Book Review: The Happy Life of Isadora Bentley

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I loved this book.... even though it hit too close to home. Isadora Bentley has felt out of place all her life. This caused her to become very sad. So sad that co-workers are intimidated by her. She never smiles. She's never happy. As a researcher she decides to do her own research project on happiness after reading a magazine article on steps to become happy. She set out to prove the article wrong but as she takes each step she begins to make friends, begins to go on adventures and suddenly finds herself happy, even though she continues to deny it. A guy hurt her in the past, and a new guy helps her with her project but she is too scared to admit how she feels about him, afraid to get hurt. I know the feeling. I found this story, Isadora, so relatable. That's on me. Not to go into my childhood and everything beyond. But the story sounds like something that can actually happen. There are some interesting quotes I made note of. "Life has been one singular thing for me - disappointing. And that disappointment led to pain and heartache. How am I supposed to forget that? How can anyone forget that?" Yup, sounds like me. "What's making me unhappy? How about a whole string of things: The cruelty of other people. Being used. An overbearing mother. A manipulative boyfriend." (I didn't have the overbearing mother but as the youngest I was kind of ignored as a child, and in high school... third wheel so many times. I can't even socialize in groups of more than 2 or 3 people). Sad to say that this touched me so much. It also made me think. It's not all serious. It's fun as Isadora meets new people, goes on new excursions. A really good read. 5 stars out of 5.