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So Happy for You
A wedding weekend spirals out of control in this bold, electrifying, hilarious novel about the complexities of female friendship
Robin and Ellie have been best friends since childhood. When Robin came out, Ellie was there for her. When Ellie's father died, Robin had her back. But when Ellie asks Robin to be her maid of honor, she is reluctant. A queer academic, Robin is dubious of the elaborate wedding rituals now sweeping the nation, which go far beyond champagne toasts and a bouquet toss. But loyalty wins out, and Robin accepts.
Yet, as the wedding weekend approaches, a series of ominous occurrences lead Robin to second-guess her decision. It seems that everyone in the bridal party is out to get her. Perhaps even Ellie herself.
Manically entertaining, viciously funny and eerily campy, So Happy for You is the ultimate send-up to our collective obsession with the wedding industry complex and a riveting, unexpectedly poignant depiction of friendship in all its messy glory.
Robin and Ellie have been best friends since childhood. When Robin came out, Ellie was there for her. When Ellie's father died, Robin had her back. But when Ellie asks Robin to be her maid of honor, she is reluctant. A queer academic, Robin is dubious of the elaborate wedding rituals now sweeping the nation, which go far beyond champagne toasts and a bouquet toss. But loyalty wins out, and Robin accepts.
Yet, as the wedding weekend approaches, a series of ominous occurrences lead Robin to second-guess her decision. It seems that everyone in the bridal party is out to get her. Perhaps even Ellie herself.
Manically entertaining, viciously funny and eerily campy, So Happy for You is the ultimate send-up to our collective obsession with the wedding industry complex and a riveting, unexpectedly poignant depiction of friendship in all its messy glory.
304 pages, Paperback
First published June 7, 2022
119 people are currently reading
13003 people want to read
About the author
Celia Laskey
4 books223 followersCelia Laskey’s debut novel Under the Rainbow is out now with Riverhead Books, and her second novel So Happy for You is forthcoming from Hanover Square Books June 7, 2022. Her other work has appeared in Guernica, The Minnesota Review, Day One, and elsewhere. She has an MFA from the University of New Mexico and currently lives in Los Angeles with her wife and their dog Whiskey.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,005 reviews
September 2, 2022
I asked my friends to help me understand their high ratings for this book and to help me see the other side. Luckily, they were very insightful and I have come to see how my interpretation of this narrative varies from theirs.
All that being said, I hated this book. This main character, Robin, can choke and die. I hate her guts. I was rooting for Ellie to kill her the whole time to be honest.
After speaking with my best friend, Grace, about the first 50 pages, she said "Oh that's a big trigger for us. So I bet you'll hate this book" When I asked her what she meant, she said "Someone shitting on other people for their hobbies and things they enjoy is a big trigger for us. Like when men shit on astrology or books or k-pop. Like, what's wrong with someone liking something you don't like. I don't care if you like it. *I* like it. Isn't that valid enough??" That made me see what I was disliking so much about this book.
Robin is a raging bitch. Let's call a spade a spade. I hate her. She decides that anyone who likes something she doesn't like is wrong and she makes it her life's mission to changing their minds. Listen, Robin, sit down and shut up. Nobody cares about your opinion. And that's hard for me to say because I actually believe in all of Robin's ideals. But the way in which Robin goes about representing those ideals is abhorrent. I don't condone making people feel small so that you can feel big because you're 'cooler'.
A lot of people told me that they read this as satire but I can't gel with that. Robin never atoned for her sins or really took credit for the damage she inflicted. She basically gets away scotch free and that didn't sit right with me.
I don't know y'all. I hate her and I hate this book. Period.
All that being said, I hated this book. This main character, Robin, can choke and die. I hate her guts. I was rooting for Ellie to kill her the whole time to be honest.
After speaking with my best friend, Grace, about the first 50 pages, she said "Oh that's a big trigger for us. So I bet you'll hate this book" When I asked her what she meant, she said "Someone shitting on other people for their hobbies and things they enjoy is a big trigger for us. Like when men shit on astrology or books or k-pop. Like, what's wrong with someone liking something you don't like. I don't care if you like it. *I* like it. Isn't that valid enough??" That made me see what I was disliking so much about this book.
Robin is a raging bitch. Let's call a spade a spade. I hate her. She decides that anyone who likes something she doesn't like is wrong and she makes it her life's mission to changing their minds. Listen, Robin, sit down and shut up. Nobody cares about your opinion. And that's hard for me to say because I actually believe in all of Robin's ideals. But the way in which Robin goes about representing those ideals is abhorrent. I don't condone making people feel small so that you can feel big because you're 'cooler'.
A lot of people told me that they read this as satire but I can't gel with that. Robin never atoned for her sins or really took credit for the damage she inflicted. She basically gets away scotch free and that didn't sit right with me.
I don't know y'all. I hate her and I hate this book. Period.
January 18, 2023
I was definitely the right reader for this book! If you like dark, comedic satire (like the recent movie The Menu) then you might be the right reader as well. And this is DARK.
Robin and Ellie have been best friends since their school days. They are completely different but somehow their relationship seems to work. (I suppose in a codependent way). Ellie's dream has always been to get married, and Robin, as a queer feminist academic, eschews the patriarchal wedding machine. When Ellie gets engaged and asks Robin to be her maid of honor, Robin initially balks and says no. Yet when Robin's dissertation advisor says her paper on marriage conventions needs to be more "sexy" and needs real-life examples, Robin agrees to take on the role. But it turns out to be a lot more than she bargained for.
There is so much snark here about the pressure to be married, the wedding industrial complex, and the elaborate lengths many people go to in order to ensure success. This book isn't for the faint of heart. It is well beyond over the top with its satire, I did like Robin better than Ellie, but only slightly. All of the characters in this book are caricatures, and that's really the point. These are overblown ideas of people. The bride who will literally kidnap and kill to make sure her wedding goes perfectly. The feminist who cannot see past her own ideas to entertain the thought that others might think differently than she does. The goofy idiot man who creates an app so people can face swap themselves into other ethnicities. The list goes on and on.
I would love to see this made into a movie! If you like dark satire, then this book is written just for you. I listened to the audiobook and Kristen Sieh does a fantastic job giving the characters appropriate voices to their personalities. Fabulous way to experience this book.
I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book. All opinions are my own.
Robin and Ellie have been best friends since their school days. They are completely different but somehow their relationship seems to work. (I suppose in a codependent way). Ellie's dream has always been to get married, and Robin, as a queer feminist academic, eschews the patriarchal wedding machine. When Ellie gets engaged and asks Robin to be her maid of honor, Robin initially balks and says no. Yet when Robin's dissertation advisor says her paper on marriage conventions needs to be more "sexy" and needs real-life examples, Robin agrees to take on the role. But it turns out to be a lot more than she bargained for.
There is so much snark here about the pressure to be married, the wedding industrial complex, and the elaborate lengths many people go to in order to ensure success. This book isn't for the faint of heart. It is well beyond over the top with its satire, I did like Robin better than Ellie, but only slightly. All of the characters in this book are caricatures, and that's really the point. These are overblown ideas of people. The bride who will literally kidnap and kill to make sure her wedding goes perfectly. The feminist who cannot see past her own ideas to entertain the thought that others might think differently than she does. The goofy idiot man who creates an app so people can face swap themselves into other ethnicities. The list goes on and on.
I would love to see this made into a movie! If you like dark satire, then this book is written just for you. I listened to the audiobook and Kristen Sieh does a fantastic job giving the characters appropriate voices to their personalities. Fabulous way to experience this book.
I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book. All opinions are my own.
July 13, 2022
I was expecting to dislike the “bridezilla” in this one, but oh my lord the other leading female was just as insufferable. These weddings gone wrong stories seem to be one of this summer’s most popular themes (I currently have two that I can think of all downloaded and ready to go - One of the Girls and You’re Invited for those interested) so it goes without saying there will be some duds in the mix. The same goes for all plots that gain traction simultaneously – another popular one this summer appears to be returning to the family summer home where drama rather than romance ensues – “final girls” were recently all the rage – as was one author stealing another’s story and releasing it as their own. Your mileage will vary when it comes to which of the on trend novels works for you. This one obviously did not for me and we’ll see how the others pan out.
June 24, 2022
I kept waiting for this book to be a good psychological thriller but it's just bizarre and both main characters were more annoying than anything else.
September 7, 2022
So I have many thoughts about this book. I think it was an important overall conversation and the concept itself was fun and good. HOWEVER, It was quite messy and I kept reading bits and hoping that the author would take them to make a certain point but then completely didn’t.
For example, when Robin is teaching and asking her students how they are privileged and oppressed, and they come at her with a bunch of questions, Robin has no way of handling this situation; however, there ARE productive and healthy ways to handle these conversations, such as pointing out that when people of different demographics are in the same situation, certain demographics are STATISTICALLY more likely to come out successful because of how society works, and then dive into the workings of society when it comes to those things. Instead, Robin CRIED. Robin has so many smart, well informed opinions on things, but making her ill equipped to handle conversation when she doesn’t have the upper hand makes her less credible and significantly less likable.
There is nothing I love more than when a book provides social commentary but there is nothing I dislike more than when a book spells all that commentary out for you, as this book did. It was too in your face about everything to the point where readers who don’t agree with everything in the book (for example, someone who is truly a feminist but DOES want to get married) are turned off to the overall message.
Things I think would have pulled this book up for me:
1. I didn’t like the vague time/setting of the book. I think it should have taken place during modern times with modern wedding culture but some extremes. I did not like the app used in the book and the stickers to identify women as rotten or leftover. I just don’t think that will happen, so it makes the overall message seem like “pfft this will never happen” meanwhile the overall message was solid within the current world. The wedding charms and all that stuff were a good addition though, I would have kept those.
2. Why did we spend half the book doing nothing, and then half the book on a roller coaster ride? This would have been such a good book to go back and forth between the two timelines. This would have allowed me to be like omg Ellie is nuts and omg I love their friendship. Instead I was just like Robin is so opinionated, some of her opinions are so good but why is she so dumb lol
For example, when Robin is teaching and asking her students how they are privileged and oppressed, and they come at her with a bunch of questions, Robin has no way of handling this situation; however, there ARE productive and healthy ways to handle these conversations, such as pointing out that when people of different demographics are in the same situation, certain demographics are STATISTICALLY more likely to come out successful because of how society works, and then dive into the workings of society when it comes to those things. Instead, Robin CRIED. Robin has so many smart, well informed opinions on things, but making her ill equipped to handle conversation when she doesn’t have the upper hand makes her less credible and significantly less likable.
There is nothing I love more than when a book provides social commentary but there is nothing I dislike more than when a book spells all that commentary out for you, as this book did. It was too in your face about everything to the point where readers who don’t agree with everything in the book (for example, someone who is truly a feminist but DOES want to get married) are turned off to the overall message.
Things I think would have pulled this book up for me:
1. I didn’t like the vague time/setting of the book. I think it should have taken place during modern times with modern wedding culture but some extremes. I did not like the app used in the book and the stickers to identify women as rotten or leftover. I just don’t think that will happen, so it makes the overall message seem like “pfft this will never happen” meanwhile the overall message was solid within the current world. The wedding charms and all that stuff were a good addition though, I would have kept those.
2. Why did we spend half the book doing nothing, and then half the book on a roller coaster ride? This would have been such a good book to go back and forth between the two timelines. This would have allowed me to be like omg Ellie is nuts and omg I love their friendship. Instead I was just like Robin is so opinionated, some of her opinions are so good but why is she so dumb lol
November 25, 2025
3.5 stars
One of the elements I most loved about this book was its takedown of the wedding industrial complex. Celia Laskey includes so much sharp, rich, and funny sentiments about how we’re taught to value getting married and throwing weddings, despite both practices’ patriarchal origins. Great writing too about the intersections of weddings and capitalism and how weddings help some folks make a profit.
I also liked the messages about how we’re taught to prioritize romance over our friendships. Through our protagonist’s complex friendship with her best friend Ellie, Laskey also highlights the painful emotions that can accompany when one of our close friends changes or is different than us in fundamental ways. There’s an interesting growth arc between these two friends that I think may speak to folks who’ve had challenging friendships in their lives.
One reason I give this book a slightly lower rating is because I found the writing a bit off-putting at times. There were moments where I felt Laskey was going straight out satire, and then there were other moments where I sensed she was aiming for something more subtle and sinister. The prose didn’t always work for me, like in the flashbacks to the earlier parts of Robin and Ellie’s friendship – I wanted to believe the emotions though the writing didn’t fully convince me.
That said, Robin also grew as a character and I was impressed by how Laskey implemented her own growth in self-awareness about some of her personal and relational patterns. Thus, I’d still recommend this book to those who find themselves interested in the synopsis. I always appreciate a critique of amatonormativity and the wedding industrial complex!
One of the elements I most loved about this book was its takedown of the wedding industrial complex. Celia Laskey includes so much sharp, rich, and funny sentiments about how we’re taught to value getting married and throwing weddings, despite both practices’ patriarchal origins. Great writing too about the intersections of weddings and capitalism and how weddings help some folks make a profit.
I also liked the messages about how we’re taught to prioritize romance over our friendships. Through our protagonist’s complex friendship with her best friend Ellie, Laskey also highlights the painful emotions that can accompany when one of our close friends changes or is different than us in fundamental ways. There’s an interesting growth arc between these two friends that I think may speak to folks who’ve had challenging friendships in their lives.
One reason I give this book a slightly lower rating is because I found the writing a bit off-putting at times. There were moments where I felt Laskey was going straight out satire, and then there were other moments where I sensed she was aiming for something more subtle and sinister. The prose didn’t always work for me, like in the flashbacks to the earlier parts of Robin and Ellie’s friendship – I wanted to believe the emotions though the writing didn’t fully convince me.
That said, Robin also grew as a character and I was impressed by how Laskey implemented her own growth in self-awareness about some of her personal and relational patterns. Thus, I’d still recommend this book to those who find themselves interested in the synopsis. I always appreciate a critique of amatonormativity and the wedding industrial complex!
June 1, 2021
This book was incredibly bonkers and insane. An absolute ride. I'm so sad that this won't be out for about a year or so because I need to know what other people think of this. One of the strangest, most bananas, always on level 100 books I've read.
October 7, 2025
Out of the gate I found this wildly entertaining, and thought I would love the main character, Robin. After we make the initial introductions, the rest of the first half of the book dragged on and on and on. We spent so much time going into the two best friend's back story that I was beginning to wonder if anything was ever going to happen. Then the second half went completely bonkers. It went from 0-100 with the main character denying the obvious the entire time. And she's supposed to be a professor.
The setting was bizarre. There are pop culture references to the here and now, but then there's a sci-fi element about marriage involving crazy apps, expiration dates for women, bizarro wedding rituals called "charms."
The social commentary was good at first but got to be crammed down my throat so much that I was irritated with it. I appreciated Robin's views in the beginning, then she goes so completely off script that she fails to recognize the hypocrisy within her own narrow views. And I would be remiss not to mention just how unsufferable all these characters are.
Then the plot holes...why Beth? Why is this sister character even a thing? And along the sibling path, why was it mentioned that Ellie was a twin and then literally never brought up again? Friend characters are introduced in the beginning of the book that also never show up again, and I'm not even sure why that was necessary? If the author wanted to prove that Robin had a solid life outside of her friendship with Ellie, that was already done.
I get this was probably meant to be satirical in nature about the absurdity of the wedding rituals and the capitalistic nature of them, but this just went too far. I'm generously rating up because it was an easy read and fun for a while, until it wasn't.
The setting was bizarre. There are pop culture references to the here and now, but then there's a sci-fi element about marriage involving crazy apps, expiration dates for women, bizarro wedding rituals called "charms."
The social commentary was good at first but got to be crammed down my throat so much that I was irritated with it. I appreciated Robin's views in the beginning, then she goes so completely off script that she fails to recognize the hypocrisy within her own narrow views. And I would be remiss not to mention just how unsufferable all these characters are.
Then the plot holes...why Beth? Why is this sister character even a thing? And along the sibling path, why was it mentioned that Ellie was a twin and then literally never brought up again? Friend characters are introduced in the beginning of the book that also never show up again, and I'm not even sure why that was necessary? If the author wanted to prove that Robin had a solid life outside of her friendship with Ellie, that was already done.
I get this was probably meant to be satirical in nature about the absurdity of the wedding rituals and the capitalistic nature of them, but this just went too far. I'm generously rating up because it was an easy read and fun for a while, until it wasn't.
January 16, 2023
This was wild. From a study of the wedding industry and complex female relationships to a downward spiral into madness and desperation, So Happy For You is rammed full of unlikeable characters and the most unbelievable plot going.
I think if you go into this knowing that the characters are not meant to be liked and that this is pretty much a satire, then you'll be OK with the turn of events. We get enough backstory between Robin and Ellie to understand the reasoning behind their decisions, and when coupled with Robin's acute stubbornness and unwillingness to see anyone else's point of view I could understand how the plot could get so out of hand. Ellie is perhaps the most sympathetic character. She has a desperate need to be liked, to fit in and please. When this personality is allowed to fester, becoming an obsession, it can lead to some outlandish behaviours.
This takes those common and expected moments in female lives and twists it to the extreme to show just how damaging societal expectations still are. It needs to be big and loud to get the point across, but I can definitely understand why this isn't for everyone.
I think if you go into this knowing that the characters are not meant to be liked and that this is pretty much a satire, then you'll be OK with the turn of events. We get enough backstory between Robin and Ellie to understand the reasoning behind their decisions, and when coupled with Robin's acute stubbornness and unwillingness to see anyone else's point of view I could understand how the plot could get so out of hand. Ellie is perhaps the most sympathetic character. She has a desperate need to be liked, to fit in and please. When this personality is allowed to fester, becoming an obsession, it can lead to some outlandish behaviours.
This takes those common and expected moments in female lives and twists it to the extreme to show just how damaging societal expectations still are. It needs to be big and loud to get the point across, but I can definitely understand why this isn't for everyone.
June 30, 2023
3 Stars!
That was so unhinged and I loved the drama of it all! It's such a hard book to review, because it was so messy and with super unlikable characters but also that's the whole point of the book sooooo...
I really liked that we got so much back story in such a short space of time behind the characters so you could kind of understand where they're coming from with their thoughts and opinions. I think some things should have been explored/explained more but that's just an IMO.
Even though I don't necessarily like the character I think they both had points that I could agree with, so I don't even know what that says about me ha!
Overall a super quick read but definitely a fun one!
That was so unhinged and I loved the drama of it all! It's such a hard book to review, because it was so messy and with super unlikable characters but also that's the whole point of the book sooooo...
I really liked that we got so much back story in such a short space of time behind the characters so you could kind of understand where they're coming from with their thoughts and opinions. I think some things should have been explored/explained more but that's just an IMO.
Even though I don't necessarily like the character I think they both had points that I could agree with, so I don't even know what that says about me ha!
Overall a super quick read but definitely a fun one!
June 11, 2022
On my blog.
Rep: lesbian mc, Filipino American lesbian li, Black gay side character, trans side character
Galley provided by publisher
I picked up So Happy for You pretty much solely on the basis of liking Celia Laskey’s debut novel. And I did like this one too. Just. I never got really beyond liking.
So Happy for You is a satirical novel poking fun at the marriage industry. It is, really, heterosexual marriage concerns taken to the extremes: think the marriageable ages of Austen characters, or “bridezillas”. It becomes almost dystopic, I think.
Just generally, we follow Robin, a lesbian who disdains these marriage practices, and her maybe ex-best friend Ellie, whose entire existence has seemed to revolve around her marriage. Ellie asks Robin to be her maid of honour and, against her better judgement, Robin accepts.
The first half of the book is dedicated to this decision, and flashbacks on Robin’s part showing their relationship, its beginning and the ups-and-downs they’ve gone through. It’s an important part because it sets up just why Robin still agrees to become Ellie’s maid of honour despite her misgivings (which are, as part two shows, wholly reasonable in the end).
And then there’s the second half.
Part two is a wild ride. You’re told from the first page that, somehow, everything comes to the point of Robin and Ellie trying to kill one another. How that happens is another matter entirely, and that second half is what sucked me into the book further. Once it all starts happening, it becomes a harder book to put down. Again, trying to avoid spoilers here, but let me just say it’s wild. Not entirely unexpected because there are clues that you, as the reader, put together quicker than Robin but still. Wild.
All of which to say, please read this one. It’ll take you on a ride.
Rep: lesbian mc, Filipino American lesbian li, Black gay side character, trans side character
Galley provided by publisher
I picked up So Happy for You pretty much solely on the basis of liking Celia Laskey’s debut novel. And I did like this one too. Just. I never got really beyond liking.
So Happy for You is a satirical novel poking fun at the marriage industry. It is, really, heterosexual marriage concerns taken to the extremes: think the marriageable ages of Austen characters, or “bridezillas”. It becomes almost dystopic, I think.
Just generally, we follow Robin, a lesbian who disdains these marriage practices, and her maybe ex-best friend Ellie, whose entire existence has seemed to revolve around her marriage. Ellie asks Robin to be her maid of honour and, against her better judgement, Robin accepts.
The first half of the book is dedicated to this decision, and flashbacks on Robin’s part showing their relationship, its beginning and the ups-and-downs they’ve gone through. It’s an important part because it sets up just why Robin still agrees to become Ellie’s maid of honour despite her misgivings (which are, as part two shows, wholly reasonable in the end).
And then there’s the second half.
Part two is a wild ride. You’re told from the first page that, somehow, everything comes to the point of Robin and Ellie trying to kill one another. How that happens is another matter entirely, and that second half is what sucked me into the book further. Once it all starts happening, it becomes a harder book to put down. Again, trying to avoid spoilers here, but let me just say it’s wild. Not entirely unexpected because there are clues that you, as the reader, put together quicker than Robin but still. Wild.
All of which to say, please read this one. It’ll take you on a ride.
April 24, 2022
I went into "So Happy for You" excited to read a fun, almost light-hearted read about best friends, wedding drama, bridezillas, female friendship, etc. What I got was...something else. While overall, these themes are included, the center friendship between Robin and Ellie is incredible toxic and both are just so...terrible people that it's hard to root for either one.
Robin and Ellie have been friend since high school. They were once so connected that they would do everything, including go to the bathroom together. They had a brief falling out in college, but reconnected two years later and now live in New York as adults. Ellie is now engaged and asks Robin to be her maid of honor. --time warp and a year passes by. Wedding weekend is here and Ellie has lost her damn mind. Robin is a real negative Nancy about literally everything and Ellie is the Bride from hell. They both could have been hit by cars and the book could have ended.
I feel like this book wasn't entirely sure what it wanted to be -- chick-lit, an LGBTQ modern fiction book, thriller, a look at modern marriage rituals--it was a lot of themes crammed into very few pages. It needed more..or less.
I'm sure some people will enjoy this but it's not for me.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the opportunity to read and review.
Robin and Ellie have been friend since high school. They were once so connected that they would do everything, including go to the bathroom together. They had a brief falling out in college, but reconnected two years later and now live in New York as adults. Ellie is now engaged and asks Robin to be her maid of honor. --time warp and a year passes by. Wedding weekend is here and Ellie has lost her damn mind. Robin is a real negative Nancy about literally everything and Ellie is the Bride from hell. They both could have been hit by cars and the book could have ended.
I feel like this book wasn't entirely sure what it wanted to be -- chick-lit, an LGBTQ modern fiction book, thriller, a look at modern marriage rituals--it was a lot of themes crammed into very few pages. It needed more..or less.
I'm sure some people will enjoy this but it's not for me.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the opportunity to read and review.
August 2, 2022
My biggest shout out today is yikes! So Happy For You has straight frightening talking from the very first sentence.
If you want to know the story of how my best friend and I ended up trying to kill each other, I should probably start with the night she asked me to be her maid of honor.
I mean who doesn’t want to know what happened after reading the very first sentence?
Ellie and Robin had been best friends in high school, but as they got older, they wanted different things. For Ellie all she ever wanted was to meet a man to marry and have kids.
Years later, Ellie asked to meet up with Robin, who is a lesbian, and who has been with her girlfriend for nine years and although everyone at that point was campaigning for gay marriage, Robin didn’t believe in marriages
Robin, knew why Ellie wanted to meet up in a bar, because Ellie had finally got a boyfriend to propose to her even though Ellie had only been with her boyfriend for less than a year.
Ellie has a question for Robin will you be my maid of honor. All the girls meet up in a Malibu mansion turned country club, where everyone was staying where the ceremony would take place the day.
My review is on my website https://bookread2day.wordpress.com/20...
In part two some more straight to the point words.
If you’ve been wondering when we’re going to get to the part where Ellie and I try to kill each other, we’re getting close.
So who is going to try to kill who? Well I can’t tell you that
Robin is the narrator throughout this twisted thriller, with funny moments when things start to go wrong for the wedding. And with an ending that I didn’t see coming.
If you love reading about weddings like I do with a thriller twist in the tale you are in for a wedding to remember.
September 4, 2023
this book is such a white woman moment™️ and not in the satirical, comedic way it do desperately wants to demand you believe it is.
when you’re writing satire, especially when you’re purposely making the characters terrible, a very important element is for you to at least make the readers actually want to continue reading about them and not unlikable in a “god i wanna put down this book” way. the characters in this fall into the latter category. the only reason i finished this is cuz i’m trying to cut down on the amount of books i’m dnfing. i truly felt nothing for the core friendship. it felt so fucking repetitive and insufferable. when the mc was drowning, i was hoping it would cut to black and this shit would be over. because of this, the ending felt cheap and like a hallmark ass get together.
the messaging/politics of this book is so nothing. we are made to think robin is “too much” and should “let people disagree/accept other people are different” and it’s like??? no???? i think robin’s only half decent quality is that she’s actually strong in her beliefs and (mostly) doesn’t let weird shit fly. like, that messaging is borderlining on what republicans told abt when they say “we can’t even have opinions anymore!!!!!” after saying some bigoted/factually incorrect stuff and getting called out on it.
the whole thing on misogyny here is so snooze because it’s like yeah, duh okay and now what? like you think we’d get deeper analysis and then the ending comes and it’s like oh…okay that’s it ig.
maybe i’m being a little too harsh but after reading some good ass social satires lately (dykette and your driver is waiting), this just doesn’t cut it. try again.
when you’re writing satire, especially when you’re purposely making the characters terrible, a very important element is for you to at least make the readers actually want to continue reading about them and not unlikable in a “god i wanna put down this book” way. the characters in this fall into the latter category. the only reason i finished this is cuz i’m trying to cut down on the amount of books i’m dnfing. i truly felt nothing for the core friendship. it felt so fucking repetitive and insufferable. when the mc was drowning, i was hoping it would cut to black and this shit would be over. because of this, the ending felt cheap and like a hallmark ass get together.
the messaging/politics of this book is so nothing. we are made to think robin is “too much” and should “let people disagree/accept other people are different” and it’s like??? no???? i think robin’s only half decent quality is that she’s actually strong in her beliefs and (mostly) doesn’t let weird shit fly. like, that messaging is borderlining on what republicans told abt when they say “we can’t even have opinions anymore!!!!!” after saying some bigoted/factually incorrect stuff and getting called out on it.
the whole thing on misogyny here is so snooze because it’s like yeah, duh okay and now what? like you think we’d get deeper analysis and then the ending comes and it’s like oh…okay that’s it ig.
maybe i’m being a little too harsh but after reading some good ass social satires lately (dykette and your driver is waiting), this just doesn’t cut it. try again.
July 27, 2022
(I deleted my book & the review by accident while organising - the story of my life!:))
This was such a witty, fun & intelligent book to read!
I really had a fantastic time, I actually laughed out loud while reading and let me tell you, it just doesn't happen in life!
The plot was interesting, the characters lovable and/or crazy, the goings on - well, futuristically realistic?
Honestly, I wanted to give this book 5 stars, but something was missing. The mystery/thrill bit just wasn't there enough. More of it and I would be in love with this book. Some characters deserved more 'airtime' and development, like the fiance/husband-to-be, which we just got a glimpse of, I really wanted more!
Moreover, the ending bit got me a little miffed, I just did not like the long letter explaining it all kinda thing, I would have wanted more, as the book was so clever, but the ending - not so much.
Overall, I cannot wait for the next book from this author, I will 100% be reading it!
Thank you, NetGalley, for the ARC!
This was such a witty, fun & intelligent book to read!
I really had a fantastic time, I actually laughed out loud while reading and let me tell you, it just doesn't happen in life!
The plot was interesting, the characters lovable and/or crazy, the goings on - well, futuristically realistic?
Honestly, I wanted to give this book 5 stars, but something was missing. The mystery/thrill bit just wasn't there enough. More of it and I would be in love with this book. Some characters deserved more 'airtime' and development, like the fiance/husband-to-be, which we just got a glimpse of, I really wanted more!
Moreover, the ending bit got me a little miffed, I just did not like the long letter explaining it all kinda thing, I would have wanted more, as the book was so clever, but the ending - not so much.
Overall, I cannot wait for the next book from this author, I will 100% be reading it!
Thank you, NetGalley, for the ARC!
June 18, 2022
it makes me physically angry that this insane shit was published lmaoooo
August 26, 2022
That was a ride. Two "friends" who have known each since childhood and have major co-dependency issues all the way into their thirties. Both were literally unhinged by their high school years bc .
Robin doesn’t know how to read a room and stop trying to force her opinions on people. Complains about what others are doing wrong as if she's right all the time. Ellie only cares about getting married and makes excuses for her fiancé's racism. She also doesn’t know how to be herself outside of whoever she tags along with so she walks around like Chris Pratt copying everyone else’s personality and interests.
It took a bit for me to get into since both of them were super annoying and insufferable but then the first sign that Ellie was batshit crazy happened. I wanted to see how far the crazy would go. 🤷🏾♀️ I felt like I was back in my Bridezilla binge-watching days during high school except the antics were more extreme . I couldn’t look away. I think it helped that I imagined them as Kate Hudson and Anne Hathaway.
This is by no means some great literary masterpiece but it was still interesting especially once the pace picked up around the 30% mark. The flow being kinda wonky at times and the main characters themselves could be irritating, but I decided on a 3⭐️ instead of a 4 for now mainly because I wasn’t feeling the ending .
It’s definitely one of those campy books where it can be a hit or a big miss which is why I wouldn't really bother recommending it to anyone.
Robin doesn’t know how to read a room and stop trying to force her opinions on people. Complains about what others are doing wrong as if she's right all the time. Ellie only cares about getting married and makes excuses for her fiancé's racism. She also doesn’t know how to be herself outside of whoever she tags along with so she walks around like Chris Pratt copying everyone else’s personality and interests.
It took a bit for me to get into since both of them were super annoying and insufferable but then the first sign that Ellie was batshit crazy happened. I wanted to see how far the crazy would go. 🤷🏾♀️ I felt like I was back in my Bridezilla binge-watching days during high school except the antics were more extreme . I couldn’t look away. I think it helped that I imagined them as Kate Hudson and Anne Hathaway.
This is by no means some great literary masterpiece but it was still interesting especially once the pace picked up around the 30% mark. The flow being kinda wonky at times and the main characters themselves could be irritating, but I decided on a 3⭐️ instead of a 4 for now mainly because I wasn’t feeling the ending .
It’s definitely one of those campy books where it can be a hit or a big miss which is why I wouldn't really bother recommending it to anyone.
August 3, 2022
Um? Oh my god!?
Soooo I don’t know what I expected when I requested a proof of this GEM on a quiet morning at work but it wasn’t this. Celia Laskey’s So Happy For You is part thriller, part literary fiction, part dystopian fiction, part social commentary, and part dark comedy. The action is brilliant, the tension is delicious and the protagonist and antagonist, toxic best friends Robin and Ellie, are almost equally terrible, and an absolute joy to follow. Robin is raging, queer feminist who doesn’t know when to shut her mouth, and bridezilla Ellie is a shallow sycophant, who will do anything (anything!) for the perfect wedding and a successful marriage.
The humour in this book is both sharp and tongue in cheek, prodding fun at the right, the left liberal, white feminism, the wedding industry, misogyny, gender, and compulsory heterosexuality, as well as pointing the finger inwards and laughing at itself.
I absolutely inhaled this book in an afternoon, I could not stop reading. While like /logically/ I recognise that this isn’t for everyone, I just cannot fathom not liking this book. It was just so good. I don’t know how to articulate it beyond that. If you love mad women and nonsense and thrillers with a sense of humour, it’s here… this is it.
A maaaaaassive thank you to HQ for the proof copy of this one. I received it in exchange for an honest review after I requested it as a bookseller. I can’t wait to fling this at everyone at work.
Soooo I don’t know what I expected when I requested a proof of this GEM on a quiet morning at work but it wasn’t this. Celia Laskey’s So Happy For You is part thriller, part literary fiction, part dystopian fiction, part social commentary, and part dark comedy. The action is brilliant, the tension is delicious and the protagonist and antagonist, toxic best friends Robin and Ellie, are almost equally terrible, and an absolute joy to follow. Robin is raging, queer feminist who doesn’t know when to shut her mouth, and bridezilla Ellie is a shallow sycophant, who will do anything (anything!) for the perfect wedding and a successful marriage.
The humour in this book is both sharp and tongue in cheek, prodding fun at the right, the left liberal, white feminism, the wedding industry, misogyny, gender, and compulsory heterosexuality, as well as pointing the finger inwards and laughing at itself.
I absolutely inhaled this book in an afternoon, I could not stop reading. While like /logically/ I recognise that this isn’t for everyone, I just cannot fathom not liking this book. It was just so good. I don’t know how to articulate it beyond that. If you love mad women and nonsense and thrillers with a sense of humour, it’s here… this is it.
A maaaaaassive thank you to HQ for the proof copy of this one. I received it in exchange for an honest review after I requested it as a bookseller. I can’t wait to fling this at everyone at work.
June 6, 2022
A lesbian woman reluctantly agrees to be her best friend's maid of honor in this equally hilarious and poignant novel that critiques the heteronormative wedding industrial complex and the way people are so indoctrinated into following ingrained wedding traditions. This was a thoroughly enjoyable read I binged in one sitting and couldn't get enough of. Highly recommended and great on audio narrated by Kristen Sieh.
July 26, 2022
The premise of this book sounded really eerie like it would be a thriller of some kind. But it was convoluted with very feminist ideals - which inherently isn’t an issue, except for the fact that I thought I read more of these ideals than the crazy world that Robin and Ellie are trying to navigate. I wanted to know more about the societal pressure of marriage, maybe a POV of Ellie and her hectic attempts to fall in love and get married….. the set up of the society was pretty good and I wish the book reflected that.
Also, did we forget that Ellie’s twin died at birth? By the end of the book, it felt like her mom had even forgot that she had twin girls. She really states how she was elated “when I found out I was having a girl”. A GIRL is singular.
I saw how having Robin as such a good friend may have felt that void, but I wished the book incorporated that in a weird twisted element of the story.
This one may be odd - but reading about such specific cultural references (uptown funk, various songs/singers) felt really out of place for me? The world (at least to me) seemed just a little bit in the future where ~maybe~ these songs, artists, or other references would still be relevant. Unless that’s the point - to make the reader believe that the “dystopian” seeming world is in present day. [but then why would Ellie still be arrested for attempted murder if these marriage rituals were the new norm??? I have many questions.]
Overall I really liked the concept of the story and where the author wanted it to go, but I feel really let down by the execution.
Also, did we forget that Ellie’s twin died at birth? By the end of the book, it felt like her mom had even forgot that she had twin girls. She really states how she was elated “when I found out I was having a girl”. A GIRL is singular.
I saw how having Robin as such a good friend may have felt that void, but I wished the book incorporated that in a weird twisted element of the story.
This one may be odd - but reading about such specific cultural references (uptown funk, various songs/singers) felt really out of place for me? The world (at least to me) seemed just a little bit in the future where ~maybe~ these songs, artists, or other references would still be relevant. Unless that’s the point - to make the reader believe that the “dystopian” seeming world is in present day. [but then why would Ellie still be arrested for attempted murder if these marriage rituals were the new norm??? I have many questions.]
Overall I really liked the concept of the story and where the author wanted it to go, but I feel really let down by the execution.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 8, 2022
Okay, any time a person says they didn't like a book because the characters were unlikeable I'm picking it up immediately. This was such a fun ride. Yes, Robin sucked but she was supposed to. The whole world created in this novel was also a lot of fun to learn about as well. I almost wish we'd known more about it. Definitely a solid read and I'm glad I didn't let the negative reviews deter me.
July 31, 2022
I enjoyed this one and got through it very quickly! It’s one of those books where you dislike the characters but you still want to keep reading to see what is going to happen. Robin is very bullish in her actions, she’s argumentative and doesn’t want to let other people have their own opinions. Ellie is a bridezilla if ever there was one, my lord babes CALM DOWN A BIT. I enjoy reading wedding planning books because some people just get so insane it’s weird to me, like surely the biggest thing is that the other person TURNS UP and says I DO? Why do flower arrangements and guests matter? The plot itself was insanity, in the best way, and I loved reading the absolute weirdness of it all. Definitely recommend this one!
Thank you to HQ Stories for sending me a copy this book and for having me on the blog tour.
Thank you to HQ Stories for sending me a copy this book and for having me on the blog tour.
June 25, 2022
I don’t think I’ve ever read anything like this before… this book was a drama, comedy, thriller, dystopian, and more, all centered around female friendship and the pressure that society places on women. I truly don’t have the words to describe how good this book is!! It feels like a perfect reflection of so many things that I see around me in real life - which is maybe a little scary - but so important.
I’m currently dying for someone to talk about this with!!
I’m currently dying for someone to talk about this with!!
June 5, 2022
This book made me laugh harder than any other book I can recall. This was such a fun, quick read. Highly recommend
February 1, 2023
Messy friendships that end with attempted murder? Sign me up. Loved our dumpster fire main characters, crazy end and all the social criticism.
Great therapy representation as well.
Great therapy representation as well.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 2, 2022
TW: abortion talk, divorce, murder, toxic friendships, death of parent, vax talk, animal death, slut shaming, kidnapping
*****SPOILERS*****
About the book:Robin and Ellie have been best friends since childhood. When Robin came out, Ellie was there for her. When Ellie's father died, Robin had her back. But when Ellie asks Robin to be her maid of honor, she is reluctant. A queer academic, Robin is dubious of the elaborate wedding rituals now sweeping the nation, which go far beyond champagne toasts and a bouquet toss. But loyalty wins out, and Robin accepts. Yet, as the wedding weekend approaches, a series of ominous occurrences lead Robin to second-guess her decision. It seems that everyone in the bridal party is out to get her. Perhaps even Ellie herself.
Release Date: June 22nd, 2023
Genre: Thriller
Pages: 304
Rating:
What I Liked:
1. Loved Robin (until part 2)
2. Related to how Robin felt toward marriage
3. The writing style was really great
What I Didn't Like:
1. Ellie can be such a victim
2. Pierogi not pierogies
3. Lego bricks not Legos
Overall Thoughts:
I relate to so much with Robin. I'm anti-marriage and think society puts too much onto women while being chill for men.
Ellie doing the whole glass in grass trust fall. No. No way I would have ever did that. I once worked in a call center that did stupid stuff like this. Trust falls. Even one where they blindfolded you and you had to trust the other person to get you around the building. Just stupid.
The friendship between Ellie and Robin has me scratching my head. They are so opposite that I can't figure out the reason they even wanted to be friends.
I find it weird that they do EVERYTHING together. They work together, live together, eat together, and sleep together. The weirdest part was them deciding to shower together to save water.... What kind of friendship is this?? They even look at each other's vulvas for an STI. Whyyyy?? This is not normal friendships...! Who shares underwear?
Dude Robin in part 2 is horrible. She wants to force a woman to give up her views of anti-vax but when asked if she'll shave her legs for the wedding she gets pissed and storms out. So she can be okay changing others views but when someone asks the same of her it's too far.
Wtf is the talk about poop in this book???
This book ended on such a weird note. There was zero point to this book. They are still friends. Ellie still is married.
Final Thoughts:
Like I said I loved the writing style of the author. I thought the friendship made little to none sense. It seemed more like they were in this toxic relationship.
Recommend For:
• Friendships
• Crazy plots
• Mentions of poop
IG | Blog
*****SPOILERS*****
About the book:Robin and Ellie have been best friends since childhood. When Robin came out, Ellie was there for her. When Ellie's father died, Robin had her back. But when Ellie asks Robin to be her maid of honor, she is reluctant. A queer academic, Robin is dubious of the elaborate wedding rituals now sweeping the nation, which go far beyond champagne toasts and a bouquet toss. But loyalty wins out, and Robin accepts. Yet, as the wedding weekend approaches, a series of ominous occurrences lead Robin to second-guess her decision. It seems that everyone in the bridal party is out to get her. Perhaps even Ellie herself.
Release Date: June 22nd, 2023
Genre: Thriller
Pages: 304
Rating:
What I Liked:
1. Loved Robin (until part 2)
2. Related to how Robin felt toward marriage
3. The writing style was really great
What I Didn't Like:
1. Ellie can be such a victim
2. Pierogi not pierogies
3. Lego bricks not Legos
Overall Thoughts:
I relate to so much with Robin. I'm anti-marriage and think society puts too much onto women while being chill for men.
Ellie doing the whole glass in grass trust fall. No. No way I would have ever did that. I once worked in a call center that did stupid stuff like this. Trust falls. Even one where they blindfolded you and you had to trust the other person to get you around the building. Just stupid.
The friendship between Ellie and Robin has me scratching my head. They are so opposite that I can't figure out the reason they even wanted to be friends.
I find it weird that they do EVERYTHING together. They work together, live together, eat together, and sleep together. The weirdest part was them deciding to shower together to save water.... What kind of friendship is this?? They even look at each other's vulvas for an STI. Whyyyy?? This is not normal friendships...! Who shares underwear?
Dude Robin in part 2 is horrible. She wants to force a woman to give up her views of anti-vax but when asked if she'll shave her legs for the wedding she gets pissed and storms out. So she can be okay changing others views but when someone asks the same of her it's too far.
Wtf is the talk about poop in this book???
This book ended on such a weird note. There was zero point to this book. They are still friends. Ellie still is married.
Final Thoughts:
Like I said I loved the writing style of the author. I thought the friendship made little to none sense. It seemed more like they were in this toxic relationship.
Recommend For:
• Friendships
• Crazy plots
• Mentions of poop
IG | Blog
January 2, 2023
“Marriage is about sacrifice.”
Interesting... definitely not what I was expecting it to be, but I'm pretty easy in that the weirder and more unhinged a book gets, even in mundane ways, the more likely I am to enjoy it. This is about two best friends who have a weirdly intense, up and down relationship. Ellie asks Robin to be her maid of honour at her wedding, and even though Robin hates the institution and the wedding industrial complex and has no plans of getting married to her girlfriend, she eventually agrees. This takes place in a near future, sorta alternate universe that's really not that implausible, where marriages are being pushed on the populace, and women are increasingly made to feel as if they're goods on a shelf, slowly getting rotten the longer they remain unmarried. The book takes us through the pre-wedding activities and the wedding weekend, and gets more and more unhinged as it moves along. I hesitate to call it a thriller but it's the closest I can get to a genre for this.
Really, this could have been bland and one-note in that self-congratulatory liberal way that a lot of books are, when they fail to be self aware, and deliberately try not to go too far to the left. But this hit just the right spot because of the main character. Robin is the furthest from perfect. She can get annoying and combative, and I did enjoy the deliberate ways the book showed that, even when the book is all from her POV. She's definitely not wrong in her beliefs (she's very right about most of them) but I just really liked the way the author talked about her argumentativeness, how she'd try so hard to get people to see things her way, even though she hates fighting, and it makes her anxious and sick. I love how we see that tying into her relationship with Ellie, and the conclusions we eventually come to. The weirdness, again, just made this a really good time for me, with all the new and bonkers weddings rituals that kept popping up. I do wish the ending had wrapped up just a little bit differently? I don't think the reader needed a letter explaining all those things; most of them we could have worked out by inference, and I think stating them out loud kinda did the book a disservice?
Listened to the audiobook as read by Kristen Sieh, which was great. I just loved how she narrated all the little insanities, how she portrayed Robin's frustration and sarcasm. Even though this didn't go to the places I was expecting, I still liked it a lot. It's a weird little book with a fucked up friendship at its heart, and I do love reading about those.
Content warnings:
July 5, 2022
I thought this would be a twisty, dark thriller but this was really just a sorta dystopian tale on weddings and highlighting the lengths some ‘bridezillas’ will go to to ensure their day is perfect. I honestly don’t even know what genre it would fit into. Maybe comedy? Just not my kinda comedy.
The wedding doesn’t even start until half way through the book. The first half is the backstory of the two main characters, Robin and Ellie, and how their friendship has been so up and down throughout the years. Both were really unlikeable, toxic characters (I didn’t mind Robin as much, but she’s super obnoxious) and a lot of their backstory didn’t actually have any relevance to the rest of the story. I did enjoy the first half better though, because once we get to the actual wedding, things just become silly and unrealistic.
There was some great, diverse representation in this book though! It was a quick and easy book to read but I certainly wouldn’t be rushing to recommend it.
The wedding doesn’t even start until half way through the book. The first half is the backstory of the two main characters, Robin and Ellie, and how their friendship has been so up and down throughout the years. Both were really unlikeable, toxic characters (I didn’t mind Robin as much, but she’s super obnoxious) and a lot of their backstory didn’t actually have any relevance to the rest of the story. I did enjoy the first half better though, because once we get to the actual wedding, things just become silly and unrealistic.
There was some great, diverse representation in this book though! It was a quick and easy book to read but I certainly wouldn’t be rushing to recommend it.
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