ARC Review Book Review by A Book Wanderer

ARC Review | Small Joys by Elvin James Mensah

Title: Small Joys
Author: Elvin James Mensah
Genre: Literary Fiction
Published On: April 11, 2023
Publisher: Ballantine Books
Source: digital (Netgalley)
Pages: 320

Synopsis:

An unexpected friendship saves a young man’s life in this moving, utterly charming debut about chosen family, the winding road to happiness, and the grace of second chances.

Could I one day inspire happiness in others, the same way he seemed to do in me?

It’s 2005 and Harley has dropped out of college to move home, back to rural England, where he works a dead-end job at a movie theater. Estranged from his father and finding every attempt at happiness futile, Harley is on the verge of making a devastating final decision. Fortunately for him, things don’t go according to plan, and his attempt on his own life is interrupted by his new roommate, Muddy.

Muddy is everything Harley is not: ostensibly heterosexual, freewheeling, confident in his masculinity. Despite their differences, a deep friendship blossoms between them when Muddy takes Harley under his wing and shows him everything that, in his eyes, makes life worth living: bird-watching, karaoke, rugby, and the band Oasis.

But this newfound friendship is complicated. It has enormous repercussions for the pair’s romantically entangled friend group–for Chelsea, an overbearing striver whose generosity they begrudgingly rely on; for Finlay, her raffish and uncouth boyfriend; and for Noria, who despite her simmering confidence is smarting from a series of unreturned affections. And then there’s the violent affair with an older man that Harley finds himself slipping back into . . .

As secrets and jealousies endanger all that Harley has come to depend on, he finds himself faltering once again, even though he finally has something–and someone–to live for. Soul-stirring and witty, full of hope and peopled with characters who feel like close friends, Small Joys explores a young man’s turbulent journey toward happiness and announces the arrival of an exciting voice in fiction.

Content Warnings:

Suicide attempt, suicidal thoughts, homophobia, mental illness, racism, toxic relationships, emotional abuse, sexual content, violence

My thoughts

(Spoiler free)

A few times a year—if I’m lucky—I stumble upon a quiet novel, a novel that feels like I’m sitting with a friend, hearing their story; a heartbreaking story that makes me think there’s no hope for humanity, but then delivers a glimmer of hope that becomes a blazing sun. Small Joys by Elvin James Mensah is one such novel.

In my teenage years, I’d thought self-assurance would come with age. I’d staked so many of my future glories on my twenties signaling something, as if the ground beneath my feet would feel different somehow or that life would take on this beautiful, previously undiscovered shape, into which I’d slot with a sigh of relief; I’d made it, I’d say. Of course, it didn’t signal a thing and all the anxieties simply evolved into new and fun shapes, and came at me from all these imaginative angles. At twenty-one, self-assurance hadn’t come at all.

Elvin James Mensah, Small Joys

We meet Harley at a low point in his life. He’s contemplating desperate choices when a stranger, Muddy, takes him by surprise. Unbeknownst to Harley, Muddy is his new flatmate, and as Harley slowly opens up to this new friendship, we see that Harley is kind and good and desperate for love, but broken by being repeatedly hurt. Muddy, as an avid bird-watcher, is patient and perceptive, and he sees that Harley needs help. Their friendship is pure and joyful, and it’s a pleasure to witness. If you’re a fan of Heartstopper, Harley and Muddy may remind you a bit of Charlie and Nick.

This novel is about found families and being young and “finding yourself” alongside your friends who are trying to find themselves, as well. Harley has a small friend group who he hasn’t opened up to much, but as he opens up to Muddy, he also opens up to his existing friends, all of whom take Harley under their wing in different ways.

I found myself highlighting passage after passage, until the whole book almost seemed highlighted. It’s beautifully written, told with a brutal honesty and carefully chosen words. And while it would probably be considered a slow-paced novel, I didn’t want to set it down, desperate to know if Harley would be okay.

There are many content or trigger warnings for this novel that might keep you from picking it up, but the joy and pureness of the friendships outshines the difficult parts. I never found it overwhelmingly sad or too stressful. Mensah delivers the story with a gentle hand.

A few other random things I enjoyed about this book:

It’s full of musical references, and you all know how much I love for my books to include music. Even if it’s an artist or song I don’t know, I just enjoy when my characters also enjoy music. But I highlighted every reference on my kindle to go back to later and make a playlist, of course, which ended up being the most wonderfully random assortment of songs. I can’t wait to share them with you.

I also enjoyed all the mentions of birds. It gave me a whole new perspective on the hobby of bird-watching, which I’d always thought of as somewhat boring. Now, I can appreciate the peace and healing of the practice.

Impressive and perfect, Mensah’s debut is a novel that builds empathy for fellow humans. It reminds us that even though we may not see it, people are struggling, and one moment of kindness may be just what they need. I feel like Small Joys will stay with me a long time, and I hope this is a book that gets the attention it deserves.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. Thank you to Ballantine Books and Netgalley for providing me with an advance copy.

(All quotes are taken from the advance copy and are subject to change in final print.)

Rating:

Rating: 5 out of 5.

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About the Author

Elvin James Mensah

Elvin James Mensah is a 27 year old British-Ghanaian writer born and raised in South East London. He received his Bachelor of Arts in English and Journalism from Bournemouth University, where he began writing his first novel. When not writing about blackness and queerness, he can be found voraciously explaining either the interconnectivity of the Marvel Cinematic Universe to his long-suffering friends, or the everlasting cultural impact of the Spice Girls. His other hobbies include drinking copious amounts of Capri Sun and re-reading Donna Tartt and Hanya Yanigihara novels. His debut novel, SMALL JOYS, was pre-empted by Chris White at Scribner, and will be published as a lead title in February 2023.

@elvinjamesmensah

A Song For A Book

With the many, many mentions of songs and artists, it was easy to pick a song to highlight for Small Joys. I’ve chosen “Acquiesce” by Oasis, a band that plays quite an important part in the book. The lyrics wonderfully reflect Harley and Muddy’s friendship, too. For your enjoyment, as well, I’m also including my Spotify playlist below that I created with all the songs and artists mentioned within the book.

I don’t know what it is that makes me feel alive
I don’t know how to wake the things that sleep inside
I only wanna see the light that shines behind your eyes

I hope that I can say the things I wish I’d said
To sing my soul to sleep and take me back to bed
Who wants to be alone when we can feel alive instead

Because we need each other
We believe in one another
And I know we’re going to uncover
What’s sleeping in our soul
Because we need each other
We believe in one another
I know we’re going to uncover
What’s sleeping in our soul
What’s sleeping in our soul…

Have you read Small Joys? Did you add it to your tbr? Let me know in the comments!

Happy Wandering!

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