The Happiness Quest

by Richard Yaxley

Tillie Bassett is sad, and she doesn’t understand why. Her parents and friends suggest very different, allegedly helpful, remedies. But it is the suggestion of her counsellor, Gilbert the Goldfish, that the answer may lie in finding the nature of happiness.

As Tillie embarks upon her project she discovers that, when it comes to family and friends, nothing is quite as it seems. Secrets are uncovered, old tensions resurface, relationships tangle and untangle, and Tillie realises that everyone struggles balancing sadness and happiness, and living truthfully

Genres: Young Adult, Mental Health, Contemporary

192 pages, Paperback

First published August 1, 2018

About the author

I write powerful and engaging stories for all age groups. My novels are:

- Leonardo Forever (Scholastic 2023)
- Harmony (Scholastic 2021)
- A New Kind of Everything (Scholastic 2020)
- The Happiness Quest (Scholastic 2018; CBCA Notable Book for Older Readers 2019)
- This Is My Song (Scholastic 2017; ACU Book Of The Year 2019; Winner of the 2018 Prime Minister’s Literary Award for Young Adult Literature; Finalist in the 2017 Queensland Literary Awards; also published in the Czech Republic by Albatros Media)
- Joyous and Moonbeam (Scholastic 2013; Finalist in the 2014 West Australian Premier’s Awards for Young Adult Literature)
- Spring Rain (Self-published 2011)
- Drink the Air (Strictly Literary: Winner of the 2010 Queensland Premier’s Award for Young Adult Fiction)
- Bloodlines (Strictly Literary 2009)
- The Rose Leopard (University of Queensland Press 2003)
For further information on me and my work, go to http://richardwyaxley.com

Reviews

[Madison · Rating 4 out of 5]

Surprising, unexpected. The Happiness Quest caught my eye with its bright yellow cover. The story inside - unique, slightly disjointed and searching - was not what I expected. Yet, ultimately, it’s hard not to like this quirky story about family, accepting yourself, and, yes, finding happiness.

Tillie’s sad. She’s not sure why, doesn’t really have a reason and anyone’s attempts to help - from yoga, sleeping tablets and mindfulness to ‘its time to move on and shake it off’ - aren’t really helping. Until Tillie and her mum find the Happiness Clinic where Tillie is encouraged to start a quest to find out what happiness is. As she asks her friends and family what happiness means to them, she is surprised by their responses and how, maybe, it’s starting to help her discover what happiness means to her.

The Happiness Quest is a short novel, just 180-ish pages. From the first page it’s easy to see that Richard Yaxley has a distinct and unique writing style. The first page of The Happiness Quest has maybe two sentences. And this trend of long, flowing and yet slightly disjointed sentences continues throughout the story. Introspective and intellectual, The Happiness Quest feels very meta, and it actually takes quite a bit of concentrated reading to slip into the flow of the storytelling. Not a lot of dialogue and some dialogue and scenes recapped in short, punchy writing, the writing is certainly unique.

Tillie is an interesting character and I loved the overall message of it being okay to be sad. But that it’s also okay to look for the happy in life. This is not a funny book. Quirky, but not funny. Tillie is a serious person and there are some serious topics covered in this book, from depression to school shooting, alcoholism and family breakdown. Also, can I just say I was very disappointed to discover that Tillie’s counsellor is not actually a goldfish - he just looks like a goldfish. Totally crushed. The Happiness Quest focuses a lot on family, and there’s also a bit of romance that kind of sneaks up on you. But overall, this book is about Tillie’s journey of self discovery and self acceptance.

Find more reviews, reading age guides, content advisory, and recommendations on my blog Madison's Library

[Molly North · Rating 3 out of 5]

i liked the new perspective and story but it felt a little low-grade. sweet but not the best representation or story.

[Ellen · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was a bit boring but I loved the writing style. However it was a bit confusing because it was hard to tell wether someone was talking or thinking. Probably wouldn’t read it again.

[Trisha · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really lovely.

[Tina Jameson · Rating 4 out of 5]

A gentle look at psychological depression, through the eyes of Tillie, a sufferer looking for meaning and help. She is directed to 'study' happiness and what it actually is, to interview friends and family to find out what makes them happy. What she discovers allows her to come to an understanding and acceptance of her self, while also allowing her to assist her so called 'happy' friends and family to reflect on their own values and sense of well being.

This is an engaging read, with true to life issues that young readers will appreciated. No real bad language but there is a brief reference to self harm which you might want to consider before giving to a younger student.

[Taryn Quigg · Rating 3 out of 5]

To be honest, not a lot happened in this book I did like the use of different fonts to indicate letters but overall this wasn't a book that I was that invested in. I expected this book to open my eyes and make me look at the world differently but it didn't unfortunately.

[Leonie Stephenson · Rating 3 out of 5]

More like 3 1/2 stars. A good read

[AD · Rating 4 out of 5]

A thought provoking story about depression, and about what it really means to be happy.

[Jean · Rating 3 out of 5]

Depression. Took a while to get into. Ends a bit too tritely, doesn't really explain how she got "better"

[TheCosyDragon · Rating 2 out of 5]

Tillie is sad. Tilly doesn’t know why she’s sad. Tilly’s mum takes her to the doctor, who suggests exercise and healthy food. Tilly’s mum takes her to laughter group. Tilly’s best girl friend doesn’t understand her, but her friend Snake does. How will Tilly get happier?

I literally slogged through this novel. I feared reading it from the beginning, because I read Joyous and Moonbeam by this author and didn’t really enjoy it. Imagine my surprise… that I didn’t enjoy this novel either. It takes until the middle of this novel that Tilly starts getting closer to thinking about The Happiness Quest.

That ending. I think it’s cool and all that researching what makes other people happy could help you, but at the same time – clinical depression doesn’t tend to lift like that in my experience. The treatment Tilly received from both her doctor and her mother was pretty typical. I’d hate to think of someone reading this novel and blaming themselves or putting down medication as a treatment. Sometimes it is just the chemicals in your brain!

I think there are important things to be gained out of reading this novel, and it made me want to make notes about its teachings. But at the same time it was such a struggle for me to read it because the style was terrible. I’m sure it suits some people, but just not me. If this novel makes one young person with depression speak up or tell someone the way they feel, then the novel has served its purpose. 2 stars from me.

Did you enjoy this goodreads review? If so you may find it useful to visit my blog The Cosy Dragon . I regularly post new reviews on a variety of genres.

[Sammy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Honestly? Giving me very 'The Perks Of Being A Wallflower' vibes but doesn't go as heavy into it. Does mention things like self-harm, school shootings, and intrusive thoughts, but only pokes those subjects and mentions them in passing. Didn't really like the small monologue about how we should always strive to fix our familial relationships (or whatever) even if those relationships have been abusive in the past. Still really good though! A quick read because it was really easy to digest and sort through.

Rating: 7/10

[St Stephen's C C]

Tillie Bassett is sad, and she doesn’t understand why.
Her parents and friends suggest very different, allegedly helpful, remedies. But it is the suggestion of her counsellor, Gilbert the Goldfish, that the answer may lie in finding the nature of happiness.
As Tillie embarks upon her project she discovers that, when it comes to family and friends, nothing is quite as it seems.
Secrets are uncovered, old tensions resurface, relationships tangle and untangle, and Tillie realises that everyone struggles balancing sadness and happiness and living truthfully.