There are books whose summaries manage to accurately summarize the events of the story, yet somehow not be representative of the story at all. This story is about Pearl and Rhett but the other character burn just as brightly, are just as deeply flawed, and pull the reader in just as close.

Val is a particular favorite of mine in the complexity of her characterization. I adore how Rhett is characterized as well, especially in the divergence in how he views himself and treats his loved ones. His need for control and purity expresses through severely disorder eating is so painfully real. It's hard to see Pearl expect the worst from her son, but getting to see her through the lens of something other than mother clarifies her character and the choices she makes in interesting ways.

This was a really interesting book. I loved that it made me think about happiness in more depth. What it means, why and how we want it, and if we ever really have it--at least in the long-term. It definitely got dark at times and left me wanting to read something in the YA genre as a sort of palate cleanser. Again, it wasn't bad, just a little dark. Definitely check content warnings.

I listened to Tell the Machine Goodnight, and I adored it. From the gorgeous literary imagery to the little details of the near-future world in which the characters live, it was a treat. Each character is fully developed, and I quite like how we get to see their world from different perspectives, personalities, and histories.

Generally, the book is about a mom, Pearl, her anorexic teenage son, Rhett, and his dad, Elliot. Pearl works as happiness pathologist, helping people learn what will actually make them happy - results taken from an easy DNA test. Rhett is recovering from a life-threatening bout of an eating disorder and navigates school and relationships.

It's a book about their relationships with one another and away from one another. It's a book whose characters orbit happiness but rarely land. It's a book about boundaries and secrets and how everyone's past and current self-development shape them. 

If you had access to a machine that told you how to be happy, would you use it? And is happiness what we should all aim to achieve?