More Happy Than Not is a young adult novel exploring the experiences of gay teens in homophobic settings. The main character, Aaron Soto, is a sixteen-year-old gay who finds himself in a complex situation of wanting to erase gay memories. Before realizing his real sexuality, Aaron falls in love with Genevieve. Genevieve is loving and caring. The young girl subtly recognizes Aaron’s sexual orientation and decides to keep it under wraps. When Genevieve goes to summer camp, Aaron befriends Thomas. Strangely, Aaron starts feeling attracted romantically to Thomas.
Romantic feelings are mysterious and can’t be hidden. Aaron pours out his heart to Thomas but regrets it when he turns him down. The fear of backlash prompts Aaron to seek ways to forget his sexual orientation. Indeed, such cases are common among young gays. Societies subject homosexuals to prejudice and many young men and women fear coming out. Consequently, several of them refuse to accept themselves and resort to unorthodox methods to cope with their situation.
The novel encourages young people to accept their sexual orientations and avoid situations that can lead to self-injury. Homosexuals tend to look for ways that can eliminate their depression. Notwithstanding, depression stem from self-rejection. Accepting oneself can reduce incidences that lead to self-destruction like indulging in substance use. Aaron never accepts himself and resorts to unsafe measures that have consequences. Self-discovery and accepting oneself serve the purpose in everybody’s life.
