If It Makes You Happy by Claire Kann
CW: Racism, Fat-phobia, Queer-phobia, Asthma Attack, Controlling Grandparent, Customer Service Trauma, Money Problems
4.5/5
Claire Kann has captured my heart yet again! The combination of her writing and the gentle voice of Caroline Sorunke on the audiobook made If It Makes You Happy a total win! After Overdrive granted my request to add this book with perhaps the quickest turnaround I have ever seen, I dove right in. The premise would have been enough on its own even if I wasn't already a fan of Claire Kann. Queer, black, plus-size representation set to a summer vacation in a small town scene? The only other thing I could ask for it to be is one of those books where the author makes a quick cameo spot for the beloved other characters from their other work. Oh wait, it has that too! If you have read Let's Talk About Love, keep your eyes or ears peeled.
In If It Makes You Happy, Winnie is spending her last pre-college summer in Misty Haven, as she does every summer. Her queerplatonic ungirlfriend, Kara, lives in Misty Haven and is very ready to have Winnie back in person. Winnie wants to spend her summer with Kara, her brother, and working shifts at Goldeen's. Her plans start to change when she hears about a televised food competition that could really help her family. After her grandmother refuses to let her do it, their strained relationship makes itself more obvious to the both of them.
Although Winnie's summer is not the perfect one she had imagined, a brightness comes from the strangest of places. Winnie gets picked to be the Summer Queen, basically a mascot for the town for the summer. She has terrible stage fright and would not have picked this for herself, but when Dallas, a very attractive guy, volunteers to be the Summer King, Winnie might be willing to see where it goes. Over the course of the summer, she will have to decide what each relationship in her life means to her, struggle with how other people perceive both her weight and her romantic identity, and sort out what makes herself happy.
This book has a lot of gifts for its readers spread among the pages. We have Kara, a rare aromantic book character, something I'd like to see much more of. There are many nerdy references to things such as The Matrix, Pokémon, and Lord of the Rings. The book does not try to force a perfectly happy ending when it wouldn't be realistic. It allows itself to be the best it can be while letting the reader know that Winnie and those she cares about still have things ahead of them. The book never tries to romanticize the small-town, it showcases it honestly. While it has its small businesses and tight-knit community, it also has racism, fat-phobia, and gossip. I also love how much this book has to say; things about toxic masculinity, how size doesn't necessarily reflect health, how important a queerplatonic relationship can be, and generational trauma.
Although this book will leave you wondering just how Winnie got selected to be the Summer Queen, you'll be too enraptured to fuss about it. Go, enjoy the puns, gluten-free treats, and quality time spent between siblings! This book just wants to be read!
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