Winner The Text Prize for Young Adult and Children's Writing 2014
A funny sad and serious memoir How to Be Happy is David Burton’s story of his turbulent life at high school and beyond. Feeling out of place and convinced that he is not normal David has a rocky start. He longs to have a girlfriend but his first ‘date’ is a disaster. There’s the catastrophe of the school swimming carnival—David is not sporty—and friendships that take devastating turns. Then he finds some solace in drama classes with the creation of ‘Crazy Dave’ and he builds a life where everything is fine. But everything is not fine.
And at the centre of it all trying desperately to work it all out is the real David.
How to Be Happy tackles depression friendship sexual identity suicide academic pressure love and adolescent confusion. It’s a brave and honest account of one young man’s search for a happy true and meaningful life that will resonate with readers young and old.
