an audiobook on double speed I think I could’ve powered through it. But in print I just can’t. I really appreciate that Halpern is writing books about mental illness. The things that Anna is thinking seem realistic enough, but the story moves very slowly. I made it about a third of the way through the book and Anna had been home from the hospital for barely a week.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 159 reviews